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tt1227762 | Aladin | The film opens with the family of archeologist Arun Chatterjee, who lives with his wife, Riya, and baby son, Aladin. When out on a holiday, Arun is attacked by a gang searching for a magic lamp, which Chatterjee has found, but has hidden somewhere. Arun and Riya Chatterjee are murdered; Aladin is raised by his grandfather. After his granddad's death, a now grown-up Aladin Chatterjee (Ritesh Deshmukh) lives in the fictional city of Khwaish. He is lonely, and Kasim (Sahil Khan) and his gang members have bullied Aladin since his childhood. His life changes when Jasmine (Jacqueline Fernandez) enters the city, and Aladin immediately falls for her.
Jasmine has a birthday party for Aladin, and as a present Kasim gives Aladin a magic lamp for his birthday to embarrass him in front of Jasmine. However, this lamp turns out to be the magic lamp that Aladin's father's murderers were trying to find. Aladin rubs the lamp and releases the genie, Genius (Amitabh Bachchan). Desperate to grant him three wishes so his contract with the magic lamp can end, the rock-star Genius suddenly makes Aladin's life very interesting but chaotic. Aladin does not want to make any wishes, but Genius enters Aladin's dreams and finds out what he wants, getting his sleeping mind to make a wish: to make Jasmine fall in love with him. When he wakes up, he does not like what Genius has done and uses his second wish to return Jasmine to normal. His third wish is for Genius to help him woo Jasmine without using magic to make it happen. Genius does his best, but magic is really his strong suit. Still, as a result of Genius's help/interference, Aladin stands up to Kasim and starts a relationship with Jasmine, and Genius teaches Kasim a lesson. Aladin's future looks perfect, until the real threat looms on the horizon - the ex-genie, Ringmaster (Sanjay Dutt).
Ringmaster is searching for the magic lamp and kidnaps Jasmine with the help of his circus gang. Shortly after Genius and Aladin realize she has been kidnapped, an informer (really Ringmaster in disguise) tells Aladin that it was Genius who murdered his parents. Aladin insults Genius and tells him to leave. Heartbroken, Genius goes to rescue Jasmine alone. As he arrives, it is revealed that Ringmaster is the one who actually killed Aladin's family, as he has been searching for the magic lamp for a long time; Aladin's parents found it first, and Ringmaster punished them for it. Ringmaster steals the magic lamp and wishes for Genius to kill Aladin, but Genius refuses to do it, and loses his magic because he did not grant the wish, just as Ringmaster had planned. Aladin learns that Genius is innocent and arrives to help him, and they succeed in rescuing Jasmine. Ringmaster's plan is then completely revealed: he plans to perform a ritual to steal the reflection of an approaching comet, getting back his genie powers as a result. Genius, Aladdin and Jasmine intervene, and Aladdin steals the comet's reflection, giving genie powers back to Genius instead of Ringmaster. Genius seals Ringmaster inside a mirror and then shatters it, defeating him. The Ringmaster's gang is also defeated.
In the end, the trio happily gets back to the city, Aladin and Jasmine are a couple, and after earning special superpowers from the comet, Aladin gives Kasim yet another lesson. | good versus evil | train | wikipedia | aladin is a boy who fall in love with jasmine but he cant tell her then jasmine gives her a gift from local store that was a lamp when he rubs it here comes the genius MR AB who act really cool i think he watch all the cartoons for this act luv the story plot for kids,adults and family then Sanjay Dutt acted well his character is of ring master and it suits him the best..
frankly speaking i was not expecting anything from this movie, but i was blown away by the cgi quality which can be compared to the best of the best in Hollywood.the story was very good and the music was excellent,all the actors acted very well and specially amitabh bachan and ritesh deshmukh.
The only thing is that the man is on the point of retiring from his job.Starring Amitabh Bachchan, Ritesh Deshmukh, Jacqueline Fernandes, Sanjay Dutt, this is directed by Sujoy Ghosh while Vishal Shekhar provide the music score.Amitabh Bachchan in a role that has been mentioned quite a few times for a while now, is as usual, excellent and he has managed to carry it off rather well.
But both Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt, really carry this film on their shoulders to a level that one can say that is worth watching if you like such films.What also makes this film a bit interesting are the visual effects and these are worth watching and especially the woman who breathes nothing but fire and the fight sequences.
The song to listen for "Ore Saawariya," is the one to listen for and is worth listening to.A good film to watch if you like a bit of everything, fantasy, romance, adventure, fairy tale and science fiction is mixed in.
The climax failed to impress us unlike the previous scenes or situations namely good songs, lovely, fairy tale locales, good cinematography, gorgeous costumes, exciting fight sequences, nice performances, and lot of funny scenes had movie-going kids in splits.
And this year we have a similar kind of forgettable fantasy movie titled "Aladin", once again from the same prestigious banner of Eros.
In other words it seems to be the result of the wandering mind of a director who is simply lost in his own artistic world and damn cares of the entertainment quotient of his final product.To start with, in my opinion there are two most important and exciting sequences in an "Aladin" movie, which have to be dealt with extra care and creativity.
The Jinn simply appears from the cloudy smoke in few seconds and then just starts singing a song along with Aladin and a group of dancers, which is arguably the weirdest conceived sequence of the movie.
Besides this, the three wishes are just wasted by Aladin, without any excitement build up or entertainment factor for the viewers.Moreover the kids keep on waiting for something great to unfold on the screen, each time Aladin is going to say a wish, but nothing happens and post interval the movie moves on to a totally different tale of a Ring Master who is also in search of the magic lamp.
On the contrary, the bonus track deviates the story from its original theme and takes away the world famous charm of this fantasy story.In the performance department, except Ritesh Deshmukh, almost everyone goes over the top, acting with hyper reactions and high energy.
Only Ritesh Deshmukh looked like his character of Aladin on the screen and he is the only one who gives an impressive, controlled and enjoyable performance in the movie.Musically, it's another mediocre score from Vishal-Shekhar with no Hit Track as such.
Otherwise it's a complete disaster from the production team, who didn't learn any lesson from their own dud "Drona".It was indeed sad to see all the valuable resources and hard work going down the drain once again in a useless effort of making an epic fantasy Indian movie.
Actually we should stop thinking about competing with Hollywood in the Fantasy genre as it's not possible to reach the level of "Harry Potter" or "Lord of the Rings" with this kind of mind setup, where a Ginni still has to sing songs along with Aladin.If a big ship sinks then only the captain gets the blame, who is Sujoy Ghosh in this particular case, solely responsible for this silly & mad fiasco.
Along with him both Amitabh Bachchan and Sanjay Dutt are equally responsible for saying yes to this project and raising the expectation levels of all their children fans in the entire world.
But it doesn't seem to be the way our Industry works as Bollywood keeps on delivering bad and disgraceful projects at regular intervals year after year and that too with some great confidence on their faces before the release.In a nutshell, it's high time that the production houses should rethink upon their working strategies.
Magical world,Special effects is nothing new for todays movie lovers but for Bollywood,with low budget,Aladin is good enough.It brings a fresh air of a simple fantasy world.Aladin a film about magical world began in the Khwaish Nagar of north India.A little boy named Aladin sometimes harassed by his friends because of similar name with a hero..One day a genie appears when Aladin rubes a magical lamp...Then began the story of magic and fantasy.Genie helps Aladin to find his love,fights with evil character named Ringmaster who want that magical lamp to control the world.There is nothing special(other than simple special effects) in the film but watch it for its simplicity..It helps you to fly through your childhood Fantacies..Scripts is ordinary,clumsy in some places..Music average..In acting Ritesh and Sanjay Datta well into their character.Newcomer Jaqueline Fernandes done Justis to his character.Though there is nothing cinematic beauty in this Movie but at the end of the day it makes you fill good...
Directed by Sujoy Ghosh, Aladin is set in the make-believe city of Khwaish in Northern India, where a puny boy named Aladin Chatterjee (played by Ritesh Deshmukh) has been bullied all his life and forced to rub lamps by his classmates because he shares his name with the character from that popular fairytale.On rubbing one such lamp, a genie does appear.
This one's named Genius; he's played by Amitabh Bachchan in a gawdy wardrobe, and he wants to quickly grant Aladin his three wishes so he can retire in peace.
Aladin's nursing a crush on the pretty new student in class, Jasmine (played by newcomer Jacqueline Fernandes), but knows it's unlikely she'll return his affections.
In a parallel track, the film's villain, an ex-genie named Ringmaster(played by Sanjay Dutt) wants to get his hands on that lamp so he can take over the world.
Ghosh uses superlative special effects to bring this fable to life, even if the narrative itself is occasionally choppy, leaving you befuddled over important plot-points like a comet whose reflection must be caught to gain genie powers.
Aimed squarely at the kids, Aladin is a spectacle of sweeping sets, lavish dance numbers and never-before-seen visual effects including a stunning sequence in which Genius is raised to the skies, his chest ripped open and his powers snatched away.
Of the cast, Sanjay Dutt leaves a strong impression as Ringmaster, his look and his wardrobe contributing as much to his performance as his menacing delivery.
Amitabh Bachchan is consistent, if a little OTT as Genius, but it's his scenes with Ritesh's Aladin that are the heart of this film.
His blind-love for Jasmine was not fleshed out well.Jacqualine Fernandes:: She was gorgeous and must improve on her acting skills to stay afloat in the industry.Sanjay Dutt:: Well I was expecting a "Joker" performance and sad to say, he was a letdown.
But instead, a fine actor (Amitabh Bachchan) is wasted and comes off as a boorish jerk instead of Aladin's new friend or benefactor.
Mr Bachchan and supernatural films a big No No. Mr Bachchan in late 80's started doing supernatural films, god knows suddenly from 1989 first came TOOFAN, JAADUGAR and then in 1991 AJOOBA all sank without a traceBachchan didn't learn a lesson from the non performance of this films and kept doing films like BHOOTNATH, GOD TUSSI GREAT HO and now ALADINALADIN was in making from 2007 and looks like Bachchan's another role like BHOOTNATHFor some reason now the makers try to cash on Bachchan and his charisma but make him do some funny faces and loud shouting The film is a modernization on the story on ALADIN and GENE Here he is Genius and the story is so contrived and the handling so amateurish you cringeThe Sanju's character too doesn't make senseIn Short nothing worksDirection by Sujoy Ghosh(after HOME DELIVERY) is terrible Special effects are ordinary Music is okayAmongst actors Bachchan goes over the top as expected and makes Bhootnath look a classic front of this Ritiesh is likable as always Sanju too makes funny faces like Bachchan and looks reprising his own KHALNAYAK and he isn't up to the mark here Newcomer Jacqueline is okay.
Aladin directed by Sujoy Ghosh is disastrous.The movie has superb VFX effects but the movie lacks in a good story which makes the film a huge disappointment.Story:- Aladin Chatterjee (Ritesh Deshmukh) lives in the fictional city of Khwaish, an orphan who has been bullied by Kasim (Sahil Khan) and his gang members since his childhood.
But his life changes when Jasmine (Jacqueline Fernandez) gives him a magic lamp - because it lets loose the genie Genius (Amitabh Bachchan).
Desperate to grant him three wishes and to seek the end of his contract with the magic lamp, the rock-star Genius makes Aladin's life difficult until the real threat looms on the horizon - the ex-genie, Ringmaster (Sanjay Dutt).With the help of Jasmine, Aladin and Tarnveer work together to defeat Ringmaster.
In the end Aladin earns powers from the lamp.The direction is poor.The special effects are a feast to the eye.The music is fine.The dialogs are average.Performances:- Amitabh Bachchan disappoints.He just screams and hams throughout the movie.Sanjay Dutt,too,overacts.Ritesh Deshmukh is the only saving grace.He is likable as Aladin.Jacqueline Fernandes is okay.Ratna Pathak Shah irritates.Ditto for Sahil Khan.I am giving Aladin three out of ten only for its superb VFX effects and a convincing performance by Ritesh Deshmukh.Colossal disappointment!.
He can give excellent performances if the directors can pull it out of him.Aladin had a nice concept; the concept of using the real Aladdin story and giving it an Indian touch.
Jacqueline Fernandes should get some acting classes, looking beautiful is not enough, because it can make you look stupid on screen when you are supposed to ACT instead of just be there and giving a smile.Riteish Deshmukh is very good though, as Aladin, he is very lovable in the film and delivers a nice performance.
Saahil Khan is back after a long time, and delivers very funny sequences, he has improved a lot and I wouldn't mind seeing him in future movies.The music is good, though not the very best from Vishal-Shekhar, You May Be is the best of the lot, which will still be playing in years to come.On the whole, Aladin is a chance wasted.
In Aladin the story was completely revamped to suit the Indian movie enthusiasts.
Amitabh Bachchan playing The Genie - Genius and our very own Sanjay Dutt plays The Ringmaster - An Ex-Genie.
Now some of us may question why would a guy like Big B of such high caliber be in a kiddie movie prancing around playing magical pranks.
I think it was the chemistry they shared in Kaante long back ago.As I mentioned the story is completely revamped to suit the Indian audience as in the original cartoon movie Jaffer dupes Aladin into looking for the lamp whereas here Aladin was destined to have it.The movie starts off normally in a city called Khwaish (fictional city of course) showing Aladin (Ritiesh Deshmukh) a loser orphan being bullied by kids in school just because his name is Aladin.
Only this time its the real thing.Enter Genius (Amitabh Bachchan) a cheerful lively genie who is eager to grant Aladin's 3 wishes and go on a vacation.The rock-star Genius finds out its too late as our baddie The Ring Master (Sanjay Dutt an ex genie) is in town looking for the lamp as well.We find out that The Ringmaster wants the lamp for himself to get back his powers from which he was exiled due to selfish reasons.
Both the characters were played wonderfully by Big B and Sanju baba taking coolness and awesomeness to a new level.The comedy/cheesy dialogues were well timed in the movie so yes there are a few good laughs for the audience as well.Specially in the scene where The Ringmaster displays his joy rubbing the lamp and singing "Main dardi rub rub (rab rab) kardi" had us rolling on the floor laughing even though the whole darn movie theater didn't find it funny.Sometimes I wonder if the Indian audience will ever grow out of KJo movies.The special effects for good specially where Genius breaks the edge of a cliff diving down to save baby Aladin.
I am sure that if an NRI watches it, they will like it.The only thing that was a bit illogical was that in the story they said that the Ringmaster had lost his genie powers because when he had them, he used them for himself.
i am serious the Indian people are stupid when comes to movies this proves it their critics & audience hated this film.this is not the Hollywood & Disney version but a real modern take on Aladdin by bollywood.the special effects were greatthe story is about a guy named Aladdin who meets a genie & all goes well for him as jasmine loves him too.but then the evil ringmaster approaches & wants his powers back he will do anything to get them even if he has to destroy Aladdin & jasmine for it.the cast,music,direction it was a great attempt by Indian cinema amitabh was nice but the best thing about this movie was sanjay dutt as ringmaster & his flamethrower girl i don't know who is the actress behind the mask but it was awesome seeing these two.i will say it again i cant wait for the sequel if they ever make one in future.but this film is a definitely must buy DVD.my rating is 10/10 just go watch Aladdin 2009.
I only hated that his eyes were being covered for 75% of the time; by the cool hat or the white wig's long tufts.Speaking about hating; many scenes and moments, in the first 2 acts, should have been deleted; Aladin at night demands from the Genie to have love without magic, then a next scene, in the morning, for saying nothing but the same thing !, Genie goes to assure that nobody remembers the first wish's dance by asking the teacher (Why ?!), someone asks who's next in audition to know that Aladin is the next while we can understand it easily without that, The Ringmaster makes way over a mountain by outstanding stunt; I believed that fits being a smart introduction for him, or something he does with one of the first 2 victims, not a totally extra scene that didn't affect anything.
Let alone that the movie waits, for more than its half, till the romantic comedy ends to let the hot action unfold; however why The Ringmaster didn't try earlier to kill Aladin more than once?!
A zee TV actor is an actor who cannot really act and cannot make it to the real bollywood movies.
Acting is in their blood.So, this movie starts at zee TV level with this father of Aladin.
Then there is an other mistake made; Amitabh Bachchan and Ritesh Desmukh (Gild actors) have to act funny.
The song where Amitabh and Ritesh sang together for Jasmine was not very great.Not very great movie, for kids it could be the movie of the year.
Besides that, I don't think Aladin has much of a competition as it gets to special effects in a movie, crap or no crap..
I had the pleasure of watching Aladin as one of many in flight movies recently.
Amitabh Bachchan plays Genius (Genie) and Sanjay Dutt thrills as the ringmaster in search of the enchanted lamp and it's Genie's powers.
If parents want to know why they should NOT name their children after characters in movies, books or whatever other weirdness they can conjure up besides the norm, they should watch this film and see what Aladin(played by Riteish) had to endure.
This movie was in the making for 4 years however the end result turned out a little below my expectations.
I was impressed by Sujoy Ghosh's earlier two movies; 'Jhankar Beats' and 'Home Delivery'.
The movie progressed at a good pace, unfortunately too much time was was wasted on Ritesh and Amitabh.
Mr Bachan played his part sincerely and Sanjay Dutt's character of the ring master was a highlight in the movie.
don't watch this movie , total time waste..
what a flop ...after home delivery this is another flop film from Sujoy Ghosh, very poor and cheesy visual effects.In the performance department, except Ritesh Deshmukh, almost everyone goes over the top, acting with hyper reactions and high energy.
Yet in bold terms, both Amitabh Bachchan & Sanjay Dutt should include this movie as one of the most regretful projects of their career.
Yet in bold terms, both Amitabh Bachchan & Sanjay Dutt should include this movie as one of the most regretful projects of their career.
Only Ritesh Deshmukh looked like his character of Aladin on the screen and he is the only one who gives an impressive, controlled and enjoyable performance in the movie.The Sanju's character too doesn't make senseIn Short nothing worksso don't waste your time and money ... |
tt0056331 | Panic in Year Zero! | Harry Baldwin (Ray Milland), his wife Ann (Jean Hagen), their son Rick (Frankie Avalon), and daughter Karen (Mary Mitchell) leave suburban Los Angeles on a camping trip. The Baldwins notice unusually bright light flashes coming from a great distance. Sporadic news reports broadcast on CONELRAD hint at the start of an atomic war, later confirmed when the Baldwins see a large mushroom cloud over what was Los Angeles.
The family initially attempts to return to rescue Ann's mother, who lives near Los Angeles, but soon abandons these plans as panicked refugees climb over one another to escape the fallout from multiple nuclear explosions. Witnessing the threads of society being torn apart, Harry decides the family must find refuge at their secluded vacation spot.
Along the way, they stop to buy supplies, or, in the case of hardware store owner Ed Johnson (Richard Garland), take them by force when he won't accept a check. They also encounter three threatening young hoodlums, Carl (Richard Bakalyan), Mickey (Rex Holman), and Andy (Neil Nephew), on the road, but manage to drive them off.
After a harrowing journey, the Baldwins reach their destination and find shelter in a cave, while they wait for order to be restored. They find that Johnson and his wife are their neighbors, but not for long. The three thugs appear and shoot them. A farming couple suffers the same fate, and their teenage daughter, Marilyn (Joan Freeman), is kept as a sex slave. Karen is also raped when Mickey and Andy happen upon her. With guns in hand, the Baldwin men fight back, killing the two murderers and freeing Marilyn. Marilyn returns with them back to camp. Some time later Rick is out with Marilyn chopping wood. Carl sneaks up behind Marilyn and forces her to drop the rifle she is holding, and begins to question her about what happened to his friends. Rick tells him to back off and throws a piece of wood at him while at the same time Marilyn breaks away and grabs the rifle and shoots Carl dead, but at the same time Carl fires a shot off hitting Rick in the leg.
With Marilyn's help, they get the young man to Doctor Strong (Willis Bouchey). The doctor does what he can, but the boy needs a blood transfusion and must be taken to an army hospital more than a 100 miles (160 km) away, or he will die. On their drive there, they encounter a military patrol scouting for the army that is reestablishing order. After a tense meeting, the group is allowed to continue. Watching them depart, the soldiers note that they're among the "good ones" who escaped radiation sickness by being in the mountains when the bombs exploded. As the family drives on, a closing title card states: "There must be no end – only a new beginning". | murder | train | wikipedia | But this movie was a surprisingly well thought out & thought-provoking story.Just as a family has left LA for a vacation in the woods, the US suffers a massive nuclear attack on all its major cities from, uh, an unnamed enemy.
The father, well portrayed by Ray Milland, is grimly determined to protect his family at all costs for as long as it takes for order & civil authority to be restored, which he's sure will be a long time coming.The father is a good man, but a little paranoid & controlling.
The contradiction between following the rules & protecting your loved ones in desperate times is very effectively illustrated as he makes some reckless decisions along the way.Normally for a low budget 60's film like this, I wouldn't even bother thinking about how it could've been improved.
But since it's so good at presenting a major moral dilemma in a realistic way, think of these nits as a sign of respect: Milland's character could use a little more introspection, but of course so could a lot of early 60's dads!
Nobody -- except maybe Charlton Heston -- can look quite so anguished and masculine and bearing-the-weight-of-the-world-on-his-shoulders-in-the-face-of-civilization 's-downfall as Ray Milland does in this movie.It looks like we dodged the nuclear war bullet back in the 1960s, but I'm sure that anybody living today can still identify with the terrifying prospect of a devastating nuclear war and what could happen if you were one of the lucky/unlucky survivors.
Though his career was undoubtedly in something of a downturn by the early 1960s, the Oscar-winning actor briefly found new life in the realm of B-movies, starring in Roger Corman's 'X: The Man with X-ray Eyes (1963).' The previous year, however, Milland indulged in his occasional interest in directing {in total, he has five features to his name, as well as numerous television episodes} with 'Panic in Year Zero!
Ever since I read Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Poison Belt" in 2007, I've wanted to make my own post-apocalyptic film, and, fascinatingly, this is exactly the sort of production I'd envisioned; sparse in action and characters, but utilising the family's isolation to bring home the terror of their predicament.The theme of nuclear apocalypse was most common in the early 1960s, when relations between the United States and the Soviet Union were at their most hostile.
When Harry Baldwin (Milland) takes his family on a fishing trip, the sudden flash of light emanating from Los Angeles is initially mistaken for lightning, followed by the mundane remark that "I hope it doesn't rain." The Baldwins are a regular American family who don't deserve to have their lives and lifestyles exploited like cheap pawns in a game of chess.It's interesting that the charming rogues of the 1940s, such as Ray Milland and George Sanders, turned into convincing family-orientated men during their autumn years of acting.
There are, of course, a few unlikely plot turns by coincidence, the two groups of people who seek refuge in the Baldwins' hideaway are the very two with whom the family had had previously altercations and the occasional moment that can only be described as B-movie silliness {my favourite is the announcement that the sole outcome of an urgent United Nations meeting was to give this year a dramatic-sounding name}.
Sadly, big time directors continued to ignore him and the end of his life was defined by roles in "Frogs" and "The Thing With Two Heads" - films far worse than anything with Corman's name on them."Panic in Year Zero!" displays the basic conflict of compromise: Ray's character must compromise his beliefs and code of behavior in order to preserve what he cares for.
As we now re-acclimate ourselves to an era in which the possibility of "limited" nuclear attack (from national or independent terrorist groups) seems more likely than Mutual Assured Destruction, it is possible that films such as "Panic in Year Zero!" offer us important ethical problems.
Working with a typically low AIP budget, Milland, as director, concentrated on getting really fine performances out of the actors and telling his post-atomic war story by focusing on one family trying to find safety in isolation.
Ray Milland as Harry Baldwin does all he can to keep his family safe from the harsh realities of Nuclear Warfare and mankind at its worst.
Living in Los Angeles, this film gives us a pattern to survive such an attack if we are just as lucky as the Baldwin family because they are a safe distance from the heart of the city.
Ray Milland stars in and directed this American International melodrama concerning an ordinary Southern California family heading to the hills after Los Angeles is one of many cities hit by a nuclear missile (the film is very shy in saying who our enemy is, possibly European or Asian!).
The Baldwins have no place to return, mother Jean Hagen just wants to get to her mother who was left in the city.Under the circumstances father Ray Milland is keeping as cool a head as possible.
Hope for civilization in addition to Hagen is represented by Willis Bouchey who is a small town doctor whom the Baldwins are forced to turn to.The title refers to the fact from the attack our chronological numeration of years is now starting from this event with the hope that mankind has learned and is stating that he is making a new symbolic beginning.
From their vantage point in the hills it becomes evident that Los Angeles has been the victim of a nuclear attack, what is also evident is that the enemy is not merely confined to those people who launched the bombs.Panic In Year Zero!
The deconstruction of the human condition under duress is a subject that will forever be of interest to the arts and those who willingly observe it, but when a medium is tight in its portrayal then it's something to be cherished, such is the case here in Panic In Year Zero!We have your standard family, Mom, Dad, Daughter and Son, all genuine and honest people, all of them about to witness the dark side of human nature, not only from the outside looking in, but from within themselves as well!
Jean Hagen and Mary Mitchel play mother & daughter respectively, both fitting in perfectly to this family crisis, but it's Frankie Avalon as the son who really comes to the party armed, never one who was blessed with acting talent, his performance here is full of credibility and as the story unfolds, he is never found wanting in the entertainment stakes.It's far from perfect, and some things are hard to ignore, I mean are we really meant to believe that Milland and Hagen have hatched Frankie Avalon from their union!
Harry Baldwin (Ray Milland), his wife Ann (Jean Hagen), son Rick (Frankie Avalon) and daughter Karen (Mary Mitchell) leave L.A. for a camping trip out in the country.
A suburban Los Angeles family (Ray Milland, Jean Hagen, Frankie Avalon, and Mary Mitchel) leaves their upper middle class home at 4:00 AM to go on a fishing trip in the mountains and discovers while they are driving up there that LA has been attacked by nuclear weapons.
Milland as the father and husband takes control, arming his family, with guns he and son Frankie stole at a rural hardware store, in order to protect themselves against the human fallout of general social breakdown.
What does an "ordinary" family do when the Soviets bomb us?Ray Milland is the dad, and he's good and forceful, taking on a father role with a combination of extreme resolve and civilized goodness.
It is, however, the most direct and sensational of the series of great films made in the early 60s about the coming of nuclear war ("On the Beach" is my favorite, but "Bedord Incident" and "Fail-Safe" are great, too, not to mention the singular "Dr. Strangelove.")The first third of this film is mostly about the actual panic, and it's not a bad rendition of the small towns and deluge of desperate people (and cars—lots of classics).
Mostly this is Milland's show, though, showing wisdom and authority in a male-dominant way that a bit tiring, even if the 60s were still a time where men were supposedly making the decisions (the truth was different, we know).The ending, which I won't give away, is an interesting take on the early 60s, and how our view of the government and the army have changed.
Directed by and starring Ray Milland, "Panic in Year Zero!" is the story of a family of four whose planned camping vacation is interrupted by the onset of nuclear war.
Sadly, after his best actor Oscar for "The Lost Weekend" Milland never really got a good role again, except for Hitchcock's "Dial M for Murder." But he worked steadily and was never less than very good, even in turkeys like "The Man with X-ray Eyes." Milland fans should not miss his work in this low-budget survival drama.The premise is that Milland, his wife and two teenage kids (one of whom is Frankie Avalon, short enough to be a credible teenager) get an early start on a vacation in the mountains east of LA.
Milland quickly takes charge of the situation with a cynical foresight which eventually saves his family and him during the breakdown of civilization.Though he is a basically good man, he intuits that morality will be a relative concept during this disaster and acts accordingly: he apologetically but ruthlessly holds up a hardware store to supply himself; he tries (but is foiled by wife Jean Hagen) to blow away a carload of teen ruffians intent on raping the womenfolk; he causes a traffic pile up in order to get where he's going, and then covers his tracks into the mountains; grimmest of all, he coolly shoots the teen age hooligans (the same we saw earlier) after they have raped his daughter.
Throughout the course of the film Milland's character knocks out a price gouging service station attendant, holds up a hardware store, causes a massive freeway pile up by throwing petrol on the road and finds a family murdered by hoodlums who later rape his daughter.
(1962) *** 1/2 (out of 4)Extremely well made science fiction film has a nuclear war breaking out and Ray Milland taking his family into the mountains in hopes that they'll live long enough for civilization to start again.
Ray Milland directs and stars in this gritty, cold war tale of a family trying to survive in the mountains after a nuclear war.
The movie was a low-budget project, so don't expect to see vistas of destroyed cities (you see one distant mushroom cloud) or any massive military presence (you see one jeep), but despite the cost-cutting "Panic in the Year Zero" is an effective early entry into the post-apocalyptic genre.
we don't ever learn what it truly WAS - or the cause behind it (as in "who" or "why") - but just seeing the thing is good enough for Ray Milland to pack up his family and head for the hills before "the bad people" can get on the move.
Hard-nosed family man Ray Milland (as Harry Baldwin) and his sympathetic wife Jean Hagen (as Ann) get the camper ready for a vacation from their suburban Los Angeles home.
like grooming because if they don't groom, civilization as we know it will come to an end.Basically, the movie just follows the families "struggle" to make it through the first few weeks of the war which of course ends with letting us know that our way of life is strong enough to over come nuclear holocaust.Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate the movie, I actually found it pretty interesting, mostly because of the mentality portrayed in the movie.
This movie was made during the cold war in 62 in which Milland and his family are leaving L.A. early one morning to go on vacation and several hours later L.A. and several other major cities are attacked with nuclear weapons.
Milland also directed another movie in 56 called "A Man Alone" that was also really good and like this one the they start out really great but they tend to go downhill at the end..
This movie, Panic in Year Zero, (B&W),(1962), is a story about the aftermath of nuclear war.
Ray Milland both directed and starred in this nuclear war drama as Milland plays a father who takes his wife and two children from their Los Angeles home for a fishing trip in the mountains.
The rules of civilization start to break down, and it turns into a "every man for himself" situation, as they must find a way to survive this post nuclear environment.Good premise doesn't really go anywhere, and result is mostly unconvincing, though the direction isn't bad, and it has its moments, especially in the way Milland's character becomes increasingly ruthless, though all seems to be forgiven by the "happy" ending!.
Shortly after leaving Los Angeles on a trip, the family Baldwin - Harry (Ray Milland), Ann (Jean Hagen), Rick (Frankie Avalon) and Karen (Mary Mitchel) - witness a large mushroom cloud over their home city.
Ray Milland shines in this film, playing a man who keeps his family in survival mode.
Atomic bombs hit Los Angeles and other West Coast cities just as Ray Milland's family heads out for a camping trip.
"Panic in the Year Zero" explores the transformation that Harry Baldwin (Ray Milland of "Safecracker") experiences between the time that he leaves his home in Los Angeles and winds up at his new home in a cave in the mountains.
Most stories of this type ended up on TV "playhouses", which are rarely rerun now, so this story may now seem more unusual now than it was at the time.Actually, this movie came at the tail end of the period.It is very well made, and, like the original movie "The Thing", shows what can be done by a good director with a good script and decent actors even on a low budget.It certainly shows how the worst comes out(in the worst people) under circumstances like this.The criticism of Milland and his family for certain drastic measures, is, I feel, unwarranted.They don't use force unless there is no choice, and then only as much as necessary.There is a difference between killing out of necessity and killing for the sheer joy of doing so, as the three punks did.As far as obeying the "rules" of civilization, even under normal circumstances you are responsible for your own safety most of the time.The authorities aren't going to guard your home;YOU have to.And when order completely breaks down,each person becomes his own law,answerable to his own conscience and principles.Milland and his son didn't turn into fiends because there was no "authority" to control them;when they rescued the rape victim they didn't treat her as a "prize" to be used for their own pleasure,they acted in a decent and civilized manner.Actually, their main misjudgment was in allowing the three punks to escape when they first encountered them.By proposing to murder Milland in cold blood they condemned themselves.Milland and his son should have executed them on the spot when they had the chance;it was obviously inevitable that if these PREDATORS were allowed to escape that they would kill someone else, as in fact they did.
As luck would have it, "Harry Baldwin" (Ray Milland) and his family are leaving Los Angeles to go camping and fishing.
Panic in Year Zero (1962) aka End of the World CONTAINS SPOILERS The Cuban Missile Crisis ignited an explosion of excellent movies dealing with nuclear holocaust including Fail-Safe (1964), Dr. Strangelove (1964), (Stanley Kubrick's follow-up masterpiece to Paths of Glory (1957) and Lolita (1962), (Spartacus (1960) is very good, but it is what it is)), and The Bedford Incident (1965).
There are some very good exceptions of course, particularly Malevil (1981) and Testament (1983).Panic in Year Zero appeared a year before the missile crisis and follows a family of four, who happen to be driving away from Los Angeles on a vacation when the city is destroyed, as they try to survive the growing chaos in the surrounding areas.
Quite scary really.The cast includes Ray Milland (who also directs), Frankie Avalon, Jean Hagen, Joan Freeman, Richard Garland and Corman regular Russ Bender.Panic In Year Zero is certainly worth checking out.
Ray Milland and his family are on vacation from Los Angeles--heading towards the mountains.
His son, played by a young Frankie Avalon takes to the new order rather well--becoming adept at the new mantra of "every man for himself".What I liked about this film best was its look at the worst of human nature.
Ray Milland is the father of a typical American family here, which includes wife Jean Hagen and children Frankie Avalon and Mary Mitchel.
In this movie you have a patriarch played very well by Ray Milland, Frankie Avalon is his teenage son and he does a very good job, Jean Hagen is the wife who still thinks in terms of civilization, and the daughter (Mary Mitchell)is a drab character in this film.
Harry Baldwin(Milland)and his family have left Los Angeles on a fishing trip moments before nuclear bombs land on several cities, including L.A. The family continues to battle the panic filled highways to reach their destination wilderness to begin a plan for survival.
**SPOILERS** "Panic in Year Zero" was Actor Ray Milland's first attempt at directing and doing a good job at that too.
The movie " Panic in Year Zero" starts out innocently enough with Harry Bladwin, Ray Milland, taking his family on a fishing trip in the mountains and hill country just north of Los Angles.Hearing thunder and and seeing lighting to the south of them Harry and his wife Ann, Jean Hagen, and their two kids teenagers Rick & Karen, Frankie Avalon & Mary Mitchel, feel that they just escaped a heavy summer downfall that hit the city: L.A. How wrong they were! |
tt1227789 | Rites of Spring | Rachel Adams and her friend Alyssa Miller work for Ryan Hayden. Rachel is responsible for losing an important client, but she allows Ben Geringer to take the fall. Feeling guilty, she goes out to drink with Alyssa and resolves to come clean. Before she can, she and Alyssa are kidnapped by a man known only as the Stranger. The Stranger takes them to his barn, where he strings them up and demands to know if they're clean. Confused and scared, the women do not know how to answer him; this only intensifies when he takes a blood sample from both women and gives it to a strange creature kept in a locked hole. The Stranger strips Alyssa naked, gives her a sponge bath, puts a goat mask on her head, and takes her away. Rachel frees herself, but she is too late to save Alyssa, who has been decapitated. Rachel assaults the Stranger, who warns her not to let the creature free, and flees the barn in a panic. Freed, the creature pursues her.
Meanwhile, Ben Geringer and his wife Amy have fallen on hard times, as Hayden has fired him. Ben recruits his wife, his brother Tommy, and his acquaintance Paul Nolan to ransom Hayden's daughter. Ben distrusts Paul, but Paul has an inside person that they need. The kidnapping goes off without any problems, but Paul deviates from the plan: he murders Hayden's wife and takes nanny Jessica hostage. When Tommy goes to collect the ransom money from Hayden, Hayden in turn takes Tommy hostage. Hayden forces Tommy to take him to the others and attempts to use Tommy as leverage to regain his daughter. However, when Hayden frees Jessica, she shoots him dead and reveals herself as Paul's accomplice. Paul and Jessica announce that they are taking all the money; Tommy protests, and Paul kills him. Before Paul can finish off Ben and Amy, Rachel bursts in and begs for help. At the same time, Hayden's daughter escapes through a window, never to be seen again.
The creature enters and kills Jessica. Paul takes Rachel hostage and attempts to leave with the money; however, the creature kills him and stalks Rachel. Amy suggests that she and Ben just leave, but Ben refuses to abandon Rachel. Amy reluctantly joins him, and they discover the Stranger's house. When they find his mementos and a wall covered in news clippings of missing women, they attempt to leave, but the Stranger captures them both and prepares them for the creature. Amy is taken away, but before the Stranger can prepare Ben for sacrifice, Rachel rescues him. Together, Ben and Rachel search for Amy, only to find her moments before the creature decapitates her. Ben tosses Rachel his car keys and demands that she flee. Rachel sets a trap for the creature, but she accidentally kills Ben instead. She gets in the car and drives off, where she stops at a gas station. Rachel begs for the store owner for help, but thinking she's insane, doesn't believe her and is killed by the creature. Rachel finally makes a last stand in her car: she slices the creature with its own axe and leaves it for dead. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0203672 | Jung wa ying hong | The story begins in early Republican China. After passing a test, Hero Hua is accepted by Pride, a master swordsman, as his second apprentice. When he returns home, he is horrified to see that his parents have been murdered by foreigners for opposing the opium trade. That night, Hero breaks up the foreigners' party and kills them in revenge. He spends the rest of the night with his lover, Jade. The next morning, he flees from China to avoid arrest and sails to America.
16 years later, Hero's childhood friend, Sheng, and Hero's son, Sword Hua, arrive in New York City on the first day of the Chinese New Year. They visit China House, the biggest inn in Chinatown, where they see a lion dance performance led by the Boss of China House. A group of thugs show up and demand that the Boss hand over a monk, Luohan, whom they believe is hiding in China House. After defeating and driving away the thugs, the Boss brings Sword and Sheng to meet Luohan. Luohan tells them how he met and befriended Hero on board the ship bound for America, and their experiences as labourers in Steel Bull Canyon. Later, Sword and Sheng visit Jade's grave, where Sheng tells Sword how he and Jade travelled to New York City 16 years ago in search of Hero. Hero and Jade were reunited and married in New York City. While visiting the shop where Sword's parents took their wedding photographs, Sword and Sheng sense someone following them. Sword surprises the stalker and corners her after a brief chase through the streets. She identifies herself as Kate, the daughter of Hero's senior, Shadow.
Kate leads Sword and Sheng to her father. Shadow tells them how he rescued Hero from Steel Bull Canyon when Hero was buried in the sand after being falsely accused of murdering two men. Hero and Shadow encountered the Five Elements Ninjas and defeated them. During the fight, Hero injured the female ninja, Wood, but spared her life and sent her for medical treatment. When Wood develops a crush on Hero, the Gold Ninja, who is secretly in love with Wood, becomes very jealous. Jade had just given birth to a pair of twins in China House when the Gold Ninja set fire to the building. During the chaos, Bigot, a traitor, kidnapped Sword's twin sister and disappeared. There have been no news of her since then. Jade died in Hero's arms shortly after due to excessive blood loss during childbirth.
Shadow continues narrating the story. After Jade's death, Hero met a fortune teller, who told him he was born under the Star of Death and is destined to lead a life of loneliness because misfortune will befall those who are close to him. Hero entrusted his baby son, Sword, to Sheng before leaving with Shadow to meet their master, Pride. In Japan, they witnessed a duel between Pride and his rival, Invincible. Pride defeated Invincible but sustained internal injuries and died not long after the duel. Before his death, Pride passed Hero the martial arts manual China Secret and transferred all his inner energy to him.
Back in the present at China House, the Boss, Sword, Sheng, Luohan and others come up with a plan to liberate the labourers at Steel Bull Canyon. They disguise themselves as a Chinese opera troupe, infiltrate the canyon, and catch the supervisors off guard in a surprise attack. Luohan sacrifices himself in a suicide attack to stop the supervisors from throwing explosives at the escaping labourers. Sword corners Bigot and demands the whereabouts of his twin sister, but Bigot suddenly pulls out a pistol and shoots him. Bigot is about to kill Sword when Hero shows up and finishes him off. Hero uses his inner energy to create an explosion and prevent a group of horsemen from advancing further. They return to China House in triumph.
Sword is happy to see his father in person for the first time after hearing the stories about him. However, Hero appears cold towards his son and constantly keeps a distance away because he strongly believes the fortune teller's words that he will lose his loved ones if he gets close to them. Hero also meets Wood, who has maintained her crush on him for the past 16 years, but he refuses to accept her. She warns Hero that her master, Invincible, has arrived in New York City. Since Pride is dead, Invincible turns on Hero, Pride's successor, to finish the duel. The next morning, Invincible shows up at China House and fights with the Boss and Sword until Hero appears and stops him. Hero and Invincible then duel on top of the Statue of Liberty. In the meantime, Black Dragon Commander leads his men to attack China House but are eventually forced to leave by the police. At the Statue of Liberty, Hero eventually defeats and destroys Invincible. Before the movie ends, Sword and Sheng prepare to leave America while Hero watches them from a distance and walks away in the opposite direction. | romantic, comic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0089835 | Pray for Death | At the insistence of his American-born wife, Aiko (Donna Kei Benz), Yokohama salaryman Akira Saito (Sho Kosugi) decides to immigrate from Japan to the country of her birth to raise their two sons Takeshi (Kane Kosugi) and Tomoya (Shane Kosugi) and start their own business. Unbeknownst to his family, Akira is in fact a highly skilled ninja, who had faithfully protected the secrets of the temple minded by his adoptive father and sensei, Kaga. Years before, Akira's brother, Shoji - also raised and trained by Kaga - sought to steal from the temple in disguise, forcing Akira to engage him in battle and kill him. Akira's meditation on this matter is disrupted by an attack from Kaga to encourage him to wipe the guilt from his mind before it kills him. Akira announces his intentions to move to America to start a new life, and to put the shadows of the ninja behind him. Kaga makes him swear never to reveal the secrets of their sect, and gives him a ninja helmet as a parting gift, but reminds him he can never leave his shadows behind.
The Saitos land in Los Angeles and meet with Sam Green, the widowed owner of a closed restaurant and apartment that Akira and Aiko planned to buy. After the sale is completed and the family visits the local mall, the cigar store area of the building is broken into by police Sgt. Trumble (Charles Greuber), a corrupt cop along with his partner Sgt. Joe Daly (Matthew Faison) working for local mobster Mr. Newman (Michael Constantine). Daly removes loose floor boards and puts a large white box underneath, containing the Van Adda necklace. However, he reconsiders and double-crosses the mob by taking the necklace for himself. The next day Newman's enforcer, Limehouse Willie (James Booth), waits until the building is again deserted before entering himself only to discover the necklace is missing. Seeing Sam Green's packed luggage in his car, Willie incorrectly dedeuces that he's skipping town with the jewels and kills him even though he doesn't find them. Suspicion now falls on the Saitos.
The next day, as Akira and Aiko enjoy the first day of business - "Aiko's Japanese Restaurant" - Tomoya and Takeshi go out to the local store and are confronted by local bullies eyeing Takeshi's bike. Tomoya - who has a red belt in karate - defends his younger brother and bests the bullies. But during the fight, Willie abducts Tomoya and leaves Takeshi with a broken nose when he tries to stop him. Willie then phones Akira demanding he delivers the necklace (of which he knows nothing about) to Pier 25 in exchange for his son's life. Curious, he goes into the cigar store room and finds the broken lock on the door, the loose floor boards, as well as a grey thread from Daly's suit jacket, which also shows he is left- handed.
Akira arrives at the pier and boards one of the ships empty-handed and is then restrained by Willie and his men for interrogation. Willie doesn't believe Akira's claims that it was a left-handed man in a grey suit that took the necklace and cuts him with his knife across his chest. But when he threatens his son with a blow torch, Akira smashes the light above his head and uses his ninja skills to escape with Tomoya. He listens to Aiko's insistence and goes to the police the next day. Meanwhile, although Willie is convinced that the necklace isn't with the Saitos, Newman still wants them eliminated for what they know.
Akira leaves the house with instructions to his family to stay indoors. At the precinct, he speaks with Lt. Anderson (Norman Burton) with both Trumble and Daly present as he identifies Willie in the provided mug shots. Anderson can do nothing to keep him away from the Saitos without evidence, and Akira agrees to help him. Daly informs Newman, and is assured Willie will clean up his mess, but informs him they need to have "a little chat."
Back at the apartment, Takeshi accidentally kicks his soccer ball out the window and Tomoya goes out to recover it despite his mother's insistence. Aiko chases after him and both are run down by Newman's thugs stationed outside. Akira arrives seconds afterwards and - because they had been ordered to switch vehicles to confirm they killed Aiko and Tomoya - recognizes the thugs from the night before and gives chase in his car, then on foot. The resulting struggle while their truck is moving results in both men being killed. At the hospital, Tomoya's on life support, while Aiko is bruised and shaken but still being kept overnight for observation. Anderson arranges for police personnel to guard them.
Akira sneaks on board Willie's ship during a party and, after subduing his security, cuts the power and sneaks up behind him. With a knife to his throat he warns him to stay away from the Saitos or he will pray for death. Akira is gone by the time the lights go on. Instead of heeding his warning, Willie sneaks into the hospital and manages to snuff out Aiko, but is stopped by Anderson and his men before he can kill Tomoya and escapes. Akira returns to the hospital and has a moment alone with his wife's body. He swears he will make Willie and his men pay for destroying their dreams by returning to the shadows of the ninja (unaware that Takeshi hears this vow behind him). He takes Tomoya out of hospital care against Anderson's warnings that they can't guarantee police protection. Fed up with the incompetence of the police, Akira only warns him to stay out of his way.
Elsewhere, Daly and Trumble meet at a restaurant where Willie also shows up and murders them both for their treachery.
Akira relocates the boys to a warehouse. Behind closed doors, he performs rituals that signify his return to the ways of ninjitsu, and, with a makeshift forge, creates a new katana blade while Takeshi finds ninja weapons in Akira's belongings. In full ninja garb, Akira prays to Aiko before donning the helmet his father bequeathed to him before leaving Japan. | cult, revenge, cruelty, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | It seems easy to forget that in the early days of Home Video, Sho Kosugi was very much a celebrity, making Ninja-themed movies like this.
The plot is a revenge story, but the idea of Kosugi as a ninja who has hidden away his identity as such brings the film to a super-hero level as we have this man who is, along with his family harassed here in the Good Old U.S.A. because they bought a shop in an old building where some theives had hidden their loot.
The action sequences are fascinating, a few interesting ninja techniques are shown and the fighting is fast and furious.
Kosugi does not have the acting range, it seems, to handle heavier dramas, but he is ideally suited to the unique 80s genre of "Ninja Flick".
Sho Kosugi stars as closet ninja who becomes Ninja once again when mobsters (Searching for a priceless necklace) kill his wife and try to kill his kids, Kosugi warns the mobsters, tries cooperating and even giving clues to get the mobsters off his back but of course it just never ceases to be and because this is a ninja movie, Kosugi tries to dispatch the mobsters one by one.
Pray For Death is of course a ninja movie that was better than average for the genre, reading various comments which vary in opinion, I tend to lean with the crowd who likes the movie since I myself was never bored with the movie.
It certainly had a few slow moments and an action sequence which wasn't very impressive at all (Kosugi sneaking in a boat party) but there are some good action sequences (Especially the climax) and the movie moves quick enough to not concern the audience about how unlikely it all is.
The action scenes are effective in that 80s ninja movie style, but they lack the intensity and brutality of Kosugi's 'Revenge of the Ninja'.
James Booth (who also wrote the screenplay) is quite good as the sadistic lead henchman Limehouse, and veteran character actors Parley Baer and Norman Burton help round out a cast that's much better than we've come to expect from films of this genre.With a few tweaks this could've been on the level with Kosugi classics such as 'Revenge of the Ninja' and 'Ninja III: The Domination'.
the second best outing from Cult Japanese pugilist, Sho Kosugi!.
From the unlikeliest of kung fu scriveners', James Booth, springs forth the second best outing from Cult Japanese pugilist, Sho Kosugi.
Leaving aside the clearly pedestrian plot, what remains is a mean- spirited, (bruised) balls to the wall revenge actioner; with the impoverished narrative fortified to the point of incredulity by a series of gonzoid Ninjitsu sequences, orchestrated with brutal efficiency by nimble vengeance enthusiast, Kosugi.
In the halcyon days of Betamax & Video 2000, Sho Kosugi reigned supreme; and it would seem that in this increasingly banal era when any Hollywood popinjay can wear the spurious crown of action hero, one could do a whole lot worse than hunker down, adjust one's beer goggles and marvel at such simple, roughhouse fare; where the fleet- fisted Kosugi makes bloody chow mien out of a legion of bovine, uncoordinated villainy..
Awesome movie for ninja fans..
I would recommend that if you are a Sho Kosugi fan that you watch this movie.
Sho Kosugi is an awesome actor and I can't wait for the new ninja movie Return of the Ninja to come out.
A man wants to leave his country behind and start a new life in America.Unfortunately, he runs into gangsters that thought he stole a necklace from them.
His family is in danger, and he reverts to his true calling - a ninja - to get justice.Shô Kosugi gives us a great martial arts/revenge flick.
His acting isn't the greatest, but his fists speak loudly.He warned them, and now, they will pray for death.Gangsters, crooked cops, and the most dangerous man in California are no match.
Sho Kosugi dons particularly cool looking ninja togs in this fair martial arts actioner from 1985.The plot (of sorts) more or less resembles exactly that of Kosugi's earlier, superior 'Revenge Of The Ninja'.Similarly (and infuriatingly!!!) just as in the aforementioned film, Sho is yet again incredibly reluctant to get into his full ninja gear and whoop ass even after repeated attempts on his families life by the movies villains.However, inevitably and true to that staple cliché in these types of films, at least one of his family MUST be killed off thus prompting our hero to swear the obligatory oath of revenge.
The bad news is that it takes until well over the hour mark before our man Sho actually gets his full ninja act together to get stuck in proper.Still, to be fair, the resulting action makes it worth the long wait and the villains invariably buy it in style at Sho's deadly hands and feet.The climatic battle between Sho's character and the evil (but ridiculously named) Limehouse Willy (played by none other than James Booth!) proves to be surprisingly evenly matched (a chainsaw being ostensibly a weapon that ninja are not specifically trained to defend against) but of course, such a repulsive low down, low life miscreant can only meet a suitably grisly end here and Sho certainly makes sure that he does!Whilst this isn't my personal favourite of Sho's movies, it's still a fairly enjoyable romp.
If you're at all into the 80's ninja film craze then you could do a lot worse than to check this out.After all, nobody embodies the ninja better on screen than Sho does..
4th best ninja movie ever.
this is the 4th best ninja movie of all time.
there >are some good fighting scenes in pray for death.
Sho Kosugi never made it big like Jackie Chan, and it's easy to see why: he has the same likable screen presence, the same problems with the English language, even the same haircut...but his martial-arts choreography is two or three notches below, two or three clicks slower than, Jackie's standards.
To put it simply, the fight scenes in "Pray For Death" are boring (though the climax does incorporate a wide variety of weapons).
I don't know if there even IS a "best ninja movie of all time", but this one definitely is not it.
Sho Kosugi stars as Akira a closet ninja who goes back to his shadows when a mobster Limehouse(James Boothe) kills Akira's wife and almost kills Akira's son.
Pray For Death is a cut above most "Ninja movies" the action is crisp and the movie is fast paced.
Pray For Death may make more noise then sense, but for action fans PFD delivers the goods..
not one of Shô Kosugi's best movies.
this is not one of Shô Kosugi's better movies.it's an action drama/revenge film.it takes awhile to get going and once it does,it's fairly slow throughout most of the running time.i wouldn't say ti was boring,but it was close.the fight scenes were OK,but not spectacular.the characters were your typical two dimensional stereotypes for the genre.there's nothing very memorable about the movie.once the end credits rolled,that was it.really stays with you about it.i wouldn't really recommend it unless you're really bored and have nothing else to do.i would recommend Revenge of the Ninja and Enter the Ninja,both superior films starring Shô Kosugi.for me,Pray for Death is a 5/10.
This is a totally sweet movie about ninjas, in which Sho Kosugi is this bad ass super ninja who kills a whole bunch of people before moving to America, where he is framed for drug trafficking, and his wife is raped and murdered, and that is the point where he totally flips out and kills dozens and dozens of people.
I did find it odd that while his family is from Japan, Sho's wife doesn't look terribly oriental.
But otherwise this is a totally sweet eighties action movie with lots of killing and flipping out..
When a businessman(Sho Kosugi) from Japan travels to America with his wife and children, he thought that he was go to live the American dream.
Akira Saito(Kosugi) is a skilled ninja who lived with the guilt of killing his brother when he tried to steal from the temple.
So when the mob leader kills Akira's wife, he returned to ways of the ninja.
Don't let the awful acting of his kids or the odd overdubbing of noises during the fight scenes distract you, this is top notch ninja schlock!.
After a peace loving Japanese immigrant (Sho Kosugi) and his family become victims of a crime syndicate, a master ninja emerges.Director Gordon Hessler had a great run going into the 1970s, working with Vincent Price, AIP and all those talented folks.
A Japanese ninja film, set in America and directed by a Brit.
Joe Bob Briggs praised star Sho Kosugi as "the best kung fu man since Bruce Lee" and ranked the film high on his 10-best list for 1986.
Kosugi really was the defining ninja of the 1980s (with all due respect to a certain group of turtles).Arrow Films has released the film on blu-ray, and have done a very fine job of it.
We have a brand new interview with Sho Kosugi, as well as an archive interview and Ninjitsu demonstration with Kosugi from the film's New York premiere.I would love to have seen a an audio commentary from Kosugi, or perhaps something from Hessler, but he likely passed before Arrow got the rights.
All in all, this is a great release and anyone who loves the days of renting action films based on their cover is going to appreciate what this gem has to offer..
A very well made flick, featuring Sho Kosugi and his real life sons, who even as an adult, I don't think you'd want to get into a fight with.
Kosugi too, is still on a guilt trip, when involved in a sword fight with a mate, a good guy who went bad, so America should do him good.
They stash it in this shop that so happens to be the new business, run by Sho and his wife.
The action keeps coming at you in this movie, my favorite pick out out of the so called four.
Apart from Booth, and only a couple of others, Pray For Death doesn't have the greatest acting in the world, but when you've go explosive action like this, acting takes a back seat.
Pray for Death (1985) ** (out of 4) A Japanese man (Shô Kosugi) moves his wife and two sons to America to start a new life but it's soon turned into chaos when a gangster starts terrorizing them believing that they have a priceless jewel.
What we've got here is basically a DEATH WISH movie but instead of Charles Bronson we're given a ninja.
This here certainly doesn't come close to the same level as one of the DEATH WISH films and I'd say it's no where near the level of REVENGE OF THE NINJA but fans of the genre will probably still have a good time with it.
I think the biggest problem working against the film is that we've simply seen this type of story way too many times and outside the ninja stuff, there's really nothing new done with it here.
We basically have a good-hearted man coming to America do to everything right but then he runs up against a ruthless gangster who just wants to kill and torture.
The finale has Kosugi putting on the ninja suit, grabbing his sword and stars and going out for revenge.
Still, PRAY FOR DEATH is far from what one would consider a good movie but it has its own charm that makes it viewable entertainment..
One of the worst so-called ninja movies ever..
One example of why the action looks so ridiculous and the directing is so bad: there is a scene where Akira mysteriously escapes right in front of his enemies (terribly done, completely unbelievable).
It reminds me of so many rushed, cheap and ill-crafted scenes and cheesy acting in the movies my buddy and I made as a kid.
It's certainly the best Sho movie we've seen to date.Herein, the Sho-master plays Akira Saito, a man who has a nice, calm life in Japan working as an executive for Yokohama foods.
He has a pretty wife, Aiko (Benz) and two cute kids, Takeshi and Tomoya (Shane and Kane, regulars in their dad's movies).
So when Aiko takes a turn for the worse, the mild-mannered man during the day goes on a no-holds-barred Ninja revenge mission against the evil bastards that have ruined his life!
Sporting a fast pace, a high-quality look, top-notch action sequences (the boat scene is a standout), and great music, including the Pat Benatar-like theme song "Back to the Shadows" by Peggy Abernathy, Pray for Death doesn't disappoint.
He downplays the minor negatives, such as the fact that Sho's accent is so strong it's basically impossible to tell what he's saying, and accentuates the strengths, such as the Ninja-based action sequences and revenge plot.
It truly is a recipe for success more directors would be wise to follow.Of course, a great action movie needs a super-evil bad guy, and James Booth as Limehouse Willie fills the bill in spades.
They also like to watch something called "The Black Ninja" on TV.This is an actual NINJA MOVIE, unlike the trowel-jobs of Godfrey Ho. This is a coherent, good production.
Pray For Death is badly filmed, badly written, and horrifically acted by the Kosugi clan.
This movie came out some time in the 80's so for obvious reasons the fight scenes look crappy.
And then look at the awful Ninja costume Sho Kosugi wears at the end and if you don't agree that this movie sucks, you've got problems..
The main Villain in the film is Actor James Booth playing the tough evil Mafia Enforcer 'Limehouse Willie'.
Not all of the action scenes are great but there is a few well staged sequences that really are enjoyable to watch, especially the raid on Mr Newman's Mansion and the Saw Mill Confrontation with "Limehouse Willie".
The Wife of Sho Kosugi in the film was an OK sexy Asian Babe and this was worth a mention too.
The Quintessential Eighties Ninja Movie.
And of course, Sho Kosugi?
Made while the ninja craze was coming to a close, Pray for Death is arguably one of, if not the best entry in actor Sho Kosugi's long and illustrious filmography, one that contains, you guessed it, a lot of ninjas.
When mild-mannered Yokohama salaryman Akira Saito (Kosugi) moves to Houston with his wife (The lovely Donna Kei Benz) and sons (Lead Kosugi's real-life sons Kane and Shane) in order to run a restaurant, he ends up in a one-man war against an army of ruthless mobsters searching for a priceless necklace.
Veteran director Gordon Hessler shoots the elaborate and brutal fight scenes with style, and Kosugi's martial arts skills are on full display.
To me, Akira Saito (Sho Kosugi) made one of the best speeches in the history of martial arts movies, to wit: "Whoever destroyed your dreams, and our family, I will make them pay for it, I swear it.
After Saito and his son are kidnapped and threatened by a goon named Limehouse, the restaurateur reverts to his ninja ways and deals some medieval Japanese justice to the bad guys.
At the insistence of his American-born wife, Aiko (Donna Benz), Akira Saito (Sho Kosugi) decides to immigrate from Japan to the country of her birth to raise their two sons Takeshi (Kane Kosugi) and Tomoya (Shane Kosugi) and start their own business.
Unbeknownst to his family, Akira is in fact a highly skilled ninja, who had faithfully protected the secrets of the temple minded by his adoptive father and sensei, Kaga.
Akira announces his intentions to move to America to start a new life, and to put the shadows of the ninja behind him.
Kaga makes him swear never to reveal the secrets of their sect, and gives him a ninja helmet as a parting gift, but reminds him he can never leave his shadows behind.The Saitos land in Los Angeles and meet with Sam Green, the widowed owner of a closed restaurant and apartment that Akira and Aiko planned to buy.
awesome if you can see it in it's entirely but unless you have it on a old Australian VHS tape forget about it i first saw this at a drive in just before I turned 18 and I loved it that real evil bastard really gets his ass handed to him in the end but I think Sho Kosugi was actually hurt in at least one seen a seen that gets edited in so called DVD releases be warned I still love it hay!
A band of crooked cops store stolen goods in the back room of the restaurant and unknown to them, a priceless necklace is wanted by a local syndicate.
When one of the cops decides to take the necklace for himself, the syndicate goes after the previous owner of the restaurant, then after the Akiras family.
But when Aiko is killed, Akira finally decides to unleash his dark side....If you've seen Revenge of the Ninja, then you've seen this, it's basically the same movie, but with a more sadistic villain, and not very good fight scenes.Kosugi looks the part, all metal and eyeliner, but compared to other martial arts film from the eighties (especially from Cannon), it's pretty non eventful.The villain is hilarious though, spouting off threats,setting fire to old men, and holding his own to a ninja for a decent ten minutes.There are a few good scenes, but it's almost a carbon copy of Kosugis better movie.But it has a wonderful theme tune..
I know this happens in all action movies, but this guy's supposed to be a ninja.
None of them are citizens.The old geezer ninja dude's makeup looked like it was applied by a 10 year old.Besides that, it's a really crappy movie too. |
tt1242460 | We Need to Talk About Kevin | Eva's narration takes the form of letters written after the massacre to her presumably estranged husband, Franklin Plaskett. In these letters she details her relationship with her husband well before and leading up to their son's conception, followed by the events of Kevin's life up to the school massacre, and her thoughts concerning their relationship. She also admits to a number of events that she tried to keep secret, such as when she lashed out and broke Kevin's arm in a sudden fit of rage. The novel also shows Eva visiting Kevin in prison. These scenes portray their cold, adversarial relationship.
Kevin's behavior throughout the book closely resembles that of a psychopath, although reference to this condition is sparse and left mostly up to the reader's imagination. He displays little to no affection or moral responsibility towards his family or community; indeed, Kevin seems to regard everyone with contempt and hatred. He reserves special loathing for his mother, whom he has antagonized for as long as he can remember. He engages in many acts of petty sabotage from an early age, from seemingly innocent actions like spraying ink with a squirt gun on a room his mother has painstakingly wallpapered in rare maps, to possibly encouraging a girl to gouge her eczema-affected skin. The one activity he takes any pleasure in is archery, having read Robin Hood as a child.
As Kevin's behavior worsens, Franklin becomes more defensive of him, convinced that his son is a healthy, normal boy and that there is a reasonable explanation for everything he does. Kevin plays the part of a loving, respectful son whenever Franklin is around, an act that Eva sees through. This creates a rift between Eva and Franklin that never heals; shortly before the massacre, Franklin asks for a divorce.
Kevin's sister Celia is conceived largely because of Eva's need to bond with another member of her family. When Celia is six years old, she is involved in a household accident in which drain cleaner causes her to lose an eye. This is closely linked to an earlier incident involving the disappearance of Celia's pet rodents, after which Eva uses a caustic drain cleaner to clear a blockage in a sink. Two explanations are possible: that Eva left the cleaner sitting within Celia's reach, or that Kevin somehow attacked Celia with it, destroying her eye and scarring her face. Though never proven, Eva strongly believes that Kevin, who was babysitting at the time, poured the Liquid Plumr onto his sister's face, telling her he was cleaning her eye after she got something in it.
When relating the story of the massacre, Eva finally reveals that Franklin and Celia are in fact dead—Kevin killed them both with his bow before traveling to his school to attack nine classmates, a cafeteria worker and a teacher. Eva speculates that he did this because he overheard her and Franklin discussing a divorce; he believed Franklin would get custody of him, thus denying him final victory over his mother.
The novel ends on the second anniversary of the massacre, three days before Kevin will turn eighteen and be transferred to Sing Sing. Subdued and frightened, he makes a peace offering of sorts to Eva by giving her Celia's prosthetic eye to bury, and telling her that he's sorry. Eva asks Kevin for the first time why he committed the murders, and Kevin replies that he is no longer sure. They embrace, and Eva concludes that, despite what he did, she still loves her son. | psychological, cruelty, murder, violence, flashback, insanity, psychedelic, sentimental | train | wikipedia | Instead she focuses in on character and relationship development and breakdown.Tilda Swinton gives a truly great performance and even though the main thread of the story is clear almost from the start, she and the rest of the terrific cast manage to keep the viewer glued to the screen.One of the most interesting facets of the film was that it showed how much power children can hold and execute over adults if they are given the opportunity.We need to talk about Kevin is quality from start to finish and deserves to become a classic.
And throughout, I was anxious that because I had never had a child myself, I didn't know what I was talking about and readers who were parents would catch me out.' As adapted for the screen by director Lynne Ramsay and Rory Kinnear this story becomes a terrifyingly realistic exploration of the subject of inherent evil and the manner in which we deal with it.
For some this kind of non-linear story telling may be disconcerting, but for this viewer it seems like a close examination of the mind of a mother who simply cannot believe she has birthed and is raising a child who is the epitome of evil.
The fact that we are aware of something hideous that has happened from the beginning does not get in the way of watching the slow maturation of Kevin - first as a constantly screaming infant to a maliciously bad little boy to a viciously cruel and evil teenager with whom his mother cannot connect except for one very telling instance when she reads the young Kevin 'Robin Hood' and his arrows, at which point Kevin shows a degree of affection for Eva. That moment proves in retrospect to be the nidus for the horror that lies ahead.
the acting was superb especially Tilda Swinton who seems capable of mastering the strong and deep emotions.the surprise was the acting of the young Kevin- Jasper Newell- and it's really surprising that he had not been nominated for anything for his performance that leads the way to what's going on in the movie.
Those incapable of love never live." This emotional deadness and inability to empathize with others is reflected in fifteen-year-old Kevin (Ezra Miller) in Lynne Ramsay's first film in nine years, We Need to Talk about Kevin, the chilling story of a sociopathic teenager who commits a horrendous crime (not explicitly shown), one for which his mother must endure the anger and resentment of the community.Based on a novel by Lionel Shriver and co-written by Ramsay and Rory Stewart Kinnear, We Need to Talk about Kevin builds a fractured narrative told from the point of view of Kevin's mother Eva Khatchadourian (Tilda Swinton), a former big-city dweller who loved to travel and write books until she became a mother.
Unfolding as if in a fevered dream and told in a stream of flashbacks and flash forwards, a now depressed and solitary Eva looks back at key emotional tripping points along her son's destructive journey.At the outset, we are immersed in red, a frequent motif throughout the film.
She tells him, "Before you were born, Mommy used to be happy!" Now Mommy wakes up every day and wishes she were in France!" Her frustration erupts when she throws Kevin against the wall, breaking his arm for his refusal to be toilet trained, not the best way to make an emotional connection.She receives little support from her husband who refuses to believe that his son has severe emotional problems, but instead questions his wife's sanity.
Though the film's title is We Need to Talk about Kevin, apparently nobody thinks that that might be a good idea.After the violence is committed, Eva has to cope with the contempt of her neighbors.
Eternal damnation, the whole thing." While We Need to Talk about Kevin is an engaging and often gripping film that offers outstanding performances by Swinton and Miller, it is torn between being an exploitative horror film and a psychological family drama and ends up not being very successful at either.
Marred by its inability to decide whether to blame ineffective parenting for Kevin's behavior or to blame the fact that he was just born "evil," the film takes no stand at all, apparently throwing up its hands and saying, sometimes "bad" things happen for no reason, a dubious premise.While some may see the film as wisely left open to interpretation, the fact is that there is little to go on in drawing any conclusion.
Though, to its credit, the film displays an unanticipated forgiveness towards Eva by a school victim confined to a wheelchair, in its totality, We Need to Talk about Kevin is more of a display of rage, hatred, and victimization than an attempt to provide new insight or have us see the characters as flawed human beings rather than as spawns of Satan..
Trying to make this appear like an art-house experience, Lynne Ramsay not only fails to tell a promising story, but simply refuses to expose any true character motivation, senselessly disregards crucial plot devices and even deprives the movie of anything like a message or opinion.
All this to make place for slow motion shots of several kinds of red substances over an awkward score while she cheaply generates tension by making her characters behave stupid for no obvious reason besides deliberately stressing the viewer (which makes the movie extremely hard to watch), striping this down to some odd melodrama about a woman who had an asshole child..
If you want some insight into why adolescents start killing people, see Bowling For Columbine or If. But if throwing your money down the drain, boring and depressing yourself at the same time whilst stopping to pause just briefly to wonder if Tilda Swinton was a) doing someone a favour (TS and the director of this nonsense are both Scottish) b)saving up for her kids' university tuition fees or c} has completely lost her marbles, then the film for you is undoubtedly We Need To Talk About Kevin..
Before watching We Need to Talk About Kevin, I had a vague idea about its story, but I didn't expect to find the fascinating narrative style employed by director Lynne Ramsay to tell this story about a family whose apparent normality hides deep and dangerous veins of dysfunction which conclude on a tragedy.
In that aspect, I think We Need to Talk About Kevin is an excellent film, even though it's definitely not the kind of experience which brings us simple entertainment, but a sensation of pain and surprise which is very difficult to forget.I generally distrust of those movies that offer us a whimsical structure which jumps forward and backward in time, but in the case of We Need to Talk About Kevin, the style powerfully contributes to the substance, building the story on a casual way until we are overwhelmed by the magnitude of what we are witnessing.
Besides, the title of this film becomes cunningly ironic when we consider the fact that We Need to Talk About Kevin has few dialogs, and its most intense scenes are mute but full of meaning with just looks, expressions and body language.
Something which definitely includes the soundtrack, composed by songs which deeply contrast with the images which accompany them, creating a visceral answer; while other ones work as ironic accents which perfectly establish the melancholic tone from the film.And I now have to mention Tilda Swinton, who brings the best performance of her career so far in We Need to Talk About Kevin (something which is already a big compliment).
In conclusion, We Need to Talk About Kevin definitely deserves an enthusiastic recommendation, but I have to say once more that this isn't an easy or amusing film; in fact, it left me emotionally devastated for having portrayed a facet of the society whose existence we know even though we prefer to ignore it.
Working in this premise gives potential for some sense of uniqueness and exploring a world that is rarely explored, but instead Kevin takes such standard paths it's kind of hard to believe that someone as unique as Tilda Swinton would dedicate herself to this.The relationship between Kevin and Eva is relatively by-the-books and the depiction of Kevin's darkness growing is absurd to the point of stupidity.
Or perhaps the acting really did not cut it for me - the mother played the part as a real misery from almost start (ok not scene 1) to finish, not at all what I would have expected of the character.For me this film missed the point completely.
As Kevin's mother, Tilda Swinton is the only reason to sit through the film, although her sad sack is never given a break by the filmmakers, who pile on one humiliating episode after another.
It doesn't convey Eva's thoughts (central to the story) and it misses out A LOT of crucial stuff (for those who have read the book, his preschool escapades, the school dance, the bike, the bridge, the photograph, and so on.) I can't believe they turned such a fantastic and emotional book in to such a dull and lifeless film.Honestly, give it a miss.
I went from adamant kinship with Eva and the devastation of abandonment delivered by Franklin to watching these characters on screen and it felt like I was watching strangers.The haphazard way the movie skipped over Kevins infancy left me wondering how anyone, without reading the book, would be able to identify with Eva's pain.
Erza Miller who as far as I can conclude played Kevin from ages 14-18 took on little, if any, physical changes during the movie leaving me to wonder if they had shortened the time line somewhat.I can't help but wonder if a viewer who had not read the book would be able to understand this movie at all.
The music is a terrible accompaniment to the plot, it just serves to confuse and make it harder to hold the many, many scenes you need to have in your head at any one time to work out what is going on.This could have been so much better, the film is spoiled by someone trying to be too "arty"..
Because if we want to understand the character, and prevent things like this from continuing to happen in real-life, we need to talk about Kevin.
But its a choice you make as you know your going to have fun and it will end up being 'worth it'.This film had a couple of clever quirks from a directors perspective, but nothing that special.It unfortunately provoked the feelings of a very harsh hangover, without the photos, memories or fun from the night before and hence was definitely not 'worth it'.Depressing and pointless are the two best words I can find to describe this movie.
this is the first review i have ever done in 1 word garbage.don't waste your time.the movie is back and fourth with no plot.after watching for an hour it finally picks up only to bring you back down again.watching eva is like your lost in outer space much like her character.the father is dim and in denial instead of making excuses he should have put more faith in his wife.
Yet the film's greatest achievement is its ability to make a story about mass murder seem oddly tedious.As with many novel-to-film adaptations, We Need to Talk About Kevin is faced with the difficult task of injecting some suspense into the proceedings when the audience probably already knows how it all ends.
Not only do the interspersed scenes of Eva visiting Kevin in prison serve as a bit of a spoiler, but the colour red is simply everywhere - from the opening shots of a young Eva taking part in the Valencian tomato-throwing festival, La Tomatina, to later scenes of an eight-year-old Kevin maliciously defacing his mother's office with a Super-Soaker full of red paint.Thus it becomes pretty clear early on that Kevin is eventually going to go postal, and as a result you spend the rest of the running time waiting for the film to finally confirm it.
Meanwhile, we are subjected to long and repetitive scenes of Eva trying hopelessly to bond with her sociopathic progeny, raising questions about how far her less-than- perfect parenting is to blame for what eventually happens.Ramsay has a strong visual approach, and produces a set of stunning montages, representing Eva's internal struggle to piece together Kevin's life in her mind and come to some sort of understanding about what he did.
The escalation of Kevin's (Ezra Miller) behaviour towards his mother, Eva (Tilda Swinton), is seen in flashback.
This is why I gave a 7: (which to me means a good movie)...This movie is right down my aisle in my genre I like to watch...The movie is based on a mother knowing her son is a monster and does her best to love him while trying to fix his problem.
The film dares to strain viewers' bounds of witnessing an agonizing process of a vehement duel between an unprepared and neglectful mother and her sociopathic son, and the mother's self- pondering and retribution after the brutal massacre.Ramsay (ends a 9-years hiatus after MORVERN CALLAR 2002) reprises her director ego and turns Lionel Shriver's thorny novel into a gutsy and personal character study, parading her snappy camera-work with a constantly blood-red frame-moulding, exaggerating a non-linear narrative and overstaying freezing-frames to leaves actors (Tilda Swinton & Ezra Miller namely) extensive space for their adroitness of a headstrong interpretation.
Immediately, everybody knew, and the victims' last tweets were made public within a day.The movie We Need to Talk About Kevin looks at the events leading up to and after such a horrific event through the eyes of a parent, in this case the point of view of Kevin's mother, who has known that there was something wrong with her son since birth.
It is a beautiful film about goodness, and evil...humanity and cruelty...love and hatred, led by mind-blowing performances from Tilda Swinton on the one hand (the actress delivers the best performance of her career and probably one the best performances of the whole year) and particularly the much talented Ezra Miller, on the other hand, whom you might want to memorize the name , because I am sure we will be seeing him a lot in the years to come.
Actually, I fast-forwarded through the many, many long, slow, drawn-out and pointless scenes which burned the same expression on Tilda Swinton's face into my mind forever.I don't know what was worse: the excruciating slowness of the movie or the totally horrible music that had absolutely no place in this film...
That's where the problem with this movie lies, we are constantly bombarded with images of Eva trying to cope with having a difficult child and/or a child in jail.The movie never really bothers to tell us the real story of Kevin and why he ended up the way he did.
Its almost as if the story of Kevin plays second fiddle to the seemingly endless scenes of closeups with Tilda Swintons face in various stages of pain,sadness and despair.By the way i am not trying to be nasty but let's face it Tilda Swinton is not one of the worlds prettiest actresses so it kind of unpleasant to watch all those scenes of closeups of her face.I have almost come to the conclusion that there must exist two versions of this movie.
This could have been the perfect film (novel) for generating a lot of discourse as social commentary, and it also seems to experiment with symbolism that, however, leads nowhere.It is left open by the text whether the narrator's point of view is accurate or severely distorted; whether it is possible for a human being to be inherently evil; and it is not only the ancient viewpoints about the primacy of nature or nurture that clash, but also possible narratives about "society's betrayal of the child", radical feminism, gender roles, and the seeming impossibility of living up to the expectations that are put on parents today and many others.But the pretentiousness and implausibility of the story undermines the possibility of exciting debates about its different potential readings..
Camera work and its focus, colors setting, fragmentary narrative - all worked to produce a truly powerful cinematic experience that sucks you in the story like very few movies I've seen so far.The story itself, although fragmented through the eyes of the mother played by Tilda Swinton (one of the best acting performance I've seen), uncovers the relationship with her son Kevin.
This child actor is able to embody the fiendish kid in a way that is almost eerie.In all "We Need to Talk About Kevin" is a great movie.
When Kevin is born he is a pain in his moms ass even as a toddler (ironically I watched this on Mother's Day weekend) and the movie is leading up to a major event that leaves the main character depressed and among other things.
Hats off to Tilda Swinton who I discovered and really impressed me with her intensity.The direction is cold, distant, and emphasizes the darkness and oppression of the film.A truly great piece of work, that I guess needs to be watched several times to get all the details it contains..
Miller gives Kevin with some believable rebellious teenage qualities, namely in the way he talks to his mother, but he's also portrayed with a near-supernatural darkness reminiscent of a horror film.What we can understand is Eva's inner monologue.
Eva assumed that those feelings would go away once her son was actually born but instead she had...well, Kevin.I highly recommend this film.
The film is set up in somewhat jarring flashbacks (which really should have received an Oscar nomination for editing) as you see a completely broken Eva dealing with the aftermath of her son's actions as she reflects on the upbringing of a child who grows into a person without feeling.No, "Kevin" is NOT the feel-good movie of the year. |
tt0095298 | Hidden City | Infuriated by receiving the wrong piece of film, statistician James Richards (Dance) arranges for the researcher who made the mistake, Sharon Newton (Stuart), to be sacked. When she realizes that he is responsible, Sharon contacts James and demands his help. She has obtained a mysterious piece of film which, while superficially a collection of street scenes, seems to show the abduction of a woman. The film abruptly cuts off, instructing the viewer to see 'The Hedgerows of England'. As this film has been registered 'classified' by the Ministry of Defence, Sharon, obsessed by the identity of the woman, needs James, with his official credentials, to help her find it.
James tracks down the location of the film, but a visit to an old tram depot and an archive beneath Oxford Street proves frustrating, as the film has now been moved. He and Sharon chase it to a landfill site, where they notice a police presence, and then to the incinerator at Edmonton, where they manage to rescue it before it is burned. But upon viewing the film, they find that it is very poor quality, revealing only a dark image of a woman in front of some kind of tribunal. A card at the end tells them that the next film to look for is called 'Hop-Picking in Kent'. James is not entirely unhappy to find his comfortable life disrupted by the search for the film, and wakes up, after a drunken evening spent at a video duplication service, at Sharon's house, where he discovers that she has a young daughter. Needing to go out to work, she leaves her daughter with James.
Taking the baby out to meet his ex-wife, James is cornered by two officials, who beat him up and demand to know the whereabouts of something he has found. Shaken, he goes to see his city friend Anthony (Paterson), who advises him to go home and forget about it. But Anthony also drops a hint that he too has been questioned, and James realizes that he is in serious danger. Returning to his house, he finds it has been searched and realizes that the officials want some medical records which he idly picked up from the landfill site. After an unexpected encounter with them, James manages to escape and is reunited with a distressed Sharon, who has been worried about her daughter.
Meanwhile, a friend of Sharon's does some illicit searching for her in the archives and discovers the film 'Hop-Picking In Kent'. Within the bland information film is a full version of the mysterious film, featuring a different woman along with a man. Some kind of emergency has occurred and left the participants dead. Moving forward in time, the film documents the birth of an abruptly aborted government project named Magnificat. The women from the original film then reappears, sitting in a location which James recognises: an official building which has re-opened as a café. The film ends with the woman reunited with a horribly scarred man and confronting the cameraman, asking why he is filming. James suggests that this was the result of an accident with nuclear power which has been hushed up and that the café was once a secure convalescent unit. He also wonders why the film was made in the first place. James and Sharon decide to keep the film secret and he throws the offending medical records into a bin. Meanwhile, somewhere in London, a cleaner has her break in an isolated room where the remnants of Project Magnificat are still stored. | intrigue | train | wikipedia | Hidden Gem. One of the better British films of the last 20 years and criminally neglected - it doesn't appear to be currently available on video let alone DVD.Intriguing (and somewhat unsettling) plot.
Sensible portrayals - no overacting, Unusual settings - a London rarely seen either in life or on screen.
Well constructed - the atmosphere builds beautifully.
All in all, it puts so much of recent British cinema to shame.And we go and bury it..
Striking and underrated film.
Of all Poliakoff's work on film, this is probably the most underrated and often missed , and is one of his two best works from the 1980s.This is an interesting and thoughtful look at the workings of one aspect of modern government, which was well-received at the time and premiered at the Venice festival, but has become criminally and unjustly difficult to find.
A proper DVD reissue is long overdue here.Charles Dance produces a typically strong performance with direction, performances and casting all solid ; this was a part of the important Film on Four strand that helped keep British cinema alive during some of its lowest points of the 1980s..
Early Poliakoff.
'Hidden City' has become another good example how British films of the eighties have disappeared without a trace.
Having found a rare video copy this film I have had the chance to reassess this possible lost gem.
Cassie Stuart plays Sharon, a mysterious girl who turns up in the life of lecturer, Charles Dance with a mysterious piece of film placed at the end of fifties public information film.
What unfolds is a genuinely interesting look at how Governments have so many secrets they can sometimes get lost.
What is also interesting is how this gives an insight in to the early work of writer Stephen Poliakoff and how he still follows many of these theme in his later work more critically acclaim work.
Unfortunately 'Hidden City' has dated in it's look and the plot just fails to hit the target.
However it is certainly worth looking out for because just like the two leading characters the viewer is drawn into the film's theme of intrigue and mystery hidden in the bowels of London..
Good Views of Hidden London.
I loved this film for two reasons.Firstly, it was well written and the direction was strong which is something often lacking in a British film.Secondly, the scenes of London were fantastic; especially those parts of the city not always open to the public eye..
Intriguing story, execution is a bit dated.
What a strange movie.
The story is amazingly thought-provoking and intriguing.
Think of all the hidden secrets a city like London hides beneath it's surface?
All the archives of wartime experiments, government mysteries, documents and information never meant for public eye.You have a young woman trying to convince a statistician (?) played by Charles Dance that there are hidden messages or clues of a bigger picture in some wartime archive films.The story sadly never quite uses all of it's potential.
It's interesting all the way, but you're never really sure what is going on until the very end and the motivations of the characters are left a bit unknown.
They're basically just intrigued and driven by pure interest rather than a real cause.What makes the movie a bit messy and difficult to follow, is the fact that there are a few separate leads they're following, the archived films and a few documents they find at a waste dump.
You also have people trying to catch them, but you're not really sure why.
At least I was left a bit puzzled of what's going on at times, but maybe that was the point.
You never know what you find, if you just look carefully.Definitely an interesting story, but the execution is a bit flawed and dated.
It's got a very strong late 80s vibe to it and it's a bit of an artsy one.
Someone might call this a "strange one", but definitely worthwhile if you catch it somewhere..
Strange but good.
I only watched this picture because of my current obsession with Charles Dance.
It's a very strange film, rather too artsy and noir for my taste, but in general a pretty good picture.A few items: far too much is made of the "hidden city" component.
Any older city has subterranean tunnels and chambers.
Disused subways, dry drains, utility shafts and connectors, power cable channels, catacombs, and sewage pipes form a veritable honeycomb beneath a city's surface.
Not secret so much as not relevant to the daily life of ordinary people.
That these areas might be useful for file storage is sensible and efficient.
The more intriguing mystery for me was why the writers writers (who otherwise did an excellent job) failed to give us explanations to these questions: Why would an intelligent, sophisticated, educated man disregard several days' worth of scheduled meetings in order to assist a complete stranger in an ill-defined quest for information of questionable value?Why, having learned the mysterious government secret, do the pair do absolutely nothing with what they've learned?
It's implausible that anybody would go to so much trouble merely to satisfy idle curiosity.And finally, why do the pair decide to continue rummaging for secrets?On the plus side, "Hidden City" does include a very excellent performance by Charles Dance.
I think that one of the more difficult challenges for an actor is speaking lines that convey information the audience needs but would never be uttered in real-life conversation.
The film contains an astonishingly large number of such lines, and Dance delivered them so naturally that only when I'd finished watching did I realize.
In fact, I can't think of a better example of that sort of acting.
Well done, Charles Dance!.
Not a good film.
I read all the other comments - are we watching the same movie??
Apparently this director went on to bigger and better things, but this movie was not good, not even for a starter.
The premise was okay, but the execution was not.
The female lead needed to stop yelling, at the least.
She was never a sympathetic character; I thought she was annoying.
The dialog was shallow, and did not really develop the characters.
Lots of walking, no talking.
It was a 15 minute plot in movie form.
Charles Dance seems to have spent most of his earlier film career in fuzzy, badly produced movies.
I wonder what could have happened had he spent more time in Hollywood, or if Merchant and Ivory had found places for him in their films....
When he has the right material, he is good.
I waited for this movie to show more intrigue - all I got was waiting for scenes where there was some real action and some real acting (and scenes that did not feature the female lead).
A conspiracy...and they'd have gotten away with it, if it wasn't for those pesky actors!.
OK, I saw this movie only once and it was ages ago.It is one of those that, while I didn't particularly like it, left a lasting impression.First and foremost, it is a London movie -every bit as much as 'The Long Good Friday' (1980), 'Pool Of London' (1951) and so many more, where the city is really the star.
I am a sucker for London films!Secondly, it belongs to a loose-knit family (genre?) of films that seem to have their origins in that time (late 1980s).
The principal characteristic of them is that they take the standard 'noir' elements and run them 'all the way up to 11' , until they become saturated with a nightmare sense of impending evil and conspiracy.
EVERYTHING takes on a threatening aspect; each word, action, step and object becomes laden with menace.
'Defence Of The Realm'(1986) pulled off a very similar trick, as did the contemporary TV series 'Edge Of Darkness'.
Into the 1990s and Noughties this kind of 'X-Files Paranoia' thing became more prolific, for example 'The Forgotten'(2004).However, that vibe is something that Poliakoff was trading in long before then: his TV play 'Caught On A Train' (1980) nicely exemplifies it.
Maybe he started it all!
That said, 'Hidden City' doesn't come off all that well.
I think the problem is chiefly with the casting, and the rather soft drawing of the central characters.
I can't really believe Charles Dance as academic turned-action hero (Islington Jones?), capable actor though he is it seems a daft way to go, and at odds with the rest of the thing.
The gimmick of weighing him down with the stereotypical 'feisty single mum and infant' combo in tow adds another surreal touch to the melodrama, one that could have sprung from the iBook of Doris Lessing on an average day (and I can't help thinking that she may have done a better job here).
The plot is an absolute mess.
Set in the (1980s) present, It concerns Dance's character being led a merry erm, dance piecing together the story of some obscure government conspiracy that occurred just after WWII.
The only evidence of this exists in perplexing bits of 'extra' footage at the end of various ancient Public Information Film reels.
No sweat, then!Time-worn hazards and difficulties are then laid on with a trowel: sinister spook-types, obstructive officials, characters whose sole purpose seems to be as unnecessarily cryptic as possible: all the usual suspects.After much too long, he produces a worrying jig-saw of a top-secret (presumably nuclear) project going badly pear-shaped, and the bizarre extent to which the powers that be (or were) resorted to in burying the truth along with the casualties.
And anyone who had anything to do with anyone...you see where this is going.You could file this under 'deservedly overlooked', but there are some very fine scenes: Bill Paterson (always good value), having a superbly unreal conversation with Dance while a disturbing shadow-show plays out on the opaque room-divider behind him, is delightful ("...I think that's so-and-so...") so by all means have a look.Best not dwell on any underlying diatribe about the nature and corrupting power of secrets, the celluloid image, or the sad fact that history is whatever 'they' want it to be.
That is all plastered over as effectively as the remains of 'Project Magnificat', and just as ill- fated.Finally, there is what I assume to be a little twist-ette right at the very end, where the ancient footage Dance has been analysing briefly reveals the face of the cameraman: Jumpin' Crickets, he look just like Adolf Hitler!
Go figure... |
tt1283956 | Student No. 1 | Aditya (NTR Jr.) joins a law college in Vizag as a student. The college is notorious for its unruly students headed by Satya (Rajiv Kanakala). Aditya is shown as a mysterious young man, and throughout the first half there are flashbacks to his story. He makes the unruly students mend their ways. In the interval, we come to know that Aditya is a criminal facing murder charges, and is serving his life term in Vizag central jail. He attends the college with the special permission of the jail authorities.
Aditya lives in Hyderabad with his parents. He has finished his intermediate studies (10th grade plus 2). He wants to pursue engineering, but his father wants him to study law. This presents a tension between them, leading to a confrontation. Meanwhile, Aditya unintentionally murders a goon while saving a girl from getting raped. Aditya's father disowns him as his son and Aditya surrenders at a police station.
The rest of the film is how Aditya wins the heart of his father with the law degree he earns. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0032277 | Boys of the City | To escape the heat of the city and a court sentence for malicious mischief, the East Side kids agree to visit a summer camp in the Adirondacks. En route, their car breaks down and they are reluctantly given accommodations in the home of Judge Malcolm Parker (Forrest Taylor).
The Judge, under indictment for bribery, has much to fear. His life, as well as that of his niece Louise (Inna Gest) has been threatened by a gang of racketeers; his companion, Giles (Dennis Moore), has accused him of embezzling Louise's fortune; and his sinister housekeeper, Agnes, blames him for the death of her mistress, Leonora. The Judge's fears are compounded when he meets Knuckles Dolan (Dave O'Brien), the boys' guardian, whom he had unjustly sentenced to death, only to have his verdict reversed and Knuckles exonerated.
Later that night, when Louise is kidnapped and the Judge found strangled, Giles and Simp (Vince Barnett), the Judge's bodyguard, accuse Knuckles of the murder, but the boys capture Simp and Giles and determine to find the murderer themselves. Muggs (Leo Gorcey) and Danny (Bobby Jordan) discover a secret panel in the library wall and enter a passage where they find Louise's unconscious body and glimpse the figure of a fleeing man. Knuckles captures the man, who identifies himself as Jim Harrison (Alden 'Stephen' Chase) of the district attorney's office.
Amid the confusion, the real killer takes Louise captive, but the boys track him down and unmask Simp. Harrison then identifies the bodyguard as the triggerman seeking revenge on the Judge. With the crime solved, the boys can finally leave for their summer camp. | revenge, murder | train | wikipedia | The beginning of this film is VERY similar to "Spooks Run Wild" (another Bowery Boys film); the boys keep getting into trouble in the city and are sent "into the country".
They wind up in a "haunted house", containing secret panels, ghosts & a MURDERER!This film is unique in that it was probably Minerva Urecal's biggest role.....she's wonderfully "creepy" in many of the scenes (and, in the very end of the film, she actually SMILES for the only time on camera!).A seldom-seen film that is unknown, even by many Bowery Boys fans......see it if you have the chance!Norm.
Boys of the City has relatively good production values and the story and props are creepy enough to make it suspenseful and exciting.Unlike Ghosts on the Loose, most of the "gang" gets talking time.But let's cut to the chase.
There are twists and turns and there is a mansion-wide hunt for Miss Louise and a mysterious stalker who roams the house.Something I want to Know: when the "gang" and Knuckles and the Asst.
Boys of the City was a partly amusing East Side Kids debut of former Our Gang member Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison as an adult.
The same year, 1940, that former silent Our Ganger Mary Kornman made her last film appearance in Monogram's On the Spot, her series co-star from the same period, in fact one of the original members of which he was the first picked, Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison, appeared in his first films since leaving Our Gang sixteen years previous of which this one marked his first appearance in an East Side Kids feature entry-from the same studio as the one I mentioned concerning Mary's final movie-as Scruno, the only black member of this particular gang.
His character here displays some of the unfortunate stereotypes of his race such as his loving watermelon, wanting to go back to the plantation, mockingly getting called "boy" while being ordered by one of the gang, and getting scared quite a bit though that last characteristic does provide some funny lines and a funny scream from him.
As for the rest of the picture, well, there's quite a few good scares and leading players Leo Gorcey and Bobby Jordan provides some laughs as well.
So on that note, I say give Boys of the City a shot of you're curious about one of the original Our Gang members as he looked and acted as an adult..
Ernie "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison is at his classic comedic best.
Frankie Burke, the young Cagney look-alike from "Angels with dirty faces" has a role as one of the boys and does a fine job...you'll notice he can move like cagney, as well as look, act and sound like him when you see him jumping over that sofa in the guest room!
Boys Of The City is the only film of the East Side Kids that had a continuity with the previous one in the series.
It is the second film in the series and first one with former Dead End Kids Leo Gorcey and Bobby Jordan in the cast.
When the Dead End Kids were turned loose from their Warner Brothers contract, Sam Katzman of Monogram started signing them and I'm sure on the cheap.For whatever reason, I suspect box office, Katzman replaced a lot of the young actors in the first film when he found the better known Dead End kids at liberty.
One character who was not replaced is Dave O'Brien who was cleared of the crime that put him on death row he repeats his character of Knuckles Dolan, brother of Bobby Jordan.The kids are up to their usual mischief and O'Brien decides a little time in the country is what they need away from the big city streets.
On the way up the car breaks down and O'Brien and the kids have to spend a night in an old house that looks just like something from some English murder mystery.
It even has a Mrs. Danvers like housekeeper in Minerva Urecal.It's owned as it happens by the judge who sent O'Brien to the death house in the first film.
All the usual signs pointed to other characters, but for once Sam Katzman showed a bit of creativity here.Boys Of The City is a good East Side Kids film and from Monogram, it's practically a classic..
En route to a boys camp for the summer, our favorite juvenile delinquents find themselves stranded overnight at a crooked judge's house.
This is former Dead End Kid (and future leader of the gang) Leo Gorcey's first entry in the East Side Kids series (also the first for his brother David).
As such it feels like much more of a proper start to the series than the first film did.
Returning from the first one is Dave O'Brien as Knuckles, the reformed gangster acting as the boys' guardian.
At this point Gorcey hadn't yet developed his malapropism-spouting character and he doesn't have Huntz Hall, either, and he was always best with Huntz.
The fourteenth "Dead End"-related film introduces "The East Side Kids" as a series banner.
Herein, Bobby Jordan replaces Harris Berger (as Danny Dolan), from the previous "East Side Kids" movie.
Dave O'Brien (as "Knuckles" Dolan) continues as Mr. Jordan's reformed older brother.
Fellow "Dead End" kid Leo Gorcey (as Muggs McGinnis) joins "Danny's Gang" (after three films, Mr. Gorcey will become the undisputed leader).
The returning junior gangsters are: Hally Chester (as Buster), Frankie Burke (as Skinny), Donald Haines (as Peewee), and David Gorcey (as Pete).This film most notably introduces former "Our Gang" member Ernest "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison (as Scruno), a new member of the Bowery "kids".
Fortunately, Morrison would be allowed to bring some integrity to the "Scruno" character; in later films (like "Bowery Blitzkrieg") he plays a more dignified humorous role.The story begins with Mr. O'Brien and well-to-do Eugene Francis (as Algy Wilkes) expressing concern about "Danny's Gang", and their propensity for trouble.
Their fears prove to be well-founded, as Jordan and the "Boys of the City" decide to get relief from hot New York City streets by opening up a fire hydrant.
The incident lands the lads in juvenile court - but, the judge allows them cool their heels by spending some time in the country.
They wind up in a spooky old mansion, with scene-stealing Minerva Urecal (as Agnes).***** Boys of the City (7/15/40) Joseph H.
Lewis ~ Bobby Jordan, Leo Gorcey, Ernest Morrison, Minerva Urecal.
Formative East Sides Kids feature.
The pieces weren't quite all there yet (paging Huntz Hall!), but this erratic poverty row feature set the parameters for the long running Bowery Boys series.
Nonetheless, this is well worth a look for fans of the noir director as well as those who enjoy the teenage antics of the East Side Kids.
One of the most commendable things about the later films in this series is the (generally) colour blind approach to Sammy Morrison's character, but in this effort, poor Sammy was burdened with jokes about spooks, watermelon, the ol' plantation, and his beloved Mammy.
Still and all, he does a good job with the material and remains (after Gorcey and Hall) the most memorable of the series' characters..
The East Side Boys in the Country!.
The East Side boys like Mugs Malone played by Leo Gorcey and Bobby Jordan and his pals get to leave the city for a time in the country.
They end up at a Gothic, haunted mansion where the housekeeper is my favorite character.
I love the comment she makes about the cook which is "I liked the cook." The gang try to help a pretty damsel in distress who is caught up with some shady characters including a judge and others.
It's the East Side Boys to her rescue and the house in Westchester's Briarcliff Manor.
Anyway, the East Side Boys was to escape during the 1940s time period when the country was coming off of the Great Depression and going into World War II.
Rebecca Meets the Dead End Kids.
B-list performers and some typical-for-the-era (but nonetheless annoying) racial stereotypes fail to distinguish this tale of embezzlement and murder set at a creepy country mansion.
Leo Gorcey and the gang provide the comic relief, which -- except for the cigar scene -- is not particularly funny.
Unless, that is, you get a kick out of things like watching Ernest "Sunshine Sammy" Morrison get pop-eyed over graveyards and spooks, or listening to him extol the virtues of a big slice of watermelon.Though Minerva Urecal did a fairly good job as a sort of cut-rate Mrs. Danvers, I'd only recommend this one to rabid Gorcey fans and B-movie antiquarians..
The gang are hot and looking to find a way to cool off during the summer heat.
But instead of punishing them, the kids are convinced to go to a summer camp by their friend, Knuckles.
Together, the East Side Kids, Knuckles and these strangers are unexpectedly stuck in a house--a seemingly haunted house.
And, in the sorts of coincidences that only happen in films, Knuckles just happens to have a reason to kill one of the strangers (a judge) and the housekeeper just happens to be a crazed lady bent on revenge who makes the housekeeper in "Rebecca" seem like Maria von Trapp!!
This sort of haunted house film might be awfully familiar to those acquainted with the East Side Kids and their later incarnation as the Bowery Boys--too familiar.
Such films as "Ghost on the Loose", "Spooks Run Wild" and "Spook Busters" had similar themes that seemed to work pretty well in these B-movies but were just over-used.
Plus, the films were far from intellectual fare and seemed very similar to each other.While Sunshine Sammy (Ernest Morrison) was a familiar black member of the gang (it's nice to see they were integrated), in this film he's given some rather distasteful lines--such as when Muggs (Leo Gorcey) treats him like a servant and calls him 'boy' in one scene, his constantly being afraid of 'ghostes' and at one point he's sitting down to a giant plate of watermelon!
Not exactly enlightened entertainment!Overall, a rather low-brow and familiar but generally enjoyable B-film.
Aside from the awful stereotypical humor, the film also seems a bit contrived--as there are just one too many coincidences to make this anything other than a time-passer..
Sooner or later the boys are apt to get into mischief, so Knuckles takes the load of 'em to Algy's father's camp in the mountains.
The Judge, hiding from the mob, is desperately heading to his mountain manor when he runs the boys' vehicle off the road, nearly disabling it right before his own car conks out.
With only the boys' car barely able to travel, they all wind up at the judge's manor where ghostly sightings, spooky organ music, death threats and a creepy housekeeper await them.
Judge Parker is the very judge who once nearly put Knuckles on death row for murder.
When the judge turns up dead, Knuckles is in trouble again, with little brother Danny and the gang ready to help him out.
I used to love the Bowery Boys / East Side / Dead End Kids when they ran on local TV as a kid.
The movie is only 68 minutes long but feels like 3 hours!
Half the film is over before they even get to the haunted house.As an aside, the guy from Reefer Madness is in this movie.
It's not a very good film.
The later humor filled movies were far better..
I never thought I would say it, but this Gorcey and gang entry had me wishing for the buffoonery of Huntz Hall.
Otherwise, the gang trails after Jordan and Gorcey in pretty unimaginative fashion.
That may be because the screenplay loads too much familiar plot into an hour's run-time, which Lewis then has to coordinate.
All in all, if you think you've seen the spooky plot done better before, you probably have, (Spooks on the Loose {1941}, Ghosts Run Wild {1943})..
The East Side Kids had a couple of films going by "Spooks Run Wild" and "Ghosts on the Loose", but this one seems even better suited to a ghost story than the other two.
It's got some atmospheric creepy sets, a long dungeon like room, and someone even dons the white sheets unlike the aforementioned films.
For me, this was not one of the better East Side Kids efforts.It starts out with a familiar premise; get the boys out of the city to keep them out of trouble, under the watchful eye of Danny's (Bobby Jordan) big brother Knuckles (Dave O'Brien).
The core group this time out includes Muggs (Leo Gorcey) and Scruno (Sunshine Sammy Morrison), with a little help from Peewee (Donald Haines) and Skinny (Frankie Burke).
Burke looks every bit the young Jimmy Cagney here, maybe even more so than he did as the young Rocky Sullivan in "Angels With Dirty Faces".If you're not used to it, the racial connotations to Scruno's character get a workout in the film to the point of embarrassment.
In the bouncy car ride to the country, he complains of getting bruised 'black and blue'; at Briarcliff Manor, he's the only one served a huge slice of watermelon and he fairly dives right into it.
Scruno takes it all in stride as in all of his appearances, also making the most of the bug eyed stereotype whenever something remotely scary might happen.The surprise of the film for me was Minerva Urecal, she's really got the sinister housekeeper act nailed in this outing.
The next time you see Cloris Leachman in "Young Frankenstein", she's doing Minerva's Agatha character from this film, I would bet on it.Once things get going, the film gets some mileage out of the old sliding bookcase trick and the occasional sound of sinister organ music.
The murder mystery itself is handled a bit sloppy, especially when the unknown character under the Manor turns out to be from the District Attorney's office.
The revelation that Judge Parker's bodyguard was a member of the Maury Gang who wanted him rubbed out seemed a bit curious after the fact.
Best line of the film this time around goes to Leo Gorcey - "Say, what's the Thin Man got that I ain't got?".
Tough kids in the city, scaredy-cats in an old dark house..
Determined to keep the East Side Kids out of trouble and ultimately out of juvenile hall (which to be honest, they'd still be too old for at this early point in her career...), an understanding judge sends them to his country home in the mountains.
They end up in the spooky mansion of a judge who is an important witness in a criminal case and deal with the possible presence of ghosts, as well as a spooky housekeeper, various secret passageways, and most frighteningly, murder!
The result is one of the best of the early East Side Kids films after their Warner Brothers years that is entertaining from start to finish.While this entry in the series is missing Huntz Hall, Bobby Jordan and Leo Gorcey are still around as the leaders of the gang, leading in both dialog and action, with only a few comic bits given to the black Sammy Morrison.
Of course, some of those bits are extremely racist, especially when sinister looking housekeeper Minerva Urecal serves the boys small fruit cups and gives Morrison a huge piece of watermelon.
Urecal has one of the best roles of her career, spoofing every sinister housekeeper or strange relative, most obviously Eva Moore in "The Old Dark House" (spooking heroine Inna Gest with comments on her "pale, white flesh") and Judith Anderson in "Rebecca".While the plot is predictable, the screenplay is loaded with some of the funniest malapropisms of the kid's extremely lengthy career and there is definitely a macabre element to the spooky atmosphere, from the antique graveyard in Judge Forrest Taylor's back yard to the "Cat and the Canary" like candle-lit hallways.
I wasn't too familiar with the East Side Kids or Bowery Boys going into this cheap, short 1940 feature, and without the context that many other reviews have, it leaves a lot to be desired.
The first thing that's wrong is the title, as the "Boys of the City" spend almost the entire film in the country.The band of broadly-portrayed juvenile delinquents are going to be sent to jail for not very much, but instead accept a deal to spend time at a house in the mountains of upstate New York.
Maybe this is a thing that really happened, but it doesn't seem very plausible.From there it turns into a listless attempt at a spook comedy, the trouble being that there aren't many attempts at comedy.
Most of the apparent jokes are broad racial stereotypes of the one black character played for humor.
And even if it weren't be very funny.There's a large section of the short running time devoted to the "straight" plot, involving a judge who is on the run, afraid he'll be murdered.
The "spooky house" is clearly supposed to be an old mansion, but looks like an undisguised studio set house.So in all, not much to recommend this modest comedy.
We have the adult chaperone Knuckles who is an almost executed for a murder he didn't do by guess who this judge!!
While the boys are on their way to the camp the judge, niece, secretary, and a bodyguard are on their way to his country house.
The judges party needs a lift and as you might expect get one from the boys et al.
When they get to the judges house they reluctantly get an invite to stay the night.
Though this is a murder mystery it also has some very funny moments from the Kids.
There are a couple of uncomfortable scenes by today's standards concerning the black Kid. There is watermelon served as dessert only to him and he does get called boy once. |
tt0010419 | The Man Hunter | Lady Jane Winston (Lane), heiress to a company called the West Africa Ivory and Rubber Co., travels to Africa because she believes that George Castle (Loder), the company's manager in Africa, is stealing from the company. Rin Tin Tin sails on the same ship that she does.
When the ships arrives near Africa, Rin Tin Tin jumps overboard and swims ashore. When Rin Tin Tin arrives on the beach he befriends Jim Clayton (Delaney), a former employee of Winston's company. As she is above to get off the ship, Winston falls into the water, as some ferocious sharks appear. Clayton and Rin Tin Tin rescue her and they become friends. They decide to help Winston entrap Castle. When Clayton discovers a cache of ivory that Castle had hidden he is surprised by Castle's men and imprisoned.
Luckily, Clayton manages to give Rin Tin Tin a message who delivers it to Winston. When Winston attempts to help Clayton escape, Castle kidnaps her as well. In order to escape arrest by the authorities, Castle than inspires the natives to revolt against the whites. Rin Tin Tin manages to get to a British outpost just in time and the British soldiers quickly restore order, arrest Castle, and free Winston and Clayton. | revenge | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0190374 | Dungeons & Dragons | The Empire of Izmir has long been a divided land, ruled by the Mages, an elite group of magic users. An evil mage named Profion (Jeremy Irons) attempts to create a sceptre that allows him to control Gold Dragons. His attempt to control a captive golden dragon fails, and he is forced to kill it. The dragon bleeds into the river, causing it to catch fire, which many inhabitants notice, including a pair of thieves, Ridley (Justin Whalin) and Snails (Marlon Wayans).
Later, Profion and the Council talk about the controversial views of Empress Savina (Thora Birch), who wants to give rights to non-mages in Izmir. Meanwhile, Ridley and Snails break into the magic school to steal valuables, but are caught by Marina (Zoe McLellan). She is distracted when the Library wizard is held hostage and interrogated by Profion's henchmen, Damodar (Bruce Payne) for information on where the map to the magic sceptre that controls Red Dragons is. After refusing to talk, Damodar kills him. Marina gets the map and travels through a portal to escape, accidentally taking the thieves with her. After crashing into a pile of garbage, they meet a dwarf named Elwood (Lee Arenberg), who ends up joining Ridley, Snails and Marina escaping through the sewer.
Damodar puts a price on Marina, Ridley, Snails and Elwood's heads and, after letting Profion know that the protagonists got away, Profion creates a tentacled monster inside Damodar's head. The protagonists hide in a tavern and read the map that Ridley and Marina get sucked into. Damodar and his henchmen attack Elwood and Snails, but they manage to get away with the map. Ridley and Marina exit the map and all decide to work together to find the sceptre. They apparently have to find a red ruby called the "Eye of the Dragon" that can open the door to a tomb where the red sceptre rests. The ruby is located in a den of thieves that is led by Xilus (Richard O'Brien) who'll give the protagonists the "Eye of the Dragon" if Ridley solves a maze of booby traps. Ridley manages to get the "Eye of the Dragon" when Damodar arrives to capture him and his friends. Marina is captured while Ridley, Snails and Elwood escape, meeting an elf named Norda (Kristen Wilson) who works for Empress Savina and informs the Empress about Profion's plans to get the Red Dragon sceptre. Meanwhile, Damodar interrogates Marina, using the tentacles in his head to gain her knowledge.
Ridley and Snails break into the castle to rescue Marina, while Norda and Elwood stay behind. Ridley and Snails split up and Ridley finds Marina, but Snails is confronted and killed by Damodar when he throws the map to his comrades. Ridley becomes enraged at Damodar and attacks him, but Damodar disarms him and stabs him in the left shoulder with his own sword. In the confusion Marina grabs some magic dust and uses a magic portal to escape with Ridley, leaving the corpse of Snails behind. During the council meeting, Profion and Empress Savina battle over the domination of Izmir.
Meanwhile, an elf (Tom Baker) heals Norda's soldiers and Ridley, and Marina tries to help Ridley get over the death of Snails, but Ridley angrily rebukes her. After an argument in which Marina convinces Ridley that Snails didn't die in vain, they become love interests. Ridley uses the "Eye of the Dragon" to finally get the Red Dragon sceptre, which is held by a skeleton that comes to life and warns Ridley that "anyone who wields the power of the rod shall suffer a horrible fate", but Damodar arrives to steal the sceptre and brings it to Profion, where Ridley, Marina and Elwood follow.
They travel back to the Empress' castle where Gold dragons controlled by the Empress are battling the Mages below. Profion uses the Red Dragon sceptre to summon Red dragons, which battle the Gold dragons and slowly begin to win the fight. Ridley comes across Damodar, duels him with his new magic sword and then kills him, sending his body off the castle wall, and then, after a confrontation with Profion, Ridley destroys the sceptre and a Gold dragon eats Profion.
Ridley later visits Snails's grave, where Snail's engraved name disappears, and Norda teleports Ridley to a place where "your friend awaits you", along with herself, Marina and Elwood. | fantasy, murder, violence, cult, good versus evil, revenge | train | wikipedia | I cried every time he appeared on the screen.Thora Birch was also far, far below her level in 'American Beauty', obviously unable to tell how one should put a little life into her bad dialogue and flat character, and somehow even thinking that that was her own fault.If at all, the thief Snails (Marlon Wayans from Scary Movie) had quite some good moments in his slapstick scenes, the only good moments in the whole movie.
His dull and cheap sunnyboy behavior really nerved me, and I saw absolutely no reason for his 'being special', but far more for 'being untalented'.The effects where better than the story, but really not that exciting either.Some people say fantasy is about stereotypes, but that doesnt mean you can forget all rules how to make up a good story !
The only way it is (slightly) better than that movie is the (very) occasional good set or effect.I could write for hours about what's wrong with this movie, but this is what comes to mind immediately(1) The horrible acting.
Breaking into the magic school to steal they are captured by Marina but, when her master is killed, the thieves find themselves drawn into an attempt by the evil Profion to use the power of a lost sceptre to seize control from Empress Savina, who is trying to reform and make all men equal.It is hard to really judge the plot of this film because I'm sure it could have been a rollicking, engaging "swords & sorcery" affair and it is only the delivery here that has turned it into a massive, insulting pile of rubbish.
The acting was especially shocking and horrific, Jeremy Irons's acting was very bad, from this film alone you'd think he was an amateur and had never made a good film in his life but the truth is, aside of this farce he's a great actor, which is why it was really shocking to see him camp it up as the way over the top villain.
The amount of other fantasy films it rips off is incredible, but The Lord of the Rings and Stars Wars seem particularly prevalent for the movie to plunder it's ideas from, and the resulting effect is merely a travesty of those classics..
The rest of the actors are also bad, but at least the likes of Jeremy Irons, Bruce Payne & Thora Birch, know they are only slumming it, & are at least decent actors if the material is there.The plot is also weird & ridiculous, with no explanation of what is going on, & the upsetting thing was that the poor dragons couldn't have snacked on the lot of them, which would of at least made it a happy ending, for us & the dragons anyway.
I tried to keep watching in all honesty, but I kept on vomiting blood from its sheer awfulness.The dwarf keeps disappearing, the orcs don't attack anyone, there is a big slow guy walking around wearing blue lipstick, Richard O'Brian is forced into a camp off with said blue lipstick wearing man, it was far too long (by too long, I mean it exists in our time and space), in one scene Jeremy Irons looks as though he is mounting the guy with the blue lipstick...why oh why oh why does this film exist?
Even before I hit my teens I was writing better scripts for adventures then exist in this movie; there are so many plot holes the truck hasn't been built that's too big to drive through them, and despite having a cast of actors that aren't all that bad, the acting is in most cases similarly dreadful.So, if you've ever played (A)D&D do yourself a favour and DON'T watch this movie, to avoid all the hair being ripped out of your skull whilst watching.
If i could give this film no stars then i would, its that bad; in fact the only thing that is good about it is the laughs you will have at how poor this title is.If your a D&D fan then steer WELL clear of this movie as you will be shocked at how they can ruin the long running and much loved franchise in one fell swoop.
The movie consists of bad acting, bad special effects and bad script (which comprises of mainly ripping off the phantom menace).The main bad guy is established as being so by having blue lipstick on and talking in a slightly sinister voice, whereas the main good people consist of "that guy from sliders" and a comic relief element who only serves to be so annoying that you wish he would get eaten by a hydra or something.There are no real D&D elements in this film, in fact better inter racial role play occurs in LOTR between Legolas and Gimli than in this sad excuse for a film.Needless to say if your after at least a halfway decent film then DO NOT watch this one, however if you wish to clearly see how to ruin a franchise and make one of the worst titles ever seen on the screen then feel free to indulge yourself on this waste of space..
Two hours of my life are gone forever, and could have been much better spent filling up a cup with drool, rather than suffering through the terrible script, poor overacting, and a critical hit to the future credibility of D&D.I can't believe they're making a sequel.If the Lord of the Rings trilogy were what a fantasy movie should be like, this movie was the antithesis.
The special effects were weak, the plot was a laughable sequence of the worst cliches, the acting was simply awful, and I've seen better scripts written by 12 year olds.Suffice it to say absolutely nothing interesting, unusual, or unpredictable happens during the entire movie.
This much anticipated movie of 2000, titled as the very popular role-playing game, should do much to further the question of "What were they thinking?" A great deal of the movie is spend in grandiose costume and CG sets with the actors, primarily one Jeremy Irons, as Profion an evil wizard, over acting in the most laughable manner.
Which is odd because Jeremy Irons has never really done anything remotely laughable.Irons had company in the theatre of the absurd acting style and that was with back up villain played by Bruce Payne as, Damodar in blue lipstick and shaved pate, delivering lines like a macho Tim-Frankenfurter-Curry.And that is what is at odds with some of the primary components of this movie.
So don't get me wrong I do love the genre and I know what it takes to make a good Sword and Sorcery story, yet I was expecting more out of this movie.The character of the Empress Savina, played by Thora Birch was so visually reminiscent of Queen Amidala from the Phantom Menace that I could not help but be reminded of Amidala every time Birch was on the screen in those over the top costumes.The story to D&D is real predictable.
You know the standard, "OH my God the Princess, Empress-whatever- is in trouble and the evil mean guy is going to ruin everything for her and that will be terrible because she is so nice and concerned about her people-and she's a hot looking unit to boot- so we have to get some reluctant swashbucklers to go through a whole bunch of cool exciting stuff and find a magical thing that will make everything better just in the nick of time before evil mean guy can make the Princess or I mean the Empress lose everything and cry her pretty Hollywood mascara saturated eyes out.There is a scene in this movie where the character Ridley has to navigate a maze to obtain an important component in finding the magical "thing" to help the Princess err I mean the Empress.
It just didn't feel like a movie that took place in the time of Dungeons and Dragons.By the way did you see the size of that Dwarf?.
I remember when the trailer spawned in my TV screen.I was so excited about this movie.I Love the lore of the forgotten realm .So much content they could have used.To build an epic adventure inside such a wonderful fictional world.They came up with nothing.A movie using some of the race + some dragon and some twit main character trying to role play a rogue(AK).With a retarded story .I can come up with something under 5 minutes better than this mess.I'm sure none of the producer ,scripter ever opened a book of dad.Put some elf and some dwarf and a dragon and name the movie dungeons and dragon...The special effect were horrible .Hell , baldur gate(the game) had better spell effect and visual effect .The costume look so false .It's just unbelievable they could not come up with something decent.With all the material about dad on our tablet it's unbelievable.This attempt to make a dad movie it's the same attempt we have when a studio try to display a video game into a movie.Plain horrible.Rushed for money.If you're a maniac of the forgotten realm don't watch it.If you're someone who know crap about dad don't watch it.If you're bored and retarded.Pinch your ass for 50 minutes.Better than watch this crap.
It introduces some plot lines in the beginning of the movie, that potentially seemed like good and interesting ones but then suddenly decided to abandon these plot lines for such a long time and starts to concentrate on the extremely formulaic and weak 'adventerous' story-line of the young and totally uninteresting characters.
Only after more than halve way through the movie it decides to pick up the first introduced plot-line again, featuring the Thora Birch and Jeremy Irons character.
It was the formulaic type of music you would expect from a genre movie like this, only composed by a composer who will obviously never make it big time.You're better off not watching it.3/10http://bobafett1138.blogspot.com/.
I an't count how many times I have seen people act exactly the way the characters/actors do in Dungeons and Dragons.The plot in this movie was obviously streamline for time purposes but it doesn't suffer because of this.
I was amazed the special effects, and visual art work were some of the best I had ever seen, and from every thing I remember the characters stayed within there game play roles.
It's like actually watching an adventure played by thirteen-year-olds, and its wonderful.I think people take this movie for something other than it was meant to.
Some have said that those who played the game or enjoy genre fantasy films might find something to like in 'Dungeons & Dragons'.
Thora Birch - wonderful in 'American Beauty' - looks like she was blackmailed into this role, as she's completely catatonic throughout the film, giving her Empress Savina (the wholesome representation of all things Good) zero energy and appeal.How about those heroes?
Dungeons & Dragons makes _Conan the Destroyer_ seem like Hamlet in comparison.The acting generally falls into two categories: mediocre actors who probably did the best they could with the material and normally good actors (Thora Birch, Jeremy Irons) who should be ashamed of themselves.
I think many people go into this movie, expecting a AAA title epic, the likes of LOTR, or comes here after seeing the "review" (which is more a parody review, as all his shows) by Nostalgia Critic.I saw it the first time when it came out in 2000, one year before LOTR set the scale for all fantasy films to come.
and with a similar budget to boot.I found the movie to be a fair representation of the average Dungeons and Dragons adventure, and I have had a lot of those.Although there were some things that I didn't agree with, I saw those for what they were, limitations of the technology of the time and of the budget.
With today's fantasy film special effects tech, with movies like LOTR and Narnia, Dungeons and Dragons could have been taken seriously and been a big hit w/ characters as popular as Capt.
"Dungeons & Dragons" is so terrible, I can't help myself from laughing at people who say they liked this film.This is one of the worst mistakes ever made in Hollywood.
"Dungeons & Dragons" is so terrible, I can't help myself from laughing at people who say they liked this film.This is one of the worst mistakes ever made in Hollywood.
That will undoubtably change with the Lord of the Rings Trilogy, but for now, let us focus on Dungeons & Dragons.As a lifelong fan of the game, I had long known a movie was in the works, but even five years ago when I read the plot outline (the script was being worked on for ten years), I was disappointed.
However, if you have any love or passion for D&D, any desire to be thrust into a fantasy world, or any hope of a gripping adventure, then try to avoid this movie as much as a modern D&D adventurer avoids danger.Given the rich mythology of D&D developed over the last twenty five years, the countless worlds and countless possibilities for storylines, it seems that a script ten years in the making ended up with the most politically correct (gahhhh), Star Wars-like, cheesy, save-the-world scenario possible, which, of course, is totally against the spirit of the D&D game.
At the time when this movie was new, I was still a young child so I was not aware of the terrible acting or background scenery, and I didn't watch other science fiction shows like Star Trek so I had nothing to compare it to.
I still have a soft spot for Justin Whalin after New Adventures of Superman.Special effects are pretty risible in comparison with the Lord of the Rings movies.Script and dialogue are poor and the plotting is loose at best.
This movie is soooo bad,where do you start.How about the so-called "hero's" played by Justin Whalin and Marlon Wayons.They're acting is so bad it's embarrassing to watch.Then there's Damodor,a bad guy that wears blue lipstick.He looks more like drag queen reject than a feared and dreaded warrior.There's also a dwarf(whose name i forgot)who is so annoying i wish the dwarf from Lord Of The Rings would have showed up and chopped him in half for giving dwarfs out there a bad name.Then there's Jeremy Irons,WHAT THE HECK IS HE DOING IN THIS MOVIE!!!!!!He's a good actor.He must have needed the money really bad.A bunch of kids in first grade could put on a much better show than this movie.Anyone that had anything to do with this movie so be locked up in a dungeon for the rest of they're life..
Well, for one thing, I don't have any emotional stock in "D&D." It's a terrible movie with two-dimensional characters, bad writing, horrible direction, and so many cliches that if you tried making it into a drinking game you'd surely die of alcohol poisoning.
It was entertaining enough to watch, but not worth actually buying after the initial viewing, and the performance by Marlon Waynes was rather impressive.As far as the namesake of Dungeons and Dragons goes, this movie was absolutely terrible.
It doesn't matter if you're not a dungeons and dragons fan, you can still enjoy the film and understand it easily.And even if you don't like the beginning, just keep watching for the ending.
The dragons are amazing and it's an explosive finale.Don't expect great acting, amazing battle scenes or a plot that follows smoothly 100% of the time, because let's face it, it's not that sort of film.
Now, I have never played Dungeons and Dragons, therefore I'm so lucky that I could enjoy watching this movie without having to compare it to the game.I have been a fan of Lord of The Rings for many years.
I have fairly mainstream tastes, and in terms of plot, dialogue, lack of characterisation and so on, it is certainly no worse a film than Star Wars The Phantom Menace or one of the Die Hard films - again, not exactly high-brow films but thoroughly enjoyable nevertheless, and certainly the kind of film I like to watch to relax.Indeed, some elements in this film are outstanding: the costumes, the gothic imagery, the real-life locations in Prague (dig that library!).Among the actors, we were particularly impressed by Justin Whalin, who made a fine and believable young hero, without any of the brattish qualities that a lot of actors in similar roles have had (think Mark Hamill), also by Kristen Wilson who is simply a delight for the eyes.
To others, it may seem like a poorly-acted romp through silliness, plagiarising the Phantom Menace and with an over-long dragon scene at the end.However, viewers prepared to watch with tongue firmly in cheek will find this an enjoyable experience, with likeable characters (particularly Richard O'Brien's thief king Xilus resurrecting his role as referee of the Crystal Maze) and a hammishly played villain complete with English accent.Definitely not to be taken seriously but worth watching..
(Here's a tip for the Hollywood: Get Bioware for consultation - they already make D&D computer games the way they should be done.) It's not even a good movie - pretty detailed but cheesy 3D graphics, five-eurocent special effects and composition, and such, cliched plot and dialogue, and lots of over-acting...
I laughed at all the jokes that we commonly use in our playing sessions but mostly I laughed at the film itself.The acting is not very good.The special effects could be better (but I heard there were budget-problems)The story is weak but it works.But overall I enjoyed this film, because it was a BAD film it was something to laugh at with my friends.
Yes, I know I'm going to extremes here, but if your going to call your movie Dungeon and Dragons you should at least keep to the rules of the role playing game and use the spells listed in the book effectively. |
tt0271972 | Arachnid | A plane crashes on an island, and the pilot comes across a giant spider, which kills both him and an alien. One year later, Mercer (Alex Reid), the sister of the pilot, accompanies Valentine (Chris Potter) to the same island to locate her brother. On the way to a native village to examine several natives who are dying of spider bites, ticks burrow into Reyes (Luis Lorenzo Crespo). Upon reaching the village, they discover that the village has moved on. Reyes begins to cough up the ticks and Bear (Rocqueford Allen) decides to shoot him to end his suffering.
That night, Mercer wanders off and is attacked by a mutated spider, but is saved by a native, who ends up getting bitten and dying the next morning. The group moves on, and are attacked by a giant spider, which kills Henry (an "arachnologist") and Samuel (the group's doctor). A smaller spider attacks Bear, and another native is killed. Valentine, Mercer and Susana (Neus Asensi), Samuel's assistant, hole up in a military bunker. While Mercer keeps watching, the spiders attack and force the survivors into a closet. Susana panics when she sees the spider is gone and is killed when she tries to escape. Mercer and Valentine escape through a bomb tunnel into the forest, where Valentine slips into unconsciousness from a bite he sustained.
In the morning, Valentine awakes to discover that Bear and "Toe Boy" (Robert Vicencio) are the only surviving natives. The four head into the cave, where they find the spider in a cocoon. Mercer attempts to cut the cocoon down so Bear can shoot it, but it wakes up before she can cut it down and Bear is killed. The spider sets chase after Mercer and she ends up wrapped in its silk, which she uses to pull the spider from the ceiling and it falls onto a stalagmite, killing it. As Mercer, Valentine and Toe Boy leave, another spider watches them from an overhead cliff.
In the near future an older Valentine is seen returning to the island with Mercer to eradicate the arachnid species. | violence | train | wikipedia | A plane driven by a pilot(Alex Reid) and transporting ex-marines(Chris Potter, Luis Lorenzo), a scientist(Ravil Isyanov) and doctors(Jose Sancho, Neus Asensi) crashes on a tropical island that contains a lethal carnivorous alien spider.
Utterly arachnophobia people must flee this film.Other movies about those bugs are the following : ¨Tarantula(1955)¨ by Jack Arnold with John Agar; ¨Tarantula: the deadly cargo(1977)¨ with Claude Akins; ¨Kingdom of spiders(77)¨ by John Budd Cardos with William Shatner and ¨Arachnophobia(1990)¨ by Frank Marshall with John Goodman..
(If you can't figure out two of the survivors at the end turn in your monster movie-watching card now.) And despite a lot of fodder (always a good sign) to many deaths seem off screen or at least over a little quickly.
The movie also could have used some gratuitous nudity (If young thing Alex Reid wasn't willing at least allow Spanish star Neus Asensi to release those puppies like she has done in the past.) Those quibbles aside I couldn't help but cheer when the puppeteers took the Volkswagen sized spider out for the spin in the second half of the movie.
Arachnid is a pretty good movie which follows the similar sci-fi mutated monster style of film in the tradition of Critters, Anaconda, etc.
We have a group of humans who are trying to survive against a species of alien spider, which is done up by better than average special effects.
The group of humans are interesting, consisting of a female pilot, a spider researcher, two medical people, some soldiers, and some island natives.
Forget the spiders, watch the film for her!I recommend this film not only for Alex Reid but because the special effects are decent, and it always fun to see who will survive against the monster..
So it's not surprising that big bug creature features are amongst my favourite horror movies; they can unsettle me without even trying.Arachnid, produced by Brian Yuzna and directed by Jack Sholder (who helmed the fun flick The Hidden and the abysmal Nightmare on Elm Street 2) is a 'by-the-numbers' effort which, despite being extremely predictable, entertains with its impressive (and often yucky) effects by Steve Johnson.When a UFO explodes over some South Pacific islands, a deadly creature is let loose which causes havoc amongst the natives.
A team of scientists are sent to investigate and are soon fighting for their lives against a mutant monster that is part alien and part spider.Chock full of clichés, Sholder's low budget bug-fest isn't going to win any awards for originality and doesn't make a lot of sense, but with its attractive spunky heroine Mercer (Alex Reid), busty doctor (Neus Asensi) and its (sometimes, quite literally) eye-popping gore, I found it to be a reasonably entertaining monster movie..
In my mind, the words "Giant spider" = "Bad movie" But Arachnid actually proved me wrong.
Oh, it was by no means good...but it was a fun movie to watch anyways.Alex Reid was really the only good point as far as acting goes.
The spider and centipedes (I'm still wondering why there were giant centipedes in this movie...) looked pretty decent.
So when I saw a sneak preview of ARACHNID at the Fangoria Weekend of Horrors convention a year ago (and being that I'm also someone who likes to give a lot of low-budget direct-to-video movies a chance), I knew I'd have to check it out.The setup is simple enough in the best 50s monster movie tradition: a team of scientists and ex-military types travel to a remote island to find the source of a mysterious new virus, and in the process come face to face with a giant web-spinning terror.
Once the spider is finally revealed to the characters' amazement and horror, the suspense is upped a little bit, leading to a frenzy climax in which the pilot and two more men you thought for sure had died (having gone off to establish communication to call for help) show up to fight back.
Alex Reid, who plays the pilot, isn't particularly convincing as a tough girl (perhaps it was the director's fault), but at least she looks nice and, like Potter, does what she can with the material.
This movie features bad special effects in some areas, and pretty good ones in others.
Even though this beginning may make the movie look like another CGI horror movie, don't be fooled, all of the mutated/alien/ spiders are made from props and animatronics.
Overall I would recommend this movie to anyone who is a fan of creature features, as well as gore hounds, (there are many good uses of gore in this film)..
Pilot (Alex Reid) has taken the job to search for her missing brother, whose naval jet was last reported in the vicinity of the island, while mercenary (Chris Potter) and his crew (Bear and Lightfoot) tries to remain professional in spite of the chaos.Quirky spider specialist (Isyanov) causes endless grief, as he disappears at every given opportunity, searching for specimens with which to experiment; his final experiment finds him cocooned in a tightly woven spider-web.
Essentially, many people, consisting of several redshirts and five characters who actually matter, onboard an aircraft that could comfortably hold the five main characters and thus seems very cramped, manage to crash on an island while searching for a new spider species from which they intend to produce antivenom.And given the redshirts' presence, its certainly not surprising once group members start being killed.
Actually after the first victim is attacked and "sick", the other characters repeatedly get distracted so perhaps they knew that character was a redshirt and didn't care about his fate.Actually with most characters being redshirts the characters aren't very interesting although there are a few different spider critters.The movie keeps itself fresh, just about enough to be watchable, but it still isn't something I'd recommend.
The plot is typical but at least it has more sense and less holes than Fantastic Factory´s first movie and the acting was also a bit better, so people didn´t laugh at the theater(In "Faust" as I said they were frequently doing so).For "Arachnid" I think that the producers had a clearer idea of what they wanted to do, a typical B movie similar to those B fantastic movies that Filmax has been distributing in video during all its existence something like "Spiders" or "Crocodile" with sometimes bad special effects and where the job by Sholder is far from being so inspired as in "Hidden" or "A nightmare on Elm Street 2" but nevertheless the film has some good points and Sholder gets one memorable scene about the killing of a guy by a group of mutant ticks which is the best of the movie and which is, no doubt, the best goric scene that I have seen lately..
Usually, good directors filming the horror or semi-horror/sci-fi films choose a phobia from wide range of existing phobias and play on it...That works greatly on the people who actually have such phobia or are close to it, and it also works good for people who don't have, but get to understand after film, why other people have such phobia...Situation is completely different with Arachnid!If you take this movie and make someone who struggles from arachnophobia to watch it couple of times, I am sure he will be cured.Giant spider monster is so dumb, so funny, so stupidly made...
that everyone will understand for good, that there's nothing we can afraid of, even if spiders will really become that big.Recommended for psychologists, use the film, cure the people!.
So imagine the surprise when a movie like Arachnid comes around that makes it all seem easy again.We start out with a stealth fighter crashing into a UFO.
A giant spider apparently kills the alien, then comes after the pilot.Flash forward, and we're in a hospital where victims of some strange disease are being treated.
"Arachnid" may not be a great film and in fact it starts off pretty rocky but it gets better as it progresses and what it does right makes it worth a viewing.
The creatures are not spiders at all though, the whole incident has been caused by an alien ship crashing onto the island.
There's no real mystery about what is happening on the island, you know right from the beginning that it's alien spiders.
There's a minor sub plot where the crew's pilot Mercer (Alex Reid) is looking for her brother, which we know is the pilot that first encounters the arachnid creatures but it's more of a tossup between "is he dead or mutated into a horrible spider monster" than anything.
It almost looks like your eye is too slow to capture the movements and all you see are random snippets (kind of like watching people move to a strobe light) and the movements of the main spider just doesn't look as good as it would have if these movements had been done using modern special effects.Another positive are the characters in the movie.
Well this movie does that but instead of the second group just getting killed off, they actually re-join the survivors of the spider attacks towards the end of the film.
It feels like the film needed to go through one more proof read to tighten up some of the loose ends and move this from a "better than expected" movie to a "hidden gem".
Then the expedition to the island where there are giant mutations galore including Spiders and the cast get whitteld down one by one as is the case with glossy B movies involving somethings not human.
Boom mikes visible all over the place, full of plotholes (pilot goes on the mission also instead of repairing the plane, why didn't they destroy the eggs in the hive etc etc, cheap movie with lousy effects, total budget about can't be more than $1000 or was it Euro ?, don't waste your time like i did and leave it in the videostore, rent Alien again for half the price and twice the fun.!
Inexistent sound, inconsistent plot, no ending, no dialogue, horrible acting, this "thing" looks like it has been made by some students wanting to make a bad joke to their movie director teacher and like they worked hard on fixing it.When you see a microphone going from above an actor to above another one, to start with, you know it is going to be a dreadful movie.
The special effects were effective, which is the only thing good about this movie.Overall, If you want a unoriginal formulaic plot, giant spiders and good effects, this movie if for you..
Complete with surreal dream sequences, unknown character motives, aliens, demons, dinosaurs, protagonist arcs that come 360 and then go 180, and several other things to make it as different as possible, Arachnid is truly a bizarre experience; imagine Mosquito or Spiders directed by a French art-house director.The movie involves a group of people in search for a police ranger's lost brother, who went missing in a dogfight with an alien spacecraft.
There's also a seen in the movie where the spiders literally eliminate 80% of the cast, and that's something only a very ballsy writer and director would follow through with.Arachnid is low budget and feels low budget.
Let's face it: we have Eight legged freaks, Arachnophobia and even Ice Spiders, so we've seen good fun, good movies and cheesy fun also, but this one is beyond bad and terrible.
Arachnid is one bad executed movie, with some OK actors, good settings, bad dialogue and horrible effects.
I decided to give it another go because I do like spider movies, and "Arachnid" is actually good enough entertainment, considering it is from 2001.The story is straight forward, if not quite simplistic, actually.
So even for a 2001 movie, "Arachnid" has creatures that look quite nice.
Most of them seemed to be devoid of any emotion or empathy, as people were dying left and right, and no one seemed to really be shaken or disturbed by that fact.Sure, there are better spider movies available, but "Arachnid" wasn't bad, and it is well worth a watch if you have nothing better to do..
*Spoilers*Movie about a giant alien arachnid that is killing the natives and the people that arrive on the island.
A familiar tale is given a familiar re-telling, a middle of the road monster movie which starts off pretty well before degenerating into the typical action-orientated scenario, where precise plotting goes out of the window, character traits are forgotten and everyone runs around in the jungle trying to avoid getting chewed on by the hungry bad guys.
I was disappointed for the most part, but the film is not without the odd moment of interest here and there.After the opening titles – the longest I've seen, and accounting for about a dozen different production companies – things are looking pretty good in the movie.
We get plane wrecks, an invisible UFO and even a weird-looking alien creature making a guest appearance before the plot begins for real.
Anyone who's seen Yuzna's previous TICKS will know what to expect – this guy truly loves bodily intrusion and destruction.Once the spider makes an appearance, the film takes a downward turn and loses what little intelligence it possessed in the first half (attention to detail, personalities, realism, etc.).
ARACHNID is worth watching for the first half of the film and the truly nasty tick death scene, but needs switching off when the spider makes an appearance and it just becomes a tame embarrassment..
"Arachnid" isn't that bad of a creature feature.**SPOILERS**Lauren Mercer, (Alex Reid) a pilot, agrees to lead an expedition by Dr. Samuel Leon, (Jose Sancho) his assistant Susana, (Nues Asensi) spider specialist Henry Capri, (Ravil Issyanov) and guide Lev Valentine, (Chris Potter) into a small Pacific Island to determine the cause of a deadly epidemic.
When the suspicions are proved true, they try to get off the island alive.The Good News: Sure, it's predictable, derivative, and has some pretty cheesy effects, but fans of these movies have come to expect that sort of thing to one degree or another.
The spider isn't that bad looking, it's got a couple of good moments, and the film won't exactly rot your brain.
The second alien then kills the pilot and the plot is set up.Fast forward 10 months and a group is going to the island to investigate a mysterious illness that appears to be related to some type of bite.The rest is fairly routine but the acting is better than average for the two main stars.
On the way, they pass through a nearly-empty native village, picking up a helpful sole survivor from there, and must survive attacks from a variety of big bug mutations (not just the insects of the title) that are quickly evolving into the "ultimate predator." There's also a caterpillar-like creepy crawler, something that shoots green acidic gunk that melts off flesh and some bloated ticks that crawl under one guy's skin and then out his neck in the stand-out gore scene.The location work, production values, photography and acting are all above par and the special effects, which employ animatronics, model work and a little CGI, are very good.
In between, various members of the party come to sticky ends involving body infesting giant ticks, cocoons and the title character.This formulaic dross is only enlivened in small parts by one or two special effects moments, the giant spider being the highlight - although even this is let down by the sight of it 'running'.
On the whole, I give it two-and-a-half stars as the next best giant spider-movie I've seen since last summer's "Eight-Legged Freaks." *Of course, the all-time greatest one is undeniably "Tarantula!" (with Leo G.
The team soon learn that a giant flesh eating alien mutated Spider is loose in the jungle & is trying to breed, the team must must stop it before the Spider or it's offspring reach the mainland & infect the entire Earth...This Spanish production was directed by Jack Sholder & is a fairly lacklustre 'Creature Feature' that has little to recommend it, Arachnid is the sort of low budget tripe that turns up on the Sy Fy Channel all the time.
Almost everyone hates them & more importantly are scared of them so the usually humble Spider is a good subject for a typical giant insect 'Creature Feature' since people don't like them to begin with.
Here with Arachnid the script offers nothing particularly new, memorable or stimulating as a giant alien mutated Spider threatens to destroy mankind & the efforts of the clichéd cast of character's to stop it.
The forgettable script feels like a mix of Predator (1987) & Arachnophobia as a bunch of paper thin character's are bumped of by mutant alien Spiders in a dense South American jungle, unfortunately it sounds a lot better than it actually is.
The acting isn't anything to shout about, minor British celebrity Alex Reid is terrible.Arachnid is a pretty poor creature feature, how can a film about giant mutated alien Spiders be bad?
Spiders are alien spiders...If all this sounds messy to the point of damaging your immersion do not worry - The directors camera/microphone can be seen falling clearly into plain sightshortly after the crew lang anyway and it will continue to do so throughout the film.If the script and directing are this lousy what a bad movie really needs is some truly horrific cheesy acting to back it Sadly all it can offer is mere below average underacting throughout.
****SPOILER****A group of adventurers are hired to lead a medical expedition into a jungle.Things go terribly wrong when an alien creature begins breeding with local fauna, giving life to a giant alien spider-scorpion-thingy.
The acting is pretty good, particularly for this genre, but the critters are pretty bad, looking like closeups of small mechanical (or CGI) spiders made to look large. |
tt0455596 | The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines | Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle), a year after his first mission as the Librarian, has been on many more death-defying missions to protect the world from evildoers, including a trip to Utah to recover a mystical crystal skull. Upon his return to the Library, the audience is introduced to more mythic artifacts stored there: The Head of Medusa, the Trident of Poseidon, the Shroud of Turin, and the Pipes of Pan. He has moved out of his mother's house into his own apartment, but still feels held back by Judson, his supervisor, who tells him that "sometimes you have to give up what you want for the greater good" in order to go from being a "good librarian" to a "great librarian".
Meanwhile, at Flynn's birthday party, his late father's friend, "Uncle" Jerry (Robert Foxworth), tells Flynn about how Flynn's dad courted his mother. Flynn remembers the "silly bedtime stories" and the amulet his father had, which his mother says came from a secondhand shop. When Flynn goes home, he discovers that someone has trashed his apartment; he is ambushed and robbed of a scroll he received in the mail that day. It transpires that the scroll is a map containing clues to the location of King Solomon's Mines. Flynn, in typical high-adventure fashion, cannot allow the thief to find the rest of the clues and thus, the mines themselves. Judson (Bob Newhart) tells him that possession of the Book of Solomon, hidden in the mines, will give the reader of it control over time and space, so that the secret must be kept hidden.
Flynn is en route to Morocco, to find part of the key to the scroll among some Roman ruins, where he meets Emily Davenport (Gabrielle Anwar), an archaeologist who, as it turns out, holds 3 more degrees than Flynn and can argue convincingly about ancient history, Biblical texts, and geography. Flynn and Emily are attacked after finding the piece to the map legend and discovering a hidden meaning to the amulet, which links him to the brotherhood of the Masons, one of whose members helps them escape and tells them where to find the remaining part of the map legend. Emily, recognizing the code on Flynn's piece as being in the Akon language, insists on coming with Flynn to Gede Province in Kenya. The men who attacked Flynn, led by a General Samir, turn out to be on the trail of the mines as well. They torture the man who helped Flynn escape until he tells them where Flynn was headed.
After a ride on a honeymoon tour bus—where Flynn runs into Debra (Lisa Brenner), a former blind date, with her husband Carl (Jonathan Frakes), who reports their meeting back to Flynn's mother, with disastrous results—and several days' hiking across the Serengeti, Flynn and Emily literally stumble across a man buried up to his neck in sand as punishment for stealing a neighboring tribe's crops. The two adventurers dig him out; he insists on being their guide in return. Flynn shows Emily the drawings he made as a child to accompany his father's "silly bedtime stories", his mother having slipped them into his bag. They show scenes of laughing rocks, upside-down valleys, and other fanciful places. Emily, in turn, confides to Flynn her obsession since childhood with the mysterious Queen of Sheba, wife of Solomon. After several more days of hiking, they finally reach a village. There, as their guide Jomo (Hakeem Kae-Kazim) tells them, a fortune teller can help them. Unknown to them, the fortune teller's shop has been appropriated by the men chasing them. Just as Flynn finds the other piece of the map legend there, Emily sees the enemy coming and they flee.
To their amazement, they run into Flynn's Uncle Jerry, who is in Kenya to pick up some stock for his import-export business, and he hustles them aboard a train on which he has reserved some space. Jerry feeds the pair, gives Emily a skimpy Maasai dress, and quizzes Flynn about his "secret life", while Flynn in turn shows Jerry the amulet his father left him. After dinner, Flynn checks Emily's cabin to find her tipsily analyzing the Akon code. It turns out to have a connection with the Biblical Song of Solomon, which leads to a romantic interlude. This is unfortunately ruined when the two argue over the translation of the love poetry. Next morning, Flynn and Emily, having solved the code, travel to Three Witches Mountain near Mombasa, and find that the terrain reminds Flynn of his juvenile drawings. Eventually he realizes that his own father must have known about the mines' location and told Flynn stories to plant clues in his memory, giving him the amulet in case he ever needed to guard the secret and enlist the help of other Masons. With the antagonists in pursuit, the two manage to penetrate the caves where Solomon's treasure is hidden. Gold, jewels, and other treasures litter the caverns; a huge head of Queen Sheba, carved out of the stone wall, looms over all. Flynn spots a book resting on a pedestal, opens it, and realizes that this is the book of which Judson told him. As he glances through it, the text seems to be attracted to his hand, beginning to glow in a sinister fashion.
Their pursuers come upon them and drag in a disheveled Uncle Jerry, who begs them to give General Samir the book in exchange for his own life. Flynn complies, only to find that the General and his thugs work for Uncle Jerry, who wants to turn back time so he can fulfill what he thinks was his destiny; to win Margie Carsen (Olympia Dukakis), who he feels was stolen from him by Flynn's dad. It turns out Jerry is the unknown figure who shot Flynn's father, after Carsen refused to tell Jerry about the mines. As Jerry enters a cave filled with hundreds of mummified bodies and a bubbling lava pit, he begins to read aloud the incantation that will give him power over space and time, stirring up ghosts as he does so. Flynn and Emily are flung into a pit, which fills with water and features a slowly descending, spike-laden ceiling. After Flynn experiences a vision of Judson on a white beach, he finds that he and Emily are being rescued by the faithful Jomo, who has followed them to fulfill his life debt.
Flynn confronts Jerry over the book, wrestling it from him with the incantation unfinished. As Flynn is about to throw the book into the lava pit, he begins to see visions of his father in the pit. Jerry seizes the chance to try to convince Flynn that they can change time together. Flynn begins to finish the incantation. Emily and Jomo burst into the cave to find Flynn uttering the incantation and an army of ghosts circling the cave. Emily uses a reflective spear to shine light on Flynn's amulet, which catches his attention and reminds him of his father's trust. When Flynn throws the book into the lava pit, Jerry jumps after it and falls into the lava as Flynn, Emily, and Jomo flee. As the cave crumbles, the evildoers are crushed by falling rock.
In a brief epilogue, Flynn assumes Emily will be coming back to New York with him, but she decides to pursue her search for the Queen of Sheba in Tunisia, leaving Flynn with only fond memories. In a scene reminiscent of Casablanca, Flynn, in a trench coat and fedora, wanders toward his plane, musing, "Of all the gin joints in all the world, she had to walk into mine."
Flynn returns to the library and tells Judson that he threw the book into the lava which he believes was "not very librarian" of him. Judson reminds him that by giving up the chance of seeing his father by destroying the book, he sacrificed what he wanted "for the greater good", and was now a "great librarian". When Flynn asks Judson why he did not tell him about his father's connection with this journey, Judson explains that it was a lesson Flynn had to learn on his own, and Judson is sure that wherever Flynn's father is, he is proud of his son. The film ends with a humorous discussion about Flynn's vision of Judson on a beach back at the mines. | violence, action, flashback | train | wikipedia | Noah Wyle returns as the Librarian Flynn.
This time he sets out to find King Solomon's Mine together with the help of fellow "nerd" Emily Davenport (Gabrielle Anwar).
I think the character Flynn makes this movie.
I also enjoyed the addition of Gabrielle Anwar, whose love/hate relationship with Flynn creates some nice laughs.
The sequel to "The Librarian" is just as good and maybe even better.
It is full of action,adventure,nice special effects (remember it is only a TV production) and a lot of comedy.
Everything was in its place and geared up to thrill you.Having dispensed with the background of how Flynn becomes the iconic librarian, this second chapter hits the deck running from the get go, never stopping to catch its breath.The twists on Solomon's story were creative and exciting.
The sequel holds up well thanks, in part, to the return of Jane Curtin, Bob Newhart and Olympia Dukakis, but Wyle is the heart of the film.
Simply put, this move tracks the adventures of a man named Flynn Carsen to find the riches of King Solomon and protect their secrets.
He meets Emily Davenport, a brilliant, beautiful woman, who is obsessed with the Queen of Sheeba, and the two go off together to find the "Mines" where the treasure, and a very dangerous book of spells, is hidden.OK, this movie is very cliché.
If Harrison Ford was in it and the script, acting, and special effects were slightly better, it could be Indiana Jones.
The acting is fairly bad and the plot jumps from place to place, never really certain who feels what and who does what.That said, it is one of those movies that is so bad, that it's good.
Think of it as cute and a good family movie (except for maybe one scene).So watch this knowing that you won't be awed by it, only relatively amused..
Second part of the Librarian series with lots of entertainment and fun.
This second outing in the popular ¨The Librarian franchise ¨(1ª Quest of the spear-2004- by Peter Winther and 3ª The curse of the Judas Chalice-2008- by Jonathan Frakes) concerns on Flynn Carsen(Noah Wyle), the roughest, toughest,silly, and botcher hero with 22 university degree .
Our unpredictable heroes risk their lives and limb against a set of the nasties(Erick Avari) villains you've ever seen.Entertained TV movie plenty of action-packed,tongue in check, adventures, love story and extremely funny.
Along with a sympathetic Noah Wyle appear the habitual secondaries, as a deadpan Bob Newhart, Jane Curtin and his likable mother well played by Olympia Dukakis.
One year later we find out intrepid hero (Noah Wylie), an experienced Librarian and his bodyguard is no longer needed.In a nod to Indiana Jones, he brings back the Crystal Skull in the opening sequence before he sets out on his real adventure that brings him into contact with Gabrielle Anwar ("Burn Notice", who did manage to turn in such an impressive performance that the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films gave her a best supporting actress nomination.What is it with these English heroines?
Well, this isn't Body Snatchers, so we won't be seeing her ta tas.I won't reveal the bad guy here because it would spoil it.Besides Indiana Jones, you see bits of The Mummy, and even Casablanca in the movie.
It is popcorn fun for fans of those movies and Wylie does a great job..
The first was mesmerizing at times, cheeky at others, but most of all it was good, quality entertainment (when was the last time you could say that about a movie you watched on TNT on a Saturday afternoon?).
Noah Wyle has gone from geeky doctor to geeky librarian with the skill and poise of a very capable veteran actor.
Unfortunately the entire premise of the sequel, the existence of the fabled King Solomon's mines is just way too preposterous.
After retrieving the Crystal Skull in Utah, Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) receives a map by mail with the secret location of King Solomon's Mines.
Flynn heads to Casablanca to the ruins where he is chased by a group of mercenaries leaded by General Samir (Erick Avari) that also wants to find the location of King Solomon's mines.
"The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines" is another exciting adventure of Flynn Carsen in the style of Indiana Jones.
The charming and gorgeous Gabrielle Anwar shows a wonderful chemistry with Noah Wyle and they form a pleasant lead couple.
Indiana Jones/007/Harry Potter-like hero, Noah Wylie (charming and boyish) finding his destiny and a few fabulous treasures along the way.
His 22 advanced degrees and adventurous spirit equip him to hold his own with another archaeologist, Gabrielle Anwar, whose 25 degrees make her a formidable barrier as he looks for clues to the whereabouts of Solomon's mine.
This time the theme is good old King Solomon's mines...
The ending is predictable, but fun.Noah Wyle again does a very entertaining smart job as Flynn.
The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines i like adventures..but not so promising..movie is about..hunting for treasure and guys chasing........this movie is got lots of adventures form....the location is amazing if it is real..not all of them but may animation.....which is awesome.........makes screenplay very realistic......story line goes similar to Indiana Jones or may be mummy(returns) ...the librarian, Flynn (nerdy) seems to get always saved by Emily(other librarian or Lara croft rather) clutching the enemies is cool...climax is weird, the fighting is unrealistic......over all the movie is a good pass-time movie....
Flynn Carsen (Noah Wyle) has learned a lot in the year which has passed since he took the Librarian job, that makes him more of a traditional action hero with a clear idea of what he wants to achieve instead of stumbling accidentally into an adventure.
So why not try and find the most dangerous book in the world in King Solomon's Mines?
The first part of Librarian was a good project (a lot of humour, pretty good plot, Sonya Walger great as Nicole No one) and I really enjoyed it.
Fortunately they've made a sequel, unfortunately they've taken completely different author for the scenario which was a huge mistake.In the second part the casting wasn't impressive (especially Gabrielle Anwar didn't fit in), the plot was weak, another huge mistake was moving toward the family themes (his father, uncle, etc.) and together with Nicole No one character the chemistry was gone and the humour just wasn't good enough.It was a good try, but creators missed the first movie example by miles..
This isn't as direct a copy of stuff in the Indiana Jones films(meanwhile, they do go to a well-known and loved classic, as well as Tomb Raider), though the main concept remains the same.
Frakes does a nice job directing(and appears briefly in a role, as well), and the action here isn't half bad.
I've always like this kind of "adventure movie", so one Sunday afternoon with nothing to do would be best spent to watch one of this.
Also one thing which I've always wondering when watching this kind of movies.
For the Sci-Fi channel The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines is not too bad.
The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines had some lavish sets and photography, some decent action and special effects and a rousing score.
Noah Wyle is a likable lead and Jane Curtin and especially Bob Newhart are subtly deadpan.
The humour in the script comes across as contrived and unfunny with a lot of quite stilted dialogue, and the storytelling is dull and derivative of Indiana Jones except with more predictability and less of the thrills, suspense and fun.
The characters are clichéd, that's not a problem but it is if they are not written well or not interesting, and generally while not as problematic as other Sci-Fi films that was the case with The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines.
Obviously even the idiots in charge of making decisions to finance the first Librarian movie realized where they had gone wrong: a writer, who had delusions of grandeur and a director who couldn't direct if Christopher Nolan was directing *him*.
The sets in this second movie no longer look laughable, they are actually passable.
Another great movie in the Librarian Series.
And sadly there are whole conversations and scenes where I may be able to understand what one person is saying but the other person's lines are completely unintelligible, usually Gabrielle Anwar's lines but sometimes Noah Wyle's are too.
I can not give this film a 10 just because of Gabrielle Anwar, how can anyone watch this acting skeleton, tell this girl to put some meat on, I mean really this actress makes the thin model image to the extreme, this is not the message we want to send to our daughters, to say this is the shape to be, and to have the gall for her to wear a native costume was utterly disgusting to view.Other than that, My wife and I both agree this film if for family viewing and for passing a pleasant 2 hours, entertaining, comedic, adventurous.Not the next Indy series of movies but none the less a very good film..
This movie gave the impression of being very low budget and in this era of fantastic special effects, the film gave you the feeling that each and every cost had been spared.
The animation/effects were quite good but the end of the movie they get worse.
There isn't a train from Malindi (where Gedi Ruins are) to Mombasa, and the train looked really fancy in the movie but it is nothing like that.
Maybe it makes more sense if you see the first one but after seeing this I wouldn't want to watch the 1st one and I wouldn't recommend this movie..
The movie makers have done a fine job with special effects, but that is like saying the chef has done a fine job selecting the table linen.
Special effects are important only as a SUPPORT to a good plot.
Librarian-turned-adventurer Flynn Carsen returns in enjoyable sequel.
The Librarian: Return to King Solomon's Mines is a Hugely enjoyable sequel to the original 'Librarian',There is plenty of Action,Mystery,Intrigue and suspense, Beautiful Locations, Very Good Special Effects for a Made for Cable (TNT) Movie, Likable Performances from all the cast, and it looks like quite a bit of money was spent.You'll like this if you're a fan of The Indiana Jones Quadrilogy or National Treasure Series.***1/2 out of *****Followed by The Librarian: The Curse of the Judas Chalice.
No transition from scene to scene.The fight with a sword at the beginning was a laughable debacle, up to that point I was almost interested in the movie, But the absurdity of it all had me trying to follow the story for almost 15 minutes before realizing I was wasting my time trying to piece together some semblance of a plot.I therefore switched of my brain and followed it along in a child like manner, which was very successful for a while, But then I noticed the predictability of it all and my brain came back into adult mode I almost felt I was turning into a psychic is was so easy to predict the next move.The special effects were, lets say, Er, Not, special?
The effects were OK to start of with, but obviously, just like the viewers, the people programming them must have got bored halfway through, because in the end they were worse than a third-rate 2-dimension video game.
The actors were hardly better, especially that skeleton who looked like all she had in mind was the pay at the end of the month.
The Librarian, Return to King's Solomon's Mines?
Like most sequels, this movie suffered from lowered expectations ...
and you shouldn't be surprised that happens since the first movie was a very weak take-off of Indiana Jones, Lara Flynn and National Treasure.Using myth and legend to spin a story as if it were fact, is a very hard thing to do.
often a VASTLY inferior take on the original.The Librarian series is this kind of movie.
Recently learning that there had been two sequels to the first Librarian movie, which I vaguely recall probably liking, I decided to watch them both.
This is a fairly good action adventure movie harking back to the days of Indiana Jones.
The hero in this movie is Flynn Carson.
Trying to find the key to unlock the treasures of King Solomans mines, Flynn meets Emily Davenport and with her help, Flynn tries to stop bad guys and ends up uncovering the secrets of his father's death.
The first Librarian movie was full of action, suspense, and just enough character development to keep me happy.
But, this movie was great and it was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon..
My cable provider has TNT right next to Discovery Channel and I thought I was watching a movie about Liberia (I'm a bit of an Africa buff).
That being said, I watched a good ten minutes of "The Librarian" before I realized it was not a Steve Erwinesqe safari program.
My poor reading of TV Guide, and my waning remote control skills, turned out to be a blessing as I was engrossed for a full hour and a half in this wacky adventure story.I am not going to repeat here how awesome Newhart was (duh!), and how much growth we see in Wyle as an actor, but I do want to address head-on the whole Anwar Controversy.
You can have a great plot and a great cast, but if your directing is bad, you've got no femur, and everything is just a little bit off.
If I were to base this review simply on commercial success, I would have to give a 3 or a 4, however Noah Wyle makes this movie a hidden gem.
Don't take it too seriously, because they don't have the budget for high quality special effects, but the acting is good (except for a few of the baddies) and it is definitely worth a watch.Gabrielle Anwar provides a great opposite to Noah in this episode and there are a couple of twists that were unexpected.I've been pretty happy with the whole librarian series, but again....don't take this stuff too seriously!
This was actually much better than the first movie, but I suspect that it had something to do with a director who has a awful lot of experience.
In fact this is actually one of the better pieces that Frakes has directed since most of his stuff tends to be very touchy feely mushy mushy Star Trek features (he played my least favourite character on Next Generation, being Commander Ryker – which isn't saying much because I am so not into Star Trek).Anyway, this is set a year after the first film, and suddenly the characters actually have a bit more of a life in them.
In this one Flynn goes off in search of King Solomon's mines, but it is also a search for finding out what happened to his father.
First off, it is obvious to me that everyone that gave this "movie" good reviews is either a).
I know, I know, sci-fi this, sci-fi that, but they put out a lot of crap, so I'm used to a bad movie.On to the actual movie.The acting is OK at best; the plot is painfully predictable (Flynn and Gabrielle fall in love.
The special effects are sub-par, but not the worst I've seen.Probably the Biggest insult To the audience, is that this movie is just a straight rip-off of Indiana Jones(Indiana Jones being, of course, good).
The even tried (and failed disturbingly) at creating a catchy theme song akin to that of Indie's.In addition, There are many Historical inaccuracies in this movie: Flynn Says something about the Sumerians Helping out the Greeks or the Romans (you remember, when the two mental patients people call "actors" twist the globe around and open it up).
These slip-ups, however, are no big deal, as the average person won't know or care about these.I Give this movie more like 2.5 stars because they did surprisingly well at copying and executing an Indiana Jones Rip-off with such a low budget.
Also, since these guys have such a low budget, I'll cut them some slack I understand that this wasn't meant to be taken too seriously, but even with this in mind, it still reminds me of something I would see come out the backside of a dog.I Really hate to have to say all this, because it is obvious that the actors, writers, producers, director, etc spent a lot of time, effort, and money into making this, but it is just not very good.
If you are one of those people like me who are used to crappy sci-fi movies, even this will be hard to trudge through.
It was a really good movie though, but I didn't like the new chick he fell for, she was very whinny and arrogant..
BTW, a much earlier version of "King Solomon's Mines" was a very serious film with Clark Gable (?) and a host of very big stars, and very well-done.Like some other user who posted a comment here, I couldn't get it straight why the main characters were doing all that walking.
What a shock to learn at the end of the film, the guide already knew where the mines were.....guess he needed the money, too.
I, too, thought the scenes with the beautiful African natives were a little tacky, and wasn't the least bit awed by the female lead (whoever she was) wearing one of their ancestral outfits.Although Noah Wyle's ("Flynn Carsen") acting was a bit more polished than in "The Spear," I liked him better in his nerdish, dumb role.
Otherwise, I'll only watch it when TNT feels compelled to present its own films.Bob Newhart ("Judson") and Jane Curtin ("Charlene") portrayed their roles well, but Curtain's drunk-scene was a bit much and out-of-character. |
tt0031207 | Daredevils of the Red Circle | An escaped criminal, known as Harry Crowl, but preferring to be called by his prison number 39013 (pronounced Thirty Nine - Oh - Thirteen), seeks revenge on the man who sent him to prison, millionaire philanthropist Horace Granville. He kidnaps Granville, imprisoning him within his own house, and disguises himself to take Granville's place, as the frail old man in a clean room, necessary for his health. The only other person allowed past the glass barrier being his doctor. He then sets about methodically destroying everything Granville owns. When we enter the film, he has already destroyed a number of Granville properties, and has set his sights on the Granville Amusement Centre, at which a trio of acrobats is performing. The daredevils, Gene, Bert, and Tiny escape but Gene's kid brother is badly wounded in the blaze, and later dies of his injuries. Seeking revenge they take jobs as private investigators for the man they believe to be Horace Granville. Through a series of deadly traps, and with the help of a mysterious cloaked figure, known only as "The Red Circle", the daredevils begin to unravel the truth.
In the first chapter, we are introduced to all the above facts, and even shown the secret room within the Granville estates where 39013 is keeping the real Granville. He is kept in a cell, the exact duplicate of the one in which 39013 resided for his abruptly ended sentence. This room is trapped, so that in the event that 39013 does not return, a dripping reservoir will run dry. The loss of weight will tip the scale, causing deadly gas capsules to break upon the floor, killing Granville in a very short time. This causes him to spout the characteristic line, "You best hope I continue to live, Granville." | revenge, mystery | train | wikipedia | 39013, an escaped convict, carries out his revenge on the man who put him in prison, by imprisoning Granville and impersonating him, with the aid of Granville's traitorous aides.
When destroying all of Granville's holdings in order to ruin him, he burns down the Granville Amusement Center, which claims the life of the younger brother of one of three circus daredevils.
The three daredevils then swear vengeance against 39013, and are hired by Granville to hunt him down, even though the impersonation is in effect.
Brilliant plot, with the best chapter endings caught on film, especially one and eight, and one is probably the greatest of all, with Gene trying to outrace on motorcycle a torrent of water quickly filling up a tunnel.
In terms of serials, 10 out of 10..
flooded tunnel ending for Chapter One. In looking over previous comments of Daredevils of the Red Circle, many of you comment on the ending of Chapter One where Charles Quigley is trying to outrace a torrent of water riding on a motorcyle.
I had the privilege of knowing Barry Shipman, the scriptwriter for "Daredevils." He would pen many of the famous Republic serials, including the Lone Ranger, before going over to Columbia to write the Durango Kid features.
Bill Witney relays the story of how the chapter came to be written in his autobiography.
First, they found a real tunnel in downtown Los Angeles.
At that time, the L.A. traffic had not grown to the proportion it is today and Republic got permission from the city to block traffic while they shot footage inside the tunnel.
A miniature replica of the tunnel was designed and a process screen was used to show the water seemingly coming from behind Quigley.
It was Barry's suggestion that the hero narrowly escapes downing by getting to the end of the tunnel where he turns the wheel to close the watertight doors.
This conclusion was known as the take-out or the solution to the cliffhanger..
review of serial.
This is a serial that has it all!
The leads,Herman Brix[Bruce Bennett],Charles Quigley,and David Sharpe are top notch.Carole Landis is fine as the herione,and Charles Middleton does his usual fne work as the master villian.Sharpe shows that he can act as well as perform those great stunts!Location filming adds to the scenic values,good story line,music score,and special effects from the Lydecker brothers.
It all adds up to 12 chapters of non-stop action.One of my top ten serials from Republic..
Top of the line serial.
It has the best music score of any serial and a great serial cast including Charles Middleton, Herman Brix, C.
Montague Shaw, David Sharpe and Charles Quigley.
Also pretty Carole Landis and Miles Mander and you have one of the most energetic serials you will ever see.
If you have never seen a serial and want to see one this may be the one to watch.
It has been voted in the top 10 of an expert panel of serial fans appearing on all 25 panelist's lists..
One of the BEST serials ever!.
Now this serial had a lot of hype to live up to...I had heard or read that it was one of the best serials ever made from every source I encountered.
It was spoken of in the same awed tones as The Adventures of Captain Marvel, Zorro's Fighting Legion, Fighting Devil Dogs, and Drums of Fu Manchu.
And it lived up to all the hype.Charles Quigley, David Sharpe and Bruce Bennett are great as the three circus daredevils who join the police in their efforts to stop the escaped convict who is known by the name 39013.
The action and thrills are easily on a par with most of the SFX blockbusters today...and these old time SFX are pretty believable too.
Just watch the motorcycle racing ahead of the water in the flooding tunnel!This chapter play doesn't really fall into the ruts of many of the genre.
The cliffhanger resolutions are all very believable, and there is only about a half a chapter of recap.
Carole Landis has a minor though pivotal role that really doesn't use her comic talents, but Charles Middleton plays the archtypical villain role that he became known for...especially after he took on the role of Ming the Merciless in Flash Gordon.There are few serials that I can recommend wholeheartedly.
But Daredevils of the Red Circle has definitely joined that list!.
This Republic serial is about as good as they get.
The chapter ending involving a tunnel under the river is quite memorable, as I pass through the Lincoln Tunnel every morning on the way to work.I was also impressed with the always-excellent Charles Middleton (best remembered as Ming the Merciless) as the villain.
How many numerically-named characters do YOU remember from old movies?.
As a kid in the early TV era of the 1950s, I had the opportunity to view several serials from the late '30s and the 1940s.
Apparently these were syndicated to TV stations to use as "fillers" since the network feeds weren't available (or the station didn't want to pay) during certain hours, including the after-school--i.e. late afternoon--time frame.
In retrospect, it seems that our local station (WSBT in South Bend, Indiana) had a very astute--or very lucky--program director who chose the best serials out there.
"Zorro's Fighting Legion," "The Mysterious Dr. Satan," "Fighting Devildogs," "The Black Widow"...they were all there.
But the best of the best, in my opinion, was "Daredevils of the Red Circle." Drama, suspense, action, and a morality play (the best revenge is not to destroy one's opponent, as 39013 attempted to do, but to outdo him legally and ethically, as 39013 possibly could have done were his superior mind not warped and twisted)...these were the most memorable features of this 6-day, 15 minutes per episode odyssey that trumped sandlot baseball and other boyhood pursuits typical of the early baby boom generation.
The plot, acting, special effects, and musical score may seem primitive by today's high-tech standards, but in the context of the times in which this serial was created, it "raised the bar," as we like to say today, for all that followed.
Imagine yourself in the late Art Deco era of engineering feats (the tunnel), sexy vehicles (the "Heritage Softtail" precursor motorcycle and '37 Buick Century straight 8 convertible, among others), and beautiful people (the impeccably coiffed and dressed "Blanche;" the trio of heroes in their flawlessly ironed suits, shirts, and ties; the elegant Granville; and even the villain 39013 as played so convincingly by Charles Middleton in first-class clothing that we seldom see today outside of a corporate boardroom), and enjoy.
Maybe the subtitle of this serial should be: "the Lost World, Never to Return"....
One of the better movie serials.
This is a good example of what old movie serials were all about.
This had plenty of action, outdoor locations and original storylines.
This was better than most "B" movies of it's time.
Republic made the best serials and this was one of the best..
I remember seeing this as an eight year old kid back at the Amo Theater in Detroit.
I see it now every six months and it still thrills me to see the best of Republic at work.
Charles Middleton is supurb once again as the nasty villan.
The one episode that has really stuck with me all my 71 years is the outstanding tunnel scenes.
Everytime I'm in San Francisco and take the BART under the Bay waters I think of that episode and get a little relived when I reach the other side.
Fantastic 1939 Movie Serial.
In the Year 1939 you would have to visit the movie theater for about twelve weeks in a row in order to find out the complete ending to this film.
This film involves three Circus Stuntmen who are acrobats and one of their brothers is killed which is caused by #39013, Harry Crowel in revenge for Horace Granville sending him to jail who was his former partner in his business.
Carole Landis, (Blanche Granville)"I Wake Up Screaming" is the daughter to Horace Granville and finds out about a wicked scheme that #39013 has planned against her farther and if she tells her father will die.
There is plenty of action, secret doors, secret panels and plenty of bombs being set off, with water rushing through tunnels and more and more.
Great Classic film from 1939, this one you will really enjoy..
I saw the first chapter of Daredevils of the Red Circle on TV as a kid.
Almost 60 years later I saw the famous tunnel scene again in the TCM presentation The Republic Story.
Finally I knew the name of the serial.
I purchased the video tape with some trepidation because first and last episodes are always the best, often with dross in between.
Great action, great stunts, great plot, great villains.
Still loved it.I have a soft spot in my heart for the serials of my youth, particularly The Phantom Empire.
I watch it and other syfy serials regularly.
But despite the lack of futuristic hokum I have to admit that Daredevils is a notch above any serial I've seen..
A Great Serial Played by Interesting People.
The daredevils/heroes are: Gene-- the brains of the outfit, Tiny a gifted strongman, and Bert -- an agile escape artist.
They are aided by Carole Landis who plays Blanche Grandville the granddaughter of Horace Grandville whose multimillion dollar industrial complex is under attack by master criminal 39013.
This film is twelve chapters of action packed cliff-hanging fun.
I particularly liked the fact that these circa 1939 daredevils did almost all of their action scenes in double breasted three piece suits!
The history of the major actors is quite interesting: Dave Sharpe,Bert, became an Army pilot during WWII and a major stuntman; having a long and celebrated career in the industry.
Charles Quigley, Gene, had a good career but died of cirrhosis of the liver before he turned sixty.
Bruce Bennet aka Herman Brix, who played Tiny, was a 1928 Olympic champion who went on to a very long career and lived to be over 100 years old.
Carole Landis was 29 when she committed suicide.
One of the best produced serials.
Story of Three circus daredevils who take on the evil 39013 an escaped convict who seeks to destroy the possessions of Horace Granville the man responsible for sending him to jail.Considered by man to be one of Republics Finest hours it certainly has a sterling cast that includes Charles Quigley, Herman Brix, Miles Mander and Charles Middleton in one of his best villain roles.
The action in the serial is top notch and most if not all of the cliffhangers were reused several times by the studio in serials that followed this one.
The action is balanced by a good story which doesn't really repeat itself again and again.Actually the problem with the serial is not so much the plot being repeated but the locations.
My lack of love for the serial (I'm not a lover of it, I like it) comes from the fact that the film is constantly using industrial locations for its cliffhangers.
Its in keeping with the plot, but at the same time I'd have liked to see something else.That said this is a really good action serial that should be seen if you want to see one thats near the top of the pile..
flooded tunnel ending for Chapter One. In looking over previous comments of Daredevils of the Red Circle, many
of you comment on the ending of Chapter One where Charles Quigley is
trying to outrace a torrent of water riding on a motorcyle.
privilege of knowing Barry Shipman, the scriptwriter for "Daredevils."
He would pen many of the famous Republic serials, including the Lone
Bill Witney relays the story of how the chapter came to be
First, they found a real tunnel in
the proportion it is today and Republic got permission from the city to
block traffic while they shot footage inside the tunnel.
replica of the tunnel was designed and a process screen was used to
show the water seemingly coming from behind Quigley.
suggestion that the hero narrowly escapes downing by getting to the end
of the tunnel where he turns the wheel to close the watertight doors.
Excitement, thy name is "Daredevils of the Red Circle".
His grace and athleticism plus his good looks and charm made him almost perfect.Funny thing: He was mostly a stunt man.But he sure got a chance to shine in this excellent Republic serial -- and when you say "Republic serial" you've said "excitement, fun, thrills, action.""Republic" -- I like the sound of that word -- also means special effects by the Lydecker brothers and direction by Witney and English.Add the excellent stars Charles Quigley and Bruce Bennett, well, as I said, almost perfect.But we're not through: Yakima Canutt, the king of the stuntmen, gets to play, albeit uncredited, a G-Man, a good guy!He and the other stuntmen provide plenty of action, especially lots of fights, at which the Republic stuntmen were surely the best.Carole Landis, really a good actress as she got to show in future excellent performances, is the leading lady, but doesn't really do much.There are genuinely dozens of very good actors, too many to name here, and who are also un-named in the film credits, but any film with them in it is improved.Finally, add a score by William Lava, with a couple helpers, and you have a movie serial that is, yes, almost perfect."Daredevils of the Red Circle" is available in a truncated version at YouTube -- apparently copyright problems, and it's a wonder even part of it is up -- and of course on DVD.
But I do hope you watch this excellent serial, one of the very best ever, and one I highly recommend..
One of Republic's best serials!.
Each chapter has 2 reels, except the first which has 3.
SYNOPSIS: After fifteen years in a federal penitentiary, convict #39013 escapes and begins a campaign of vengeance against Granville, his former partner, who is responsible for his conviction.
The Daredevils of the Red Circle, three college athletes who are working in a sideshow on Granville's amusement pier, are enraged when 39013's plot to burn the pier results in the death of a small brother of one of them.
Gene, Burt, and Tiny resolve to bring the perpetrator of this crime to justice, and make it their business to be on hand to stymie every plot 39013 attempts.
In this they have an ally in Blanche, the granddaughter of the real Granville.
NOTES: Republic's 14th serial commenced shooting on 28 March 1939 and finished on 28 April 1939.
Real locations included Rincon and Sea Cliff (near Santa Barbara) and the Standard Oil Company's factory in Baldwun Hills.
COMMENT: One of Republic's best serials, I'm surprised this one isn't better known.
The only dim star among the principals is Charles Quigley, and he's still okay.
David Sharpe is at his most personable, and whilst Bruce Bennett and Carole Landis are but half as colorful here as they were soon to become, it's still great to see them in action.
Charles Middleton as usual is the perfect villain and has a vivid crew of henchmen including Raymond Bailey.
Ridiculous as it is, the plot still manages to introduce a fair amount of atmosphere and wonderfully bizarre effects, what with sliding doors and panels, secret rooms and corridors — including a dungeon — equipped with peep-holes; and more importantly it serves as a peg for some wonderful action spots.
Just about each episode contains at least three action highlights.
Chapter 3 is a great example.
It starts off in fine style with a recap of the stunning factory action which was the cliff-hanger in the previous episode, with the hero getting out of his quandary in a both a logical and action=full manner.
We get back to the Granville mansion to look in on the villain at his peep-hole and then do his transformation act in the dungeon — complete with skillful double exposure so that Mander is able to talk to himself — which is quickly followed by a speeding car chase, including a nice bit of stunt-work, and then capped by some excitingly staged fisticuffs.
Our heroes, alerted by the mysterious Red Circle, find themselves trapped in a gas-filled garage for an intriguing fade- out.Direction and technical credits are first-rate..
Plotting From The Inside.
The daredevils in Daredevils Of The Red Circle consist of three circus stuntman who when the little brother of one of them is killed in an arson fire on that circus.
The circus is one of many things owned by millionaire Miles Mander and his old partner who Mander had sent to jail, Charles Middleton, is busy plotting to wreck and dismantle his fortune.The three heroes are Charles Quigley, David Sharpe, and Bruce Bennett under his real name of Herman Brix.
Because they managed to save Mander's granddaughter Carole Landis, Landis gets the three of them hired by the millionaire to find out who's causing all the problems and to apprehend same.But this is a really deep conspiracy because Grandpa isn't who he seems.
It turns out that Mander was kidnapped and Middleton is in the house impersonating him with the use of a lifelike mask and a good imitation of his voice.
They've given out the cover story of a stroke and they have him behind this glass panel, rigged something Howard Hughes would later do for real.Our intrepid heroes get inside information about various plans of wrecking that Middleton has going and spend most of the 12 chapters foiling same.
The kids loved it back in the day, I'm sure its chapters played with whatever Gene Autry or Roy Rogers or whatever Republic cowboy feature film was coming out.It all looks so silly now though. |
tt0048606 | Sh-h-h-h-h-h | A short, mild-mannered man, Mr. Twiddle, plays the congas in a nightclub jazz combo; the incessant noise (the horn players point their instruments directly at Twiddle's head) cause him to have nervous tremors, and he leaves in the middle of the act while the rest of the band continues to play. Later, his psychiatrist Dr. I.M Jittery tells him he is a "very sick man" suffering from "trombonosis" and recommends a relaxing trip to a quiet, secluded locale to restore his nerves. The doctor warns Twiddle of the consequences of not doing so ("Your nervous system will shatter, you will simply...blow up!"), and has his wife (a nurse) make travel arrangements.
Twiddle takes a plane to the Swiss Alps and checks in at the Hush-Hush Lodge, a mountaintop resort hotel which goes to great lengths to maintain absolute silence for its guests (extending even to the desk bell, from which a little sign reading "DING!" pops out instead of audibly ringing). A porter escorts Twiddle to his room, communicating entirely with written cards (including one reading "CHEAP SKATE!" after receiving a tip of only a nickel). Twiddle changes into a nightshirt, stubs his toe on an ottoman (sign: "OUCH!"), and settles in for a peaceful night's sleep.
Meanwhile, next door a pair of porters are moving another guest's belongings in, ominously including a trombone. Soon, the unseen neighbor begins playing, waking Twiddle. While he unsuccessfully tries to shut out the noise, a woman in the same room as the horn player starts laughing. Soon the musician, a deep-voiced man, starts laughing as well. Twiddle repeatedly attempts to ask the neighbors to be quiet, but is rudely and physically rebuffed each time; he soon resorts to violent tactics himself (a club, a cannon, a bomb, and finally a safe suspended by a rope), but they backfire on him as well. The entire time, the noisy neighbors are never seen, except for an occasional hand.
Eventually Twiddle's nerves give out; on the verge of a nervous breakdown, he begs the hotel's manager to find a doctor. He is quickly taken back upstairs...to the room next to his own, where the occupants are still laughing hysterically and playing the horn. Twiddle sees to his shock that his neighbors are Dr. I.M. Jittery and his wife/nurse, who have been unaware that their own patient was next door. Twiddle boils into an apoplectic rage, as Dr. Jittery reminds him of his nerves, to no avail--Twiddle explodes in a puff of black smoke. Dr. Jittery sheepishly remarks to the camera, "people just won't listen to their doctor's advice." He and his wife then carry on laughing maniacally and honking on the trombone over the end title card. | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | Tex Avery's bizarre masterpiece.
As we all know Tex Avery has made more than his share of great animated works.
From "Symphony In Slang" to "Who Killed Who?" to one of the best of the Droopy cartoons "Three Little Pups".
But those were all with MGM.
Avery was canned after MGM's animation department was shut down, so he found employment for MGM rival Walter Lantz."Sh-h-h-h-h-h" is the undisputed Master of the Crazed Cartoon's brilliant masterpiece.
It was also his last animated short.Our story tells us about a Mr. Twiddle, a little man who works in a VERY noisy nightclub playing percussion while the horn section blows their trumpets right in his ears, making him a nervous wreck.
He goes to see psychiatrist, Dr. I.M. Jittery (get it?), who tells him that his nerves are shot and unless he goes away so he can get some quiet rest he'll just blow up.
So Mr. Twiddle goes to The Hush-Hush Lodge in the Swiss Alps, a place that prides itself on absolutely no sounds made whatsoever.
Not long after Twiddle hits the hay, the people in the next room start to badly play a trumpet while howling with laughter.
Twiddle tries to get them to stop but no avail.
Each effort he makes is met by an even ruder response from these pests who seem to be enjoying torturing him.
For example: Twiddle slips a note under the door saying to please stop the noise.
The people in return instantly slip a note under the door telling him to "Aww shutup".
That's the source of the cartoon's gags and sure, you get the usual Avery-styled barrage of them.
But the main thrust is that Twiddle - along with us the viewers - never see who these sadistic noisemakers are.
They are kept a complete mystery until being reveled in the cartoon's ingenuous twist ending (which I downright refuse to tell you here).
We also see the unfortunate fate that befalls poor Mr. Twiddle.This is also one of the most downright bizarre and weirdest cartoons ever made.
For starters the cartoon's underlying atmosphere concerning Twiddle's ordeal seems dark and the ending, while it is great, itself feels macabre.
There is also little dialog spoken throughout - for the most part all we get are a sparse array of sound effects.
But mostly it's that laughter that gets to you.
It goes on and on and on.
It goes on and on and on.
Even as the cartoon fades out in it's final seconds we hear absolutely nothing but that crazed laughter.
You're left with a very strange, and even creepy, feeling after Sh-h-h-h-h-h is over.
And this is what makes this cartoon brilliant.
Only Avery could take something plain like a laugh recording and frame a cartoon around it in such a way that he not only makes us smile with his trademark sight gags but chills our blood at the same time with a vivid weirdness.
And to me this is the genius of Tex Avery, of his being able to easily twist the viewer around, to make us laugh but instead of leaving us smiling we're creeped out.
And this was the last cartoon Avery ever made.
After Sh-h-h-h-h-h was finished it was semi-retirement with some occasional television work for him until his death in 1980.
He definitely saved his best short for last.For those of you who have been trying like hell to see this one (it used to play occasionally on television among the other Walter Lantz cartoons, but now it's seldom - if ever - played anymore) it is on the Woody Woodpecker and Friends Classic Cartoon Collection (Volume 1) DVD boxed set.
So now you can watch Tex Avery's brilliantly comedic and macabre final film and see just what made this man the legend he has become..
One of Tex Avery's last cartoons.
Sh-h-h-h-h is one of Tex Avery's last cartoons and is an excellent effort.
The plot here revolves around a Mr. Tweedle and his need for peace and quiet because of his nerves.
His efforts to get some quiet-and their effect on him-offer the traditional complement of sight gags as well as verbal humor, something not always found in Avery cartoons.
A wonderful piece of work done for Walter Lantz.
Highly recommended..
Funny,Dark Humor.
This is one of Tex Avery's later animated shorts that he produced for Walter Lanz, after M-G-M closed down it's animation department.
This short features some of the usual deranged,kinetic humor that he was famous for (but also touches on some dark humor,too).
The plot concerns a Jazz musician (Mr.Twiddle)who has a nervous breakdown being constantly exposed to loud horns.
He is prescribed by his doctor to get some rest & quiet.
He books a room in a Swiss hotel that is supposed to be super quiet.
No sooner than he sacks in for the night, when the room next door is taken by a couple who spends the night laughing non stop & honking on a trombone (supplied here by 'The Okeh Laughing Record---a novelty record released in the 1920's).
The rest of the short is Twiddle trying to get this barrage of noise stopped so he can get some peace & quiet.
The surprise ending is a corker that will floor you.
This was apparently,Avery's last animated short produced for theaters,as he would eventually move to television (as would most other animators of the era).
Sadly,this animated short is rarely ever shown on TV,much less re-released in cinemas (why is Universal sitting on these screen treasures?).
This took me years to track this down.
I have been asking around for simply years for this cartoon but I never knew how many H's were in the title to be able to search correctly.Well, I will do my best to purchase it at whatever the cost.This cartoon is by far of my dear favorites of all time.
The hilarity of beyond funny.
True comedic situations that is leaps and bounds in the same direction but way ahead of its time of the great Simpsons cartoons.
Having realistic themes with outlandish results is what makes this cartoon fantastic.
I cannot stop laugh when I see this or even think of it.
On www.youtube.com I can only find this cartoon in french I believe it is in.
If only I can find it in English, I'll be one grateful camper.The horns, the laughing nurse, the signs at the resort ...everything is over the top genius..
Poor Mr. Twiddle.
A little man works as a percussionist in a nightclub.
He sits in the middle of the horn section and gets blasted over and over.
His doctor tells him to go somewhere quiet.
He checks into a hotel where quiet is followed to the letter.
Just as he is about to go to sleep, a hornblowing, laughing couple get the room next to him.
As he tries to get them to be quiet, he is tormented by them.
It's like those Droopy/Spike cartoons where everything he does backfires.
This is dark but quite funny..
Mr Twiddle's battle for quiet.
Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.Also have much admiration for Tex Avery, an animation genius whose best cartoons are animated masterpieces and some of the best he ever did.
'Sh-h-h-h-h-h' may not be one of his very best, only because his masterpieces were so many, more so than most other animation directors.
Occasionally, limitations show in some of the backgrounds (in comparison to his cartoons from the 40s), but this doesn't matter quite so much because everywhere else in the animation it's colourful and expressive.Many times it has been said by me that when Avery was not at his best he still fared much better than most other animation directors at their worst, some can only dream of having their best work on the same level as the masterpieces from Avery.
Still think that.Have not seen all Avery's work, though that's my goal as of now, but as of now have yet to see anything "bad" from him, even if there are perhaps a few very early efforts that are not at his usual top standard.Clarence Wheeler is no Scott Bradley, but his music scoring proves him to be a more than worthy replacement.
It's lively, lush and fits very well, if not quite action-enhancing as with Bradley.'Sh-h-h-h-h-h' is one of those cartoons that is very funny, with plenty of clever, imaginatively timed gags that really deliver on the humour and makes the most of a very clever and brilliantly constructed story that is pure insanity and deliciously so.
Nobody does insanity like Tex Avery.Direction as to be expected is impeccable as is Daws Butler's bravura voice-work.
One does feel sorry for poor Mr Twiddle, especially if you've been in a similar situation to him.Overall, another brilliant work from a master.
10/10 Bethany Cox. Sh-h-h-h-h-h (1955) - a last major studio animated hurrah-and you'll Okeh, it,too!.
One of Universal's final good and great cartoons, due to Tex Avery, and Kurt Hahn, no offense, but your review is similar to Tex's 1952 Metro (by the *way*, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's famous aconym is (emphasis) not, shouting -Metro's cartoon"Rock-A-Bye Bear".
This is the one with the 1920s famed Okeh Laughing record used as a soundtrack.
Unfortunately,Universal's "classic cartoons": afterwards became the Chilly Willy pity-tuggers, the cutesy Woody/nephew/niece/etc.
cartoons and boring Beary Family shorts *all* directed by Paul Smith and written, almost always by Cal Howard (also responsible for the last several years of Warner Bros.cartoons, which did give us slightly better cartoons there..).
If any of Universal's current releases, like "Almost Christmas","50 Shades" sequel, etc.etc.etc.etc.have a character watching a Lantz cartoon, the 1960s-70s ones shouldn't be it, (especially in a more mature Univ.
movie!) ones going back from this true classic by Tex Avery to the 1930s should be the cultural references if Universal, a la WB with Bugs, Yogi,etc.
or Disney with Mickey, Elsa, does an in-joke cultural reference.
Now...Shhh..
I'm trying to sleep.
lol Way to go ex (he did the *only* Chilly Willy cartoons where the penguin's not a character type used for Hanna-Barbera's Yakky Doodle duckling----where only pity is seemingly the only raison d'etre.
(All of which is moot as Universal's movies thankfully overall have no Walter Lantz connections, which means no 1960s Paul J.Smith shorts..sadly it means no gems like these of Woody the Giant Killer,either.) By the way this board's stupid dis-allowing of shouting is total censorship and causes vast misinformation about a point.This censorship of so-called "shouting" as it is called is in reality mentioning Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's acronym, once again.
Just like Warner Bros.
or National Broadcasting Network.
I am not shouting okay?
Back to the review for the final line, "Shhhh" was the final great cartoon released by Universal Pictures.
No other cartoons should, in my humble opinions, ever have been released after 1955 for Lantz.
Then a whole blemish on the overall legal would not even exist....:).
Droopy at his best.
Plot: Droopy is supposed to play watchdog over a bear hibernating for the winter, and is competing with another dog for the job.My brother and I saw this some Saturday morning 30 years ago and we still giggle about it today.
Too bad it's not on video; maybe someone can give me a shout it you hear otherwise..
Silence I kill you.
"Sh-h-h-h-h-h" is an American cartoon from 1955, so this one is already way over 60 years old and it is another collaboration by writer and director Tex Avery and voice actors Daws Butler for Walter Lantz.
In the center of it all, we have a man who is sick from all the noice in his life and so he is sent to a facility where he is supposed to find silence and piece again.
So far so good until he meets a pair of resilient neighbors who have no interest in adjusting to the silence.
All our heroes attempt to fight back turn out useless.
Sure you can wonder why he would join a band with his state or why nobody else hears the loud guys next door, but lets not overanalyze it.
The twist who they were is not too interesting and in retrospective a bit expected as otherwise their inclusion early on would have served no purpose.
Still I did not see it coming.
Then again it is not too important.
It is far more important and interesting to watch Avery's fast and witty shot at slapstick comedy.
It may in effect always be the same, but the different items easily keep it from becoming repetitive.
Then again, it's just a little over 6 minutes.
Also the end of the man is something you won't find with WB let alone Disney really and fits Avery's style without compromise.
He was the Tarantino of cartoon filmmakers if you wanna say so.
The reason that this one here is not among his most known and hardly anybody remembers the main character anymore these days may have more to do with him being human than with the age of this cartoon as Avery made many others even earlier that are much more known today than this one.
I had a fun time watching though.
SH-H-H-H-H-H (Tex Avery, 1955) ***.
This one's a variation on the Oscar-winning Tom & Jerry cartoon classic QUIET PLEASE (1945) with a premise that's a guarantee of sure-fire gags (in spite of its essential familiarity).
A meek middle-aged man suffers a nervous breakdown; his psychiatrist recommends an isolated hotel as the place where he can find the peace-of-mind he covets so much.
However, when he gets there, the man is harassed by his next door neighbor entertaining a female guest and blowing noisily on his trombone!
Every attempt by the hapless protagonist to stop the riot they're making rebounds disastrously on himself; eventually, he decides to confront them face to face we had never seen their full figure up to this point and, of all people, these turn out to be the psychiatrist himself and his aide!!.
Search Key Words.
(It took me 20 minutes to find this site.
Please accept this tag to aid in searches.
For some reason I thought it was a tuba.)A man goes to see the psychiatrist.
The psychiatrist tells the man that he has trombonitis trombonosis, that his nerves are shot, that he needs a quiet vacation, and sends the man on vacation to calm his nerves.
The man checks into a quiet hotel in the Swiss Alps.
The man goes to his room.
The man is disturbed by noise from the room next door: he hears a man playing a tuba trombone horn and a woman laughs laughing.
He tries to knock on the door, call the phone in the next room, send a note, throw a bucket pail of water, drill a hole and insert a hose, pull the rug, deliver a bomb, drop a safe, all to no avail.
He finally goes to the front desk and tells the concierge that he needs to see a doctor.
The concierge takes him to the room next door and sees that it is his psychiatrist and his wife that were making the noise.
The psychiatrist warns the man about his nerves.
The man blow up blows up explodes. |
tt0076123 | Handle with Care | Paul Le Mat plays "Spider," a young man who makes a meager living repairing CB radios and spends his spare time volunteering with REACT International. He lives with his father, an irascible retired truck driver (Roberts Blossom) whose CB handle is "Papa Thermodyne."
"Chrome Angel" (played by Charles Napier) is an interstate truck driver named Harold, passing through the outskirts of town during bad weather when he is injured in an accident. After Chrome Angel issues an emergency call over CB Channel 9, Spider rescues him, taking him to the hospital.
During his recovery in town, Harold is visited by local prostitute Debbie (alias "Hot Coffee"—played by Alix Elias), who solicits customers over the CB radio. Chrome Angel has two wives, Connie (Marcia Rodd) who calls herself "Portland Angel" as she is from Portland, Oregon, and Joyce (alias "Dallas Angel"—Ann Wedgeworth) who lives in Dallas, Texas, neither of whom knows he is married to the other. Both arrive in town at the same time while he is recovering. They not only discover that he has been seeing Hot Coffee, but during a conversation the two strike up in the bus station, meeting for the first time, they discover for the first time that they are married to the same man.
Spider's former fiancee, Pam ("Electra"—Candy Clark), is a cheerleading coach and physical education teacher who, unbeknownst to Spider, has a hobby of her own, striking up erotic conversations over the CB with teenage boys. She is also romantically interested in Spider's older brother, Dean (Bruce McGill), who goes by the CB handle "Blood."
After Spider's activities with REACT are seriously disrupted by a gang of local kids holding a frivolous conversation on Channel 9, which is reserved for emergency communications, he decides to go on a singlehanded county-wide crusade to shut down illegal CB stations, such as those using unlawful linear amplifiers. Spider's targets include "The Red Baron" Harry Northup, a neo-Nazi who uses a high-powered CB base station to broadcast white supremacist monologues, and "The Hustler," a teenage boy who reads pornography aloud over the air. Spider and a partner from REACT begin a spree of cutting antenna cables, intimidating offenders by visiting their homes and claiming to be Federal Communications Commission (FCC) officials, and other vigilante acts in the hopes of cleaning up the CB airwaves.
As Chrome Angel's two wives learn they are both married to the same man, and Spider learns that his former fiancee is the infamous Electra, much of the last part of the film consists of the myriad complicated friendships and odd romantic relationships that finally come to a head. Finally, the whole town comes together in a search and rescue effort after Papa Thermodyne suddenly disappears. | cult | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0300028 | Indian | Chandra Bose a.k.a. Chandru (Kamal Haasan) is a small-time middle man stationed outside Regional Transport Office, who aids people in greasing the right officials inside the RTO for getting permits and licenses. His assistant Subbaiah (Goundamani), and Paneerselvam (Senthil), a RTO official, are engaged regular tiffs while Aishwarya (Manisha Koirala), Chandru's love interest and an avid animal rights activist also battle it out with Sapna (Urmila Matondkar), the daughter of a RTO official Chandru is trying to hobnob to secure a job for himself at the RTO. Aishwarya is irked by the fact that Sapna (as well her mom) is exploiting Chandru's situation and gets him to do grocery shopping, laundry, and almost every household chors.
Meanwhile, Krishnaswamy, a Beaurau officer, manages to trace his way to Senapathy's house, who is an ex-freedom fighter, also chandru's father. Archived newspaper reports say that Senapathy was a soldier in the Indian National Army, who was an extremist. Senapathi's wife Amirthavalli (Sukanya) details the story on their struggles during pre-independence India, the discrimination by British officials and the Indian Freedom Movement Rebellions against the British atrocities, etc. leading Senapathy marrying Amirthavalli but leaving for Singapore to join Subhas Chandra Bose to be part of the INA. He returns after independence and unites with his wife.
In the present day, when Krishnaswamy tries to arrest Senapathy, he escapes with his expertise in Varma kalai. Senapathy then goes on to commit a murder in front of television audiences by killing a corrupt doctor (Nizhalgal Ravi) who refused to attend immediately to Senapathy's daughter Kasturi (Kasthuri), who was suffering from third degree burns because he insisted on a bribe, which Senapathy refused in the past. Chandru parts ways with his father because of his excessive insistence on honesty and righteousness, and also, he considers these values to be dead and worthless. Public support surges for the Indian as he exposes so many corrupt people. Senapathy does not do his son any favours either. Chandru had earlier taken a bribe and given a safety certificate to a bus with faulty brakes, which eventually killed 40 school children it was carrying, and thus, Chandru is held responsible. Senapathy is bent on giving Chandru the same punishment as he gives others, i.e., death. Towards the end, a chase culminates at airport, where Senapathy kills Chandru, and apparently dies in an explosion. Krishnaswamy discovers that Senapathy escaped moments before the jeep is exploded killing his son in the explosion, while investigating the television footage at airport.
The epilogue shows Senapathy calling Krishnaswamy from a foreign land (Hong Kong), indicating that he will be back should the need for him arise. | good versus evil, murder | train | wikipedia | Still njoying!. I've seen this movie umpteen times.But i still njoy the tricks used by our hero sunny deol to vanish the wrongdoers. script is wondrful in all respects incl. story,screenplay and dialogues.Story is truly wonderful.Screenplay is quite good to make u sit and njoy for 3 hrs.Dialogues mouthed by sunny deol r good enough to give boost to our testo level. Performancewise its sunny deol's show all the way.Denny is as always remarkable as main villain.other actors support well. Songs lacks chartbuster quality but r otherwise hummable."Hum chalein" song appearing in background is soulful. Direction is good. Action scenes are enjoyable. The one and only department in which the film falters is cinematography which is just okay enough to capture,the director's take , on celluloid. BUT still enjoyed its other aspects.. Great action movie!. Indian is truly one of Sunny Deol's best action movies ever, as he shows more patriotism again, but here, he is a tough and clever cop (modern version of Chandrashekhar Azad). He nabs a terrorist, figures out the treacherous games, and one by one, he finishes the baddies. This movie is NOT at all anti-Pak as some believe as they did NOT understand the real essence of the film. However, the film exploits corruption in India itself in police, rich people, etc. who would stoop down so low to be traitors for money by helping terrorists. If more Indian cops were like Rajshekhar Azad (Sunny Deol), then corruption would be so much less. Our Jat hero goes beyond limits to save the country from deadly attacks and is honored by all good. Watch this film with an open mind, and you will like it. This is another personal favorite of mine, and even today, I still love this action movie. Sunny, you rock! Hindustan Zindabad! Jai Hind! Maa Tujhe Salaam! I loved the scene where he saves his 4 sidekicks from the baddies by bashing so many goons at once and also when he roars about being Indian after killing the terrorist. 15/10!. Good film. Hi my name is AARON I am writing this masterpiece movie review This was superb there was lots of good action scenes from this blockbuster film Sunny Deol is superb as the hero shilpa is brilliant they make a great pair in the film Mukesh Rishi was superb as the villain Danny did brilliant in his negative role Songs are splendid rajat bedi is good shakti is brilliant other were excellent performances My rating 8/10 or 4/5 ********\********** or ****\*****. Sunny Deol typical film. Sunny Deol was a huge crowdpuller in 1990s after Ghayal, Damini and then came a time fatigue set in his films, with every film having the same story, same action scenes post late 90s his films started flopping but suddenly he got a blockbuster Gadar Indian released few months later and managed to be an average hit What is different in Indian that we have not seen before? Nothing actually Here too Sunny middle aged(in his 40s) plays a DCP who runs after terrorist The first half also has him romance Shilpa Shetty who is in the film only for that and some cries. He also has some followers like Sanjay Narvekar who treat him like God and in the second half we have Danny making an entry and there are some good scenes between them but other then that the film is the same Sunny film With long dialogues, some funny scenes where Sunny informs a theatre about a bomb, slaps a bus conductor to have a strike and in the end saves the country by difusing a bomb in a climax reminding you of SPEEDDirection by N Maharajan is good, the film was a remake of a Tamil film but is given full Sunny Treatment Music is okay, Deewana stands out, while Thaat Nawabi is okay rest are forgettableSunny Deol does his usual act and is good but nothing new Danny is superb in a done to death role Shilpa as I said dances, cries and thatz it Sanjay Narvekar and rest are okay, Rajat Bedi is teakwood Rahul Dev has a brief role, Shakti Kapoor is okay Raj Babbar has a very small role to speak of, Reema Lagoo is as usual |
tt0102343 | Love Potion No. 9 | Paul Matthews (Tate Donovan) is a lonely biochemist with a crush on his unavailable co-worker, biologist Diane Farrow (Sandra Bullock). His friends take him to a gypsy on 34th and Vine named Madame Ruth (Anne Bancroft). After reading his palm and seeing absolutely no romance in his life, Ruth gives him a small amount of Love Potion No. 8 on a piece of paper. As a scientist, Paul has doubts and ends up throwing it in the trash when he gets home. Around this time, Paul's friends buy him the services of Marisa, but all they do is talk.
His cat gets into the trash and eats some of the potion; then it meows and attracts all the other cats in the neighborhood. When Paul sees the results, he takes it to Diane, and they find out the "scientific" properties of it. After analyzing it, they decide to use themselves as human test subjects. Diane ends up attracting an Italian car mogul and the prince of England, ending up getting a makeover in the process, while Paul has a string of hookups with women in bars, supermarkets, cars, sorority houses (notably Alpha Tau Omega at Georgia Institute of Technology), and female dormitories (notably Balch Hall at Cornell University).
Paul and Diane realize their romantic attraction to each other and become involved. Eventually, Paul plans a proposal to Diane; however, when he comes by her house to do so, she's not there. Later, she tells him she has fallen for Gary. (We have seen Gary before, taking advantage of her loneliness to have sex with her.) Paul is devastated and decides he really wants to get her back. Marisa comes to his house to steal his stereo, and after trying the potion in his bathroom, she makes Paul gladly give her all his valuables, including the potion.
After "waking up" from his infatuation, Paul gets an idea, and Madame Ruth confirms that somebody looking like Gary has bought all the potion No. 8. He phones Diane to tell her Gary is using the potion on her, but Gary forbids her to talk to him. After weeks of unsuccessful attempts, Paul goes back to Madame Ruth, who gives him Love Potion No. 9, which will not create love, but remove things obscuring it (such as potion No. 8). But if Diane was never really in love with him, Paul will love her for his entire life and she will eternally hate him.
Paul asks three friends to help him force Diane to take No. 9, but they can't believe him. Marisa arrives at the house and uses No. 8 to rob all of them, proving the power of the potion. When they arrive at the house, Diane's friend and matron of honor tells them Diane and Gary are marrying in an hour, but that she suspects something is wrong with Diane. Paul explains, she agrees to give Diane the potion, and things go terribly wrong, but Marisa, having tricked Gary's potion bottle from him, causes havoc and effectively ends the wedding, which gives Paul the chance to drink Potion No. 9, kiss Diane and wait five minutes as per the instructions. The effect kicks in too late but in the end, Diane runs away from Gary into Paul's arms. | cult | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0093854 | Return to Horror High | In 1982, the southern California town of Crippen was rocked by a series of murders at Crippen High School. The killer was never caught.
Several years later, Cosmic Pictures, headed by sleazy producer Harry Sleerik, has come to Crippen to make a movie about the murders, setting up shop in the high school. However, it seems the killer is still there, and as crew and cast members disappear left and right, it's up to ex-student/cop/leading man Steven Blake and leading lady Callie Cassidy to get to the bottom of this.
Most of the film is told in a fractured, nonlinear narrative style which goes back and forth between the film crew getting isolated and killed one by one by a hooded masked killer, to the film-within-a-film segments of the supposed "found footage" of the film being shot, and to the investigation into the recent massacre where the police, led by Chief Deyner, and aided by the rookie Officer Tyler, interrogate the sole survivor, the scriptwriter Arthur Lyman, who describes the events leading up to the latest killing spree by the unknown killer.
Investigating the killings and disappearances, Steven and Callie find a trap door leading to the basement of the school where they encounter the killer who happens to be the former Principal Kastleman, who has been masquerading as the school janitor Amos. Kastleman reveals that Steven was romantically involved with his daughter who got pregnant and when Kastleman found out, he murdered his daughter out of shame and hid her body in the basement which led to him going on the past killing spree. After a struggle, Steven and Callie kill Kastleman by impaling him to a wall with a javelin.
In the present time, after Arthur Lyman finishes telling his story to Chief Deyner, the police venture into the school to investigate the basement. When the policemen are gone, Arthur then yells out "all clear".... and all of the "victims" of the massacre that have been found sit up revealing that they are alive. It turns out that the whole contemporary killing spree was a stunt thought up by Harry Sleerik to bring in publicity for the film. It is implied that after Steven and Callie discovered that Kastleman was the killer of the previous massacre, Harry took it upon himself to concoct the entire massacre to bring publicity for the film. None of the killings shown in the film were ever real for they were either staged with hidden cameras or fantasy sequences thought to mislead the viewers.
After the very much alive film crew gathers up their fake body parts and leaves the scene, the police arrive in the basement where Kastleman is still there after being impaled to a wall by Steven and Callie, when he comes back to life and lunges at the policemen who are forced to shoot him dead... for a second time. When the police return outside the building and find all the dead bodies of the film crew gone, they mistakenly believe that there might be a real killer still out there.
In the final scene, the scriptwriter Arthur Lyman is seen at a desk and typing out a new screenplay which he titles 'The Return to Horror High', which he intends as a sequel to the previous screenplay he wrote for Harry and Cosmic Pictures. A framed picture sits at his desk which is Principal Kastleman, revealing that Arthur is Kastleman's son. An unseen figure enters the room, dripping blood, and stops at Arthur's typewriter, dripping blood on the pages being typed. Arthur looks up at the unseen figure and says, "Dad?" | violence, cult, murder, romantic, prank | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0039208 | Boomerang! | Father Lambert (Wyrley Birch), a priest, is shot dead on a Bridgeport, Connecticut street at night. The police, led by Chief Robinson (Lee J. Cobb), fail to immediately find the murderer. It soon becomes a political hot potato, with the police accused of incompetence, and the city's reform-minded administration comes under attack. Robinson and the prosecutor Henry Harvey (Dana Andrews) come under severe pressure by political leaders to find the killer or bring in outside help.
After strenuous efforts yield nothing, a vagrant ex-serviceman, John Waldron (Arthur Kennedy), is apprehended and identified in a lineup. He is interrogated for two days by police until, deprived of sleep, he confesses. The evidence seems solid, and a gun in his possession is believed to be the gun that was used in the shooting.
Harvey, however, is not convinced. He questions Waldron, investigates the evidence and the witnesses. Harvey then risks his reputation and incurs the wrath of the police and the public in proposing that the defendant is innocent, while he and his wife (Jane Wyatt) are also being threatened by a businessman named Harris (Ed Begley). In court, even though he is the prosecutor, Harvey lays out the flaws in the case before the judge, and indicates he intends to dismiss the charges. The judge suspects Harvey's motives; Harvey's relationship with Chief Robinson is strained; and a mob unsuccessfully attempts to impose their own justice on Waldron.
A sub-plot involving Paul Harris and a property under consideration for sale to the city—at a price Harris desperately needs to keep himself afloat—also has a prominent place in the film. Harris tries to blackmail Harvey by threatening to destroy his wife, a City Council member, unless he supports the sale and sits idle, allowing Waldron to be convicted.
At a preliminary hearing, Harvey once again presents evidence that would lead to Waldron's exoneration. When a reporter gets wind of the double-dealing and threatens Harris with exposure, Harris commits suicide in the courtroom.
The film ends with a narration that the murder was never solved, and the real Henry Harvey was Homer Cummings who rose to the position of U.S. Attorney General. | murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | But Boomerang is the story of how the man who eventually became United States Attorney General, Homer Cummings, used his prosecutorial office to prove the INNOCENCE of an arrested murder suspect.
Today poor Arthur Kennedy who plays the veteran accused of murdering a priest in cold blood might have lawyered up and never given the confession in the first place.Under a different name Cummings is played by Dana Andrews with Jane Wyatt as his wife.
'Boomerang!' is one of those thrillers based on real events, presenting a corrupt view of small town America, where politicians seek votes over justice, and might doesn't always equal right.With a cast including Dana Andrews, Lee J Cobb, and Arthur Kennedy, the story unfolds when the local priest is shot dead in the street and a wandering hobo is arrested and then grilled for hours until he confesses.
Kazan gives us the story of a Connetticut district attorney bumping the legal establishment in Hartford by NOT railroading a suspect who he knows to be innocent despite exhausting pressures to prosecute from local elected officials, businessmen, police, etc...
Andrews acting range is not too wide but he delivers here and is more than ably assisted by men(and women) like Ed Begley as a businessman gone bad, Jane Wyatt as his lovely wife(Andrews's wife that is),Arthur Kennedy as the suspect with seemingly little to say, and a couple of Kazan would-be regulars - Lee J.
Elia Kazan's 1947 docudrama Boomerang dramatizes the courage and independence of a Connecticut States Attorney who stood up to political pressure and fought for dismissal of charges against a defendant accused of murder because he wasn't convinced of his guilt.
Using an unseen narrator to provide background information, the film achieves a hard-hitting realism, conveying the feeling that you are watching events as they unfold.Produced by Louis de Rochemont, well known for films dramatizing real events such as "House on 92nd Street" and "13 Rue Madeline", performances are uniformly excellent, particularly those of Dana Andrews as Henry Harvey, the idealistic States Attorney, Lee J.
Cobb as Police Chief Robbie Robinson, Arthur Kennedy as John Waldron, the ex-GI murder suspect, and Ed Begley as the corrupt Commissioner Paul Harris.
The film stays fairly close to actual events with the exception that the States Attorney is shown as an unknown lawyer looking to make a name for himself not the nationally known former Mayor and candidate for US Senate.Boomerang begins with a description of the crime and then in a flashback shows the priest asking his assistant to get help for his unstated problems and threatening to have him confined in a hospital.
When the investigation stalls, pressure is put on the police to come up with a suspect and Dave Woods (Sam Levene), a local newspaper reporter, runs a series of stories criticizing the City government for its inaction in hopes of achieving political power for the paper's owner.After innocent people are arrested simply because they wore clothing that resembled what the killer is alleged to have worn the night of the murder, a disheveled veteran, John Waldron (Arthur Kennedy), is arrested in Ohio in possession of a handgun and returned to Connecticut.
Most of the film's dramatic moments take place in the courtroom but there is a back story involving municipal corruption, a theme that Kazan would visit again ten years later in "A Face in the Crowd".The shocking turnaround by the States Attorney does not sit well with party official Paul Harris (Ed Begley) who invested his savings in a corrupt land deal and needs the present government to remain in power to buy that land from him.
When the former soldier John Waldron (Arthur Kennedy) that has fought in the World War II is captured in another town, the witnesses identify him as the killer and he is forced by Robbie and his men to sign the confession of murder.
Harvey (Dana Andrews) finds inconsistent evidences and decides to investigate against the opposition of the politics and the society."Boomerang !" is a film based on a true story about the morality and honesty of a State Attorny that risks his career to prove that a man is innocent and scape goat of a political situation.
(1947)In some ways this is an intensely well made and satisfying film, and when you have Dana Andrews in the lead role combined with Elia Kazan directing, and throw in first rate character actor Lee J.
A large twist occurs (with something of a stutter, dramatically), and then we are in a different kind of drama, a courtroom battle, with Andrews playing the unlikely role of prosecutor looking for the actual truth in a case rather than a conviction.And then the court battle ends, and the movie sort of drizzles to a stop.
He presented this story in the semi documentary style pioneered by producer Louis DeRochemont in his "March of Time" short subjects and brought to full length status in Henry Hathaway's "The House on 92nd Street".In filming this true story, Kazan took his cast and crew to a small Connecticut town similar to the one that the story occurred in.
Harvey, a Connecticut States Attorney who is prosecuting a particularly sensitive case in which a local revered priest was murdered and a homeless drifter was arrested for the crime after an exhaustive search in which the local police was criticized by both the media and local politicians.
Supporting Andrews is Arthur Kennedy as the suspect, Lee J Cobb as the chief of police, Sam Levine as a reporter who knows all, and Robert Keith as a political leader (his son Brian, who later became a bigger star than his father, has a bit)."Boomerang!" is a film made during the time when Hollywood was growing up.
Cummings went on to become Attorney General of the U.S.Given the sloppy cases put on by prosecutors today with the only goal in mind being a win, given the intense political influences often in play in bringing cases to trial, Boomerang comes off like a fable about the way justice should work.
Harvey, the prosecutor in this case (actually Cummings) refuses to bend to political pressure and rely on sloppy police work to win an indictment in the case of the accused man, beautifully portrayed by Arthur Kennedy.The interrogation techniques shown in this film were pre-Miranda, but I believe interrogations like this still exist.Elia Kazan did his usual great job of directing this stark drama and the cast is uniformly excellent: Dana Andrews, Jane Wyatt, Kennedy, Ed Begley, Lee J.
Cobb, Karl Malden, and Sam Levene.Toward the end of the film, Dana Andrews opens a book and reads a quote stating in part that the role of the prosecutor is to see that justice is done.
The only man who can save him is attorney DANA ANDREWS, who does a fine job of pointing out weaknesses in the case and destroying the false witnesses.One of the best of its kind, it's done in brisk, documentary style popular in the early forties.
Based on a true incident, the murder of a popular parish priest in Connecticut, the film is powerful in its demonstration of our justice system and how it sometimes works, but sometimes fails because of behind the scenes dishonesty related to political shenanigans..
Lambert, Wyrley Brich, Eli Kazan's "Boomerang!" doesn't go into who murdered Father Lambert, the killer was ever apprehended, but in the story of the Innocent man accused of killing him ex-GI and town drifter John Waldron, Arthur Kennedy.
Harvey prepares a strong case despite Waldron maintaining his innocence, meanwhile the political games around the case build.Based on a true story, this film opens with a narration that "this could happen anywhere" etc in the way that films used to often do.
The cast does feature some famous faces including Cobb, Malden and Levene but it is Andrews show as he leads it well.Overall a good film from Kazan with a solid case at the core while also having enjoyable threads about political game playing (which in fairness was probably stronger than I thought, but I've been into The Wire recently so in this area everything pales by comparison)..
(1947), Lee Cobb portrays Chief Robinson and Arthur Kennedy plays the murder suspect, John Waldron.Of course, Arthur Miller also makes his film "debut" in Boomerang!
When we're anxious to see a murder case closed, do we really care whether the accused is guilty, or whether the wrong man might be executed?This fact-based film is set in a small town.
The characters include a murdered priest, a slew of law-abiding eye witnesses, a bright young prosecutor, a police chief anxious to declare that the streets are safe and a stranger without friends or an alibi.When what first appears to be an open and closed case soon shows cracks, the prosecutor is torn between his ambitions, his loyalties and his morals.
Dana Andrews gives his usual solid performance as a prosecuting attorney who believes a suspicious man they've picked up in Ohio is innocent--however, all of Andrews' findings are kept off-screen, only to be revealed later in the courtroom (where he even has the judge load real bullets into the alleged murder weapon!).
But the district attorney has twinges of conscience and can't bring himself to prosecute a man he doesn't believe is guilty.Such is "Boomerang!", Elia Kazan's quick and dirty docu-drama from the late 1940s, a period rife with films like this.
Elia Kazan directed this true story set in Connecticut, that begins with the mysterious murder of a popular priest that proves quite difficult to solve, until finally a suspect emerges: a drifter named John Waldron(played by Arthur Kennedy) who was known to be in the area, and has no alibi.
Cobb) is satisfied with his suspect, but State Attorney Harvey(played by Dana Andrews) isn't so sure, since there is a distinct lack of evidence(a motive in particular) He then decides to defend Waldron, much to the surprise of his town.
Well told tale based on true story involving a guy held for murder and although we are given strong hints at the start who did it, everybody else has to try and work it out after the guy picked up seems to them so certain, until the case boomerangs
Gripping and fascinating with much street filming in Connecticut.
The way this party wants to push itself over onto the legal division as well as the police is a nice touch added to the film and it makes for some even better drama as it puts Andrews in a corner when it comes time for him to try and save the man he's suppose to be putting in jail.
Any fan of cinema would have a smile put on their face by this cast as we get Andrews, Kennedy and Cobb doing great work but we also get nice supporting performances by Jane Wyatt, Cara Williams, Ed Begley, Philip Coolidge and a young Karl Malden.
In the end, we weep more for the judicial system than anything else when we watch Boomerang!; a film with a potentially gloomy outlook on the world which is ultimately a false start, but instead does go to some admittedly impressive lengths to dramatically depict a true-to-life occurrence of a young man accused of murder and the strains on a several people's lives born out of that.
Perhaps 1947 was indeed a little too early to start documenting the very falling apart of the world at its seams; to begin to point the finger at a post-war generation under a new global order for bringing about the social apocalypse, but there were nary those too afraid of jumping that proverbial gun.The film begins with a reassuring enough voice-over informing us of how quaint and assured smaller communities are in then-modern day U.S.A.; a quite audacious, given the time and era of American film-making in which this was made, camera shot accompanies what it is the narrator says, specifically, a full three hundred and sixty degree turn on a cordoned off part of a public street encapsulating the whole of the public thoroughfare which includes passers-by; shoppers; everyday buildings as well as automobiles being genuinely driven by their genuine owners.
Working with Robinson is a certain State Attourney named Henry Harvey (Andrews), an educated and methodical man with a large house and a wife in an upper-class suburban street whom will come to form the sole hope of a young American man called John Waldron (Kennedy) picked up and charged with the murder after some fairly underhand but effective police interrogation tactics that sees him confess.
The process of apprehending such a suspect sees the police force turn to desperation, their snatching of various people off of the street is representative of a tyrannical, somewhat totalitarian regime, and is anything but what a more typified image of American governing is; the disrupting of that idyllic world we saw in the opening has now rippled on into those in charge whom are additionally spoiling their image as a free, conservative and advanced nation.Later plot revelations linked to that of a mayoral election forth-coming, and the desperation the governing mayor has in relation to wanting to win, arises; the putting away of such a criminal whilst he is in office would greatly benefit his campaign, regardless of the man's guilt again inferring a corrupt or tainted political ruling power.
Dana Andrews was too "Deadpan" in those daysAt the end of the film a narrator voices over that this is a true story and that the State Attorney was "Homer Cummings who rose to the highest legal position in the United States".
A youthful Arthur Kennedy makes a big impact as the number one murder suspect who may or may not be guilty of the time, and the whole second half of the film is an electrifying courtroom drama as the district attorney attempts to prove his innocence in the face of overwhelming opposition.BOOMERANG!
"Boomerang" was such a project and was filmed in Connecticut where events in this true story took place.Splendidly directed by Elia Kazan and sharply photographed in glorious black & white by Norbert Brodine "Boomerang" does indeed have a newsreel look about it especially with the fine voice of Reed Hadley (uncredited) doing the narration.
Dana Andrews gives his usual stalwart and likable performance as the local D.A. who suddenly finds himself going over to the side of the defense when the only and hapless suspect is coerced into signing a confession for the murder.The movie has a wonderful all-involving style to it with beautifully lit and splendidly atmospheric courtroom scenes.
Cobb, Arthur Kennedy, Dana Andrews, Ed Begley, Sam Lavene, Jane Wyatt, Robert Keith and more.The story shows how people go about doing things for the wrong reasons.
The man they eventually catch (Arthur Kennedy) does give an inconsistent story but there really isn't much to connect him to the murder other than several eyewitnesses.When the District Attorney (Dana Andrews) gets the case, something bothers him.
Based on a true story, "Boomerang", a taut courtroom drama, directed by Elia Kazan, will not disappoint.
The overall mood of the piece is rather uneasy and becomes increasingly tense as the stakes get higher and the trial of the prime suspect approaches.After the brutal murder of Bridgeport's local priest, State Attorney Henry L Harvey (Dana Andrews) and local Police Chief Robbie Robinson (Lee J Cobb) come under immediate pressure to find the culprit and bring him to justice.
"Boomerang!" is an intelligent movie that's well made and contains an array of fine performances, most notably by Lee J Cobb, Arthur Kennedy and Dana Andrews who looks convincingly stoical as he tries to ensure that justice is done in extremely difficult circumstances..
Political pressures, police procedural, corruption, unstable witnesses, bitter dames and of course an innocent man on trial for his life (we know the latter since it's based on facts and Kazan lets us in on it early on).
In fact, with it's view of just what should be expected from our public prosecutors seeking true justice, BOOMERANG makes a nice companion film to TWELVE ANGRY MEN, which looked at what to really expect from our juries.(*If you check the WIKIPEDIA article on "Homer Cummings" you will find that the suspect who was the basis of Arthur Kennedy's character died in 1961.
State Attorney Henry Harvey (Dana Andrews) and Police Chief Robbie Robinson (Lee J.
Cobb) and his assistant, Detective Lieutenant White (Karl Malden), feel the ripple effect of the town's shock as does the State's Attorney, Henry Harvey (Dana Andrews), and his wife, Madge (Jane Wyatt).
Names are changed; the murdered priest becomes "Father George Lambert", the accused man "John Waldron" and the state's attorney "Henry Harvey".
Cobb (as a detective) and Arthur Kennedy (as the suspect) are never favorites of mine, but both turn in very good performances here, as due Karl Malden (another police officer) and Ed Begley (as a shady local politician).If I were into crime dramas more, this would probably find a place on my DVD shelf, but I'll settle for occasionally watching it on TCM.
Harvey at first believes the man to be guilty but then as he re-examines the evidence he begins to have second thoughts.This story is based on an actual case that resulted in part, in the character played by Andrews becoming Attorney General of the United States.
Harvey) comes to believe the man accused, young Arthur Kennedy (as John Waldron), did not commit the murder.Newsreel producer Louis de Rochemont and director Elia Kazan set trends with this based-on-fact "documentary style" crime drama.
An excellent drama about a case where political pressures demand a guilty verdict --- facts like guilt or innocence matter not, so long as somebody is convicted.This story was timely in 1947, as it was in 1865, 1966 and again in 2007.
So, I settled in with that assumption and continued to watch the movie.The prosecuting attorney, Henry Harvey (Dana Andrews), actually presents evidence that Waldron did not commit the murder, despite all the political pressure and even blackmail brought against him. |
tt0039887 | Tarzan and the Huntress | Due to a shortage of animals in American zoos following World War II, Tanya Rawlins (Patricia Morison), a big-game "huntress," Carl Marley (John Warburton), her financial backer and Paul Weir (Barton MacLane), a cruel trail boss, are given permission by King Farrod (Charles Trowbridge), to capture a male and female of each species of animal on his land.
In a subplot, Oziri (Ted Hecht), nephew to King Farrod, colludes with Weir to allow him to trap more animals than bargained for. He also has Weir's men kill King Farrod and his son, Prince Suli (Maurice Tauzin), in order for him to take over the throne. Farrod is shot in the back and killed, and Suli is thrown into a pit full of crocodiles, but, unknown to all watching, he lands on a hidden ledge and is knocked unconscious.
Boy (Johnny Sheffield) trades two lion cubs to the trappers for a flashlight. When Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller) finds out, he returns the flashlight, retrieves the cubs, and calls all the animals from King Farrod's land across the river to his part of the jungle. When the hunters begin trapping on his side of the river, Tarzan and Boy sneak into their camp at night, take their guns and hide them in a cave behind a waterfall. They then begin to systematically release all the trapped animals from their cages.
Cheeta inadvertently reveals the location of the cache of weapons to Rawlins and her safari.
Prince Suli is able to make his way through the jungle, and is found by Tarzan. Tarzan, Boy and a herd of elephants defeat both the usurping nephew and the huntress, but the latter escapes on board a plane. | murder | train | wikipedia | Edgar Rice Burrough's TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS (RKO Radio, 1947), directed by Kurt Neumann, being Johnny Weissmuller's 11th portrayal as the king of the jungle, and fifth under Sol Lesser's unit distributed by RKO, can be summed up by this time in saying, "If you've seen one Tarzan movie, you've seen them all," however the series continues.The plot revolves around a zoological expedition headed by Tanya Rollins (Patricia Morison) and her guide, John Weire (Barton MacLane) who make arrangements with Prince Ozira (Ted Hecht), nephew of King Farrod (Charles Trowbridge) to capture wild animals for the zoos.
After arranging for the death of the king, leaving Prince Suli (Maurice Tauzen) in charge command of the throne, Tarzan (Johnny Weissmuller), having learned of the capture of his animal friends, including Cheta, starts to oppose the expedition and intervene.Brenda Joyce in her third go round as the blonde Jane, and Johnny Sheffield in his eighth time playing Boy, each continue their recurring roles in the usual manner.
This was to be the teen-aged Sheffield's farewell performance as Boy, now being more physically muscular and nearly as tall as Weissmuller's Tarzan, giving full indication that while the writers kept him on as long as possible, he has outgrown his part.
He would return to the jungle in the character of "Bomba, the Jungle Boy" a new film series as produced by Monogram Pictures (1949-1955).
Bomba could very well be Boy returning to Africa after a few years attending school in England, thus, starting life anew and following the tradition of jungle living amongst the animals and facing every day danger like Tarzan.
As with the Tarzan/Weissmuller adventures, the writers of the "Bomba" series failed to introduce the jungle boy's origin as to where he came from, who were his people and how did he end up in the jungle.
Now back to TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS.Others appearing in the cast include John Warburton as Carl Morley; Wallace Scott as Smithers; and Mickey Simpson as Monak.
It's not Tarzan, Jane nor Boy who get to appear in the final fadeout, but Cheta being parachuted from the airplane with the "The End" inter-title superimposed over her puss having the time of her life.TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS returns Barton MacLane to the series, once more playing the villain, having already appeared two years earlier in TARZAN AND THE AMAZONS (1945), by whose presence in these two movies could stir up confusion.
An interesting switch from previous episodes is having a safari leader portrayed by a woman, the role awarded to Patricia Morison, who makes a fine villainous in the most sultry manner.
Unlike the previous efforts made for RKO, "Huntress" gets plenty of use of animal extras along with an climatic elephant stampede.TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS, clocked at 77 minutes, is acceptable fun but a far cry from being the best in the series.
As much as to where this annual series was heading, the Tarzan adventures continued to hold their own as one of the most popular film series ever produced, enjoyed by many, especially youngsters in the Saturday afternoon matinée crowd cheering on the jungle hero as he battles against the bad guys entering his domain once again.
By the time "Tarzan and the Huntress" was produced by Sol Lesser with Kurt Neumann, one of my favorite Hollywood talents, the jungle man series was fifteen years old.
In this unusually-well-directed and attractive entry to the series, the chief of invaders is a far-from-evil but uncaring female, played by gorgeous Patricia Morison.
This is champion swimmer Johnny Weissmuller's eleventh turn as the King of the Jungle; he is still stolid and sometimes impressive, especially when he has Brenda Joyce as a blonde Jane or raven-haired Morison to play off.
And Johnny Sheffield as Tarzan's adopted son, Boy, has become by then an attractive and grown-up young man, on the verge of his own series as the sourceless but likable "Bomba" the Jungle Boy. Others appearing in the cast include John Warburton as Carl Morley, Wallace Scott as Smithers, and Mickey Simpson as Monak.
The fact that Morison never wanted her men to kill Tarzan, or anyone else, excuses her complicity in what they do to gain unearned wealth; there are exciting scenes as Tarzan bedevils, is nearly killed by and then finally overcomes the true villains.
The authors get lots of fun out of an only-passable story line in every scene; Bbt to this film we owe "Tarzan the Magnificent", "Tarzan and the Lost Safari", "Jivaro" and a number of other films that finally saw a female in a jungle as something other than a danger or a distraction.
Wallace Scott and Ted Hecht were also featured; look for a well-done elephant stampede and Ms. Morison; they are for me the highlights of a seminal and enjoyable exotic-locale adventure..
Perhaps to feed a certain misimpression of what the movie was about, a poster of the time shows Patricia Morison's character looking on enviously as Tarzan and Jane enjoy a tender moment.
Johnny Weissmuller's next-to-last Tarzan is a good adventure and the last outing for Johnny Sheffield as Boy.Young Johnny had grown too big for the part and would soon start playing BOMBA the JUNGLE BOY.Johnny Weissmuller still looks toned and strong but is not in the great condition he showed in the previous year's LEOPARD WOMAN.Brenda Joyce as Jane looks gorgeous as ever and sports a sexy two-piece outfit in some scenes.She was a beautiful girl and was quite underrated as Jane.
HUNTRESS doesn't have the intensity and erotica that LEOPARD WOMAN has,but it's still a fun adventure with Johnny keeping busy saving his animal friends from greedy hunters.Patricia Morison as the HUNTRESS ia a lovely antagonist,but nowhere the evil,sexual villainess that Acquanetta was in LEOPARD WOMAN.(Tough act to follow).All in all a nice wrap-up to the Tarzan-Jane-Boy Trio.The next film ,TARZAN and the MERMAIDS was a rather dull and lackluster finale to Johnny's Tarzan career..
TARZAN AND THE HUNTRESS suffers from a low budget and a ho-hum plot, although it is far less silly than the previous feature, TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN; entrepreneur Tanya Rawlins (Patricia Morison), and her milquetoast lover (John Warburton), mount an expedition to capture animals to restock war-depleted zoos, a not unworthy goal...except they are primarily interested in making big money, which means depleting an area of a large part of it's wild animal population!
Fortunately, she has a ruthless expedition 'boss' (Barton MacLane, making his second 'villainous' appearance in a Tarzan feature), and Farrod has a greedy nephew (Ted Hecht), so a scheme is hatched, to kill Farrod and his heir (Maurice Tauzin), and pay the new King a healthy kickback, in exchange for 'unlimited' hunting (an oft-used scheme of 'bad guys', which would continue to be popular, as recently as George Clooney's SYRIANA).Of course, this being a Tarzan movie, our aging hero is friends with Farrod, and when the ruler is murdered, and the young prince disappears, Tarzan gets involved, which is BAD NEWS for Rawlins and her crew!
The film utilizes more 'stock' animal footage than any of the other RKO/Weissmuller features, and unfortunately, it doesn't 'match up' well with the other footage, making the studio scenes look even cheesier; adding to this is a general listlessness in most of the performances, which hurts the overall movie.
Even Cheeta seems bored!The most interesting aspect of the film is Johnny Sheffield, who looks startlingly 'adult' in this, his last appearance as 'Boy'.
After this feature, Boy would be off to "school in England" (and Sheffield would move on to his own series, as "Bomba, the Jungle Boy").Weissmuller appears tired and a bit out-of-shape, although Brenda Joyce, as Jane, is as fetching as ever!
The Tarzan series was obviously "winding down"; the next feature, the surreal TARZAN AND THE MERMAIDS, would mark the end of Weissmuller's reign as "King of the Jungle"....
Already in agreement with the other comments about the place of this film in the tradition of Tarzan movies, I would like to concentrate on one sub-plot, the animosity between Tarzan (played by Johnny Weissmuller) and Monak (played by ex-prize fighter Mickey Simpson), loyal servant to the scheming, evil Ozira (yes, my namesake; I am a major Tarzan fan).Ozira stands to receive generous bounties for helping a safari catch African animals to re-stock the zoos after the Second World War. Since his uncle, King Farad, won't cooperate, Ozira stages the shooting of Farad (by Monak) to look like an accident and Farad's teenage son Suli is also believed killed, pushed into a pool of crocodiles, again by Monak.As Monak leads the gun bearers and safari hands to help the hunters get their animals, he has a number of brushes with Tarzan.
Tarzan liberates captured animals, knocks out several of Monak's guards and, when other bearers are sent back to the city for help, one safari hand is killed by a lion.
Monak seethes to get revenge and tangle with Tarzan.In one scene, after Tarzan and Boy steal the guns and rifles, Cheetah the Chimp tries to steal the compact of the female hunter (the Huntress of the movie, Tanya, Patricia Morrison's character).
Certainly, he would never miss with a knife again.The guns retrieved, the safari continues to collect animals and Tarzan and Boy find Prince Suli very much alive.
The city of Toronga must know the truth about this and Ozira's treachery unmasked.As Tarzan attempts to lead Suli to safety, Monak, rifle in hand, bandoleer across his powerful, commanding chest, knife stuck in his sarong-like wraparound, spies him and, along with two gun bearers, bandoleers crisscrossing their majestic chests also, Monak goes after them, pausing to take a few unsuccessful shots.
Tarzan takes to the trees and the three separate to get at him and to finish off Suli.Weissmuller sharpens a vine to use as a spear and hurls it into the bare belly of one of the gun bearers who topples to the jungle ground.
Tarzan then flings his knife into the back of a second gun bearer, who falls onto the ground, the bullets framing his brave chest, his life lost for Monak and Ozira.Monak has climbed a tree to direct the battle.
In 1942, America's biggest film studio MGM scrapped its legendary Tarzan series, with the option being snapped up by the smaller RKO.
The villainous gang includes former Warner heavy Barton MacLane and the eponymous huntress - Patricia Morison.
Though the film is a touch confused about the morality of stealing animals from the jungle (presumably that was how the bulk of its supporting players came to Hollywood), Tarz does ultimately get pretty narked about the whole thing, leading to a series of lively showdowns.
He's accompanied once more by Brenda Joyce and Johnny Sheffield, whose Boy is now a man, with a deep, booming voice.
The Tarzan saga continues.This time Tarzan is upset after a group of people want to take animals from the jungle and fill the shortage they have of zoo animals in America.Luckily Tarzan speaks the language of the animals so he can get help from the elephants if he needs.Kurt Neumann's Tarzan and the Huntress (1947) is a very good addition to the Tarzan franchise.Johnny Weissmuller, who to many is the one and only Tarzan really is one of the kind.Brenda Joyce, who is still living at the age of 96, makes her third of five performances as Jane.What a fine Jane she makes!
Johnny Sheffield as the adopted son of Tarzan marks his eight and final appearance as Boy.Patricia Morison, now 93, is awfully lovely with her dark long hair.The great Barton MacLane plays Paul Weir.Also fine performances are given by John Warburton (Carl Marley), Charles Trowbridge (King Farrod) and Maurice Tauzin (Prince Suli).You can't count Cheeta the chimpanzee out.The final picture with Cheeta coming down an airplane with a parachute is unforgettable.This movie entertained me thoroughly.Tarzan and the Huntress gives you the right amount of action, adventure and some romance..
After the hugely enjoyable Tarzan and the Leopard Woman, the Weissmuller Tarzan series slides back into mediocrity with a rather stale tale of unscrupulous trappers—led by 'huntress' Tanya Rawlins (Patricia Morison)—collecting specimens to restock the world's zoos, much to Tarzan's disgust, of course.
A woefully underdeveloped sub-plot about the assassination of a jungle king by his power hungry nephew adds little to the film's overall entertainment value.As usual, Cheetah is on hand to provide the laughs, annoying the other jungle critters and taking Boy's model aeroplane for a short flight, Jane (Brenda Joyce) gives the film some sex appeal (surprisingly, the titular 'huntress' provides little in the way of titillation), Boy (Johnny Sheffield) learns an important lesson about life (trading lion cubs for a torch is wrong!), the family indulges in a spot of synchronised swimming, and Tarzan saves the day (and the captured animals) in the final reel with that old chestnut, the stampeding herd of elephants; but whilst all of this makes for adequate 'rainy Sunday afternoon' family viewing, it offers avid Tarzan fans nothing much to get excited about.5.5 out of 10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb..
A group of trappers seek to invade Tarzan's jungle and capture all the animals they want for their zoo, but Tarzan and the King object.
In this installment, the rapidly growing Johnny Sheffield plays Boy for the last time.
We continue to see other recognizable Universal actors in each film, and this time it's Patricia Morison (CALLING DR.
Penultimate Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan film and the last to feature Johnny Sheffield, who played Boy in eight Tarzan films before getting his own series as Bomba, the Jungle Boy. Patricia Morison heads an expedition to Tarzan's neck of the woods to nab some animals for zoos back in the States.
The bad guys take the animals but Tarzan steals them back and, with help from Boy and his animal friends, runs the villains out of Africa.
Johnny Sheffield, who's almost as big as Weissmuller at this point, does well in his final outing as Boy. There's a thread running throughout the movie about Boy learning responsibility ("Boy man now.
Lovely Patricia Morison is interesting as the title character (who is not really a huntress).
A couple of final notes: in one scene, Tarzan is freeing the various animals that were captured by the hunters and he is shown releasing two bear cubs from their cages.
Tarzan And The Huntress finds Johnny Weissmuller battling yet another trapper coming on to his jungle turf to take some animals back for the zoos of the world.
The film is a curiously anti-feminine one.She directs the operation to capture the animals as she is also a female Clyde Beatty, but the heavy villainy is left to John Warburton and Barton MacLane.
They also get involved in tribal politics in the area where chief Charles Trowbridge is killed and his son thought to be also killed by a nephew looking for big payoff from the trappers.Patricia Morison would shortly get the role of her life, but on the stage.
Who could have suspected what a great soprano she was from the parts she played in films?Tarzan And The Huntress is one of the better Weissmuller Tarzans that RKO did.
The "Huntress" is a very standard, but enjoyable low-budget Tarzan adventure via way of R-K-O producer Sol Lessor It is also a "hoot." Sheffield plays "Boy." Except to call him "Boy" in all his teenage masculine glory can be disconcerting or a howl.
Weismeuller was easily in his 50s when this was made "Huntress" and in scenes with Sheffield, the now muscular and agile (as only a teenager can be) makes Weismueller look like Gramps.After this, Sheffield began the "Bomba" series, where about the only attraction was John's handsome looks, good natured aura, maturing bod and barely covering his private parts loin cloth.
Goodbye To Boy. Tarzan and the Huntress (1947) ** (out of 4) Eleventh film in the original Tarzan series once again features Johnny Weissmuller in the role of the Ape Man. This time out a group of people (led by Patricia Morison) come to Africa where they want to take the wildlife back and fill up various zoos across the world.
Soon the group are trying to take as many animals as possible so it's up to Tarzan and Boy (Johnny Sheffield) to stop them.
This film certainly isn't as silly as the previous effort but there's no question that the series was running out of steam due to its budget that looks to have been cut yet again and the fact that the story itself just isn't that interesting.
Weissmuller, it's fair to say, looks completely bored in the role as Tarzan and you can't help but think he wishes he was somewhere else.
I mentioned in my TARZAN AND THE LEOPARD WOMAN review that I was shocked to see how much Sheffield had grown between it and the previous film and that continues here.
After having the character be 'off on vacation in England' or 'helping with the war effort' in a couple films, RKO decided to re-cast this character with Brenda Joyce--who bore little similarity to O'Sullivan.This installment finds a party of greedy trappers trying to exploit the jungle to the fullest.
The 100% natural yell isn't quite as impressive as the MGM version, but knowing it was 100% Weismuller adds to the enjoyment and novelty.This film has a good plot involving a basically good-natured lady played by the smoking-hot Patricia Morison (clearly upstaging wholesome-sexy Brenda Joyce) who is hunting for zoo animals.
Tarzan is ahead of his time in this film, as he opposes taking animals from their native habitat, just as he opposes killing them for anything other than self-defense or sustenance.
The concluding sequence, where Tarzan initiates an elephant stampede, causing mass carnage and death among the hunters, is well-done and highly satisfying, despite the usage of some stock footage.This film is a fine use of your time if you are a fan of vintage B-features, or a fan of the Weismuller Tarzan. |
tt0080568 | The Crucible | === Act One ===
Betty Parris, the ten-year-old daughter of Salem preacher Reverend Samuel Parris, lies motionless. The previous evening, Reverend Parris discovered Betty, some other girls, and his Barbadian slave, Tituba, engaged in some sort of ritual in the woods. The village is rife with rumors of witchcraft and a crowd gathers outside Rev. Parris' house. The Reverend questions the girls' apparent ringleader, his niece Abigail Williams, who denies they were engaged in witchcraft. Parris decides to invite Reverend John Hale, an expert in witchcraft and demonology, to investigate and leaves to address the crowd.
The other girls involved in the incident join Abigail and a briefly roused Betty. Abigail coerces and threatens the others to "stick to their story" of merely dancing in the woods. The other girls are frightened of the truth being revealed (that in actuality, they tried to conjure a curse) and being labelled witches, so they go along with Abigail. Betty then faints back into unconsciousness.
John Proctor, a local farmer and husband of Elizabeth, enters. He sends the other girls out (including Mary Warren, his family's maid) and confronts Abigail, who tells him that she and the girls were not performing witchcraft. It is revealed that Abigail once worked as a servant for the Proctors, and that she and John had an affair, for which she was fired. Abigail still harbors feelings for John and believes he does as well, but John says he does not. Abigail angrily mocks John for denying his true feelings for her. As they argue, Betty bolts upright and begins screaming.
Rev. Parris runs back into the bedroom and various villagers arrive: the wealthy and influential Thomas and his wife, Ann Putnam, respected local woman Rebecca Nurse, and the Putnam's neighbor, farmer Giles Corey. Tensions between them soon emerge. Mrs. Putnam is a bereaved parent seven times over; she blames witchcraft for her losses and Betty's ailment. Rebecca is rational and suggests a doctor be called instead. Mr. Putnam and Corey have been feuding over land ownership. Parris is unhappy with his salary and living conditions as minister, and accuses Proctor of heading a conspiracy to oust him from the church. Abigail, standing quietly in a corner, witnesses all of this.
Reverend Hale arrives and begins his investigation. Before leaving, Giles fatefully remarks that he has noticed his wife reading unknown books and asks Hale to look into it. Hale questions Rev. Parris, Abigail and Tituba closely over the girls' activities in the woods. As the facts emerge, Abigail claims Tituba forced her to drink blood. Tituba counters that Abigail begged her to conjure a deadly curse. Parris threatens to whip Tituba to death if she doesn't confess to witchcraft. Tituba breaks down and falsely claims that the devil is bewitching her and others in town. With prompting from Hale and Putnam, Tituba accuses Sarah Osborne and Sarah Good of witchcraft. Mrs. Putnam identifies Osborne as her former midwife and asserts that she must have killed her children. Abigail leaps up, begins contorting wildly, and names Osborne and Good, as well as Bridget Bishop as having been "dancing with the devil". Betty suddenly rises and begins mimicking Abigail’s movements and words, and accuses George Jacobs. Hale orders the arrest of the named people and sends for judges to try them.
=== Act Two ===
Act Two is set in the Proctor's home. John and Elizabeth are incredulous that nearly forty people have been arrested for witchcraft based on the pronouncements of Abigail and the other girls. John knows their apparent possession and accusations of witchcraft are untrue, as Abigail told him when they were alone together in the first act. Elizabeth is disconcerted to learn her husband was alone with Abigail. She believes John still lusts after Abigail and tells him that as long as he does, he will never redeem himself.
Mary Warren enters and gives Elizabeth a 'poppet' (doll-like puppet) that she made in court that day while sitting as a witness. Angered that Mary is neglecting her duties, John threatens to beat her. Mary retorts that she saved Elizabeth's life that day, as Elizabeth was accused of witchcraft and was to be arrested until Mary spoke in her defense. Mary refuses to identify Elizabeth's accuser, but Elizabeth surmises accurately that it must have been Abigail. She implores John to go to court and tell the judges that Abigail and the rest of the girls are pretending. John is reluctant, fearing that doing so will require him to publicly reveal his past adultery.
Reverend Hale arrives, stating that he is interviewing all the people named in the proceedings, including Elizabeth. He mentions that Rebecca Nurse was also named, but admits that she is too pious to be a witch. Hale is skeptical about the Proctors' devotion to Christianity, noting that they do not attend church regularly and that their second child has not yet been baptized; John replies that this is because he has no respect for Parris. Challenged to recite the Ten Commandments, John fatefully forgets "thou shalt not commit adultery". When Hale questions her, Elizabeth is angered that he doesn't question Abigail first. Unsure of how to proceed, Hale prepares to take his leave. At Elizabeth's urging, John tells Hale he knows that the girl's afflictions are fake. When Hale responds that many of the accused have confessed, John points out that they were bound to be hanged if they didn’t: Hale reluctantly acknowledges this point.
Suddenly, Giles Corey and Francis Nurse enter the house and inform John and Hale that both of their wives have been arrested on charges of witchcraft; Martha Corey for reading suspicious books and Rebecca Nurse on charges of sacrificing children. A posse led by clerk Ezekiel Cheever and town marshal George Herrick arrive soon afterwards and present a warrant for Elizabeth's arrest, much to Hale's surprise. Cheever picks up the poppet on Elizabeth's table and finds a needle inside. He informs John that Abigail had a pain-induced fit earlier that evening and a needle was found stuck into her stomach; Abigail claimed that Elizabeth stabbed her with the needle through witchcraft, using a poppet as a conduit. John brings Mary into the room to tell the truth; Mary asserts that she made the doll and stuck the needle into it, and that Abigail saw her do so. Cheever is unconvinced and prepares to arrest Elizabeth.
John becomes greatly angered, tearing the arrest warrant to shreds and threatening Herrick and Cheever with a musket until Elizabeth calms him down and surrenders herself. He calls Hale a coward and asks him why the accusers' every utterance goes unchallenged. Hale is conflicted, but suggests that perhaps this misfortune has befallen Salem because of a great, secret crime that must be brought to light. Taking this to heart, John orders Mary to go to court with him and expose the other girls' lies, but she refuses. Aware of John's affair, she warns him that Abigail is willing to expose it if necessary. John is shocked but determines the truth must prevail, whatever the personal cost.
=== Act Three ===
The third act takes place thirty-seven days later in the General Court of Salem, during the trial of Martha Corey. Francis and Giles desperately interrupt the proceedings, demanding to be heard. The court is recessed and the men thrown out of the main room, reconvening in an adjacent room. John Proctor arrives with Mary Warren and they inform Deputy Governor Danforth and Judge Hathorne about the girls' lies. Danforth then informs an unaware John that Elizabeth is pregnant, and promises to spare her from execution until the child is born, hoping to persuade John to withdraw his case. John refuses to back down and submits a deposition signed by ninety-one locals attesting to the good character of Elizabeth, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey. Herrick also attests to John's truthfulness as well.
The deposition is dismissed by Parris and Hathorne as illegal. Rev. Hale criticizes the decision and demands to know why the accused are forbidden to defend themselves. Danforth replies that given the "invisible nature" of witchcraft, the word of the accused and their advocates cannot be trusted. He then orders that all ninety-one persons named in the deposition be arrested for questioning. Giles Corey submits his own deposition, accusing Thomas Putnam of forcing his daughter to accuse George Jacobs in order to buy up his land (as convicted witches have to forfeit all of their property.) When asked to reveal the source of his information, Giles refuses, fearing that he or she will also be arrested. When Danforth threatens him with arrest for contempt, Giles argues that he cannot be arrested for "contempt of a hearing." Danforth then declares the court in session and Giles is arrested.
John submits Mary's deposition, which declares that she was coerced to accuse people by Abigail. Abigail denies Mary's assertions that they are pretending, and stands by her story about the poppet. When challenged by Parris and Hathorne to 'pretend to be possessed', Mary is too afraid to comply. John attacks Abigail's character, revealing that she and the other girls were caught dancing naked in the woods by Rev. Parris on the night of Betty Parris' alleged 'bewitchment'. When Danforth begins to questions Abigail, she claims that Mary has begun to bewitch her with a cold wind and John loses his temper, calling Abigail a whore. He confesses their affair, says Abigail was fired from his household over it and that Abigail is trying to murder Elizabeth so that she may "dance with me on my wife's grave."
Danforth brings Elizabeth in to confirm this story, beforehand forbidding anyone to tell her about John's testimony. Unaware of John's public confession, Elizabeth fears that Abigail has revealed the affair in order to discredit John and lies, saying that there was no affair, and that she fired Abigail out of wild suspicion. Hale begs Danforth to reconsider his judgement, now agreeing Abigail is "false", but to no avail; Danforth throws out this testimony based solely upon John's earlier assertion that Elizabeth would never tell a lie.
Confusion and hysteria begin to overtake the room. Abigail and the girls run about screaming, claiming Mary's spirit is attacking them in the form of a yellow bird, which nobody else is able to see. When Danforth tells the increasingly distraught Mary that he will sentence her to hang, she joins with the other girls and recants all her allegations against them, claiming John Proctor forced her to turn her against the others and that he harbors the devil. John, in despair and having given up all hope, declares that "God is dead", and is arrested. Furious, Reverend Hale denounces the proceedings and quits the court.
=== Act Four ===
Act Four takes place three months later in the town jail, early in the morning. Tituba, sharing a cell with Sarah Good, has gone insane from all of the hysteria, hearing voices and now actually claiming to talk to Satan. Marshal Herrick, depressed at having arrested so many of his neighbors, has turned to alcoholism. Many villagers have been charged with witchcraft; most have confessed and been given lengthy prison terms and their property seized by the government; twelve have been hanged; seven more are to be hanged at sunrise for refusing to confess, including John Proctor, Rebecca Nurse and Martha Corey. Giles Corey was tortured to death by pressing as the court tried in vain to extract a plea; by holding out, Giles ensured that his sons would not be disinherited. The village has become dysfunctional with so many people in prison or dead, and with the arrival of news of rebellion against the courts in nearby Andover, whispers abound of an uprising in Salem.
Danforth and Hathorne have returned to Salem to meet with Parris, and are surprised to learn that Hale has returned and is meeting with the condemned. Parris reports that Abigail and Mercy Lewis stole his life's savings from his house and have disappeared, and that he has received death threats. He begs Danforth to postpone the executions in order to secure confessions, hoping to avoid executing some of Salem's most well-regarded citizens. Hale, blaming himself for the hysteria, has returned to counsel the condemned to falsely confess and avoid execution. He presses Danforth to pardon the remaining seven and put the entire affair behind them. Danforth refuses, stating that pardons or postponement would cast doubt on the veracity of previous confessions, not to mention the hangings.
Danforth and Hale summon Elizabeth and ask her to persuade John to confess. She is bitter towards Hale, both for doubting her earlier and for wanting John to give in and ruin his good name, but agrees to speak with her husband, if only to say goodbye. She and John have a lengthy discussion, during which she commends him for holding out and not confessing. John says he is refusing to confess not out of religious conviction but through contempt for his accusers and the court. The two finally reconcile, with Elizabeth forgiving John and saddened by the thought that he cannot forgive himself and see his own goodness. Knowing in his heart that it is the wrong thing for him to do, John agrees to falsely confess to engaging in witchcraft, deciding that he has no desire or right to be a martyr.
Danforth, Hathorne, and a relieved Parris ask John to testify to the guilt of the other hold-outs and the executed. John refuses, saying he can only report on his own sins. Danforth is disappointed by this reluctance, but at the urging of Hale and Parris, allows John to sign a written confession, to be displayed on the church door as an example. John is wary, thinking his verbal confession is sufficient. As they press him further John eventually signs, but refuses to hand the paper over, stating he does not want his family and especially his three sons to be stigmatized by the public confession. The men argue until Proctor renounces his confession entirely, ripping up the signed document. Danforth calls for the sheriff and John is led away, to be hanged. Hale pleads with Elizabeth to talk John around but she refuses, stating John has "found his goodness". | allegory | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0425413 | Run Fatboy Run | Dennis Doyle (Simon Pegg) is about to marry Libby (Thandie Newton), his pregnant fiancée. However, he gets cold feet and runs away on the day of the wedding. Five years later, Dennis discovers that Libby, who has their son, Jake, has started seeing successful but arrogant Whit (Hank Azaria) and realizes that he has truly lost her. He finds out that Whit is running the Nike River Marathon in London, and to prove himself to his uncertain friends and, most importantly, Libby and his son, he decides to run the race himself.
He receives motivation from his two "coaches", Gordon (Dylan Moran), a well-meaning slacker who is Libby's cousin and Dennis' best friend, who has made a hefty bet on Dennis succeeding, and Mr. Ghosh Dastidar (Harish Patel) his landlord, who uses unorthodox methods of training, such as using a spatula to spank him. Days before the race, Whit proposes to Libby at her birthday party. Libby accepts and this puts Dennis in a state of deep depression. As a result, he decides to quit the race.
Meanwhile, Jake, who has formed a crush on a girl in his class, runs away upset when he discovers that she prefers another boy just because he has a ponytail. Dennis, upon being informed by a frantic Libby, tracks him down and explains to him that he will find many things he does not like in his life and he should just stand up to them and face them, rather than running away. Having made that mistake himself, he decides to race after all.
Dennis starts the race alongside Whit, who informs Dennis that he intends to move Libby and Jake to Chicago, Illinois. Enraged, Dennis mocks Whit and they altercate for a while at the start of the race and, in their efforts to out-do each other, they catch up to and then overtake the professional runners, and suddenly Whit trips Dennis and severely injures him. Stretchers prepare to take Dennis to the hospital.
Whit continues, but is taken to the hospital after feeling pain in his leg. Libby goes to the hospital to find Dennis, but only finds Whit, who claims loudly that his injuries are the result of Dennis deliberately tripping him. The doctor tells him he is not actually injured and has only "hit the wall". Jake is playing with Whit's hospital bed, and to Libby's disgust, Whit calls him a "little shit".
Dennis has in fact refused to be transported to the hospital or even get medical attention and is continuing the race well into the afternoon and evening with a sprained ankle, accompanied by a growing group of supporters, including Gordon and Mr. Ghosh Dastidar. A panting Dennis almost "hits the wall" but after an emotional epiphany, his goal to complete the race is restored. Later at Whit's house, Libby, Jake and Whit, watch a television replay of the Whit/Dennis altercation, as the replay shows that in fact Whit had deliberately tripped Dennis and had fallen over because Dennis pulled him down as he was falling.
As Whit tries to justify his behaviour, he blurts out his intentions to have Libby and Jake move to Chicago with him. A fed up Libby puts the engagement ring on a table, telling Whit "nobody's perfect" and storms out with Jake. The two go to meet Dennis as he arrives at the finish line. Dennis falls over just metres from the finish line and cannot get up until he sees Libby and Jake calling to him at which point he gets up, sprints to the finish and collapses in their arms.
Some time later, notably healthier and fully recovered from his injuries, Dennis calls at Libby's house to pick up Jake. He says that he has something to ask her, but is interrupted by Jake, and says he'll talk to her later. However, just after she shuts the door, he knocks again and asks her on a date. She accepts.
In the film's postscript, Gordon — on the bridge of a new yacht — tells the tale of the race to two attractive bikini-clad women, whom he invites aboard for a drink. The camera then pans to reveal to the audience that he's as usual naked below the waist. | comedy, boring | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0159193 | Shin kidô senki Gundam W | In the distant future, Mankind has colonized space, with clusters of space colonies at each of the five Earth-Moon Lagrange points. Down on the Earth, the nations have come together to form the United Earth Sphere Alliance. This Alliance oppresses the colonies with its vast military might. The colonies wishing to be free, join together in a movement headed by the pacifist Heero Yuy. In the year After Colony 175, Yuy is shot dead by an assassin, forcing the colonies to search for other paths to peace. The assassination prompts five disaffected scientists from the Organization of the Zodiac, more commonly referred to as OZ, to turn rogue upon the completion of the mobile suit prototype Tallgeese.
The story of Gundam Wing begins in the year After Colony 195, with the start of "Operation Meteor": the scientists' plan for revenge against OZ. The operation involves five teenage boys, who have each been chosen and trained by each of the five scientists, then sent to Earth independently in extremely advanced mobile suits (one designed by each of the scientists) known as "Gundams" (called such because they are constructed from a rare and astonishingly durable material called Gundanium alloy, which can only be created in outer space). Each Gundam is sent from a different colony, and the pilots are initially unaware of each other's existence.
The series focuses primarily on the five Gundam pilots: Heero Yuy (an alias, not to be confused with the martyred pacifist), Duo Maxwell, Trowa Barton, Quatre Raberba Winner and Chang Wufei. Their mission is to use their Gundams to attack OZ directly, in order to rid the Alliance of its weapons and free the colonies from its oppressive rule. The series also focuses on Relena Peacecraft, heir to the pacifist Sanc Kingdom, who starts off as a seemingly ordinary girl until she gets caught up in the conflict between OZ and the Gundams, becoming an important political ally to the Gundam pilots (particularly Heero) in the process. | psychedelic, sci-fi | train | wikipedia | Soon after, the Gundam pilots, their civilian allies, and like-minded members of OZ join forces to take down the warring factions and bring real peace.With the characters, we have a group of young people who are highly misunderstood by the anime community.
Aiding Heero in his battles are the other four Gundam pilots: the cheerful Duo Maxwell, the somber Trowa Barton, the caring Quatre Winner, and the brash Zhang Wu Fei. On the side of OZ, we have the anachronistically noble Treize Khushrenada, his multi-faceted aide Lady Une, Zechs' old friend Lucrezia Noin, and Dorothy Catalonia, Relena's war-loving rival.
Most older Gundam series have the problem that they focus on the main character so much that it almost seems like the world revolves around him.
Gundam wing, for me, was possibly one of the best anime's I have ever see, and YES I have seen the original series.GW's charm lies not in it's battles, but in the evolution of it's characters.
throughout the series, he rediscovers the humanity that had been so brutally drummed out of him, through his relationship with possibly one of the most unjustly hated female characters in the anime world.Yes, I like Relena.
the definition of enemy changes repeatedly throughout the series as loyalties change and situations vary.the battle scenes are fun, the dialogue is excellent, the dubbing is pretty good...all in all, the only thing I could find about to complain on was the fact that the voices for the dub sound far older than the actual characters do, Zechs in particular.If you want a fun series that will make you think if you want it to, and show the moral dilemmas that could easilly be related to today, watch Gundam Wing.
This was one of the first anime's I ever saw...I remember staying up late to watch it unedited on Cartoon Network.The story follows Heero Yuy, a young asassin trained to pilot a Gundam Mobile Suit.
Him and his team of other Gundam pilots, Duo, Trowa, Quatre, and Chang, against the corrupt and oppressive Earth-Sphere alliance.The Earth Sphere alliance is lead by Treize Kushrenada and the mysterious Zechs Marquise, who wears a mask almost constantly.However, the story quickly unfolds into much larger implications.This is a great anime and in my opinion the best in the saga.
A the same time, they could have done worse as well.Gundam Wing tells the story of the five Gundam Pilots, young terrorists sent to Earth from the space colonies to take revenge on the death, ten years earlier, of the leader of the Colonies.
It makes it Superheroic...When the original Gundam premiered in 1979, it was a landmark series because it was the first show to portray the Mecha as simple fighting machines, like a tank or fighter jet.
I have just recently purchased collection one of this awesome series and even after just watching three episodes, I still am mesmerized by sleek styling of the animation and the slow, yet thoughtful actions of the story-telling.
I am still a fan.....with some minor pains.Though this installment into the Gundam saga is very cool and has what the previous series had-a stylish satiric way of telling about the wrongs of war and not letting go of the need to have control or power over everything(sound familiar?), I have to say that this one gets a bit too mellow-dramatic on continuing to explain the lives of the main characters and their incessant need to belly-ache about every thing that happens and what they need to do to stop the OZ group from succeeding in their plans(especially the character called Wufei...I mean he whines more than an American character on a soap opera.
I wont give away too much.Pros: Deep story, awesome characters, smooth animation Cons: Series final episodes feel a little rushed, need more Gundams!.
If the typical fan had indulged in the earlier Gundam universe, it would become more apparent that this is only a derivative copy of plot elements and scenes from earlier series -- from 0079, all the way to Char's Counterattack.
I think that's my biggest criticism, the series portrays itself as something deep and philosophical but under scrutiny, you can see the total nonsensical actions of all the characters, like "I don't know what I'm fighting for, better arbitrarily pick the side I was just fighting against for no reason" Now I understand the writers may have been trying to make a point about war and what becomes of soldiers after they're done fighting, but that's not how it comes off, it just comes off as childish.
For nostalgia, it's nice, but objectively, if you, like me, like the whole terrorist Gundam cell, and espionage type stuff, you're much better off watching 00, similar themes that don't come off so ham fisted, MUCH BETTER ACTION (there's much more than 5 fights like in Wing) Better characters etc To return to characters actually, Heero was 1 dimensional (which is explained why in Endless Waltz the movie, but still as your main character it was so dull) Trowa was also 1 dimensional, Quatre pretty one dimensional and repetitive, Duo was just a loudmouth, nothing more, Wu Fei was a senseless braggart, Milliardo/Zechs (AKA char clone) was a solid character, but they ruined him in the second half of the series.
We Americans get about 2 choices: Gundam Wing or Dragonball Z (I REFUSE to include Monster Rancher or any of the 'mons into the mix.) It's equal to or beyond Dragonball Z in many places, though I agree the plot is sometimes lost or confused in thoughtful dialouge of War and Peace.
I wish I lived in Japan or I had the comic shop that would sell me subtitled anime (I hear Sailor Moon underwent HORRIFIC rewrites-too bad :P) I don't though, and Gundam Wing is a good show upon itself..
I absolutely love this show so much.Because the reason I love the show it's because it has great story, great music and the characters are really cool, and the Gundams are more modern than the other gundams in Mobile Suit Gundam.If there's a real Gundam Wing movie someday I will go to see it definetly and I will know the movie will be the best..
Well, Gundam Wing is the best Gundam series I've ever seen, because the gundams are a lot better than the gundams from Mobile Suit Gundam.
For example I have some things to say about them: Heero Yuy is the main character of the show and he's like one of the best characters, Duo is the all-American funny guy, he is very funny most of the time in every episode, Trowa is very silent and the first time he appeared he was a guy without a name, Quatre is like the youngest of the pilots, I think that most people say that he is gay and some others say that his main woman is Dorothy, Chang Wufei is the coolest character and he's the strongest of the pilots.
The original Gundam set the stage for later mecha classics such as Macross(AKA Robotech generation one) and Evangelion with it's gritty combat and character focus, as opposed to old mecha shows of the 70s in which a mecha would be controlled by multiple pilots in goofy uniforms and always end it's battle with a ridiculously overpowered weapon(Like in Voltron, for example).
The music is typical synth Background Music, and the animation is rather dull and rehashed a lot.The shows plot follows as following: Pretty Boy Wannabes fight, and fight, and strike cool poses in over-powerful mechs and try to be melo-dramatic in a show with way to many characters for it's own good.
What follows is a grand sweeping tale of conspiracies, betrayal, hidden ulterior motives and conflict of ideals set among the backdrop of a world on the brink of war.Though it shares a number of elements in common with the previous gundam series, it was the execution of those story threads that i loved.
It emphasizes the point of view that no matter how powerful a weapon is, it is the weakness of the soldier behind the trigger that causes it to fail; seen in the many instances where the "invincible" gundams are defeated due to the pilot's and not the hardware's fault.The story also has a fresh style, focusing more on the larger scale political happenings in the war instead of the 5 main characters.
A pity that so much time and effort is spent planning out the otherwise convoluted storyline and in researching the underlying themes that little thought is given to character development or entertainment value.The most well developed characters are only Relena and Zechs Merquise, their motives and personality evolving nicely as the series moves along to its conclusion; Relana matures from a shy rich girl just moving through life into an assertive leader figure and Zechs' convictions to attain peace by any means necessary drive him to be a very compelling character.
I like this look as it lends a gritty gloomy feel to the show that matches its story.Gundam Wing is not a series for everyone.
Also the action isnt that great and the use of style isnt as good or effective as in other shows like G or Zeta Gundam.Overall it's a 3/10 show with little value.
Gundam Wing is an over inflated show with pretty boy characters and very poor animation.
Older Gundam series, like 0080 or Zeta Gundam, are much more in depth, with excellent mecha designs and very well animated battle scenes.
Gundam Wing uses many scenes over and over again in one fight, and it seems as if the main characters are totally invincible.If you are new to mecha anime, see Mobile Suit Gundam first, then you'll realize that this show is poorly made..
The idea that computers would control mobile suits with energy shields was rarely used if ever in the other series.This is coming from a 26 year old, so I know I have no place criticizing this; its more that I want to rationalize why I still enjoy it.The writing: As I said before, I enjoyed the overall plot, even if it is extremely naive.
Rating: 2.5 of 5 for not being original, I recommend you to watch Mobile Suit Gundam or other related series.
I had watched alot of UC Gundam and was getting somewhat tired of it...I needed something new and fresh(not to say UC isn't, I just saw too much of it).Some of my friends told me how great Gundam Wing is so I thought I'd give it a try....Aghh....this "series" is a complete and total rip off of the original gundam.Zechs?
Gundam Wing is about five boys with their own indestructible mobile suits fighting against evil, which seems too Justice League-like and ridiculous for most fans (how can one stage guerrilla warfare with a towering robot that can be seen miles away?).
I liked Gundam Wing, but it wasn't very original and the plot changes were far too confusing to follow and at many times didn't make any sense.
The 5 Gundam pilots were interesting characters but they lacked any depth to their history.In all it was good, but not Great.
Back then, my priority was always animation, delivery of action scenes and how 'cool' the Gundams were.Watching it again 16 years later, not only bought nostalgia but more understanding of what the movie transcends and the meaning the artist who made this wants us to interpret.
I may be biased because I did watch it as a child but I can honestly say this is the best anime/tv series I have ever seen just with the character development and continuity of storyline.
The contrast between the characters is stronger thanks to some give-or-take performances but a very well cast group of actors.Wing Gundam's pilot Heero Yuy is a highly trained soldier who suppresses his emotions but slowly learns the value of his humanity.
He may sound a little too old for his age, but Duo's English voice easily out ranks his irritatingly nasal Japanese one.Trowa, the pilot of Heavyarms, is a lost lonely soul who's only purpose so far has been combat; despite his inner desire to form connections with the people around him, he only knows how to kill, not to befriend.
This might not sit well with her youthful personification early in the series but as her character matures later into the story, her voice follows suit and ends up fitting in very well with the character development.Zechs Merquise would be one of the more drastically changed voices when compared to the Japanese version.
How I got into it: When I started watching this series on Cartoon Network,I have to say that I've never seen anything like this,and it was the best.
My favorite Gundams in the show that I liked the most are the Wing Zero,and Epyon,and of course the Altron,and Deathscythe I,and II.Meaning of the show: What this series also tells us that in real life,wars are very hard and we can sometimes win,or lose.
As a great action show with plenty of character and philosophy thrown in, Gundam Wing certainly stands the test of time, just don't expect to root for the good guys..
Gundam Wing to me happens to be a good anime.
I've watched almost all of the Gundam/Mech anime that have showed in the US and this by far has the best story.
The series follows a group of five 15 year old boys who have been trained to pilot state of the art mobile suits known as Gundams.
OK, firstly, i'd like to state that this review is for the English dub version of Gundam Wing, but only because i have not had the time to watch it in its original audio track.
For the first 6-7 episodes the beginning story is that the colonies have sent 5 gundam pilots to earth to fight for the freedom of the colonies from the oppressive Earth Sphere Aliance.The characters of the series are a mixed bunch.
No, really, I can understand why she was included in the series, but i think that they put too much emphasis on her being the peace-wanting person, as in the end it was just frustrating to watch any scenes that she was in.Despite the serious nature to the show, i always felt that it was just too kiddy-like in how it was presented.
Where as in some of the other Gundam series or other anime, people die, even main characters.
However, whilst we see many mobile suits blow up, or a glance of the pilots face, very rarely do we see a main character die which isn't what id expect from a series that is trying to show that war is wrong.
Make no mistake, a good anime, but not the best Gundam series.6.5/10.
I could write a big enough comment on any one of the characters in Gundam Wing, they could each lead the series with their internal conflicts.
Yes she does strike fear into the hearts of all men with that high pitched screech...No wonder Heero wants to kill her....In other words, I think Mobile Suit Gundam Wing is highly addictive and a very good animé show...and manga too ^_^.
Gundam Wing is one of the best Japanese Anime shows out there!
Gundam Wing is probably one of the best animated shows geared at teens, one reason is that, unlike most of the other action animation, it actually has a deeper plot than shoot the other guy.
The morals spread throughout the story about honor of battle and pacifism seem a bit corny in American dialogue, but all in all Gundam Wing is an extremely enjoyable Anime on Cartoon Network..
This is a first taste of a pure Japanese cartoon series.I hope Funimation, the translators of Dragon Ball Z, take a good look at Gundam Wing and change their methods for their upcoming episode translations.We have come a long way from Speed Racer, Gigantor, and Astro Boy.
I've seen the Chars Counterattack series and while the plot in them was great, I prefer the more modern style of anime with the hard-lined characters to the soft-and-squishy looking drawings.
I think Gundam Wing is the best anime show ever if not the best cartoon ever.
I've loved shoujo (girls) anime for years, but with the exception of Evangelion, most shounen (boys) - targeted shows have been brushed aside.This series bowled me over.Gundam Wing, in both its Japanese and dubbed formats (more the uncut dub, though) has proven itself to the exception to the rule.
Which leads to problems, since gundams are supposed to be destroyed, replaced by "Mobile Suits", which are piloted less-destructive weapon platforms and "Dolls" which are ran on A.I. and are used as grunt infantry.The whole point of the series is a metaphysical question that gives Gundam Wing an edge over a greater portion of the Anime that makes it's way here.
Gundam tops this by making sure that everyone knows that characters will die, machines will be destroyed and rebuilt, battles will be lost and won, and it never seems as though it makes the actions themselves satirical.But the magic of Gundam Wing is in the details, and what this series has that more anime would be grateful for having.
But the final two episodes and the overplayed-on-Cartoon-Network (back in 2001-2003) Mobile Suit Gundam Wing: Endless Waltz movie more than make up for the slack..
Like I said earlier, there is a LOT of side-switching, so characters end up fighting with the people they hated in the previous episode ALL THE TIME.
This one, Gundam Wing, has good character development, real-world complexity, interesting ideas and some pretty eye-candy.With characters, the initially weak Relena Dorlan (later Peacecraft, then back to Dorlan) gets stronger and more independent (although is still absolutely besotted with Heero Yuy, the series main character).
But sweet suit designs doesn't quite save the series from boring characters.Conclusion: In the end, Wing has cool fight scenes, though riddled with recycled animation, but shallow plot and character development. |
tt0107027 | Gojira vs. Mekagojira | Strange events are taking place in Okinawa. An Azumi priestess has a terrifying vision of a city being destroyed by a giant monster. A type of metal not found on earth is discovered in a cave by a spelunker, Masahiko Shimizu, who takes it to Professor Miyajima for examination. An excavation led by Masahiko's brother Keisuke accidentally uncovers a chamber filled with ancient artifacts and a mural bearing an ominous prophecy: "When a black mountain appears above the clouds, a huge monster will arise and try to destroy the world; but then, when the red moon sets and the sun rises in the west, two more shall appear to save humanity." Keisuke is joined by archaeologist Saeko Kaneshiro, who translates the prophecy and takes one of the artefacts, bearing the likeness of the legendary monster King Caesar, to study. Two men stalk them, one who speaks to them and claims to be a reporter interested in the story, the other of whom attempts to steal the statue from them but fails and flees.
Before long, the first sign appears in the form of a black cloud that looks like a mountain. Godzilla (or so it seems) emerges from Mount Fuji and begins a destructive rampage, despite the fact that it has become tolerant of humans within the last few years. Anguirus, usually Godzilla's ally, confronts it only to be nearly killed and forced to retreat, but not before inflicting a wound that exposes something shiny and metallic beneath Godzilla's skin. Keisuke arrives shortly after to make sure that his brother and the professor are out of harm's way and discovers another sample of the strange metal. Godzilla's rampage continues, at a refinery, until another Godzilla arrives out a factory building and begins to fight the other Godzilla. After a brief battle, the challenger is revealed to be the true Godzilla, while the other turns out to be Mechagodzilla, a massive robot armed with advanced weaponry in pseudo disguise as Godzilla. After MechaGodzilla's disguise is intentionally burnt off, the two battle. Causing the real Godzilla to be severely wounded but inflicts some damage on the machine; both monsters retreat hastily. Miyajima hypothesizes, based on MechaGodzilla's advanced technology and composition of unearthly metals, that the robot is an alien super weapon.
Keisuke and Saeko take the statue of King Caesar back to the temple by cruise ship, but are confronted by the thief once again. During the fight, the stranger's head is wounded and the skin on half of his face melts away to reveal an apelike visage. The intruder attempts to kill Keisuke and nearly succeeds, but a bullet from an unseen gunman kills him and propels him overboard. Keisuke and Saeko catch a brief glimpse of the "reporter" once again. Meanwhile, Godzilla arrives on Monster Island during a thunderstorm and is struck by lightning multiple times, seemingly reinvigorated.
Masahiko, Miyajima and his daughter Ikuko go to explore the cave where the metal was first found and are captured by the apelike aliens of the Third Planet from the Black Hole, who plan to use MechaGodzilla to conquer Earth. Their leader, Kuronuma, forces Miyajima to repair the robot. While Saeko checks into a hotel and guards the statue, Keisuke goes to meet his brother at the caves and instead encounters the reporter, who explains that his name is Nanbara and he is actually an Interpol agent who has been tracking the aliens and believed Keisuke to be connected to them. Nanbara and Keisuke infiltrate the alien base and free the prisoners. The team then splits up, with Miyajima, Nanbara, and Masahiko returning to the alien base and deliberately getting recaptured by Kuronuma, while Keisuke and Ikuko pick up Saeko and the statue from the hotel.
In the early hours of the morning, a lunar eclipse results in a red moon and a mirage creates the illusion of the sun rising in the west. The team realizes that the time has come to awaken King Caesar. They meet with the Azumi priestess and her grandfather, and place the statue on a platform in the temple, revealing the monster's resting place. However, just then, Kuronuma dispatches MechaGodzilla. The priestess sings a hymn that awakens King Caesar, and Godzilla appears shortly afterwards. King Caesar and Godzilla fight together, but they are no match for MechaGodzilla's vast array of weapons. Eventually, Godzilla uses the electricity stored in its body from the lightning to create a magnetic field that ensnares the robot, then removes its head, shutting off its controls. While the mortified aliens are distracted, Nanbara and the others free themselves, kill their captors, and sabotage the base, fleeing as it burns and collapses on itself. With the enemy defeated, Godzilla heads out to sea and King Caesar returns to its resting place while the heroes rejoice. | paranormal | train | wikipedia | Godzilla has a really busy time again: fighting the winged Radon, trashing a huge tin can named Mechagodzilla, and looking for his baby.
One novelty in the 90s Godzilla movies is the creation of a special group of experts called `G Force' who try not to let Godzilla wreck Japan as badly again as he did in the 60s.
First King Ghidorah, then Mothra, and now not one but three classic characters: Baby Godzilla, Rodan, and, of course, Mechagodzilla.
Plot: By reverse-engineering futuristic technology from the remains of Mecha-King Ghidorah, the Japanese government creates what they believe is the ultimate anti-Godzilla weapon: Mechagodzilla!
With this baby hatched, both Godzilla and Rodan are out to retrieve it as their own and Mechagodzilla is sent in to take them both out.
Human characters are at least likable, from the scientists to Miki Saegusa, the psychic who empathizes Godzilla and his son.My only complaint seems to be Mechagodzilla being a little too powerful like in his first movie.
It has everything you'd expect in a film like this: great action, wonderful music, character development, and, of course, lots of explosions.
Mechagodzilla is one of the best "kaiju" (giant monster) films ever made and is an action-packed, exciting film in general.
For the price of admission, you get Godzilla, the updated version of Rodan, the new and improved MechaGodzilla and the introduction of Baby Godzilla.
This is the best Godzilla movie since Destroy All Monsters.
Mechagodzilla, Baby Godzilla and Rodan all look great; way better than their Showa series counterparts.
Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla is another Hesei Film that reintroduces some classic Godzilla Monsters.
Overall it is a great action packed film with a great story as well.A new weopon is created, Mechagodzilla, to battle Godzilla.
I like how Godzilla gets to be the bad guy and Mechagodzilla is the good guy.
Definitely one of the most powerful monsters ever in a Godzilla film.Rodan gets to show up too, another great monster.
So Rodan gets in a lot of good action and is a great addition to the film.Also a baby godzilla is in this film.
Unlike Minya from the Showa Series this baby is not just a joke and it actually looks like Godzilla.Monster action is in abundance.
Though no new monsters were introduced, this movie brought back Godzilla and updated versions of Rodan, Mechagodzilla and the Son of Godzilla.
However, she was forced to be among the crew in Mechagodzilla so she can use her psychic powers to locate Godzilla's secondary brain and destroy it.
This film has a plain plot, but the excessive scenes of the monsters and the colorful characters made this an enjoyable movie.
When you watch his film closely, you could catch a brief scan of Tokyo Disneyland when Rodan flies over it (it is notable that Tokyo Disneyland opened in 1983 and this movie was released in 1993, marking 10 years of the theme park's anniversary).
Mechagodzilla, Rodan, Godzilla, and Baby Godzilla all look great and they look realistic as possible.
The egg ends up being a baby Godzilla and scientist stupidly bring it into a city and of course not only does Godzilla come for it, but so does Radon.
MechaGodzilla though pretty much tears Godzilla apart in their first meeting using its various weapons (I was disappointed when it did not have its finger missiles like the one from the earlier movies), unfortunately it malfunctions and it can not continue the fight.
We have a little Godzillasaurus, and momma is coming for her baby, flattening everything in the way.After Godzilla leaves empty handed, the G-Force is to use the baby inside their new Mechagodzilla to attract Godzilla and Radon.I have to say that things have really gotten futuristic in the almost twenty years of Godzilla.G-Force's new Mechagodzilla is clearly the eye-catcher in this film, and he is really well done.
He can shoot great beams out of his mouth like his role model, and when he launches his rocket nozzles and takes off, then we rally get the testosterone raised as we would love to be the pilot of this giant beast.This is definitely one of the most successful films of the Godzilla series..
For one it features the return of many favorites including MechaGodzilla (bigger and badder than ever), Rodan (although he is called "Radon" which is his Japanese name) Baby Godzilla (who could kick Minya's @$$ in 5 seconds) and Godzilla (who who could kick the Tristar Godzilla's @$$ in about 1 second!).
The story has characters that you care about, the effects are wonderful, the fight scenes are great, Rodan looks really cool as Fire Rodan, Garuda and MechaGodzilla are really awesome, and the dubbing matches 75% of the time!
Godzilla and Rodan go to Kyoto to find baby but instead find a huge battle with MechaGodzilla.
This film proves what I suspected all along - Godzilla is a female.As the movie opens, Godzilla and her recently divorced mate Rodan are engaged in a rather ugly custody battle over the unhatched egg of their daughter, Baby.
Gigan.Anyway, a group of human scientists (from Japan, the center of the universe in Godzilla films) offer Baby a foster-home in Kyoto.
Tired of the shouting and fisticuffs between her parents, she accepts.Godzilla knocks Rodan for a loop (not keeping up on his alimony, I suspect) and walks all over him (typical female); then, since she's not literate enough to write "Dear Abby", and not social enough to hire a lawyer (assuming one can call hiring a lawyer a "social" act), she wanders off the trailer-camp to search for her blood kin.Meanwhile some loopy scientists build a big rubber-"love"doll for Rodan, but worried he might get angry and start spitting fire at them, they coat it with metal and diamonds.However, when Rodan shows up, he's furious that the humans would try to foist this gaudy 'ho on him, and he's not at all happy with the foster home being made out of plastic model buildings, so he lights a doobie and smokes most of Kyoto with the fumes.
However, the Super-Godzilla "love"doll has some sex-toys rodan's never played with before, including a hunka plasma energy shot straight for the heart - Rodan looks down for the count, and Baby may just end up in a bawdy house, or, worse, a spinster in a convent.
The script is silly, the cast is in top form, the special effects are groovy - Rodan not only looks better in this film than he has in the old series, but better than his brief appearance in the later "Final Wars.
The story is very good and I really love the way Godzilla looks in this film.
After the initial Godzilla entry and King Kong versus Godzilla the Big Green One most often found himself in dreadful exploitation films (Destroy All Monsters excepted) until this 1993 battle royale.
Workable special effects with some impressive city destruction scenes, good acting as these things go, long periods of action, bearable subplots, some traditionally inane dialogue, all the elements align for a very enjoyable monster outing..
There have been dozens of giant monster movies made since Godzilla first appeared.
This movie is one of the true classics of the genre, all nations considered.The plot is simple: Godzilla attacks Japan when an egg carrying his offspring is taken by scientists.
The rest of the music is fitting as well (Ifukube brings back the theme that he used in Ghidrah and Monster Zero).Overall, a highly entertaining entry in not only the Godzilla series, but the kaiju movie as a whole.
The Japanese getting tired of their cities getting destroyed by Godzilla have decided to build their own mechanical state of the art monster called Mechagodzilla and he's got weaponry like a Power Ranger Zord.
Here production company Toho bring back Mechagodzilla, Rodan and sadly - they birth Baby Godzilla.
I love the baby Godzilla in this film.
maybe not the best but the most action packed Godzilla film.
Godzilla Vs Mechagodzilla is regarded by many as the best Godzilla film in the 'Heisei' series,and it's easy to see why,with it's non-stop action,revivals of three of the 'Showa' series monsters and huge amount of monster footage.
No leisurely build up here-we are plunged almost immediately into the action,and it than never lets up apart from a brief slowing down in the middle.This was Godzilla's 40th anniversary film,and so it is rife with scenes from Showa Godzilla films copied,including even certain shots-for instance,Godzilla attacking an oil refinary from the original Godzilla Vs Mothra,or Rodan knocking down Godzilla from Ghidorah the Three Headed Monster,there's a terrific knowingness to this film.
The plot here is very simple but effective in it's simplicity,and Akira Ifikube's score is simply wonderful,his best ever for a Godzilla film,full of memorable themes and often amazingly poignant.The film is let down a little by it's monsters-the new baby Godzilla is great and far better than 'Minya' from the 'Showa' series,but Rodan and Mechagodzilla look inferior to their predecessors.
It's difficult to say if this is better than the previous two films,it lacks the wild and crazy story of Godzilla Vs King Ghidorah or the sense of wonder and eye candy of Godzilla vs Mothra,but if you just want monsters on the rampage and battling it out,this one delivers wonderfully,and most Godzilla fans want little more than that..
The best thing about this film is its numerous all out, down and dirty giant monster battles with the likes of Fire Rodan, Godzilla and Super MechaGodzilla!
With an endearing and engaging story revolving around Godzilla and BabyGodzilla (this film's script is very well-written and one of the most solid in the franchise), quite memorable and likeable human characters with distinct personality traits, spectacular, practically flawless special effects, very entertaining, excitingly-directed fights, great acting, excellent pacing (easily the most entertaining Godzilla film of its era, with tons of exciting fights and monster screen time that is very well-spaced out), and a brilliant musical score by Akira Ifukube, Godzilla vs.
Mechagodzilla II (1993, 20th film in the franchise) is not a sequel to "Godzilla vs.
Mechagodzilla" (1974) or "Terror of Mechagodzilla" (1975) and the fact that there has already been a gigantic robotic version of Godzilla seems to have been lost to the kaiju amnesia that affects Japan every decade or so (Rodan, on the other hand, is remembered by name).
The special effects, which includes traditional suit-mation/puppetry and early CGI, looks pretty good, with an excellent Godzilla suit and some outstanding miniature work.
The film also features the 'Garuda', another in a line of highly improbable looking flying-tanks sent against the monsters, which in keeping with the 'transforming mecha' trend popular in the '90s, can attach to the Mechagodzilla to create a "Supermechagodzilla'.
The battle scenes are good, as is the music, and, if you are the correct demographic (which I am not), you can coo over the baby Godzilla.
The part at the end where the woman is saying goodbye to Baby Godzilla, sounds a bit like the love music from KING KONG ESCAPES), plus he palye up some original music.
The robot monster made a comeback in 2002 with GODZILLA X MECHAGODZILLA.
I mean yeah, there's some good monster action, and the young Godzilla makes it a little more fun to watch.
This lacks even that.From undeveloped ideas (the loosely soldier-psi girl-scientist's daughter love triangle to start with) to Mr. Lame pretending to be Green Goblin for several minutes to such details that Godzilla destroys some electric cables just because every G-movie has to at some point but when the camera angle changes there is no damage, this piece of cinematography is an insult on every level.Heck, I was even bored by the action.
But instead of making me worried for property-damage, cost of lives, whether the citizens can escape in time, whether they'll be able to divert the rampage before something famous like the Tokyo Tower gets destroyed, I just waved this away lazily with the thought "ye, that looks cool" like an insomniac at 2 AM high on marijuana while his apartment gets on fire.The reviewers usually give The Worst G-movie title to Godzilla vs Megalon (not counting All Monster Attack), but they are strongly mistaken.
The plot was somewhat weired with birth of baby Godzilla, and strange version of Rodan appearing which didn't fit in with the overall story, but I'll accept it as usual Godzilla story ploy to bring in more ????
City-stomping mayhem from Godzilla, with Rodan, a robot, and a baby to boot.
GODZILLA VS MECHAGODZILLA II sees the Japanese kaiju franchise continuing on a strong footing, with plenty of elements designed to make this a fun instalment in the series.
There's Godzilla, back and meaner than ever; Rodan makes a fitting appearance in the film and is the best thing in it; Baby Godzilla appears and overloads the cuteness factor; finally, in Mechagodzilla, we see a human-piloted machine worthy to rival those in PACIFIC RIM.The storyline is a complex one as ever, although it doesn't quite hang together the way some earlier films did.
The egg theft attracts some attention from both Godzilla and the mutated pteranodon Rodan, and Mechagodzilla will be put to the test as it fights to defend Japan against the two deadly, irradiated beasts.I was excited from the very beginning when the film's first line of dialogue, "At last, now we have it: a weapon to kill Godzilla" was spoken with absolute seriousness.
Godzilla actually looks pretty awesome, but Rodan doesn't fare as well.
Good Fun. The United Nations assembles the ultimate weapon to defeat Godzilla, while scientists discover a fresh pteranodon egg on a remote Japanese island.Godzilla scholar Ed Godziszewski wrote that "of all the films of the (Heisei era), Godzilla vs MechaGodzilla II represents Toho's most technically and artistically successful effort." He would know better than I would, so I will just have to go along with that.Overall, this was one of the more polished Godzilla films I have seen, and with plenty of action.
Godzilla is no doubt the star and he probably gets the most screen time than in any other Heisei film.
Both sounded great, as well as the revamped JSDF march.With a great story, incredible monsters and bad ass fights, with nice human characters as well, this G-film is one of my all-time favorites.
And this film marks the return of three classic giant Japanese monsters who haven't been seen since Godzilla's earlier first-generation Showa-Era adventures.
Two years later, they come up with the cyborg-monster Mechagodzilla.Now if you remember, kiddies, the last time Mechagodzilla appeared in a "Godzilla" film, was 1975's "Terror of Mechagodzilla" (direct sequel to 1974's "Godzilla vs.
Mechagodzilla II" is a strange title for this movie since it is not technically a sequel to any of the films ("Godzilla vs.
Mechagodzilla" and "Terror of Mechagodzilla," remember) produced during the Showa Era. It is, instead, a follow-up to the previous film, "Godzilla and Mothra: The Battle for Earth" (1992).
Mechagodzilla II" is definitely one of the better films to come out during this time, and with good reason.What makes this film so special, I think, is that it injects some much-needed "cuteness" into the kaiju-style proceedings, which is something that hasn't been done in a while.
Because that is what Baby Godzilla gets out of you, even for those film critics who may not have been issued hearts at birth.
And the film's ending still pulls at your heartstrings because Baby has become attached to his surrogate mother Azusa Gojo, and vice-versa, but they both know where he ultimately belongs - with his father - which will be good for both him and the rest of humanity, as a whole."Godzilla vs.
It also provides some stellar kaiju battles between two warring parental figures - Godzilla and Rodan - and the violent intervention of a third monster, Godzilla's cyborg doppelganger, Mechagodzilla.
good monster movie with a plot.
it aims at a ticker plot by adding baby godzilla (i like this much better than minilla ), raised in a laboratory after his egg has been stolen from...fire rodan the flying dinosaur, who obviously thought it was his!
Off and on throughout the movie, I dozed off and probably missed some crucial plot points.I stayed awake long enough to learn that the latest Mechagodzilla incarnation originated from a Japanese organization called G-Force (with a sleek United Nations-like logo) whose sole aim is to destroy Godzilla.
I remember G-Force using the frightened "Baby" as bait for - Godzilla and maybe Rodan, I guess.
The movie earns 5 stars for the Godzilla fight action.
There's a lot of good monster fighting.The rest of the movie is crap.
But despite the egg being covered by the plants, and apparently Godzilla's and Rodan's island covered with them, baby G and Rodan don't get empowered by the song until some weird psychic kids sing it.Mechagodzilla is much better as an enemy controlled by evil villains than as a weapon people use to fight Godzilla.
By far one of if not the best of the Godzilla Films..
Unlike the last film, it is generally agreed upon that Toho knew they wanted a Mechagodzilla movie for their 1993 G flick.
True to its action-packed form, there are plenty of monsters in the movie.Godzilla maintains his good looks yet again, but now he's got a baby.
Rodan makes a comeback for this movie, and he looks pretty good.
At least it was an improvement over the last two films, if nothing else (lack of pacing issues makes this one so much better).As an aside, one of the qualms I have with the movie is Baby Godzilla.
Even when Godzilla walks up to Baby Godzilla at the end of the movie, it looks way too small.
Plus, the name might draw a false relationship to Godzilla's original form, the 1944 Godzillasaurus.This film would probably only get like a 4.5/10 from me, but the monster action saves the day somewhat, so 6/10 it is. |
tt0062136 | Playtime | Playtime is structured in six sequences, linked by two characters who repeatedly encounter one another in the course of a day: Barbara, a young American tourist visiting Paris with a group composed primarily of middle-aged American women, and Monsieur Hulot, a befuddled Frenchman lost in the new modernity of Paris. The sequences are as follows:
The Airport: the American tour group arrives at the ultra-modern and impersonal Orly Airport.
The Offices: M. Hulot arrives at one of the glass and steel buildings for an important meeting, but gets lost in a maze of disguised rooms and offices, eventually stumbling into a trade exhibition of lookalike business office designs and furniture nearly identical to those in the rest of the building.
The Trade Exhibition: M. Hulot and the American tourists are introduced to the latest modern gadgets, including a door that slams "in golden silence" and a broom with headlights, while the Paris of legend goes all but unnoticed save for a flower-seller's stall and a single reflection of the Eiffel Tower in a glass window.
The Apartments: as night falls, M. Hulot meets an old friend who invites him to his sparsely furnished, ultra-modern and glass-fronted flat. This sequence is filmed entirely from the street, observing Hulot and other building residents through uncurtained floor-to-ceiling picture windows.
The Royal Garden: This sequence takes up almost the entire second half of the film. At the restaurant, Hulot reunites with several characters he has periodically encountered during the day, along with a few new ones, including a nostalgic ballad singer and a boisterous American businessman.
The Carousel of Cars: Hulot buys Barbara two small gifts as mementos of Paris before her departure. In the midst of a complex ballet of cars in a traffic circle, the tourists' bus returns to the airport. | psychedelic, humor, boring | train | wikipedia | It wasn't and "Play Time" bankrupted Tati, forcing him to sell the rights of all his films for little more than a fee.
The result is a bewildering pastiche of people on their daily do-abouts in modern Paris (the old Paris, like the Eiffel Tower, is only seen through reflections in the glass facades) amidst flickering neon signs, voices through intercoms, buzzers, and through all this, Monsieur Hulot tries to find his way while stumbling across the urban frenzy surrounding him.
I think for most people, it's all a little too much upon first viewing and in many ways it remains a bit of a folly, a director gone mad in making a film no audience was ripe for at the time, and perhaps never will be.
But Mr. Hulot doesn't mind, he goes along with it and enjoys it all the way, just like the viewer.In another Tati movie, Mr. Hulot's Vacation, there is a scene where he's resting on a beach, and his drink floats away with a wave and floats back just as he reaches for it.
Apparently, he created an entire 1/5th scale city outside Paris and shot over the course of three years to get this honey in the can, and man-o-man, does it show.This is the kind of film that reminds a viewer just how standardized modern cinematic narrative has become.
Everything changes, but the spirit of things remain.This he manages to show in a series of beautiful scenes, brilliant observations, in a Paris which has been rebuilt to the extent, where the old Frenchman doesn't find his way around it, anymore, and the Eiffel tower can only be found in reflections on shiny glass or steel surfaces of modern buildings.This is a film language all of its own, and driven to a razor sharp perfection.
Playtime (and nearly all other works by Tati, which are all must-sees), on the other hand, has long sequences with no reason to laugh, and then it hits the audience with a gag (or, in this film`s case, rather an anecdote) - which is only a few seconds long.
Amid the babble of English, French and German tourists, Hulot tries to reconcile the old-fashioned ways with the confusion of the encroaching age of technology.The first time I saw it was on a video tape with lousy qualityand the second time was on Criterion Collection and I thought it was great BUT why could not it be a little bit more funny?????????
You can watch it how many times you want and still find new things in the film.Also I saw how expensive it was to make.Jacques Tati must have build up a whole town because the set is so fantastic BIG!!!!But when Monsieur Hulot comes to the nightclub it gets the same old hilarious Tati.Rating: 5/5 Some day I hope that I will see this in 70 mm but untill then Criterion Collection is a good choice!!!!!.
(Modern technology is the golden cow that Tati playfully cuts down to size.) On the opposite end of the spectrum, however, is a work that stands the art of film on its head, commenting wryly on the nature of human beings, culminating to a party in a restaurant that gets completely out of hand.
Although idealistic and pure in some sense and appreciated for that (consider Philip Johnson's Glass House in New Canaan), it is often better looked at or visited than lived in.From one viewpoint, the entire film can be seen as a criticism of that architectural school.
While the movie looks fine and dandy on the outside, and features grand cinematography; it feels like an utterly incomplete film with its lack of plot, lack of direction, refusal to edit anything unnecessary, lack of memorable scenes, lack of memorable characters, and overall lack of mercy towards the audience by crafting a 120+ minute movie out of something that could have been told in a mere half an hour.
Jaques Tati has an eye for the camera, but lacks the heart and lacks the edge that allows for him to excel in levels that Chaplin, Keaton, and then Chan achieved; the previous three actor/directors created memorable characters as well as good settings that allow them to compose their magic (in the case of Chaplin it's his bittersweet slapstick comedy, for Keaton it's his timing and slapstick, and Chan it's his fight choreography and incredible physical stunts).Despite what the modern-day critics say, the audience during the 60s had it right when they refused to see it (resulting in the bankruptcy of Tati); they didn't like the total lack of story and the lack of the lead character.
The sets look fantastic (and expensive) and ultimately becomes the most interesting aspect of Play Time, as the audience you are instantly engaged in the area as we see long shot after long shot of the major skyscraper-like structure where most of the movie takes place and the adjacent buildings surrounding it.
Jacques Tati's finest creation is a masterpiece of democratic comedy: a dense, plot less satire of modern times, in which no single character or joke is allowed to dominate.
Every choreographed rhythm, every odd visual juxtaposition, hides a gag, but the audience is obliged to scrutinize each image for the hidden pattern or inconsistency (Tati's camera is so impartial that first-time viewers may likely miss half the humor).The meandering storyline follows a busload of American tourists around an unrecognizable Paris of uniform chrome and glass skyscrapers, moving eventually to a swank nightclub not yet ready for business, where all hell naturally breaks loose.
Hulot, always at the mercy of his environment and never quite able to follow the upended anthill of activity around him.In Tati's vision of city life the last vestige of old-world tradition remaining from his earlier 'Mon Oncle' has been totally eradicated, turning the City of Light into a hectic, synthetic metropolis where even some of the inhabitants have become artificial (look close at the background figures during the trade-show sequence).
After seeing this film at The Egyptian in Los Angeles I looked it up on IMDb to see if I could a)find information about the sets and b)find out why people like this movie.The movie was indeed visually stunning but just because Tati spent years filming on full-scale sets doesn't make it great.
The frames are filled with odd details and actions on the fringes of the screen that you may not catch the first time you see it (or the tenth for that matter.) Certainly the film play better the more you've seen it.
Tati is a master of the subtle joke: a toy airplane slowly melts in the background while characters complain of the heat; a travel agency containing travel posters for different countries, where all the posters features the same modern building.Builders spent three years constructing Tati's sets, and it was time well spent.
He mixes sophisticated caricatures with the most insane world he ever created, all with iconic sets, full size to allow Tati to choreograph the camera effortlessly, without going into the close-up shots that he detested so."All these electrical thingamajigs!" one man gives out to himself early on in the film, epitomizing the subject of the M.
Hulot's Holiday may be better, and Traffic may be more touching, but this has the feel that Jacques Tati had been wanting to make it ever since he started with films..
I can certainly see the appeal and why it has been so critically acclaimed, but after 45 years of culture and cinematic progression, I feel that whatever relevance/edge this film once had has been lost, and many modern viewers will not understand it.The story, as minimalist as it is, features director Tati starring as Mr. Hulot, who has an important appointment in a retro-futuristic Paris but keeps getting lost and distracted through a long series of sight-gags and pratfalls.
I couldn't imagine sitting through yet another half-hour of this poorly-timed, occasionally funny mistake by Jacques Tati.There are some memorable moments in the movie.
And the odd mix of English and French makes me wonder who Tati thought his audience was.Supposedly, this was his view of "Modern" or even futuristic France, but PLAY TIME has a very dreary 60s ambiance that gets wearisome after the first few reels.Having just watched the far funnier and charming JOUR DE FETE made PLAY TIME seem even more lackluster and misbegotten.
A testament to my patience is that I started fast-forwarding at least an hour into the movie.I confess there is much in Playtime that is unique and I could see many things that reminded me of entertaining films like Peter Sellers The Party or Spielberg's The Terminal.
After Jacques Tati made his third feature film, Mon Oncle, in 1958, it took him nine years to wrap shooting on his next project Playtime, having had to generate funding (some of which was personal), and construct an entire metropolitan setting from scratch.
I have not be very kind before for any of his movies because they were subtle comedies that were just being too subtle and therefore worked out as slow and boring ones for me, that just weren't very funny at all.This movie is basically just like Jacques Tati's other work as well, which means that it has lots of slapstick humor but is being a real subtle one as well.
However in this case this movie does everything much better and way more effective, comedy-wise, making this a very pleasant and amusing movie to watch.Just like especially Jacques Tati's previous movie "Mon oncle", this movie seems to criticize a lot and is often being a social satire.
Tati for me is a fantastic discovery.He is a real auteur filmmaker in our modern time.look at the comic scenes he had made in this film, how fresh and unique they are.how deeply he criticized our modern communication even more effective than philosophers,because he declared his ideas with the language of comedy and satire,and this is the fact that makes his films unique and eternal.
The answer is Tati's form.if his works have a simple content,instead his works have a wonderful,interesting form I mean the way he tells his story .and the way he chose is full of gag, sitcom and visual jokes.his silent comedy in the film is great,no dialog, it's all sound and picture,so it's a pure cinema in which, Tati is a real master.In fact Tati's style in comedy is unique,a combination of mime and situation comedy two kinds of comedy that is very weak these days.
Now i want to go straightly to the film and give you some examples that you can understand why I call this, a great masterpiece in comedy genre.the best sequence of the movie surely is the party sequence in which Tati had showed his great talent,if you count the number of jokes he made in this scene you'll wonder.the size of shot in this sequence is long-shot, Tati's favorite size, and we have a long depth of field in which every things in focus.
And there are some moments in which three different comic jokes is in process in the background,foreground and in the mid-ground.this pattern may be hard for the public but if you are a real buff you can understand the main concept of actions.the other point that is important in the film is the creative function of soundtrack,the soundtrack is meticulously designed by Tati and is very rich,as rich as you can't imagine the film without it's soundtrack.it gives you the atmosphere of a modern industrial community and there are a lot of comic imaginary sounds that you can laugh at.
The difference between a world which looks like an endless waiting room and one which looks like carousel, is a matter of how you look a it.Hard to follow, at first (kind of the point, it's like a maze), but once you get to the restaurant scene and the social and technological machines break down, everything comes to life in a big way.If anyone has seen "Last Year At Marienbad", imagine those shifting figures in the garden, crowding through a labyrinth qausi-futuristic Paris (lookout for the Hal 3000 parody), and getting into all kinds of gentle comedic mishaps.
When a wall at the restaurant falls down, a tycoon sits down in front of it, and declares it the "VIP only section".In Johnathan Rosenbaums essay, which comes with the Critereon Collection of this film (thank you CSUN library), he writes, what I think is probably the best description of the film, "It directs us to look around at the world we live in (the one we keep building), then at each other, and to see how funny that relationship is and how many brilliant possibilities we still have in a shopping-mall world that perpetually suggests otherwise; to look and see that there are many possibilities and that the play between them, activated by the dance of our gaze, can become a kind of comic ballet, one that we both observe and perform
" The running gag in playtime is that modernity, in all it's forms, is kind of anti-theatrical to human life, or in other words, technology and it's fashions are bad.
Glass walls which give the impression there are no barriers, metallic grays to imply efficiency and technological progress, dull colors to not draw undue attention to yourself in the urban environment, a world designed to look like a waiting room, an airport, or a hotel, someplace familiar and sterile.Anytime anyone tries to use a machine it back fires or derails somehow, while others literally live in glass houses, their lives permanently on display(In one great scene Tatti implies this alienation by showing two families separated by a wall both watching TV, where from the outside it looks like their in the same room, having a conversation, reacting to each others presence.) What makes "Playtime" truly great, is not that it is a clever satire on modern life, but that it finds a way to celebrate the human beings who operate these machines and live through these fashions, not merely to mourn them as passive de-humanized drones.
In Play Time it's not aggressive or delirious, but a work that's as carefully balanced and, dare I say, 'light' that it's like a beautiful deck of cards stacked so high that one piece goes wrong and the whole thing tumbles down.Which makes Tati's film all the more a gamble, and one that pays off quite exceptionally.
Coming off his Academy award-winning film Mon Oncle (1958), Jacques Tati decided that he wanted to distance himself from his charming Mr. Hulot character to focus on something different.
Years later, Playtime continues to be one of the most intelligent, charming, and beautiful comedies ever made.Utilizing large, custom built sets, Tati creates a sterile, cold world full of technological conveniences.
Playtime (1967), written and directed by Jacques Tati and probably one of his most brilliant films, is one of a kind, an amazingly funny movie that drives rather on incidents of comedic value than a funny dialogue-based script.
and, from my experience, a Tati film ought to be seen a couple of times before a ruling, but I must let this comment stand as my primary reaction to Playtime.M. Hulot's Holiday and Mon Oncle are deceptively simple films.
The film commences in its befuddling narrative-void montages of variegated characters in the Paris airport of the vintage time, later, follows a group of American housewives-tourists embarks on their city route, first stop is a futuristic modern edifice of an Expo-esque site for a visit, while incorporating Monsieur Hulot (Tati himself), a well-mannered old man who keeps bypassing the man whom he supposedly should meet.
The restaurant bulk is more lively (both visually and aurally), a masterly farce encompasses minute boo-boos with miscellaneous players, every and each is done with a light touch but effectively strikes a chord with its resourceful wits and humor, and for certain, multiple watching is a must to extensively sense the virtuosity of all the arrangements, slap sticks and the esprit de corps, it is also the dramatic personae's playtime, in spite of that each and every one is bit part, counting Monsieur Hulot.Near the end, Tati culminates his love letter to Paris with a carousel-alike orchestration of vehicles lumbering around a circular parterre, an innovative amusement park metaphor renders immense pleasure through Tati's mojo.The film cost Tati 10 years in debt due to its commercial failure, with only 5 films made through his time, sadly it is a genius filmmaker and comedian who is way ahead of his time and should have been appreciated more.
This is a piece of exquisite artwork created in 1967 by master Jacques Tati who also played Monsieur Hulot the main character (as if I know anything about art).
Why was Play Time a failure, sending Jacques Tati into bankruptcy and costing him control over his life's work of films?
In his earlier movies, Tati was careful to give us small numbers of people with whom, along with Hulot, we could come to know.
The third Film of Jaques Tati with his ingenious Monsieur Hulot character takes us to the final place of science and technology, a vast city build completely in glass and steel (and plastic of course).
I knew about this French film when I saw it listed in the 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book, it was the last in the book from director Jacques Tati (Monsieur Hulot's Holiday), and another follow up from Mon Oncle, featuring his most popular character.
Basically, set in Paris, six sequences structure the story, as in the course of one day American Tourist (Barbara Dennek), visiting with a group of mostly middle-aged American women, and befuddled Monsieur Hulot (Jacques Tati), the Frenchman lost in the modern city, these two characters repeatedly encounter each other.
Tati found that this was comedy, the older gentleman has trouble with the approaching world.The whole film takes place, as we are supposed to believe, is a 24 hour time period about the lives of M. |
tt0415947 | The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age | Although the main narrative of the game runs parallel to the narrative in the film trilogy, the plot is not intended as an original canonical story to fit into the plot as developed in the films. This is primarily seen insofar as the party are present during certain battles which in the films are solo fights, such as when Gandalf faces the Balrog in The Fellowship of the Ring or when Éowyn faces the Witch-king of Angmar in The Return of the King. The game also features events which don't take place in the films at all; such as a battle between the party and Gríma Wormtongue in Snowbourne, and another against the Eye of Sauron atop Barad-dûr. Throughout the game, Gandalf 'speaks' to Berethor by means of "Epic Scenes"; film clips which the player can collect and which feature original narration by Gandalf. These clips give context to much of the plot and serve to offer advice to Berethor of events in the wider world.
=== Background ===
The game is presented against the background of the history of the One Ring. At the dawn of the Second Age, after the defeat of the Dark Lord, Morgoth, the elves of Eregion forged the nineteen Rings of Power to help themselves, the dwarves and men rule Middle-earth. However, the elves were unaware that Sauron, Morgoth's closest ally, had survived his master's defeat, and in the guise of Annatar had been the one who taught the Elven-smiths, led by Celebrimbor, how to forge the Rings, whilst, in secret, he forged his own One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom, a Ring far more powerful than any of the others. However, in order for the One Ring to be powerful enough to control the other Rings, Sauron had to transfer most of his power into it. As soon as he put it on, the elves became aware of his ruse, removing and hiding their Three Rings, which Celebrimbor had forged without Sauron's aid. Sauron waged war on the elves, conquering much of Middle-earth and killing Celebrimbor. Thus began the Dark Years, when Sauron took possession of the remaining sixteen Rings, giving seven to the dwarves and nine to men in an effort to corrupt them. The dwarves proved relatively immune to the powers of the Rings, acquiring only a greed for gold, and becoming unconcerned with events in the wider world. Men proved less resilient, and the nine kings given the Rings become the nine Ring-wraiths, or Nazgûl, led by the Witch-king of Angmar.
In his ongoing efforts to conquer Middle-earth, Sauron regained the allegiance of many of Morgoth's servants from the First Age, and successfully corrupted Númenor. However, in doing so, he expended a great deal of his power, and lost the ability to ever again assume a pleasing disguise. Returning to Mordor, he regained his strength, eventually capturing Minas Ithil. However, realizing that if they did not join together, Sauron would destroy both men and elves, Elendil, High-King of Arnor, and Gil-galad, High-King of Noldor, formed the Last Alliance of Men and Elves, and attacked Sauron in his fortress, Barad-dûr. The alliance was victorious, with Isildur cutting the One Ring from Sauron's hand. However, although presented with a chance to destroy the Ring forever, Isildur, already beginning to succumb to its corruption, chose not to do so. As such, although Sauron's physical form was vanquished, his spirit, bound to the Ring, survived. Some time later, Isildur was attacked and killed by a band of orcs, and the Ring was lost in the river Anduin for over two thousand years.
Meanwhile, during the Third Age, a still weakened Sauron covertly established a stronghold at Dol Guldur. In response to this undetermined evil, the Valar sent five Maiar to Middle-earth. Taking the form of wizards, they were led by Saruman. Unsure of the origin of the evil power in Dol Guldur, the wizard Gandalf was sent to investigate. However, Sauron hid from Gandalf, waiting for four hundred years before returning. Around the same time, the One Ring was found by a Hobbit named Sméagol, who became utterly corrupted by it, living in the caves of the Misty Mountains, and physically transforming into a creature known as Gollum. For five hundred years, Gollum was consumed and corrupted by the Ring. Eventually, Gandalf was able to determine the evil presence in Dol Guldur was indeed Sauron. Gandalf reported back to the White Council, but Saruman dissuaded them from moving against Sauron. Only when he learned the One Ring may be in the vicinity of the Gladden Fields did Saruman agree to attack Sauron, hoping to find the Ring himself. The Council drove Sauron from Dol Guldur, unaware that he knew the Ring had been found. Just prior to Sauron's departure, the Ring passed to another hobbit, Bilbo Baggins, who used it to assist in the victory of elves, men and dwarves at the Battle of the Five Armies. Sixty years later, Gollum was captured by orcs, and taken to Mordor, where he was tortured into revealing the owner and location of the Ring; Bilbo Baggins of the Shire. In the meantime, Bilbo had left the Shire to live in Rivendell, and upon the advice of Gandalf had (very reluctantly) given the Ring to his nephew, Frodo Baggins. With the information given him by Gollum, Sauron, still unable to take physical form, thus sent the Nazgûl to the Shire to retrieve the One Ring. Frodo, and his friends, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrin "Pippin" Took and Meriadoc "Merry" Brandybuck managed to escape the Shire and make it to Bree, where they encountered the ranger Aragorn, the last surviving descendent of Isildur, and rightful heir to the throne of Gondor. Aragorn protected the hobbits on their journey to Rivendell, and upon their arrival, Elrond formed a Fellowship with the goal of bringing the Ring to Mordor to destroy it. The Fellowship is composed of Frodo, Sam, Merry, Pippin, Aragorn, Gandalf, a silvan elf from Mirkwood named Legolas, a dwarf from Erebor named Gimli, and a man from Gondor named Boromir, son of Denethor, Steward of Gondor.
=== Plot ===
The game begins with Berethor (voiced by Rhys Lloyd), a captain in the Citadel Guard of Gondor, travelling to Rivendell to find Boromir at the behest of Denethor. On the outskirts of Rivendell, he is attacked by the Nazgûl, but is rescued by Idrial (Lori Phillips), an elf in the service of Galadriel. As they travel through the forest, they see a murder of crebain and Idrial deduces Saruman (Christopher Lee) has betrayed the elves leaving Middle-earth for the Grey Havens. Seeing her convoy under attack by Isengard orcs, she and Berethor intervene. They then head to Caradhras to seek any further survivors, and there meet Elegost (Chris Edgerly), a Dúnedain ranger hunting wargs. They learn the Fellowship tried to pass over Caradhras recently, but were prevented from doing so by a snowstorm unleashed by Saruman, and so they instead elected to pass through the mines of Moria. Elegost explains he was hunting with a dwarven companion when they were caught in the storm, and separated. The three head towards Moria, soon finding the dwarf, Hadhod (Lewis MacLeod).
Upon entering Moria, Hadhod learns the rumors regarding Balin and the dwarves are true; they have been wiped out by orcs. They pursue the Fellowship, finding themselves on the floor below them, and seeing a Balrog ascending from the depths. They follow it, eventually reaching the Bridge of Khazad-dûm. There they join Gandalf (Ian McKellen) as he faces the Balrog. They help him to victory, but are unable to prevent him falling from the bridge. However, unbeknownst to the Fellowship, Gandalf is resurrected by the Valar. Meanwhile, the party exits Moria and follows in the footsteps of the Fellowship, passing through Lothlórien.
They soon learn that Boromir is dead, that Frodo and Sam have headed towards Mordor to destroy the Ring, and that the rest of the Fellowship have gone to Rohan. They too head towards Rohan. However, Saruman has used his agent, Gríma Wormtongue, to corrupt Théoden, King of Rohan, manipulating him into banishing Éomer, captain of the Rohirrim. Saruman plans to use the division caused by this to destroy Rohan. The party meet the resurrected Gandalf, who tells them they must assemble Éomer's men and head towards Helm's Deep, where Rohan will make a last stand against Saruman's army. In the meantime, Gandalf will attempt to release Théoden from Saruman's curse. Soon thereafter, they meet a woman named Morwen (Lori Phillips), who joins the party on the road to Helm's Deep in the hopes of finding her family. Having assembled Éomer's scattered forces, the party begin to make their way to Helm's Deep. On the journey, Morwen reveals she is originally from Minas Tirith, and the party receive word that Théoden has been released from Saruman's spell. On the road, they meet Éoaden (Charles Martinet), a member of Rohan's Royal Guard, who joins them. Soon thereafter, they find the bodies of Morwen's family, killed by wargs, before arriving at Helm's Deep.
Inside the fortress, they prepare for battle. Soon, Saruman's army of 10,000 Uruk-hai arrive. They breach the outer walls using explosives and overwhelm the inner defenses. As Berethor fights, he suddenly hears the voice of Saruman telling him he shall be punished for his betrayal. Gandalf and Éomer arrive with the Rohirrim, attacking and decimating the Uruk-hai army. Meanwhile, the Ents, roused to war by Saruman's partial destruction of Fangorn Forest, lay siege to Orthanc, ending Saruman's involvement in the war. Gandalf then explains to Berethor why he heard the voice of Saruman - Berethor was captured by Saruman, who put him under a spell. Saruman believed Boromir would take the Ring from Frodo, and Berethor's job was to take it from Boromir and return it to Saruman. However, Boromir did not take the Ring. Knowing of Saruman's plan, Gandalf and Galadriel sent Idrial to find Berethor and stay by him until the spell could be broken, and with the destruction of Orthanc, Berethor is freed from the spell.
Gandalf tells the party that Sauron will now turn his eye to Minas Tirith. Gandalf rides on ahead, and sends the party to the ruined city of Osgiliath, to stand alongside Boromir's brother, Faramir. As they await the arrival of the army, Berethor muses that Osgiliath seems familiar to him. Éoaden remembers a Gondorian warrior who fought under Boromir during the defense of the city some time ago, but who fled the battle in fear. The party realize that Berethor is that man. He vows he will never flee again, and the party join Faramir in a fight against Gothmog. They defeat him, but he flees before they can kill him. Gandalf then summons the party back to Minas Tirith. Before they leave, however, Berethor learns the reason he fled Osgiliath was because he was stabbed by a Morgul blade, the tip of which is still within him. He and Idrial face the Witch-king, but Idrial explains he cannot harm the Witch-king whilst the blade is still inside him. He cuts it out and they attack the Witch-king, driving him off. The party then head to Minas Tirith.
They reach the city just after the Mordor army has breached the main gate, with orcs rampaging through the streets. Meanwhile, the Witch-king confronts Gandalf, who is joined by the party in the fight. During the battle, they hear the horns of the Rohirrim, and the Witch-king flees. The party head to the citadel at the top of the city, where they witness the death of the insane Denethor at the hands of Gandalf. They then learn that Aragorn is on his way with the Army of the Dead. The battle moves to the Pelennor Fields as the Rohirrim charge the Mordor army. The Witch-king attacks Théoden, and Éowyn comes to his aid. The party join her as she fights and they are able to defeat him. Soon thereafter Aragorn arrives with the Army of the Dead, who wipe out the Mordor army.
As the party celebrate, the eight remaining Nazgûl attack, stabbing Morwen. They defeat the Nazgûl, and Aragorn is able to save Morwen's life. He then tells the party the entire army is to march on the Black Gate to distract Sauron from Frodo's approach to Mount Doom. At the same time, the party attack the Eye of Sauron itself. As they fight, Frodo successfully destroys the Ring, and Sauron is defeated. In the aftermath of the victory, Gandalf tells Berethor he will face more adventures, saying "Your tale has hardly begun." | good versus evil, violence, action, romantic | train | wikipedia | Doesn't break the LOTR licence trend one bit. In other words, the game is based around unbalanced play, annoying repetition, an over-reliance on the power of recognition, and little else. This is especially sad, given that the game had so much potential to be more. Unfortunately, EA Games has long had the attitude of "who cares if it is good? It has Brand X on it, it will sell!". They killed the Command & Conquer franchise with this attitude, and it looks as if they intend to milk every last drop from The Lord Of The Rings without changing it one little bit. To its credit, the Final Fantasy-style combat structure does manage to engage the player for the first couple of realms, but it all goes downhill in a hurry after that. This is not surprising when one considers that the game was made by EA, who have long shown no interest in what happens to the player's sense of enjoyment once they have money. It is difficult to believe that this is the same company that produced such innovations as California Games.The Third Age's plot, such as it is, revolves around a party of adventurers who follow something of a similar path to the Fellowship depicted in the film trilogy. Therein lies the first mistake of the game. By following the films too closely, it inherits all the mistakes. Gone are all the truly interesting aspects of Tolkien's universe, only to be replaced by long, tedious strolls through very linear mazes, or equally tedious battle events, which pop up so frequently during the aforementioned walks that it is a wonder epileptics haven't shown violent reactions. More interesting to note is the promise of authentic footage from the films to pick up as a bonus during the game. It would have been nice if this had meant footage that viewers of the films in any form have not seen at least three times already. Sadly, it does not. Not only is footage from the film all they show, so little is used that one can expect to see each segment, in different edits, at least a dozen times.But the real evidence that EA Games did not do their homework lies in the battle sequences. The biggest problem with them, in a nutshell, is balance. Early on in the game, it is possible to win the most difficult combats if one keeps their head on right and focuses on strategy. It is not until we get to Rohan, however, that the balance problem really comes out to attack. I would be willing to bet generously that if one were to take a couple of hundred hours worth of footage of people playing this game, then edit everything out bar the missed strikes, missed strikes from the player characters would outnumber those of the CPU characters by a factor of at least ten to one. I realise it is hard to program a margin of human error into an artificial intelligence, but this goes way beyond unbalanced. This is what those of us who remember the good old days when games had only gameplay to rely upon call rigged. I am going to keep saying it until either I die or they listen, but between making a short game and making one that feels rigged after a mere few hours' play, making the short game is the smarter choice.Unfortunately, this rigged feel just keeps building and building until it reaches truly ludicrous heights. It is possible to even reach situations where all of your characters are low enough on health that a singular blow may kill them, but the enemy has stolen enough health from your characters that it is as if they never received a scratch. Couple this with the aforementioned miss/dodge ratio, and you can see that this game has big problems. Indeed, it is only because I kept my temper and purchased an Action Replay program in order to swing the balance back to something that approximates fairness that I have not thrown this disc at a nearby road. During the Minas Tirith sequences, it is utterly impossible to win combats without doing this. The use of blows that take the balance of turn sequencing away doesn't help, either.All of this would be forgivable if the characters were likable enough to make the player care about their personal quests. They accomplish this to some extent. While the lead hero gets boring, even childish after a while, the saving grace with the characters is Hadhod, the Dwarf. Perhaps EA were trying to atone for the appalling racist Dwarf caricature of the film trilogy by proxy. Either way, if they had focused on this character during the game rather than the beaten-to-death Men or Elves, this might have made the story vaguely compelling. As it is, the rest of the cast have about as much depth as an episode of Neighbours, and often a delivery to match. I realise that voice actors for video games almost always record their voiceovers before they get to see any game footage, but even if they have to deliver the most stilted of dialogue, they could at least try to sound like warriors in combat rather than a bunch of excited schoolchildren.After playing through the game in about 45 hours, I have to say that I am incredibly reluctant to approach it again. It just doesn't work, and that's simply appalling. Tolkien adaptations in the digital realm have not progressed one inch since the days when The Hobbit was first rendered as a text-based adventure for the Vic-20. Licensors such as EA Games should hang their heads in shame for that.. A long LOTR game that's fun and will pass the time nicely. Lord of the Rings: The Third Age hasn't gotten some bad rap from some who have played it. They said the game was to slow, the voice acting was bad, or anything else the could think of. I've read the books, seen all three films, an played most of the games released since 2001. LOTR: The Third Age is more RPG-style then action game and this hurts it on some levels and strengthens it on others.Instead of being Aragorn or Frodo you're the Gondorian Knight Berethor sent by the Steward of Gondor to find the ring and his son. Along the way you're confronted by Gandalf and told that the Stewards mind is corrupt and Gandalf gives you a new mission. To help the Fellowship in its quest. From here you'll meet an Elf of Lothlorien, a Dwarf of Moria, and various other characters to help you in your quest. You'll go from the Mines of Moria, to the plains of Rohan, to the White City. Intersecting with the game are about a hundred or so cut scenes from the films all featuring the voice of Ian McKellen. The thing I liked about this film is the way it takes you around all of Middle Earth. You go to Moria, Rohan, Rivendell, Gondor, it's quite an adventure. The creators could have thought up a little better story line then just some random guy helping Gandalf. The voice-acting is fine and the graphics are top-notch bit one problem I did have was enemy difficulty. Even if your on easy it is nearly impossible to kill some bosses, the Balrog above all others and the way that characters just randomly join you was not well-planned. The game is fun though and you will most likely enjoy yourself. Some parts are weak but the visuals are stunning and the outline of the game flows well with the characters.The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age. Featuring the voices of: Christopher Lee, Ian McKellen, Lori Phillips, and Chris Edgerly.Flow: 4/5Difficulty:2/5Design: 4/5Overall: 3 1/2 out of 5 Stars |
tt0042395 | Devil's Doorway | The Civil War may be over back East, but prejudice still rules the West. A full-blooded Shoshone Indian named Lance Poole distinguished himself in the war, winning the Congressional Medal of Honor, only to return home to Medicine Bow, Wyoming, to something a far cry from a hero's welcome.
Townspeople resent the fact that Lance and his father own a large and valuable piece of land. A doctor refuses to treat Lance's father, who dies, while Lance himself is unable to even buy a drink in the local saloon. A loophole in a law involving homesteaders is used by biased attorney Verne Coolan to strip Lance of his property. Lance turns to a female lawyer, Orrie Masters, who fails to acquire the necessary petition signatures they need to overturn the law.
Coolan organizes sheepherders and attempts to drive out Lance by force. Shoshone tribesmen fight by Lance's side, using his cabin for a fort. Orrie calls in the U.S. Cavalry to create a truce, only to have them side with Coolan and the town. It's a lost cause. Lance is at least able to kill Coolan, but not before being already seriously wounded himself at the Shoshone barricade.
Lance Poole then turns the responsibility for the surviving women and children over to the only surviving male child, who leads them away from the barricade and presumably in the direction of the reservation. Afterward, Lance puts on his civil war sergeants major uniform, and walks out to the cavalry commander and his former lawyer. The commander salutes Poole first, as that is the custom when greeting a medal of honor recipient. Lance then dies from exsanguination. | cult, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | In Wyoming, Native American Indian and Civil War hero Robert Taylor (as Broken Lance Poole) faces discrimination.
White lawyer Louis Calhern (as Verne Coolan) wants to take away the land Taylor inherits.
Sheepherding homesteader Marshall Thompson (as Rod MacDougall) moves in, and the conflict gets violent..."Devil's Doorway" opens with some serious reservations about Taylor's portrayal of a Native American.
The "pro-Indian" theme was not new, but had become rare.******* Devil's Doorway (9/15/50) Anthony Mann ~ Robert Taylor, Paula Raymond, Louis Calhern, Marshall Thompson.
Plus, although Taylor is an Anglo with an aquiline nose and blue eyes, the film manages to have him appear rather Indian-like--and his craggy middle-aged good looks helped--along with gobs of skin paint!
I cannot speak for American Indians, but I assume most would appreciate the film's message and overlook the casting--as there simply wasn't any better sort of film about them made at the time--and very, very few since.The film begins with Taylor returning home after several years absence serving in the Union army during the Civil War. Along the way, he developed a bit of naiveté and assumes his being a sergeant in the military and living out the White American dream that he'd be accorded respect and equal treatment at home.
The characters, as a result, were multidimensional and interesting.Overall, if you are a bit tired of cookie-cutter westerns and are looking for something a bit different, "Devil's Doorway" is a pretty good bet..
It stars Robert Taylor as Lance Poole, a Shoshone Indian who returns home to Medicine-Bow from the American Civil War after a three year stint, and a veteran of three major conflicts.
However, all his hopes and dreams are shattered by bigotry and greed as new laws are ushered in to deprive the Native Indians land rights.Biting and cutting, Devil's Doorway is a Civil Rights Western that, boldly for its time, looks at the injustices done to Native Americans.
Prior to this Mann had showed himself to have a keen eye for tough pieces with dark themes in a few well regarded film noir movies.
Robert Taylor always had his critics, hell I'm sometimes one of them, but here as he is cast against type as a Shoshone Indian, he gives the character conviction and a stoic nobility that really makes it work.
Robert Taylor is unbelievably convincing as a Native American who fought in the war and got a Congressional Medal of Honor.
Anthony Mann was at his best on westerns with a dark side and here he shows us the talent that would be responsible for so many great films that were yet to come..
Anthony Mann's first western maybe one of the best ever done and sad to say it was probably overshadowed by the more popular Broken Arrow which also dealt sympathetically with the plight of the American Indian.
Right after Devil's Doorway Mann did Winchester 73 and a whole slew of films with James Stewart, mostly westerns and well received ones at that.
If anyone knows why, please let me know.Robert Taylor gives one of his best screen performances as Lance Poole, Union Army veteran and Congressional Medal of Honor winner and full blooded Shoshoni Indian.
Taylor has bought into the ideals of the Civil War. He in fact went to war to free another group of people from slavery.It's one big disillusioning process as he discovers that Indians need not apply for a piece of the American dream.
The Homestead Act which Abraham Lincoln signed during the Civil War specifically excludes Indians from its provisions.Louis Calhern portrays one of the most loathsome villains of his career as Verne Coolan, a lawyer who apparently for no other reason than his own hatred of the red man, stirs up hatred and resentment against Taylor and the Shoshonis.
Although overtly Taylor and Raymond have a business relationship, there is a gleam in Raymond's eyes whenever Taylor's around.Oddly enough six years later Taylor saw cinematically how the other half lived when in The Last Hunt he played buffalo hunter Charlie Gilson who had a hate for the Indian the equal of Calhern's here.Although Broken Arrow got all the acclaim and deserved it, it is a pity that Devil's Doorway did not get more attention.
This movie had more atomic weight in its characters,setting, plot and theme than most other films of its time (and the year 1950 was indeed a most impressive time for westerns).
I wonder if it wouldeven have been made just two years later-during the McCarthy era.Robert Taylor had clearly evolved from a "pretty boy" leading man of the 1930s into a believable ,masculine hero for a tough-minded postwar film environment..
Another strong western by Anthony Mann.But like any intelligent western,this story is eternal.A man who fought for his country and who is denied the most legitimate of all his rights,just because he is an Indian:to own a little bit of the land to which he had given the most beautiful years of his life.That was the story of Mervyn Le Roy's "I'm fugitive from a chain gang" when Paul Muni was trying to sell his medals to survive.That would be the story of Liam Neeson in "Suspect" ,once a Vietnam veteran,now one of the last lonely and wretched .Robert Taylor is extremely convincing,mainly when he is speaking of the land,of the way the Indians love it,of their communion with nature.
It deals with Lance Poole (offbeat cast of Robert Taylor who surprisingly is pretty well) , an Indian Navajo who won a Medal of Honor fighting at Gettysburg , goes back to his tribal territory intent on peaceful cattle ranching .
Good acting by Robert Taylor as an Indian Navajo who served in Civil War and must fight to right the injustices against his people ; his perfect interpretation as "Lance Poole" remains one of the highlights in his prestigious career.
This good film packs a splendid photography in atmospheric black and white by John Alton, another European -Austro-Hungarian- who emigrated US and became an excellent cameraman expert on Noir cinema as well as Nicholas Musuraca .This top-drawer Western was stunningly realized by the master Anthony Mann , infusing the traditional Western with psychological confusion , including his characteristic use of landscape with marvelous use of outdoors which is visually memorable , including a majestic production design by Cedric Gibbons , Metro Goldwyn Mayer's (MGM) ordinary .
Anthony Mann is a treasure of classic films and the Western genre.
There is no redemption to be found here -- no happy ending could ever come about.Robert Taylor gives a strong, stirring, and impassioned performance here of an honorable man, betrayed and brutalized by the people around him and the country he distinguishably served.
This is the best film I have seen from Mann yet, topping all 5 of the James Stewart westerns.
ROBERT TAYLOR, grim-faced and painted to look like an Indian, gives a strong performance in Anthony Mann's examination of the plight of American Indians and their mistreatment in DEVIL'S DOORWAY.Although he's a winner of the Congressional Medal of Honor after his victorious conduct in war, he doesn't get the welcome he expects when he returns to his home state of Wyoming where EDGAR BUCHANAN is the Sheriff who warns him that he's naive if he thinks he can find a welcome mat for Indians at any bar.PAULA RAYMOND is the pretty lawyer who tries to help Taylor when her mother (SPRING BYINGTON) reminds her that that's what her dad would do.
But nobody can stop evil lawyer LOUIS CALHERN from spreading false and malicious gossip that poisons the mind of the homesteaders who want a piece of Taylor's land.It's a grim story, beautifully photographed with stunning B&W western landscapes filling the eye with their grandeur.
All of the performances are expert and the climactic battle with men foolishly following Calhern's orders is photographed for stunning impact.Told in a tense 85 minutes, it's a film worth viewing and one that was ahead of its time in dealing with the plight of American Indians in a realistic way..
It was NOT, however, in black/white (as someone said); it was originally made in color, and has not been colorized.Robert Taylor was remarkable as Lance Poole; the only thing that bothered me were his incredibly beautiful blue eyes; he should have been wearing BROWN contacts!
Paula Raymond was just perfect as the young lawyer who tried to help Lance keep his land, and Louis Calhern was so good that I still hate him!
The movie was historically accurate, not the story line, but the way things occurred at the time that these events took place -- shortly after the Civil War!
Whereas the Indians have made little, if any progress, and even today the state of the reservations are disgraceful, and among the young men there is an unusually high rate of alcoholism and suicide.The movie was beautifully, and sensitively written and acted, and showed no bias whatsoever -- only the truth.I treasure my copy of Devil's Doorway and have looked for it on DVD, but so far, no luck.This is a marvelous western and ranks with the best!
Should one be impressed by the subject matter or appalled that the fate of Native Americans was actually less important to these producers than their prurient fascination with an implied hook-up between Taylor (a red man rocking a page boy wig, his screen test for Ivanhoe) and Paula Raymond (the whitest woman in his world)?
Directed by Anthony Mann, it was probably the first "Civil Rights" Western that went "all in" in terms of presenting the Indian point of view.
Board of Education" Supreme Court decision kicked off the modern Civil Rights movement.Here are some of the pluses:This is an absolutely terrific performance by Robert Taylor, all the more impressive since it's hard to imagine him playing a full blooded Shoshone Indian.
Having seen it right behind Man of the West as I just did, well, not a good thing for it: There are five or six or seven scenes in the Cooper film that I have watched maybe 30 or 40 times, the only one here would be the first : the dog barking Taylor into town and the great looming shot of Calhern, wonderful introduction to his vile character, very classic.
Don't forget this country is a Christian nation and most of the white people are Christians, yet what this country and the white Christians continuously did unbelievable and unimaginable vicious, monstrous things anytime when an excuse or an opportunity arisen, then they would grab it to by passing a law customized to suit and serve their purpose, change their wrongdoings as legal.This film boldly told us a story about what the white Christians did to the American Indians to rob their land and homesteads from them.
A decorated veteran of the American Civil War who is also a Shoshone Indian returns to Wyoming where he finds significantly more white settlers who are keenly interested in his prime valley land.
Whatever, because Taylor did a remarkable portrayal of a complex character with allegiances to his Shoshone people as well as the United States, for which he bravely fought to preserve the Union and emancipate the slaves in the Civil War. This film relates his fight for the Shoshone cause as he finds his identity as citizen of the United States stripped from him and thus his legal rights to what was his own land.
Directed by Anthony Mann and filmed by Mann's legendary cinematographer John Alton in black and white, this turns out to be a western superior perhaps even to Mann's classic Winchester 73..
Nicely written for the screen by Guy Trosperm DEVIL'S DOORWAY was stunningly photographed in glorious Black & White in Aspen, Colorado by John Alton and was complimented with a splendid atmospheric score - featuring an exciting Indian motif - by Russian composer Daniele Amfitheathrof.With the Congressional Medal of Honour pinned to his Union tunic distinguished Shoshone Indian Sergeant Major Lance Poole (Robert Taylor) returns home from the war between the States to his people in his beautiful valley of Sweet Meadow.
With Mann's earlier noir successes "T Men" (1947) and "Raw Deal" ('48) DEVIL'S DOORWAY contains wonderful noirish moments of outstanding quality such as in the bruising fist fight sequence in the Saloon between Taylor and gunman James Milican with its low angle camera and arresting use of light and shadow and again later for scenes inside the dimly lit Indian shacks.
Civil War hero Robert Taylor returns to his people to Wyoming, only to find his valley ranch fair game for white homesteaders and himself, as an Indian, ineligible to claim his own land, leading to a violent confrontation.An unusual (and unusually grim) western, here the Indians are the cowboys and the villains sheep-farmers, the nemesis of cowboys everywhere.
Although the ending is painfully obvious early on, getting there is compelling and heartbreaking, with the film perfectly capturing the anger and despair of not just native people, but anyone who plays by the rules and finds himself ground under the wheels of progress.Although not as well known as Anthony Mann's western collaborations with star James Stewart, this one also knows what buttons to push and delivers an action-packed climax, as well as good performances from Taylor and Paula Raymond, as a lady attorney who takes up his case..
At the end of the Civil War, a veteran of the Union Army, Lance Poole, returns to his home in Wyoming.
Poole, (Robert Taylor), a Shoshone Indian, has had his fill of fighting and simply wants to live in peace on his family's ancestral acres.The West, however, is changing.
Broken Lance, a holder of the Congressional Medal of Honor for his war service, surrenders to the cavalry.A sub-theme of the film is the confinement of Indians to the reservations.
There are no happy endings here.Robert Taylor is superb as Broken Lance Poole.
When offered the role, Mr. Taylor was happy to act in a film that, for once, saw things from the Indian point of view.
At first I was wondering if I would buy Robert Taylor as a full-blooded Native American character, but it's a testament to the depth and range of his talent that he had me convinced within the first minute of his screen time, without even a momentary falter throughout the rest of the film.
Lance Poole comes back from the war fighting side by side with whites in the Union forces and winning the Congressional Medal of Honor.
The film was much ahead of its time, and I consider it to be one of the finest westerns ever made, and Taylor's performance one of sensitivity and strength.
Robert Taylor you are a superb, amazing actor who I enjoy.You are also good to look upon.I just watched this movie for the first time earlier today and I was entranced through every minute.The Devil's Doorway is a tender, tough piece of film that shows how inhumane the policy was back in the 1800s in regards to the American Indian.Sweet Meadow was a gorgeous,breathtaking holy place that the Shoshone Indians made their home.Then after the Civil War there was a new law invoked in the United States that made it illegal for Native Americans to own land.This is the story of a former Civil War soldier who fought for the Union and he was an American Indian.After the war ended he comes home to Wyoming to settle down and live for the rest of his life at Sweet Meadow.He meets with tyranny,hate and all out greed.The white man decides they are going to let sheep herders and their families take Sweet Meadow from the Indian tribe.You can guess what happens after that.This movie was intelligent,well acted,and beautiful to watch.I cannot say enough.Watch this gem if you can.I made a DVD from Turner Classic Movies and I watched the DVD today and I am glad that I did.If you watch this movie more than likely you will not be sorry..
"Devil's Doorway" is one of those movies about Indians that is not much fun, because the movie cares more about showing us the mistreatment of the Indians at the hands of white men than with entertaining us in the traditional manner, such as by having the Indians scalping, raping, and otherwise terrorizing white settlers.Robert Taylor in redface plays Broken Lance, a Shoshone Indian who has just arrived back home in Wyoming after service in the Civil War fighting for the North, where he won the Medal of Honor.
In fact, if this good guy had not been an Indian at a time when audiences were ready for movies about how Indians were good and white people were bad, the reversal might not have worked.
Maybe they were being extra subtle, allowing us to have a laugh at Lance's expense, but it sure doesn't feel that way.Before the movie is out, the chief villain, played by Louis Calhern, who was the one that instigated the sheepherders' attempt to homestead, is killed off.
Despite a very good performance by Robert Taylor as a native Indian facing discrimination after his heroic war efforts during the Civil War, the film is a rather routine one.Louis Calhern plays the heavy here- an attorney full of prejudice who causes the tragedy to unfold in the Wyoming territory, after the civil war and the coming of the Homestead Act.It's usually a movie adage that never in the history of motion pictures has the cavalry ever been late.
An early scene establishes how the citizens of Medicine Bow will react to the return of Broken Lance Poole (Robert Taylor) from his service in the Civil War. Racist attorney Verne Coolan (Louis Calhern) makes no attempt to conceal his disdain for the Shoshone tribesman, and is only too willing to make a buck advising sheep herders to take advantage of a Homestead Act that denies property rights to Native Americans.What's interesting is Lance's immediate reaction to a female lawyer. |
tt0062153 | The President's Analyst | Dr. Sidney Schaefer (James Coburn), a psychiatrist, is chosen by the U.S. Government to act as the President’s top-secret personal psychoanalyst, through Don Masters (Godfrey Cambridge), a Central Enquiries Agency (CEA) assassin who vetted Dr. Schaefer while undergoing psychoanalysis. The decision to choose Schaefer is against the advice of Henry Lux (Walter Burke), the director of the all-male, under-five-foot-six-inch Federal Bureau of Regulation (FBR). (Lux, like Hoover, was once a famous line of vacuum cleaner.) Dr. Schaefer is given a home in affluent Georgetown and assigned a comfortable office connected to the White House by a tunnel. From this location he is to be on call at all hours to fit the President's hectic schedule. However, the President's Analyst has one problem: There is no one to whom he can talk about the President's ultra-top-secret and personal problems. As he steadily becomes overwhelmed by stress, Schaefer begins to feel that he is being watched everywhere — which is actually true — until he becomes clinically paranoid; he even suspects his sweet girlfriend Nan (Joan Delaney) of spying on him — also true — as an agent of the CEA.
Schaefer goes on the lam with the help of a "typical" American family of gun-toting liberals who defend him against foreign agents attempting to kidnap him off the streets. He escapes with the help of a hippie tribe, led by the "Old Wrangler" (Barry McGuire), as spies from all over the world attempt to kidnap him for the secret information the President has confided to him. Meanwhile, agents from the FBR seek him out on orders to liquidate him as a national security risk. Eventually, he is found and kidnapped by Canadian Secret Service agents masquerading as a British pop group. Schaefer is rescued from the Canadians and an FBR assassin by Kropotkin (Severn Darden), a KGB agent who intends to spirit him away to Russia. Kropotkin has second thoughts about his plan, following a psychoanalysis session with the doctor, during which Kropotkin begins to come to terms with his unrealized hatred of his KGB-chief father. Now feeling he needs the good doctor's help to continue his self-analysis, he instead returns him to U.S. soil.
Kropotkin arranges a pickup with his trusted CEA colleague Don Masters, but Schaefer is kidnapped again — this time by TPC (The Phone Company), a far more insidious organization than the FBR or KGB, which has been observing him throughout the film.
Taken to TPC's headquarters in New Jersey, he is introduced to the head of TPC (Pat Harrington, Jr.), who wants Dr. Schaefer's help in carrying out their plan. TPC has developed a "modern electronic miracle", the Cerebrum Communicator (CC), a microelectronic device that can communicate wirelessly with any other CC in the world. Once implanted in the brain, the user need only think of the number of the person they wish to reach, and are instantly connected, thus eliminating the need for The Phone Company's massive and expensive-to-maintain wired infrastructure.
For this to work, every human being will be assigned a number instead of a name, and have the CC prenatally implanted. Dr. Schaefer is "requested" to assist TPC by blackmailing the President into pushing through the required legislation.
Masters and Kropotkin use their superspy abilities to come to Schaefer's rescue. They hand Schaefer an M16 rifle that Schaefer gleefully uses on The Phone Company's security staff. The three emerge victorious from the ensuing bloodbath, but months later, as Dr. Schaefer and his spy friends are enjoying a Christmas reunion, animatronic executives from TPC look on approvingly, while "Joy to the World" plays in the background. | psychological, satire | train | wikipedia | It genuinely is of its age - all swinging Sixties and cultural revolution - but it also sends all that up.Read the plot elsewhere but suffice to say that those numb-nuts who believe it to be shambolic clearly don't know a carefully structured film when they see one.
It's a comedy thriller that zips along whilst never missing an opportunity to provide some of the best satire you'll ever see on Flower Power, Psychiatry, American Liberalism and the Cold War.Furthermore, for me, it's James Coburn's best performance because we get to see his comedic skills whilst at the same time get a generous slice of just what makes him the coolest cat ever to grace the silver screen.I'm gobsmacked that this - one of my Top 25 films - is not considered a classic.
Chinks is bigoted." Absolutely golden.My father used to work for The Phone Company and he absolutely loved this movie, as did I from the first time I saw it.
I taped it off AMC years ago before they turned evil (back when there were no commercial breaks and they still showed plenty of films letterboxed), and I wouldn't part with my tape for anything in the world -- expect maybe a special edition DVD with all of the original footage and music restored.To anyone who says this film is boring or unfunny, I say, "Poppycock!".
James Coburn is "The President's Analyst" in this 1967 dark-humored film also starring Godfrey Cambridge, Severn Darden, Eduard Franz, Will Geer and Barry McGuire.
Coburn is Sidney Schaefer, a New York psychiatrist chosen to be the analyst for the President of the United States.
All the other countries want him to find out what he knows, or they want him dead so no one else learns anything.There are lots of great things in this film, but the best is the segment with William Daniels and Joan Darling, who play two liberals who have more guns in their house than a gun store.
"The President's Analyst" walks a line between satire and the real feelings of the '60s (many of which are still held) about the government.
James Coburn...............at his best!Godfrey Cambridge......at his best!Severn Darden..............at his best!Did you think Dr. Strangelove was the best satire of the '60s?
Theodore Flicker has made a gem.In my estimation this movie features the best performances by both James Coburn and Godfrey Cambridge.
The beauty of the film is that it moves from serious tones to comedy to farce without effort.I hope this is a movie that no one tries to remake.
Soviet spy/assassin V.I. Kydor Kropotkin, played by Severn Darden, explains to kidnapped American psychiatrist Dr. Sidney Schaefer, played by the irrepressible James Coburn: "Logic is on our side: this isn't a case of a world struggle between two divergent ideologies, of different economic systems.
Of course, the U.S. still continues to slip-slide to the left, but, oh well, that's politics.Coburn stars as the title character, a New York psychiatrist who lands the plum job of being the confidant to the President of the United States, who basically needs a shoulder to cry on before the job drives him looney tunes.
Dr Schaefer suffers a bit of a nervous breakdown and hits the road; a gaggle of spies in hot pursuit.You'd be hard pressed to come up with a political satire more quintessentially sixties than Theodore J.
Politics and political satire became surprisingly mean and vindictive from the Nixon years on, but a film like THE PRESIDENT'S ANALYST retains a sense of mischief rather than malice.As such, the film exists in something of a protective bubble of style.
STRANGELOVE, the sardonic comedy isn't threatened by the gravity of its dark subject matter.As a spy movie, the film is sort of anti-James Bond; by the time it gets around to the high-tech shenanigans about a plot to control the world, it has already taken a good-natured look at everything from suburbia to rock 'n' roll.
There aren't any Connery-esquire Bond types -- or even anyone like Coburn's own Derek Flint -- rather the superspies the film offers tend to be chubby and middle-aged, with a cheerfully pragmatic view of their profession.
And though practically everyone in the film turns out to be a secret agent, the film gleefully works to avoid as many spy clichés as possible, and only surrenders to the clichés that can be gently mocked.The film has that giddy air of laid-back sophistication that suggests that it was created by smart people, all of whom were just a little bit high on some sort of illegal substance.
It is brilliantly filmed, the dialog is witty, it is 1960s spy humor at it's best, the Lalo Schifrin soundtrack is a tasteful masterpiece on its own, and the direction captures a James Coburn with a male persona that rivals the best Sean Connery out there.
It seemed like MAYBE they had a good idea for a film but midway through they spliced in some crappy movie.
In other words, everything they set in motion to be a good film completely lost its way---almost like it changed writers or directors.
And Barry ("Eve of Destruction") McGuire as the leader of a band of hippie musicians is a dead-on send up of the emerging flower children.Yes, one had to be a telephone customer before the advent of the Baby Bells to grasp the sheer villainy of THE PHONE COMPANY!.
A modern turning point in movie satire and comedy style..
"The President's Analyst" has always held a very high position on my list of 100 favorite movies, holding the #15 position for the past 12 years.
I remember being dismayed and shocked when many of my friends said they didn't consider it very good, ranking it with James Coburn's "Our Man Flint" B-movies.
I remember thinking, "am I the only person on earth who understands and appreciates this beautiful film?" Then I started reading the reviews of well known critics and accomplished film makers, acclaiming it as a cold-war era classic political satire, highly underrated.
I don't know if anyone could have done a better job playing Dr. Sydney Schaefer than James Coburn.
I consider it a modern turning point in movie satire and comedy style.
I always remembered how this film had just about everything from the 60s in it--spies, assassinations, conspiracies, the Cold War, national politics, international politics, racial politics, Zen, guns, gun control, karate, psychoanalysis, paranoia, suburban families, suburban homes, spy kits, kids wanting to have long hair, hippies with long hair, VW vans, free love, a super-tech villain lair, M-16s--and, of course, the standard sex, drugs, and rock and roll.
I especially always remembered the medley with the female vocals doing a hip (well, "hip" by 60's standards) rendition of "Joy to the World" at the beginning of the film as the James Coburn character roams about Manhattan digging life and his new promotion--before everything in his life and career goes south.All I could say about this film was that it was totally 60s.
It caught that era of American culture and politics perfectly as no other film did.Then my wife and I watched this film again recently and were surprised at how its comedy still works and how most of its satire is still relevant.
My wife laughed hardest at the Russian spy's description of how the Cold War would eventually wrap up--making this film a helluvalot more insightful than all of the fear and gloom of those who predicted nuclear holocaust.And then there is the "ultimate sex and violence sequence" where various spies in the background "eliminate" one another while the main character is being initiated into the joys of free love with a hot, if air-headed, hippie chick.What can you say?
I would like to see if the original uncut version is any more watchable.Enough about style; about content: My first clue this was going to be a bad movie was 20 minutes in, when the Analyst is dining in a restaurant; he is paranoid and afraid; people really are after him.
Dr. Sidney Schaefer (James Coburn) is picked to be the analyst for the president (never shown or named).
Watching this movie again after many years, I had a familiar quote ringing in my ears: "Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they aren't after you." Joseph Heller penned that in his 1961 novel, "Catch- 22." I wonder if the makers of "The President's Analyst" hadn't read Heller's book, especially in the development of James Coburn's character, Dr. Sidney Schaefer.
I would like to have given this movie a higher rating, but it's just not up to the mettle of the great comedy satires.
Pretty soon we'll meet in the middle and join hands."With a solid rewrite of the script, this film could have been a much better comedy satire for the time..
James Coburn is a psychiatrist selected for a major assignment: personal analyst to the President of the U.S. of A.
Flicker, "The President's Analyst" is a very sharp and clever political satire, taking aim at so-called "liberalism", the hippie generation, the Cold War, etc.
Best of all is the priceless left turn the film takes in the final act, when it shows us just who the TRUE villains are.Coburn is always fun, and he shines once again in this performance.
In one interesting twist, we never do see the President on screen.Good fun, and somewhat forgotten over time, although you CANNOT miss it if you enjoy a solid satire and / or are a big fan of the eternally cool Coburn.Eight out of 10..
Enjoyed this great comedy film starring James Coburn, (Dr. Sydney Schaefer) who is a very successful analyst in New York City and he is contacted by government agencies to inform him that he has been hired to become the analyst for the President of the United States.
It has references to hippies, the Cold War, 60's rock music, politics (nationally, internationally, and suburban), spies, psychoanalysis, race relations, and a tip of the hat to James Bond a la James Coburn (Our Man Flint no less!).Like Citizen Kane, this movie deserves several viewings to pick up on all of the mentioned topics.
The scene where William Daniels as the well-armed "Liberal" (a stand in for the Nixon 'Silent Majority' types??) guns down the muggers had the audience in stitches!Hard to believe a major studio today would finance and release such a compellingly anti-corporate politically explosive film.
Coburn is perfect as the Presidential shrink, and the spies -- well, you'll have to see them for yourself.In addition to the shrinks and the spies, this movie has hippies, tourists from New Jersey and the mother of all sinister organizations, bent on nothing less than World domination.I first saw this movie a year or so after joining the military, and it couldn't have been better timed for me.
in every way "The President's Analyst" is very very good and very very funny.
This is because The President's Analyst is one of the most brilliant political satires and statements on our American lifestyle in the history of film.
The cast is ideal(James Coburn - at his coolest and most harried), Severn Darden, Godfrey Cambridge, Arte Johnson, Bill Daniels, Walter Burke and the yummy flower child Joan Delaney, among others) and they have a ball!And that script by director Ted Flicker?
No one seems to be able to carry off a poignant yet comical theme today without pushing censorship and freedom of speech/expression to the limit.James Coburn brilliantly plays the paranoid psychoanalyst for the leader of the free world at the height of the Cold War. Spies falling over each other's dead comrades to intercept the most dangerous mind in the world!What fun!
It's surprising this film didn't have some sort of revival, given the recent critical success of "Analyze This."This is probably the funniest movie I've ever seen, with most of its humor based upon these things.1.
The President's Analyst is just a cool, late 60's movie that pretty much encompasses everything that was "important" in 1967.
This personifies the 60's angst of guns, minorities and suburban life.The President's Analyst is one of the best movies ever made.
Not since "Duffy" had he been so good.There are also a couple of cameos that, in my opinion, add to the film without detracting from it.Fans of the late 60s/early 70s will appreciate the many in-jokes.The score/soundtrack will thrill fans of the 60s movies scene.For anyone who has worked for the federal government, you will surely appreciate the paranoid view of certain characters.Were we really like that back then ?A wonderful, fun movie..
Terrific spy comedy from the '60s that is a zillion times better than those labored "Flint" films that also starred James Coburn.
Though today's art doesn't seem to have much recognition for the genre, preferring either literal-mindedness or the totally bonkered (think Being John Malkovich), the "all forms of power are corrupt" mentality will still resonate.I love the fact that the greatest villains of all (way beyond the misdeeds of the national spy services, which were mostly just deluded) were The Phone Company.
Bell Telephone had an artful PR campaign developing movies mixing science fact and cartoons for classroom education (and indoctrination), which is mercilessly skewered in a critical scene--I have to admit that it reduced me to helpless hysterics the first dozen or so times that I saw it, so powerful the memories it brought up.
And the movie goes through the same sequence.It's intensely funny at times, hopeless sentimental at others, but ultimately possessing sound production values and some good acting (Coburn, of course, but also a remarkable performance from Godfrey McCambridge as a just-folks CIA man), a complex but well-designed plot, and some serious insight which still works (Cold War or no).
The cosmic Barry McGuire song over the secret agents killing each other trying to kidnap Coburn is priceless.I LOVE this film!
While the filmmaker does go after the paranoid aspects pretty well- and does something almost half-clever in not ever showing the president let alone his analyst sessions- at some point it veers off into strange and dated territory.For the latter, I mean the stuff involving the phone company.
It's still kind of interesting with the robots attached to the wall as scary bureaucrats, but one would rather see either the wacky on-the-run theatrics of Coburn's character (i.e. following the Mr. Feeney actor on his way to Seaside heights) or the oddly subtle scenes like with the Russian spy on the ship or even those Roger Corman-style exploitation scenes with the hippies (one of them, with the assassins killing each other off in the grassy fields, is the maybe the funniest scene in the movie).So it's worth seeing, but it's more of a 'rental' kind of thing than rushing out to buy or seeing on a re-release at an art-house.
This is a cult movie, to be sure, with very dry humor, about the president'ts psychologist, and all the powerful groups who try to kidnap him, use him, or, in most cases, kill him.
I'm a big James Coburn fan, and this might be his best movie.
"The President's Analyst" is the sort of movie they wouldn't make today; it's a scatter-shot spoof without a mean-spirited bone in its body.
Nixon, elected president in 1968 and at the top of Hollywood's "Enemy's List" would never have been treated as reverently and indulgently as this unnamed President (obviously LBJ, who was president when this movie was made).James Coburn (flashing his trademark grin on many occasions) plays Dr. Sidney Schaefer, who is offered, an accepts, the post as analyst to the President of the United States.
Coburn is surrounded by a solid cast, chief of whom are Godfrey Cambridge and Severn Darden as friendly rival agents from different sides of the Cold War. They provide lots of laughs, as does Pat Harrington, who comes in late but makes the whole thing worthwhile.
He plays 'Dr.Sidney Schaefer', a psychiatrist given the important job of analyst to the President of the United States.
When Schaefer's nerve breaks, he goes into hiding, and is hotly pursued not only by his own side, but agents of other world powers too.Coburn is marvellous in the title role, and is ably supported by Godfrey Cambridge, Severn Darden, Joan Delaney, and William Daniels.
Like Tony Richardson's 'The Loved One', the picture sets out to ridicule all and sundry - from the Cold War to '60's pop music to the Hippie Movement to American politics to spy movies - and succeeds brilliantly.
Simply one of the funniest movies ever made......I just watched my DVD of this and I'm amazed at all the new stuff I pick up and a lot of stuff nobody did or ever would.OK....it's a satire, but some of it is too clever for it's own good.
best movie ever made about The Phone Company.
This just may be the best movie ever made about "The Phone Company", and now, in 2006, it is perhaps more important than ever.
The main theme is political spying, which still dominated the news in those days of the Cold War. The film portrays a truly paranoid society.
At the start, James Coburn's "naive" character is shocked to learn that one of his patients, Godfrey Cambridge, has just killed someone, and enjoyed it.
In 1967 when this film first came out,I & everyone else raved about how funny & clever this political satire was.
The Telephone Company is no longer a one firm monopoly.There is one long scene involving a telephone booth (today you cant find any,public phones are almost extinct).None of these developments are funny or even slightly humorous today..James Coburn was at the beginning of his career in 1967 & this was a major starring role for him.
Indeed, the end of the film pulls back and we see an audience of 'people' from the phone company.
James Coburn gives a typically fine and engaging performance as Dr. Sidney Schaefer, a cool, mellow and modern psychiatrist who lands himself the plum job of being the president's analyst. |
tt0079891 | Shao Lin si | The film opens with the chief Shaolin Monks realizing that time is not on their side and they must train more fighters to fight the Qings. The monk Hai Hsien (Shan Mao) opposes this as he is secretly working for the court. Outside many men are sitting in front of the temple waiting to be accepted in, Fang Shih Yu (Alexander Fu Sheng), Ma Chao-hsing (Tony Liu) and others, as the temple tests the will of potential students by making them wait outside for days, eventually the two are accepted in for "training". Fang Shih Yu becomes frustrated immediately as Shaolin methods of teaching martial arts are rather obscure, although Ma Chao-hsing begins learning the five animal styles from the start.
Elsewhere, escaped Ming soldiers Tsai Te-cheng (Ti Lung), Hu Te-ti (David Chiang), Yen Yung-chun (Szu Shih), and Ma Fu Yi (Wang Lung Wei) arrive close to Shaolin looking for a place to hide from the Qing. Hu Te-ti suggests they go to Shaolin and they are instantly accepted, which frustrates three more students trying to get acceptance into the temple, Lin Kwong Yao (Kuo Chui), Huang Sung Han (Lee I Min), and Hu Hui Chien (Kuan-Chun Chi). The three are eventually accepted and begin their obscure training. Tsai Te-cheng learns the wing chun style from a strange female monk and Hu Te-ti learns the iron whip. This forces Hai Hsein to secretly go to the court and report to Prince Hoo (Lu Feng) that Shaolin has been training new fighters.
The Qing scheme to destroy Shaolin. Hai Hsein returns to Shaolin looking to recruit more traitors to set up the temple for a raid. All the accepted students become close friends and proficient in their kung fu, except for Fang Shih Yu (who is unknowingly learning tiger boxing but is impatient). He keeps getting into fights with Ma Fu Yi, who is disgruntled with being at Shaolin. A mysterious figure at night (perhaps his friend Ma Chao-sing) begins teaching Fang Shih Yu the tiger-crane style and he defeats Ma Fu Yi in a friendly spar. This sparks the curiosity of Hai Hsein as he takes Ma Fu Yi under his wing and recruits him as a traitor. Things begin to go sour at the temple due to the treachery of Hai Hsein and Ma Fu Yi and it is eventually attacked by thousands of Qing soldiers, and an all-out battle occurs at Shaolin Temple with only eight Shaolin devotees escaping the ensuing massacre. | cult, violence | train | wikipedia | "The Shaolin Temple" is the first Chinese martial arts film to use gongfu artists instead of actors.
Initially, the Japanese investors hired actors, but didn't like the results, so they hired regional and national wushu champions.
Although Jet Li is the main character and his wushu is exceptional, don't underestimate the other gongfu artists; they are just as good.
The film was two years in the making due to injuries the cast received doing their own stunts.
The credits state that the fight choreography was done by Pan Qing Fu, but this is not so.
The cast choreographed their own fight scenes and deserve the credit they've been denied..
Kung Fu. If you want to see a non-stop action Kung Fu flic, this movie will be a good choice.
More fighting than talking, and good fighting at that.
The actors were taken from the chinese national wushu team, and these guys coordinated the fighting scenes themselves without a stunt coordinator.
Many styles and weapons are used, such as drunken staff, mantis boxing, and such.
The shaolin monks in the film don't seem to take their rules very seriously...
they eat meat(dog meat!), drink wine and kill people...The movie was shot on location at the shaolin temple.
Shaolin Temple was such a huge hit in Asia, that it made hundreds of chinese children go to the temple in hope of learning shaolin Kung Fu. Also Jet Li's first movie..
Jet Li's first movie, and it set the stage for his future success.
Really good kung fu, really good action, and not too many slow points.
Pretty typical storyline; evil warlord kills boys father, boy escapes to Shaolin temple, improves his skill and fights a lot of people.
But for a movie this old, the fighting is really done well.
I'm sure that this is a pretty hard movie to come across, but if you ever get the opportunity to see it, by all means take advantage of it..
Pure Kung Fu. No camera tricks.
No high production value (even compared to the Hong Kong Kung Fu movies at that time).
It is just pure Kung Fu. The location is real and so are the fighting.
It belongs to the classic that we miss in today's Kung Fu movies.
If you practice Kung Fu, you have to watch it repeatedly to learn a lot from the real masters.
It is quite good for the first Kung Fu movie made in China (about 20 years ago)..
A great film from Jet Li. This is Jet Li's first film as a lead actor, and it doesn't disappoint.
The martial arts action is great and the scenery around the Shaolin Temple in Luoyang, China is breathtaking.
There are a variety of weapons and styles that are showcased in the film, adding to the action.
In particular, seeing the 3 sectional staff used in combat was really cool, and there's one guy who does flips off of his head!It is a rare one to find but if you can find it, I recommend seeing "ShaoLin Temple"..
True martial arts movies without any fake.
This join venture of Hong Kong and mainland China started the 1980's boom of martial arts flicks in China.Jet Li is the protagonist in this movie and unlike his later works, there is no stunt, no cable, no crane, no other equipment, no special effect, no fake moves, and no artistic creations.
Every move is real, and the Hong Kong producers & director ingeniously employed the Chinese martial arts athletes of provincial teams and one from the national team, Jet Li, instead of ordinary actors to perform, thus giving a very realistic view..
Just GREAT!.
I love this movie.
In fact, when I saw it, I started to love kung fu movies.
If you have seen this movie you will know why.
Because this is the greatest kung fu movie ever made.
No "Hero", no "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon", this movie is the best.
Great story, even greater fights - what else do you need?
This is the first Jet Li's movie and it made him star.I will not tell you the story.
See the movie and you will know it.
If I could, I woul give "Shaolin Temple" not 10 but 20/10.
Don't waste time with reading comments, just go and see this great movie!.
Make sure to check this movie out if you can find it!
As Eric Yu says, the plot is rather typical, but the fight scenes are really well thought out.
The martial arts choreography was done by Pan Qingfu, who stars in the movie as one of the bad guys and who was also the coach of the Chinese national wushu team at one point.If you'd like to check out another movie with Pan Qingfu, this time playing himself, watch Iron and Silk.
It's rather silly, but Master Pan is pretty cool and Mark Salzman is awfully good at wushu for a white guy..
The impressive physical sequences cover the weaknesses in most of the other areas.
The Tang Emperor is betrayed by one of his own generals, who installed himself as the new Emperor of the eastern region.
Chieh Yuan and his father are two such men but, one day Chieh and his father fight back and, although the two bravely hold off the guards, his father is killed as he instructs Chieh to flee to fight another day.
Near-death, Chieh finds himself at a Shaolin monastery where he is taken in and nursed back to health.
He takes up the teachings of the monks in particular the martial arts and prepares for the day he will meet his father's killer.
In the meantime though, he has to worry about the many rules that his new life imposes on him.On some levels this film is a terrible mess of a thing.
The plot is quite basic and the writers really need to hit three stages of narrative which are 1) events before the monastery, 2) events at the monastery and 3) events around the conflict that closes out stage (1).
We get lots of things happening but not of them are that good.
Chieh manages to kill a dog (which belongs to the daughter of his master), eat meat (and get the others eating meat) and do all manner of things that kinda go against the whole Buddhist monk vibe that he had been working on.
The film has these come up and be laughed off by the others and after a while it just feels a bit weird.
I'm not defending Buddha here and if these bits had been funny or engaging then I would not have cared one bit but, as it is, they don't work and even as time filler they are not that worth while.In reality though, this doesn't matter because nobody has come to this film for the plot so much as they have to see Jet Li making his film debut and jumping right into film success.
And jump he does (I'm not want to avoid rubbish linking puns) as almost all of the action in this film is impressive and engaging.
Some of it is quite soft in regards the danger faced by our characters whereas some is pretty tough but whether it is a training demonstration or the final montage of fights, it is really impressive on physical and technical levels.
Having just watched Transporter 3 recently, Shaolin Si comes over as a breath of fresh air in how it is willing to put the camera down and shoot action sequences where each take is longer than (gasp) 1 second and (brace yourselves) we get several moves in each take (no!).
This lets us see that the cast can do their stuff and you can see why Li became a massive name because he is unbelievably skilled and has great physical control heck I've started to make a little grunting noise every time I stand up whereas he seems to do the impossible in his stride.
Looking back (and even then) Li does get all the attention but everyone else is just as good, with lots of impressive moves.
Not everyone has as good a screen presence (the daughter being a bit weak for example) but when it comes to the action everyone performs.Shaolin Si doesn't have the greatest script and, by extension, the performances and also how much the viewer will care about the characters are also weakened.
However in regards simple physical ability of those involved in the making it is very engaging indeed.
There are consistent and enjoyable scenes of martial arts action a couple stand out above the rest but all of them are impressive and fun to watch.
Ignore the narrative but definitely stay for the action..
A must see for Jet Li fans.
This is a very cool movie, I loved every second of it.
Jet Li, in his first film, displays some of his most brilliant fighting moves and skill.
It's no wonder this flick made him a superstar and martial arts icon.The acting is quite alright, though the plot, which really no one cares about, is actually quite interesting.All of the fights were totally massive and stylish, the pace was excellent.
The weapons fight between Jet and the main bad guy general dude is awesome.
Jet moves unbelievably fast in this bout and they repeat this excellent performance in the final battle.
Jet shows true skill, just like the rest of the cast here..
This is a quite a good movie really.
This movie is really not that bad.
I men the story is a bit thin but the actors play quit well.
And to think that this is a Jets first film its wary god.
One cool thing about this movie is that you will find most of the characters of this film in a later film called The Shoaling Temple 3: Martial Arts of Shoaling.
This movie deserves good grads.
I went into this film with a negative mind frame and came out quite pleased.There were a few times the movie slowed down, but overall kept great action.
Jet Li's Wushu proves to be at best in his early years.
He has to share the spotlight with a handful of other Martial Artist in this great film.
They decided to cast actual Martial Aritist instead of actors.
Which proves to be best fit for this movie which focuses the moves more then the acting!
On a side note, the man Jet Li refers to as "Master" shows a down to earth approach with the monks philosophy.
Nice kung-fu, terrible movie.
I've been watching classic martial arts films for about 10 years now, ranging from serious drama to absurd comedy.
You can find all sort of things in this genre, although they tend to have great fighting scenes regardless.
This film is not an exception.
The kung-fu is brilliant, and you can enjoy the use of several weapons as well as excellent unarmed combat.
However, I find the movie boring and very disrespectful towards Buddhism and Shaolin.
Perhaps the fact that I had to watch it dubbed also took its toll and I ended up disinterested and bored.
If you are fond of Shaolin, I'd recommend any film by Shaw Brothers instead..
Early Jet Li. My rating of early kung fu movies is probably 20% story and 80% fighting and choreography.
The fight choreography was decent.
I thought some of the fights lasted too long.
Usually every fight except those with bosses are over rather quickly.
It seemed that even fights with the lower level henchmen dragged on longer than they should have.Still, this was early Jet Li so it's always worth taking a gander..
Solid Film.
The Tang emperor is betrayed by one of his generals, who installs himself as emperor in the East Capital.
The son of one of his slave workers escapes to the Shaolin Temple, learns kung fu, and sets out to kill the traitor, who killed his father.Apparently, the movie's popularity swiftly encouraged filmmakers in China and Hong Kong to produce more Shaolin-based movies.
Further, the film spawned a revival of popularity in mainstream martial arts in China.
What it was about this movie as opposed to earlier martial arts movies, I have no idea.
That is sort of the strange thing about these films for me -- maybe because I am not initiated, they tend to blend together (much like westerns also blend together for me).
I don't quite see the nuance.Which is not the say the film is bad.
In fact, it is quite good and draws a firm line between romance and Buddha.
Wow. I don't know if these are real locations or sets, but it is world's better than the one-dimensional scenery we find in the Shaw Brothers movies..
important for jet fans to see..
Shoa lin TempleThis is important for Jet Li fans to see his humble start.
I think Jet can act pretty good now, but here is acting was clearly rough.
That is ok because you never see jet move like this anymore.
This is the way to see jet show why he was a champion martial artist.
Just an amazing athlete in general.The film starts off with this super hilarious song about the shoa lin temple.
The story is pretty pointless you killed the my father- let me join the temple so I can learn martial arts You don't have what it takes Yes I do Blah, blah.
The same basic story was told so much better in the 36th chamber of shoal in.
You are not watching this movie for the story it is for Jet kicking some serious butt.Since my user name is what it is it should be no surprise the only thing I hated about this movie was all the disgusting meat-eating.
I am used to people eating dead animal flesh in movies but it was super offensive to have Buddhist Shoalin monks eating flesh off the bone.
I am sorry but no monk would say as long as you have Buddha in your heart you can eat meat..
Thinking back, I was very lucky to find this film when I was about 20 years old, in HMV in Birmingham of all places.Although bought at random it soon began to get regular viewings between myself and friends, and along with Gordon Liu's 36 chambers of Shaolin became one of my favourite films.Although the dubbing was dire in my opinion, it could be forgiven when weighed up against all the various styles shown and fight scenes, and light comedy moments.I will never forget the scene when Li is spying on the other monks, esp the guy with a dart on rope spinning it underneath himself with only the back of his head and one foot touching the ground at an insanely quick pace..
Heavy on culture and drama, but a solid debut for Jet Li. There are some spoilers down below.
Just a bit of a heads up.
It has some pretty good fight sequences, and some emotional drama that managed to get to me.
Right from the outset with the drama orientated opening, which was my cue to realize I was at least going to get a quality film.
I'm a big fan of Jet Li's.
My only complaints about this movie are this.
Martial Art stars like Jet & Jackie Chan are infamous for these, and usually they are a hoot, but I didn't like them very much in this one.
Maybe I'm being a stickler, but I don't find a dog "accidentally" being killed very funny.
It made me very uncomfortable, and turned me off for a little bit.
It does have some decent training sequences and the fight sequences, despite presumably being filled with wires were above average.
Jet Li shows off that charisma that he is well known for here.
It's no surprise as to why he achieved stardom.Final Thoughts: It was a pretty good film, and always interesting.
Well worth watching if you manage to find it 7/10.
Great martial arts movie, some odd plot points.
If you can ignore the animal cruelty in the film, and just focus on the martial arts, this is truly an impressive film.
Unfortunately, quite a bit of screen time is wasted while Jet Li accidentally kills a dog, and then proceeds to consume it.
It is quite an odd scene, with other novices from the Shaolin Temple coming out of the trees to enjoy a good old German Shepherd kabob.
There is another scene where a lamb's throat is crushed by a follower of the evil king, and his lackeys run around killing sheep with lances.
I understand the setting was long before the existence of PETA, but it was nonetheless surprising (disturbing) to see actual animals butchered on camera.Nevertheless, the Kung Fu in this movie is spectacular.
Jet Li and his co-stars have such incredible command of their movements, it is breathtaking.
The action sequences pull no punches, there are no comedic Jackie Chan moments, instead it is all-out war to the finish.
In my humble opinion, the fight scenes are some of the best ever filmed.R..
Great movie.
I think it's one of the best Jet Li movies.
The martial art performances are all real, so it shows how hard the Shaolin monks can be.
Jet Li acts a little dizzy hero, Chuyun, but he's nice and tough, so he can be appreciated.
I think Chuyun really liked him, not just respected like the others.
The other Shaolin monks knew that he's mad, but they didn't really mentioned it.
Chuyun was really heartless when he killed the dog, but it was only accidentally.
It is very evil when somebody wants to destroy a peaceful temple just because of his own proud.
The poor abbot couldn't do anything, he just sacrificed himself for the temple.
I love this movie because of it's great technique's, and beautiful scenes. |
tt0042664 | A Lady Without Passport | After World War II, immigrants in Cuba who are refused visas for various reasons try to sneak into the U.S. illegally with the help of a human smuggling ring run by Palinov (George Macready), a Levantine café owner. Following the death of one immigrant, U.S. Immigration operative Pete Karczag (John Hodiak) is sent to Havana, where he poses as a Hungarian in need of Palinov's services. During his dangerous undercover investigation, Pete meets Marianne Lorress (Hedy Lamarr), a penniless Austrian refugee of the Buchenwald concentration camp who is waiting to be smuggled into the United States by Palinov. He decides to use her to obtain the place and time of Palinov's next operation.
However Pete falls in love with Marianne, and deducing that she must give herself to Palinov in trade for the trip, talks her into staying in Cuba. Palinov discovers Karczag's true purpose and decides to use his own services. He exposes Pete to Marianne, who angrily decides to go ahead with the smuggling trip. Palinov tries to have Pete killed but the agent overcomes his would-be killer, gets the information from him, and reports it to his superior, Frank Westlake (James Craig). Palinov flies to the United States with Marianne and the other smuggled passengers. However, the airplane is being tracked by U.S. Immigration and is unable to refuel in Florida. Palinov and his pilot crash-land in the Florida Everglades in one last desperate attempt to elude capture.
Palinov forces Marianne to accompany him and his pilot, seeking a boat hidden on a river. He kills one of the passengers trying to board their small raft; the rest flee into the glades. Pete and Westlake take up pursuit but split up when Westlake decides that saving the lives of the remaining immigrants takes priority over arresting Palinov. Pete continues after the fugitives and Marianne. The pilot is bitten by a poisonous snake and is left behind. Pete finds the hidden boat and gives it to Palinov in exchange for Marianne, although Palinov treacherously tries but fails to shoot them during his escape. Pete reassures her that Palinov won't get far—Pete emptied the boat's fuel tank before giving it up. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0810056 | Ichigo mashimaro | === Themes ===
According to the manga, Strawberry Marshmallow is set in Hamamatsu, Japan. Seasons play an important role throughout Strawberry Marshmallow as the characters are involved in many normal seasonal activities. The series is speckled with many small, music-related allusions, such as Ana's dog Frusciante being named after John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, while episode eight of the anime sees two goldfish called Richard and James. The title itself was inspired from "Mashimaro", a single by Japanese rock artist Tamio Okuda.
=== Characters ===
Nobue Ito (伊藤 伸恵, Itō Nobue)
Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame (Japanese); Carol-Anne Day (English)
Nobue is the eldest main character. She is Chika's older sister and usually has final authority on all matters. She often tries to "borrow" money from Chika to buy cigarettes. Nobue is perpetually searching for a part-time job to earn money for more cigarettes to calm her nicotine addiction.
The story suggests that Nobue derives some kind of sensual pleasure from watching the girls do cute things. In this respect, Nobue appears to appreciate the moe aesthetic. It is seen during the anime that Nobue prefers Matsuri and Ana over Chika and Miu.
The Nobue character changed from the manga to the anime. In the manga, she is a sixteen-year-old high school freshman, while in the anime she is a twenty-year-old junior-college student. Her age is presumably changed because of her smoking and drinking habit, both becoming legal in Japan at age twenty. In the first episode of the anime, she initially introduces herself as a sixteen-year-old, intended to be a joke as she quickly states that she is really twenty. She tends to act somewhat less mature in her manga incarnation, doing things such as tricking Matsuri into thinking that Miu is dead. Her appearance changes radically in the early stages of the manga, especially her hair, which goes from blond to dark brown (and is black in the anime).
Chika Ito (伊藤 千佳, Itō Chika)
Voiced by: Saeko Chiba (Japanese); Wendy Morrison (English)
Chika is one of two twelve-year-olds in the story. Chika is the same age as Miu, and attends the same class as her neighbor Miu. Chika is a cheerful girl who shows more common sense than the other girls, especially Miu. Her main role in the series is that of an average, twelve-year-old girl, which is emphasized in the first manga volume, where Nobue describes Chika as specializing 'in being totally generic'. Her special skill is cooking, especially baking cookies. Chika is Nobue's little sister. She is nicknamed Chi-chan or just Chi.
Miu Matsuoka (松岡 美羽, Matsuoka Miu)
Voiced by: Fumiko Orikasa (Japanese); Caitlynne Medrek (English)
Miu is another twelve-year-old girl who is depicted in the story as having a problem-child personality. A childhood friend of Chika, she lives next door to the Ito house and attends the same class as Chika. Miu likes to say random things out of the blue and often plays pranks on Matsuri and Ana, but is most of the time interrupted by Nobue (and sometimes by Chika), ending up lying face-down on the floor. She has the least common sense or manners of the girls, and is rarely taken seriously because of her weird ideas and comments. She seems to harbor some sort of jealousy of Ana and Matsuri, because Nobue finds them cuter. She does not have any delicacy and tends to do things that bother people around her. Miu is nicknamed "Mi-chan". Miu has been described as "Yotsuba Koiwai with fangs".
While she is often causing trouble for the other girls, an interview with the cast that was published in volume 4 of the manga series reveals that Miu is extremely fond of Chika, whom she dubs as her 'one and only'. The interview also goes on to claim that Miu derives satisfaction from amusing Chika, and that she will never go to bed before making sure that Chika's room light is turned off. There are also scenes within the manga which hint at signs of lesbianism from Miu towards Chika; when Miu reveals that the both of them have kissed and rubbed each other's breasts, Chika makes no attempt to deny the claims or defend herself.
Matsuri Sakuragi (桜木 茉莉, Sakuragi Matsuri)
Voiced by: Ayako Kawasumi (Japanese); Kylie Beaven (English)
Matsuri, nicknamed "Mats" in the manga, is an eleven-year-old glasses-wearing girl with a pet ferret named John, and is depicted as having a very timid personality in the story. She is often the subject of Miu's teasing and can resort to crying and hiding behind Nobue. She is one grade below Chika and Miu, in the same class as Ana, with whom she quickly became friends. Matsuri discovers that Ana can speak Japanese fluently and helps her hide both her Japanese language skills and her lack of English language skills from the rest of their class. While she has gray hair in the anime, her hair is white in the manga.
Ana Coppola (アナ・コッポラ, Ana Koppora)
Voiced by: Mamiko Noto (Japanese); Katie Rowan (English)
Ana is an eleven-year-old girl who originally came from Cornwall, England, five years before the series, but seems to have forgotten how to speak English. She first pretends that she speaks only English, but it is not long before she is discovered by Matsuri while speaking very polite Japanese. Matsuri tries to help her re-learn English. Ana is often teased by Miu because of her name, Ana Coppola, which in Japanese sounds like a typical psychomime (a form of onomatopoeic sound). Ana really dislikes her last name for that and becomes angry every time Miu calls her "Coppola-chan". Miu also makes things worse by spelling her name in kanji to mean "hole", "bone", and "cave" (穴骨洞). Ana's "proper Japanese" personality is reflected by her very traditionally feminine and polite speaking style. And her impressive knowledge of Japanese words, kanji, customs and traditions makes her more "Japanese" than most Japanese people (which she also tries to hide). Later in the series, her ability to speak Japanese is discovered by the other students in her class. Ana owns a pet dog. | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | Sweet little series. This show revolves around college student and borderline pervert Nobue, her 12 year old sister Chika and Chika's three friends; Miu, Matsuri and Ana. It's basically about four cute little girls doing things in a cute manner. If you don't want to see four cute little girls being cute while one of the girl's older sister pervs on them, you would probably find this show quite boring. They do things like making a birthday present, having sleepovers, going to a festival, going to the beach and things like that. And Nobue is always with them. Why? She doesn't have friends her own age and she loves adorable little girls, especially the youngest ones, Ana and Matsuri, but Miu gets jealous and wants Nobue to perv on her, but Miu, at 12, is too old for Nobue. |
tt0064487 | Injun Trouble | Cool Cat is driving to the town of Hotfoot one day, when his route happens to take him through an Indian reservation. Two scouts spot him and one of them gives chase, only to fall into a chasm when the weight of him and his horse causes the makeshift bridge to collapse (even though it had carried Cool Cat and his car without trouble). Cool Cat rescues them and continues his journey. He misses the "pail-face" but encounters a man who tries to give his obese daughter away, a man with an arrow in his scalp, a Native American who uses a stenograph-like device to create smoke signals which read "Cool Cat go home," a more attractive woman that invites him for an "Indian Wrestle" (which turns out to be a fight with a man who is far larger than Cool Cat), a Groucho Marx imitator and a literal bareback rider.
Finally arriving in Hotfoot, Cool Cat spots two horses playing human shoes, and a "Horse Doctor" who really is an equine. After that, Cool Cat spots a "Topless Saloon" and heads in, but finds out that the only topless person in there is the bartender, a rather burly man. An outlaw named Gower Gulch then arrives and seemingly challenges Cool Cat to a duel, but then settles for a game of poker. Cool Cat gets a good hand with four Aces, only for Gulch to get a Royal Flush. Announcing that he is "cutting out," Cool Cat produces a pair of scissors and cuts a hole out of the background, which he then disappears into. He then reappears for a moment and ends the cartoon (and the original series' run) with the words "So cool it now, ya hear?" | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | An undignified end for the original Looney Tunes.
The Merrie Melodies/Looney Tunes series is known for its excellent slapstick and witty wordplay, but you won't find either quality in the final Looney Tune, Injun Trouble (1969).Outside of its historical importance as the final entry in a great, long-running series, there is nothing to recommend this.
The whole thing consists of one bad pun and lazy joke after another.
The big helping of racist humor makes watching it even more uncomfortable.Cool Cat himself had potential to be at least a decent character, but considering the quality of these later Looney Tunes, he never had a chance..
Injun Trouble was the last of a long series of Warner Bros.
cartoons done for theatrical release.
What I'm reviewing here is the last Warner Bros.
cartoon that was done on a regular theatrical schedule some 49 years after the very first one was produced called Sinkin' in the Bathtub.
This one was directed by Warner veteran Bob McKimson though because of reduced budgets, it's not like many of his classic ones from the '40s and '50s.
In fact, other than some amusing lines and gags, there isn't anything that I found very amusing.
Among those lines I thought was funny was when the horse said, "Look who's talking" when leading character Cool Cat mentioned seeing a talking horse and when an Indian says "Why?" before Cool Cat said, "I thought Indians said how" before the red man says Groucho-like, "I know how, now I want to know why!" Nice hearing Larry Storch, yes, "F Troop"s Corporal Agarn, doing the voices even in a mediocre cartoon like this.
Oh, and the last gag and the line following that was a nice way to end the Warner cartoon series though because of the political incorrectness of the material, don't expect to ever see this animated short on television.
In fact, I found this on the DailyMotion site.
Like I said, Injun Trouble (which also happens to be the title of a Porky Pig cartoon I previously reviewed) isn't very funny but is worth a look for anyone interested in these last Warner cartoons done on a regular schedule..
Sad....
I've been checking out a lot of the older cartoons here recently, and I ran across a character I haven't seen since the beginning of my childhood.
I find that not only was this the last episode to involve Cool Cat, but also the last theatrically released cartoon short.
Surely, they would go out with a bang, something that would be remembered in the future as their grand finale....I was wrong.Instead, I got this.
How can I possibly describe it?
While I do think Cool Cat is...
well, cool...
The execution of the episode was just so poor and flimsy that it is just embarrassing really.
It takes anything that could be a pun and turn it into a really bad joke.
The Horse (hanging from a ledge) asks for a hand, and Cool Cat claps.
The Indian asks him to throw him a rope, and he throws him a rope (without it tied to anything).
While these weren't anything terrible, it's not really funny either.Some more of the low-point was when, for no good reason at all, we cut to this Indian painting his house.
Why is he painting his house?
Is it really that important?
Nope, but we're going to see it anyway, just for a "laugh".
Anyway, apparently he is trying to paint a red line all around his house, but misses the start of where he painted and gets furious...
that was the joke?
He gets mad and tosses the paint can in the air, and of course it lands on his head.
Then, the next joke is the same Indian (I'm not sure about that though) is painting a face on this bucket.
He then puts the bucket over his head and says "Me pail face!" and the screen fades....Seriously?
Me pail face?
stupid.
It didn't even have any point at all, the Indian wasn't important in any way, and it was just a dumb time-waster meant for a really cheap laugh.I'm not going to type out all the jokes in the cartoon, but expect more of the same; just thrown in for a cheap laugh and have no point to the overall plot of the cartoon.
Plus, you'd be amazed at how many "jokes" (I use that term lightly) involve some random Indian stopping Cool Cat in the middle of the road (when we change angles, the road is gone...
so yes, there's also lazy animation).
Regarding the plot though, while I will admit that most seven minute cartoons never do have much plot to them, but this cartoon just takes the cake as to how low some people's standards can go.But to be fair, there two two jokes that made me...
break a smile (perhaps even chuckle a bit).
One was when one of the Indians gave Cool Cat his wife, and Cool Cat screamed back "INDIAN GIVER!!".
The other was this one involving an "Indian Type Write" (though it lead to a confusing joke as to how all the Indians know who Cool Cat is, and why they want him to go home).Some of the words that come to mind about this cartoon is shameful, cheap, terrible, among other words.
Never mind that many people might consider it offensive (so offensive that it was never shown on television, or so I hear), it's just a bad cartoon no matter how you look at it.
Not only did this probably utterly murder the could-have-been-cool Cool Cat and any popularity he could have achieved, but this was probably the whole reason why they stopped creating theatrical cartoons (but don't quote me on that).Just don't bother.
You are better off watching actual good cartoons (go watch What's Opera Doc, which was named best short cartoon)..
The Grand Finale Of Classic-Era WB Cartoon Shorts..
Of course I've never seen this Warner Bros./Merrie Melodies short when I was little, apparently since it never aired on t.v. This was new to me, when I finally caught up with watching this courtesy of Matthew Hunter's "Miscellooneous" blog commentary video posted at Dailymotion months ago.
I've just got to say that I agree, this is an outstanding swan song to the classic era.
In this one, the main focus of the plot is more on the famous routine of gags and puns, which I think is a very suitable way to go out and conclude the WB shorts series' run.
Anyone who hasn't already seen this for the first time should check it out, because this really is among the better/best WB shorts of the late '60s or just about that decades worth of them even.
I wish this were in a WB cartoons anthology DVD set already.
I believe that ever since then, this officially became my most favorite Cool Cat short.
This is one half of the last couple directed by Bob McKimson (the other is Bugged By a Bee).
And from what I've heard/read about them, they at last seemed to indicate signs that the Cool Cat cartoons were just improving, as these new/different situations were tried, as the animation crew steered away from his typical encounters with Colonel Rimfire.
Who knows what more could've been done with the beatnik tiger had more short films with him been continued to be produced into the '70s, especially after the slow start with his eponymous debut cartoon.
I remember Cool Cat well and he's actually my most favorite WB '60s-era WB character.
I'll give the spoiler too, since the pair of other commentators have given theirs already, but if y'all wish not to know beforehand, then read no further.Cool Cat is traveling by dune buggy through a desert to a "real jumping town" called HotFoot, and on the way, he comes across several zany American Indians.
After two spot him, one gives chase on horseback, but the combined weight of the Indian and his horse causes the log-used-as-a-bridge to collapse, falling into a chasm and they cling onto the edge of the cliff for dear life (although Cool Cat and his vehicle managed to get across with ease).
He gives them a hand (as in both applauding and lending them assistance saving them) and continues on his way.
Also along the way: A brave guarding the Indian village attempts to give away his heavyset daughter; another male Indian paints a face on a pail, then puts the pail on his head and says, "Look, me pail-face"; one uses a smoke signal-sending typewriter to create the words that read "Cool Cat go home"; a male Indian punches Cool Cat in the nose after an arrow is shot from his bow and lands on the Indian's head; a more voluptuous woman asks Cool Cat if he'd like to "Indian wrestle", of course he obliges and out emerges a large Indian wrestler; an Indian asks Cool Cat why, the confused tiger answers "But I thought the Indians always wanted to know 'how' ", the Indian imitating Groucho Marx responds "I know 'how', now I want to know why"; and a horseback-riding Native gives away his vest to Cool Cat so that he can ride his horse literally bareback.
When Cool finally arrives in Hotfoot, he sees a pair of horses playing a game of "human-shoes" and a "horse-doctor".
There's a racy gag in which the sign of a topless saloon catches his eyes and he heads inside, turns out it's not quite what he had in mind ironically and he finds only a shirtless male bartender instead.
Literal cowpuncher Gower Gulch enters the bar and seemingly challenges Cool to a duet initially, but settles for a game of cards in lieu of that.
Cool gains the good hand with 4 aces, leaving Gower with the Royal Flush.
Cool announces that he's literally "cutting out", and with a pair of scissors cuts a hole in the background, forming an outline shaped like him and exits.
He returns briefly through the hole to close the short (and series) with the last line of the classic era: "So cool it now, ya hear".This short was banned from seeing the light of day beyond its theatrical release and airing on (at least American) t.v. due to the politically incorrect content of Native American characters and the aforementioned racy gag involving the topless saloon.
But as long as anyone can be tough enough to stomach the racial stereotypes and not take them too seriously, then it's still makes for a hilarious, engaging short despite the fact.
The jokes and everything else are what I liked and enjoyed about this short, very well put together.
Although I'm sure that had some other characters been used and included in a gags finale-revolving WB short, it would've been just as great as well..
A cool way to end an era.
The underrated Robert McKimson directed the last batch of Warner's cartoons for release in 1969, providing more of an adult atmosphere than his predecessor Alex Lovy.
McKimson even dared to set part of "Injun Trouble" in a topless saloon!The film blends a late 1930s "spot gag" style with contemporary production values and props.
Cool Cat journeys across a Wild West-type desert in his dune buggy and lives up to his name while encountering some wacky or tough folks.
McKimson didn't have much time or money to spare on this picture, but he did the best he could.
His skill makes the film easy to smile at (with occasional hearty laughs) throughout the run of hit-and-miss jokes.
At the end, C.C. cuts his way out of the picture and genially tells the audience to "...cool it now, ya hear?" -- a nice parting message from a talented man.
-Tony.
very funny final WB cartoon.
I have seen the full version of this unaired on television cartoon online and I must say that it had some funny parts.
Cool Cat is no Bugs Bunny but I still enjoyed it.
Cool Cat is riding in a dune buggy when an Indian is yelling.
Indians always yell like that when they are mad.
We encounter and Indian using a type writer to do a smoke signal.
and we see other Indians doing modern things.
Cool Cat makes it into a western town and sees a doctor who is a horse.
(You get it, he's a horse doctor) Also Cool Cat goes into a bar and orders Root Beer.
A big guy plays cards with him and all he has are two two's, and oh yeah a gun.
With that Cool Cat cuts himself out of the picture.
Robert McKimson did a good ob with this final Warner Bros theatrical short.
If you have a chance to see it you should because of all the short little jokes in it. |
tt0052610 | The Beat Generation | In the opening scene, a "beatnik" named Stan Hess (Ray Danton) sits at a table in a coffee house with a woman who begs him for his affection. He scorns her, then encounters his father at another table, who announces his engagement to a younger woman who had also pursued Stan. He insults his stepmother-to-be and departs. Hess is established as a woman-hating habitué of a stereotyped and sensationalized beatnik scene.
Soon after, we learn that Hess is a serial rapist at large in Los Angeles. His modus operandi is to gain entry to the home of a married woman whose husband is away by pretending to be there to repay money loaned by the husband. Once inside, he feigns a headache, pulls out a tin of aspirin, and asks the woman for water. While she is distracted by this errand, he sneaks up behinds her, and then assaults and rapes her. He leaves the tin of aspirin behind as his calling card, leading the police to call him "The Aspirin Kid." Leaving the scene of the first assault portrayed in the film, he is nearly hit by a car. The driver, who is a police detective named Culloran (Steve Cochran), gives him a lift, and the two engage in conversation. The rapist calls himself Arthur Garret, and as the two talk, he learns that Culloran is married, and sees his address on an envelope on the car seat. After getting out of Culloran's car, he writes down the name and address, and the word "married," foreshadowing his later rape of Culloran's wife.
Coincidentally, the case of 'The Aspirin Kid' is assigned to Culloran and his partner, Baron (Jackie Coogan). Culloran is a twice married man whose first marriage has made him suspicious of women. They have a suspect, a Beatnik called Art Jester (James Mitchum) who fits a description of 'The Aspirin Kid' but his alibi checks out.
Hess/Garrett calls Culloran at the police station, and lures him to a rendezvous at a night club by promising to turn himself in. Instead of coming to the club, though, he goes to Culloran's home and attacks his wife, Francee (Fay Spain), also telling her his name is Arthur Garret. Culloran becomes obsessed with catching the rapist on his own without telling his colleagues that his wife has been raped. Francee later finds out she is pregnant. The possibility that the child may have been fathered by the rapist sows discord between the Cullorans, and stokes Detective Culloran's obsession with avenging the rape. The couple argue over their ambivalence about the child and Francee's desire to have an abortion, leading Francee to turn to Baron's wife first, and then Baron for advice.
Garrett persuades Jester to try to throw Culloran off the track by committing a similar attack on a woman named Georgia Altera (Mamie Van Doren) at a time when Garrett couldn't possibly be involved. But the cops know that Garrett is their man. Jester and Altera fall for each other.
At a party near the beach, the deranged Culloran attempts to capture Garrett. After an elaborate scuba-diving chase sequences, Culloran captures and beats up Garrett coming close to killing him before Baron intervenes. Culloran comes to his senses and returns to Francee, who gives birth. | violence | train | wikipedia | Stereotyped and clichéd exploitation film about a serial rapist known as the Aspirin Kid (Ray Danton), who hangs out with a group of beatniks while continuing to victimize attractive suburban housewives.
Set in beatnik bars and on the beaches of LA, with some humorous dialog and a misogynistic cop played by Steve Cochran who tracks down the Kid after his own wife becomes a victim, the film has a refreshing originality, though generally it is laughably ridiculous, with its goateed beatniks staring off into space while listening to recorded car crashes, jazz, and the worst Beat poetry ever recited.
With Mamie Van Doren, and a cast of several familiar faces that would crop up in Beach Party films, its nearly done in by what is now referred as camp, though there is enough of a story there to keep it moving along..
What goes on here is an Ed Wood like combination of some very odd bedfellows.The Beats are interesting with crazy mixed up stuff like Poetry Readings with white rats on the shoulder, sleazy, soft spasms of youthful Ecstasy, listening, on record, to what might now be called Industrial Music Samples, and an out of place Louis Armstrong on stage.There are some very strange, and for the time daring, sub-themes like Rape, Abortion, Serial Killers, and two Women Haters as the Leads.
Mamie Van Doren is deliciously "pneumatic" as always, a rougher version of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield.This film is one of my favorite bad films - and from me that's a compliment!Juvenile delinquency films were Mamie's forte - check her out in Girls Town and High School Confidential - they have cool casts like this film, bad racy scripts, and Miss Van Doren herself "The Queen of Teen".In this film we have everything - the lovely Mamie Van Doren, a serial rapist "The Aspirin Kid"(played by Ray Danton), one of my favorite B movie hunks (namely Steve Cochran) in a bathing suit no less, a hula-hooping suburban housewife, and even a very blonde Vampira (!) in a speaking role, reciting some hip Beatnik poetry about parents being a "drag".
What more could you ask for in a camp trash late '50s flick?This film is definitely a must-see for any trash, B movie lover .
as are most of Mamie Van Doren's late "50's films..
The Beat Generation exploits that post-war phenomenon of feckless and disillusioned youth as a topical gimmick superficial parody pitched at about the level of Bob Denver's Maynard G.
Beatniks with bongo drums spout petulant poesy couched in a made-in-Hollywood argot thick with `daddy-o's,' `real gone's' and `cool cats.' (Out of all this comes at least one good line: `I don't need a mother, man I've BEEN born.')All of which is too bad, because here and there The Beat Generation shows glimmers of higher aspirations, as though it had started out a more ambitious project a better movie than it ended up.
(The co-scriptwriter, Lewis Meltzer, has some solid noir credits on his resume, including The Brothers Rico.)Out of the coffee houses comes rapist known as the Aspirin Kid (Ray Danton) who is terrorizing the community.
On his trail is cop Steve Cochran, whose wife becomes the Kid's next victim.
This proves more than Cochran can handle, who starts treating his wife the way he treated the other victims as tramps who asked for it.
Then there's a mini-sermon about the sanctity of life which sounds as if it had been written in Vatican City, though it turns out to be the movie's viewpoint as well.)The theme of the misogyny shared by Cochran and the rapist remains the most compelling element of the story; if only it had been pursued more consistently or honestly.
One of them concerns Mamie Van Doren, whose assault is rudely interrupted, which is a shame, because she quite explicitly WAS asking for it, and stays miffed for the rest of the movie.
An obsessed cop tries to track down the "Aspirin Kid," a beatnik serial rapist.
Vampira, Mamie Van Doren (who steals the show) and real-life husband Ray Anthony, Charles Chaplin Jr., James Mitchum (a dead ringer for the old man), Jackie Coogan and performances by Cathy Crosby and Louis Armstrong.
Steve Cochran (looking quite Clooney-esque at this stage in his career) is practically psychotic, setting up an interesting parallel with the villain (Ray Danton, turning the sleaze up to 11) as both are portrayed as misogynistic creeps.
The Van Doren character sends mixed messages about the film's stance as well.This review is rambling because frankly, I don't know what to make of this movie.
I watched this movie with some hesitation, because it really received awful reviews; however, because I like Ray Danton and Steve Cochran, I decided to give it a chance.
Ray Danton and Steve Cochran both gave very good performances, as did Mamie Van Doren, Fay Spain, Jackie Coogan, and Jim Mitchum, and the plot, though trashy, was interesting, and as pointed out by Martin Teller, this movie was weirdly compelling, mainly due, I think, to Ray Danton's very menacing and interesting performance as a killer, and Steve Cochran's performance as a complex cop.
The contrast between two men with these hang-ups in relation to women seems an odd basis for a film script, but then this whole movie is pretty odd.The attempt at a psychological overall theme fails to rise above mere exploitation in this 1959 b-movie time capsule complete with Mamie Van Doren at her bleach blondest and flirtatious best.
This is 1959 b-movie heaven, complete with Louis Armstrong and an inexplicable role for Cathy Crosby that is so out of place it actually adds more camp to the camp.Fay Spain carries the acting load as she did in numerous movie roles and countless fine and noticeable performances in TV dramas.
Steve Cochran, once one of those incredibly beautiful male actors who populated 1940's and 50's movies, is clearly aging here and gives a sort of disinterested, hangdog performance that is not among his best.
Ray Danton, another movie stud of the era, is convincing as the psycho, but unfortunately is only allowed to perform at a strictly b-movie level.Fay Spain is the real deal.
The Beat Generation (1959) ** (out of 4) It's not often where I come across a movie and I'm not certain if I should call it a masterpiece for what it is or call it one of the worst films ever made.
The story has a woman-hating detective (Steve Cochran) trying to track down a serial rapist (Ray Danton).
A twist in the story is that the rapist raped the detective's wife who is now pregnant.
THE BEAT GENERATION starts off fairly decent as it tackled some issues that weren't normally talked about in 1959 but then it just keeps getting weirder and weirder and in the end we're left with a complete mess of a film but at the same time it's an original mess.
Not only do you have the investigation into the rape but you also follow the rapist and his friend (Jim Mitchum) as they try to plan more attacks, which leads to the friend falling for one of the attempted victims (Mamie Van Doren)!!!
Throw in the detective/husband who is rather obsessive and hates women just like the rapist!
Oh yeah, there's also the entire stuff dealing with the "beat generation," which includes an ending with a hootenanny.
The cast features a pretty good performance by Cochran and Fay Spain as his wife.
Jackie Coogan appears as his partner and we get small performances from Louis Armstrong, Vampira, Max Rosenbloom, Ray Anthony and Cathy Crosby.
Believe it or not, Mamie Van Doren is actually given a real role here and she too turns in a good performance.
THE BEAT GENERATION is a complete mess of a film but at the same time it's very original and somewhat daring for its time..
Like a few others have already stated in these user comments, it's kind of surprising that the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studio of 1959 would get involved in a movie with a number of trashy elements.
The movie explores some topics like rape and abortion with effectiveness that even more than 50 years later still seems a little daring.
Clean-cut young man (in jackets and skinny ties) hangs out with the beatnik kids and plays the bongos, but really gets off on beating and sexually assaulting vulnerable housewives.
Standard police thriller jazzed up with slang; it uses the beatnik milieu only as ruse, it's main aim being a marriage in crisis (the rapist targets a police detective's wife, and two months later she's pregnant but doesn't know who the father is).
Steve Cochran is perfectly cast as the detective with the hysterical wife, Ray Danton is way-gone-cool as the scuba-diving psychopath (his M.O. is to call on women pretending he owes their husbands money) and Mamie Van Doren is terrific as a soon-to-be divorcée who wouldn't mind being man-handled.
After the assault, Mr. Danton hitches a ride with police detective Steve Cochran (as David "Dave" Culloran).
Danton is called "The Aspirin Kid" due to his habit of asking his victims to fetch a glass of water so he can take the tablets for feigned headaches.
The case is investigated by Mr. Cochran and his understanding partner Jackie Coogan (as Jake Baron)...On the beach, Cochran finds his first suspect, jive-talking James "Jim" Mitchum (as Art Jester).
The young son of Robert (Mitchum) turns out to be acquainted with Danton, who decides the policeman's wife would make a good rape victim.
"The Beat Generation" includes Cathy Lee Crosby, Charles Chaplin Jr. and other strange faces.
The camera angles well and the conflict experienced by Cochran's misogynist detective is interesting, but the film is too lurid and unbalanced for its own good.**** The Beat Generation (7/3/59) Charles Haas ~ Steve Cochran, Ray Danton, Mamie Van Doren, Fay Spain.
Ray Danton is sleazy and demented as The Aspirin Kid, Fay Spain is touching as Cochran's wife, and Mamie Van Doren is wonderful and beautiful and needs a bigger role in this one.A 6 out of 10.
Best performance = Mamie Van Doren.
I got this because of Ms. Van Doren, but was surprised by all the overlapping topics that are covered in this cop tale..
Any film that features Louis Armstrong, Steve Cochran, Mamie Van Doren, Jackie Coogan, Fay Spain and Vampira can't be ALL bad.
It's pretty bad, but in an interesting way.You want beatniks?
You want bad beat poetry read by Vampira AND frank discussion about abortion by erstwhile character actor William Schallert?
(Ray Danton plays the rapist, get it?) Ray Anthony has a short bit as Mamie Van Doren's bitter ex-husband.
(In real life they were husband and wife.)It's a bit sad to see Steve Cochran resorting to this schlock.
Like Zugsmith's classic 'Sex Kittens Go To College' (never on TV because of its topless scenes), this movie may have been considered too violent (the abortion subplot remains controversial to this day) and thus not considered acceptable television fare.One strange film..
Another Tail Fin Noir (barely), a curiosity on the cusp of Classic Noir/Neo NoirThe Beat Generation is somewhat in the vein of Detective Story (1951) the ensemble film that takes place in a New York City Police Precinct Detective squad.
In The Beat Generation Steve Cochran plays a Sergeant of Detectives Culloran, who is after a serial rapist dubbed "The Aspirin Kid" Stan Hess, (Ray Danton) a quasi "Beat" coffee house guru, who charismatically attracts women but is in reality a misogynist.
His wife wants to get an abortion, which puts Culloran into destructive obsessed overdrive trying to solve the case so that he can find out The Aspirin Kid's blood type.
Both Detective Story and The Beat Generation are examples of films with slim to none Noir visual stylistics, they are NIPOs, Noir In Plot Only type films that get listed in the Noir Canon more for the dark subject matter (at that time period) of their plots than for the cinematography.
The huge ensemble cast has some standouts, watch for Jackie Coogan (pre Uncle Fester from The Addams Family) in a serious turn as Culloran's best friend and fellow detective Jake Baron.
Sexpot Mamie Van Doren as a divorced women on the make who turns the tables on Mitchum, Maila Nurmi (Vampira, pre Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space) reciting poetry with a pet rat on her shoulder, Slapsie Maxie Rosenbloom the wrestling beatnik, and a guy billed as just Grabowski.
Like a lot of Hollywood films that attempted to replicate the 60's you get the impression that the Beat Generation wasn't just a man with a goatee and beret reciting nonsensical poetry and playing bongo drums or a base without strings, while pony-tailed babes wearing black leotards dance in abandonment.
Still, despite the nonsense, there's more than enough perversity, violence, and duality to satisfy the avid noirista.Robotic Ray Danton actually proves to be quite chilling as a vicious Be-Bop "Svengali" who gets his kicks serially raping housewives and has the same problem Susan Cabot did in Roger Corman's SORORITY GIRL (a perfect second feature) in that he's just a spoiled rich kid who's got everything but a parent's love.
Steve Cochran's a misogynistic cop who's wife (Fay Spain) is beaten and raped by Danton and when she finds herself pregnant, Cochran goes all out to nail the creep.The rapist is called "The Aspirin Kid" and gets into women's homes by pretending to be a friend of their husband's but once inside he feigns a headache and when they go get him a glass of water for his aspirin, he strikes.
And as if that wasn't enough, the bruised and swollen faces of the victims brings it all home, as well.Mamie Van Doren doesn't miss a beat as "Mrs. Alteras", a voluptuous hot-to-trot divorcée who almost becomes a victim -and no doubt would have loved it.
Danton gets one of his minions to do a "copy-cat" rape to throw the police off and when the guy (Jim Mitchum, Bob's look-alike son) is just about to attack Miss Mamie, her ex-husband (Van Doren's real-life husband, bandleader Ray Anthony) bursts in.
Her reaction to the fact her young stud may be "The Aspirin Kid" is basically "So what?"What's reely amazing, however, is the social issues this exploitation shocker attempts to tackle: misogyny, rape, abortion, disaffected youth, even God. It's also a low-rent version of Fritz Lang's THE BIG HEAT with tough cop Cochran out for revenge when his home-life is torn apart (Fay Spain has the Jocelyn Brando role) and Miss Mamie plays the good/bad Gloria Grahame part.
Cochran thinks all women are tramps (Danton calls them "filth") and he believes the housewives "asked for it" until it happens to his wife.
Cop Jackie Coogan's happy home-life provides the voice of reason as does Fay Spain's best friend, Irish McCalla -along with a priest (!) to discuss the abortion issue.
Mamie Van Doren and her young stud are ambiguous at best, neither good nor bad (probably both) but come around when confronted with a grim life-or-death situation and end up on the "right side of the street".
Unlike most film noir, there's even a happy ending all the way around except for Mamie and Mitchum -nothing really happens to them.It's easy to see the "noir paranoia" here; compare the misunderstood title youth in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE and THE WILD ONE with the "herd mentality" of THE BEAT GENERATION (tellingly, the earlier films' titles refer to individual rebels, while the other is all-encompassing) and the later Italian Giallo would do the same thing to hippies that BEAT does to beatniks: they're either fools or followers murderous sociopaths can use to "blend in" and hide behind.A "must-see" in many ways..
I watched "The Beat Generation" on Turner Classic Movies last night.
Look for dark and brooding Steve Cochran and Ray Danton as two types of pomaded misogynists - Cochran a cop who thinks rape victims "ask for it" and Ray Danton as a Beat-slang-quoting rapist.
As I began watching "The Beat Generation", I never suspected the film would eventually turn into a giant mess of a film.
After all, it started off well and addressed several important issues that other films didn't dare talk about at the time--such as rape and abortion.
And, when it became bad, it became REALLY bad!The film stars Ray Danton as a serial rapist.
And, a narrow-minded knucklehead cop (Steve Cochran) falls right into this trap and blames the first victim.
But, this comes back to haunt him when the sicko later rapes the cop's wife--and Cochran is forced to face this.
But, since he is still a bit of a jerk himself, the cop becomes obsessed with catching this guy and ends up nearly destroying his marriage in the process.From the description above, the film sounds interesting--especially when the wife ends up pregnant and they don't know which man is the father--the cop or the rapist!
And, some of these 'young people' were simply ridiculous--including a 55 year-old Maxie Rosenblum--who, inexplicably, starts wrestling with the cop later in the film!
The film 'The Beat Generation', some 57 years old, is a haunted house that creaks.
The film featuring Steve Cochran, Mamie Van Doren and Ray Danton, is a pastiche of the Beats.
This B film was a come down for Cochran.
Danton here plays a character nicknamed The Aspirin Rapist because he always distracts the victim as he drops in on by politely claiming a headache and asking for a pain killer.
When one of the victims turns out to be the wife of the detective in investigating the case, it comes as no surprise when she ends up being pregnant.
In addition to Danton, there's Steve Cochran as the police investigator whose wife (a very good Fay Spain) is one of Danton's victims, the dull Mamie Van Doren as a rape victim who secretly seemed to like it and Margaret Hayes as the very mature first victim. |
tt0029843 | The Adventures of Robin Hood | Richard the Lionheart (Ian Hunter), the King of England, is taken captive in 1191 by Leopold V, Duke of Austria while returning to England. Richard’s treacherous brother Prince John (Claude Rains) usurps the throne and proceeds to oppress the Saxons, raising taxes to secure his own position.
Only the Saxon nobleman Sir Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn) opposes him. Robin acquires a loyal follower when he saves Much the Miller's Son (Herbert Mundin) from being arrested for poaching by Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone). At Gisbourne's castle, Robin boldly tells Prince John and his followers and a contemptuous Lady Marian Fitzwalter (Olivia DeHavilland) that he will do all in his power to restore Richard to the throne. Robin escapes, despite attempts by John's men to stop him.
Robin and friend Will Scarlet (Patric Knowles) take refuge in Sherwood Forest and recruit Little John (Alan Hale, Sr.), while other men join their growing band, including the rotund Friar Tuck (Eugene Pallette), one of the best swordsmen in all England.
Now known as the outlaw Robin Hood, he binds his men by an oath: to fight for a free England until the return of Richard, to rob the rich and give to the poor, and treat all women with courtesy, "rich or poor, Norman or Saxon." Robin and his band immediately begin guerrilla warfare against Prince John and his minions, systematically killing the Prince's tax collectors, rapists, and any nobleman who abuses his power over the people of his lands.
Robin and his men capture a large party of Normans transporting tax money extorted from the people of England. Among Robin's "guests" are Sir Guy of Gisbourne, the cowardly Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper) and the Lady Marian. At first disdainful of Robin, Marian comes to accept his good intentions and begins to see the reality of Norman brutality. Robin allows the humiliated Sir Guy and the Sheriff to leave Sherwood, telling them that they have Marian's presence to thank for his sparing their lives.
The Sheriff comes up with a cunning scheme to capture Robin by announcing an archery tournament with the prize of a golden arrow to be presented by the Lady Marian, sure that Robin will be unable to resist the challenge. All goes as planned: Robin wins the match, is taken prisoner, and is sentenced to hang.
Marian helps Robin's men rescue Robin, and he later scales a castle wall to thank her. Each pledges their love for each other but Marian declines to leave, believing she can best help the rebellion as a spy by staying where she is.
King Richard and several trusted knights have returned, disguised as monks. At a roadside inn, the Bishop of the Black Canons (Montagu Love) discovers their presence and alerts Prince John and Gisbourne. Dickon Malbete (Harry Cording), a degraded former knight, is given the task of disposing of Richard in return for the restoration of his rank, with Robin's manor and estate to support it.
Marian overhears their plot and writes a note to Robin, but Sir Guy finds it and has her arrested, pending trial and execution. Marian's nurse, Bess (Una O'Connor), romantically involved with Much, sends her paramour to warn Robin. On his way, Much intercepts and kills Dickon, being wounded in the process.
King Richard and his liegemen journey through Sherwood Forest and are soon stopped by Robin and his men. Richard assures him that he is traveling on the King's business; when asked if he supports Richard, the incognito King replies, "I love no man better." He accepts Robin's invitation to eat with him and the Merry Men, and humbly accepts Robin's rebuke of the King for not staying at home to give justice to his people instead of traveling to fight in foreign lands.
Will finds the injured Much, who tells Robin of Marian's peril and that Richard is now in England. Robin orders a thorough search to find Richard and bring him to Robin for safety. Now certain of Robin's loyalty, Richard reveals himself to the outlaws.
Robin devises a plan to sneak his men into Nottingham Castle. He coerces the Bishop of the Black Canons to include his men, disguised as monks, in his entourage. During John's coronation in the great hall, Richard reveals himself to the assembled nobles to their shock, and a huge melee breaks out between the outlaws and the noblemen who support John. Robin and Sir Guy engage in a prolonged swordfight, ending with Gisbourne's death. Robin releases Marian from her prison cell and Prince John's men, defeated, throw down their swords, shields, and banners in token of surrender.
Richard exiles John and his followers for his lifetime and pardons the outlaws. He elevates Robin Hood to be Baron of Locksley and Earl of Sherwood and Nottingham, and commands that Robin marry the Lady Marian. With Marian by his side, from across the great hall Robin replies with enthusiasm, "May I obey all your commands with equal pleasure, Sire!" | good versus evil, action, murder, historical fiction | train | wikipedia | But several years back she attended a revival of both The Adventures of Robin Hood and Dodge City two very different type films she did with Errol Flynn.As she watched it she saw the reverence and respect the audience had for both of these classics.
Michael Curtiz received only a single Academy Award for directing the best of wartime espionage movies "Casablanca" but made great classics like "Captain Blood", "The Charge of the Light Brigade", "The Sea Hawk" and "The Adventures of Robin Hood," orchestrating enthusiastically great stars and skilled technicians...
He refined with charm and elegance plot and character with fluid camera movement and exquisite lightning, mixing action with peculiar sense of humor capturing with brilliant photography the natural look of Sherwood Forest, the cool tones of Nottingham Castle and the inn at Luton with its crackling fireplace...The film had great marvelous scenes: When Robin decides to tackle with a staff Little John (Alan Hale); Robin's swordsplay with the gallant Friar Tuck (Eugene Palette); Robin and his Forest outlaws giving a warm welcome to Lady Marian and to the treasure's wagon lead by Sir Guy and the High Sheriff ; The Archery Tournament; Robin's Merry Men entering Nottingham Castle; and the magnificent final duel, with a masterful score, between Robin & Sir Guy...
Olivia De Havilland was a pretty and delicate woman in love with a brave and reckless outlaw...Basil Rathbone, superb as the arrogant Sir Guy of Gisbourne, spreads terror by torturing, rivaling Robin for Lady Marian...Claude Rains was the treacherous prince John who orders his Norman knights to oppress the helpless Saxons suffocating them with thefts, and burning their farms...
Errol Flynn,by far gives the most credible performance of the Robin Hood character.He oozes charm and wit,here.This film is a great trip back to a special time in movie making when we didn't need extreme sex and violence to entertain us.Now that I have seen it,this movie definitely goes on my video shelf.If you have children,or if you love to feel like one,as I do,I highly suggest you give this a look.Great film..
From there, he becomes the great outlaw we all know and love, fighting Gisbourne, the bumbling Sheriff and Prince John anyway which way he can and sweeps that adorable sweetie pie Maid Marion off her feet.Sure the costumes may look fake today and the film itself overly colorful, but it's still a fun time.
The Saxon nobleman Robin of Locksley (Errol Flynn) hides in the Sherwood Forest and defends the people against the tyrannic John and his right hand Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone) and is considered outlaw.
Possibly the greatest (and most celebrated) of swashbucklers, it's also the best Robin Hood film (once again improving on Douglas Fairbanks' already impressive Silent version) and Errol Flynn's finest hour: delightful script (not only providing several great lines for the actors to sink their teeth into - Claude Rains' Prince John in particular - but it's put in the service of a plot which remains absorbing despite its over-familiarity), beautiful three-color cinematography (by no less than three top-notch cameramen!) and costumes, an outstanding and Oscar-winning Erich Wolfgang Korngold score (he virtually composed all of Flynn's swashbucklers and some of the best Warner Bros.
films from this period), expansive sets (Hollywood credibly standing in for 12th century England - Carl Jules Weyl's art direction receiving another Oscar, with a third going to Ralph Dawson's exciting editing).It might well be the epitome of Hollywood entertainment during its golden era with the colorful legendary characters - all flawlessly enacted by one of the best casts ever brought together for one film - supplying comedy (and not just that involving Una O'Connor and Herbert Mundin, which I didn't find as icky as I remembered it!), drama and romance (Flynn and Olivia De Havilland's Maid Marian not only are cinema's last word on this famous fictional couple, but their pairing here also proved to be the highpoint of their lengthy on-screen collaboration which stretched to 8 films); not forgetting, of course, countless unforgettable and stirring action scenes: the ambush in Sherwood Forest, the contest for the Golden Arrow, Robin's escape from the gallows, the final storming of the castle (highlighted by one of the best-remembered duels ever to grace the silver screen between Flynn and Basil Rathbone's Guy of Gisbourne), etc.
Needless to say, there have been scores of films about this popular character and, going by the IMDb, apart from the afore-mentioned 1922 Douglas Fairbanks ROBIN HOOD, I've also watched the following: THE STORY OF ROBIN HOOD AND HIS MERRIE MEN (1952; a live-action Walt Disney version), SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST (1960; a Hammer Films effort directed by Terence Fisher and co-starring Peter Cushing as the Sheriff of Nottingham!), ROBIN HOOD (1973; the Disney animated feature), ROBIN AND MARIAN (1976), ROBIN HOOD (1991; TV) and ROBIN HOOD - PRINCE OF THIEVES (1991).
I have seen this film so many times over the years, having been introduced to it when I was about 10 by my grandfather, who was a true classic movie fan and grew up watching Errol Flynn on screen.I have also seen the Kevin Costner version, which although entertaining in its own way mostly thanks to the amazing Alan Rickman, pales in comparison to this version.
In 13th century England , dashing Robin (Errol Flynn) and his band of marauders confront corruption of wicked Guy Gisbourne ( Basil Rathbone at his evil best ) and lead an uprising against the crown that will forever alter the balance of world power , foiling evil Prince John ( arguably Claude Rain's greatest character).
When the Norman Lords begin oppressing the Saxon masses in King Richard's absence , a Saxon archer named Robin Hood ( Errol Flynn at his swashbuckling best ) fights back as the outlaw leader of a rebel guerrilla army .
The legendary Sherwood forest's hero Robin Locksly again and Lady Marian (lovely Maid Olivia De Havilland) along with his Merrie men brought by him : Will Scarlett (Patrick Knowles) , Friar Tuck (Eugene Palette) and Little John (Alan Hale).
Musical score , settings , cinematography , great performances abound , all of them help place this classic movie the very best adventure film .
The score, made much of on the DVD case, and an Oscar winner at the 11th Oscars, is bombastic, repetitive and completely at odds with the scenery at least 80% of the time, IMNSHO.That said, the dialog still crackles, the costumes are UNBELIEVABLE and gracefully shot, Olivia de Havilland is stunningly gorgeous, Basil Rathbone is young and evil, Claude Rains plays John as gayer than a go go dancer on Pride day, and Errol Flynn takes effortless het masculinity and a beautiful smile further than it should legally be allowed to go.
In 1938 Australian-born motion-picture actor Errol Flynn won the heart of Maid Marian (Olivia de Havilland) and defeated his evil foes as Robin Hood in "The Adventures of Robin Hood", a legendary motion picture about a Saxon knight who steals from the rich and gives to the poor oppressed people of England, based on the well known English medieval legends.
Robin Hood (played by Errol Flynn) fights against the villainous Prince John (Claude Rains), who took control of the kingdom as regent when King Richard (Ian Hunter) was captured in Austria during his return from the Holly Lands after Third Crusade's end .
Claude Rains, Basil Rathbone, Melville Cooper (the coward High Sheriff of Nottingham) and Montagu Love (as the Bishob of Black Canons) are simply perfect as villain conspirators and Rathbone displays his great talent in sword fighting in the magnificent final fencing between Gisbourne and Robin Hood which is one of the most famous scenes in cinema's history.
De Havilland is pretty but doesn't make much of an impression as Marion but luckily Robin's merry men are roundly good with fun performances from Pallette, Hale, Knowles and others.Overall this is a great film not because the story is really deep or the special effects are astounding but simply because it is a really fun (and funny) swashbuckling adventure.
The second Flynn-de-Havilland cinematic fare out of 8, this version of Robin Hood (Flynn)'s tale is chiefly diverted to his romance with Maid Marion (de Havilland), Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Rathbone) assumes the duty as his sworn enemy and he takes this job very seriously, joining the collision with the treacherous Prince John (Claude Rains is a pitch-perfect villain with debonair), declares a Norman war against Saxons.
Michael Curtiz and William Keighley's "Adventures of Robin Hood" is a swashbuckler all right, but it's a little more than that: the film is a time capsule of Hollywood's Golden Age (tainted with emerald brilliance).
There's something so timeless about his crusade, "stealing from the rich to give to the poor" is a rather revolutionary notion, and the film insists in showing the oppression inflicted by despotic and despicable Prince John (Claude Rains as cunning as his Captain Renault but without the warmth), they allow Maid Marian (OIivia de Havilland) to reconsider her opinion about the King and Robin, but it also helps us to free our hearts from any mercy when the villains are shot.
Sure, legends, ancient writings suggest various versions of Robin Hood (even Lionheart's reputation seemed to be closer to Scar than Mufasa) but still, the 1938 version features the definite green-clad Robin Hood, king of the bucolic scenery of Sherwood Forest and leader of the Merrie Men. So many good things depend on this representation: gentle giant Little John (Alan Hale), comic relief Much (Herbert Mundin), Friar Tuck, Prince John, Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone as the perfect nemesis) and buffoonish Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper).
Maybe heroes are tougher to play because the actor has to make them look interesting, Robin Hood isn't just about archery and fights, he's got charm, wit, charisma, even nobility and Errol Flynn knew how to convey these virtues because you could tell he took his role seriously yet had fun playing it, unlike comatose Kevin Costner in "Prince of Thieves" or Russel Crowe as 'Maximus in tights'.
For all it's old-fashioned look, "The Adventures of Robin Hood" still holds up today and is so generous in fun, thrills and colors that it's a school-case of classical film-making and entertainment, a game-changing milestone to content any movie lover..
Gorgeous 21 year old Olivia De Havilland as the sweetest, gentlest Maid Marion of them all, Suave Basil Rathbone and Claude Rains at their dastardly best, all the supporting players from Alan Hale Snr. down to the lowliest bit player all perfectly chosen, one of the greatest musical scores ever, this film ticks not most of the boxes, but all of the boxes.
(Second best is the 1973 animated version).Accurate to the legend of Robin Hood, and starring the ultimate action star, Errol Flynn, this movie is a rollicking adventure.
Pretty much has the story of Robin Hood I remember as a kid, and not some re-envisioned, rebooted, made-up plot.Errol Flynn is great in the lead role - every bit the swashbuckling hero.
Olivia de Havilland as Maid Marian, Claude Rains as the evil (and surprisingly camp), Prince John, Alan Hale as Little John, Patric Knowles as Will Scarlett, Eugene Palette as Friar Tuck, Melville Cooper as a weasily Sheriff of Nottingham and of course the real bad guy of the piece The great Basil Rathbone as Sir Guy of Gisbourne.I love watching Rathbone in this movie and the final sword fight between him and Flynn is not to be missed.However, for me the real star of this film is the Oscar winning musical score by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
In the film history is one Robin Hood and he is Errol Flynn.Olivia de Havilland was a great natural beauty.
The evil and greedy Prince John (Claude Rains), cruel and arrogant Sir Guy of Gisbourne (Basil Rathbone), prudent and smart Will Scarlett (Patrick Knowles), funny and determined Friar Tuck (Eugene Palette), fearless Little John (Alan Hale Sr.), brave and clumsy Much (Herbert Mundin), cowardly braggart the High Sheriff of Nottingham (Melville Cooper) and my favorite Bess (Una O'Connor) are great.The Adventures of Robin Hood is a perfect blend of adventure action and romantic comedy..
Beginning with the performances, and carrying forward with the script, the set design, the Technicolor camera work, and especially the fantastic Erich Wolfgang Korngold score, "Robin Hood" is one of those older films actually gaining stature over time, as it becomes clearer how much of a miracle it really is.Taking elements of the Robin Hood saga, both from longtime legends and screen treatments like an earlier Douglas Fairbanks Sr. silent film, the scenarists manage to create an upbeat story of wit and pace fully in tune with the merry cast and score.
This is a fantastic movie that can never be bettered by anyone else!I always loved that scene, and, still love it - when Erroll Flynn (Robin Hood) and Alan Hale (Little John) first meet.Movies are great nowadays, and, always have been; but, back in this era, movies seemed to have more magic, for whatever reason.In my childhood I used to watch old classic movies like this with my Dad all the time.
It was studly superstars like Erroll Flynn; Burt Lancaster; Randolph Scott; Gary Cooper; etc., who got me believing that only the most noble, and, toughest guy, got to kiss the beautiful lady...and, I loved that, and, still do.This movie is an epic adventure of a nobleman turned hero/vigilante to help his countrymen, but, it's also a great romance story.The filming, scenery, and, locations in this movie are beautiful, but, Olivia de Havilland is even more beautiful...what a classy lady!The acting and action is great!The swashbuckling-sword-fighting of Erroll Flynn and Basil Rathbone has only been equaled in other 'Flynn' movies, but, never topped!
I continued watching Errol Flynn classics the other night with what may be the best of all his swashbucklers 'The Adventures of Robin Hood'.
Prince John's associates are all evil and conniving, the Sheriff of Nottingham is played for laughs by Melville Cooper, allowing Sir Guy to be the really bad guy that hates Robin Hood.There is too much about this movie to like -- Robin's "Merry Men" are robustly and warmly portrayed by Alan Hale, Patrick Knowles and Eugene Palette as Little John, Will Scarlet and Friar Tuck, respectively.
The very definition of swashbuckler and adventure film, Errol Flynn stars as Robin Hood the saxon who robbed the rich and gave to the poor.
One of the greatest of all swash-bucklers and forever the definitive version of the Robin Hood legend (despite any number of very good subsequent TV and movie adaptations).It just has too much going for it to ever fail, with Flynn in his greatest ever role, De Havilland never lovelier and Rathbone in his element as the wicked Guy of Gisbourne, never mind a great supporting cast including Flynn perennial Alan Hale as Little John, Claude Rains (in a ridiculous red-haired wig) as the evil King John and Eugene Palette as the rough, gruff but amiable Friar Tuck.
If there is any film that Errol Flynn and Olivia de Havilland will be remembered for as screen partners, it's THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD.
Claude Rains and Basil Rathbone make a memorable pair of villains and the remarkable cast includes sterling performances from Melville Cooper, Ian Hunter, Una O'Connor, Alan Hale, Eugene Palette, Montagu Love and Patric Knowles.It's a fairytale version all done up in gleaming Technicolor, the action and romance made even more impressive by Korngold's exquisite Oscar-winning score.
Errol Flynn (as Robin Hood), Olivia de Havilland (as Lady Marion Fitzwalter), Basil Rathbone (as Sir Guy of Gisbourne), Claude Rains (as Prince John), Patric Knowles (as Will Starlett) and Eugene Palette (as Friar Tuck) head up a great cast.
********* The Adventures of Robin Hood (5/13/38) Michael Curtiz ~ Errol Flynn, Olivia de Havilland, Basil Rathbone, Alan Hale.
where to start?this is one terrific movie.it's funny,has good characters and dialogue.it's also action packed.true,many of the fighting scenes seems a bit corny,but that's probably how they fought back then.back then,they really had to act,unlike today,where some special effect can distract the viewer,so the actor isn't the main focus.also,this was 1938,and talking pictures hadn't brr around that long.many actors were used to the style of acting in the silent films and just carried that over to the talkies.as for the DVD itself,it has been beautifully restored.the picture is cleans sharp and crisp.anyway,for me "The Adventures of Robin hood is a 10/10.
The Adventures of Robin Hood has endured for years and is more popular today than ever before, but the credit not only goes to the casting of Errol Flynn and Olivia DeHavalland and others in the cast, but the direction and mostly the musical score, but more on that later.Every second; every foot; and every scene is used to its best advantage which is the reason that there is no dull moment and the the pace is fast and enjoyable.
Olivia de Havilland is a beautiful Maid Marian; Claude Rains a wily & sly Prince John; Basil Rathbone as Guy of Gisbourne is the flip side to Robin, a picture of athletic evil; Alan Hale & Eugene Pallette are just right as Little John & Friar Tuck (their American accents are, surprisingly, no problem); Ian Hunter, Melville Cooper, Patric Knowles & Una O'Connor all offer colorful support.
Whatever the case, I can't knock the movie: it looks great, Flynn is an appropriate choice to play Robin Hood, it's a classic old-fashioned adventure story and still holds up well today, and please watch this on the restored DVD to see it "in all it's glory," as one critic put it.
In short, The Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn is probably the best movie of all time. |
tt0113114 | Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home | It's been two years since Jesse saved and freed his orca friend, Willy. Jesse, now a teenager, has since been adopted by his foster parents, Glen and Annie Greenwood. Jesse and his adoptive parents are preparing to go on a family camping trip to the Pacific Northwest. Glen has been trying to teach Jesse to drive their motorboat, but Jesse is more interested in girls. Before they leave town, however, Dwight, Jesse's former social worker, shows up to inform them that they have found Jesse's biological mother, who abandoned him 8 years ago. Jesse's mother has died and left behind another son, Jesse's 8-year old half-brother named Elvis (Francis Capra). Elvis is morose, overly talkative, and mischievous, and he is also prone to telling lies and easily gets on Jesse's nerves. He is invited on their trip to San Juan Island so that he and Jesse might get to know each other.
At the environmental institute, Jesse reunites with his old Native American friend Randolph Johnson (August Schellenberg) whom Jesse met at the aquatic park when he met Willy. Jesse quickly becomes smitten with Randolph's attractive and kindly goddaughter, Nadine (Mary Kate Schellhardt). Jesse also tracks down and reunites with Willy. Jesse cautiously begins to show his interest in Nadine, and as the awkward teenagers grow closer, Jesse helps Nadine befriend Willy and his orca siblings, Luna and Little Spot. Elvis spies on the two, but at the same time, forms a bond with Willy's brother Little Spot.
As they continue to enjoy their camping trip, an oil tanker runs aground and spills oil into the ocean, trapping the three young killer whales in a small cove. When word gets out that the orcas are trapped and Luna is dying from the oil in her lungs, John Milner, the president of the oil company (Jon Tenney), arrives and announces a plan to move the orcas into captivity where they can recover from their injuries. His real plan, however, is to sell the orcas to marine mammal parks.
Randolph eventually uses an old Indian remedy that he administers to Luna, who recovers. Elvis and Jesse learn of Milner's real plan to lock up the whales, and they confront him, ruining his plans. Then, with Nadine, they get the orcas away from the cove by stealing the boat belonging to Glen and leading them out of the cove to safety. However, the tanker explodes, and the crude oil in the water catches fire. While the three whales swim under the flaming oil safely, the boat hits a rock and starts to sink. Elvis begins to panic and Jesse promises to not let anything happen to him. Nadine and Elvis are lifted into a rescue helicopter summoned by Randolph's distress signals, but Jesse ends up slipping and falls back into the ocean. The helicopter is unable to go back for him due to the heavy smoke and is forced to fly away. However, Jesse is rescued by Willy, who takes him under the flames, and delivers him to Glen, Annie and Randolph. Jesse, after taking a moment to say goodbye, sends Willy off back to his family.
Shortly after, the Coast Guard brings Nadine and Elvis to Randolph's boat. Elvis gives Jesse an old picture of him and their mother, and explains that he once ripped it up out of anger, but taped it back together for him. Elvis tells Jesse that their mother always talked about him and that she felt bad about abandoning him. Jesse thanks him for the picture and hugs him, finally able to put his past at rest. Glen and Annie decide to adopt Elvis so the brothers can stay together. | romantic | train | wikipedia | First of all, I have to say what I liked original Free Willy movie.
For some reasons Simon Wincer, who directed the first movie didn't return for making this sequel, though we can see again all major characters from Free Willy.
Our main hero, Jesse is now fourteen years old and he finds out that his mother passed away and he has a stepbrother named Elvis.
The whole family goes to the holiday trip in a camping near an ocean's cove where Jesse again meets his friend Randolph and Willy.
Willy found his family and all seems perfect for the friends but suddenly another danger threatens their friendship.
The movie was released in 1995, eight years before notorious tanker "Prestege" shipwrecked near Spanish coast and ruined hundred of miles of coastline, not to mention that millions living creatures got killed in the result.
It was a real message and it passed absolutely unnoticed because for many people these movies are just cheesy movies for kids only.
The other problem point of the movie is rather difficult and complicated relation between Jesse and his much younger stepbrother, Elvis (played by Francis Capra).
The story is basically good written and leaves some place for action and excellent scenes in the cove, including underwater shots.
Jason James Richter is as good as in original movie and Francis Capra also did a very good job as rather annoying Jesse's half-brother.
A very good movie for whole family and not a brainless laughable family entertainment that very often bring to us Hollywood studios.
A nice message for young audience that you must always think about defending the wild nature and what in real life there are more important things than money.My vote 8,2 out of 10 or between B+ and A-..
just as good as Free Willy!.
This movie is just as good as the original.
It was funny seeing Jesse impress Nadine by showing off his relationship with Willy.
The problem with the oil spill isn't original, but it reminds us to always keep a look out for the orcas' safety.
If you want the excitement and thrilling adventure that you got in the first movie, check this one out asap.
Let go of your "Save The Whales" placards, allow FREE WILLY 2: THE ADVENTURE HOME do the job for you.
If you thought the original FREE WILLY had enough "Free the Whales" slogans to match a 3-ton Orca's weight, FREE WILLY 2 is even bigger, with its environmentalist propaganda that is!
FREE WILLY 2 is much more predictable, with a by-th-numbers storyline that might just entertain the kids and give adults a toothache from all its sweetness.
Still, for what its worth, FREE WILLY 2 is enjoyable family affair.
After leaving Willy (Keiko, assisted by an animatronic and CG double) from his leap of faith in the original's finale, Willy faces a new threat, this time outside the confines of a small tank.
The story also provides him a sort-of-girlfriend (Mary Kate Schellhardt) with a deep concern for the environment (Couldn't this movie ever be more nature-friendly?) and even a little brother named Elvis (Francis Capra), who is just so...
Not that the film is crowded with good guys, bad guys and beleaguered whales, but why did they actually think that this kid, annoying and a bit spoiled at some point, would deepen the film's emotional level?
Why they think a kid as nearly annoying as Elvis (who's simply annoying quips are more than enough to drive you to the breaking point) would be a good way to stretch Jessie's character, I really don't know.Still, as family entertainment, FREE WILLY 2 does just about enough for a mild recommendation.
The photography is adequate, capturing on film a lively shot of its environments and, of course the whales.
free willy 2: the adventure home i think is a good movie, but i still prefer the first free willy movie.
The movie starts with Willy with his family, Randolph (Now a best friend to Jesse) hears willy's whale voice, he records the voice and is chuffed to show it to Jesse when ie sees him.
Randolph sets out to collect Jesse to take him to the sea and to see Willy again, Jesse can't believe his eyes when he sees willy and is amazed to see him as a bigger whale.
Things become worse for the whales as oil is spreaded all over the sea, Luna (Willy's sister) is in danger as the oil gets into her lungs, Jesse starts to panic and calls Randolph, Jesse alos has a half brother called Elvis who is an 8 year old kid, He always wanted to help the whale but jesse's foster parent say that he is too young, he then runs away and then comes back.
Things become eveen worse when fire spreads with the oil still, in the sea, nadean and elvis are rescued but jesse loses grip of holding onto the ladders, Willy saves him by going under the flames and bringing him to safety.
Keiko, Richter, Schellenberg, Madsen, Atkinson, and Williamson all return for a new adventure about friendship and family.
Two years after setting Willy free, Jesse is still rebellious, but nothing very bad.
But everything is put in danger when an oil spill traps Willy and his family and endangers their habitat.
Regardless, all Free Willy movies are great for nostalgia sake, whether you originally liked them or not.
Gorgeous photography - even better than Free Willy.
Aware and knowing that it has a sequel-B movie vibe on it.That being said I think this movie is pretty decent for it's level.
And I think those are enough for a good family moment.For size, you can see how the camera works to find the emotion of Willy the whale.
I love the original free Willy of course but for some reason I always liked this one more.
It's great for what it is and is simply a nice movie for the whole family.
A sequel to the money making blockbuster original about a runaway who befriends a killer whale and the adventures they face.
Decent sequel to a very pleasant family film.
I really enjoyed the first film, it was sweet and cute, and elevated to a greater level by that wonderful killer whale Keiko who played Willy.
I do agree the story isn't as good or as believable this time around, the script lacks sparkle and the direction isn't as clever.
Free Willy 2 mayn't be the most fast-paced movie ever made, but it moves briskly, and the message is admirable.
What makes the movie charming though is the cast, Jason James Richter is still very likable and Francis Capra is funny and natural here.
If you've seen my comment on the original "Free Willy", which is not a positive one, you might be wondering why I'm reviewing this sequel, why I would have bothered watching it.
Since I didn't like the original 1993 film when I watched it recently, it's no surprise I'm not too impressed with this 1995 sequel, either.It has been two years since Jesse brought Willy, the orca whale, back to his natural habitat.
The two haven't seen each other since then, but Jesse is happy living with his foster parents, Glen and Annie Greenwood.
However, the teenager is not happy when he is informed that his birth mother has just died, and his younger half-brother, Elvis, is coming to live with them.
Jesse and Elvis do not get along, and their conflict continues on a camping trip with their foster parents, on which they have to share a tent.
On this trip, Jesse finally sees Willy again, and also reunites with his friend, Randolph.
Randolph introduces his goddaughter, Nadine, whom Jesse quickly falls in love with.
Trouble comes when an oil tanker crashes and spills its contents into the water, threatening the lives of the whales!
While Jesse and others attempt to save these whales, Elvis has problems of his own.I didn't care much for many of the characters in the original film, but this sequel introduces Elvis, played by Francis Capra, and he might be slightly worse than any character featured in the 1993 smash hit family movie.
Basically, most aspects of this movie weren't done so well, including the conflict between Jesse and Elvis, which may be a little extreme at times, and the teen romance between Jesse and Nadine.
Like the original, there is some tension, and also maybe a few poignant moments, but at times, it may try too hard, or not hard enough.
I didn't even know the artist was Michael Jackson when I watched the film.It seems "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home" is less popular than the original "Free Willy", even though some critics considered it superior.
I've explained why I decided to watch and review this sequel, but since I've never seen the final installment in the trilogy, 1997's "Free Willy 3: The Rescue" (which appears to be even less popular), to this day, I don't intend to watch it.
the best thing about this movie is that there are more scenes with the whales.other than that,i can't say i liked it very much.it is shorter than the first one,but feels a lot longer.this movie felt too much like an ecology lesson to me,and it wasn't subtle either.i just found the whole thing overwrought,and i though there was a bit of overacting going on.they had a subplot going on,which i didn't think was necessary,but that's just me.there were some emotional scenes,but i felt like i was being manipulated.towards the end,there are a few tense moments,but overall,the movie is disappointing.if it weren't for the scenes with the whales,this would be a 1 or 2 star movie.i guess for me,Free Willy 2 is a 4/10.
Compared with The Big Blue, Free Willy 2 just have the ocean in common .
Most of the supporting cast from the 1993 cult classic "Free Willy" is back for the sequel, which hit theaters before an excited crowd of youngsters and their parents in 1995.
But the cheer-inducing magic that I loved so much in the original has gone in "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home" which isn't quite the adventure that the title seems to hint at.
It's got the typical monotonous, rushed feeling that I tend to find most sequels have and while it's far from a disaster, it is a letdown from the warmness and nostalgia-stirring charm that I adored so much in the original film.In the last movie, the beloved orca Willy (Keiko) leaped to safety from greedy marine park owners and escaped to the wild while the little boy he befriended, Jesse (Jason James Richter) finally came to peace with his foster parents.
Two years later, Willy is still running free in the wild with his kin and the boy is reaching that age.
His estranged mother has passed away and so he and his foster parents have to take the unwanted, obnoxious brat from New York (Francis Capra) on their camping trip.
Jesse's not so interested in camping, but more in meeting up with his old friend (August Schellenberg), his pretty goddaughter (Mart Kate Shellhardt), and of course, lovable Willy and his family.
But things take a turn for the worse when an oil tanker runs aground in the cove where the whales are living and it's then that I realized "Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home" should have been titled "Free Willy 2: The Escape" because that's more of what it's about.
Marketable.Everything that I loved so much in the first movie has been watered down here.
Whereas I could really feel the majesty and the amazing presence of Willy and the other whales in the first film, here it seems more like placid outtakes from a rather cheap documentary, as if the cast cheering at the sight of Willy were doing so at pictures and not the real thing.
Amazing as it sounds, but even though his namesake is the title of the movie, Willy has very little to do with the movie at all.
Maybe the reason I've never bought teenage love stories in movies is because I don't believe in them.
The point is: their scenes together go on forever but leave about as much impact as a speck of sand on the wing of a plane.The first two acts of "Free Willy 2" are really slow-going.
The movie is well-shot...most of the time.
Now I saw this movie more than ten years ago, as a child, having fallen in love with the original film.
I love this movie, it's not the best that I ever saw but it really good.
The movies of free Willy are all really good I know that in the end they say the no one got hurt but still you never know unless your really there.
Like in free Willy 2 the whales got oil all over them and all most died I know they really did not die but still..
The reason that they made this movie is because warner brothers needed to let people know about what was happening with that whale in person.
even though keiko's family was there it was still not a good place for him to be do to the drama most of the orca's were experiencing.
the only thing i didn't get is why didn't the free willy foundation sell keiko to anyone that can afford to take care of him in person.
I went in to this sequel fully preparing to hate it, but, to my surprise, it is a much better movie than the first.
Two years later, Jesse is still living with Vincent Vega's brother and is none-to-happy to discover that he has a bratty brother of his own but soon forgets about that when he discovers Willy has returned to Astoria.
Nothing like a cold, hostile female character to make your movie work, huh?
Though, Elvis, his new sibling, is desperate to join in on the fun.Everything is happy (and going nowhere) until Captain Murphy from Lethal Weapon crashes an oil tanker and pollutes the water, trapping Willy and his pod.
Jesse's attempts at rescuing them are ignored by the adults though he eventually takes matters into his own hands when the ocean catches fire, making for a far more exciting climax than the original movie.Director Dwight H.
The scenes of the burning ocean at the end look amazing and the story of Jesse bonding with his new brother makes for much better drama than the mucky schmaltz of the original.It ain't perfect, and the villains seem shoehorned in there as they appear and disappear within 10 minutes, but this really is one of those times when a sequel outdoes the first, and it's mad that it barely made back its budget.
I find it appalling that the lead actors in Free Willy 2 were paid off to express their support for such a jail for orcas.
I find it doubly reprehensible because in the advertisement (as in the movie), it is acknowledged and repeated that these animals spend their entire lives in the company of their families.
The character of the oil company representative in the film said it best in the coffee shop at the dock: "Just as long as we make it seem like we have the whales' best interest in mind".
I would have given this film a seven-star rating because of the decent acting, good direction and potent environmental message.
Free Willy 2: The Adventure Home.
The original film is a fun family feature with a lovable friendly creature the world fell in love with, and this sequel isn't absolutely terrible.
Basically its been two years since boy Jesse (Jason James Richter) helped Willy the killer whale (played by Keiko) to jump to freedom, and when his true mother dies, Jesse gains a half-brother with trouble-maker Elvis (Francis Capra, no relation to director Frank).
While on a camping trip Jesse meets Willy again in the open water, where he has found his mother and brothers, oh, and his human Indian friend who looks after the family, Randolph (August Schellenberg).
Jesse also meets and falls for Randolf's goddaughter Nadine (Mary Kate Schellhardt), and she is astonished to see Willy let Jesse ride his back.
Willy and his family hit jeopardy when a large oil tanker crashes spilling its load into the water, and there is also a point when the oil catches fire, and Jesse is determined to help them.
So while the story isn't very original, it is the whales that keep you hooked, and the end credits song, "Forever Young" by The Pretenders.
In my opinion, none of the sequels can stand up to the first, though this one is pretty good.
Elvis is portrayed perfectly as the delightfully annoying pest of a little brother, though his character development is shown well as the movie progresses.
It felt nice to watch Elvis and Jesse grow closer until the ending, where it seemed as though they had grown up together and shared a bond.
Nadine is a nice addition to the cast of characters, providing Jesse with a love interest.
It was nice to watch their bond develop and grow as the movie went on as well.
The only complaint I have about the acting is the scene at the dock where Jesse is first reunited with Willy (aside from having seen him from a distance on Randolph's boat).
The robots in this movie were phenomenal, though in the scenes where Jesse introduces Nadine to Willy, and the ending after Willy saves Jesse from the fire, some of the paint on the chin spots is visibly missing (half of one of the spots is gone) and in some scenes it appears as though the spots in Willy's right eye-patch aren't there at all.
Overall, a good movie with a good message to spread. |
tt1486670 | F | Felix O'Neil (Cameron Dallas) is a mischievous prankster who believes that school is a waste of time. He gets expelled after receiving his third suspension from the principal, Truman.
For several days, Felix covers up his expulsion with the help of his best friend, Danny. A week before report cards are supposed to be mailed, Felix makes a deal with his ex-girlfriend, Vanessa, to help her win a class election against her rival, Stacy. In exchange, Vanessa—Mr. Truman's T.A.—will print a straight A report card for Felix. Felix and Danny hack Stacy's computer and learn that she is a notorious cyber bully, Roxy. Felix is able to get into the school and expose Stacy.
That night, Felix arrives home and finds his report card in the mail; but Vanessa lied and gave him F's. Felix barely keeps his parents from finding out; in retaliation, he ruins the school play Vanessa stars in. After escaping from Truman, he is able to lie to his parents and convince Danny to help him break into school to fix his grades. Truman however, catches him in the act and calls the police who arrest Felix.
Felix's brother Ben—who broke out of his mountain academy by shipping himself out to their house—is able to bail Felix out. When they get home, their mom, pressures Felix about the report card, and forces Felix to convince Danny to give it to him. His parents are shocked, and his mom schedules a conference with his chemistry teacher. Felix hires the school janitor to pose as his chemistry teacher, who meets with Felix at his house. Ben, shocked, accidentally knocks him out. Felix, having no other choice goes with his mom to the meeting. Ben attempts to stop the meeting but fails. Felix's history teacher is about to tell about Felix's expulsion when Ben knocks him out. His mom finds Ben in the hallway, and even though Felix denies knowledge of it, his mom grounds him.
Ben is sent back to the academy, but not before planning his next escape; Felix's mom is doing everything to meet with Truman about Felix. A delivery pizza girl, Katie, convinces him to find a way to get Truman to re-enroll him. After getting into the school, they see Truman late at night doing something on his computer. Deducing something is suspicious, Felix convinces Danny to bug his computer and learns Truman is a gambling addict who steals school money to support his addiction. Felix blackmails Truman to re-enroll him. Vanessa, disapproves of this and helps Truman, who steals back the evidence of his addiction.
After Felix and Danny realize the evidence is missing, they head to the school where Truman gloats about beating Felix. Danny, however, steals Truman's laptop which has clear evidence of his activity. Felix's mom arrives, and Truman lies about Felix, stating he is an exemplary student and that his "Straight A" report card was not faked. Felix's mom's suspicions are relieved.
Felix is re-enrolled and wins Katie's affection. Although he still does not understand the importance of school, he works harder and earns better grades. | murder | train | wikipedia | If you go by the start, they are also supposed to be 'F' grade students taking revenge (although this isn't clear), but they must have 'A' grades in Athletics because they run about on large bookcases in the library, fall from the ceiling at every opportunity, they act like stealth ninjas from start to finish.The ending.
In North London, the teacher of the Wittering College Robert Anderson (David Schofield) is hit on the face by a student and is forced to take three months vacation to be not sued by the parents of the kid.Robert is affected by the incident and a couple of months later, he is emotionally disturbed, alcoholic and separated of his wife Helen (Juliet Aubrey).
But sooner Robert realizes that the Wittering College is under siege of a gang of hooligans and he need to find Kate to protect his daughter."F" is a film with that had potential to be a great movie.
As the viewers were just kind of watching a regular day at school that goes horribly wrong when menacing faceless(which is also a nice touch) killers start slowly taking out all in their way.
I would have liked to spend more time in the college during a normal day to get an idea of the size and general layout of the place, as well as to contrast the emptiness of the building at night, but that's a minor gripe.A lot of people appear not to have liked the ending, but (without spoiling anything) I will say that it fits with the rest of the film.
It's largely a set piece production and, with the ending the way it is, there is scope for a sequel to expand on the events that occur in this film or, again, the viewer can draw upon their own thoughts and perspective.Overall I found this film to be gripping, suspenseful, and with just enough innate malice and hold on reality to create a 'what if' situation where anybody, teacher or not, could see this happening to them at some point.
An alcoholic teacher has to save his estranged daughter when a group of hooded youths attack the school at night....I liked the idea behind this film, but sadly as written, it doesn't quite work.
You don't actually see much on-screen, instead usually only seeing the bodies afterwards.As a result, then the writer/director Johannes Roberts has to rely on his skill with a camera to create tension and any scares he can, and to be fair he does get the building tension as the film progresses just right.
I can't recall a recent film with an ending like this, and it actually works brilliantly.Sadly though it is his writing that lets him down, which is a shame, as potentially this could have been very good indeed.A missed opportunity..
11 months later and back at work, Robert's worst fears about youth violence towards teachers and auxiliary staff comes true as the college comes under night time siege from a gang of faceless hoodies.Damned if you do, damned if you don't, in horror, if you spoon feed your audience solutions and full on gore you get called unoriginal.
Roberts' movie follows the latter course of action, an acknowledged homage/spin on Assault on Precinct 13, it's the latest British film to tap into the growing adult fear of the "seemingly" lawless spurge of violence perpetrated by the hoodie generation.
It would be better if movie would continue into direction of psychological internal battle of the main "hero" (whether to do something or do nothing) or deeper character analysis than entering into some very poor horror atmosphere, which at the end leaves you empty as shell.
When the 'Hoodies' were looming we would know, and that made them ten times creepier.The ending, love it or hate it, was different and strangely invigorating.'F', despite the minor clichés, it's slight dip into repetition and bland characters (apart from a couple), and I suppose the lack of a substantial plot, is a fresh film.
OK, so maybe I am being over generous with my rating but I wanted to counter-act the other votes a little as I cannot agree with the views of the majority of other reviewers.I thought F was an excellent little horror film which I will certainly recommend to my friends.
The plot concerns a school being invaded after hours by a gang of killers, and the only one who realizes something is wrong can't get the others to believe him, but he can't leave himself because his daughter is also at school.I see most of the complaints are centered around certain areas where the movie leaves things open.
While I'm not one to complain about kills in a horror movie, I also feel like they could've done more with the main character's troubles with both his job and his family.
It leaves me hoping for a sequel, because I even without the ending I think there's more this story to give.To conclude, it seems as though whether or not you'll like this movie depends on how much importance you place on everything being explained.
OK i know what you are doing now you laughing with yourself now ,how stupid you were and you didn't listened to the bad reviews Yeah its truth my friend this movie is plain stupid.Go back at home and drink a beer and you ll forget it in the next 24 hours i assure you, movies like this usually are forgotten in the next 24 hours.A big thanks for reading this ,it can save your valuable time from your life..
Here we have a terrible corrupted government & a terrible weak & pathetic Justice system so our streets are full of EVIL soulless almost inbred primal kid thugs roaming around the dark streets at night stabbing people & getting away with it because of our scared & weak Justice system & this Horror movie F came out of all that Terror & violence seen everyday on the news & in the papers but F is also based on a true incident in a London school.Now the film F is a very low budget Horror Thriller & made very well in a real school location in London so it feels so real because it is but it's made in an also exciting movie way like Carpenters classic Assault on precinct 13 (1976) & the director made that choice on purpose being a huge Carpenter fan & the big dark school at night being under seige by faceless killers has that exciting & scary Carpenter atmosphere.
A male teacher & a few others are in the school late one dark evening & a gang of pure evil faceless Hooded kid thugs attack the school & start stalking the dark gloomy corridors & killing anyone they come accross just like real life everyday in England!!!!A great rare lead performance that's intense & very serious by David Schofield (A British t.v actor) who is the main character a troubled teacher who has to fight back against the evil kids & i love the way the murderous thugs are portrayed as just pure evil faceless savage killers without emotion or character because that's how these creatures are in real life just evil & will stab you if you even look at them so here it's spot on not to humanize then at all.
I like that Robert has become paranoid of violent youths since that opening scene, but the film spends no time exploring the potential of that idea.It's got a likeable lead, a cool setting and some memorable kills, but there's nothing really to it.4/10..
Possibly the worst thing I found about this, is the (SPOILER ALERT!!!) level of sickening, psychopathic violence performed, naturally, on several women- this is 'school of misogyny' without a doubt.I wonder about the mindset and motivation of the original writer(s) who dreamed up the story line, particularly the gratuitously sick attacks on female characters..
I know that there is no golden rule saying that all characters in a scary film must be likable, but I think that it really helps one's overall enjoyment of a horror if there are at least a few people to identify with or root for; similarly, there's nothing to say that indiscriminate on-screen carnage needs to be justified, but it's quite nice to be given a motive for such behaviour.F, from director Johannes Roberts, features almost no-one worth caring about and offers little explanation for its random killings, making it a very frustrating watch—a shame, because the basic set up has plenty of potential and Roberts shows a lot of promise with his handling of the visuals, making great use of his surprisingly creepy setting, a secondary school after hours.Things go wrong almost immediately with the introduction of the film's central character, teacher Robert Anderson (David Schofield), who loses the viewer's sympathy with his insensitive and very unprofessional classroom manner, belittling his less able students in front of the whole class (and quite deservedly getting a head-butt for his troubles).
So many horrible people in one building...The killers in this film—faceless 'hoodies' who understandably have issues with Anderson, but who for some reason also vent their rage on less deserving members of staff and their own peers—prowl the corridors of the school like wild animals, quite literally at times, silently scaling furniture and shelving to pounce on their quarry; I understand that Roberts wanted his killers to appear predatory, but he takes it just a bit too far—I've seen ninjas less stealthy than these kids.
It's all a bit hard to take seriously at times.The dark locale does allow for quite a bit of tension, the odd shock, and some occasional gore, with the death of F's only really amiable character, hot teacher Nicky (Roxanne McKee), being particularly nasty, but as a whole it is a very flawed film, the inconclusive and unsatisfying ending being the final straw..
This film takes me back to watching my classmates' Horror trailers in secondary school; it seems as if the film-makers consulted a GCSE Media Studies text book when attempting to construct tension, it's tiringly clichéd and ineffective.The film's paper-thin, immature and utterly dumb plot makes me think that the crew also opened the text book when it came to narrative, which consists of a secondary school being raided by hooded assailants whom needlessly jump and climb around with such agility that they appear to have either been bitten by a radioactive spider or are just psychotic free runners – it's all completely stupid.Horror fans are presented with disappointing scenes that merely examine the resulting cadavers instead of displaying mobile blood and gore.
One evening, when keeping his daughter in detention, a pack of criminal students (?) hiding their faces underneath hooded caps invade the school's premises and relentlessly begin to terrorize the remaining staff members without apparent motive.As a social statement, "F" is definitely one of the most remarkable genre movies of the past ten years.
It had a nicely set up situation, and was shot in a visually interesting style, but feels like they rushed it out after the first draft.The set up of the troubled teacher had no pay off, the kids getting an F was not a motivator to go on a killing spree, it that's indeed what happened.
The plot = A handful of teachers and students stay behind late after school, but unknown to them a gang of mysterious hoodies decide to kill them off."F" although I don't understand this title, gets off to an interesting start and the school setting is genuinely creepy, but all that quickly falls flat, which is a shame as it's been a while since I've seen a decent high school slasher and I was hoping that this would be one of them, but unfortunately this doesn't really cut it.As I've said before this movie does start off quite good and definitely showed potential but as it went on I became quickly disappointed, for a start the overuse of people investigating a strange noise is stupid and the supposed scenes that supposed to make you jump don't.
The hooded kids aren't really scary at all and especially when they start doing jumps onto lockers and running across the walls was totally stupid what are they supposed to be ninjas or something.Another thing that's disappointing are the kills, off screen which is such a slap in the face but there are some decent effects on when the bodies are found, and plus the ending with no explanation whatsoever, just lazy in my opinion.All in all a great setting but falls flat, when things begin to happen..
I also understand that a lot of the killings were implied, in which case this movie fails both on scares and blood-letting.It also suffers from character stupidity, the kind I thought had been put to rest following the horror rules as outlined in "Scream"!
- I feel like i have been stolen of 75 minutes of my life.Acting Poor, Editing Poor, Storyline Poor, Ending Poor and Scenery was also PoorAwful Awful film!I don't even have ten lines worth of text to describe how bad this film was.If you ever see this film, make sure you kill it with fire.
"F" is just another example of one of those films that sound like they could have a lot of potential and build a very strong opening, but then are executed in an horrific and appalling way, that instead of being scary or tense and exciting, they end up being frustrating.
The writing was also really bad, with lines such as "some of you kids don't deserve to go to this school." Though it doesn't help that they're delivered by really stale actors.But what majorly lets this film down is the ending.
In fact, by the end of the film, it doesn't matter that you don't see the 'hoody' yoooffff faces, because you just want to start to cheer them on for getting rid of a bunch of idiots, who can't seem to use mobiles to call the police and when they do finally get through to them, the two that turn up deserve to be high on the list of the teen killers because of their stupidity.It's full of what I call stupid music, that music used in horror films that attempts to chill you to the bone, which is really there to tell you if the idiot character doesn't turn around and see that there's a big ole horror fest panto taking place in the same room as he keeps walking into - 'HE'S BEHIND YOU' then the music will let you know that another one is about to get shanked!!!
I'll leave that crap for those who think it is Poetry, or Philosophical to let the audience decide what happens next (after the end).In addition, this film is one of those crappy thriller movies that keeps you saying: "oh!
that makes no sense..." ; you know, one of those films you think it could end the whole plot if they just pulled the Fire-alarm (calling fireman and police), or leave the building after seeing weird stuff like blood and corpses :).
It didn't explain who the hoodies were, why they killed, why that school at that time.It didn't even finish just left you guessing Worst film ever !.
some really bad acting which does stand out a lot as the dialouge seems forced from one of the lead actresses.without giving too much away it also felt like the movie did not have a proper ending which was a disappointment.The killers in this movie are hooded kids who are trying an attempt at some poor free-running.the only thing that puzzled me is that this movie is an 18 rating but there are far gorier films out there with 15 ratings.
In fact in some ways, the film could have ended a couple of minutes sooner, as the teacher struggles with the impossible choice between helping his wife or daughter.
Exceptionally good horror-thriller, because---there was little on screen violence; one never actually sees the faces of the mass murderers; there was a very clear reason why the murderers were doing what they were doing, although the murderers themselves do not state it.-----------------------At a public school (Wittering College in the UK) Robert Anderson, a tough teacher, is rather direct about how horrible a student's work is.
I can see why this film is either a love or hate movie.There are those that like it's simple approach and execution, and there are those that just dislike it because it doesn't deliver the expected gore fest they've come to expect, and it doesn't make a lot of sense either.I'm a bit torn over this film, and wanted to like it more than I do.THE GOOD:I was impressed in the simple way it slowly nudged up the tension.It slowly made you feel more uncomfortable, as the hoodie gang attack lone teachers and pupils after hours at the school.
It isn't shocking any more, and we all know how good make up effects and CGI can be to show a person getting killed, so the impact is lost.The faceless hoodies were a new scary idea, and how they stalked their victims was well filmed.THE BAD:Well, the film takes a big nose-dive once we've reached 75 minutes of good tension building and plot development, and seems to just fizzle out.There is no resolution at all here, no real motive for the attacks, no members of the gang identified.
Unfortunately, what we actually ended up with was a completely pointless and unsatisfying movie whose numerous plot holes are never explained, thereby wasting an intriguing opening 10 minutes.The basic premise is that a disgraced teacher, his bratty daughter and a handful of utterly witless individuals (cleaner, boyfriend, security guards, etc) end up trapped in a school one night, while a gang of faceless ninja parkour hoodies embark on synchronised mass murder for absolutely no discernible reason whatsoever. |
tt0116684 | Jane Eyre | === Introduction ===
The novel is a first-person narrative from the perspective of the title character. The novel's setting is somewhere in the north of England, late in the reign of George III (1760–1820). It goes through five distinct stages: Jane's childhood at Gateshead Hall, where she is emotionally and physically abused by her aunt and cousins; her education at Lowood School, where she gains friends and role models but suffers privations and oppression; her time as governess at Thornfield Hall, where she falls in love with her Byronic employer, Edward Rochester; her time with the Rivers family, during which her earnest but cold clergyman cousin, St. John Rivers, proposes to her; and her reunion with, and marriage to, her beloved Rochester. During these sections the novel provides perspectives on a number of important social issues and ideas, many of which are critical of the status quo (see the Themes section below). Literary critic Jerome Beaty opines that the close first person perspective leaves the reader "too uncritically accepting of her worldview", and often leads reading and conversation about the novel towards supporting Jane, regardless of how irregular her ideas or perspectives are.
Jane Eyre is divided into 38 chapters, and most editions are at least 400 pages long. The original publication was in three volumes, comprising chapters 1 to 15, 16 to 27, and 28 to 38; this was a common publishing format during the 19th century (see three-volume novel).
Brontë dedicated the novel's second edition to William Makepeace Thackeray.
=== Jane's childhood ===
The novel begins with the titular character, Jane Eyre, aged 10, living with her maternal uncle's family, the Reeds, as a result of her uncle's dying wish. It is several years after her parents died of typhus. Mr. Reed, Jane's uncle, was the only person in the Reed family who was ever kind to Jane. Jane's aunt, Sarah Reed, dislikes her, treats her as a burden, and discourages her children from associating with Jane. Mrs. Reed and her three children are abusive to Jane, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The nursemaid Bessie proves to be Jane's only ally in the household, even though Bessie sometimes harshly scolds Jane. Excluded from the family activities, Jane is incredibly unhappy, with only a doll and books for comfort.
One day, after her cousin John Reed knocks her down and she attempts to defend herself, Jane is locked in the red room where her uncle died; there, she faints from panic after she thinks she has seen his ghost. She is subsequently attended to by the kindly apothecary, Mr. Lloyd, to whom Jane reveals how unhappy she is living at Gateshead Hall. He recommends to Mrs. Reed that Jane should be sent to school, an idea Mrs. Reed happily supports. Mrs. Reed then enlists the aid of the harsh Mr. Brocklehurst, director of Lowood Institution, a charity school for girls. Mrs. Reed cautions Mr. Brocklehurst that Jane has a "tendency for deceit", which he interprets as her being a "liar". Before Jane leaves, however, she confronts Mrs. Reed and declares that she'll never call her "aunt" again, that Mrs. Reed and her daughter, Georgiana, are the ones who are deceitful, and that she shall tell everyone at Lowood how cruelly Mrs. Reed treated her.
=== Lowood ===
At Lowood Institution, a school for poor and orphaned girls, Jane soon finds that life is harsh, but she attempts to fit in and befriends an older girl, Helen Burns, who is able to accept her punishment philosophically. During a school inspection by Mr. Brocklehurst, Jane accidentally breaks her slate, thereby drawing attention to herself. He then stands her on a stool, brands her a liar, and shames her before the entire assembly. Jane is later comforted by her friend, Helen. Miss Temple, the caring superintendent, facilitates Jane's self-defence and writes to Mr. Lloyd, whose reply agrees with Jane's. Jane is then publicly cleared of Mr. Brocklehurst's accusations.
The 80 pupils at Lowood are subjected to cold rooms, poor meals, and thin clothing. Many students fall ill when a typhus epidemic strikes, and Jane's friend Helen dies of consumption in her arms. When Mr. Brocklehurst's maltreatment of the students is discovered, several benefactors erect a new building and install a sympathetic management committee to moderate Mr. Brocklehurst's harsh rule. Conditions at the school then improve dramatically.
The name Lowood symbolizes the "low" point in Jane's life where she was maltreated. Helen Burns is a representation of Charlotte's elder sister Maria, who died of tuberculosis after spending time at a school where the children were mistreated.
=== Thornfield Hall ===
After six years as a student and two as a teacher at Lowood, Jane decides to leave, like her friend and confidante Miss Temple, who recently married. She advertises her services as a governess and receives one reply, from Alice Fairfax, housekeeper at Thornfield Hall. Jane takes the position, teaching Adèle Varens, a young French girl.
One night, while Jane is walking to a nearby town, a horseman passes her. The horse slips on ice and throws the rider. Despite the rider's surliness, Jane helps him to get back onto his horse. Later, back at Thornfield, she learns that this man is Edward Rochester, master of the house. Adèle is his ward, left in his care when her mother abandoned her.
At Jane's first meeting with him within Thornfield, Mr. Rochester teases her, accusing her of bewitching his horse to make him fall. He also talks strangely in other ways, but Jane is able to give as good as she gets. Mr. Rochester and Jane soon come to enjoy each other's company, and spend many evenings together.
Odd things start to happen at the house, such as a strange laugh, a mysterious fire in Mr. Rochester's room (from which Jane saves Rochester by rousing him and throwing water on him and the fire), and an attack on a house guest named Mr. Mason. Then Jane receives word that her aunt Mrs. Reed is calling for her, because she suffered a stroke after her son John died. Jane returns to Gateshead and remains there for a month, attending to her dying aunt. Mrs. Reed confesses to Jane that she wronged her, giving Jane a letter from Jane's paternal uncle, Mr. John Eyre, in which he asks for her to live with him and be his heir. Mrs. Reed admits to telling Mr. Eyre that Jane had died of fever at Lowood. Soon afterward, Mrs. Reed dies, and Jane helps her cousins after the funeral before returning to Thornfield.
Back at Thornfield, Jane broods over Mr. Rochester's rumoured impending marriage to the beautiful and talented, but snobbish and heartless, Blanche Ingram. However, one midsummer evening, Rochester baits Jane by saying how much he will miss her after getting married, but how she will soon forget him. The normally self-controlled Jane reveals her feelings for him. Rochester is then sure that Jane is sincerely in love with him, and he proposes marriage. Jane is at first sceptical of his sincerity, but eventually believes him and gladly agrees to marry him. She then writes to her Uncle John, telling him of her happy news.
As she prepares for her wedding, Jane's forebodings arise when a strange woman sneaks into her room one night and rips her wedding veil in two. As with the previous mysterious events, Mr. Rochester attributes the incident to Grace Poole, one of his servants. During the wedding ceremony, Mr. Mason and a lawyer declare that Mr. Rochester cannot marry because he is already married to Mr. Mason's sister, Bertha. Mr. Rochester admits this is true but explains that his father tricked him into the marriage for her money. Once they were united, he discovered that she was rapidly descending into madness, and so he eventually locked her away in Thornfield, hiring Grace Poole as a nurse to look after her. When Grace gets drunk, Rochester's wife escapes and causes the strange happenings at Thornfield.
It turns out that Jane's uncle, Mr. John Eyre, is a friend of Mr. Mason's and was visited by him soon after Mr. Eyre received Jane's letter about her impending marriage. After the marriage ceremony is broken off, Mr. Rochester asks Jane to go with him to the south of France, and live with him as husband and wife, even though they cannot be married. Refusing to go against her principles, and despite her love for him, Jane leaves Thornfield in the middle of the night.
=== Other employment ===
Jane travels as far from Thornfield as she can using the little money she had previously saved. She accidentally leaves her bundle of possessions on the coach and has to sleep on the moor, and unsuccessfully attempts to trade her handkerchief and gloves for food. Exhausted and hungry, she eventually makes her way to the home of Diana and Mary Rivers, but is turned away by the housekeeper. She collapses on the doorstep, preparing for her death. St. John Rivers -- Diana and Mary's brother -- and a clergyman save her. After she regains her health, St. John finds Jane a teaching position at a nearby village school. Jane becomes good friends with the sisters, but St. John remains aloof.
The sisters leave for governess jobs, and St. John becomes somewhat closer to Jane. St. John learns Jane's true identity and astounds her by telling her that her uncle, John Eyre, has died and left her his entire fortune of 20,000 pounds (equivalent to over £1.3 million in 2011). When Jane questions him further, St. John reveals that John Eyre is also his and his sisters' uncle. They had once hoped for a share of the inheritance but were left virtually nothing. Jane, overjoyed by finding that she has living and friendly family members, insists on sharing the money equally with her cousins, and Diana and Mary come back to live at Moor House.
=== Proposals ===
Thinking Jane will make a suitable missionary's wife, St. John asks her to marry him and to go with him to India, not out of love, but out of duty. Jane initially accepts going to India but rejects the marriage proposal, suggesting they travel as brother and sister. As soon as Jane's resolve against marriage to St. John begins to weaken, she mysteriously hears Mr. Rochester's voice calling her name. Jane then returns to Thornfield to find only blackened ruins. She learns that Mr. Rochester's wife set the house on fire and committed suicide by jumping from the roof. In his rescue attempts, Mr. Rochester lost a hand and his eyesight. Jane reunites with him, but he fears that she will be repulsed by his condition. "Am I hideous, Jane?", he asks. "Very, sir: you always were, you know", she replies. When Jane assures him of her love and tells him that she will never leave him, Mr. Rochester again proposes, and they are married. He eventually recovers enough sight to see their first-born son. | romantic, cruelty | train | wikipedia | I love the story of Jane Eyre so much, to insult anything that has to do with this beloved character is not easy to say.
I've seen 3 versions of this movie after having read Charlotte Bronte's book.
I've seen this particular film adaptation of Jane Eyre four times, and I'm still not tired of it.
As a faithful fan of the book Jane Eyre, I could not be more pleased with the cast and their faithfulness to Bronte's characters.
What made the idea of seeing this movie so attractive was the hope that it would live up to Charlotte Bronte's brilliance of the original classic story.
Much of the witty back and forth between the main characters, Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester, seemed to be either missing from the screenplay or left on the cutting room floor.
The woman in this movie did not seem to have much to triumph over, including one of the greatest parts of the story when Jane runs away from Thornfield and Mr. Rochester.
The director does not copy the book but entails his personal feelings and evaluations to the strange fate of Jane Eyre throughout the movie.The film is made wonderfully: the cast, the music, the entire convention - It supplies the viewer with the right picture of the Victorian England.
Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books and has been since childhood, but William Hurt's weary, throwaway acting style is completely unsuitable to the bold passion of Edward Rochester and poor Charlotte Gainsbrough looks like a bored, petulant teenager whose dental braces hurt!
I do appreciate that they finally used such a young, plain woman to play Jane, a character who is supposed to be a worldly 18, but if you want to see a version that closer approximates the personalities and passions of the novel, please see the 70's version with George C.
I feel this film in no way reflects the brilliance of Bronte's work, and rather gave the impression of a shallow love story.
There is no build up to the romance between Rochester and Jane Eyre, so this appears rather abrupt and unfounded since the two characters have such infrequent interaction you cannot help but imagine their 'love' is superficial.
This is such an injustice to Bronte's novel;you are given no impression of Jane's quirky cheek and boldness which attracts Rochester to her, and his arrogance which attracts Jane to him.Despite to poor scripting, I think that a few of the characters were portrayed very astutely, namely Mrs Fairfax and Grace Poole, however overall the production was poor.
I don't like using the word "awful" to describe any work of the cinema for which a great deal of time, effort, talent and money is spent in its creation but Zefferelli's attempt to adapt Charlotte Brontë's novel 'Jane Eyre' is a total waste of time.The script is lacking in finesse and power, everything explained to the viewer in no uncertain terms, leaving little to the imagination.
The role of the would-be second wife, played like a Barbie Doll by Elle MacPhearson, is an empty cipher.Fiona Shaw, a very great actress, is completely wasted as Jane's Aunt, Mrs Reed.
I don't think I can improve on a comment I read below, so I'll just paraphrase it: "Jane Eyre is a great great book, the screenwriter should read it sometime." It's true that this movie's two leads were sadly miscast.
It is true that Charlotte Bronte's "Jane Eyre" has a complex and almost unbelievable storyline, but several main parts of the plot were changed in this movie, and the change was not for the better!
Walt Disney versions of Peter Pan for example, have very little to do with J.M. Barry's original.Jane Eyre is a very serene, rather melancholical book with beautiful strong characters.
The results give a different emphasis to the story and one that for this viewer works well.In this particular incarnation the rags to riches heroine Jane Eyre is played with subtlety by the beautiful Charlotte Gainsbourg (with Anna Paquin as the younger version) and Rochester the master of the manor is a William Hurt, playing his character more for life and flesh than the usual darkly sinister keeper of secrets.
What results from the combination of cast and crew is a film that is far more a romance than a vapid mystery: the fire between Jane and Rochester is palpable and is given more space and time than the other versions which elect to dwell on the mad 'wife' upstairs finally destroyed in the fire that brings Rochester down to Jane's initial stance on the social scale.The cinematography by David Watkin captures the period beautifully as does the musical score by Claudio Capponi and Alessio Vlad.
In the scene with Adele when she says that Jane may never come back and Rochester hesitates to comfort her, I think that Hurt's acting choices showed great insight to the character.
I can't say that any of the others have done it justice.This version captures the romantic core of Bronte's novel, and I think all of the cast did a fine job.Though this may be contrary to the opinions of some other, rather grumpy reviewers, I absolutely adore William Hurt as Mr. Rochester.
There's a raw but restrained emotion to their interactions in the film (very accurate to the time period), and I found the evening scene between them to be just as romantically thrilling as it was in the novel.All in all, this is a movie I will be purchasing..
Zeffirelli´s version of Jane Eyre is the most touching movie,I´ve ever seen.....Hurt is BRILLIANT AS USUAL and just PERFECT as Mr.Rochester!....his facial expression is superb......I don´t care what the critics say.
I love the book, "Jane Eyre" and have seen many versions of it.
The writer took out all the most important scenes between Jane and Rochester, leaving audiences very little understanding of the passionate love that they have for each other.
Bottom line is: if you want to see a true adaptation of Jane Eyre and a really good one, rent the 1983 BBC version with Timothy Dalton and Zelah Clark.
At least with this one, you wouldn't have to say to yourself, "Hey this isn't how it's suppose to be!" Better yet, if you can find the 1973 version, then watch that one, it is the best of all the Jane Eyres out there.
The much put upon Jane Eyre gets yet another adaption to the big screen with Charlotte Gainsbourg in the title role and William Hurt as the brooding Lord Rochester.
But it hardens her character though she wonders if love will come her way.When the grownup Jane Eyre now played by Gainsbourg leaves the school where she has become a teacher she gets a job with Lord Rochester's estate as a governess.
Then again Fontaine's Rochester was Orson Welles another American.Jane Eyre I've always felt was a feminist role model, a woman who makes her way in the world successfully when women were not legal and social equals.
I think that too many people overlook the great acting done by William Hurt in Jane Eyre.
When Jane (Charlotte Gainsbourg) reaches adulthood, she is hired by Mrs. Fairfax (Joan Plowright) as the governess of Adele, a young French girl that is raised by master of Thornfield Edward Rochester (William Hurt), and leaves Lowood.
"Jane Eyre" by Franco Zeffirelli is so far, the weakest adaptation of the classic romance by Charlotte Brontë.
Despite the great cast in Zeffirelli's version, with names like Charlotte Gainsbourg, Geraldine Chaplin, Joan Plowright, Fiona Shaw and Anna Paquin, the performance of William Hurt is very disappointing in the role of Edward Rochester.
I had compassion for the children , the young girl and the young woman Jane Erye.The movie makes you understand that not everyone has a happy childhood, not everyone has a life protected and are loved and full of beauty.
Although Zefirelli makes it clear to the viewer throughout the plot that Jane is a very balanced person with a brain as good as any man's, she has her full share of a woman's intuitive understanding of the male mind, seeing at once that a little jealousy is just what is needed to arouse Rochester from his dejection.As he realizes, she is a practical person.
One must admit that young Jane was much better than the adult one while William Hurt disappointed a lot playing the role of Rochester, very cold and nearly without any temperament.
It seems to be that the passion (or love, whatever you would like to call it) between Jane and Mr Rochester is much more subtle in the book, whereas in the movie, it is pretty obvious that she is attracted to him and that he will ask her to marry him.
I have enjoyed 3 other versions of Jane Eyre, starring, Orson Wells & Joan Fontaine, Timothy Dalton & Zelah Clarke and finally Ciaran Hinds & Samantha Morton, so when I decided to sit and watch this version of Jane Eyre, I was hoping that I would be left thinking, YES, they got the two leading roles right again.
To play Rochester & Jane, the actors chosen, needs to bring that certain something to the roles, (I can't say what, because I am not sure myself), but if you have ever read Jane Eyre, and thoroughly enjoyed it as I have, then you will know what I mean.
If you love the novel Jane Eyre, please stay away from this version..
On our cemetery monument are the words "MY SECOND SELF." (Wuthering Heights is my next favorite novel.) William Hurt is a great actor, but he can never be Edward Fairfax Rochester.
I do have several complaints though, I know that one can not transfer a book to film perfectly, but they should follow the story line.The meeting between Mr. Rochester and Jane when they confess there love is to short and lacks the passionate speech and playfulness that the book has.
The first time I saw this Zeffirelli version of the famous Bronte classic, I wasn't particularly impressed with either Charlotte Gainsbourg's feisty interpretation of Jane, or with William Hurt's over-sensitive version of Rochester.
This Jane is the one with dark and brooding tendencies (played as a child by Anna Paquin, this side of her comes across well); while Rochester is damaged by his past but not quite right in the characterisation, less a gothic hero than a damp squib.A second viewing put both in a more favourable light, but the problem is that 'Jane Eyre' has many other, much better, adaptations out there and this version adds very little.
That is Zeffirelli at his best.) William Hurt is simply perfect as Mr Rochester, (and actually extremely sexy in a slightly strange way..) Both Anna Paquin and Charlotte Gainsbourg turn in great performances as the young and slightly older Jane respectively.
If you loved the book, watch this version of the movie.
The French actress, Charlotte Gainsbourg--cast as Jane, is absolutely perfect, & her younger self is played by the amazingly talented Anna Paquin (in one of her earliest roles).
I don't believe I ever read "Jane Eyre", and I don't recall ever seeing another film version.
Director: Franco ZeffirelliStars:William Hurt, Charlotte GainsbourgThis version of Jane Eyre benefits from the artistic sense of director Franco Zeffirelli, but it shows the financial restraints limiting the production.
However, It is fairly well organized and well acted.Jane Eyre is a great love story of a couple who meet and feel an immediate attraction for each other.
But this one really reaches me in a surprising way when every other screen version of Jane Eyre I've seen try to connect the audience to the characters by casting way-too-attractive actors.
On this note, I think this version is by far the most authentic adaptation I've seen.The only complain I have also comes from the major characters - their lack of chemistry in later scenes.
Charlotte Gainsbourg looks the part but she fails portrays Jane very well at all, I didn't believe she was in love and William Hurt isn't angry or temperamental enough in his portrayal of Rochester.
Jane Eyre is my absolute favorite book, so I looked forward to seeing this movie the minute I heard it was coming out.
Well,I remember i saw the film version of "jane eyre" with ciaran hinds,some time ago...it was wonderful!
I was honestly surprised to see william hurt as rochester!he did a good job i think and also ms gainsbourg!
I grew up watching (over and over again) Joan Fontaine as Jane Eyre, and after reading the book, I felt that Fontaine, even though they "played down" her look, was far too lovely to play the part.
I thought Orson Welles was perfect in the role.BTW, the young Miss Eyre was played by Peggy Ann Garner in the 1944 version (good but I think Anna Paquin was equally as good if not better), not Liz Taylor.
Miss Taylor played Helen Burns in the 1944 version.I have not seen the Timothy Dalton version, but will be renting it soon as I love all the stories by the Brontes.Anyway, I'd give this telling of Jane Eyre a 7..
In my opinion it's in fact Gainsbourg and not Hurt who is wooden (although she has charm) and in their scenes together his good acting rubs off on her.My major problem with this adaptation is the final 20 minutes, because it totally leaves out the last 3rd of the novel with the Rivers family.
Even with the most recent 2006 film.It must be very difficult to translate this story to film, since even with the many mini series, that have plenty of time to include aspects in the book, that two hour movies cannot, still seem rather lacking one way or another.Every one seems to have their favorite adaptation, and this one appears to be less often among them, with even harsh criticism of William Hurt in the role of Rochester.For me, although he does not have the dark hair and eyes Hurt's demeanor is more like the Rochester I grew fond of from the novel.
I don't think it was the perfect representation, but He is my favorite, by far.Again physically, Jane Eyre was described differently in the novel, but just like Hurt, had the essence of the Jane from the novel.Most of the flaws I saw, were directorial and screenplay originated, and very much not the acting or the interpretations of the characters by the actors.
Jane and Edward were more stoic, quiet and less passionate in this movie then the characters are in the book.
I don't think William Hurt was fully suit to play Edward, but then I'd have to say Charlotte wouldn't make a good Jane paired with the other Edwards.
I have loved the A&E version of Jane Eyre since I was a child.
Jane is rather subdued, but still, when reading the novel and in the other film adaptions, you can catch glimpses of her true character.
My favorite part of all the Jane Eyre adaptations is the fight before Rochester proposes, the "I have lived a full life here!
Franco Zeffirelli's 1996 version of "Jane Eyre" had all the workings of becoming the best adaptation of the fabulous novel.
Charlotte Gainsbourg, a talented subtle and intelligent actress whom I like in every movie I've seen her made a great Jane.
But after seeing another adaptation of this novel, the one with Orson Welles in the role of Rochester, my opinion changed drastically.This 96 version is for now the best one I've seen, so I cannot complain.
The best film version of Jane Eyre, but still only so-so..
The one thing that saves this film is the excellent performance by Charlotte Gainsbourg as the adult Jane.
Charlotte Gainsbourg does a wonderful job as Jane Eyre, a principled and passionate young heroine.
I also enjoyed William Hurt's interpretation of Rochester, although it would have been nice if he had had more lines from the book to say in the movie.
The only other things that could have been better was the depth of the screenplay such as the romantic intensity between Rochester and Jane, the length (I wish they had put more parts of the book in this film) and the acting of Anna Paquin as the young Jane.
So much so that I had to pause the movie (i'm watching it for the second time in a row right now) to comment on it.i loved the book Jane Eyre.
But I must say I simply loved Charlotte Gainsbourg as jane Eyre.
yet, as far as jane Eyre goes, this is truly a great film, true to the book, and amazing cast.
For those who loved the book, and most ladies everywhere DO, this is an acceptable film version of the classic story.
I love the book Jane Eyre and have seen just about every film version--some I have seen several times, in fact.
This is not to say I disliked Hurt and he has done several WONDERFUL little films over the years.So, my final verdict is that this is an acceptable version of a great book.
I really loved this adaptation of Jane Eyre.
This movie did leave out certain scenes from the book but William Hurt gave a excellent performance as Mr. Rochester.
Jane Eyre 1996 is the last of the 3 I have seen and I wondered at times if it was the same story.
Now I need to read the book.Jane Eyre, 5 Stars.
However, the truth is that William Hurt was totally miscast and never got anywhere near being Rochester, and as for Charlotte Gainsborough's attempt at being Jane Eyre, it might have been better if she had taken a holiday.
He does that often with good stories, unfortunately.) Anyway, the story is brilliant, so if you are deciding on which version of 'Jane Eyre' to watch, this is it, however, I would recommend that you read the book. |
tt0038462 | Decoy | The story picks up in Margot Shelby's apartment, as she is dying from a gunshot wound. Police detective Joe Portugal arrives at the scene to hear her last moments and possible confession. Margot recounts all the events that lead to Dr. Lloyd Craig shooting her shortly after arriving at her apartment. Via flash-back, we travel back to the beginning:
Margot's boyfriend was gangster Frankie Olins. Frankie robbed a bank and got away with around $400,000. He hid the money in a safe place before being arrested by the police. Since Frankie accidentally killed a guard during the robbery, he has been sentenced to death in the gas chamber. Frankie has never disclosed the location of the buried money to anyone. Margot, in order to get both Frankie out of prison and get her hands on the money, pretends to be in love with another gangster, Jim Vincent. She promises to share the stolen money with him if she can get Frankie to disclose the location. To this end, Vincent is recruited to fund Frankie's defense, and later, his possible resurrection from execution. In order to counter-act the effects of cyanide poisoning, Margot recruits the help of Dr. Lloyd Craig, the prison physician. They subsequently "steal" Frankie's body from the prison morgue.
Once Frankie is revived, he draws a map to the location of the buried loot for Margot, but on handing it to her, keeps half of the map for himself. Now that Vincent and Margot have the location, Margot encourages Vincent to shoot Frankie and take his half of the map. With Frankie truly dead, Margot, Vincent, and Dr. Craig now must be able to get out of the city.
Since Sergeant Portugal is aware of both Margot and Vincent's possible involvement in the dead convicts body disappearing, they determine to use doctor Craig and his car. As Dr. Craig's license plates will get them through any police roadblock, they force the reluctant Dr. Craig to drive them out of hiding to look for the money. Vincent's plan is to kill Dr. Craig once they leave town, but Margot has a plan of her own. She flattens a tire and tricks Vincent into fixing the flat. As he is lowering the car from the tire jack, she runs him over, killing him. She now forces Dr. Craig, at gunpoint, to dig up the buried money. Once she has the money box, she shoots Dr. Craig, leaving him for dead. However, he survives and follows her to her apartment, where he shoots her in revenge, thus bringing the story to the present. As Margot finishes her story to detective Portugal, she dies. Portugal opens the money box only to find a single dollar bill wrapped in a note from Frankie, stating that he did not intend to leave any money to a double-crosser. | plot twist, cult, murder, sadist, flashback | train | wikipedia | A knockout film noir with no frills, save Methylene Blue and Jean Gillie as Margot Shelby..
Like her compatriot Peggy Cummins (Annie Laurie Starr in Gun Crazy), she makes no attempt, as Margot Shelby, to Americanize her origins; in explanation, Decoy lets her spit out her contempt for poverty in an eloquent aria about that 'dingy, dirty street' that 'runs all over the world,' and through the sooty mill town in England she came from.
She plays the men and, well.....like most noirs, the ending is not particularly a happy one for most of the characters in this story.Personally, in this film I enjoyed seeing a lot of familiar faces from TV programs and such of the 1950s, beginning with a young Sheldon Leonard who plays the tough, pursing cop in this movie.
It's always fun to see a new "face," and that certainly applies to Gillis, whose character reminded me a bit of Peggy Cummins' one in "Gun Crazy." I thought the ending of this film - the final minute - was especially good.
Along the way there, we get to see greed, betrayal, spinelessness, insanity, bravery, more betrayal, submission, redemption and more Jean Gillie, whose gin blossom charm and hyena-like guffaw at once blends Richard Widmark's killing debut in KISS OF DEATH with the murderous cackle of SPECTRE in the mirrored killmaze in MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN.
The taglines and blurbs on the posters and ads paint the following picture of her Margot Shelby character: "SHE TREATS MEN THE WAY THEY'VE BEEN TREATING WOMEN FOR YEARS!" Another line defines that as; "She Two-Times, Steals, Cheats, Double-Crosses...Anything To Get What She Wants...and then KISSES THEM OFF." Actually, she runs a car over Edward Norris, which was lack of good judgement on his part for hanging around with a broad known for..."kissing quick and killing quicker." She takes doctor Herbert Rudley away from Marjorie Woodworth,as she needs him to revive her just-executed in the gas chamber boy friend---no lack of plot in this one---which accounts for the only credibility gap in the film...somebody please tell me why Marjorie Woodworth wanted Herbert Rudley in the first place.
– the film actually had a connection to its companion piece, CRIME WAVE (1954; which I’ve just watched a couple of days ago), via the credit on both of blacklisted scriptwriter/actor Nedrick Young (he appeared in the latter but only wrote DECOY).Being a Monogram production, the film wears its Poverty Row status on its sleeve – with a bizarre plot (involving the re-animation of the dead: this has to be the only vintage crime outing to take the genre into the realm of sci-fi!), gritty look and second-rate cast – but which it generally manages to turn in its favor.
Still, hers is one of the most unscrupulous femme fatales ever conceived – ensnaring practically the entire male cast in her obsessive pursuit of money – and which she plays in a slightly overstated (but, under the circumstances, entirely fitting) manner.The rest of the cast includes Edward Norris as Gillie’ crooked associate, Robert Armstrong as her ageing gangster boyfriend currently on Death Row and the only one who knows the location of a stashed cache' containing $400,000, Herbert Rudley as the small-town doctor enticed by Gillie into her unholy revivification scheme, and Sheldon Leonard as the cagey and dogged cop on their trail.
Norris is somewhat stiff, while Armstrong (the original Carl Denham of “King Kong” fame) brings his typical zest to the role of love-struck and over-the-hill duped mobster – but both Rudley (bemoaning his betrayal of the code governing his profession) and Leonard (secretly enamored of Gillie himself, he’s willing to answer her plea at the moment of death to “stoop to her level”…but she just laughs in his face!) match the lady’s display of cool elegance disguising an essentially hard-boiled nature.
Incidentally, Gillie’s character anticipated such celebrated noir bad girls of the ‘deadly sweet’ variety as Jane Greer in OUT OF THE PAST (1947) and Peggy Cummins (coincidentally, another British actress) in GUN CRAZY (1950) – but also Gaby Rodgers in KISS ME DEADLY (1955) in view of her similar histrionic outburst when finally laying hands on the long sought-after object of contention.Unfortunately, it’s been revealed that the print of DECOY utilized for the DVD is slightly censored: one of the main characters is trampled no less than three times by a car which has Gillie at the wheel – however, we only get to see this once in the current version!
Odd, intriguing film from Poverty Row. 1946's Decoy is a fascinating noir, directed by Jack Bernhard, whose intention it was to showcase his wife, Jean Gille, for American audiences.
Unfortunately, two things happened to railroad Gille's career - she and Bernhard divorced, and then she died of pneumonia three years after this film was made.Tall, slender, with silky blond hair and a British accent, Gille has a formidable role here as the noir femme fatale, Margot Shelby, who will stop at nothing to find and possess $400,000 a death row killer has hidden.
Well, somehow, the doc revives this guy, and Margot, the reluctant doctor, and her boyfriend (Edward Norris) go after the loot.The story is told in flashback by Margot to Sergeant Portugal (Sheldon Leonard), though at the start of the film, we see the segment leading up to Margot telling her story.
However, poor Robert Armstrong doesn't live for very long after he is revived and so we don't get to see the side-effects of this drug, which turns your urine green and makes the whites of your eyes blue - we would then have been in a completely different film genre, possibly a comedy horror.The cast do well despite 3 of them not being very good at acting - Jean Gillies, Herbert Rudley and, in a minor part, Marjorie Woodworth.
Jean Gillies, while she is the driving force behind the film is either very good as demonstrated by her ruthlessness while at the steering wheel on the way to dig up the money and her determined self-confidence as she knows what she needs to do, or dreadfully unconvincing as in her scene when she talks about coming from the dirty street to which she never wants to return (her posh Kensington accent fools nobody - she's NEVER been a girl from the streets) and her insane encouragement to Herbert Rudley to dig for the money.
As for Marjorie Woodworth who plays Rudley's nurse and girlfriend.....ha ha ha....she's just terrible.The film is well-paced and atmospheric, eg, the scene when Herbert Rudley is reviving Robert Armstrong and the scene where Jean Gillies engineers a flat tyre situation as she, Rudley and Norris make it to the location where the loot is buried.
The acting struggles between pretty good (the lead female, the femme fatale one, Jean Gillie) to pretty awful (including, unfortunately, the lead male, a doctor, Herbert Rudley).
The sci fi elements of this film are embedded in the plot, and concern reviving a man who has been executed in the gas chamber by means of an antidote to the cyanide gas administered soon afterwards by the prison doctor.
Nevertheless, the resurrection drama gives the plot a lurid Frankensteinian twist that adds to its appeal, especially when the resurrected criminal is killed a second time in the same day!Jean Gillie delivers a sensational performance as the ultimate femme fatale -- a gorgeous, sophisticated fashionista -- who is also a brutally manipulative and murderous villain who stops at nothing to satisfy her materialistic ambitions and get her greedy little hands on $400,000 from a bank heist.Herbert Rudley is effective as the prison doctor caught in a moral dilemma between professional ethics and his infatuation with Gillie.
A femme fatale who cannot wait for her man to come out of jail and retrieve the $0.4 million that he has stashed somewhere, gets to know about an antidote that could bring him back from the dead, if he was put to death in the gas chamber.The tall Jean Gillie was very beautiful and acted reasonably well.
Robert Armstrong, the biggest name in the picture at the time, has little screen time as the executed boyfriend but does well with what he has.Exceptional film noir from Monogram, a Poverty Row studio not known for much that was exceptional.
Her other hoodlum boyfriend Edward Norris is amused at Rudley, but he's also thinking with his crotch.Even Sheldon Leonard playing a cop instead of gangster for once is also not immune to Gillie when she turns it on.
It may not be a really great film, but as a B-movie it does the trick in terms of giving us a sordid tale of greed, life after death, and the lack of morality in human beings, either always there or growing piece by piece.In Decoy it's a femme fatale whose heart is as black as a midnight abyss; Margot Shelby (interesting lead female Jean Gillie) is after money, lots of money, from her man who is waiting on death row, who pulled off a heist but kept the secret of where the money was under total wraps.
Enter in a doctor (very good Herbert Rudley as Dr. Craig) who sets off our story in atypical but absorbing reverse: he appears at the start of the movie walking like a zombie, hitches a ride to San Francisco, and shoots a woman in a room - the details of everything that has happened is told by this woman, Margot, with total clarity.Again it's not the most sensible plot to start, but it grabs a hold of attention and keeps things juicy all the way through the most startling thing of all: the resurrection of Frank Olins by a mysterious serum that Dr. Craig possesses that somehow brings back a man from the gas chamber!
This is because even in the generally demented world of film noir, in the world of DOA and Kiss me Deadly, this Monogram cheapie stands out as quite odd.The plot: a death row convict is brought back to life, yes actually back from the dead, so he can lead the bombshell girlfriend and her stooge to hidden lout.
Part of this odd noir film involves the theme of reviving the dead, so hence there's an offbeat horror angle thrown in on the side.I thought Gillie was terrific in her role, and there was some fun dialogue and able assistance from Sheldon Leonard and Robert Armstrong, among others.
Margot Shelby - played by Jean Gillie - has to be one of the most unscrupulous and determined femme fatales in the noir genre.
Stealing a slogan from Gilda to describe such evil woman like Margot Shelby,although the plot was unbelievable,this picture is a real gem and l thrilled when heard that it will be came out shortly,after to watch it didn't disappoint me,in a blood killer woman,greedy femme fatale like few,she behave like a spider,handling every men at your feet,dragging down,pushing, hurting with no feelings at all...apart the methylene blue and another holes that come along in a low budge noir..all remains is fantastic,so sorry for too short time picture!!!Resume: First watch: 2017 / How many: 1 / Source: DVD / Rating: 8.5.
It stars Jean Gillie, Robert Armstrong, Herbert Rudley, Sheldon Leonard and Edward Norris.
Jack Bernhard directed this obscure cult item and bizarre film noir/horror hybrid that stars Jean Gillie as a ruthless Femme Fatale who seduces gangster Jim Vincent to break into a prison where her husband(played by Robert Armstrong) has just been executed in the gas chamber, but she knows a way of reviving him so that he will tell her where his fortune in cash is buried!
The cast includes a few of Hollywood's most memorable character actors: Robert "King Kong" Armstrong as the executed killer, Sheldon Leonard as the somnambulistically world-weary policeman mesmerized by Margot and Eddie "Mr. Ann Sheridan" Norris as an underworld character also smitten with Shelby.The film revolves around British newcomer Jean Gillie (a corrupted cross between Jean Parker & Veda Ann Borg) as the lethal lovely who'll let nothing stand in her way as she scrambles for the stolen $400,000 Armstrong buried before he takes his secret to the grave -and even that doesn't faze her!
Released by Monogram Pictures and directed by Jack Bernhard, DECOY also features a stunning central performance by JEAN GILLIE, a British-born actress who, sadly, died in 1949.
Being in the mood for a short burst of Film Noir a month ago,I decided to take a look at a title that a very kind IMDber had sent me.Finding myself really enjoying the movie,I got a disappointing surprise,when my DVD player stopped playing the film 45 minutes in.Trying on 3 other DVD players,I as shocked to find that none of them were able to play the full feature.Desperate to see the full film,I started to search everywhere online for the title,and was delighted to recently stumble on the title,which led to me getting ready to see the full decoy finally take place.The plot:Rushing into the flat as Dr. Lloyd Craig drops to the ground from a gunshot,police officer Joe Portugal finds Margot Shelby taking her final breaths,as Shelby attempts to get hold of a sealed box laying on the side.Picking up the box,Portugal asks Shelby to tell him how she got hold of the box.The past:Successfully robbing $400,000,gangster Frank Olins soon finds the law catching up with him,and showing their appreciation over Olins refusal to reveal where the cash is hidden,by sending him to death row.With her boyfriend only having a few days to go before he's sent to the gas chamber, Margot Shelby begins making plans on how to get Olins out of jail,and also get him to reveal where the cash is hidden.Catching the attention of small time gangster Jim Vincent,Shelby using all of her cunning skills to make Vincent believe that if he helps her to find the location of Olins cash,then he will get half the amount.As Olins takes his finally steps to the gas chamber,Shelby begins to talk to a Dr working at the morgue called Lloyd Craig,who tells Shelby about a drug that can bring the dead back to life.View on the film:Burning down the good ol' country gal image she had shown in the British Comedy Tawny Pipit,the graceful Jean Gillie (who tragically died of pneumonia 3 years later,age 33) gives a tremendous performance as Margot Shelby,with Gillie showing a red mist to cover Shelby's eyes,as she gets closer to tracking down the money.Along with the red mist,Gillie also shows a real skill in keeping Shelby's cards close to her chest,as she begins to put her plan in to action.Wrapped around Shelby's fingers, Edward Norris gives a masterful performance as Jim Vincent,with Norris showing Vincent's low-life roots to become brittle,as he is taken in by Shelby's charms,whilst Herbert Rudley gives an excellent,twitchy performance as Lloyd Craig,who Rudley shows is desperate to get back to his comfort zone.For the superb screenplay by Stanley Rubin and Nedrick Young give the title a distinctive Gothic Horror edge,which allows for the writer's to create a deep feeling of the characters entering a sinister world.Strongly linked to the Gothic Horror edges,the writer's inject a deep decaying root into their Film Noir world,by showing the relationship between Shelby,Vincent and Craig to be one that is built on a pack of lies,which lead to an extremely cynical final note.Returning to the US with his then-wife Jean Gillie,director Jack Bernhard gives the title a real sense of elegance,thanks to Bernhard closely working with cinematographer L.
William O'Connell to cover the movie in shimmering low-light,which along with showing the characters attempting to hide their true motives,also allows Gillie to look like a ravishing Femme Fatale.Digging into the titles Gothic Horror streak,Bernhard gives the film a harsh,cold atmosphere,by allowing the 'red mist' from Shelby's eyes to be cast across the screen,as Decoy shows itself to be a marvelous Film Noir,that the viewer won't want to recoil from..
Jean Gillie, the British actress who makes her American film debut in this picture, is the ultimate femme fatale.
Good, solid low budget film noir is no "lost classic", but is still a fine example of the genre, that works basically because of its memorable femme fatale, played to grasping, greedy perfection by sultry Brit Jean Gillie, who was given this film vehicle by her then-husband, director Jack Bernhard.
If anything gives "Decoy" a true lasting impression, it's her conniving and crafty character.She plays Margot Shelby, a gang moll who gets shot and fatally wounded in the opening sequence; she dies slowly enough to give hard-nosed, jaded police detective Joe Portugal (Sheldon Leonard, in an excellent performance) her whole sordid story.
As part of the plan, Margot uses a poor sap of a doctor, L.L. Craig (Herbert Rudley).All things considered, this is well directed by Bernhard and always entertaining, and should be worth a viewing for devotees of film noir.
Decoy - Jean Gillie is the ultimate femme fatale in this 1946 thriller- she wants her boyfriend revived from a state sanctioned cynanide nap so she find the loot he has hidden from a bank robbery.She does everything she can to seduce the men in her life to get her way.An opening on par with D.O.A. and an ending that feels like the evil universe ending to Wizard of Oz- the middle parts of the movie tend to drag some times- but it is all worth it.Sheldon Leonard plays Jo-Jo Portugal the local cop trying to clean up the town.This movie takes no prisoners- it is a brutal world driven by money and Maragaret Shelby intends to get hers.The DVD has a commentary track by the writer of the story and film historian Glen Erickson and a mini featurette- including comments from Dick Cavett.Since this is in a double feature DVD with Crime Wave I would suggest buying it- and if it were on it's own I would still suggest buying it. |
tt0087555 | The Clairvoyant | Rains plays Maximus, "King of the Mind Readers", who performs an English music hall mind-reading act with the help of his wife, Rene (Fay Wray), using a secret code. One night, he sees the beautiful Christine Shawn (Jane Baxter) in the audience, and his act becomes reality. He is able to tell what is in a sealed letter without Rene's assistance.
Maximus doesn't think much of it, until he and Christine meet by chance on a train and he foresees an impending crash. He pulls the emergency cord to stop the train, but nobody believes him. He, his family and Christine disembark, and a few minutes later the train crashes. Christine tells her father, who owns a newspaper. He publishes the story, making Maximus famous.
Maximus realizes that his power only works when Christine near; as they spend more time together, Christine falls in love with him and Rene becomes jealous. Maximus' mother (Mary Clare) believes that no good can come of this new gift, but Maximus pays little attention, enjoying his well-paid success.
Another of his well-publicized predictions comes true: a 100-to-1 long shot wins the Epsom Derby. He chooses to ignore his own prophecy of his mother's death; when it comes true, he is so distraught that he decides to follow her wishes and abandon his ability. He feels compelled to act, however, when he foresees a great mining disaster. He is unable to convince the mining company to evacuate the mine. When the disaster occurs, hundreds are killed and more are missing and presumed dead.
He is publicly accused of causing the accident, and he is brought to trial. The prosecution claims that Maximus himself caused both tragedies, by delaying the train and by panicking the miners into making a mistake. Maximus predicts in the courtroom that the missing miners will be found alive. When this becomes true, he is released. Maximus decides to give up his gift and he and Rene slip away into obscurity. | paranormal | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0382330 | Så som i himmelen | Daniel Daréus (Michael Nyqvist) is a successful and renowned international conductor whose life aspiration is to create music that will open people's hearts. His own heart, however, is in bad shape. After suffering a heart attack on stage at the end of a performance, he retires indefinitely to Norrland in the far north of Sweden, to the village where he endured a terrible childhood of bullying.
Daniel buys the old elementary school in the village, and soon after is asked to come along one Thursday night and listen to the local choir. He is only asked to listen, and maybe offer some helpful advice, but their intentions of persuading him to help are obvious. He eventually agrees to help, albeit reluctantly. Daniel approaches the parish minister to seek for the position of cantor. He starts helping the choir grow and develop, rediscovering his own joy in music.
Almost immediately, Lena (Frida Hallgren), an attractive young girl in the choir, catches his attention. As they grow closer and fall in love, he realises that he is surrounded by the villagers' personal problems. Inger (Ingela Olsson) is married to the respected minister, Stig (Niklas Falk), but has failed to develop a loving sexual relationship with her husband. Siv (Ylva Lööf) is so obsessed with morality that she cannot enjoy herself. Arne (Lennart Jähkel) is so ambitious for the choir's success that he obsesses over tiny mistakes, failing to see that he is making bigger mistakes himself. Tore (André Sjöberg) is mentally handicapped and shunned but is eventually included in the choir; Holmfrid (Mikhael Rahm) has put up with being called "Fatso" by Arne since childhood and eventually stands up to him. Gabriella (Helen Sjöholm) is beaten and abused by her husband, Connie (Per Morberg), a fact that is known and ignored by the whole village. She eventually finds the strength to leave him, as the whole village finds its strength to help her. Connie himself turns out to be the bully who was at school with Daniel and drove him from the village. He blames the choir and Daniel for his wife's decision and beats him up. This lands Connie in jail. The minister, Stig, is jealous of the choir's success and tries to close it down. His failure precipitates his eventual nervous breakdown. The heart of each member of the choir starts to open, as it has always been Daniel's dream.
The choir is accepted into the annual "Let the Peoples Sing" competition (Arne has decided to register the choir without previous notice), and they journey to Innsbruck, Austria, to perform. Lena fears Daniel will leave her for his sophisticated friends from the music world, when she see their kissing and hugging him. He dares at last to tell her he loves her and then they make love. On the day of the competition, the choir is ready on stage but Daniel is nowhere to be seen. His heart has been affected by his anxiety, and he has another heart attack. Daniel staggers into the restroom, unsure of how to handle the situation, then stumbles and hits his head on the pipe below a sink, causing him to bleed severely. He lies helplessly on the tile, blood gushing from his head, listening to the choir harmonising over the loudspeakers. The audience in the auditorium is enchanted and sings along. Daniel smiles to himself and turns suddenly serious, thus leaving the viewer to decide whether he lives or dies, completely fulfilled by reaching his goal.
The final scene shows Daniel rushing towards his younger self within the wheat fields as he embraces his life's goal, to "create music that will open a person's heart". | violence, feel-good, romantic, flashback | train | wikipedia | A famous conductor, forced to retire by illness, returns to the small village of his birth to become the leader of the church choir, and finally find fulfillment in his music.
Firstly, small films about strangers bringing new life to rural Christian communities provide plenty of scope for the exposure of hypocrisy while at the same time allowing repressed characters to break out of their hairshirts.
But it is a formula with life left in it yet, and this seems to be because people need positive- message films that evoke a sense of community almost in spite of themselves.The stranger is burned-out maestro Daniel Daréus on a quest for self-rediscovery.
I am not going to spoil the contents to anyone, who has not yet watched this humble masterpiece by Kay Pollak.A world famous conductor brilliantly played by Michael Nyqvist seeks peace from stress by moving back to his childhood village.
The villagers, who has followed the genius in silence, are slowly tempting him to share of his greatness.Each role in this movie, has a very specific purpose and shows a remarkable potential in each of the actors playing their own chord in short but precise words, a symphony of love.Not love in the sense of relationship, but in the tone of the spirit deeply buried within each of the characters, each revealing their own present story, their needs, their skeletons, desires and much more.I shall not forget to mention, the two main parts played by Frida Hallgren and Michael Nyqvist, whose dramas are played in unforgettable harmonies of emotional feedback.
From the glitter of fame to the school of of his youth, now empty and ready to be adapted as his new home after collapsing on stage, Daniel wants to start listening and is drawn into the lives of the simple, warm and rough people of the North.He wins the hearts with music and gains the capacity to love and be loved unconditionally.Don't go see it if you've been normed to Hollywood.
The characters were all fully developed, not bigger-than-life but just like the people we live among anywhere we are in the world, in Sweden, in Turkey or in America, all completely believable human beings with foibles and nobility.
There are some truly breathtaking moments of foreshadowing, and a quite gorgeous continuing circular composition of the story.The moment in the movie, when the main character achieves that feeling of being in heaven is the perfect ending to a truly brilliant yarn..
His music opens the hearts of the members of the choir, affecting their daily life: the slow Tore (André Sjöberg) has the chance to participate in the choir; Inger (Ingela Olsson), the wife of Stig, releases her repressed sexuality; Gabriella (Helen Sjöholm) takes an attitude against her abusive and violent husband; the gossiper and frustrated Siv (Ilva Lööf) opens her heart against Lena; the fat Holmfrid (Mikael Rahm) cries enough against the jokes of the businessman Arne (Lennart Jähkel); even Daniel starts loving people and Lena as the love of his life.
When they are invited to participate in an important contest in Vienna, Daniel finds his music opening the heart of people making his dream come true."Så Som I Himmelen" is a touching and sensitive movie, with a very beautiful story.
The performances are top-notch, supported by magnificent music score and at least two awesome moments: when Gabrielle sings her song in the concert, and certainly the last concert in Vienna with the audience, jury and everybody participating in the melody, and Daniel making his dream come true.
Further, like many European movies, the open conclusion indicates that Daniel actually died, at least in my interpretation, reaching peace with the success of his music.
He faces hostile husbands and an increasingly dubious pastor, but nothing except death is going to stop him.Despite the somewhat corny story, we get to know and like many of the characters, who come across as people rather than caricatures despite many of them being recognisable "types'.
I did wonder about the wife-beater being unpunished for so long Sweden is one country in the world where such violence is pretty strongly discouraged (he was also a bit young to be one of the bullies of Daniel's youth) and the puritanical pastor with a secret passion for girlie magazines was a bit of a stereotype, but marvellously realised by Niklas Falk.Michael Nyqvist is simply wonderful as Daniel, the frail but driven musician, and there's some nice music as well.
A simple story: an international conductor rediscovers love and on the way touches the lives of those around him in a small Swedish community where he takes over the church choir.A beautiful, lyrical testament to the human spirit.
You will think about this film long after you've watched it.The central character, Daniel, lived as a child in a small village where he was constantly bullied.
Emotionally isolated, driven and passionate--always seeking for a perfection in music which he could not attain--Daniel destroys his health and is forced to retire.He returns, with no particular plans, to the sparse village where he lived as a child, and ends up becoming conductor of the local church choir.
Just as the character of Daniel Dareus evokes so many sentiments and long repressed feelings within the people around him, the movie does the same to its viewers: You walk out with your head abuzz and your heart feeling full.
This movie seemed to be a sure winner based on reviews, yet my husband and I were shocked at the terrible acting by Michael Nyquist, the overblown behavior as well as superficiality of all the characters, the presence of everyone's (sadly, it would seem) favorite paper tiger faux-Christian pastor stereotype, and an aimless wandering plot, not to mention the completely unrealistic cop-out ending.There are endless long shots of Daniel (Nyquist) simply staring, without any clue as to what he is thinking or feeling, and there is precious little spoken dialogue, even when he is accused irrationally and unjustly by town gossips.
Set somewhere in Norrland, Sweden, the plot revolves around a famous conductor (terribly played by Mikael Nyqvist) who returns to the village he grew up in to ponder his life, but soon finds himself in charge of the local church choir.
A world-class violinist & conductor retires to his home village in Sweden, & regains his love of life by accepting to direct the local church choir Daniel Dareus (Michael Nyqvist) is a temperamental but very successful conductor.
"I want to feel like I lived my life!" This overly used, ultra cliché line sang in the climax of Swedish director Kay Bollak's international favorite As It Is In Heaven is sometimes exactly what you need to hear when looking for a feel good movie, dare I say, classic chick flick.
It follows the life of Daniel Daréus, (Michael Nyqvist) an extremely driven musician and conductor whose sole goal in life is to create music that opens the hearts of his listeners and changes lives.
But, of the two, "The Chorus" is a much better picture because it was written better and the ending made more sense and doesn't leave you angry.Daniel Daréus (Michael Nyqvist) is a world famous director but he also has two problems--he tends to get very angry and he has a bad heart.
While there are a few comedic moments – as always in real life – most of this story centers upon the drama surrounding the psycho-social awakening of the central protagonist, Daniel Dareus (Michael Nyqvist), a violin maestro and concert conductor of international standing.The awakening specifically concerns Daniel's search for love, something he's been unable to achieve since his teens, when his mother died tragically as he watched – an episode that occurs in the first series of establishing scenes and voice-over.
In particular, the local church pastor asks him to help out the local choir.Initially demurring because he's shy of human contact, Daniel eventually agrees after meeting the woman who manages a local post office/convenience store, Lena (Frida Hallgren) and with whom he gradually builds a romantic relationship, a crucial step in his self-rehabilitation.
There, he comes in Dutch with the local church choir, that will change his life.I had no expectations when I saw this movie for the first time yesterday; I like watching foreign movies that are not English, and I've already seen a couple of Swedish movies in my life, but this one was the best so far.Where to start?
The choir members are all well-developed, interesting characters with their own story each.This movie tells a story, a beautiful story, about music, love, pain, memories, death, about a man who devoted his life to music, and who tries to create a calm existence in the village where he was born, while trying to make peace with the past and with the way his life has been till then.
Glorious music, very funny interaction between village choir members and some startling drama allow this film to offer a genuine smörgåsbord of cinematic scenes that, in total, actually work very well.
Still, it's a good (though not great) movie, with its highest point about two-third into the movie, in fabulous Helen Sjoholm's fabulous performance of "Gabriella's Song", harmonized in the background by the entire choir.The love story is sweet and Frida Hallfren is such a darling.
As to "As it is in heaven", in the end, while this movie means different thing to different viewers (denouncing hypocrisy, realising one's potentials etc etc), it is to me the joy of harmonising, as any member of a choir will surely appreciate..
On many levels it addresses the most prevailing themes of humanity and yet it is entwined with the beauty and majesty of music.Superbly acted, cleverly crafted, something of a little masterpiece.Where fear prevails there is suspicion of even the most innocent circumstances and where repression of the most basic human needs take place there can only be mayhem.How love and the enduring commitment to feel joy wins the day and leads the viewer to a bittersweet conclusion.This is one to watch again and again and revel in each and every time..
2) The local pastor (Niklas Falk), who seems at times like he walked straight out of Bergman's Fanny and Alexander, is a stern priest who feels the choir members (including his wife) are having too much fun, and he's jealous that Nyqvist is more popular in town than he is.
There is no script, editing is really bad , characters are never developed, there are so many scenes missing that fail to explain and explore where the movie is going that I am really amazed about the fact that this film was even considered for an Oscar.
The promising starting point, the return of an ill and famous conductor to his village, is spoiled when the director insists in touch the audience with unnecessary flashbacks, proposing, since the beginning, some very bad characters -- the priest, the stupid man who harassed the musician in the school times -- who remain superficial and almost caricatured.
An internationally renowned conductor, Daniel Daréus, played by Michael Nyqvist, suffers a heart attack during a performance and returns to his native Swedish village to take stock of his life.
I lived in the north of Sweden and in the movie it didn't seem quite the type of behaviour you expect over there, even before the choir participants started getting influenced by Daniel.
Although pretty much the entire film is told from his point of view, we never get to know Daniel, the central character, not helped by the one-dimensional performance by Nyqvist.
An internationally renowned conductor returns to simple living in his home town in As It Is in Heaven, a generally well received Swedish drama film that I found to be over-sentimental and clichéd despite a fairly engaging story.
Directed in 2004 by Kay Pollak, the film follows former child music prodigy Daniel Daréus (Michael Nyqvist) as he returns to the town of his childhood due to serious health concerns that have sidelined his career.
Generally acting shy and anti-social around others, he does not want to become involved with them but simply wants "to listen." However, once a local store owner invites him to choir practice, he decides to become the church cantor in order to direct the choir.As cantor, Daniel becomes directly involved in people's lives for the first time in his life.
The choir must come together and deal with all of these problems before a huge performance at a choir contest in Innsbruck, Austria, where Daniel plans to accomplish his lifelong goal: to create music that opens people's hearts.Daniel's goal is a perfect example of why this film did not connect with me.
A film that is well done should not need to rely on sentimental music in the background or overplayed emotions by the actors and actresses to make a feel-good scene.Not only are the plot and characters over-sentimental in this movie, they are also largely based on stereotypes and clichés.
The closest would probably be Siv, she makes you ask yourself if she indeed was in love with Daniel, but that's about it.But the movie is beautiful, set in rural Norrland, the music is absolutely amazing and the characters are lovable.
Had this movie been made in Hollywood her song would most likely have been sung toward the end, and it would have made her husband open his eyes and see the error of his ways, as well as making the other people in the village realise a thing or two.
This Academy Award nominated film, which is essentially the Swedish version of a Lifetime Original Movie with a domestic violence plot line to boot, follows renowned conductor Daniel Daréus (Michael Nyqvist) as he returns to his childhood home in the north of Sweden after suffering a heart attack in the middle of one of his concerts.
Upon his return home, Daniel becomes the cantor for the local church choir and starts to bring the townspeople together though what he sees as the spiritual quality of music.
Towards the beginning of the film, it is shown how Daniel lives and breathes his music, which is the love of his life.
Nonetheless, Michael Nyqvist did a wonderful acting as Daniel Darius and his wide range of emotions, but even a good actor cannot save a movie like this one.
Despite the film's tired and overused plot line, it shines with complex, appealing characters and an exploration of both the relationships and the isolation the villagers feel among each other.The film takes off running, and within the first ten minutes, Daniel (played by a brooding yet charming Michael Nyqvist) experiences childhood bullying, watches his mother die, becomes a world famous conductor, and has a heart attack while conducting in Milan.
Daniel's passion to "create music that will open a person's heart" succeeds, and his arrival in the town triggers sweeping changes.The film works due to its vivid characterization of individual members of the choir and their journeys to self-discovery once Daniel enables them to learn how to truly listen to themselves and each other.
Please, is there really a village up north with a women abused by her husband AND a disabled boy outfrozen from society AND a girl, unhappy, going from stupid boyfriend to even more stupid boyfriends AND a minister, trapped in his believes with a troubled marriage AND AND AND
Everybody had a freakin' problem
How can you even consider to take this movie serious?The experience gets worse with Pollaks way of telling us the story
in an over specific way so that I felt stupid
there was absolutely NOTHING between the lines!But what really made me angry and think about the money I spend at the cinema-register was the ridiculous ending where the hole world, no mater what skin colour, religion or disabilities was joined in singing while the 'hero' and 'redeemer' is slowly dying after confessing his eternal love
Please, give me a break.
One would expect a man in his position to have all the comforts of the world he left behind to be installed in his new abode, but no, Daniel puts up with the harsh winter in his own way.The local pastor, Stig, whose church has a small choir, comes calling to see if he can interest Daniel in helping, but the conductor has no desire to go back to music.
It is a film about people overcoming obstacles, learning to do what they love, and coming together over one thing, music.
Daniel succeeds in getting the small church choir there to sing the music of heaven, but at the same time destroys all the useful hierarchies.
There were several aspects of the movie that bothered me, most notably the one-dimensionality of the characters and the blatant emotional manipulation of the audience through music.As It Is In Heaven tells the story of Daniel, an overworked, middle-aged orchestra conductor and professional violin player who is forced to retire after suffering a heart attack.
He returns to the isolated Swedish village of his childhood where he ends up directing the local church choir and changing the way the town members think about music and themselves.I was not impressed with the character development in As It Is In Heaven.
I think some of the strengths of this film include the rural setting and beautiful scenery, the idea of a church choir bringing a community together and providing an outlet for people with a diverse set of problems, and the subtle love story.
In this scene, you can see the panic her husband feels as he sees both his wife and community moving away from him and toward Daniel who is introducing new ideas and ways of life to the small, isolated town.Overall, As It Is In Heaven is a very good movie, with a strong plot and great acting and directing. |
tt0817910 | Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron | In a series of flashbacks played in reverse chronological order it is related that in 1939, Professor Trevor Bruttenholm investigated a series of murders in Eastern Europe. Erzebet Ondrushko, a vampire who bathed in the blood of innocents to stay young, was responsible. She had sold her soul to the Queen of Witches, the goddess Hecate, and had just kidnapped the fiancee of one of the townsmen. When the search party confronted Erzebet in her castle, all members of the party were horribly killed, and Bruttenholm was left to face her alone. He tricked her into the sunlight, effectively destroying her.
In the present day, an elderly Bruttenholm, who is overcome with memories of his encounter with Erzebet, takes a particular interest in a publicity stunt case in the Hamptons on Long Island. A haunting has been reported in a mansion recently purchased by developer Oliver Trumbolt, a friend of a U.S. Senator with hands deep in the BPRD's budget, and considered a low priority. Bruttenhom insists that their most advanced team should go: Liz Sherman, Abe Sapien, Hellboy and junior agent Sydney Leach as well as himself (to everyone's surprise). Bruttenholm does not explain his motives at first.
Ana, a blushing bride-to-be is met on the streets by two elderly women who encourage her to go to her bridal gown fitting, where she meets Erzebet, who had already killed the shop owner and her baby. Ana innocently comments that Erzebet reminds her of her "older" sister, offending her until she notices that Erzabet has no reflection. She screams, and everything goes dark. Later, upon being told that Father Lupescu was the one who convinced Ana to go to her fitting despite the disappearances of the young girls in the village, Erzabet pays him a visit, frightening him with her dark powers and confirming that his faith is not enough to keep her power from affecting the town.
The BPRD team arrives at Trumbolt's site and sets up to investigate the haunting. Despite a few open windows, a creepy lifelike replica of Erzabet and an old, suspiciously familiar-looking groundskeeper, everything seems normal until night falls and they each encounter strange ghostly apparitions, culminating in dozens of spirits of Erzabet's former victims. Excited that he may have found a goldmine, Trumbolt ignores the professor's warnings and is attacked.
Ana goes to visit Father Lupescu who convinces her that she should not fear danger because the church is strong and the faith will keep her from harm. She hurries off to have her fitting done, running into Professor Bruttenholm as she leaves. Bruttenholm attempts to explain to Lupescu about Erzabet's true nature and her allegiance to Hecate, but he becomes offended and turns Bruttenholm away.
Using his abilities to detect metal, Leach finds a secret passageway through the house's cellar, inadvertently coming across Trumbolt's body, drained of blood. The blood has been placed in a bathtub, apparently for Erzabet's revival. Bruttenholm and Liz head for the gardens to stop Hecate and Erzabet's Harpy-Hags from summoning her back from the dead while a werewolf attacks Hellboy and Abe. Abe is knocked unconscious and taken by the harpies for experimentation while Hellboy fights the werewolf, eventually subduing it and revealing that it is Father Lupescu, the groundskeeper whom Bruttenholm had earlier identified.
Meanwhile, Liz and Bruttenholm are attacked, first by wolves, then by Erzabet's withered body, which knocks Liz out and takes Bruttenholm. Hellboy is dropped through a hole in the courtyard and meets Hecate, who is perplexed as to why he helps the mortals, and tries to lure him to the dark side. He bluntly refuses again and again, forcing Hecate to take a physical form to deal with him. After Abe escapes them, the harpies come across Hecate, but one is killed as she violently thrashes with Hellboy and the other escapes. Erzabet bathes in Trumbolt's blood and rejuvenates herself, but she begins to wither and decay again from the Holy Water which Bruttenholm had added to the bath. He breaks off a chair leg and finishes her off. Her death enrages Hecate who brutally attacks Hellboy and badly wounds him, and when he realizes her weakness is the sun, he lures her outside, forcing her back into the darkness of her own realm, defeated.
Bruttenholm is preparing for his trip to Transylvania where rumors have it that there is a vampire on the loose. As he is packing, his colleague comes in and they discuss the "right hand of doom" (Hellboy's stone hand); Bruttenholm asserts that so long as evil exists, good will rise up against it, before revealing an image of Hellboy's right hand, signifying that he will be responsible for the destruction of the world.
Hellboy wakens in his bed, admiring Bruttenholm, his adopted father, before falling back to sleep again. | violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt1684915 | My Super Psycho Sweet 16: Part 2 | Following the events of the first film, Skye Rotter has a nightmare that following the memorial for the teens murdered at the Roller-Dome (Madison, Olivia, Chloe, Lily and Kevin), Brigg and Derek have a run-in with her father, Charlie Rotter. In the dream, Rotter stabs Derek repeatedly in the neck and Brigg, seeing Skye as he is about to escape through a back door, is stabbed in the back. After waking, Skye drives away in Madison's car and takes it to a dealership. She exchanges the car and makes a deal with a shady dealer so that he won't call the police. She drives off and tries to start a new life in a small town Mill Basin, hundreds of miles from her hometown.
The police are now looking for Skye as she is the only one who really knows what happened in the Roller-Dome massacre. She goes to find her mother, Carolyn Bell, who left her at a young age to live with her murderer-to-be father. Skye realizes that her mother has a new life, a new husband, and another daughter named Alex. At first Alex seems reluctant to accept Skye as her step-sister, but soon warms to her. One day at the local coffee shop, Alex and her friends Zoe and Molly come in to gossip. After Zoe introduces herself to Skye, Alex and the girls then find out from a wannabe DJ and Alex's crush, Jams, that the party at his house was cancelled. Zoe comes up with an idea to have a party at "The Bone Yard", a newly renovated club owned by Alex's father that was originally a strip-club. After leaving the coffee shop, Skye drives Alex home to discover that Alex's dad has already left on a business trip, and Carolyn yells at Alex for missing her father before he left.
Meanwhile, as Alex's father, Ted Bell, is on his way to the airport, he stops by "The Bone Yard" to check on some business. A stranger—Charlie Rotter, the perpetrator of the Roller-Dome massacre and Skye's father—asks to borrow his jumper cables to fix his truck, and when Ted happily obliges, Rotter stabs him in the back and strangles him to death with a jumper cable in the trunk of his Acadia. Back in Skye's hometown, her friend Derek meets a girl named Courtney at school and they begin to date. The two are about to make out when Brigg enters the room to tell Derek that Skye finally messaged him back. Courtney shows disdain towards Skye, calling her "Psycho-Rotter". Derek and Brigg find out that Skye is now hiding out in a nearby neighborhood, and they agree to go find her in the morning, with Courtney tagging along.
Skye and Alex begin to bond on a deeper level, and Alex opens up to her sister about her depression. Skye also bonds with her mother, who asks her not to tell Alex that her former husband is a murderer. On her 16th birthday, Skye receives a necklace from her mother. Skye has a nightmare of Madison angry at her for letting her die. Madison slits her own throat and sprays blood all over Skye. Panicked, Skye awakens to find that she's on the floor just like in her nightmare, implying that she sleepwalks. That morning, Alex steals the keys from her house to sneak into the Bone Yard and runs into Rotter, though she is unaware of his identity. At the coffee shop, Zoe asks Skye to steal some of Alex's depression medication for party favors, threatening to tell everyone about Rotter and the massacre. Skye then daydreams about stabbing Zoe in the neck with a pencil, but reluctantly agrees to the deal and gets ready for the party.
Alex and her sister arrive at the Bone Yard and prepare for tonight's party. As the party begins, Skye seems reluctant to have any fun, while Alex indulges in the festivities. Skye then tells Alex that it's her birthday. While Skye walks around the Bone Yard, it is revealed that Rotter is at the party. Derek, Brigg, and Courtney arrive at the Bone Yard to find Skye. Brigg sees Skye and they kiss, going into a separate area to have sex on a pool table. When Alex tries to make out with Jams in the back kitchen area, he goes too far. Molly enters and she and Jams make out, until Molly begins to spasm and Jams sees that a hole has been carved in the back of her head, with Rotter behind her wielding an electric blade. Horrified, Jams falls on his knees and desperately begs for his life, but Rotter does not budge and hacks Jams to death with a meat cleaver. Afterwards, Skye tells Brigg she cannot go back to her hometown with him, in fear of being ridiculed and labeled as a killer. Brigg leaves angry. Courtney tells Alex about her sister's past, and Derek and Courtney argue about her jealousy of Skye.
An angry Alex runs away. Skye then calls her mother to tell her what happened, and the latter heads to the club. Courtney fears that Derek will leave her if his feelings for Skye are rekindled. Skye goes to an abandoned area of the club and sees a birthday message in blood from her father, wishing her a happy birthday. Courtney threatens to call the police on Skye, and she and Derek make up. The reconciliation is overheard by Rotter, who locks Skye in the club to watch from above as he attacks Derek and Courtney. Derek whacks Rotter in the back with a wooden plank with nails, but this only angers Rotter and he kills Derek by smashing the plank into his neck. Skye cries for her friend, and Courtney runs away as Rotter chases her. Courtney ends up in the back kitchen area of the club and as she sees Jams' dead body, she accidentally runs into a meat tenderizer held by Rotter. As Courtney lies on the ground in pain, he smashes her face with the tenderizer. Zoe, high on the medication Skye gave her earlier, stumbles away only to run into Rotter before blacking out.
As Carolyn reaches the club to stop the party, furious, Alex sees the stripper cake brought out for display. Inside, the half-awake Zoe, who is covered in alcohol, lights a lighter and accidentally sets herself on fire, erupting from the cake in flames. The party-goers scurry out after Zoe falls on the ground outside and Brigg uses a fire extinguisher on her severely burned body. She soon dies. Brigg rushes in to find Skye. Skye finally escapes from the upper level of the club and finds her mother telling Rotter to let Alex go as he holds a knife to her throat. Rotter then reveals his present to Skye—Ted's head in a plastic bag. Alex cries and as Rotter prepares to kill Alex, Carolyn explains to Rotter that Alex is actually his daughter too, but she refused to leave Alex with him, causing Charlie to hesitate. Carolyn then blames Skye for what has happened and Rotter, offended by this, lets Alex go and slits Carolyn's throat instead, killing her. Skye and Alex run and hide but Charlie foils all their attempts. Skye refuses to let her father kill Alex and tries to convince him that she's family; a touched Rotter admits he loves Skye. They begin a touching moment but upon seeing Alex running, goes after her instead. Just as he is about to stab her, Brigg suddenly arrives and tackles Rotter, taking him by surprise. Brigg begins to beat him up, but Skye says to let him go. As Rotter lays on the ground in pain, he tearfully tells Skye that all that he did was for her. Skye stabs him in the heart, finally killing Rotter and ending his reign of terror.
Some time later, Alex is in therapy, and it is revealed that she now lives with her grandparents. Skye lives with Brigg and his family back home. Alex tells her therapist that she has no harsh feelings towards Skye for the murders of her family and friends, but she later goes into the bathroom and looks at a picture of herself and Skye on her phone. Alex smashes a mirror, suggesting that she in fact does blame Skye for the massacre. | violence, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0045684 | Devil's Canyon | Arizona, 1897: A female outlaw, Abby Nixon, warns a lawman, Billy Reynolds, that her accomplices Bud and Cole Gorman are nearby. Reynolds manages to kill both in a gunfight, but finds himself arrested for murder, convicted and sentenced to a desert prison known as Devil's Canyon.
One of the prisoners there is a third Gorman brother, the ruthless Jesse, who intends to gain revenge for Reynolds having killed his kin. Jesse is also romantically involved with Abby, but is unaware that she's the one who tipped off Reynolds as to his brothers' whereabouts.
Reynolds is treated fairly by Morgan, the warden, but not by Captain Wells, a sadistic guard. Abby ends up sent to Devil's Canyon herself for a robbery. To keep her as far as possible from the male inmates, Abby is assigned to work with Dr. Betts in the prison infirmary. She treats Reynolds' wounds after Jesse injures him in a fight.
Abby plots a jailbreak. Sneaking guns to Joe and Red, outlaw partners of Jesse, she tries to persuade Reynolds to join them. He refuses, respecting the law and also not trusting Jesse a bit. Wells finds knives in Reynolds' cell, planted there by Jesse.
The warden and Wells are tipped off about the breakout, but Jesse guns down Wells in cold blood. Guards are taken hostage and the other prisoners are set free. Abby, now afraid of Jesse and his violent ways, is slapped by him and left behind. She manages to free Reynolds, who takes over the guards' machine-gun nest, kills Jesse and orders the others back to their cells. The warden vows to do everything in his power to grant Reynolds and Abby a pardon for their crimes. | revenge | train | wikipedia | How hard is it for a good man to go bad?.
This grim sagebrush drama is about a clash between inmates at a 1890s Arizona prison.
Dale Robertson is the ex-marshal that finds himself behind bars for killing two men in self defense.
Virgina Mayo is the love interest and maybe best thing about the movie.
Also in the cast are: Stephen McNally, Robert Keith and Earl Holliman.
Typically predictable western..
Strange prison western.
I taped Devil's Canyon when TCM screened it in November 2009 b/c another western with a historical theme (Great Day in the Morning)was next and I had plenty of tape (I'm still an analogue guy).
Reasons for giving it a chance included Dale Robertson in his prime, Steve McInally who was a dependable western heavy, plus Virginia Mayo's OK, but esp.
b/c RKO in its decline often made uniquely flawed but curious products.What's strange about Devil's Canyon (besides the absence of a canyon) is the prison set, which appears only partially, but the walls appear to be enormous hewn stones that cast off strange pastel glows that change with the time of day.
As a complement to these eerie atmospherics, the script and scenario range from casually crude to bluntly stupid.
As a friend once said of a similar film, "It's just like a porn flick except everybody keeps their clothes on." The film's best passage--the attempted prison break--takes advantage of the set.
The escapees anticipate which doors the guards will open and ambush their entrances, eventually controlling the entire prison, which sets up Robertson's gatling gun throwdown.
Overall, the direction and editing of Devil's Canyon overall are unredeemable, but if you're not asking for much in those regards, the film's visuals have the quality of a meaningless dream..
Paint-by-numbers oater.
This routine oater sees eye-catching Virginia Mayo aiding a gang of outlaws in a small desert town by helping to arrange a massive jailbreak.
It's a strictly by-the-numbers affair, featuring characters segregated into either the good or bad, and a particular cheapness to the sets.
RKO Pictures were well known for churning out low budget programmer after low budget programmer and DEVIL'S CANYON is a good example of their 'shoot fast for a quick buck' mentality.The movie features a number of notable character actors from the era, including Whit Bissell, Morris Ankrum and Irving Bacon, but only Dale Robertson, as the upstanding hero, is given much of a character, while Mayo seems to be relegated to the role of clothes horse for much of the running time.Things do pick up with a couple of decent shoot-outs and an elaborate, large-scale climax which doesn't disappointment, but by the looks of it the gimmicky 3D fails to make much, if any, of an impact other than in the opening titles..
Drab genre mix.
Film noir, prison break drama or western?
It doesn't seem to know and you'll give up caring to figure it out about a third of the way in.
This is a lacklustre B movie in any genre.
Starts out a western shoot em up then takes on a Cagney in the big house edge.
A good scene at the end with a gatling gun though, if you don't mind fighting to stay awake to get that far.
Notable if spotting Earl Holliman in early bit parts is one of your favorite past-times, and Virginia Mayo is watchable if you like your western dames talking tough as nails and looking like they stepped out of a 50's LIFE ad for Lee Jeans.
Otherwise, skipping this would probably be more to your liking.And I agree with the other reviewer that the title refers to Ms. Mayo's *mm-hmm*.
If you can find an actual canyon anywhere in this picture you paid closer attention than I did..
Weak sagebrush tale about a prison break....
DALE ROBERTSON is a marshal unjustly prisoned in an Arizona jailhouse who hinders and then helps a prison break plan concocted by VIRGINIA MAYO.
This has the look of a low-budget movie that was put together hastily with a second-rate script and designed as a programmer to fill out a double bill.VIRGINIA MAYO looks absolutely beautiful but her hairdress and costuming is strictly from the 1950s--and so is her overall demeanor as a tough gal who thinks she's in love with the brutish STEPHEN McNALLY.Among the supporting cast, Whit Bissell, Arthur Hunnicutt, Robert Keith, Earl Holliman and Irving Bacon have all seen better days.It affords only minimal entertainment with a standard prison break climax not too convincingly staged.
Of the actors, only the handsome and stalwart DALE ROBERTSON looks as though he believes in his role, bringing strength and sincerity to his role as the marshal.You can afford to miss this one..
Tonight there's gonna be a jailbreak, somewhere in this town.
Devil's Canyon is directed by Alfred Werker and collectively written by Frederick Hazlitt Brennan, Harry Essex, Bennett R.
Cohen and Norton S.
Parker.
It stars Dale Robertson, Stephen McNally, Virginia Mayo, Robert Keith, Arthur Hunnicutt, Jay C.
Flippen, Whit Bissell and Earl Holliman.
Music is by Daniele Amfitheatrof and cinematography by Nicholas Musuraca.Arizona 1897 and former marshal Billy Reynolds (Robertson) is forced to kill in self defence two brothers of outlaw Jesse Gorman (McNally), the man Billy had previously sent to prison.
With new people enforcing new laws in town, Billy doesn't get a fair trial and is sentenced to ten years at the tough Arizona Territorial Prison; home of one Jesse Gorman!
When lady outlaw Abby Dixon (Mayo), sweetheart of Gorman, is also sent to the prison, it stirs the already potent hornets nest still further
Originally a 3D production out of RKO, boasting Natural Vision 3 - Dimension no less, Devil's Canyon can now only be viewed in Technicolor flat mode.
Upon examination it's hard to believe that even in 3D this tardy Western had anything going for it, unless Mayo's pointy breasts were the selling point, or Robertson's Teddy Boy haircut?
(Yes, they must have had Teddy Boy's in Arizona circa 1897!).There's a bunch of reliable Western actors in it, director Werker was always competent and ace cinematographer Musuraca was also on board, yet the promising story is bogged down by a good hour of, well, nothingness, as the screenplay has a bunch of sweaty guys talking about stuff that doesn't advance the plot with any real distinction.Mayo looks gorgeous, but her character is victim of a preposterous set-up and in spite of the trailer (and some misguided reviews) promising a prison of 500 desperate men in a tizzy over one woman, this really isn't the case at all.
It should also be pointed out that Devil's Canyon is where the prison is, it's the unofficial name of the prison, it is not a metaphor for Mayo's private parts, as some have bizarrely suggested is the case!On the plus side the picture begins and ends with some decent action, with the Gatling Gun coming into play at the finale, which just about lifts the film out of its stupor.
Yet even here it's all very predictable and hard to feel lenient about since the previous hour has been so pointless.
The prison is suitably dank and moody, Musuraca doing his best to put a bleak sense of film noir foreboding on proceedings, while costuming for the boys is of a high standard.Utterly frustrating all told, a waste of idea and personnel, while the print shown on TV these days is scratchy and often washed out in colour.
Miracle gunmen of the 50's.
Another 50's style western.
Boring and very stereotypical of that decade.
My vote of 3 says it all.
My pet peeve?
Why are the gunfighters depicted as being so good with their Colt .45's that they can shoot them from the hip area with great accuracy?
And watch closely or you will miss what I call "bullet flinging".
This is where the barrel of the revolver is brought straight up between shots and the gunfighter flings the barrel in the direction of the target as he squeezes off that accurate round.
I shoot targets with a .357 magnum revolver, 9mm auto, and .40 auto, and I have yet to even hit the outer ring doing that.
But ignore all that I have said if you are bored and just need something to do.
I only watched because I have always liked Dale Robertson..
It's between Virginia Mayo's legs.
500 desperate men and only one woman .....as the trailer breathlessly tells us from the lusting voice over, panting away at that idea in this Howard Hughes tailored RKO prison scenario....the idea that there are 500 horny desperate convict loonies punching it out to be the..er......
rider up DEVIL'S CANYON' is just too obvious for me.
Arthur Hunnicut who must have been the representative for the 'dirty ol man hillbilly' section of this bumpkin intended audience jumped ship from THE FRENCH LINE to chew his face and mouth spittle led asides about anyone and everything in this possible combo of what would be PAPILLON and THE BEAUTIFUL BLONDE FROM BASHFUL BEND.
No wonder poor RKO was on the skids....and if all else fails, there is always VIRGINIA MAYO-NOSE to make word jokes about..
Prison break movie in Western costume.
Another grim Western from Werker, notable for the realism of ist depiction of life in the Arizona State Penitentiary at the turn of the century.
McNally is the psychotic killer seeking revenge on Robertson, also imprisoned, while Mayo is the girl working in the prison dispensary to help McNally to escape, who switches sides at the last minute.
In all essentials a prison-break movie in Western costume, it survives the imposition of 3-D thanks to Musuraca's low-key lighting effects.
- Furthermore, this is an opportunity to watch Arthur Hunnicutt in another of his marvellous sketches of very special and likable sidekicks.Phil Hardy.
Lame.
Generally, a limp western.
I don't know where they get "Canyon" since this is about the least scenic western on record.
In fact, except for a few shots of LA's ugly Bronson Canyon, the story takes place almost entirely on studio sets.
It's more like a prison movie than anything western.
That might be okay if the story could work up suspense or intensity.
But except for a motivated McNally, the movie generally meanders along without generating much of anything.
Of course, there's Mayo as eye candy.
And since it's Marilyn Monroe 1953, Mayo sports a cantilevered chest and occasional cleavage.
And that sets the stage for maybe the biggest stretch of the year.
In short, we're supposed to believe she's the only woman imprisoned in the same prison with 500 horny guys.
Come on scripters, I'll accept the improbable, but not the nutzoid.
At least, the lengthy supporting cast features familiar faces from that era, including a folksy Hunnicutt for comedy relief and a bulldog-faced Flippen for general nastiness.
But please, couldn't someone wake Robertson from his general walk- through stupor.
Looking like a young Clark Gable is simply not enough.
At least the Technicolor makes the visuals somewhat watchable, but 3-D effects appear nowhere in evidence.
From the title, I was expecting at least a 3-D avalanche in my lap.Anyway, I get no pleasure from mocking this dud, but a 90-minute dud it unfortunately is..
"Mayo, trapped with 500 desperate men!" average western.
"Mayo, trapped with 500 desperate men!
Fighting like jungle beasts for her love!
In Natural Vision 3 Dimension!
Starring Virginia Mayo coming to you real as flesh!
In3D!
Every savage thrill!
Every scorching scene!" I just took those word above from the teaser of the film, which misleads you.
I did not see the trailer, but it must have been better than the film.(which they usually are) The film tells the story of a an ex marshal Billy Reynolds (Dale Robertson) who kills in self defense two men, who were out to get him.
He is sent to prison where he ends up meeting Abby Nixon (Virginia Mayo) and her boyfriend Jessie Gorman (Stephen McNally).
Gorman is the brother of one of the guys he shot and will try to kill him.
The film is slow moving, up to the end, where there are good action scenes.
The romantic part is poorly scripted, the relationships of Mayo with McNally and Robertson not making much sense.
The film (due probably to Hughes) makes a point of enhancing Virginia Mayo's bosom, after all "The Outlaw" was a huge moneymaker. |
tt0118601 | American Dragons | Detective Tony Luca (Michael Biehn) is sent on a homicide investigation of a Yakuza leader after a bungled undercover sting to capture notorious gangster Rocco (Don Stark). After finding a folded origami lotus with the black lotus insignia Tony is assigned a partner, Detective Kim (Park Joong-hoon) from Seoul, South Korea. Kim is described by Luca's captain as an expert on the league of assassins known as the Black Lotus. Both Yakuza and Mafia gangsters are being assassinated all over town by the mysterious assassin known to Kim as Shadow.
After squeezing information out of Yakuza businessman Nakai (Hiro Kanagawa) and Mafia informant Mike (Brad Loree), the two detectives discover that the Black Lotus plans to ignite a mob war between the Yakuza and the Mafia and adopt their businesses. The two men responsible for the plan are Shadow and Rocoo, two men who haunt the pasts of the two detectives. With the two detectives now cooperating with one another, they collect the leaders of both the Mafia and the Yakuza and inform them of the plan of the Black Lotus and take them both to the police holding station to prevent their deaths and prevent further mob killings.
With both mob leaders in safe keeping the two detectives hunt down the location of Shadow and Rocco. Fights ensue with Kim fighting Shadow, and Luca having a shootout with Rocco. It all comes down to an epic standoff, leaving Kim and Luca the only two left alive. Luca and Kim say their goodbyes at the airport wishing each other the best, leaving as friends. As Kim walks up the walkway to the plane Nakai is shown having his ticket taken by the gate. Taking his ticket stub back, Nakai reveals his Black Lotus tattoo on the palm of his hand and leaves to take his flight, the same one Detective Kim is taking back to South Korea. | violence, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0089424 | Kiss of the Spider Woman | The film tells of two very different men who share a prison cell in Brazil during the Brazilian military government: Valentin Arregui, who is imprisoned (and has been tortured) due to his activities on behalf of a leftist revolutionary group, and Luis Molina, a pederast in prison for having sex with an underage boy.
Molina passes the time by recounting memories from one of his favorite films, a wartime romantic thriller that's also a Nazi propaganda film. He weaves the characters into a narrative meant to comfort Arregui and distract him from the harsh realities of political imprisonment and the separation from his lover, Marta. Arregui allows Molina to penetrate some of his defensive self and opens up. Despite Arregui occasionally snapping at Molina over his rather shallow views of political cinema, an unlikely friendship develops between the two.
As the story develops, it becomes clear that Arregui is being poisoned by his jailers to provide Molina with a chance to befriend him, and that Molina is spying on Arregui on behalf of the Brazilian secret police. Molina has namely been promised a parole if he succeeds in obtaining information that will allow the secret police to find the revolutionary group's members.
Molina falls in love with Arregui, and Arregui responds after a fashion, culminating in a physical consummation of their love on Molina's last night in prison. Molina is granted parole in the hopes Arregui will reveal information about his contacts when he knows Molina will be out of prison. Arregui provides Molina with a telephone number and message for his comrades. Molina at first refuses to take the number, fearing the consequences of treason, but he relents, and he and Arregui bid farewell with a kiss.
In the final scenes, Molina calls the telephone number, and a meeting is arranged with the revolutionary group. But the secret police have had Molina under surveillance, and a gun battle ensues, with the revolutionaries, assuming Molina has betrayed them, shooting him. As he wanders the streets wounded, the policemen catch up with him and demand that he disclose the telephone number in exchange for them taking him to the hospital for treatment, but Molina refuses and succumbs to his wounds. On the orders of the police chief (Milton Gonçalves), the policemen dump Molina's body in a rubbish pit and fabricate a story about his death and involvement with the revolutionary group.
Meanwhile, back in the prison Arregui is being treated after being tortured once again. As the doctor administers him morphine to help him sleep, risking his job in the process, Arregui escapes into a dream where he is on a tropical island with Marta. | avant garde | train | wikipedia | William Hurt and Raul Julia play cell mates, one gay, the other straight, rotting away in a Latin American prison under the iron thumb of a tyrannical dictatorship.
At first, Julia's Latin machismo makes him repelled by Hurt's flamboyant femininity, but the two gradually bond, thrown together as they are, and discover a kind of love that transcends conventions about love and sex and that can probably only exist between two people surviving in extreme conditions.Hurt, already known as a strapping leading man at the time, took quite a risk playing this fey character, especially at a time when movies still weren't comfortable with mainstream portrayals of gays, but his risk payed off -- he won that year's Best Actor Academy Award and became just about the hottest actor in town for a few years there in the mid-80s.
Sonia Braga plays the eponymous spider woman, a dream figure cobbled together by both men from their imaginations and memories of old movies.This film is a big downer, but if you enjoy well-acted, well-written stories, then the depressing ending is worth it.Grade: A.
Reading the other reviews, I see that homophobes have been duly warned about this movie, so I won't say anything about the relationship between the two men beyond that it is complex and beautiful.What interests me more for the purposes of this little blurb is that no one has commented on how the "film within a film" (much like the "play within a play" in Hamlet) reflects the actual events unfolding in the prison cell.
Molina (William Hurt) is ostensibly retelling his favorite film to entertain Valentin (Raul Julia) and make the time pass more quickly, but he himself admits that he "embroiders" the story to make it more real.
William Hurt as the lonely homosexual, Molina, the late Raul Julia, as the stern, but deeply caring political prisoner, Valentin, and Sonia Braga, who takes on three different roles, including the title role, and plays them all brilliantly, are what makes this filmso great.Although Hurt deservingly won the Oscar for Best Actor, the same consideration should have been given to Julia and Braga for their contribution.If you've seen it, see it again....if you haven't, I highly recommend you do..
A homosexual man named Luis Molina (Oscar-Winner:William Hurt) is in prison for having sex with a minor and Valentin Arregui (The late Raul Julia) is a political prisoner for the revolutionary group.
in essence this movie is about two men sharing a prison cell in a Brazil,one a homosexual,one a political prisoner.each has his own way of dealing with the situation they're in.eventually they begin to understand each other and bond.that isn't the whole story of course.this was quote a compelling an d moving film in my opinion.Raul Julia and William Hurt play the the two cell mates and both deliver powerful performances.it's a testament to the strong writing and the direction that a movie that essentially takes place in one setting(a jail cell)for the bulk of the running time can be so compelling.if you're expecting a fast paced action packed movie though,look elsewhere.this one is all about the story and the characters.for me,Kiss of the Spider Woman is an 8/10.
This movie, 'The Kiss of the Spider woman', serves as a cautious warning that mans is a nostalgic yet forgetful beast and that hope of change and the dream of freedom, within a society that is not yet ready to take on all of the social/political dynamics of freedom, remains nothing but a failed romance.A worthy classic.
The only thing that relieves the static nature of the film are the dreams and flashbacks that add some much needed color to the story.Otherwise, it's a study of relationships--a gay man and a straight man share a prison cell in South America and the only thing that keeps the gay man in a survival mode is recalling in detail tacky movies he's seen in the past--and thus the title, KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN.WILLIAM HURT does the campy role well and was rewarded with a Best Actor Oscar while RAOUL JULIA is the straight man who gradually comes to love and respect his cellmate for the human being that he is, letting go of his homophobic attitude long enough to share a tender moment with a gay man who has come to love him and who decides not to betray him, as the authorities hoped he would when they planted him in the cell.It's a strange, quirky story, certainly not for everyone's taste and it took courage to make the film in the first place, knowing it would have limited appeal at the box-office.I just never found it to be the exceptional film some are calling it..
Raul Julia and William Hurt play Valentin Arregui and Luis Molina, cell-mates in a South American jail.
William Hurt is brilliant as the homosexual prisoner, who's only escape from his sad reality is to talk about an old movie he once saw.
William Hurt and Raul Julia, the former of whom deservedly won the Oscar for a real lived-in and nuanced but powerful performance, have electric chemistry and the film is wholly indebted to their commitment to their characters to make it work.
Kiss of the Spider Woman - 1985 - with Raul Julia, William Hurt and Sonia Braga.
Kiss of the Spider Woman is a powerful and disturbing film made along the lines of MISSING (1982 - Jack Lemmon and Sissy Spacek), in that the story centers around a military government in a South American country and its involvement with its citizens.
William Hurt (Oscar winner) is his homosexual cell-mate, in prison for a crime of statutory rape, whom the government manipulates to get at Julia's character.
Two social outcasts, Molina (William Hurt), and Valentin (Raul Julia) share a prison cell in this bleak character study that says a lot about how mainstream social institutions vilify nonconformists.
Molina, whose mannerisms and dialogue clearly reveal his homosexual inclination, loves to describe his favorite film to Valentin, a political prisoner who is straight, but takes Molina's gayness in stride.
There's an obvious parallel between Molina and Leni, and their political liaisons.The Nazi film provides viewers with much needed diversion from the static scenes in the prison cell.
This is a story that unfolds in a squalid prison cell, so the movie rests on the performances of William Hurt and Raul Julia.
Up until late in the film, the only times it's not set there is when either of the men is taken out to be questioned by authorities or when the transgender prisoner (William Hurt) tells tales--an adventure story involving spies, the Nazis and a gorgeous lady as well as a later tale about a Spider Woman.All of this sounds like a rather dreadful idea for a film or play as it's a prison film involving torture, illness and the like, but it manages to work due to good acting by Hurt and Raul Julia (his cell-mate) as well as some interesting plot twists.
After all, this IS set in an oppressive South American prison where torture and the like are commonplace.By the way, although William Hurt was excellent and received the Oscar for Best Actor for his performance, it is odd that he doesn't seem the least bit like a Latino....not the least..
In 'Kiss of the Spider Woman', two men, a political prisoner and a homosexual (the latter played by William Hurt), share a cell in a Latin American gaol; the latter tells stories in the manner of B-movie screenplays (hence the film's title), sells secrets to the authorities and eventually, falls in love.
If you know what is good for you, only watch this movie if your idea of entertainment is to explore a very narrow, stereotypical view of what will happen to two men in prison if one is already gay to begin with..
In a South American prison, swishy gay window-dresser William Hurt (as Luis Molina) tries to seduce straight cell-mate Raul Julia (as Valentin Arregui), a political prisoner.
The ending is open to interpretations beyond the obvious; in my mind, Hurt goes back to escape the confines of life with Julia as the woman of his dreams...********* Kiss of the Spider Woman (5/13/85) Hector Babenco ~ William Hurt, Raul Julia, Sonia Braga, Jose Lewgoy.
His cell mate is William Hurt's Luis Molina: an effeminate, shaven, thin and softly spoken cross dressing homosexual; someone that basks in the glory of being able to recite meaty descriptions of old romance films they've seen many-a time; the sorts of films that come across as silly to some but glorious in their themes, ideas and content to others.
This is a dramatic unfolding of events, as suddenly and jarringly, it gives the audience ammunition to want him to survive the film – something is suddenly at stake, and his well-being as well as happiness lies at the end of this journey if only he can get through.Kiss of the Spider Woman is an interesting prison drama, the sort that doesn't really allow its characters to be free even if they have ventured outside of the prison, or indeed the prison cell.
Hurt, once released, lives out - in real life - the fantasy that he spun in his lonely prison cell.I particularly enjoyed the final poetic dream-like scene, where Valentin (Raul Julia) lies beaten (close to death) and after being given morphine by a compassionate doctor (who could be punished for such a routine gesture), slips into his unconscious dream..
Hurt won a well-deserved Oscar as the gay prisoner, Molina, but Raul Julia is equally fine in the less splashy role (Sonia Braga appears in each of the separate narratives, becoming the unifying link between them).The film itself exhibits surprising freedom and range despite being confined within a prison cell.
The two towering performances – William Hurt's feminine gay storyteller, and Raul Julia's angry but frail (emotionally and physically) leftist are by far the best work either has done on film.The intricacies of their slowly evolving relationship are complex, powerfully moving, and sometimes disturbing, And while probably 60% of the film takes place in one room, the film never feels like a play.
And, on top of that, Hurt's performance greatly marred what was basically a fascinating motion picture that had a lot of potential.The way I see it, awarding Hurt with his Oscar for playing Luis Molina was, perhaps, one of the biggest and stupidest blunders ever made by the Academy Awards Committee, ever, in all of movie-history, in fact.Kiss Of The Spider Woman's story was basically quite a simple one - Set mainly within the sordid confines of a dreadful Brazilian prison, 2 men, one straight, one gay, share the same filthy cell together.The straight man, a journalist, is a political prisoner working for a leftist anti-government revolutionary group.
His name is Valentin Arrigui and he is regularly beaten and tortured by the prison guards who want him to name names and point fingers, which he adamantly refuses to do.The gay man, a window-dresser who likes to molest minors, is really of no consequence at all, and, yet, he is the focus of this film's story.
His name is Luis Molina and the prison guards generally leave him alone, except when they decide that they can, perhaps, use him to their advantage.To pass the time away in their dingy, little cell, Luis likes to recount aloud detailed stories from his favorite American movies (which imaginatively includes visual sequences), especially ones that are highly-romantic in nature.At present Luis has focused his attention on recalling a WW2 Thriller that's filled with all sorts of nasty, Nazi propaganda (thrown in for good measure).
Luis Molina (William Hurt) and Valentin Arregui (Raul Julia) are cell mates in a Latin American prison.
The plot seems to progress (especially at the beginning) at a snail's pace and, with the majority of the movie taking place within the same locale, Kiss of the Spider Woman can be so tedious and un-engaging as to make the viewer feel trapped in their own prison watching the film.
Take for instance this "Kiss of the Spider Woman", the name alone already is a bit 'weird', but so is the entire movie.Luis Molina and Valentin Arregui are cell mates in a South American prison.
One of the elements which makes the story interesting is the parallel between Valentin's predicament as a political prisoner and the film described by Molina which has fascist overtones.Much of the film is about the relationship between the prison-mates as much as a character study.
At one point, Valentin rages at him "You sound just like a...!" to which Molina responds "Say it, just like a woman." But over time, a strange friendship of mutual trust and respect evolves between the two men, and Valentin finds there is more to Molina than at first meets the eye.A very different and interesting film with absolute first-rate performances by the two leads but not for all tastes and certainly not for those uninterested in material which explores homosexuality.
The stories Molina weaves echo and even foreshadows the events taking place in the isolated prison cell and though the friendship soon leads to something more, the characters are so wonderfully three-dimensional even the most squeamish of audiences won't mind tender moments shared between the two male leads.Raul Julia's Valentin is head strong and disciplined; trying with all his will to undermine the government's ominous authority.
By the end of the film Luis is changed by his relationship with Valentin, so much so that he aids him in his fight not out of a renewed political awakening but out of a need to find worth in life though unrequited love.Kiss of the Spider Woman can be slow at times and suffers from some pedestrian direction by Hector Babenco.
Segments featuring the actual "Spider Woman" (Braga) are like watching mediocre Guy Maddin movies; there's artistry clearly at work but it's abundantly plain there was no budget.Despite this, the film remains an important and interesting little character piece that highlights gay issues and specifically gay love at a time few others did.
Complex, well-performed duet from director Hector Babenco focusing on the relationship between a gay movie-lover and a political prisoner serving time as inmates in a South American jail.
Basically in Brazil, set during the Brazilian military government, in a prison cell are two unlikely cell mates, Valentin Arregui (The Addams Family's Golden Globe nominated Raul Julia) who is imprisoned (and has been tortured) due to his activities on behalf of a leftist revolutionary group, and homosexual Luis Molina (Oscar and BAFTA winning, and Golden Globe nominated William Hurt) who is imprisoned for having sex with an underage boy.
Hurt definitely deserved his Oscar for playing a wonderfully flamboyant gay man, Julia is equally fantastic as his reactionary political prisoner cell mate, together as the pair sharing a cell in a South American jail they really convince you of their growing friendship and further affectionate relationship with each other.
The film is all about the two men in their cell and their interactions, mixed with some political subtext, but it also fantastically mixes the harsh squalid reality of prison life with the juxtaposed dream-like monochrome fantasy world imagined by the stories lovingly told by the leading gay character, it is a terrific drama film.
A political prisoner Molina (Raul Julia) and a gay man Valentin (William Hurt) share a cell in some unnamed Lainto country (it was shot partially in Brazil).
His character is supposed to like it, but I guess Julia can't put it across (he shouldn't have taken the role if he was that uncomfortable kissing Hurt).The film is very overpraised--it won a well-deserved Oscar for Hurt but nominating it for best screenplay, director and picture (!!!) was a little bit ridiculous.Worth seeing, but no great masterpiece like some people are saying..
Their unlikely friendship is defined through the realities of Valentin and the fantasy world that is created by Luis using the scenes and plots from a Nazi Propaganda film.
Luis is telling the story of the film to escape the reality and creates an alternative world both for Valentin and himself.
In a character oriented film like this, it would be such a shame for William Hurt not to get the Best Actor in a Leading Role Award.
Other than the films that are told by Luis, Kiss of the Spider Woman takes place mostly in a prison cell except for the last 15 minutes.
William Hurt plays Luis Molina, a homosexual who is being held in a South American prison peppered with political prisoners, and is sharing a cell with Valentin Arregui, who happens to be one of those political prisoners.
To me the movie was overlong (about 45 minutes too long) and very dull at times and the characterization was stereotype at best.The character of William Hurt is a homosexual and Raul Julia plays a political prisoner.Yes,the performances are pretty good,especially Raul Julia who is always convincing but he looks too much like Che Guevara (this was probably the intention of the director).We never get to find out in which country the movie takes place which doesn't help the realistic view of it all.Another very annoying part is the fact that everybody speaks English.Okay,it's an American movie but if you want to make a realistic movie about prison life and human emotions you must at least speak in the native language.This is something that nobody seems to understand in Hollywood or anywhere else for that matter.
A transexual Luis Molina(William Hurt) proceeds to tell his not so thrilled prison mate, political prisoner Valenti(Raul Julia) stories of a Nazi propaganda film Molina saw earlier.
Despite the dissapointment at the end, this is still a great film, thanks to the performances from Hurt and Julia(the former deservingly won an OScar for the role). |
tt0118927 | Dangerous Ground | The film opens in South Africa, during 1983. A young Vusi (Thokozani Nkosi) organizes a radical student protest that is soon put down by police, Vusi is captured and forced to leave for the United States where he settles down in the San Francisco Bay Area.
14 years later, Vusi (Ice Cube) returns to South Africa to attend his father's funeral at the village he grew up in. He is unable to bring himself to slaughter a cow as part of the funeral ritual. Vusi's younger brother Ernest, a former soldier, constantly berates him for his choice to run away to America instead of taking part in "the struggle". This angers Vusi, who tells Ernest: "I was in the struggle while you were still pissing in your pants." While talking with his mother, Vusi wonders why his youngest brother Steven was not at the funeral. His mother admits that they have not seen Steven in a while. She provides Vusi with two addresses and sends him out to find Steven.
The first address Vusi checks is Steven's apartment in Johannesburg, where he meets his brother's neighbor Karen (Elizabeth Hurley). He gives her his contact information, in case she hears anything. After checking the second address, Vusi starts driving out of Soweto. He is confronted by three armed thugs who take his car, jacket, and shirt. The thugs also break his father's spear, a family heirloom. Vusi returns to his hotel and calls his fiancée to tell her what has happened to him. He receives a note from Karen telling him to meet her at The Summit Club.
At the club, Vusi discovers Karen's occupation as a stripper. She reports hearing noises, coming from Steven's apartment. After the show, the pair returns to the apartment complex and decides to check the room. Karen climbs along the outside of the building to Steven's open window, where a thug attacks her. The thug flees, knocking over Vusi in his escape. The encounter causes Vusi to wonder what is actually going on with Steven. Karen finally confesses that Steven had borrowed cocaine on "credit" from a drug dealer named Muki (Ving Rhames). Steven was initially planning to sell the drug and make enough money for Karen and him to travel to the United States and visit Vusi. Steven instead took the money and drugs for himself.
With the truth revealed, Karen suggests they check out the local clubs to see if they can find any leads. At a hard-rock club Vusi finds out about Karen's crack cocaine addiction, after watching her take a hit from a pipe. He confronts her about it, and suspects she was the one who got Steven hooked on the drug. The duo are accosted by white supremacist punks outside the club. Two of thugs pin Vusi to a wall at gunpoint, while the leader of the gang hits Karen for associating with a "kaffir". Vusi manages to get the upper hand on the punks, while Karen grabs the gun and hands it over to Vusi. Vusi holds the leader of the punks at gunpoint, before knocking him out and pistol-whipping the other punk. Back at the apartment, Karen asks Vusi to visit her drug dealer and purchase a gram of crack for her. Or else, she will not tell him anything else about Steven. Vusi reluctantly accepts her terms .
Karen's drug dealer, Sam, is initially suspicious of Vusi. He becomes relaxed when Vusi reveals that he knows Karen. Sam tells Vusi that Muki will not allow him to sell to Karen. Muki reportedly suspects that Karen and Steven may be working together to hide the money. Sam charges an extra 50 dollars and tells Vusi to stay in the apartment. Vusi answers the door to find Steven, who flees from him down an alley. Vuki returns to the apartment, where he is confronted by a switchblade-wielding Sam. Sam demands to know why he left. Vusi pulls a gun and forces Sam over to the window, interrogating him on the whereabouts of Muki. Sam replies "you don't find Muki, Muki finds you." Sam returns the money to Vusi, along with the drugs Karen asked for.
Vusi heads back to Karen's place. Karen learns that Vusi revealed his status as Steven's brother to Sam. She figures that Muki will find out about the connection and becomes paranoid. They leave her apartment and head towards Vusi's hotel room. The next morning, Vusi drops Karen back at her apartment. He is then confronted by one of Muki's men in his car. The car is stopped by more of Muki's men, and Vusi is captured. He is placed in the trunk of a car. Vuki is transported to a soccer stadium, where Muki is waiting to meet him. Muki tells Vusi about his brother's massive debt of 45,000 rand. He threatens to have the entire Madlazi family killed to settle the debt. But he will agree to spare Steven's life and leave them alone, if Vusi is able to bring him 15,000 U.S. dollars in two days.
Karen tells Vusi that Steven headed for Sun City, in order to gamble back the money he needs to pay back the debt. The duo head out for the casino. They drive through an Afrikaner Weerstandsbeweging (AWB, Afrikaner Resistance Movement]] rally and then arrive at the casino. Karen and Vusi split up to search the casino. While playing on a slot machine, Karen is approached by Steven who immediately asks her for some cocaine. Karen informs him that his father has died, information which saddens Steven. Steven tells her that he only managed to make back 2,000 of the 45,000 rand which he owes to Muki, but that he still has 5 grams of Muki's product stashed away. Karen heads up to Steven's room with him. Steven shoots up over half a gram of crack into his arm. An arriving Vusi locates Steven and becomes angry at Karen, for allowing his brother to become an addict. He calms down and the trio leaves the casino.
Vusi is only able to get 14,100 dollars to pay back Muki. The trio heads off to the hotel to pay off the debt anyway. Steven yells at Muki for trashing his apartment, but is told to shut up by Vusi. Muki is pleased with the money Vusi was able to bring him. Vusi promises to pay him the rest of the money by the next day. Muki tells Steven that the word is out that people can mess with Muki, and that he must send a message despite their deal. Muki then shoots Steven with Vusi's gun, which had been confiscated on the way in. A man in the apartment, who is revealed to be a detective sergeant, is disgusted at Muki's actions. While Steven's body is moved out, Muki takes a large hit from a bong. He had offered the bong to Steven before shooting him.
Steven's corpse is brought back to the village for burial. There, Vusi recruits Ernest to help him take revenge on Muki. While in the village, Vusi's spear is repaired. Vusi is finally able to slaughter a goat, as part of Steven's funeral. Ernest leads Vusi and Karen to a weapons' cache he had buried. With the weapons needed to take their revenge, the trio goes back to Sam's apartment. Under threat of torture, they convince Sam to help them by carrying in a bomb that Ernest had put in a present box.
At Muki's place, Sam attempts to warn Muki's men of the bomb in the box. The bomb goes off anyway, killing Sam and the two men guarding the door. Vusi and Ernest move through the apartment. killing Muki's thugs. Vusi is nearly shot by Muki's wife, but is able to see her drawing a gun and kills her first. Ernest checks a back room only to be jumped by the drug-crazed Muki. Muki holds him hostage, in order to get Vusi to drop his weapons. Vusi drops his gun and sees Karen coming up behind Muki. She lets off a burst by her rifle into the ceiling, giving Vusi an opportunity to approach Muki and stab him with his father's spear. Muki is stabbed three times in the stomach, and falls out of a window and onto a car below. The trio flee the building as police show up to investigate the crime scene.
At the end of the film, Vusi convinces his fiancée to come to South Africa and settle in his village. She agrees to be on a plane heading there as soon as possible. Karen considers checking into a drug rehabilitation facility to seek treatment for her addiction. Vusi instead suggests that she should come live with them, in order to get some fresh air away from Johannesburg. | revenge | train | wikipedia | A horrible waste of time....
``Everything was like, y'know, separated.''With this comically clumsy explanation of apartheid, an actual line from this unfortunate film, any meager hope for ``Dangerous Ground'' evaporated like a Transkei rain shower.How flawed is this film?Consider that its star, Ice Cube, utters that clunker yet is supposed to be believable as a South African exile living in the United States, a former student protest leader sent abroad as a teenager.
He doesn't even attempt a credible accent, so his character, Vusi, winds up sounding straight outta South Central and not South Africa, where the film is set.His costar, Elizabeth Hurley, as the semi-exotic dancer Karin, has a peculiar habit of answering her door wearing next to nothing, despite being on the run from nefarious drug-dealing thugs from the South African underworld.Since Karin is conveniently the main squeeze of Vusi's wayward crackhead brother, also on the run from the aformentioned nasties, the pair are the unlikely salt-and-pepper buddy team that this film hangs upon.
``Hanged upon'' is probably more accurate, since there is zero rapport between the rapper and the perfume plugger.There's not much action and even less suspense, and there's an unshakable air of implausibility every time Ice Cube opens his mouth.
The things that work in this film are Ving Rhames as a driven drug lord and the unintentional humor from a script that is laughably bad when it is not outright stupid.
For example:Vusi's rental BMW is car-jacked, then he totals the replacement, then somehow gets another the same day?A graduate student in African studies, with no other family in America, secures $14,000 in a day to pay off his brother's crack debt?Two druggies proclaim extreme paranoia but fail to lock the door of their hotel suite?And there should be a bounty on the head of the person who penned the line ``Steven was in over his head -- but so was the country.'' South African director Darrell Roodt (``Cry, the Beloved Country'') shares part of the blame for the inept dialogue and inexplicable plot gaps as co-writer.
Shame, shame, shame..
Good, but could have been better.
This movie will keep you watching to the end, but unfortunately it ends up feeling like just another gangsta movie.
They touched on the problems of South Africa but ultimately this story could have been set almost anywhere.
The South Africa setting is just incidental.
The lines between good & bad are too easily drawn - the characters seem 1 dimensional at times.
Different and interesting, but ultimately unfulfilling in some ways..
Good Message wrapped in bad writing.
Yes Hurley's accent gads all over the place but that is how English South Africans sound like (I should know I'm married to one).However the plot does meander all over the place, and with someone like Ice Cube and the general premise of the movie there should definitely be more action in it.Roodt should take some lessons from Hood because Tsotsi delivered on the same basic message whileas Dangerous Ground just comes off as a mildly entertaining, barely passable TV movie.While it has its good points (accurate SA visuals for the time depicted, accurate depiction of Afrikaneer thugs and black Tsotsi's) there are points where the acting needs to be taken up a notch or two.
And of course the writing is so thin and predictable if it was a dress it'd be see-through.I don't think it's as horrible as the first reviewer (mainly because I have been to Johannesburg and it DOES look that old an worn-out) but agree that the writing and acting was not up to par..
Violent Drama.
A movie set in South Africa, that started off, promising much, but ended with you feeling maybe you should get more for your money.
The acting was not bad, but the plot was a bit thin, and sometimes a little unrealistic.
Ice Cube plays an American gone to South Africa after the death of his father, where his family informs him about his brother who has gone missing.
Here he meets up with his brother's girlfriend played by Liz Hurley, who is heavily into heroin.
They then set about finding his brother, which includes Shooting people, blowing things up, blah, blah, blah.
After a while it all gets a bit predictable..
Tries to be meaningful but is really one big smug cliché with a stupid confused message.
When South African native Vusi returns from 15 years in America he finds himself a stranger in his own home.
He has come to bury his father but is asked by his mother to find his youngest brother who has gone missing in Johannesburg.
Checking out an address Vusi meets one of his brothers friends Karin, and finds that his brother has stolen money from a drug dealer - creating more problems for Vusi as Muki is willing to kill to get his money back.This starts with flashbacks to South Africa during the early 80's, where we find Ice Cube ys, you heard me was one of the student leaders of the uprising for change.
Years later he returns, bringing with him a heavy monologue that lectures us about drugs being the new trap for the black man and how he must help the kids etc.
The story itself never really gets interesting the only interest is the possibility to learn about life in S.
Africa, however even that is a bit stereotyped.The monologue makes the film feel even heavier than it is, but when the film eventually settles in the guns n' gangstas ending that it promises it appears to have confused itself.
The film lectures about making the right choice as men, about the evils of drugs in fact Vusi makes it his mission in USA and S.
Africa to help kids stay in education etc.
However after all that lecturing, a happy ending only comes with murder, violence and guns is that the films message?
That drugs are bad and are a global trap for the black man and the only way to stop them is to leave education programmes and murder anyone involved in the deals?
I wouldn't have seen it this way if it had just set itself out as another thriller with an African twist, but because it is message heavy until it gets guns, I feel that it wanted to have it both ways when it can't.Ice Cube is watchable, even when he is in rubbish films, here he is OK but is really pushing the laid-back yank thing too much.
His voice over is so preachy and monotonous that at times I thought he was falling asleep in the studio.
Hurley looks sexy (despite working in a strip cub where no-one gets naked!) but her accent wanders all over the place from English to African and back again.
Ving Rhames plays a sort of African Marcellus Wallace the first dialogue scene he has all we see is the back of his head
very Pulp Fiction.
His accent is good but his character is nothing new.Overall this `action' movie is dull the interesting cast make it worth one watch but no more than that.
The mix of `stay in school kids' and `just say no' is too heavy and labourious, but is made even more pointless by the film's conclusion that the best way to deal with criminals destroying an area is to get guns and kill them!.
Meaningful "gangsta" movie.
Ice Cube, believe it or not, was convincing as a scholarly South African exile who returns home after the end of apartheid.
I felt this movie had more meaning than any other typical "gangsta" movie.
I also enjoyed Elizabeth Hurley.
Sure, some parts weren't believable, including the very last scene, which was really lame, but overall, I liked Dangerous Ground.
Very few films have been made about South Africa, and I'm glad movie writers have managed to look beyond South Central L.A. for a black action thriller setting..
A punchline betraying not a jot of joy or insight.
This 'motion picture' is an absolute joke.
It simply cannot be taken seriously; taking on the South African situation and inserting Ice Cube and Elizabeth Hurley just about sums it up.
And it can't even be 'taken humorously' as the whole charade is so utterly joyless and deadly dull.This film is cliché-addled in the extreme; South Africa is presented, pretty much, as any old place; only distinguished by the occasional accent and the excessive crime rate.
Any sense of reality is out of the equation, as is entertaining or useful usage of melodrama or other non-naturalistic forms.
One has to laugh really; there's nothing else to do when you are presented with the posturing and faux-sincerity invested in the film by its average team of actors.
But it is a hollow laugh, betraying not a jot of joy or insight.The weak storyline, which does not engage the mind on any level, is sketched out through dialogue by turns dull and absurd.
As ever in 'serious' films inflected by her presence, Liz Hurley is a liability.
The woman just cannot act it seems; thus, she seems more effective simply hamming up her own image in "Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery" and "Bedazzled".
Her attempts at a South Africa accent gad around all over the globe; an embarrassingly inept effort, in truth.
Yes, she 'looks good', depending quite upon one's own tastes, but it appears that that is the only reason she is here - along with her ubiquitous, 'dat skirt'-fuelled star name.So, a damn well disastrous film, and a real waste of time spent watching it..
Ouch..
I watched this on some lame cable channel that edited out certainthings, and eliminated swearing ("bulldirt?").
The only reason Iwatched this was the Elizabeth Hurley credit in the beginning.
Shewasn't nearly naked enough.
It's admirable that the producer'stried to make a movie with a message, but the social commentarywas undeveloped, and not very moving.
I just wanted to seeElizabeth Hurley after the first 3 minutes, and that's all I had to lookforward to, once it became apparent that this movie SUCKED!
Thescreenplay, and direction were laughable, and it seemed that thewriter of this thing had no idea how people speak in South Africa.The ending showdown scene has been done to death, and wasas cliche as the rest of the film..
Finally, a cure for insomnia..
I saw this flick the other night on "Bounce TV" and the only saving grace it has is when Liz Hurley smokes crack and gets all horny for Ice Cube.
Ice is a horrible actor and brings nothing to his role as a street wise thug who is intent on getting his brother out of debt to a ruthless drug lord played by the scenery-chewing actor, Ving Rhames.
However, I was titillated by the appearance of the tweaked out crack head stripper, Karen, played ably and with surprising acuity by the lovely Ms. Hurley.
I did not have to suspend my disbelief {much}to think that she actually may have really smoked crack and when she does she tries to get Ice into bed, but he won't because she's his brothers g/f..
Kind Of Boring.
Starts off nice, but later on becomes an typical American movie with drugs, guns and you even forget that the movie takes place in Africa.
If it wasn't for the charming Elizabeth Hurley i would have shut off the TV.
This Vusi guy comes back to his home in South Africa blah blah shoots some people smoke some heroin hits some white guys(I was kind of sad i wanted them to kick his fat ass) and the movie ends.
Don't bother to see this movie..
Bad Direction.
Enjoyed the film, although nothing to write home about, and actually thought Liz Hurley played her part well, although I don't like her very much.I know a little Zulu and one scene fascinated me.
It was at a funeral in the kraal of Ice Cube's family.
He is supposed to be a Xhosa (ko-sa), but I swear the others were speaking in Zulu.
I may be wrong, but if right, this is extremely amusing as the Zulus and Xhosas tend to start killing each other from the age of around twelve!I wondered why, when they were supposed to be at a funeral, they seemed to be laughing, perhaps they saw the funny side.
:-)If I am right, then the producer and director ought to be shot for employing zulu actors playing Xhosa people, yet speaking Zulu..
Great to see Elizabeth Hurley.
I liked the movie, it moved along & kept your attention, but Elzabeth Hurley, talk about a fabulous woman, I dont care if she can act, she looks good enough that it doesnt matter.
Even if just to see her portrayal of a junkie stripper is worth the price of the movie.
If your a Hurley fan, watch this movie!.
Hurley & Cube were Hot. The great acting by Ice Cube,(Vusi Madlazi) and Elizabeth Hurley,(Karen),"Method",'04 helped the viewer enjoy most of this film which dealt strictly with a wild goose chase in a large City in South Africa.
Vusi Madlazi lives in San Francisco and his immediate family live in South Africa and his father dies and the family needs the help of Vusi to try and locate his brother.
Apparently his brother is mixed up with drugs and gambling and some bad dudes are also interested in finding him.
Elizabeth Hurley,(Karen),"Method",'04 is a good friend of Vusi's brother and meets up with Vusi who she immediately gets the hots for.
However, Vusi has a girl friend in San Francisco who he is very serious with and could possibly marry her.
I praise the great acting of Ice Cube and Elizabeth Hurley, who made this a some what interesting film.
In other words, it is not a very great film and has so many twists and turns, you really begin to lose interest completely..
Cube!Hollywood B-movie!.
Cube and Hurley do ok performances here in this below average action/drama.Big Cube and Hurley fans will tolerate this one.Ruined by bad screenplay,script and directing.The action sequences in the end is very cliche and un-original.Good to see Cube blasting away though.He has so much potential........
It was all, you know, separated..
The opening scene flashes between black and white and colour.
Ice Cube is studying in America and has returned to South Africa at the end of apartheid.
No trace of an African accent.
You know this is going to be unrealistic when they refer to the USA as a cosy democracy.Here's a summary.
Some of the scenery is spectacular.
Camera-work is functional.
Most of the acting is dire and the dialogue cringeworthy.Liz Hurley is gorgeous as always, and posh English as always.
She does have the habit of answering the door to strangers while dressed in scanty underwear.
I would have thought that unusual, even for a professional stripper.After Ice is carjacked he doesn't call the police.
he returns to his hotel.
Liz Hurley gets in touch.
She's also had some problems 'Did you call the police?' asks Ice.It now turns out that Liz is Ice's brother's girlfriend as well as neighbour.
But brother Stephen has gone missing.
Liz now gets Ice to get her drugs.
The dealer is suspicious.
Meanwhile who should knock at the door?
It's Stephen, but he doesn't seem pleased to see his brother.Now they head off back to Ice's hotel.
I'm getting bored now, like Ice sounds when he makes those phone calls back home.
The score is starting to get annoying too.Then we wind our way to the finale – predictable and dull..
I got your boy right here.......
Vusi returns to the South African village he left as a young to bury his father.
He meets up with his brother Ernest, who tells him their other brother Stephen couldn't be contacted.
Vusi goes to Johannesburg to find him, but at first can only find his neighbour, Karin, a stripper.
Vusi proceeds to learn how conditions have changed since the end of apartheid, not always for the better......Ice Cube takes a trip, and its not long into the film before he could be anywhere.
I mean S.
Africa has some beautiful locations, but no, we focus on Cube and how many times he has a gun pointed to his head.He searches for his brother, who owes some money to special guest star Rhames, and takes a very wooden Hurley along for the ride ( this proves that Austin Powers was a one off)' a very long and boring ride.If this tries to deliver any sort of political message, it fails, because the characters are just so unlikable, even the faceless girlfriend of Cube.All people seem to do is kill, and take drugs in Dangerous Ground world, and the only decent people kill goats.Its really a pig of a film, but the supporting cast are really good, and really make your blood boil.On the plus side its the best film ever to feature Ving Rhames making chicken noises come the end... |
tt0099726 | Hamlet | === Act I ===
The protagonist of Hamlet is Prince Hamlet of Denmark, son of the recently deceased King Hamlet, and nephew of King Claudius, his father's brother and successor. Claudius hastily married King Hamlet's widow, Gertrude, Hamlet's mother, and took the throne for himself. Denmark has a long-standing feud with neighboring Norway, which culminated when King Hamlet slew King Fortinbras of Norway in a battle years ago. Although Denmark defeated Norway, and the Norwegian throne fell to King Fortinbras's infirm brother, Denmark fears that an invasion led by the dead Norwegian king's son, Prince Fortinbras, is imminent.
On a cold night on the ramparts of Elsinore, the Danish royal castle, the sentries Bernardo and Marcellus and Hamlet's friend Horatio encounter a ghost that looks like the late King Hamlet. They vow to tell Prince Hamlet what they have witnessed.
As the court gathers the next day, while King Claudius and Queen Gertrude discuss affairs of state with their elderly adviser Polonius, Hamlet looks on glumly. After the court exits, Hamlet despairs of his father's death and his mother's hasty remarriage. Learning of the ghost from Horatio, Hamlet resolves to see it himself.
As Polonius's son Laertes prepares to depart for a visit to France, Polonius gives him contradictory advice that culminates in the ironic maxim "to thine own self be true". Polonius's daughter, Ophelia, admits her interest in Hamlet, but both Polonius and Laertes warn her against seeking the prince's attention. That night on the rampart, the ghost appears to Hamlet, telling the prince that he was murdered by Claudius and demanding that Hamlet avenge him. Hamlet agrees and the ghost vanishes. The prince confides to Horatio and the sentries that from now on he plans to "put an antic disposition on" and forces them to swear to keep his plans for revenge secret. Privately, however, he remains uncertain of the ghost's reliability.
=== Act II ===
Soon thereafter, Ophelia rushes to her father, telling him that Hamlet arrived at her door the prior night half-undressed and behaving crazily. Polonius blames love for Hamlet's madness and resolves to inform Claudius and Gertrude. As he enters to do so, the king and queen finish welcoming Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two student acquaintances of Hamlet, to Elsinore. The royal couple has requested that the students investigate the cause of Hamlet's mood and behavior. Additional news requires that Polonius wait to be heard: messengers from Norway inform Claudius that the King of Norway has rebuked Prince Fortinbras for attempting to re-fight his father's battles. The forces that Fortinbras conscripted to march against Denmark will instead be sent against Poland, though they will pass through a portion of Denmark to get there.
Polonius tells Claudius and Gertrude his theory regarding Hamlet's behavior, and speaks to Hamlet in a hall of the castle to try to uncover more information. Hamlet feigns madness but subtly insults Polonius all the while. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive, Hamlet greets his friends warmly, but quickly discerns that they are spies. Hamlet becomes bitter, admitting that he is upset at his situation but refusing to give the true reason why, instead commenting on "what a piece of work" humanity is. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell Hamlet that they have brought along a troupe of actors that they met while traveling to Elsinore. Hamlet, after welcoming the actors and dismissing his friends-turned-spies, plots to stage a play featuring a death in the style of his father's murder, thereby determining the truth of the ghost's story, as well as Claudius's guilt or innocence, by studying Claudius's reaction.
=== Act III ===
Polonius forces Ophelia to return Hamlet's love letters and tokens of affection to the prince while he and Claudius watch from afar to evaluate Hamlet's reaction. Hamlet is walking alone in the hall as the King and Polonius await Ophelia's entrance, musing whether "to be or not to be". When Ophelia enters and tries to return Hamlet's things, Hamlet accuses her of immodesty and cries "get thee to a nunnery," though it is unclear whether this, too, is a show of madness or genuine distress. His reaction convinces Claudius that Hamlet is not mad for love. Shortly thereafter, the court assembles to watch the play Hamlet has commissioned. After seeing the Player King murdered by his rival pouring poison in his ear, Claudius abruptly rises and runs from the room: proof positive for Hamlet of his uncle's guilt.
Gertrude summons Hamlet to her room to demand an explanation. Meanwhile, Claudius talks to himself about the impossibility of repenting, since he still has possession of his ill-gotten goods: his brother's crown and wife. He sinks to his knees. Hamlet, on his way to visit his mother, sneaks up behind him, but does not kill him, reasoning that killing Claudius while he is praying will send him straight to heaven while his father's ghost is stuck in purgatory. In the queen's bedchamber, Hamlet and Gertrude fight bitterly. Polonius, spying on the conversation from behind a tapestry, makes a noise.
Hamlet, believing it is Claudius, stabs wildly, killing Polonius, but pulls aside the curtain and sees his mistake. In a rage, Hamlet brutally insults his mother for her apparent ignorance of Claudius's villainy, but the ghost enters and reprimands Hamlet for his inaction and harsh words. Unable to see or hear the ghost herself, Gertrude takes Hamlet's conversation with it as further evidence of madness. After begging the queen to stop sleeping with Claudius, Hamlet leaves, dragging Polonius's corpse away.
=== Act IV ===
Hamlet jokes with Claudius about where he has hidden Polonius's body, and the king, fearing for his life, sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to accompany Hamlet to England with a sealed letter to the English king requesting that Hamlet be executed immediately.
Demented by grief at Polonius's death, Ophelia wanders Elsinore. Laertes arrives back from France, enraged by his father's death and his sister's madness. Claudius convinces Laertes that Hamlet is solely responsible, but a letter soon arrives indicating that Hamlet has returned to Denmark, foiling Claudius's plan. Claudius switches tactics, proposing a fencing match between Laertes and Hamlet to settle their differences. Laertes will be given a poison-tipped foil, and Claudius will offer Hamlet poisoned wine as a congratulation if that fails. Gertrude interrupts to report that Ophelia has drowned, though it is unclear whether it was suicide or an accident exacerbated by her madness.
=== Act V ===
Horatio has received a letter from Hamlet, explaining that the prince escaped by negotiating with pirates who attempted to attack his England-bound ship, and the friends reunite offstage. Two gravediggers discuss Ophelia's apparent suicide while digging her grave. Hamlet arrives with Horatio and banters with one of the gravediggers, who unearths the skull of a jester from Hamlet's childhood, Yorick. Hamlet picks up the skull, saying "alas, poor Yorick" as he contemplates mortality. Ophelia's funeral procession approaches, led by Laertes. Hamlet and Horatio initially hide, but when Hamlet realizes that Ophelia is the one being buried, he reveals himself, proclaiming his love for her. Laertes and Hamlet fight by Ophelia's graveside, but the brawl is broken up.
Back at Elsinore, Hamlet explains to Horatio that he had discovered Claudius's letter with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's belongings and replaced it with a forged copy indicating that his former friends should be killed instead. A foppish courtier, Osric, interrupts the conversation to deliver the fencing challenge to Hamlet. Hamlet, despite Horatio's pleas, accepts it. Hamlet does well at first, leading the match by two hits to none, and Gertrude raises a toast to him using the poisoned glass of wine Claudius had set aside for Hamlet. Claudius tries to stop her, but is too late: she drinks, and Laertes realizes the plot will be revealed. Laertes slashes Hamlet with his poisoned blade. In the ensuing scuffle, they switch weapons and Hamlet wounds Laertes with his own poisoned sword. Gertrude collapses and, claiming she has been poisoned, dies. In his dying moments, Laertes reconciles with Hamlet and reveals Claudius's plan. Hamlet rushes at Claudius and kills him. As the poison takes effect, Hamlet, hearing that Fortinbras is marching through the area, names the Norwegian prince as his successor. Horatio, distraught at the thought of being the last survivor and living whilst Hamlet does not, says he will commit suicide by drinking the dregs of Gertrude's poisoned wine, but Hamlet begs him to live on and tell his story. Hamlet dies in Horatio's arms, proclaiming "the rest is silence". Fortinbras, who was ostensibly marching towards Poland with his army, arrives at the palace, along with an English ambassador bringing news of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's deaths. Horatio promises to recount the full story of what happened, and Fortinbras, seeing the entire Danish royal family dead, takes the crown for himself. | gothic, murder, action, romantic, tragedy, revenge | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0258523 | Diablo II | Diablo II takes place after the end of the previous game, Diablo, in the world of Sanctuary. In Diablo, an unnamed warrior defeated Diablo and attempted to contain the Lord of Terror's essence within his own body. Since then, the hero has become corrupted by the demon's spirit, causing demons to enter the world around him and wreak havoc.
A band of adventurers who pass through the Rogue Encampment hear these stories of destruction and attempt to find out the cause of the evil, starting with this corrupted "Dark Wanderer." As the story develops, the truth behind this corruption is revealed: the soulstones were originally designed to capture the Prime Evils who were banished to the mortal realm after being overthrown by the Lesser Evils. With the corruption of Diablo's soulstone, the demon is able to control the Dark Wanderer. The soulstone of another demon, Baal, was united with the mage Tal-Rasha, who volunteered to absorb Baal's spirit in his own body and be imprisoned in a tomb.
As the story progresses, cut scenes show the Dark Wanderer's journey as a drifter named Marius follows him. The player realizes that the Dark Wanderer's mission is to reunite with the other prime evils, Baal and Mephisto. The story is divided up into four acts:
Act I - The adventurers rescue Cain, who is imprisoned in Tristram, and then begin following the Dark Wanderer. The Dark Wanderer has one of the lesser evils, Andariel, corrupt the Sisters of the Sightless Eye (Rogues) and take over their Monastery. The adventurers overcome Andariel and then follow the Wanderer east.
Act II - While the adventurers search the eastern desert for Tal-Rasha's tomb, the Dark Wanderer gets there first. Marius is tricked into removing Baal's soulstone from Tal-Rasha and the Archangel Tyrael charges Marius with taking the soulstone to Hell to destroy it. The Dark Wanderer and Baal join with Mephisto, open a portal to Hell, and the Dark Wanderer sheds his human form and becomes the demon Diablo.
Act III - The adventurers find the seat of the Zakarum religion at the Temple of Kurast, where the portal to Hell is located. They defeat Mephisto, who was left guarding the entrance, and take his soulstone.
Act IV - The adventurers slay Diablo in Hell and destroy the soulstones of Mephisto and Diablo on the Hellforge, preventing their return.
In the epilogue, Marius, speaking in a prison cell, indicates he was too weak to enter Hell, and that he fears the stone's effects on him. He gives the soulstone to his visitor. The visitor reveals himself to be Baal, the last surviving Prime Evil now in possession of his own soulstone. He then kills Marius and sets the prison cell on fire.
The story continues in the expansion Diablo II: Lord of Destruction where Baal attempts to corrupt the mythical Worldstone on Mount Arreat. Upon returning to the Pandemonium Fortress after defeating Diablo, Tyrael opens a portal to send the adventurers to Arreat. | good versus evil | train | wikipedia | Got a spare 3 months??.
At least I think that's how long I spent playing Diablo II in every spare moment I could find, I'm not sure, I kinda lost track of time for a bit.The concept behind making Diablo II so popular is ridiculously simple.
Make an engine that can generate nearly infinite numbers of uniquely different magical items and people will play until the end of time trying to obtain a sword or a suit of armour that's just that little bit better than what you already have.The stories and cut scenes that drive the game forward and link the various Acts are superbly done and contribute in some way to dispelling the "nothing but a clickfest" label that the Diablo games have been cast as.Many spells and abilities are only available at level 30 or above and to fully appreciate these players are encouraged to move on to nightmare and hell modes in order to fully develop their characters.
Indeed, the most powerful weapons and items are only available in these harder game modes and because of this Diablo2's replayability factor is very high.The 4 character classes are both well balanced and varied enough that strategies that prove effective for one character class often prove disastrous for another.
While Necromancers and Barbarians are traditionally the dominant classes, Blizzard has gone some way to leveling the playing field with their patch.
The introduction of the D2 expansion pack also promises to introduce more characters and levels.
The future certainly looks bright.Diablo II is disarmingly addictive and it comes as a breath of fresh air in a crowded field of first person shooters and real time strategies that after a while begin to blend together in mimetic mediocrity.Just remember to give your mouse hand a chance to recover every couple of hours.....
Made everything from the first one even better!.
There's not much bad to be said about this game.
It takes all the elements from the first game and makes them better.
Better graphics, story, sounds, levels, characters, weapons.
I remember playing this game for the first time for about 12 hours or so.
It's hard to stop once you start.
It excelled on every expectation I had for it.
The ending really stuck with me.
It is very bad ass.
The difficulty I found challenging, but not impossible.
The most addictive part about the game is the level building.
There's nothing more satisfying than building your character up super strong and mowing down some demons in hell.
The final thing I like about this game is it fulfilled every want I had for the series.
There is no need to continue further.
This game and it's expansion should be the end of the series in my opinion, but they are that damn good..
It was a bestseller for a reason..
This game is one of the best games ever made.
This can be played both singelplayer and multiplayer.
I played sp for a least about a year before I went online.
This game is still very good and a lot of people play it..
it's about 4 years old and people still play it A LOT online.The game is just so perfect that I can't think anything to complain about.
It's like you are drinking beer but never getting full.
The best RPG out there.If you haven't played this then you really need to get it.It's very cheap since the game is so old.
There are about 50k players always in b.net.
This game is very addictive, start now!
Lived up to it's name.
The original Diablo came out in 1996, and generated ALOT of hype, some calling it the best PC game of all time.
When Blizzard Entertainment announced Diablo II, it was expected to deliver.
In 2000, it burst onto shelves and millions of hard drives.
Yet again, the next chapter in the Diablo saga shattered sales records.
Not only does it have a compelling Single Player mode, but Blizzard's FREE Battle.Net service, hosting Millions of gamers each and every day, with as many a 600,000 per hour..
One of the Best RPG games ever.
When Diablo 2 was released in 2000, it didn't quite live up to most critics initial dizzyingly high expectations.
But for me the proof of the games' star quality is in its longevity.
Diablo 2 is still very popular almost a decade after its release with a huge following on Blizzard's battle.net.
Given the fact that this was the first RPG game I've ever played and that I didn't play it until 2009 I wasn't burdened by high expectations and thoroughly enjoyed this game and spent many happy hours playing Diablo 2.
Although Diablo 2 is far from perfect I give it a 10 for its ability to entertain and engage you for many hours.The addictive hack'n-slash gameplay along with the ability to customize your character to suit your playing style is Diablo's 2 strongest points.
You will spend most of your time just clicking on various monsters and your character will do the killing, this simple way of playing is oddly addictive (to most people anyway).
The interesting part of the game is building up a character with various skills, strengths and weapons to deal with the progressively stronger monsters you will encounter as you progress in the game.One of the games other strengths is its very forgiving learning curve, allowing a new player plenty of time to get into the game and build up a strong character before having to face some serious opposition.
The game appeals to a casual player like me because you don't have to explore every aspect of the game to complete it, but have enough depth and intricacies for the hardcore players to explore who want to do more than just kill Diablo and watch the end movie.A few things bothered me about Diablo 2.
The one thing (that bothered a lot of other people as well) is the low quality graphics, even for a game released in 2000 it's just not up to scratch.
The graphics were improved somewhat with the expansion pack so install the expansion if you want to play Diablo 2.
The other is that I found one or 2 of the end-level bosses were disproportionally difficult to kill compared with the rest of the monsters in Diablo 2.
There is no way to cheat to get past a difficult boss so you really can get stuck after spending many hours building a character who is just not good enough to get past one particular monster.Overall, if you for some reason never played Diablo 2, it's still not too late.
Pick it up from a bargain bin and give it a try!.
Years of fun.
A great classic, though the graphics may be out dated, the item graphics are superb and there's always something to do, either finish the quests you missed or get better armour.
5 Different character classes to choose from (7 in expansion) such as the Barbarian, Amazon,Necromancer,Paladin and Sorceress - they have three skill trees each, either make one skill powerful or work on many different skills.
There is so much to do and it will last you a long time - There's also Blizzard's Free Online Battle.net, which will keep you playing for years to come, meet friends, help each other, and duel.
This is a classic game that i advise you pick up..
Are you a High Fantasy freak?
Do you enjoy CRPGs?
Diablo 2 is for you.
A milestone..
A milestone..
Legend with a reason!.
The simplicity of Diablo is one of so scary addictive things that just makes you wanna continue "for five more minutes" game is simple but then again repetitive value of the game, thanks to random generated dungeons is HUGE!
Even now more then ten years after it release it is one of the few games that I consider fully worth their whole price!
And with my personal opinion only game that could do some damage to Diablo II popularity is Diablo III (since Blizzard did said that they aim for early 2012 for release of Diablo III, I do hope it comes soon) Action elements and also reward elements in this game are huge!
This game is surely one of games that marked action genre of hack and slash (well technically first Diablo game did that) From me it gets 10 out of 10.
Best game ever.
I would say Diablo II is the best game ever...
14 years and still alive.Wish they would still care about this game less dupes and spambots but still a great game, also found a nice forum with trading http://joopit.org/ friendly community.Diablo III took a long time to come out and it did not come out as expected...
I played diablo III when it came out quit and came back and it never got better..We need another diablo II Expansion!!! |
tt0355987 | Salem's Lot | Ben Mears, a writer who spent part of his childhood in Jerusalem's Lot, Maine, has returned after twenty-five years. He quickly becomes friends with high school teacher Matt Burke and strikes up a passionate romantic relationship with Susan Norton, a young college graduate.
Ben starts writing a book about the Marsten House, an abandoned house where he had a bad experience as a child. Mears learns that the Marsten House—the former home of Depression-era hitman Hubert "Hubie" Marsten—has been purchased by Kurt Barlow, an Austrian immigrant who has arrived in the Lot ostensibly to open a store. Barlow is on an extended buying trip; only his business partner, Richard Straker, is seen in public.
The duo's arrival coincides with the disappearance of a young boy, Ralphie Glick, and the death of his brother Danny, who becomes the town's first vampire, infecting such locals as Mike Ryerson, Randy McDougall, Jack Griffen, and Danny's own mother, Marjorie Glick. Danny fails, however, to infect Mark Petrie, who resists him successfully by holding a plastic cross in Danny's face. Within several weeks many of the townspeople are turned into vampires.
Ben Mears and Susan are joined by Matt Burke and his doctor, Jimmy Cody, along with young Mark Petrie and the local priest, Father Callahan, in an effort to fight the spread of new vampires. Susan is captured by Barlow and made into a vampire, eventually being staked through the heart by Mears.
Mark's parents are killed next, but Barlow does not infect them, so they are later given a clean burial. Barlow holds Mark and Father Callahan hostage, but Father Callahan has the upper hand, securing Mark's release, agreeing to Barlow's demand that he toss aside his cross and face him on equal terms. However he delays throwing the cross aside and the once powerful religious symbol loses its strength until Barlow can not only approach Callahan but break the cross, now nothing more than two small pieces of plaster, into bits. Barlow says "Sad to see a man's faith fail him", Callahan then has to drink blood from Barlow's neck. Callahan resists but is forced to drink, leaving him in a netherworld, as Barlow has left his mark. When Callahan tries to re-enter his church he receives an electric shock, preventing him from going inside. Callahan never goes near another church again.
Jimmy Cody is killed when he falls from a rigged staircase and is impaled by knives set up by the one-time denizens of Eva Miller's boarding house, Mears' one-time residence, who have now all become vampires. Ben Mears and Mark Petrie succeed in destroying the master vampire Barlow, but are lucky to escape with their lives and are forced to leave the town to the now leaderless vampires.
The novel's prologue, which is set shortly after the end of the story proper, describes Ben and Mark's flight across the country to a seaside town in Mexico, where they attempt to recover from their ordeal. Mark is received into the Catholic Church by a friendly local priest and confesses for the first time what they have experienced.
The epilogue has the two returning to the town a year later, intending to renew the battle. Ben, knowing that there are too many hiding places for the vampires, deliberately starts a brush fire in the woods near the town with the intent of destroying it and the Marsten House once and for all. | good versus evil, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0075164 | Satan's Slave | A young girl, Catherine Yorke (Candace Glendenning), shares a ride with her parents to visit her uncle Alexander (Michael Gough), that no one had met before. But the drive ends in tragedy when Catherine's parents die in a car accident.
The girl is then hosted by the mysterious Alexander, who lives in a beautiful house with his son Stephen (Martin Potter) and the faithful Frances (Barbara Kellerman). Catherine takes a taste for life and notices that Stephen is far from being insensitive to her charms. But Catherine is soon the victim of terrible hallucinations. As time passes on, Frances then informs her of what her uncle and cousin are planning to do to her. She tells them they plan to sacrifice her in order to avenge an ancient ancestor of hers named Camilla York (because the only way to resurrect the dead is through the body of a descendant) who was said to possess evil powers, she tells her that they plan to use Camilla's powers for Alexander's own evil.
Frances then offers to help her escape this terrible fate and run away from them. When Stephen finds out he kills Frances by slashing her with glass and stabbing her through her mouth. When Catherine discovers her dead body Stephen locks Catherine in her bedroom until the morning of the ritual. When they take her in the woods and prepare her, Catherine kills Stephen by stabbing him in the eye with a blade. She temporarily gets away then is tricked back into the clutches of her evil uncle by an illusion. When she is trapped by the cultists and the film ends on a neat suspense note. | paranormal, violence, cult, murder, sadist | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0261725 | Harpya | A mustachioed Belle Époque-styled man (Spoor) is walking down a dark street, when he hears the cries of a woman (Waller Zeper) as she is being strangled in a fountain. The man knocks out her assailant (Schwibethus), only to discover that she is in fact a Harpy, a winged white bird, larger than an eagle, having the (bald) head and breasts of a woman. Fascinated, the man takes the beast to his home to shelter and feed it. He soon discovers the Harpy's insatiable appetite. The Harpy eats all his food, then eats his parrot, and begins eyeing her host with a sinister stare. One night, when the man attempts to escape, the Harpy overwhelms him and eats his legs.
Later, once the Harpy is asleep, the man crawls out of his house, joyfully finding French fries to eat. The Harpy flies out of the house and discovers him, eating his snack. The desperate, enraged man then attempts to strangle her. Upon hearing her cries, a police officer comes to the rescue and saves the would-be "victim", knocking the man to the ground; the Harpy then looks up at the officer in glee. | murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0109903 | Girls in Prison | Anne Carson (Joan Taylor) is sent to a women's prison for allegedly participating in a bank robbery with two others, one, Paul Anderson (Lance Fuller) who is still at large. The money was never recovered and all eyes are on Anne who denies knowing about the money.
On arrival in prison, Anne meets the outwardly tough matron in charge (Jane Darwell) and the prison chaplain Rev Fulton (Richard Denning) who feels Anne may have had a mistrial and does not belong in prison. Anne's cellmates are Jenny (Adele Jergens) who seems to run the inmates, Melanee (Helen Gilbert) who makes a play for Anne and Dorothy (Phyllis Coates) a woman who has murdered her own husband and child when he ran away with another woman who is still alive. The unhinged Dorothy believes her child is still alive and every new girl in prison is her husband's lover, Lois. Jenny and Melanee team up in the "good cop/bad cop" routine to get Anne to tell them where the money is with Melanee telling Dorothy that Anne is really Lois.
On the outside, Paul is using blackmail and threats on Anne's ex-criminal father Pop Carson (Raymond Hatton) to find the money as well as offering to split it with him 50/50.
Anne faces attempted murder by Dorothy, threats on her life from two other inmates seeking the money, and fights Melanee in a catfight that culminates in a mud puddle. When a large earthquake hits the area and demolishes the installation, Jenny (who has acquired a pistol from her outside contacts and the outwardly harmless trustee Grandma (Mae Marsh) and Melanee use the opportunity to escape with Anne to take her home to locate the money.
The downed telephone and power lines give the three girls time to escape unpursued but Rev Fulton heads off Anne at her home, where Pop is still held at gunpoint by Paul.
Since the film’s release in 1956, the theatrical movie poster, featuring a catfight between Helen Gilbert and Joan Taylor, has become a collector’s item. The poster shows the blonde haired Gilbert strangling the dark haired Taylor although that exact scene did not occur in the movie. | violence, murder | train | wikipedia | Very Watchable.
A film doesn't have to be good to be entertaining and GIRLS IN PRISON is a case in point .
The intelligence of the script starts and ends with a discussion of The Korean War " It's supposed to be a police action " " Yeah ?
Then why the hell didn't they send cops " Which is dialogue that will be forever synonymous with Samuel Fuller who used the line in another film set around The Korean War .
But after this exchange strange things start happening where we're shown live footage for the battlefront , something that didn't happen till 'Nam .
The McCarthy witch hunts are alluded to but somehow feel overblown and false while someone refers to an ashtray that was given to him by " The King " .
Maybe he meant the King of England ?I won't go into too much detail but in a contrived series of events a teenage girl called Aggie O'Hanlon finds herself serving a life sentence for a crime she didn't commit , and it's essential for anyone wanting to enjoy this TVM that they turn off their brain because there's plenty of things that don't make sense .
For example a couple of inmates called Melba and Carol promise to protect Aggie .
It's never revealed why they do this .
Obviously being lesbian lovers it's very easy to jump to the conclusion that they want to involve the sweet and innocent Aggie in female love games but this isn't their motive at all because there is never any explanation for their motive , the audience just have to accept this without question .
The audience have to accept a lot of things that defy credibility as the plot twists and turns but I have to confess I felt very involved in all this , yeah I know melodramatic and far fetched doesn't even begin to describe this movie but it is enjoyable thanks to the good looking cast ( Yes there is some T&A ) and some impressive pastal coloured cinematography from Jean De Segonzac.
Goofy.
An odd film.
It can't decide whether it wants to be a tribute to 50s/60s "girls behind bars" exploitation pictures, a pseudo-political satire, or a crime drama.
In better hands, it might have straddled those genres effectively, but as it is, it's more than a little scattershot.In some sense, the film only seems to be sure of itself when it lapses into "lipstick lesbians in jail" exploitation.
Personally, I could have done with more of that material, but then I watched the emasculated basic cable version on Lifetime.
In retrospect, I'd recommend renting the video so you don't have to miss out on any of the "sexuality/nudity", and so you won't have to put up with the lame-o profanity overdubs.
One particularly egregious dialogue change (judging from context and lip-reading) was "I shot his balls off" to "I blew his brains out", which renders the followup line "there was nothing to sew back on" utterly nonsensical.Most of the laughs in the film are unintentional rather than written.
The lack of acting from the character who stabs herself got a big laugh from me.
The only *good* acting in the film to speak of comes from Anne Heche, who puts more work into her role than you'd expect.
Lots of nice bits of business that I can tell were her idea rather than scripted or directed, since her scenes are the only ones with that kind of quality.
Oh, I guess Miguel Sandoval (the "digger" in Jurassic Park) has a couple of nice moments as well.All in all, about what you would expect from legendary (to MST3K fans, at least) schlock producer Samuel Z.
Arkoff, who also directed the unrelated 1956 film with the same title.
Worth viewing if you're an Anne Heche fan or have nothing better to do, but don't go out of your way..
Outside Heche the movie is really bad.
Sweet young songtress Aggie (Missy Crider) gets sent to a harsh women's prison after being found guilty of a murder she didn't commit
Most of the laughs in the film are unintentional rather than written.
It looks like this movie had no script, the actresses were told just to use whatever dialog they could think of.
The only scenes with quality in dialog, comes from Anne Heche.
It looks like they were more her idea rather than scripted or directed.
Heche is great as the bad girl and is the only one, who knows what she's doing.
The lack of acting from the rest of the cast are sometimes good for a big laugh.The movie has two graphic shower scenes.
Although poorly filmed, the girls are nice to look at (Heche bares her gorgeous breasts).Outside Heche the movie is really bad...
and not to recommend.....
Hot showers frame a cold story.
There are two shower scenes where we are treated to incredible views of my favorite psychologist (Anne Heche from Prozac Nation) and the lovely Ione Skye.
This was definitely not a CBS Schoolbreak Special with Missy Crider and TV regular Bahni Turpin.Outside of these shower scenes was the cheesiest dialog that I have ever heard.
I cannot believe this movie even had a script.
I am sure the actresses were told just told use whatever cheesy prison dialog you can think of.
It was painful to listen to.
They threw in dialog about the Korean War and McCathyism to set the times, but it was just terrible.It would have been a much better production if they had 80 minutes of shower scenes and 3 minutes of dialog, instead of the other way around..
A pretty good mystery/thriller .
With the usual plot twists that keep you interested.
An added bonus is Ann Heche (and many other actresses) in some graphic shower scenes.
I liked it, for some light entertainment.
It was good enough to keep me from changing the channel, but I don't feel compelled to watch it every time it comes on..
Don't let the appellation MADE FOR TV throw you off the scent.
This movie was made for cable TV, and like any good 'girls in prison' movie, it has 2 really good shower scenes!Also, as it is set in the 1950's, Anne Heche gets to wear some clothes that would look right at home on Grace Kelly..
McNaughton Takes on American International.
Framed for the murder of a record company president in 1952 Hollywood, young, aspiring singer Aggie O'Hanlon (Missy Crider) is sentenced to life in prison and tries to adjust to her life behind bars in a hellish women's prison where she is befriended by other "lifer" inmates who help her out when Aggie finds herself marked for murder by an unknown source who thinks she knows more about the murder than she does.From director John McNaughton, best known for "Henry Portrait of Serial Killer" and "Wild Things", and with one of his regular actors, Tom Towles.
This seems far beneath McNaughton, but then, the series seemed far beneath everyone who was involved (Joe Dante, John Milius, Robert Rodriguez).This was part of the "Rebel Highway" series that was supposed to be edgy updates of 1950s B-films.
Most ended up being cheesy and campy rather than edgy, and this is no exception.
Of course, much of this is the low budget (not much over one million) and McNaughton was lucky he happened to convince Sam Fuller to write the script -- Fuller was a genre writer whose work dated back to the 1930s.
And there is a brief shower scene that would not have slid in the 50s...
but the language is surprisingly clean for a prison.Ione Skye has a decent sized part, and Anne Heche has a small but important role.
For those looking for some star power, their interaction might be the highlight of the film.
(Oddly, despite her impressive list of credits, Missy Crider does not seem to be considered a star.).
Neither fish nor...well, it is pretty foul.
This should be a campy, cheesy riot, an homage to exploitation films.
Instead, it just is one.
It seems they didn't feel like trying hard enough to make good schlock, and counted on the camp element to excuse the lack of quality on the serious level.I thought that this would be like 'Mars Attacks' with shower scenes.
There were two of those, and I have to say I enjoyed them.
But as Joe Bob Briggs says, the plot gets in the way of the story..
Don't take it serious and you'll probably like it..
Funny how people see the same things in such different ways.
Although the movie is classified as action/drama I have to say I laughed so hard I almost fell off the chair.
This movie would have been a greater success if it had been classified as comedy.
The characters are so stereotype that the movie seems to make fun of the kind of genre it is actually supposed to represent.
The problem is, that it takes itself serious, otherwise I think I would have liked it.
I am not quite sure whether it is just a bad movie or if it is really bad enough to be interesting.
In any case - I am still amused about it.
(Besides, Anne Heche is hilarious as the bad girl)..
Neat send-up of 50's exploitation fare.
Sweet young songtress Aggie (an appealing portrayal by the adorable Missy Crider) gets sent to a harsh women's prison after being found guilty of a murder she didn't commit.
Will Aggie be able to prove her innocence and avoid being killed by a hit girl while serving time in the joint?
Director John McNaughton, working from a blithely silly script by Samuel Fuller and Christa Long, relates the entertainingly ridiculous story at a zippy pace, maintains an engaging tongue-in-cheek campy tone throughout, and offers an affectionately broad evocation of the 50's Red Scare era.
Moreover, it's acted with zest by an enthusiastic cast: Bahni Turpin as the friendly Melba, Ione Skye as sensitive writer Carol, Miguel Sandoval as shrewd tough cop Lucky, Tom Towles as slimy corrupt guard Norman Stoneface, Jon Polito as irascible music executive Boss Johnson, and Raymond O'Connor as smarmy disc jockey Mickey Maven.
However, it's Anne Heche who easily steals the whole show with her deliciously wicked portrayal of ruthless bitch Jennifer (and, yes, Anne does indeed bare her nice breasts in a shower scene).
Jean de Segonzac's snazzy cinematography gives the picture a cool stylized look.
Hummie Mann's robust score hits the stirring melodramatic spot.
A kitschy blast..
Someone forgot to tell the cast(except Anne) and crew that this was supposed to be fun..
May contain slight spoilersThe cop tells Melba "You have five seconds to drop your weapon and live", Carol's father stares with wide eyes and repeats "are you a communist?" afer being attacked by a mob of morons, and when the private detective offers to help the innocent girl, he states "I'll strip her naked, tie her up, take her to the woods, then starve her until she confeses." There was nothing wrong with script, but only Anne Heche seemed to realize that this movie should be played for laughs.
I might have been able to not take this movie seriously if everyone involved had giving a good example.
Instead, this was one of the longest 82 minutes I have sat through in quite some time.
Do not believe the back of the case, which boast of great bad girl performances and steamy shower scenes, there are no bad girls and the shower scenes appear to have been filmed by a blind, fourteen year old boy.
The girls are very nice to look at, but only Anne Heche distinguishes herself.
She is surprisingly attractive with long black hair and she gives a pleasantly off performance..
More interesting than good.
Quasi-remake of the 1950s film of the same name directed by Edward ("Fast Eddy") Cahn.
I was impressed to see Samuel Fuller's name in the writing credits but disappointed by the results.
There are lots of Fuller-style quirky lines and off-beat twists but they come off more like someone imitating Fuller than Fuller himself.
Parts of this movie (especially the truly unbelievable climax) defy belief.
Parts of this movie (especially the truly unbelievable climax) defy belief.
Other parts simply make no sense at all.
Other parts simply make no sense at all.
I think the main problem is a director who doesn't actually get the jokes in his own movie, never a good thing.
Ione Skye gets top billing but actually has little more than a minor supporting role.
She gets to do a bush league version of James Cagney's mad scene from WHITE HEAT but she's no Cagney.
The other girls come off a little better.
Bahni Turpin is charming and attractive and does a pretty decent job but the movie really belongs to Anne Heche.
She plays a stereotypical film noir femme fatale/whack-job (at one point even adopting the alias "Gilda") and carries it off with style and assurance.
And yeah, you get to see her boobs in the shower scene.
They'e very nice..
don't expect too much.
this movie was not that bad.
for some reason it kept me interested just enough to watch all the way though.
I would not say there is a lot of bad acting, the actors did not have anything to work with.
If the script was written better and the movie was more serious, it could've have been great.
a remake of the movie would not be a bad thing if you had the right people doing it.
there are a few actresses that do shine through out the movie.
also the detective guy is great but the script just is not up to par.
some parts of the movie will make you laugh because it does not portray live as it really is.
there are a few scenes when the cops just stand there while a girl is swinging around a knife.
I don't think so.
not in my world that would happen.
save this movie for a raining day and enjoy what you can..
Endless Revulsion..
I don't know why I bought this DVD, possibly because it was inexpensive, but, having bought it, I felt compelled to see it through.
Well, come to think of it, maybe I bought it see Anne Heche take a nude shower.
Everyone needs reassurance from time to time that he's not a person of the opposite sex trapped in the wrong body, although, admittedly, any judgment made on the basis of a response to Anne Heche in the nude is problematic.I can't imagine which audience this was aimed at.
There are a couple of shots that are actually in jokes.
Every time one of our heroines is sentenced to a prison term there is a whirling newspaper that finally stops and tells us things like, MELBA GETS LIFE IN PRISON!
Okay, that is some retro stuff and elicits a smile from the viewer who's familiar with old movie techniques.
The problem is that the people who "get" the joke will have a really difficult time sitting through the rest of this seriocomic garbage.
And the sorts of minds that enjoy the story of imprisoned girls screaming and rioting are unlikely to be familiar with spinning newspapers from the old black-and-white movies of the 1930s.You want a hint of what passes for the plot?
Aggie -- Melissa Lahlita Crider -- is framed for the murder of a pop music entrepreneur and imprisoned for life.
The music man was, in fact, stabbed sixteen times by Heche, who made off with Aggie's sure-fire pop music hit, "Endless Sleep." Aggie acquires a private eye to locate the real killer, not knowing that Heche is the miscreant.
Heche hires a "hit girl" to off Aggie in prison.
When that fails, Heche disguises herself and arranges for a short term in the same slams, so she can eliminate the noisome Aggie herself.
It all goes wrong for Heche.
Aggie is released and returns to the prison later to sing "Endless Sleep" for the cheering inmates, while the viewer shakes off that urge to snooze.It was written, evidently, by Sam Fuller and there's no question that the movie has the kind of zip we associate with his name.
The performances are deliberate parodies of real performances although sometimes, as in the case of Melissa Lahlita Crider, it's hard to tell because only the rudiments of a performance are on display.
Heche certainly knows what she's doing but I'm not sure about the rest, except for Nestor Serrano as a crime figure who is pure prosciutto.
It's a marvelous experience, watching him run off at the hands.This brief assessment may be a little confusing, so I'll end with one example of what you might expect to see.
Melba, played by Bahni Turpin, as in "Where do they get these names?", is a nice girl who is driven mad by a newscaster on television.
She runs to the studio, is introduced to the man while on the air, produces a hidden hammer and whacks him repeatedly on the skull.
The studio erupts.
And a nameless woman rushes up to the camera, her palms against her cheeks, and screams directly into the lens for a long time.
We can practically hear Edvard Munch moaning in his casket, "I didn't mean to do it!" |
tt0057191 | It Happened at the World's Fair | Pilot Mike Edwards finds himself in a dilemma, his partner and friend Danny, gambles away the money Mike had set aside to pay their debts. Since they lost their money and a $1,200 debt, the local sheriff takes possession of their plane, Bessie, a Boeing-Stearman Model 75 cropduster. If they cannot come up with the money in twelve days, Bessie will be auctioned off to the highest bidder.
Mike and Danny become reluctant hitchhikers, looking for a lift to anywhere. They are picked up by apple farmer Walter Ling and his niece Sue-Lin. They end up in Seattle, Washington, location of the 1962 World's Fair. When the uncle is called away on business, Danny persuades Mike to take Sue-Lin to tour the local World's Fair. It is during a visit to the doctor at the fair that Mike falls for Diane Warren, an attractive but stubborn nurse who resists Mike's advances. He gives a quarter to a boy (a very young Kurt Russell) who kicks him in the shin, so that he can be treated by her. Diane's supervisor then convinces her to give Mike a ride back to his apartment, convinced his leg is injured. Mike and Diane dine at the top of the fair's Space Needle. However, he also courts Dorothy Johnson.
Complications then arise. Walter inexplicably fails to come back the next day to get Sue-Lin, leaving her with Mike. Sue-Lin feigns illness so that nurse Diane will come to their apartment and examine her and see Mike again. When Diane discovers that Mike has no kinship to Sue-Lin, she wants to inform the Welfare Board so that Sue-Lin can be removed from Mike and Danny's apartment. There is a mysterious nightfall plane delivery for Mike's and Danny's friend Vince, who is smuggling valuable furs. The film ends with Mike and Diane in love. | cult | train | wikipedia | As someone else mentioned, 1963 is still early enough that Elvis Presley looks like he's enjoying himself in "It Happened at the World's Fair," which also stars Gary Lockwood, Joan O'Brien and Vicky Tiu. Pilots Mike (Elvis) and Danny (Lockwood) find themselves without a plane after it's confiscated for debts due to Lockwood's addiction to gambling.
They hitch a ride to Seattle with a man and his 7-year-old niece Sue-Lin (Tiu), and Mike ends up taking the little girl to the 1962 World's Fair.
In order to see her again, he gives a little boy (Kurt Russell) a quarter to kick him in the shins.After he return Sue-Lin to her uncle, she finds Mike again when her uncle doesn't come home from making a delivery.
Mike now has to cope with a not very helpful partner, trying to think of a way to get his plane back, romancing Diane and taking care of a 7-year-old girl.This is the usual Elvis travelogue, but more interesting than others because it's shot on the grounds of the Seattle World's Fair and has that iconic moment when future brilliant Elvis impersonator Russell lets him have it in the shins.
Elvis Presley, lots of gloriously silly early sixties fluff and footage from the 1962 Seattle World fair.
For me, this is one of Elvis' more enjoyable early-'60s "formula" films, partly because at this point it was still early enough that Presley still seemed to pretty much have his heart in it and is not yet bored by it all.
He's an out-of-work pilot named Mike Edwards who finds himself saddled with babysitting a sweet little girl (Vicki Tui - very cute and a fine little actress) at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair when her dad drops her off and then disappears.
While seeing the sights, Elvis makes the acquaintance of a lovely nurse whom he keeps trying to snare, and this necessitates a hilarious and oft-cited scene with a very young Kurt Russell as a kid at the fair who agrees to kick Elvis hard in the shin for a quarter; it's a short sequence but it's a lot of fun, and quite ironic since Russell would wind up playing Presely himself in a 1977 TV movie.
ELVIS PRESLEY gets to sing several non-memorable songs, the best of which is "One Broken Heart for Sale", but IT HAPPENED AT THE WORLD'S FAIR is strictly standard Presley stuff wherein the guy has his eye on a pretty gal (JOAN O'BRIEN) and makes a pitch, the sort that turns her off at first.
Predictably, after a few misunderstandings involving a small girl abandoned at the fair, a happy ending is soon in sight.The music by Leith Stevens is pleasant enough and the fair grounds at the 1962 Seattle World's Fair make colorful backgrounds for the slight story.
GARY LOCKWOOD is Elvis' pilot pal, both of them down on their luck but seeming to spend plenty of money on the fair and decent lodgings.
The sub-plot involving both bachelors entrusted with the care of a seven year-old by a complete stranger is more than a little improbable, especially given today's public awareness of children being taken advantage of by adults with criminal behavior.Presley shares some effective scenes with the little girl but has his standard "boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy wins girl" routine with leading lady O'Brien, a pert blonde who plays a nurse who suspects him of feigning illness as a part of his wolf routine.
Naturally, the little girl is responsible for bringing them together again after a few silly misunderstandings keep them apart.Nothing special, but passes the time pleasantly whenever Elvis sings, which is pretty often..
Enjoyable but standard Elvis fare with Elvis girl-hunting and babysitting at the World's Fair in Seattle.
The 1962 World's Fair is the eye filling backdrop for this typical Elvis Presley project.
Elvis befriends a little 7 year old girl that wants to go to the fair.
Elvis uses the girl and a little boy (Kurt Russell) to aid him in romancing the infirmary nurse (Joan O'Brian).
Taking advantage of the Seattle World's Fair, frequent Presley director Norman Taurog does his best to spice up an otherwise routine programmer in which Elvis ends up the reluctant guardian of a cute little girl who has been separated from her folks.
Enjoyed this Elvis Presley film where he plays the role as Mike Edwards who is down on his luck and meets up with a sweet little girl named Sue-Lin, (Vicky Tiu) who likes Mike and he agrees to watch her while her uncle takes care of his business affairs.
Mike takes Sue-Lin to the Seattle World's Fair and they take in all the rides and Sue-Lin also wins a huge doll which is larger than she is.
Elvis performs various songs which were not very popular and this was not necessarily a great Presley film, but the story was very cute and if you missed the Seattle World's Fair, you will enjoy all the photography taken at the fair..
It was late 1962 when Elvis Presley started filming at the World's Fair in Seattle, It Happened at the World's fair follows the exact same formula that producer Hal Wallis developed for Elvis on Paramount, beautiful scenery, beautiful girls, lots of songs and occasionally some children to showcase Elvis new found maturity.As with most Presley movies, this has an innocent plot, a few fights, lots of movie songs, and a pretty gal to win his heart.
Enjoy the Seatle fair as it was in 1962 and Elvis being on the receiving end of two painful kicks by child actor Kurt Russell.
And there's some very heart warming moments as well as a few chuckles here and there.This is a great light-hearted movie with a couple of well known Elvis songs, such as One Broken Heart For Sale.
Elvis talks, sings, fights, loves, flies, fights again, and endearingly looks after a little girl.Get away from reality and escape into Seattle's fair with Elvis - just for those ninety minutes.
The scene with Yvonne Craig leaves me in cold sweats every time, and then Joan O'Brien's mature, classy beauty helps carry the rest of the movie.It's a great snapshot of a moment in time, the early 1960s, when world's fairs showed us an exciting future and there was great enthusiasm about the space program.The songs are all fairly good, and mesh in well with the plot.
And it's intriguing to see Gary Lockwood in such a light-hearted role a few years before his much more serious performance in 2001: A Space Odyssey.No it's not Grand Illusion or Tokyo Story or The Battleship Potemkin, but it's a great example of Hollywood Elvis at his peak in the early 1960s..
Mike(Elvis) and Danny start off this movie with Danny gambling away all of their money, and in too much debt, the Sheriff takes away their plane, Bessie.
Mike repairs Sue-lin's ukulele, and then explains what the World's Fair is to her through a song.
But, thankfully, Gary Lockwood is on hand to offer solid support as Elvis’ sidekick who has a gambling addiction; it’s ironic that the film ends with Elvis signing up for a NASA space program when Lockwood himself would go on to obtain screen immortality with Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (1968)!The subplot involving the abandoned Asian child often threatens to descend into bathos but she wins over the audience with her cute and amusing antics to get sick in order to bring Elvis and nurse O’Brien together again after a quarrel.
Also notable is the scene featuring a very young Kurt Russell (who would eventually portray Presley in a 1979 TV biopic directed by, of all people, John Carpenter!) which involves yet another scam by which Elvis is able to ensnare O’Brien into falling for him.Unfortunately, at a running time of 105 minutes, the film does slightly outstay its welcome and some of the other subplots – those involving the child welfare board’s attempts to take the kid out of the jobless Elvis’ custody (leading to a chase inside the grounds of the Seattle Fair) and Lockwood falling in with crooks (climaxing in an admittedly energetic fistfight in a hangar) – could have been jettisoned without sacrificing the film’s entertainment value..
I also liked that Elvis was a very kind and loving man to a lost little girl.
Elvis Presley (as Mike Edwards) goes to Seattle for their 1962 "World's Fair" (set mainly in Culver City, though).
Along the way, they pick up cute little Vicky Tiu (as Sue-Lin); and, they agree to take her to the fair, for her uncle.
Mr. Presley and Mr. Lockwood succumb to weaknesses for women and gambling, and lose little Miss Tiu. Presley sings ten songs; he ogles shapely women, and falls for one Joan O'Brien (as Diane Warren)...Truly a FAIR film; "It Happened at the World's Fair" is more disappointing in that it does, after all, star Elvis Presley, a man capable of so much more.
At the fair, young Kurt Russell kicks Presley in the shins a couple times, after asking him, "Are you drunk?" Not enough happened at the world's fair to justify the length of this movie.**** It Happened at the World's Fair (4/3/63) Norman Taurog ~ Elvis Presley, Joan O'Brien, Gary Lockwood, Vicky Tiu. Someone set off a Stink Bomb at the World's Fair.
He comes on like a creep and she hates him (as if she had any better prospects), but when the little seven year old girl is (temporarily) orphaned the next day, she naturally seeks out Elvis whom she's only known two days now to come live with, and the ensuing nonsense from this most unbelievable of stories brings Elvis and Miss Yawnsville together.
No one knows they've gone to Seattle so why it is Elvis doesn't just beat this creep to death and dump his body in the Sound is the greatest mystery of the entire film.The entire nuance of this unfortunate film can be summed up in the World's Worst closing number "Happy Ending", in which all of the film's potentially disastrous events are miraculously wrapped up in a mess of fairy dust, and Elvis and Miss Yawnsville march through the fair grounds singing Happy Ending accompanied by a marching band that appears out of nowhere and is apparently present to follow around tuneful fair-goers (???).
That's what I did and I love it., its a roller-coaster ride of entertainment by none other than Elvis.what more can a person need.Great acting by others in the film.Although Elvis wasn't to bad himself It's certainly fair anywayPlus for a bonus he has beautiful women in it tooLovely.
"It Happened at the Worlds Fair" is my favorite Elvis movie..
Girls!' (when his films became much less consistent), are actually pretty good and a few of them close to great.
A few of the songs are great, the big one being "One Broken Heart for Sale", with "They Remind Me Too Much of You" and "How Would You Like to Be" on the same level.Elvis is good natured and charismatic with his singing beautiful and distinctive as ever.
Vicky Tiu is adorable and never gets on the wrong side of annoying, Gary Lockwood is charming and Kurt Russell makes an interesting screen debut with two of the film's best scenes.However, 'It Happened at the World's Fair' is overlong and rather slight, with a couple of subplots either needing elaboration, in need of a trim down or excision.
Joan O'Brien is flavourless window dressing, and Norman Taurog's direction is routine at best.To conclude, a decent if patchy middling Elvis film.
I watched this movie with my best friend, a HUGE Elvis fan.
Truthfully, It Happened At The World's Fair, was my first Elvis flik, and I'm sure, just positively sure, that Elvis has movies in his repertoire that are actually entertaining.
All in all, the movie's greatest contribution was its footage of the world's fair circa early 1960's and the on screen appearance of a couple of members of his real life entourage.
Elvis (heavily made-up) plays an airplane-crazy crooner--with the hilariously generic name of Mike Edwards!--who finds love at the Seattle World's Fair.
The two standout scenes are small ones involving juvenile Kurt Russell (who later played Elvis in a television movie) giving the King a kick in the shin.
As far as Elvis musicals go, "It Happened At The World's Fair" isn't one of the better ones, but not among his worst, either.
While Danny tries to earn money playing poker, Mike takes care of a small girl, Sue-Lin, whose father has disappeared.
The only good song in this "musical" is One Broken Heart For Sale, and that comes pretty late in the film.
What ensues leaves Elvis caring for a small Chinese girl that gets separated from her Uncle and attempting to woo a nurse from the fair's first aid station.
No big song hits came out of this film as they did for Judy Garland in her film, but Elvis Presley does sing quite a few numbers here and some of them should have been better known.It Happens At The World's Fair casts the King and Gary Lockwood as a pair of crop duster fliers who can't seem to get out of debt no matter how hard they work.
Joan O'Brien who works in the World's Fair Infirmary and little Vicky Tsu who comes into his custody when her uncle Kam Tong goes missing.
So the rest of the film Presley and Lockwood are trying to deal with their financial mess and in Elvis's case court Joan O'Brien and take care of the little girl he now has custody of.Elvis sang a goodly amount of songs here and two of them, Happy Ending and A World Of Our Own should have become bigger hits for him.
I'm also surprised that Joan O'Brien didn't get to sing a bit more, she does join Elvis in the Happy Ending finale for a couple of bars.
But Joan was a singer and hardly utilized in her brief film career.This film has also something of a cult status with fans of the King because young Kurt Russell who grew up to play Elvis Presley has a couple of scenes with him.
Although not one of Presley's best, It Happened at the Word's Fair is an enjoyable, if formulaic, story set against the Seattle World's Fair.
One of the first films to include the Space Needle, it provides a glimpse into Seattle's not too distant past.The film finds Elvis as Mike Edwards, an out-of-work pilot, who finds himself stuck babysitting a young girl (Vicki Tui, now the first lady of Hawaii) at the fair.
Thankfully it is still early in his film career and Elvis appears fresh and in good form not bored to distraction with playing the same basic character as we find in his later films.Noteworthy in this film is the steamy (okay maybe a little more schmaltzy than steamy, but it was the early sixties after all) scene early on with Yvonne Craig.
The future Catwoman plays cat and mouse with Elvis while he sings the appropriately titled song "Relax." Elvis seems to have more chemistry here than he does with Joan O'Brien, the main love interest.The music although not as great or catchy as Blue Hawaii or Jailhouse Rock is appropriate and not over done.
And, of course, the screen debut of Kurt Russell (he'd later go on to play Elvis) in which he kicks the King is worth seeing just for the irony..
With the help of a 6 year old Vicky Tiu whom Elvis and his troublesome friend Gary Lockwood are "minding" following the disappearance of her Uncle, Elvis of course manages to get the girl and make it a "Happy Ending"...little Vicky Tiu produces a memorably cute performance throughout.
'It Happened at the World's Fair' is an enjoyable, fast flowing movie that unlike it's predecessor "Girls!
Girls!" maintains the interest level throughout, and produces a few great songs "Happy Ending" and "One Broken Heart For Sale" but the best song by far, is the under rated "They Remind Me Too Much Of You" and the brilliant "video" within the movie that accompanies it.
Even if you don't watch 'It Happened at the World's Fair' check out "They Remind Me Too Much of You" and the video from the movie on YouTube..
Crop-dusting pilot Presley and his ne'er-do-well partner Lockwood find themselves without two dimes to rub together and hitchhike, for no real reason, to Seattle where the World's Fair of 1962 is taking place.
Presley looks pretty good and sings a plethora of songs nicely, though few of them are memorable or add anything much to the film.
Russell, who would later play Elvis in a much-lauded TV-movie, has a small role as a child who comes across Presley twice at the fair.
Fans of Presley enjoy watching him in practically all of his films, but the chief attraction here for most people is the chance to see some stunning footage of the 1962 World's Fair.
It Happened at the World's Fair (1963): Dir: Norman Taurog / Cast: Elvis Presley, Joan O'Brien, Gary Lockwood, Vicky Tiu, Yvonne Craig: Boring drivel about life experiences such as making a film this stupid.
Elvis Presley and Gary Lockwood play a couple of morons who owe a large dept and must get their plane back after the police take it.
They turn out to be Elvis Presley and Gary Lockwood but who cares.
Joan O'Brien plays a nurse who ends up the victim of Presley's antics particularly when he pays a kid to kick him in the knee to fake an injury.
Fans are advised to celebrate the music of Presley because it is obvious that the one thing that didn't happen at the world's fair is doing a film that is any better than horse sh*t. |
tt0451192 | Scarface: The World Is Yours | The game begins during the final scene of the film, with the mansion of Tony Montana (voiced by André Sogliuzzo) under attack from assassins sent by Alejandro Sosa (Robert Davi). Unlike in the film, however, Montana is able to evade Sosa's men and escape the grounds, just as the DEA and Miami-Dade police arrive. Sosa then receives a call from one of his men, who says Tony's mansion is on fire and being seized by law enforcement, his drug empire reduced to nothing, and he is confident Tony is dead. Meanwhile, hiding in a safehouse in the Miami glades, Tony laments the deaths of his friend Manny and sister Gina, chastises himself for not listening to the advice of others due to his bull-headedness, determines to quit cocaine, and vows revenge on Sosa.
Three months later, Tony returns to Miami. All of his assets have been frozen, and the districts of Miami he used to dominate have been divided among other drug cartels. His first act is to ask George Sheffield (James Woods) to become his lawyer again. Sheffield reluctantly agrees, but at higher wages than before. As Tony has no real power anymore, he has little choice. He next travels to see his old friend and contact Felix (Carlos Ferro), who tells him Sosa is working with Gaspar Gomez (Cheech Marin) in an effort to take over all of Tony's old turf. He also warns Tony there are very few dealers who can be trusted anymore, as most report back to Sosa. Tony says he needs to make some small deals so he can make enough money to buy his mansion back from the Vice Squad, and begin to rebuild his empire. Felix advises him to speak to a bartender named Coco (Willa Holland). She puts him in touch with some dealers, as he slowly begins to re-establish his name, earning enough to re-purchase his mansion. He calls Felix, who tells him that he thinks Gaspar is smuggling cash. Tony steals one of Gaspar's trucks, carrying $50,000, and uses it to open a bank account. Reconnecting with his old banker, Jerry (Michael York), Montana uses the bank to launder his money as he sets out to reclaim control of Little Havana from the Diaz Brothers. As Tony's reputation increases, the brothers attempt to have him killed. He survives the assassination attempt, and one of the killers tells him the Diazes have murdered his mother. Killing them both in retaliation, he regains control of Little Havana.
Tony then gets a call from Pablo (Wilmer Valderrama), an associate of Sheffield's. He tells Tony they have information regarding the location of Tony's estranged wife, Elvira, and he arranges to meet. However, the meet is a set up. Tony escapes and kills Pablo, realizing that Sheffield has turned against him. Meanwhile, he sets about taking control of Downtown from the Contreras cartel. Upon doing so, he is contacted by The Sandman (Steven Bauer), a cocaine producer from the Caribbean islands south of Miami. Sandman also wants Sosa out of the picture, and he invites Tony to come to see him. They agree that with Tony in Miami selling Sandman's product from the islands, they can run Sosa out of business. Tony then meets Venus (Cree Summer), Sandman's ex-girlfriend and a powerful influence on the islands herself. She tells him of the owner of a nearby casino, being run on a disused oil tanker, who is killing women and dumping their bodies overboard, and asks Tony if he can take care of it. The man turns out to be Nacho Contreras, formerly in control of Downtown's drug trade. Tony travels to the casino and kills Nacho.
He next sets about taking control of South Beach and North Beach, both of which are controlled by Gaspar Gomez. Upon doing so, he is contacted by The Sandman, who tells him he is going to war with the Colombian drug cartels. However, the Colombians get word of Sandman's plan and attack his plantation. Tony helps defend it, but Sandman tells him the Colombians have taken over his processing lab on the island of Tranquilandia, and are holding the workers hostage. Tony heads there, killing the Colombians and rescuing the hostages. Upon returning, The Sandman sells Tony his plantation, meaning Tony is now in charge of production and distribution, making him the most powerful drug lord in the vicinity and allowing him to finally go after Sosa, who is in Bolivia.
At his mansion, Sosa is hosting a meeting with Sheffield and Gomez in which they are discussing how best to get rid of Tony. From outside, they hear an explosion, as Tony attacks the house. Fighting his way through the grounds, he kills Sosa's security people, before shooting and killing Sheffield. Heading further into the estate, he kills Gomez. Eventually, he confronts Sosa, who tells Tony he warned him not to betray him, but Tony did, referring to the planned assassination of a journalist which Tony refused to carry out because there were children in the journalist's car. Sosa says that in their business, sometimes children have to be killed. Tony then kills him. As he leaves the mansion, Tony finds one of Sosa's men still alive. The survivor begs for his life, and Tony offers him a job.
The game ends with Sosa's surviving henchman working as Tony's butler, as Tony and Venus watch television in a Jacuzzi. Feeling good about his life, Tony declares he finally has what he always felt was coming to him: "the world." | revenge, neo noir, murder, violence | train | wikipedia | The licecned games tend to be pretty poor as the developers know it will sell purely on the fact it's based on a popular film/TV show.
Then adding to that the dreaded "GTA clone", cos let's be honest here NO ONE can pull off a GTA -esque game other than Rockstar North.
So it already has a lot to live up to.Quick, the backstory....You play as Tony Montana in events set after the end of the film.
But this game goes the "what if?" route by offereing what could have been if the film had ended differently.
Tony wants vengeance on those that wronged him, and he wants his empire back too....game on!While this will be compared to GTA (mianly Vice City)...I think that is unfair.
This does have the bare basics gameplay that GTA has...but at the same time it's also very different.
This game is much more realistic as it takes place in the same universe invented by the film.
Your basic GTA standard clone style gameplay is here, run around a free-roaming city, steal cars, etc.
I'll not bore you with the basic gameplay style, if you have played 1 GTA clone...you have played them all.
As you lose everything Tony "earnt" in the movie, you have to rebuild his empire from the ground up....including his mansion.
When you do finally get it back...it's a dump (due the the events at the end of the film and the start of the game), so you have to renovate it and get it back up to a high standard.
There are also things like street racing sub-missions and others (just like every other GTA clone).
You can even buy bussineses as "fronts" for what is really going on, but these are left open for attacks from rivals...so you can upgrade them with added security.Speaking of attacks, the aiming system is really good too.
Kill some bad guys and do a Tony -esque taunt, you get "balls".
Once the "balls" meter is full, you can unleash it in only a way Tony can do, a screaming, rage fueled blowout of a bender "Say hello to my little friend".
Makes the game much more interesting as well as the chases.But one of the things I LOVE about this game is Tony himself.
The developers not only make him look and sound like Tony from the movie (dispite no Al), but he also "acts" like him too.
Everything that made Tony Montana such a great movie character has been duplicated in game form....right down to little details like the tattoo on his hand.
Go to a bar and try to pick up some girls in the way only Tony Montana can pull off..."You want some Ice cream?".
Yes Tony is a bad man...but he still had standards, like not killing random people and only those that desereve to die.
So in the game, you can not go around on a murderous rampage killing inoccent bystanders...well not as Tony anyway.
Another little touch I like.Overall, this is a great game.
But for the chance to play as Tony Montana...this game is pure genius just for that alone.
It's by far one of the better GTA clones and also one of the better licenced games too.
Fans of the film and games will just adore it even more.
but you never saw Scarface: the world is yours.S:TWIY picks up where the movie left off IF the ending was different (i wouldn't reveal the end of scarface now, wouldn't i?) and tony escapes his mansion, only to have to rebuild his empire from the ground up.
along the way, he deals drugs, kills his enemies, breaks up gangs through street shootings, buys fronts, launders dirty cash, does everything the emperor of a criminal empire would do.First off, the Sounds.
you have the whole scarface soundtrack (featuring songs that didn't make it into the movie) and you have modern metal wonders like Senor Peligro by Ministry.
then you have a bunch of reggae that you'll probably never listen to, but it's there.The graphics...a little bit under par for the PS2, but remember, graphics do not make a game.
if graphics made a game, then superman 64 would be a lot better than Super Mario bros...which is not true, cause superman 64 is the worst video game of all time and SMB is near the best.Finally, the gameplay...the most important element.
it pretty much takes everything away from grand theft auto, and adds little things, like manual taunting and the "balls" feature where tony goes nuts after he's killed and taunted a bunch of bad guys.
all in all, the gameplay is a little better than par.the only Con i can lay on the game, is that the farther you get into the game, the more frustrating it gets.
for example, dealing 100 grams of coke to a coke dealer is easy, and it turns a hefty profit early in the game, but then when you unlock the big suppliers, you'll eventually have to sail between Miami and the islands.
fun times.Bottom line, if you're a scarface fan, buy it cause it will not disappoint.
if you're a GTA fan, buy it.
tony Montana don't die that easy cockoroaches.
this is a what if scenario that asks what it tony Montana survived the mansion shootout, and my god what an answer we got, I absolutely love the movie and when I saw gameplay of this, I thought WOW, this is better than the movie lol, in the world is your's, you kill every scumbag in your path while getting your mansion and empire back and get revenge on sosa.
it would be really cool if they made an HD remastered version for the Xbox one, that would be worth every single penny, and my only flaw with this game is that al Pacino didn't come back to voice tony Montana but the person who did voice him did an amazing job, and the game did retain all the 1980's isms the movie had along with the snappy soundtrack so It's easy to forgive good old al not coming back.
if you enjoyed the movie then you'll love this game, and it's even bloodier than the godfather game by the way, I am NOT kidding lol.
This game was like the best game i played back then, i am and will still always be a fan of the great FILM Scarface and that'll never change i like how this game is "What if Tony survived" just a REAL game with a REAL story if you ask me they need to remaster this GAME..
How do you make a video game sequel to Scarface?.
Okay, if you can get over that they changed the ending to the movie, you'll probably enjoy this game.
It does have some things going for it but I don't know whether it's because of it's age (although to be fair some of my favourite games are 12 years old) but there is a lot of things in this game that make it just plain boring.Okay, after the events of the movie, Tony Montana returns in an attempt to regain his empire he had at the end of the movie.
The way he does this is through odd-jobs from other people, eliminating other gangs and stealing ammo and weapons that way or if there are any other ways I didn't play the game that far.Well, it might sound fun, dominating an entire city to your control but it's not.
The game-play is pretty much find money, go to the closest bank, work out interest with a mini-game and use that money to buy stuff like a chauffeur, cars and other luxuries that become unlockable over time...
Lets just say you're a henchman and you empty all your guns ammo on this gang hypothetically, then you switch to Tony - he will have no ammunition to his guns...
The chauffeur, do you think there will be one of Tony's cars anywhere near where you select him?
You think that because you drive Tony around that you have his cars there with you?
Of course not.But in terms of game-play, you might think - well how's the free-roam?
Driving around warrants if you drive stupidly like barely missing cars or driving on the wrong side of the road then you get rewarded with "balls" - It pretty much gets Tony a bezerker mode, however in my experience this only works when the game wants it to work.
Oh and as a side-note - don't bother stealing cars like you'd do in open-world games because unlike something like the Mafia games where you can use them again - here if you leave it or lose track of where it is - say "goodbye".Okay, so if you want a gangster video game with a free-roam mode, please - play Mafia: City Of Lost Heaven instead.
This game just feels like a cheap clone of the counterparts which are (even though I have NEVER played Grand Theft Auto) so much better and more fun to play.
I'd say if you're curious as to how a sequel of Scarface is feasible then I'd say this might be worth playing for the curious type.
Me personally, I want to stick with the good open-world games..
A Great game based on a great movie.
Tony Montana is back with a vengeance in Scarface: The world is yours for the box, ps2 and PC systems, and what a return it is.
Based on the now classic Brian DePalma film Scarface, which has served as a gangster bible and a source of inspiration to rappers and fans alike, the game continues the great story telling done in the film, but with a twist...Tony Montana not only survives the final shootout at the end of the movie, but manages to escape.
Sure, this challenges the canon established at the end of the first film, but viewed as a "What if?", it makes for a great game.Tony, now striped of his empire, morning the loss of Manny (who he killed in the first film) and his sister, must restart from scratch to rebuild his drug empire and reclaim "His world" as he puts it, and take revenge on Sosa, the drug kingpin who's death squad took him out in the movies.Durring the course of the game, you will run and gun, shoot, build up your "Balls" and work business to reclaim the drug trade of 1983 Miami.
This is done in a series of clever ways, not all involving blasting away at anything that moves, although its always fun to.This gives the game depth and dimension.
Although your skills with a various sorts of weapons comes into play a lot (and with a license like scarface, you would expect tons of gun play) but you also have to have a keen business sense, setting up fronts, earning respect, buying and selling ya yo, etc.
Once you have your money, you can use it to buy any number of things, to the needed (like weapons, cars, coke, etc) to the needless (like pimping out your house, various items for show, etc) That said, i was kind of disappointed in the lack of a personal soundtrack mode, like the grand theft auto games had on the box, although you do get a wide selection of music in the game.Having played about 5 hours or so into the game with plenty of game play still left, i can honestly say i enjoy it, and plan on keeping it in my collection, next to games such as the godfather, Saints row, Gun, and the grand theft auto trilogy.
Rated M for Strong Graphic Violence and Language and for Some Sex and Drug content.I would say Scarface is my favorite movie.The movie is amazing.Pacino plays a great role as a foul-mouthed cuban immigrant Tony Montana who tries to make it in the Miami drug world during the 1980's.The film was 3 hours long,it was entertaining,had great acting and a great storyline and I loved it!.When the game came out I was excited.However it got a 6.4 on gamespot so I would not want to spend $60.00 on it.I bought it for $20 just recently and I have been playing it.The game changes the ending of the film.(SPOILERS for the Scarface movie) in the end of the movie.Tony Montana died but in this one you get to play as Tony in the final shootout in the mansion and you have to blow away all of Sosa's henchmen including "the skull".The rest of the game is basically you rebuilding your criminal empire and trying to get revenge on Sosa.The game is almost like a Grand Theft Auto clone.You must do missions,buy assets,you can steal cars etc.But it is a bit different from GTA because you cannot kill pedestrians.This is one of the negative aspects of the game.I understand Tony is a man who does not like harming innocent people but it would have been more fun if you could kill pedestrians.There are gang members everywhere and you must kill them to take over their turf.There are drug dealers which you can sell drugs to or kill them.You can also kill the cops.The game takes place in the 1980's and there are only a few songs from the 80's.It has the entire OST of the Scarface film and some other 80's hits but their could have been much more.We didn't really need Reggae or country music.You don't have to be in your car when you listen to music.You can listen to it when you're walking or shooting people.The controls take some time getting used to but their alright once you get the hang of it.Another cool feature in this game is the blind rage mode.There is a "balls" meter on the bottom right hand corner of the screen.You can get "Balls" by taunting people you kill or by driving very close to another car.There are a few ways to get "balls".When your meter is full,you can go into a first person shooter mode, you have unlimited bullets and you cannot be damaged.Every enemy you kill in rage mode will give you +200 health.Scarface The World Is Yours is a good game that's worth playing..
Scarface: The world is yours is overall a really good game despite a lot of flaws threw the process of playing this game.Now...
the main problem of the game is the story, it's just nothing special, I had a feeling like the developers didn't put a lot of effort to make a good story, so they just rewrite the end of the script of the legendary movie Scarface (I'm a fan of the movie), so Tony Montana, a aggressive drug kingpin in Miami, now survives the massacre at his mansion.
Basically the whole game is about bringing your own empire back, so there is not much of a story here.
All you have to do threw the whole game is selling drugs, buying night clubs, bars, shops, restaurants etc.
And in this way the game is quite good and interesting, but most of the missions in the game are all the same and side missions become more repetitive and boring threw the game play.
Basically, the whole game is all about shooting a lot of gangs and making a lot of money.
This game is like GTA Vice City without interesting or even funny missions.The music in the game is great, the graphics are superb, the look of the city is really something special, the cars (this is GTA style game) are easy to control, but there is not a lot of different models so a lot of vehicles look exactly the same.
The voice acting is fantastic, the actor who is giving a voice for Tony Montana is really great and overall I would say this is a good game with some major flaws, but after a few hours you'll get used to them.With better story and more interesting missions this would be a classic, but it's still a great game..
The best movie game but not perfect..
Hello,I just finished SCARFACE 100% and it was really good.This games has its ups and downs.the ups are that AL PACINO chose a really good voice actor for Tony Montana.Also,the game makes it look like Tony did live by starting at the mansion shootout,which was good but tony did not blast the entrance like in the movie and the person who got killed was not chi-chi.The level was good overall.The character models were good for some but not good for others.Like George,he did not have a mustache and is skinny and SOSA does not look like the movie character a bit.I guess facial things could happen in 3 months.Also the game never explains how Tony knew Felix,how SOSA lost the heat,and so on.The good is the combat.It makes it more fun and the game allows you to take Miami by the balls.The downside is jacked up prices and repetitive side missions.It also follows the story as if Tony were alive.OVERALL 8.8/10.
The good points about the game are free roam because i like games like grand theft auto so this was great for me but some of the missions seem pointless like going out to protect a boat while it gets shark fins it is very stupid and also why would pirates want to attack you because you are getting shark fins anyway overall the scarface the world is yours game was stunning and one of the best games i have ever had in my life and also i have done all the missions now so i am going to try and net millions and millions TB//kelvin lately i have had this game on xbox 360 and i have not been able to come off of it.
This game is tremendous, also the way it continues the plot from the film, any scarface fan should love this game |
tt0041760 | Porky Chops | The Hipster Squirrel is on vacation in the north woods, and decides to get some sleep, but his sleep is disturbed by what he thinks is a woodpecker, but finds out that "lumberjackson" Porky Pig is chopping his own tree. The squirrel zips open a door at the base of the tree and removes the blade off of Porky's axe then tosses it on Porky's head. While Porky goes away to get more axes, the squirrel covers the base of the tree with a sheet of metal, riveting it in and painting it to look like the tree. Porky comes back a lot of axes, and proceeds to chop, but the blades keep breaking. Unknown to him, the squirrel is handing Porky every available axe until he himself (the squirrel) becomes one, but he manages to stop Porky and demands he stops chopping that tree. But Porky's not through yet.
The squirrel is reading a newspaper, but he hears a sawing noise, looks outside, and sees Porky sawing the tree down. The squirrel pulls the saw to a smaller tree, and when Porky tries to saw back, he is sandwiched through the crack and launched in the air, landing in a pond. Porky then chases the squirrel up the tree, but is stopped by a limb placed by the squirrel, who then cuts the pig's suspenders making him fall. Almost immediately after, Porky is on the other side of the tree with a shotgun, and fires. He shoots the branch he's standing on, while the squirrel runs inside and hands him a fruit basket. Porky then falls due to the weight of the basket. The squirrel then runs down with a mattress, but intentionally places it next to where Porky ends up crashing. Porky is disoriented, and the squirrel squeezes two bananas he's holding in his face, giving him a funny-looking mustache.
The squirrel is convinced Porky is defeated, but is met by the shotgun held by the pig. A chase down the tree ensues, with Porky firing. Porky then shoots inside the log, but is met with some fierce growling, scaring him. Those growls turned out to be the squirrel imitating a bear, who scares Porky up a branch. The squirrel then goes back inside, laughing.
Porky tries one last scheme. He brings over a supply of dynamite sticks, which he places inside the tree, which the squirrel then puts into a log nearby. Porky lights the fuse, and it ends up blowing the hollow log, awakening a real bear, which scares both Porky and the squirrel. They both run away, allowing the bear to occupy the squirrel's tree, wearing his pajamas, and reading the newspaper. | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | Porky Upstaged By The 'Hipster' Squirrel.
A city-wise squirrel is resting comfortably in his new vacation-type room in the middle of a big tree trunk in the Northwest.
He's from Flatbush and has his "Brooklyn Dodgers"pennant tacked on the wall.
As he is getting ready for his first long nap, he hears what he thinks is a woodpecker.
However, he soon realizes it isn't: it's some "lumberjackson" down below chopping the tree (Porky Pig).
"One of the local yokels," he says.
"I'll fix that icky."I don't what all the complaints are here.
I thought this was very entertaining.
The squirrel was a "hipster" that had many dated-but-funny lines.
That alone made this worth watching.
Some of ploys to keep Porky from chopping the tree down weren't bad, either.Whoever this squirrel was, it was really HIS cartoon, not Porky's..
"Flatbush was never like this.".
A hip squirrel from New York goes to the woods to relax but his vacation is interrupted by lumberjack Porky, who's trying to cut down his tree.
Judging by some of the reviews on here, this one seems to set off some Porky Pig fans.
I can kind of see why since Porky is little more than an Elmer Fudd-like villain for the squirrel to defeat.
But this didn't really bother me as Porky is not high on my list of favorite Looney Tunes characters.
The squirrel is clearly the star of this short with all the best lines and gags.
I disagree strongly with another reviewer who said this cartoon was ugly.
The animation is quite lovely, with beautiful colors and nicely-drawn characters and backgrounds.
Lively, whimsical music from Carl Stalling.
Great voice work from Mel Blanc.
An enjoyable cartoon if all one is expecting is entertainment.
If you're a Porky fan looking for an impressive showcase for his character, you might be disappointed..
Porky Chops is a very funny Arthur Davis cartoon.
In a nutshell, Porky Pig is a lumberjack who's chopping down a tree that occupies a squirrel who wears pajamas, hangs a "Brooklyn Dodgers" banner over his bed, and reads the racing forms from the newspaper.
The squirrel tries various ways to shoo the pig away like putting aluminum siding on the tree and then disguising it with varnish as Porky fails to chop with various axes that keep losing their sharp heads.
Many funny chase gags abound and a twist involving a bear especially pays off here.
This cartoon came from the short-lived Arthur Davis unit and it shows how talented Davis really was with the timing of the gags and pacing that also marked his predecessor, Bob Clampett.
Too bad, due to budget constraints, Warner Bros.
later had to cut Davis' staff.
Porky Chops is highly recommended..
The squirrels of Central Park.
Arthur Davis, who directed "Porky Chops", was most famous as an animator; maybe he just didn't have exactly what it takes to be a director.
This cartoon is pretty funny - hell, it looks like "Citizen Kane" compared to some of the cartoons coming out today - but it mostly seems to be a one-joke premise, as Porky Pig tries to chop down a tree but the wise-guy squirrel using it as his vacation home keeps interfering.So, it's not a great cartoon, but still good for a few laughs...particularly with what happens after the dynamite gag (the Termite Terrace crowd sure had a way with dynamite, didn't they?).PS: The name "The squirrels of Central Park" originally came from Gary Larson's cartoon "The Far Side".
The squirrel here reminded me of that..
Odd and unfunny.
I don't understand this cartoon at all.
Essentially, Porky is the villain, trying to chop down a tree in which a vaguely Bugs Bunny-esque squirrel makes his home.
Our villain is a much-beloved regular character, and our hero is a generic wiseacre squirrel that we've never seen before.
It's almost as if they were originally going to use Bugs, but decided he was too big to live in a tree, so they used Porky in the other role just to have a "star" in the picture.
Also, most of the gags just plain aren't funny.
The cartoon just kind of sits there until it's over, and then you forget about it.
How this was chosen for the first Looney Toons DVD set over classics like Book Revue and the Great Piggy Bank Robbery, I'll never know..
Needed more chops but fun.
Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.'Porky Chops' is a long way from being among the best Porky Pig cartoons, he's done better before and since particularly in supporting roles when pitted off against a stronger character, or among the best work of underrated Arthur Davis (being in the shadow of the likes of Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Tex Avery and Bob Clampett and having nowhere near as long a career, which is sad).
It seems to have divided reviewers and it is not hard to see why, it could have been better and needed more to it but it is a long way from a mess.The story is a pretty slight and obvious one, and doesn't always have the madcap energy of the best cartoons.
Porky is likable and amusing enough but somewhat bland in a role that could easily have been filled by Elmer.In terms of the humour, 'Porky Chops' is more amusing than it is hilarious.However, the animation is excellent.
Beautifully drawn, very detailed and the colours are vibrant, complete with some great expressions and Davis' distinctive style of the characters moving from foreground to background.Carl Stalling's music score is typically lushly and cleverly orchestrated, with lively and energetic rhythms, it's also beautifully synchronised with the action and gestures/expressions and even enhances the impact.Although not hilarious, 'Porky Chops' amuses and entertains with some nice wit and good timing.
The squirrel is a lot of fun with a personality that's lively, cute and anarchic.
The ever versatile Mel Blanc's voice acting is stellar.Overall, quite good fun though won't blow anybody away.
7/10 Bethany Cox. A dreadful low point in the work of Arthur Davis.
Cult director Arthur Davis has made some hysterically funny cartoons in his time but 'Porky Chops' sure ain't one of 'em!
One of the ugliest, most unfunny Warner shorts I have ever seen, 'Porky Chops' is something of an oddity.
Its problems are numerous.
For a start, it is very poorly paced and full of misfiring gags.
The animation is clunky and the character designs are unattractive.
This is especially true of the one-shot squirrel character who spends the cartoon trying to prevent Porky from cutting down his tree.
Aside from looking lousy, this squirrel is a thinly veiled re-imagining of Bugs Bunny.
Come to mention it, Porky's role in this film could just as easily have been played by Elmer Fudd and there are even moments when, if you squint, Porky looks just like Elmer in his hunting hat and brandishing his gun.
As he was replaced by more interesting characters, Porky's starring roles became rarer and even in his earlier cartoons he frequently played second fiddle to crazier characters (see 'Porky's Party', in which Porky barely gets a look in).
Chuck Jones brilliantly injected new life into him by casting him opposite Daffy in several inspired genre spoofs but Davis's attempt to throw the spotlight on the fame-starved pig falls completely flat.
'Porky Chops' is as pitiful as its dreadful title would suggest..
Porkster.
Porky Chops (1949) *** (out of 4) A squirrel from Brooklyn goes to the great Northwoods to get some rest but then comes across lumberjack Porky Pig trying to cut down his tree.
The two start battling one another but soon a third party is going to enter the picture.
This is a pleasant short that manages to have quite a few smiles and it's certainly cute enough.
The one problem I have with the short is the actual squirrel who just doesn't sit too well with me.
I've seen this film several times over the years and each time I can't help but think it would have been different with a better character.
As far as Porky goes he's at the top of his game and the poor guy takes a nice beating like he always does.
The third party that shows up only appears for a matter of seconds but he clearly steals the film.
I won't ruin the gag as it's one of the best in the film..
Feels more of an imitation than the real McCoy. Even if you were not to know who the director and the writers were before watching this cartoon, it's almost certain that you would start suspecting none of the usual gang at the Warner Brothers animation studio were behind this entry.
What we have here are writers who worked at the studio only for a brief time, and a director who was more successful as an animator.
The end result is very strange, feeling like it was done by people who had only seen a handful of Looney Tunes cartoons before being assigned to make this cartoon.
They have the words, but not the music - the timing is very off, and they don't seem to understand how the characters (both the protagonist and antagonist) need to act.
I agree with the previous poster that this was an odd choice for Warner Brothers first box set of Looney Tunes cartoons - it certainly is no classic.
Still, I must admit it shines when placed next to some of the cartoons that came out of the cartoon studio during its dying days..
Who is this fake Porky??.
Elmer..I mean Porky Pig is a lumberjack, waiting to chop down a tree that a wascilly rab..i mean squirrel is in.
This short didn't sit well with me, it just didn't jibe at all.
Porky didn't act like Porky at all.
Who is this squirrel??
And while the completist in me is happy that it's on the DVD collection, the lover of good animated shorts is disheartened that it's included.
Definitely among the worst Looney Tunes shorts that I have seen, and I say that sadly.
This cartoon is on Disk 2 of the "Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 1" I send raspberries to whomever made this.My Grade: D+.
For all the folks who've wondered, "What if Bugs were a squirrel .
. this animated Looney Tunes short released by Warner Bros.
in the 1940s could go a long way toward fleshing out that dire Another Dimensional possibility.
Sid Squirrel doesn't even merit a name on Wikipedia's Master Compendium spreadsheet of all things Looney Tunes (unlike "Michigan J.
Frog," whose lone appearance in ONE FROGGY NIGHT will live forever in cartoon infamy).
Perhaps this also is Sid's only Looney Tunes role (though I cannot say for sure, as I have seen just 200 or so of Warner's 1,039 classic shorts).
Suffice it to say that Sid hails from Brooklyn, and is a huge Dodgers fan (with no inkling that his team will desert him for greener pastures within a decade).
Here, Sid is vacationing high in the Last Tree Standing on a woodlot Porky Pig is clear-cutting (or "pork-chopping," if he's working as a government contractor).
Taking offense to Porky's efforts, Sid affects Bugs' accents and clothing styles as he rivets a metal girdle around "his" tree, breaking 11 of Porky's axes, driving the porker to resort to firearms and dynamite.
Amid this action, Sid drops a few of Bugs' tag-lines, such as "Bon Vo-Ahhh-Gee" (for "Bon Voyage").
Bugs, however, could have said, "What's up, Doc?" if he had starred in this episode, with Porky clear-cutting something more down-to-earth (such as ginseng or morel mushrooms)..
"A lumber jackson.
One of the local yokels.".
"Porky Chops" is a good Porky Pig cartoon directed by Arthur Davis.
Porky is a lumberjack who is constantly antagonized by an obnoxious squirrel (with a Brooklyn accent) trying to get some peace and quiet inside his tree domicile.Highlights: The squirrel removes the blade from Porky's axe, causing Porky's entire body to shake violently when he strikes the squirrel's tree with his bare stick (and don't forget the brilliant sound effects).
Later on, Porky ruins all his axes by striking the camouflaged aluminum siding on the tree.
When Porky falls to the ground, he ends up wearing a fruit basket as a ten-gallon hat; the squirrel then squirts a pair of bananas at him, giving him a funny moustache.
And at the end of this short, a bear, having scared Porky and the squirrel away, occupies the squirrel's tree residence and tries to fit his over-sized body into the squirrel's undersized pajamas."Porky Chops" is pure slapstick from beginning to end.
Try as he might, Porky just can't seem to defeat that pesty squirrel, but at least the bear's presence is enough to convince the squirrel to do his harassing elsewhere. |
tt0050271 | Crime of Passion | Kathy Ferguson (Stanwyck) is a San Francisco newspaper advice columnist. One day, Lieutenant Bill Doyle (Hayden), a Los Angeles police detective, and his partner, Captain Charlie Alidos (Royal Dano), track a fugitive wanted for murder to San Francisco. He meets Kathy and they fall in love. She manages to gain the female fugitive's trust and locate her. Kathy's resulting front page story leads to an offer of a big job in New York City, but she abandons her career, marries Doyle and moves to Los Angeles.
Her new role as a 1950s suburban wife and homemaker quickly makes her unhappy. She wants her husband to move up in the world, to become "somebody". Doyle has different values. He works in order to afford a comfortable lifestyle, no more. Kathy schemes to push her husband up the career ladder without his knowledge. She arranges to get into a car accident with Alice Pope (Fay Wray), in order to become acquainted with her husband, Police Inspector Tony Pope (Raymond Burr), head of Bill's division. Pope realizes what she has done, and why, but plays along.
Her continuing ploys inevitably bring her into conflict with Sara Alidos (Virginia Grey), the captain's equally ambitious wife, and Captain Alidos begins to find fault with Bill at every opportunity. Vicious rumors circulate about Kathy's relationship with Tony Pope. When Bill sees a poison pen letter that Kathy has received, he rushes to work and punches his boss, Alidos, in front of two police witnesses. During the investigation, Pope shifts enough of the blame to Alidos, suggesting he reached for his gun when the visibly angry Bill burst into the room, that he can hush up the whole incident. Alidos is then transferred to another division, and Bill is given his former position as an acting homicide captain.
When Alice Pope breaks down under the years of mental strain of being a policeman's wife and is hospitalized, Tony decides to retire. When Tony comes to tell Kathy about Alice's breakdown and his plans to retire, Kathy tries to persuade him to recommend her husband for the vacancy his departure will create. During their talk, he seems to consider the idea favorably, then grabs and kisses her. She recoils at first, then embraces him. Afterward, however, he avoids her. When she finally forces him to meet her, he makes it clear that he believes that Bill is not qualified, and that he is going to recommend Charlie Alidos as his successor. This elevation of a man she hates over her husband's ambition infuriates Kathy.
When Kathy accompanies Bill to the police station, she steals a gun used in a robbery and murder that her husband is investigating. Kathy then confronts Pope in his home and pleads that he at least not recommend Charlie Alidos. If Pope recommends no one, Kathy argues, her husband still has a small chance and she can justify what she did. Pope coldly refuses so she shoots him dead.
The entire police department works on Pope's murder investigation. Bill figures out the killer has to have been his own wife. When Bill confronts Kathy, she tells him, "Now I'll know just how much of a cop you really are." Bill responds, "The same cop, Kathy. The same cop you met in Frisco. Same cop I was 10 years ago, pounding a beat. The same cop." He then drives her to police headquarters. Inside, before they disappear behind a door, she nods her head. | murder, melodrama | train | wikipedia | Stanwyck's slow descent into middle-class torpor and madness (she's a sharp, witty, intelligent woman who saddles herself with a maddeningly boring and conventional cop husband, played nicely against type by Sterling Hayden) lays bare the social nightmare presented to women desiring anything but the conventional patriarchal lifestyle (at one point, the LA police captain tells Stanwyck that she should be at home making her husband supper-- a line which haunts both Stanwyck and the film)..
Crime of Passion (1957)A gripping widescreen black and white crime film where the loner lost in a complacent world is a woman--played with steely determination by Barbara Stanwyck.
In some ways this film is a familiar type, but it has some unique lines that open up as it goes until it becomes a unique tale of seduction and ambition.You won't see Sterling Hayden better (this is around the time of his defining but more constrained role in Kubrick's "The Killing"), and throw in Raymond Burr and, believe it or not, Fay Ray (of "King Kong" fame, 1933), and you have quite a cast.
So thinks Barbara Stanwyck in "Crime of Passion," a 1957 film also starring Sterling Hayden and Raymond Burr.
Stanwyck is newspaper woman Kathy Ferguson who, in the beginning, is going after the story of a crime being investigated by Doyle and Alidos (Hayden and Royal Dano).
Dano gives the newsroom a speech on the idea of "let us do our job" and Stanwyck is the only one who speaks up, stating, "And we're trying to do our jobs." Alidos' reply is a killer: "You should be home making dinner for your husband." Do you love it?
It leads to problems (that's putting it mildly).Stanwyck is terrific in a difficult role, that of a woman with more going on internally than even she knew; Burr does a good job as a hard-nosed, cold police inspector.
The successful columnist of The San Francisco Post Kathy Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck) is an independent woman that has the intention of never getting married.
Bill is very close to his colleagues and their wives, and they have frequent dinner parties at his home, and the boredom of the conversation with other wives and the lack of ambition of Bill in the Police Department make Kathy to plot a scheme to push Bill's career to a higher position.
When Kathy realizes that Tony's promise was just pillow talk, the ambitious woman takes a decision with no return.The film-noir "Crime of Passion" is quite dated today but I believe that it was ahead of time in 1957 with an engaging and amoral story of ambition and murder.
Barbara Stanwyck plays Kathy Ferguson Doyle, an ambitious woman in the 50's not tailored to be a conventional housewife that loves her husband that is a man that prioritizes his family over his career.
Barbara Stanwyck gives her all to the role of a career woman who, though smart enough, maybe lacks the experience to see that the average joe she falls for, though amiable in his gruff way, is simply not the man for her.
Hayden was just about to quit movies, too, though like Stanwyck he would go on to interesting things later.
And Burr was soon to triumph on television as Perry Mason, leaving behind a decade's worth of good character work in film, of which this is one of the last examples..
What Wouldn't She Do For Her Cop. It was interesting to read that Barbara Stanwyck feels the same way I do that the first thing a film should have is a good story.
Even the brilliant pyrotechnics of Barbara Stanwyck couldn't quite bring Crime Of Passion off.It's a strange film because her character makes absolutely no sense, accept in terms of hormones.
Hayden doesn't go for it, but the two of them hit it off anyway and are soon happily married.For a career woman, Stanwyck seems to settle down to housewife bliss, but she seethes with ambition for her husband to rise in the department.
Not good enough, she sets her mind to promoting her husband and if that includes giving a little nookie to his boss Raymond Burr behind the back of his wife Fay Wray, so be it.Her change from career woman to sexual manipulator in Crime Of Passion makes no sense at all.
Her crime when she commits it is indeed one of passion.This was not a film Stanwyck was particularly happy about, but she said that good stories for her and her contemporaries in the Fifties were hit or miss basis.
Career gal and avowed bachelorette falls for a ten-year veteran on the Los Angeles police force; they marry, but his low-level status at the department--and the bottom-drawer company they must keep on the social set--brings up the wife's ambitious, scheming nature.
What begins as an interesting study of a woman columnist quickly turns into a potboiler, with Barbara Stanwyck as the newly-christened suburban housewife with discontent in her eyes.
This change of direction nearly doesn't work, though Stanwyck and Sterling Hayden (and Raymond Burr as Hayden's superior) are very good at keeping the scenario engrossing.
The actors are all good, with Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden and Raymond Burr all in top form.
One day Barbara Stanwyck is a hot San Francisco columnist who marries Sterling Hayden after an extremely brief romance.
She could rival I Love Lucy at any time.Raymond Burr enters the film as head of the police who falls for Stanwyck.
Crime of Passion (1957)** (out of 4) Sussessful woman Kathy Ferguson (Barbara Stanwyck) gives up her career when she falls for a police officer (Sterling Hayden).
Stand By Your Man. In San Francisco, lovelorn newspaper columnist Barbara Stanwyck (as Kathy Ferguson) helps visiting Los Angeles lieutenant Sterling Hayden (as William "Bill" Doyle) and fellow detective Royal Dano (as Charles "Charlie" Alidos) capture a woman who has murdered her husband.
Offered a better job in New York, Stanwyck gives up her career when Hayden asks her to dinner in Los Angeles.
Needing a release, Stanwyck gets it in the form of police inspector Raymond Burr (as Anthony "Tony" Pope) after a fender-bender with wife Fay Wray (as Alice Pope).
Watching Stanwyck as an increasingly hysterical suburban housewife is unbelievably amusing.***** Crime of Passion (1/9/57) Gerd Oswald ~ Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden, Raymond Burr, Fay Wray.
For the first ten minutes, I was going "What?" and "Huh?" and "Who?" to no avail, and I knew I was in for a real endurance test.Awkwardly scripted and filmed, and deadly dull, "Crime Of Passion" is sort of a pre-feminist tantrum about a driven career woman who unwisely falls for a hulking, middle class police detective (Hayden), quits her newspaper job, feels suffocated by her mundane suburban existence and conceives some baffling scheme to improve their prospects.
At his worst, Hayden often looked like he was being forced to act in this type of B grade fare against his wishes, as if perhaps a close family member was being held hostage and wouldn't be set free until the final day of shooting.This is also incorrectly classified as a Film-Noir.
The joy of seeing this film, other than the unintentionally hilarious dramatic moments, is to get a clear picture of the type of world that director Todd Haynes envisioned in "Far From Heaven."Barbara Stanwyck, while possessing a hot figure for a 50 year old woman (at the time), was definitely pushing the borders with her looks.
It's just exciting to imagine them thinking, "Well, since we are getting paid for this, let's make it look good!" Poor Sterling Hayden is saddled with the worst lines, all of them sounding like they were written for a woman starring in a bad B-movie from the 1950s...
Kathy (Barbara Stanwyck) leaves the newspaper business to marry homicide detective Bill but is frustrated by his lack of ambition and the banality of life in the suburbs.
Her drive to advance Bill's career soon takes her down a dangerous path.Barbara Stanwyck, Raymond Burr, Fay Wray, Robert Quarry and others...
Stanwyck leads the way, and while this may not be her finest performance, it is always nice to see her in the lead.How this is not considered one of the better-known film noir movies out there is something of a mystery to me given those involved.
CRIME OF PASSION - never mind the generic title - exhibits much that's recommendable, but never quite jells as it might have under more imaginative direction and, much as I hate to fault powerhouse performers such as Stanwyck and Hayden, with different casting.What we have here is really a sort of suburban "All About Eve:" the portrait of a manipulative schemer who'll stop at nothing in service to ambition, even when that ambition is to be simply the dutiful woman behind the successful man.
By the mid-to-late 50's, some films were taking a hard-edged second look at the established conventions and revered institutions of postwar American life, and while this one appears at times to aspire to a similar examination - in this case, of the potentially stifling nature of traditional gender roles - it trips itself up in execution, leaning to heavy-handedness when subtlety is called for, and ultimately surrendering to a too-conventional presentation of a "woman at the breaking point" theme that was such a staple of players like Joan Crawford - and Stanwyck herself - during this period.The been-around-the-block maturity of Stanwyck at this stage of her career is squeezed into a rather tight fit: that of a career woman who, on the brink of long hoped-for advancement, sacrifices all for love and transfers her personal ambition to the professional betterment of her new husband.
Likewise, Hayden's normally brusque and self-assured persona seems uncomfortably constrained in the role of a pedantic police professional who cares little for departmental politics and career success, and is more comfortable with a solicitous passivity toward both his working and personal relationships.One casting bulls-eye is scored with Raymond Burr as the departmental chief who misses nothing, and immediately spots - and appreciates - Stanwyck for the kind of woman she is.
With this approach, he seems the only cast member with a handle on what a rich film CRIME OF PASSION could have been.If undemanding, it's diverting enough, and would certainly be worth seeing for Burr's multi-dimensional work alone, but it's also worth pondering, while one watches, the fascinating possibilities at which it all too briefly hints..
Having not seen the film before, my thoughts were that with Stanwyck, Burr, and Hayden, along with character actor Dano and Fay Wray, how could I go wrong?
Crime of Passion sees ambitious journalist Kathy fall for and marry the simple cop Bill Doyle and move into a world of settled domesticity.
Her ambitions however are not satisfied and as she tries to manipulate her way up the social and career ladder for her and Bill, she loses sight of what is important and things start to go wrong.With Stanwyck, Burr and Hayden in the cast I was looking forward to this film and on that front I was happy enough because the cast were as solid as those names would suggest.
The title of this movie gives the plot away, which is unfortunate because the titular crime doesn't happen until the movie is almost over!Barbara Stanwyck is a career woman, independent and resistant to the theory that a woman's place is in the home behind her husband-until she meets policeman Sterling Hayden.
The bloom comes off the rose pretty quickly, however, and she finds she hates garden parties and teas with other policeman's wives.Barbara Stanwyck, the pro that she is, makes sure to insert a very large amount of passion into her character from the beginning scenes, showing the audience what she's capable of and how she feels things deeply in the moment.
It stars Barbara Stanwyck, Sterling Hayden, Raymond Burr and Fay Wray.
Yet it never fully delivers for dramatic purpose, leaving it as a modest entry in the last throes of the classic era film noir cycle.Plot sees Stanwyck as Kathy Ferguson, a strong and intelligent newspaper columnist who really doesn't suffer fools gladly.
However, when she helps the police with a crime she meets and falls in love with Lt. Bill Doyle (Hayden), and after a whirlwind romance she marries him and finds herself in a picket fence suburban hell.
etc.So, we have Barb Stanwyck, herself the protagonist of several pre-code films, some of semi-seamy variety, giving up a great career as a renowned true crime-scandal journalist, to marry Sterling Hayden, a non-ambitious police detective.
Actually - I think that a more appropriate title for this dizzy, 1957, crime-clunker would have been "Crime of Stupidity" - 'Cause, believe me, that's exactly what this idiotic film's storyline amounted to being - pure stupidity (as only Hollywood could possibly deliver it).You know - I can't imagine how anyone in the cast of this utterly implausible movie-nonsense could've ever kept a straight face, spewing out the totally awful dialogue that they did, and behaving like absolute brain-dead buffoons throughout.Personally, I think that that big, dull oaf, Sterling Hayden was one of the most insincere and unconvincing character actors of his generation, bar none.And, finally - Speaking about actress, Barbara Stanwyck - (At 50 years old here) - She was, in my opinion, absolute light years away from being believable, at all, as the irresistibly alluring business woman.
Well, if the woman is Barbara Stanwyck in the 1957 film "Crime of Passion," she connives, eliminates the competition, arranges phony accidents, engages in adultery and finally commits homicide, all to push hubby up the rungs of success.
Stanwyck, 50 here and nudging toward the end of her spectacular film career, is as intense as ever (she always gave her all in every picture); Hayden is his typically macho, upright self; Raymond Burr, playing Hayden's boss, is a tad less sleazy than usual but still not to be trusted; and Fay Wray, also 50 here and approaching the end of HER career, is fine in her small role as Burr's wife.
It's the story of a career woman (Barbara Stanwyck) who, tn middle age, marries a cop (Sterling Hayden) who forbids her to work, condemning her to a life of luncheons and card games.
The triviality and emptiness of this life is so soul-destroying, the Stanwyck character essentially goes crazy, and the movie ends with Hayden arresting his wife for murder.
Certainly, these "Ladies who Lunch" types would get on the nerves of an independent woman such as Stanwyck, and it becomes her life's mission to change their situation immediately.Stanwyck thinks like a ruthless businessman and schemes to get into the good graces of Hayden's boss's wife (Fay Wray), hoping that her husband (Raymond Burr) will look at Hayden for an important promotion.
Not as ruthless as her 40's film noir vixens Phyllis Diedrickson, Martha Ivers, or Thelma Jordan, Stanwyck's character is certainly a strong woman, having worked mainly around men and seemingly preferring their company.
The Stanwyck protagonist is the epitome of an independent woman who doesn't believe in marriage but she turns around and marries a veteran Los Angeles detective who lacks ambition.
She is going to move on up to something better.Suddenly, the plot creakily shifts and we never see the newsroom, or the sandwich boy for that matter (hell, thought he might show up as a witness or something later on, I mean, this was supposed to be a noir, right?) Stanwyck, who doesn't believe in marriage, kids, or anything like that, suddenly marries a police office she barely knows and met during work.It's not 10 minutes of screen time between when she seemingly rejects anything but a career and is next going on and on about wanting to do nothing but darn Hayden's socks.
An overwrought BARBARA STANWYCK tries hard to make CRIME OF PASSION look like a steamy melodrama but the script, production values and uninspired direction defeat her despite some valiant efforts in a couple of strong scenes.
Sterling Hayden is convincing as her unambitious police lieutenant husband who has no idea his wife is so unsatisfied with domestic life that she's willing to kill the man who blocks any chances of a career rise.
Raymond Burr gives the film's most interesting performance as a man who "picked up the chips" Stanwyck tossed at him--and makes more of his role than the script allows.
A hard-boiled middle-aged newspaper woman (Barbara Stanwyck) inexplicably falls for a police detective (Sterling Hayden) and gives up her career.
Stanwyck (like Dennis Price in a far better film) starts seeing how to remove competition for her husband, and ends up romancing Burr (married to Fay Wray).
CRIME OF PASSION is only worth seeing if one wants to see all of Stanwyck's films.
Kathy Ferguson(Barbara Stanwyck)is a newspaper columnist unhappy with her job.
Fun, low-budget late noir, where we see capable, independent career woman Barbara Stanwyck fall in love with straight-arrow L.A. cop Sterling Hayden, try to fit in as a happy Fifties housewife, quickly go insane from the effort, and commit the crime of the title.
Turning down a high paying job offer to work in New York City Kathy instead married Bill and moved to L.A. Living the boring life of a 1950's suburban housewife Kathy soon realized what a mistake she made in throwing away her career in the newspaper business for the laid back and not all that ambitious, in going up the ladder as a cop, Bill Doyle.
Barbara Stanwyck plays quite the character in Kathy Ferguson, who works for a newspaper.
This is a film noir style of movie which features Barbara Stanwyck as the wife of a hard driving chief police detective.
There is more to it, as Barbara Stanwyck is Kathy Doyle, Sterling Hayden is Bill Doyle, Raymond Burr is Tony Pope and Fay Wray is Alice Pope.. |
tt0055304 | Pit and the Pendulum | In sixteenth century Spain, Englishman Francis Barnard (John Kerr) visits the castle of his brother-in-law Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price) to investigate the mysterious death of his sister Elizabeth (Barbara Steele). Nicholas and his younger sister Catherine (Luana Anders) offer a vague explanation that Elizabeth died from a rare blood disorder six months earlier; Nicholas is evasive when Francis asks for specific details about the disease. Francis vows that he will not leave until he discovers the true circumstances surrounding his sister's death.
During dinner with the family physician, Dr. Leon (Antony Carbone), Francis again asks about his sister's death. Dr. Leon tells him that his sister died of massive heart failure, literally "dying of fright". Francis demands to be shown where Elizabeth died. Nicholas takes him to the castle's torture chamber. Nicholas reveals that Elizabeth, under the influence of the castle's "heavy atmosphere", became obsessed with the chamber's torture devices. After becoming progressively unbalanced, one day she locked herself into an iron maiden, and died after whispering the name "Sebastian". Francis refuses to believe Nicholas's story.
Francis tells Catherine that Nicholas appears to feel "definite guilt" regarding Elizabeth's death. In response, Catherine talks about Nicholas's traumatic childhood. Their father was Sebastian Medina, a notorious agent of the Spanish Inquisition. When Nicholas was a small child, he was exploring the forbidden torture chamber when his father (also played by Price) entered the room with his mother Isabella and Sebastian's brother, Bartolome. Hiding in a corner, Nicholas watched in horror as his father repeatedly hit Bartolome with a red-hot poker, screaming "Adulterer!" at him. After murdering Bartolome, Sebastian began torturing his wife slowly to death in front of Nicholas.
Catherine and Francis are later informed by Dr. Leon that Isabella in fact was not tortured to death, rather she was entombed behind a brick wall while still alive. Dr. Leon explains, "The very thought of premature interment is enough to send your brother into convulsions of horror." Nicholas fears that Elizabeth may have been interred prematurely. The doctor tells Nicholas that "if Elizabeth Medina walks these corridors, it is her spirit and not her living self."
Nicholas believes his late wife's vengeful ghost is haunting the castle. Elizabeth's room is the source of a loud commotion, and it is found ransacked and her portrait slashed to ribbons. Her beloved harpsichord plays in the middle of the night. One of Elizabeth's rings is found on the keyboard. Francis accuses Nicholas of planting the evidence of Elizabeth's "haunting" as an elaborate hoax. Nicholas insists that his wife's tomb be opened. They discover Elizabeth's putrefied corpse frozen in a position that suggests she died screaming after failing to claw her way out of her sarcophagus. Nicholas faints.
That night, Nicholas–now on the verge of insanity–hears Elizabeth calling him. He follows her ghostly voice down to her tomb. Elizabeth rises from her coffin and pursues Nicholas into the torture chamber, where he falls down a flight of stairs. As Elizabeth gloats over her husband's unconscious body, she is met by her lover and accomplice, Dr. Leon. They had plotted to drive Nicholas mad so that she could inherit his fortune and the castle.
Leon confirms that Nicholas "is gone", his mind destroyed by terror. Elizabeth taunts her insensate husband. Nicholas opens his eyes and begins laughing hysterically while his wife and the doctor recoil in horror. Believing himself to be Sebastian, he replays the events of his mother and uncle's murders. He overpowers Dr. Leon, believing him to be Bartolome, and Leon falls to his death in the pit while trying to escape. Nicholas seizes Elizabeth, and repeats his father's promise to Isabella to torture her horribly.
Francis, having heard Elizabeth's screams, enters the dungeon. Nicholas confuses Francis for Bartolome, and knocks him unconscious. He straps him to a stone slab located directly beneath a huge razor-sharp pendulum. The pendulum is attached to a clockwork apparatus that causes it to descend fractions of an inch after each swing, ever closer to Francis's torso. Catherine arrives just in time with Maximillian, one of the servants. After a brief struggle with Maximillian, Nicholas falls to his death in the pit. Francis is removed from the torture device. As they leave the basement, Catherine vows to seal up the chamber forever. They slam and lock the door shut, unaware that Elizabeth is still alive, gagged and trapped in the iron maiden. | insanity, cult, gothic, murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | 'Pit And The Pendulum' sees b-grade legend Roger Corman ('Little Shop Of Horrors'), talented suspense writer Richard Matheson ('The Incredible Shrinking Man'), and horror master Vincent Price ('The Tingler') try and recreate the success of their first Poe adaptation 'House Of Usher'.
'Pit And The Pendulum' is one of Corman's best horror movies, and one that will surprise many viewers today with just how atmospheric and creepy it still is.
Following the sudden death of his sister, Francis Barnard (John Kerr) travels to Spain to question her husband, Don Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price), son of a notoriously barbaric Inquisitor.
Medina openly mourns the death of his wife but Barnard is unconvinced by his story and is determined to discover the truth.Proceeding from 'The Fall of the House of Usher' (1960), director Roger Corman's second film in his now-famous cycle of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations was this delightfully lurid and lavish offering that can at once be both repugnant and resplendent.
Luanne Anders and Anthony Carbone offer masterful performances in their supporting roles and cult-favourite, Barbara Steele, makes short appearances as Medina's deceased wife.If the Corman/Price collaborations are to horror what the Scorsese/De Niro collaborations be to drama then this may well be Corman's 'Goodfellas'.
Right after the success of "House of Usher", director Roger Corman wanted to make another adaptation of an Edgar Allan Poe's story, "The Masque of the Red Death", however, he felt that it was not the time for that project and decided to make the short story "Pit and the Pendulum".
Reunited with Vincent Price and most of the crew of his previous film, Corman crafted another brilliant entry in the Gothic horror sub genre and a film that proved that the praise for "House of Usher" was well-deserved and not a mere lucky strike.The plot follows Englishman Francis Barnard (John Kerr) on his trip to Spain as he has received news of the death of his beloved sister Elizabeth (Barbara Steele).
At his arrival, he is informed by Elizabeth's widower, Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price), that she died of a strange blood disease, but strange events begin to happen and both men will discover the strange mystery hidden behind the walls of Medina's castle.Written by frequent collaborator Richard Matheson, the film is not really a faithful adaptation, it is a cleverly written story that fuses many different Poe's short stories in one.
Once again Matheson delivers a terrific script that captures Poe's obsession with ancient buildings and Gothic settings.Despite the low-budget, Roger Corman manage to surpass what he achieved in "House of Usher" taking care in every little detail, with the lavish sets and gorgeous cinematography making the film look as beautiful as a canvas.
He was truly a daring and inventive artist and this film remains as one of his most powerful masterpieces.The cast this time is superb, with Vincent Price taking the lead role with great talent and powerful presence.
From Price's on-screen presence to the wonderful sets, "Pit and the Pendulum" is a masterpiece of low-budget film-making, a movie that looks even better than most of the big studios productions."Pit and the Pendulum" proved to be up to its reputation and it quickly became a favorite of mine.
From horror's premier team of Roger Corman, Vincent Price and, of course, Edgar Allen Poe comes this menacing, macabre and suspenseful tale of insanity, death and betrayal.
We enter the fray as Elizabeth's brother comes to the castle in search of answers to discover the fate of his sister...Through a great Gothic atmosphere and gorgeous lavish sets, Roger Corman has created a macabre masterpiece from Poe's classic tale.
In the story, young Francis Barnard (John Kerr) goes to an evil-looking castle on the Spanish coast to investigate the death of his sister Elizabeth (Barbara Steele).
"The Pit and the Pendulum" is the second of Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe's adaptations with a screenplay by Richard Matheson.Vincent Price's performance is an obvious highlight of the film.Legendary horror actresses Luana Anders("Dementia 13")and Barbara Steele("Shivers","Silent Scream","Black Sunday")co-star in this extremely atmospheric chiller.To sum up,"The Pit and the Pendulum" is one of Roger Corman's finest offerings-it's creepy,unsettling and extremely entertaining.A masterpiece that easily gets 10 out of 10!.
After the mysterious death of Elizabeth Barnard Medina (Barbara Steele), her brother Francis Barnard (John Kerr) travels from London to Spain and without previous notice he arrives at the castle of her husband Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price).
Roger Corman and Richard Matheson brilliantly continue their ode to Edgar Allan Poe after the fantastic "House of Usher" with this spooky and uniquely Gothic masterpiece centering on the Medina family.
Some kind of" the writer's greatest hits " so to speak.The beloved late wife subject directly comes from "Morella" which will be filmed by Corman in "tales of terror" the following year.The doomed house which is slowly sinking down recalls "the fall of the House of Usher"."Burried alive" or "premature burial" plays a prominent part in the plot too.The walled up character was present in "the black cat" and "the cask of Amontillado".As for "the pit and the pendulum",it provides the movie with its final,but it's only a small segment of the whole.The actors are excellent ,the sets wonderfully Gothic,but there's something hollow in these Corman movies.Fellini was able to transcend Poe (eg segment "Tobby Dammit" in "tre passi nel delirio") ,Corman remains a respectful director,and one sees little of the madness which emanates from Poe's best works.The same goes for such works as "premature burial" or "tales of terror".Outside technically,it does not show any improvement on,for instance Jean Epstein's (helped by Luis Bunuel)"chute de la maison Usher" a silent movie from 1928..
As it turns out, Nicholas and Catherine are the offspring of the most sadistic torturer of the Spanish Inquisition.In the second film of his eight film Edgar Allan Poe series, producer & director Roger Corman creates more lavish "old dark house" atmospherics and visuals with the assistance of his very talented crew, including production designer & art director Daniel Haller and cinematographer Floyd Crosby.
Coming second, after The Fall of the House Of Usher (1960), in Roger Corman's six-film series of Edgar Allen Poe adaptations (all but one starring Vincent Price), The Pit and the Pendulum is possibly Corman's greatest film as a director.
Working with I Am Legend author Richard Matheson, who helms the script, the film retains the psychological trip of Poe's original, while creating an interesting and ironic plot surrounding a very small group of characters that leads us to Poe's famous pendulum.In 16th century Spain, Francis Barnard (John Kerr) arrives at his brother-in-law's mansion to investigate the unclear and mysterious death of his sister Elizabeth (Black Sunday's (1960) Barbara Steele).
With the arrival of the family physician Doctor Leon (Antony Cabone), Francis slowly unravels the story of the 'heavy atmosphere' of the castle and the torture devices in the chamber, previously owned by Nicholas' father, a notorious torturer in the Spanish Inquisition.Made for just $30,000, the film looks remarkable and the set design is a suitable mixture of the elegant and the grim.
JOHN KERR is a young man from England who comes to Spain to find out what happened to his sister.When the story of the Spanish nobleman's boyhood is related to Kerr, you can understand why Price is about to go insane, haunted as he is by witnessing the death of his mother and uncle in the chamber.
Roger Corman's direction is a major asset and BARBARA STEELE does nicely as the adulterous wife.Kerr is adequate as the young man inquiring into the death of his sister, but it's Price's show all the way.
The pendulum scene is a nail biter.Summing up: Top rate Gothic mystery makes good combination of Poe, Corman and Price once again..
His father tortured people during the Spanish Inquisition and poor "Nicholas" saw his uncle and mother die, too, in the torture chambers of his father's castle (which is a pretty cool place, by the way)..John Kerr, a horrible actor in this movie, plays a guy ("Francis") to comes to the castle to find out what happened to his sister who had recently died.
Edgar Allan Poe's 'The Pit and the Pendulum' - it's been a long time since I have seen it - I recalled bits and pieces of the film and remembered it was good, then I re-watched the film recently and I have to say "It really is a terrific mystery-horror classic!" It's even better than I recalled it to be.Vincent Price is outstanding (as usual) as Nicholas Medina - the tormented soul who witnessed the fact his parents had a dark secret as a child of 10.
The movie is well worth watching if you enjoy Price's films, Poe's stories/poems and a good classic mystery-horror.What an ending!
Classic Gothic horror based on Edgar Allan Poe story and magnificently directed by the prolific Roger Corman.
When his sister Elizabeth dies suddenly, Francis Barnard (John Kerr) goes to a storm-surrounded stronghold inhabited by his brother-in-law Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price), who lives with his sister (Luana Anders) , to find out exactly what happened to her .
Roger Corman truly knew what he was doing when it came to making movies and adapting Poe's stories to film.
I'm not sure he had it in him to do anything that wasn't deeply felt - Corman, in his book about his life and work, said that Price was trained in the method, of some sort at least - and you can see that 10-fold as Nicholas Medina, the (ex?) husband of Catherine (Luana Anders), as he comes apart over the course of this story.
It's a tour-de-force really and it sneaks up on you.The rest of the production is actually pretty good; some of that reaction may be that one may not immediately think of Corman as someone who could make classy, atmospheric horror movies, the kind that could actually feature a character (like Price as Nicholas does at one point in the film) walking down a hallway/stairwell littered with spiders and rats and cobwebs with terrifying music and that it would make one's skin crawl.
I think it also helps knowing that it's doubly impressive considering, if one knows their history, how little Corman and AIP usually put into their films - this looks like the real deal, as far as a low budget production could go, and (like 'Usher'), the giant house and the dark cavern and hallways of Medina are exquisite and do the job.
At the heart of Pit and the Pendulum is one of Poe's great stories, one that has been if not ripped-off then certainly done the homage- route - I could see heavy traces in something as recent as A Cure for Wellness to a degree, or really any movie that has to do with an outsider going to a dark, bad place to discover what happened to 'A' character and if 'B' is responsible or not.
In the mid-16th century, Englishman Francis Barnard (John Kerr) travels to the Spanish castle of Nicholas Medina (Vincent Price) to try and uncover the details surrounding the sudden death of his sister Elizabeth (Barbara Steele), Nicholas's wife.
Soon after arriving at the castle, Francis begins to suspect that Nicholas is hiding the truth, but what he eventually discovers is far more terrible than he could have imagined.I'm not the greatest fan of the Roger Corman/Edgar Allen Poe cycle of films, finding their combination of creaky Gothic trappings, trite atmospherics and overwrought melodrama just a little too cheesy to be wholly effective; for much of the time, Pit and the Pendulum is just the same, with Price hamming it up and Corman laying on the eeriness with a trowel.Thankfully, the film is short enough to prevent boredom kicking in and is saved somewhat by a great final act that provides one or two neat twists, some well handled excitement (the razor-sharp pendulum of the title finally making an appearance, swinging to and fro above a shackled Francis) and a befitting closing shot (I won't say what it is, but it's a corker)..
Vincent Price and Barbara Steele/What Fun. We will start out by saying that Edgar Allen Poe's story has nothing to do with this movie.
The second of Roger Corman's Edgar Allan Poe adaptations stars Vincent Price(again superb) as Nicholas Medina, tormented son of an infamous Spanish Inquisitor who is visited by his brother-in-law Francis Barnard(John Kerr) who demands to see his sister Elizabeth(played by Barbara Steele) He is informed that she has died of a blood disease, but refuses to believe this, and investigates matters himself with distressing consequences...Equally good follow-up to "House Of Usher" is once again atmospherically directed by Roger Corman and written by Richard Matheson, who create a moody and ultimately tragic tale of fate and madness, with fine production design and a memorable climax and end..
This Roger Corman production takes a lot of liberties with Edgar Allan Poe's short story, but the rich atmosphere and excellent cast, including John Kerr and Barbara Steele, make this a memorable classic in Gothic horror.
A combination of an inventive adaptation of the not-so-scary short story, along with a great score and acting by the cast, especially Vincent Price, made this movie terrifiying and entertaining.
My main attractions to Pit and the Pendulum were Edgar Allan Poe, I love his sense of atmosphere and the fun, haunting writing style, and Vincent Price, who no matter the film or the quality of the script is one of those actors who always delivered.
Arriving at the Medina castle, he finds the Medina family deeply suspicious characters and the castle itself a foreboding place harnessing a deadly past.The Pit And The Pendulum is the second film in the series of Edgar Allan Poe adaptations that director Roger Corman tackled, it's also easily one of the best.
It's the best of the Corman films based, very loosely, on the stories of Edgar Allan Poe and is probably my all-time favorite horror film.
I saw The Pit and the Pendulum in 1963 and it scared the hell out of this 14-year-old, just as did The Fall of the House of Usher (still my favourite of the Poe/Corman films).
Fine Gothic horror based on a story of maestro Edgar Allan Poe and a classic and masterpiece of Roger Corman and the great Vincent Price.
In this-the second Roger Corman/Vincent Price adaptation by Richard Matheson of an Edgar Allan Poe tale-Price plays Nicholas Medina whose wife Elizabeth (Barbara Steele) died several weeks ago.
With Masque of the Red Death it was the best Corman/quasi-Poe, like that one a rewriting of Poe's story/stories but still coming out OK in its own right.Wooden inquisitive Englishman visits gloomy Spanish lord Vincent Price's spooky castle to find out why and how his sister died, Price's wife.
Vincent Price was very good at the part of Nicholas Medina, very mysterious, always acting the way a husband would if his wife was haunting the house.
This 80-minute version was directed by Roger Corman and stars Vincent Price as Nicholas Medina who's legacy in life is closely tied to the Spanish Inquisition.
This is the second of the many Poe adaptations Price, director Roger Corman and writer Richard Matheson made (after "House of Usher") and considered by many to be the best in the series.
Roger Corman's "Pit And The Pendulum" of 1961 starring his greatness Vincent Price is an absolutely brilliant masterpiece and, simply put, one of the greatest horror films ever made.
The special effects are also astonishing for the time, and the sceneries are very well made, the castle and its chambers look scary as hell on their own.There is no doubt in my mind that Vincent Price was one of the greatest actors who ever lived, and "Pit And The Pendulum" is one of the greatest horror films that have ever been made.
If you're looking for a moody, atmospheric thriller, this is your movie.It stars Vincent Price (as does most of the Poe films) as Nicholas Medina, a (I guess) conquistador in the 1600s (The film doesn't specify when or where it takes place, but that is my best guess)It is a performance of great restraint and power.
A bit slow going at times, but classy and entertaining Poe adaptation (scripted by Richard Matheson) features Vincent Price as Nicholas Medina, a 16th Century nobleman suffering in his seaside castle after the death of his beloved wife Elizabeth (Barbara Steele), believing she had been buried alive.
An elaborate downstairs torture chamber with a rack, an iron maiden and (of course) a pit AND a pendulum add up to a lively finale when Nicholas finally snaps and believes he's his own father...a notoriously sadistic Spanish inquisitor!Corman knows how to stretch a limited budget with some stylish flashback sequences, a professional cast, good Les Baxter score and effective period sets and costumes as good as anything else you'd see at the time.
Barbara Steele, famous for her roles with Mario Bava, appears as the late sister, but she doesn't do much; apparently Corman had her dialogue dubbed by another actress.As I write this, it occurs to me that it is entirely possible that I didn't enjoy "Pit and the Pendulum" as much as other viewers because I have read the Poe short story, and I was just waiting for its depiction to begin properly on screen.
The the rest of the Roger Corman films named after tales by Edgar Allen Poe, this one has practically nothing to do with the original tale--save a few story elements.A young man from England arrives in Spain to find out what happened to his sister.
A nobleman from England, Francis(John Kerr)comes to an old castle once occupied by a torturer of the Spanish Inquisition, now lived in by his son Nicholas(Vincent Price).
Vincent Price, John Kerr, Barbara Steele, Luana Anders and Antony Carbone star in Roger Corman's 1961 horror film based on Edgar Allan Poe's novel.
The Pit and the Pendulum is a classic.Vincent Price plays the haunted widower who goes mad and is by far the best actor in the entire movie! |
tt0116897 | Little Witches | Faith (Mimi Rose) is a relatively shy young teenager that is heartbroken when her mother informs her that she must spend Easter break at her Catholic girls' school as opposed to coming home. She's roomed with the rebellious Jamie (Sheeri Rappaport), who initially scandalizes Faith with her wild antics. Despite her initial misgivings, Faith finds herself bonding slightly with Jamie and the four other teen misfits that had to remain behind. The group is soon intrigued when construction work on the school's church uncovers a Satanic temple containing the remains of several schoolgirls believed to have gone missing almost a hundred years ago.
The teens venture into the temple one night while everyone is asleep and they discover an ancient book written in Latin. Faith is fluent in Latin and translates the book, which outlines a spell that will summon a demon from the pits of hell. Jamie and some of the other girls are eager to practice the spell, but Faith is reticent due to the spell requiring a virgin sacrifice - especially after learning that the schoolgirls were murdered by a guardian devoted to keeping the spell from being cast. This reluctance, along with her interactions with a handsome construction worker named Daniel (Tommy Stork), helps alienate her from Jamie, who was somewhat attracted to him. Things grow more tense when the teens return to the hidden room and discover that there is still a guardian around, as the room was covered in graffiti that warned them that summoning the demon would lead to their deaths. Because Faith has refused to help translate the rest of the book, Jamie decides to play a cruel trick on her by inviting Daniel to their room and making it appear as if he was trying to rape her.
Sister Sherilyn (Jennifer Rubin) provides Faith with some guidance and has her bring meals to Mother Clodah (Zelda Rubinstein), a strange nun bearing a distinctive birthmark on her face. This ends up being to Faith's benefit, as she manages to avoid falling under one of Jamie's spells by praying with Mother Clodah. Unfortunately the encounter also ends with Mother Clodah's death due to Jamie poisoning her meal, believing Mother Clodah to be the guardian. Jamie, who has taught herself to read Latin due to Faith's refusal to translate, proceeds with the spell as planned. The movie implies that the teens will use Faith as a sacrifice due to her virginal nature, but Jamie ends up using Daniel instead after she learns that he is also a virgin. Horrified that they are moving forward with the spell, Faith receives help from Sister Sherilyn, who reveals that she is the guardian. They manage to stop the ceremony in time to save Daniel, but at the cost of the lives of Jamie and all of the other girls involved with the spell. | psychedelic, comedy, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0165581 | The King of Queens | Doug and Carrie Heffernan are a working class couple living at "3121 Aberdeen Street" in Rego Park, Queens, New York, along with Carrie's eccentric father, Arthur Spooner. Doug works for the fictional International Parcel Service (IPS) as a delivery driver, while Carrie works as a secretary in Manhattan, first for a law firm and later for a real estate firm. Their lives are complicated by the demands of Arthur, so much so that they eventually hire Holly, a professional dog walker, to spend time with him as she walks dogs in the park.
Also featured on the show are Doug's friends Deacon Palmer, Spence Olchin and Richie Iannucci, as well as Doug's cousin Danny Heffernan. Deacon's wife Kelly is Carrie's best friend.
Most scenes take place in the Heffernans' home, but other common locations include Doug and Carrie's workplaces, the restaurant "Cooper's" and the residences of friends and family. While locations seen during the theme-song were filmed in areas surrounding New York, the series was filmed in California.
The show begins after Doug and Carrie have already married, and how they met is slightly unclear due to continuity issues. In one flashback episode, "Meet By-Product", Doug meets Carrie when he is a bouncer at a nightclub that Carrie attends. However, in another episode, "Road Rayge", Carrie reflects on a song that she says Doug asked her to dance to when they were in junior high school. In a later episode, it was implied that they all went to high school together, as Kelly and Carrie were said to have slept with the same guy neither husband knew of until the day of the guy's wedding. | humor | train | wikipedia | This show has two things that other great sitcoms don't or didn't, Kevin James and Jerry Stiller.
Kevin must be one of the most underrated comedy actors there is, his comedy timing is perfect, he is insensitive yet endearing and basically just damn funny, the scenes between him and Leah Remini are just fantastic.
Sense Seinfeld, Friends and many other great sitcoms have left the scene I am left with wasting my life on the one great series that is left, "The King of Queens", and in my humble opinion beats them all.
I have to admit, as has been mentioned before, it takes a couple of shows before you get hooked but it doesn't take long before you start realizing the brilliant comedic performance and timing of Kevin James, Patton Oswalt, Jerry Stiller and Leah Remini.
However, I'm puzzled only about one thing, "Everybody Loves Raymond," but I don't, and it is hovering around #5 in the ratings but The King of Queens, which totally kicks ass on Raymond isn't even showing up in the top 20, what's up with that?
You've got Doug played by Kevin James who is the loving and sometimes self-centered husband to Carrie played by Leah Remini.
King of Queens is definitely a show to watch week nights after a days work.
The latter part of the episode where Doug beats up his childhood self in a therapy session is beyond funny, it's one of the most creative scenes I've seen on a sitcom.
I feel the strange need to defend this show, because it is severely underrated--while "Friends" was sometimes amusing, and "Raymond" has some great episodes and characters, they both lacked the creative touch that "King of Queens" has.
The King of Queens is a very funny show especially since Jerry Stiller (Ben Stiller's dad) is in this series and I think Jerry Stiller is hilarious!
This series is about a blue-collar couple, Douglas and Carrie Heffernan (Kevin James and Leah Remini) share their home in Queens, New York (suburb of New York City) with Carrie's crazy dad, Arthur (played the hilarious, Jerry Stiller).
Burly Doug, who makes a living as a parcel deliveryman, often has to scheme to find time alone with Carrie, as Arthur can be quiet a handful -- so much so that they a dog-walker, Holly, to look after him.
But it actually isn't.I think everyone should see at least one episode to see if you like especially Carrie's 30th Birthday or the one where Deacon and his wife go some where cause of a family crisis and Doug and Carrie watch Deacon's kids.
This show reminds me of Everybody Loves Raymond, which is just as funny, but King of Queens' comedic jokes are easier to figure out than Raymond's.
Can't understand why this is called The "King" of Queens when it is quite clear Doug is not the King of his own home let alone Queens, a more realistic title would be "Carrie is always right" because everything has to be her way or no way which can be quite annoying, Arthur Spooner is Frank Costanza imported from Seinfeld which makes Jerry Stiller look like a one trick pony who can only play eccentric angry old men which I am sure is not true, some of the episodes are quite entertaining but some others are bordering on farce and leave you feeling embarrassed on the characters behalf, I sometimes quite like the show but can't help thinking it is a poor man's Everybody Loves Raymond..
Kevin James and Leah Remini as Doug & Carrie Haffernan are the craziest couple I know, Jerry Stiller as Arthur is the funniest "grandpa" I know, and Victor Williams and (especially) Patton Oswalt as Deacon & Spence are the most different, but funny guys I know.
"The King of Queens" could be divided into two eras.The first era, constituted of the first few seasons portrayed the issues of everyday life of a man and his wife making it through life in the city paycheck by paycheck.The second era, increased the scope of the show, addressing current popular culture and marital issues with a humorous spin.But besides all of that...This show was freaking hilarious.Kevin James, when not doing crap comedy films with Adam Sandler, is a genius of laughter, and his chemistry with Leah Remini was unparalleled on TV.Jerry Stiller as the psychotic live-in father in law added his own unique style of quirky humor, and Patton Oswalt as the "man-child" Spence Ulchin was amazing, (he's a great comedian too) "The King of Queens" was the final sitcom of the 1990s to go off the air, and it's a damn shame.
My boyfriend and I love going to stand up comedy shows in Boston (where we live) and have seen Kevin James twice and his brother Gary Valentine (Danny) once.
Set in the working-class suburb of Queens, New York, the show follows Doug Heffernan (Kevin James), an amiable delivery man, and his wife, spitfire legal secretary Carrie Heffernan (Leah Remini), as they explore the everyday challenges of love, life, family and marriage.
Doug's friends Deacon Palmer (Victor Williams), Spence Olchin (Patton Oswalt) and cousin Danny Heffernan (Gary Valentine) round out the cast with their "guy" humor and diverse perspectives.In a manner that evokes "The Honeymooners," THE KING OF QUEENS finds inspiration in life's everyday situations.
I am sorry, but anybody who finds them to be funny or hilarious is just beyond my comprehension.The whole idea for a good comedy show is to make the people who are watching it laugh and find it to be very entertaining.
In a time of bad, if not plain awful, comedies, King of Queens is more than just a breath of fresh air, it's a complete oxygen tank!
It's a sad day when a great, quality sitcom such as The King Of Queens goes out with a whimper (ratings-wise) and moronic ones such as Two And A Half Men continue to go strong.
KoQ, for nine great seasons, brought us hilarious plot lines, colorful characters, and witty dialogue led by the anchoring performance of Kevin James.
Rarely did the story lines come out perfect for all of the characters, but the world kept on spinning and the laughs kept on coming...However, what I've forgotten to mention is that The King Of Queens was also a tremendously funny show.
Kevin James, whom plays IPS deliveryman Doug Heffernan is extremely funny, Leah Remini who plays Doug's wife Carrie is incredibly hot ( # 19 on Stuff magazine's hottest 102 woman list ), and very funny.
He has a pretty wife, Carrie (Leah Remini), who works as a legal assistant, and senile father-in-law, Arthur Spooner (Jerry Stiller), who lives in his daughter and son-in-law's basement.
Kevin James' Doug is your typical beer drinking, sports loving, TV watching slob of a sitcom husband who would rather watch the tube than deal with his marital issues.
The worst of all this is that it's all so damm uninteresting and lacking in every way.To make things worse leading man Kevin James has a permanent "I'm so funny" smug grin on his face that would be tolerable if only he once delivered in the comedy department, which he doesn't, he just lies there doing nothing like a big unfunny baby.
However,I figured one episode as insufficient to form an opinion, so I watched several more episodes.From this I deduced the characters portrayed in the series were some of the most unscrupulous, selfish, loathsome, childish people I had every seen.
The show is basically about Doug, (Kevin James) a crude, fat delivery guy who is your typical pretentious chauvinist, a staple of male characters in American sitcoms these days.
She is the typical wife character, similar to the wife on 'Everybody Loves Raymond' (only Carrie is funny), which is not surprising since they're both on CBS.
A more sophisticated version of 'Home Improvement.' To be fair, these shows often portray the husband as the idiot and the wife as the all-knowing figure, and as such, the husband comes off funny and the wife just comes off as painstakingly annoying.The other characters in the show is the terrific Jerry Stiller (who deserves better material), perhaps the more interesting subject of the show, as the father-in-law.
Then, like all of these sitcoms of it's kind, there are Doug's stupid friends who are so miserably stupid, it's often a pain to watch them.
Basically, 'King of Queens' makes your male characters to be complete and utter idiots, and the situations aren't so funny as realizing how stupid these people are.
Like the characters of 'Everybody Loves Raymond' where none of the family members seem to be able to tolerate one another, it's a wonder why Doug and Carrie would even want to be married to each other.
While this show might be running out of gas in terms of what they can do with the plot lines and character development,this show almost never fails to amuse me,sometimes LMAO.It could be argued that in real life,the couple of Doug and Carrie Hefernin(Kevin James,who's even funnier as a stand up,and Leah Remini)would rarely,if ever be together,but once watching the show,you are hit with the realization:just because he's a fat,blue-collar slob and she,an on-the-cusp-of-white collar attractive lady,doesn't mean they don't share a brain or methodology.
It was actually Arthur that is a funny guy in this show, but sometime he can be like the rest of the cast: Annoying to watch.
The family dynamic still seems real and the situations after all this time are not so far fetched to make it seem the writers are reaching into an empty bag trying to keep the show on for one more season It is one of the few shows I watch without the remote in my hand for quick switching..
Last night, I watched my first episode of King of Queens.
"King of Queens" occasionally has some genuinely funny moments but, unfortunately, they are very few and very far between.Kevin James is the beer loving dolt who is married to pretty but shrewish wife, Leah Remini.
Its airing in Ireland at the moment on the Irish television station RTE1 at 12.30pm in the Afternoon (as of 26th July 2006).This program literally makes me laugh out aloud and I cannot boast that on most sitcom's (apart from UK's 'The Office' with Ricky Gervais in it).Todays episode of TKoQ (26 July 2006)was the one where Carrie starts a new job and invites her friends home and goes off to make some coffee and Doug wants Carrie to have no 'outside' friends so he lifts up his top and shows off his 'belly hair!' and licks plates when he goes out to dinner!
But another funny episode was the other week when the old fella (carries Dad) won on the Bingo and that episode creased me up with laughter especially when they went out and got a replacement fridge and Carries father stood there looking at it and thought it was new.So I don't know how much longer this has got to run on Irish TV or at which stage (year recorded) we are at but I hope it don't end soon because I am really enjoying it.To sum up there is some great writing, some great characters and comedy acting (namely by Carrie, Doug and Carries father) some great punchlines and delivered well - a bit saucy and near the mark sometimes (send the kids out the room!) but i think this US Sitcom is a winner and very funny..
If you have had a crap day just sit yourself down with a beer (if you are old enough that is.if not a root beer will have to do.) and watch a couple of episodes,it's the perfect recipe for happiness.The thing I like most is that everybody in the show is very funny and they all have fantastic comedy timing.
Hi I do not want to offend i just wanted to express how i and many others feel about Leah Remini being a member of Scientology i know everyone has the right to believe in any religion or cult they want but maybe it would help the show if this was not revealed as it was on the BBC shown on CSI as it makes you think what kind of empty person is he/she that has no faith in the lord and believe it or not makes an impact on the actual character Carrie, i used to watch the show all the time since it started but this has put me off and instead of watching the show so it helps the ratings i spread the word for people not to watch it..
This is one of those shows you can watch every episode over and over again and laugh every time.
It's criminal that when people think of the sitcom greats, they list shows such as Seinfeld, Cheers, Frasier and so on, with The King of Queens rarely getting a mention.
This show was consistently entertaining for eight whole seasons, with a simple well-worn formula that it managed to do great things thing: fat lazy funny guy is married to attractive, thin and a bit rude woman, and live with her elderly, partially crazy father.You have seen this kind of formula hundreds of times before, but never was it done so well as in KOQ.
CBS has never had a good show and with this one they actually spit in your face.After creating a terribly unfunny show for the worst comedian alive(Ray Romano),they created this "companion" show for an equally unfunny turd of a person.What is a companion show?It's a lie to fool stupid people.They want you to think it's a spin-off but there is no real connection.Romano appears on the show twice and both times are horrible.This show has nothing original or funny.It goes for the over used "fat man with a hot wife" story but it's all a lie.It's really the used to death "married people who hate other" story,just like that awful Raymond show.The only difference is there are no kids who are never there.All the "comedy" centers around the married couple lying to each other and it's never funny.The few times the story line wanders,it becomes about them coddling a crazy old man,very disturbing.There are actually 2 episodes where one of the "married" people gets an apartment and keep it a secret.Is that what marriage is?Being forced to lie and be miserable?The only thing I have ever learned from CBS is that marriage is a joke.I already knew Kevin James wasn't funny..
"King of Queens" didn't get quite the hype of "Sienfeld", "Friends" or "Everybody Loves Raymond" but it's just as good.The principle and second characters are compelling and well-acted.
Kevin James (Doug) is great with Leah Remini (Carrie) and Jerry Stiller (Arthur) is always hilarious...
Originally I started to watch King of Queens because of Leah.
The supporting cast of King of Queens is great too Victor Williams and Patton Oswalt particularly need a mention - my only gripe is with Jerry Stiller.
this show is the best it is full of laughs and Kevin James is the best so if you want a good show i recommend the king of queens and its a letdown that they canceled it so in the end this show will make you forget your worries and troubles cause if you have a cast with Kevin James and jerry stiller you cant go wrong.
so i don't know why the canceled the show if any one knows please tell me.now a days you cant find a lot of shows that fulfill your needs as an audience.after Seinfeld and king of queens the only show worth watching is prison break and if that stops i don't know what to do.
With them lives Carrie's father Arthur, a picture-book extrovert, who is played by the fantastic Jerry Stiller and who steals the show from all the others every time he appears.
Some episodes were rather funny, then there were many that were not worth watching--primarily for the reasons mentioned in the negative reviews, essentially that Doug and Carrie were often not likable people.Still, they did have some good episodes.
Leah Remini and Kevin James have real chemistry, and she isn't really mean to him like you see on some other shows (According to Jim, anyone?) Jerry Stiller essentially reprises his charactar from Seinfeld but now he really gets a chance to shine.
King of Queens is a rare comedy that has all the right ingredients to give you serious belly laughs which is normally caused by Arthur Spooner, I think its about time this comedy gets the hype it deserves and not the lame Raymond & CO..
With the chemistry comes brilliant timing and superb delivery - this is a first-rate comedy.Carrie (Leah Remini) is the new Elaine -- finally, a female lead who is as demented as the male and isn't just installed in the cast to play the straight-and-crabby, intolerant wife (see Everybody Loves Raymond).This is a Grade A comedy that works as well in rerun as Seinfeld does - always getting new laughs.
I love "The King of Queens", I would say this sitcom is one of the funniest who exist, but many people underrate it.
Kevin James is a very great comedian and he bring me always to laugh, but it would not so good work, without the pretty and hilarious Leah.
Leah and James play great together, they play a lovely and very funny couple and I like this couple because it's different like others, and Arthur(Jerry Stiller) who get on Doug and Carrie's nerves play that so great, I don't know what I can say more about the show, it's great and you have to watch it..
It is mainly focused around Doug and Carrie,-(Kevin James; Leah Remini) a couple from Queens, New York. |
tt0116493 | Harriet the Spy | Eleven-year-old Harriet M. Welsch is an aspiring writer who lives in New York City's Upper East Side. A precocious and enthusiastic girl, Harriet enjoys writing and hopes to become a writer. Encouraged by her nanny, Catherine "Ole Golly," Harriet carefully observes others and writes her thoughts down in a notebook as practice for her future career, to which she dedicates her life. She follows an afternoon "spy route", during which she observes her classmates, friends, and people who reside in her neighborhood. One subject that Harriet observes is a local store, where the younger son Fabio cannot make anything of his career in contrast to the hardworking and loyal Bruno, and where the stock boy Joe Curry or "Little Joe" is eating in the storeroom and feeding homeless kids instead of working.
Harriet's best friends are Simon "Sport" Rocque, a serious boy who wants to be a CPA or a ball player, and Janie Gibbs, who wants to be a scientist. Harriet's enemies in her class are Marion Hawthorne, the teacher's pet and self-appointed queen bee of her class, and Marion's best friend and second-in-command, Rachel Hennessy.
Harriet enjoys having structure in her life. For example, she regularly eats tomato sandwiches and adamantly refuses to consume other types of sandwiches. However, Harriet's life changes abruptly after Ole Golly's suitor, Mr. Waldenstein, proposes and she accepts; when Mrs. Welsch exclaims, "You can't leave, what will we do without you?!" Ole Golly replies that she had planned to leave soon because she believes Harriet is old enough to care for herself. Harriet is crushed by the loss of her nanny, to whom she was very close. Her mother and father, who have been largely absentee parents during Ole Golly's tenure as nanny due to their obligations to work and social life, are at a loss to understand Harriet's feelings and are of little comfort to her.
Later at school, during her period game of tag, Harriet loses her notebook. Her classmates find it and are appalled at her brutally honest documentation of her opinions of them. For example, in her notebook she compares Sport to a "little old woman" for his continual worrying about his father. The students form a "Spy Catcher Club" in which they think up ways to make Harriet's life miserable, such as stealing her lunch, passing nasty notes about her in class, and spilling ink on her, but that backfires when Harriet slaps Marion in revenge, leaving a blue hand print on her face.
Harriet regularly spies on them through a back fence and concocts vengeful ways to punish them. She realizes the consequences of the mean things she wrote, and though she is hurt and lonely, she still thinks up special punishments for each member of the club. After getting into trouble for carrying out some of her plans, Harriet tries to resume her friendship with Sport and Janie as if nothing had ever happened, but they both reject her. Harriet spends all her time in class writing in her notebook as a part of her plan to punish the Spy Catcher Club. As a result of never doing her schoolwork and of skipping school for days at a time and taking to her bed out of depression, her grades suffer. This leads Harriet's parents to confiscate her notebook, which only depresses Harriet further. Harriet's mother takes her daughter to see a psychiatrist, who advises Harriet's parents to contact Ole Golly and encourage Harriet's former nanny to write to her. In her letter, Ole Golly tells Harriet that if anyone ever reads her notebook, "you have to do two things, and you don't like either one of them. 1: You have to apologize. 2: You have to lie. Otherwise you are going to lose a friend."
Meanwhile, dissent is rippling through the Spy Catcher Club. Marion, the teacher's pet and self-appointed queen bee of her class, and her best friend and second-in-command, Rachel, are calling all the shots, and Sport and Janie are tired of being bossed around. When they quit the club, most of their classmates do the same.
Harriet's parents speak with her teacher and the headmistress, and Harriet is appointed editor of the class newspaper, replacing Marion. The newspaper—featuring stories about the people on Harriet's spy route and the students' parents—becomes an instant success. Harriet also uses the paper to make amends by printing a retraction, defeating Marion and is forgiven by Sport and Janie. | flashback | train | wikipedia | I think this movie has a great plot and a great message to young children.
In totality, this is a cute movie with a good message, and if you liked the movie, read the book too..
I saw Harriet the Spy when it first came out and bought the video about a year ago.
I always thought that it would make a good film (along with the Narnia tales and A Wrinkle in Time).
(for another good performance by Rosie, see also Wide Awake)Harriet seems like a typical albeit intelligent kid.
and that's what's great about Harriet the Spy. You never feel that the film is talking down to its audience or trying to present the child world in such a sweetened watered-down way so as to placate adults.
But they actually improved on Sport's role.Some people have complained that the movie is disjointed and at times unrealistic.
The movie is from The subjective lens of Harriet's minds-eye, an eye that see things with more than a little wit and imagination.
Harriet the Spy is the story of an eleven-year-old girl, who has been taught to be an individual.
Harriet the Spy is an extraordinary film that bubbles out charm toward kids of any age..
I imagine the author of the original book sitting down and having trouble writing, them ruminating about why on the page.Therefore, we have a youthful experimenter, a blocked writer, a "gardener" who makes environments from trash, another maker of environments (cages) who craves companionship, a woman who lives in a cage (Kitt), the Dad who is a movie comedian, together with lesser characters.And the spy who spies so she can write what we see.
with the possible exception of irvin kershner's 1966 adaptation of elliot baker's a fine madness, i don't i've seen a better translation of a book about writing into a film.
sure we think of louise fitzhugh's harriet trilogy (harriet the spy, the long secret, and sport) as being about the the comic adventures of a little girl and her friends in nyc and they are; but the heart of harriet's writerly spirit comes shining through in bronwen hughes film of douglas petrie's fairly literal, and literate, adaption.
there is a period update which makes some of the book's innocence play a little quaint and the kid movie necessary rapid edit kiddie silliness that saps some of the seriousness without actually attaining the levity it seeks; but by and large the film is worth taking any kid over 8 to and anyone who has ever seriously thought of writing, or even just felt a longing to express and accepted.
Michelle Trachtenberg,as Harriet, more than ably carries the film, especially considering she was only 11 at the time..
The story was OK, maybe a bit shallow for my taste - I'm haven't been a kid for a long time - but I was really taken with the acting.
Everyone played his/her part beautifully, completely credible, and none was the frightful red-haired brat as used to be portrayed in children's movies.I was particularly taken with Harriet herself, and am not surprised that she has gone on to greater things.The main lesson learned from this film appears to be that two wrongs do not make a right.
Michelle Trachtenberg makes a great Harriet the Spy. This movie is filled with comedy for the younger kids and is worth a look.
Harriet the Spy has a great mix of comedy, drama and tragedy.
I'm not familiar with the books regarding Harriet the Spy, so I thought the movie was going to be about a kid who uncovered and foiled some illegal plot she stumbled across.
I loved Rosie O' Donnell in this film she is truly an awesome actor and during the movie you can't help but get a little teary eyed and crack up when your supposed to.
I recommend for anyone especially a movie night for the family and/or friends!
Instead the movie had very little to do with adventurous spying, and instead was a showcase of dysfunctional families, a neurotic girl, and vindictive children.
And it's a difficult thing to adapt to film, since so much of the text takes place inside Harriet's head and in the pages of her notebook.
While not as zippily paced as the book, and the film can get predictable and a tad corny, it is entertaining thanks to the spirited acting and the enthusiasm that shapes this movie.
The script is well written and quite mature and funny, and the premise about a girl who spies on her friends and family and writes about them in her notebook, is a nice one.
My 11-year-old daughter and I watched the video of Harriet the Spy last night.
Once the plot finally kicks in (Harriet alienates her friends when they read the "truth" about them in her secret diary), it is well-developed and very "real".
It seemed to us like that middle scene was intended to be cut, but got put in anyway.I gave this film 8/10 from a "family viewing" and "production quality" aspect.
Nothing is more adequate than such quote when the analyzed person is the great Le Carré, author of treasures like "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy", "Smiley's People" among many other espionage novels.
The same can't be said to the main character of "Harriet the Spy" neither about the story, that almost reached such description (and it could have been way better).So, little Harriet (Michelle Trachtenberg) wants to be a writer and for such she pretends to be like a spy who sees everything, writing down all the things she sees, from random and somewhat pointless happenings to making truthful remarks about her friends and school mates.
But when her diary is stolen by her most ferocious enemy things can turn out to be real bad for her if such descriptions be known to everyone she knows.A cute movie, nice to watch but that doesn't help us much.
Fine, this a movie for kids and for them is prefect, very enjoyable, but those kind of flicks work better if they attract mature audiences as well, even if using two or three jokes for them.
The cast assembled here with names like Trachtenberg, Rosie O'Donnell, Robert Joy and Gregory Smith makes of "Harriet the Spy" quite a good film, and we can excuse some of its problems.The main focus that a good writer is made with observations and notes only isn't much handy (as Harriet discovers).
Above all, and I can't believe this was left out of the movie, a good writer must be a great reader of all sources and different types of readings, must have a background of readings.
And if I'm making too much fuzz over a kid's movie, too much complications, is because is that I wanted to see an intelligent work, with this kind of plot but in a dramatic way, with lots of suspense, a teenager who wants to be a writer but gets involved with more and more trouble while covering a story.
"Harriet the Spy" has to be one of Nickelodeon's greatest movies ever created!
I love the way that Harriet is spunky and eager to learn more about life and that just makes me love her character more.
I also love Rosie O'Donnell's role in this movie as she acts as Harriet's guide to learning more about life by encouraging her to write about what she sees out in the open.
"Harriet the Spy" is definitely one of Nickelodeon's classics that can't be forgotten for a long time..
Growing up, this was one of my favorite books to read...and maybe I was a little old for the movie when it came out (15 or so), but I was quite disappointed.
My favorite character was Janie - even though she looked nothing like I'd ever pictured, she was portrayed exactly in the right way.
I loved Michelle Trachtenberg in Pete & Pete, and I'm glad she's gone on to bigger and better things - but I really don't think she fit the part well.
Harriet was a little more serious of a kid in the book - though maybe that just reflects how I interpreted her, and how seriously *I* took her.
All in all, it's not a bad movie - but I recommend reading the book first, or having your child enjoy the book..
Entertainment in a very realistic kids movie..
I think Michelle did an excellent job as Harriet.
I also liked the adventures the nanny, Rosie O'Donnel, took the kids on.
Overall it was a very fun and entertaining movie that even little kids will like..
The title character comes across as the sort of person who does everything possible to entertain herself with no regard to anyone's wellbeing; seriously, some of actions seem kind of nasty.Basically, the little ones will very likely spend the whole time laughing.
Welsch (Michelle Trachtenberg) is a sixth grader with best friends Sport (Gregory Smith) and Janie Gibbs.
Marion takes Harriet's notebook and starts reading it out loud to everybody.
Even Sport and Janie turns on Harriet when her uncomplimentary private thoughts become public.The movie is aggressively trying to be wacky.
Spying on the cat guy is fine but spying on Eartha Kitt takes up too much time in an important section of the movie.
I haven't liked anything she's done since and I miss the days of "Harriet the Spy".
This movie reminds me of what it was like to be a kid: always fun and carefree.
Everything was an adventure and you knew that you and your buddies would be friends forever.It's a great movie for kids, full of laughter, suspense, and adventure.
It's amazingly funny and gives you a good idea of what the rest of the movie will be like.
Actually, it's a must see for everyone, because we all need a movie that makes us feel young again and "Harriet the Spy" definitely does that.
I can't get enough of it don't over look it as a movie just for kids.
Rosie was good too she played a very calm person a role I think she should do more often.
Best Kid's Movie Ever!!!.
It's more of a movie for the family than just for the kids.
After the movie, you'll probably want to get a nice composition notebook and write down everything, pun intended..
Another problem is this movie can get really ridiculous, even for a kid film.
I thought that Harriet (Michelle Trachtenberg) was a really good spy until Marion (Charlotte Sullivan) got ahold of her journal.
Before I wrap this up, I'd like to say that the moral of this movie is that you should never write negative things about people and leave them where they can be read by others.
Probably a decent film for kids, and it carried a good message of forgiveness in the end, but I figure I'm too long in the tooth for this style of entertainment..
That there is Harriet's problem and that there is the movie's plot.
When I first heard that she got her very own movie in which she starred as the main character at the age of 12 (6 years before I was born), no questions asked: I went and watched that film straight away.To begin with, I was never familiar with the story of Harriet the Spy, since it's such an old series I couldn't even read by the time it was already several years old.
At first, I thought it was about an actual 'child-spy' who uncovered some kind of secret plot, and I thought it was just going to be another one of those Home Alone-type movies.
But when it came to watching it, I found something much, much better.Michelle's acting was amazing for a 12-year-old girl, and when she wanted to look intimidating, she looked intimidating as hell.
That's traumatizing.)), I found myself either making an awfully loud "Aww" sound every few seconds or quietly sobbing as I felt sorry for Harriet.To sum the whole thing up, Harriet the Spy is a heartfelt and truly touching film with guffawing comedy, bawling drama and everything in between.
For me, it wasn't just a family movie (I also watched it on my own, so that's another weird thing to add on to how I am 14 years old, at an age where no-one watches such emotional tales): it was a life lesson to helping your friends and never leaving them no matter what..
Michelle Trachtenberg was so adorable as Harriet M.
I'm randomly here online checking out Harriet The Spy, since it's really my favorite movie of all time.
Harriet The Spy Is Soooooooooooooo Good> Like its just such a great movie for kids.
i think that all kids should be supported in their ventures such as writing in a notebook.
They like it even better when it's filled with pretty things and words.fabulous movie..
The old saying that a book is better than a movie, in this case, is true ( which is worse news for the film).
I don't know about you, but I think I'd be interested in reading a book of a close friend, or even a nemesis who I grew up with.The acting in this film is subpar, even for a kids movie.
Harriet the Spy. This was the first film i ever saw in the cinema.
i loved it, brillantly acting and also very tearful especially if your a kid, and relate to most of the children/teenage problems of bullying, but this film is a brillant kid/family movie, even my mum watches this.
Its based on a girl that has a diary, its sort of her bestfriend, but when it starts getting her into trouble, her evil parents take it away from her, with help from her nanny she wins back the love from her friends and..
a good kids movie.
I watched this movie because it was Nickoloden and I was bored at the start but when the nanny golly left the movie got good because she did more spying.
It was good when all her friends read her spy book and then she got them all back.
I loved this book when I was growing up in the sixties, and I was thrilled when I found out that they made a movie out of it, but didn't get around to seeing it until last night.
I think that's so important when making a movie out of a children's book.
The story is brilliant, about a little girl who wants to be a writer, so she gets her practice by keeping a notebook in which she writes down all her thoughts and observations about the people in her world, and even goes to the extreme of spying on people to get her material.
I think the film does a very good job of portraying the children in a realistic light, and I could identify with Harriet's feelings as well as those of her friends and classmates.
The adults in the movie, as well as Harriet's nemesis, seemed a bit like caricatures, but Harriet's character and those of her best friends were quite well developed.
At the time I saw this film I had gotten into writing fiction at about age 6.
The way Harriet resolves things with her friends is a bit quick, but I think it's because the other kids become hypocrites.
During my college Children's Lit class, we discussed this book and how Harriet is attacked because her thoughts become public.
I like this movie a lot.
After seeing this movie, Harriet the Spy, I have to admit it was something.
Harriet spies a lot, writes down what she learns and observe, and wants to be something in life.
That girl acted like a brat when Harriet suggested it was time to change the person who's editor.
Plus, kids really got their groove on when they were limboing on stage, especially Marion, Harriet and her friends.
The movie use to depress me, though, as Harriet loves all her friends thanks to her spying.
I grew up being forced to watch this film, quite simply because my siblings adored it and I ended up having to watch it with them whether I like it or not.Now the story is simple and straight foreward- a young girl spies on other people and writes about their flaws in a notebook she carries with her everywhere but her fun in spying is soon foiled when the other kids read the notebook and thus begin to lash out onto her.
The class gets their revenge on her and she gets revenge back and she ends up apologizing for her actions.Even when I was like eight or nine when I first saw the film, I never felt bad for Harriet.
I didn't even feel sorry for her in the first place because she had it coming the entire time that she was spying, writing notes in her book and writing rather negative conclusions about other people.
Harriet the Spy (1996): Dir: Bronwen Hughes / Cast: Michelle Trachtenberg, Rosie O'Donnell, Gregory Smith, Vanessa Lee Chester, Eartha Kitt: Wonderful family film that teaches children the value of trust and friendship.
At home she is in the care of her nanny who is fired when she and a date take Harriet to a movie.
Rosie O'Donnell is strong as Harriet's nanny who views things at face value.
but she really just wants her friends back.While Harriet the Spy is a lovable film no matter what your age, there was use of crude humor and mild swearing, fart jokes, etc.
As a kid I had very few friends, knew very little about society and didn't understand some of the things mentioned like the Nobel Peace Prize, Hitler and why Harriet was sent to a therapist, until a year or so later in my life.
Harriet the Spy is also a movie that explains that two wrongs don't make a right, and that bullying somebody is wrong no matter what they've done, it just puts you down to their level of rationality. |
tt1596345 | Pawn Sacrifice | The film starts with an adult Bobby Fischer in a paranoid state, worried he is being spied upon by the Soviets. The film flashes back to when Fischer is 6 years old, the late 1940s, and he is shown even then feeling a general sense of paranoia. His mother, a Russian immigrant, supports his general fears, telling him she thinks a socialist revolution could begin in the U.S. and hence they are spied upon.
He immerses himself into learning and becoming an expert chess player. His mother, worried that chess is becoming his obsession, takes him to an adult chess club. He impresses the resident chessmaster and is accepted as a student. His coaching leads him into the world of professional chess championships. He soon becomes the youngest grand master ever. Personal tensions lead to frequent outbursts. He enters a championship match in Bulgaria where he senses that they are trying to isolate him, and alleges collusion, which he feels makes it impossible for a non-Soviet player to win the championship. He quits the tournament and ends his professional career.
When he returns to the USA, a lawyer says that he will help him modify the tournament rules, offering his services free of cost to give Fischer a fair chance to win future tournaments. Fischer re-enters the world of professional chess. He selects William Lombardy, a former World Junior Chess Champion who is now a Catholic priest, as his second. Lombardy tries to calm Fischer's excessive demands, which leads Fischer back to winning tournaments.
He overcomes most of the grand masters across the world and gets close to the world championship. He becomes a celebrity with the American public, which makes him overconfident. He loses against Boris Spassky, the current world champion.
It is the height of the Cold War era and the US is desperate to challenge the Russian dominance in the world of chess. The White House closely monitors his progress. The pressure to win every game drives Fischer towards psychosis. His sister suspects that he is under severe mental stress fearing for his life because he might defeat Spassky.
Reporters and fans all assemble at Reykjavík, Iceland to witness the historic match between Fischer and Spassky. Fischer is easily distracted by small noises like someone coughing in the audience, rolling cameras, or the pawns on the chess board, which leads him to make extreme demands for silence and fewer distractions. Spassky concedes to all his demands to make sure the match continues so that he can win the 24-game match in the right spirit.
Bobby loses the first game, and doesn't show up for the second therefore losing by forfeit, but wins the third using unconventional tactics. Americans are thrilled with Bobby's victory. Game four is a draw but Fischer wins game five after Spassky himself begins showing signs of paranoia. With the match now more interesting, experts speculate that the next game will determine the outcome of the tournament. In game six Fischer plays using an opening he has never played before, surprising the audience and wins it. Spassky expresses amazed admiration and rises to lead the applause from the gallery. Fischer ultimately goes on to win the match, but his delusions have destroyed him emotionally and he goes into self-imposed exile. | flashback | train | wikipedia | The film picks up with the arrival of three characters played by brilliant actors: Michael Stahlbarg as Paul Marshall, a sort of fixer / hand-holder, Peter Sarsgaard as Father William Lombardy, a chess master, and Liev Schreiber as Boris Spassky.
So don't assume that this is a boring movie because of its theme.This is based on the real life of chess legend Bobby Fischer who after he became world champion, he lived a secluded, solitary life possibly because of a mental illness which made him paranoid.I am not a fan of Tobey Maguire (poor choice for Spiderman IMO) but he gives a convincing performance in this.
I was bit skeptic on whether I should watch this movie or not.There has been so much of slamming of this movie.It did not even have a wide release.But thank God, I dared to watch.It is one of most intense movies of recent times.From the beginning,your eyes remain glued to the screen.The historic match between Spassky and Fisher has been depicted so vividly, that at times you forget that you are watching a movie.Tobey Maguire has been criticized a lot for his portrayal of the legendary chess player.But I found him too good.His acting was as intense as this movie.The frowning, the clenching, the swing of mood everything was made so much believable.Liev Shreiber, too has done a commendable job as Spassky.The cinematography is excellent.The close shots deserve to be mentioned in particular.Finally, a good film from a brilliant director like Zwick after a pause.Do not miss this movie..
You won't be able to take your eyes off of it.Director Ed Zwick is the man who gave us "Glory," "The Last Samurai," "Defiance," basically movies that have epic battlefield sequences, so it's interesting that his battlefield has been scaled down to the size of a chessboard but it's just as colossal, this is a story back in the era when the whole world was watching which of the two ideologies, United States or the Soviets would ultimately win, tension was running high but instead of bullets or nuclear weapons which both regions did have, it all came down to between Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) and Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber) and even if the movie may or may not want to preach about which is the ultimate victor, it did capture the animosity in the air, so sharp it can cut through glass, the hatred against communism at the time.Written by Steven Knight, who gave us "Eastern Promises," and "Locke," I think Knight gives in to Hollywood's long-held fascination with brilliance and madness, it's a lot like "A Beautiful Mind," where a person is so brilliant that his mind just snaps.
My point is, I don't know how out of touch Fischer really was, and this movie itself is not a straight adaptation, but I think PAWN SACRIFICE accomplishes what it set out to do from the start, this correlation between genius and paranoia or insanity.Mad props to actors Tobey Maguire and Liev Schreiber who, under the direction of Ed Zwick, successfully manage to dramatize the game of chess.
There's a YouTube video of him on TV with Bob Hope filmed sometime shortly after the match with Spassky that shows a very different Fischer than the one Maguire portrayed.The bit with the girl (sarcastically she says to Fischer: "it was good for me too" as he studies a chess game in bed) was apparently director Edward Zwick's take on the nagging question of Fischer's sexuality, meaning yes he was heterosexual, but chess was just more interesting.The real disappointment for me was that they did not make clear the really great triumphant of Fischer's preceding the championship match.
The film traces Fischer's life from a troubled childhood in Brooklyn (with outstanding juvenile roles) up through national celebrity as a young chess wizard, international political celebrity when he confronts Russian Chess grandmaster Boris Spassky at the height of the Cold War in Reykjavik in 1972, and finally, his decline into paranoid obscurity in his antisemitic anti-American later years.The electrically charged chessboard battle of the titans in Iceland -- billed at the time as "The Match of the Century" and symbolically as a major superpower Cold War confrontation, is the centerpiece of the current film -- amazing that a series of chess games can be so action packed and full of suspense on screen -- kudos to Director Zwick.The title of the film refers to a well known chess move in which one of the eight pawns is sacrificed to gain a temporary strategic advantage.
In a detailed assessment of the film long term Fischer friend and associate Sam Sloan has pointed out a number of minor historical inconsistencies (exact names and dates and slightly variant chess moves) but was very moved by Mcguire's tremendous portrayal of Bobby the man and the overall quality of the picture, both as entertainment and a powerful document of a most intriguing and important American life, now all but forgotten..
The Hollywood-tinted spectacles this film plops on the viewers faces fail to explain how Mr Fischer was used like a pawn himself before being cast into the darkness when his country was finished with him.The film gave us a few tiny, weeny little clips right at the end to skip over the more important details of how he was treated after the Cold War.He doesn't like chess, he is more interested in exposing the lies of the American Government.
He called out George Bush for being a lunatic and a law-breaker while passionately claiming all he wants is "the truth".That doesn't sound like a raving madman to me, nor does being paranoid playing world championship chess against the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Especially with a family from Russia.The acting was fine, Spiderman and Wolverine's brother did well to keep their mutant abilities in check for some good chess.I've given this movie 1 star primarily because it felt like Hollywood propaganda and a cowardly cop-out.It should say "Based on a true story?".
This was after all, one of the most fascinating reluctant public figure during one of the most energizing signature events of the Cold War between Russia and the United States
it was even described as World War III on a chess board.Director Edward Zwick (Glory, Blood Diamond) and writer Steven Knight (Locke, "Peaky Blinders") wisely focus the story on the infamous World Chess Championship match in 1972 between American Bobby Fischer and Russian Boris Spassky.
And it's the media and citizenry reactions that provide the contemporary comparison to what we see too often these days thanks to social media
icons are born, chewed up, and forgotten.Tobey Maguire plays Fischer, and despite lacking the height and physical presence of the real chess champion, he expertly conveys the paranoia, fear, and arrogance that burdened the man and created even more suspense for those of us keeping a watchful eye at the time.
Bobby Fischer certainly fits that description, but his story is frustrating because we just don't understand the mental issues that caused him to evolve from teenage chess prodigy to World Champion to literal anti-social outcast spewing hateful words (watch the end credit film clips).
He gets great performances from his leads, the film just doesn't really mesh though.Tobey Maguire gives one of his better efforts in recent memory, playing Bobby Fischer, a beloved chess player from the 1960's.
REVIEW "PAWN SACRIFICE" Q & A W/TOBEY MAGUIRE The story of chess great Bobby Fisher is definitely a complex one as we watch Bobby as a young child (Young actors Aiden Lovekamp and Seamus Davey-Fitzpatrick, who play Fischer as a boy and teenager, are respectively completely convincing) growing up in the Washington Square area of Brooklyn already showing chess greatness but also showing how his paranoia builds with his mother Regina Fisher (Robin Weigert) holding secret communist party get togethers in their small apartment.Director Ed Zwick does well making this tense and gripping story which is for the most part set during the Cold War era between the U.S.
As you watch his crazy decline of mental cognizance with Maguire truly inhabiting and embodying this character showing how he had a mind both incredible and dangerous as on the one hand he loved gloating to the public, on the other was a nuisance and nut in private.With the aid of two companions, lawyer Paul Marshall (Michael Stuhlbarg) and Father William Lombardy (Peter Sarsgaard), Fischer plans a trip to Iceland to play against the Soviets.Out of fear and apparent madness, Fischer does not show up for a world title match against his Russian foe, Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber), who is effortlessly cool in his portrayal here mostly just with looks as he doesn't have much dialogue.
along with the fact they make chess almost exciting makes the title perfectly fit with the reference to the sacrifice Bobby Fischer had to make, but because of his almost sheer genius, had the game going and ending how he wanted.Although the physical resemblance with the real chess players isn't spot on, that fact proves to be almost a moot point and unnoticeable with these hands down enveloping performances and truly, once the movie gets a hold of you, just sit back and enjoy the spectacle.Grade: B @pegsatthemovies peggyatthemovies.comPOST Q & A WITH TOBEY MAGUIRE & PRODUCER GAIL KATZ: Tobey noted what interested him most and attracted him to the role was seeing what Fisher's childhood had been about..
Maquire plays Fischer, the chess prodigy from Brooklyn in a run of the mil drama about a man's attempt to become world champion in his craft.The structure of the film is one we have already seen a thousand times, from the Rocky movies to more contemporary films like the Great Debaters.
It's Superficial and Exploitative using the aforementioned as nothing more than Filling Space like a Cable News Channel with Talking Heads and Fancy Pictorials, that are Entertaining to a Point but Pointless in the Big Picture.Pick 1 of those 3, Any 1, and Do Something with it, Anything.Tobey Maguire as Bobby Fischer and Liev Schreiber as Boris Spassky go through the "Talking Points" of the Script with Professionalism and bring Their Acting Chops to the Proceedings and Proceed to Project Clichés and Go through Meaningless Moves, as does the Writer and Director.
In a true story set during the peak of the Cold War, American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire) finds himself stuck between two different superpowers when he challenges the Soviet Empire chess champion Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber).
Also starring Peter Sarsgaard and Michael Stuhlbarg, Pawn Sacrifice dramatizes Fischer's struggles with genius and mental illness, and the rise and fall of a kid from Brooklyn who captured the imagination and attention of the world.I know what most of you are thinking, a movie about chess?
These are the better moments of the film as I found that Tobey Maguire did the best at depicting Bobby Fischer's eccentric personality and paranoia of the Russians and Boris Spassky who were his most formidable opponents.
From the director of Glory, The Last Samurai & Blood Diamond, Pawn Sacrifice arrives as a consistently thrilling, wonderfully paced & ably performed picture that attempts to bring on screen the life story of the American chess prodigy, Bobby Fischer, and chronicles the rise & fall of the grandmaster who went on to redefine the game of chess like never before.Set during the height of the Cold War, the story of Pawn Sacrifice is mainly concerned with the rivalry between Bobby Fischer & Boris Spassky, a Soviet chess wiz who was the world champion back then.
The plot overviews Fischer's childhood & meteoric rise in the arena of chess that reaches its pinnacle in the 1972 World Chess Championship and also covers his descent into madness.Directed by Edward Zwick, Pawn Sacrifice takes its time to set up the board pieces during the first act, which is then followed by Fischer showing signs of deteriorating mental health in addition to his increasing contempt & arrogance which further amplifies as the film nears its conclusion.
"Pawn Sacrifice" is the story of perhaps the greatest chess player of all time, Bobby Fischer, and his tumultuous battle both with the Soviet Union's best chess players and his own inner demons.For a basic plot summary, this movie begins with Fischer (Tobey Maguire) not showing up to his promoted matched with Russian Grand Master Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber).
The scenes where Spassky is given some development are great and Schreiber shines, but they just seem a bit few and far between.All told, "Pawn Sacrifice" is a great movie for those who like historical biopics or are interested in Bobby Fischer's story or chess in general.
Tobey Maguire is best known for playing Spider-Man on the silver screen, while fellow actor Liev Schreiber took on the role of Sabretooth in another Marvel movie – X-Men Origins: Wolverine.It is an appropriate background, because in Pawn Sacrifice the acting duo assume the identities of two of the superheroes of the chess world – Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky.The film was out in 2014 but the distribution has been patchy.
Before going to see the new film, Pawn Sacrifice based on the true story of Bobby Fischer and his ultimate chess match between the then Russian champion, Boris Spassky, I encountered quite a bit of opposition from different people regarding the film and basing opinions on it before they had even given the film a chance and watched it.
Liev Schreiber plays his nemesis and antagonist, the that time chess world champion Boris Spassky and delivers a good restrained performance compared to Maguire's loud and flashy Bobby Fischer.
Last night I underwent what is now one of my top favorite screenplays of the year; started out on the Hollywood's 2009 Blacklist, PAWN SACRIFICE took me through the insecurities and stress in the mind of the worlds greatest chess master, Bobby Fischer.The unbeatable young adult, is portrayed by the king of the craft, Tobey Maguire who does a sensational job.
Proving once and for all that chess is not a "sport' to be watched for excitement, Last Samurai and Legend of the Fall director Edward Zwick try's his very best to make something out of the no doubt far more appealing real life event of chess champion Bobby Fischer taking on Russian chess wiz Boris Spassky, but Pawn Sacrifice is a fairly forgettable battle against the odds.Set during the heat of the cold war tensions between America and Russia, this battle of wills and minds enchanted countries and viewers the world over and has been documented in various formats including the fabulous and much more exciting documentary Bobby Fischer Against the World but Pawn Sacrifice fails to replicate the essence of what made this unique event such a big deal at the time and for Zwick in particular it marks a curiously down trodden entry into the filmmakers normally highly entertaining repertoire.Once known exclusively for his epic sagas that often involved battlefields and emotionally manipulative plot progressions, Zwick seems a curious choice to have taken on Fischer's story and can't find the right tone to either make us care for Fischer or his plight and Pawn Sacrifice acts as one of the directors weakest products despite a committed Toby Maguire lead turn.Taking somewhat of a backseat in recent years, Maguire gives it his all as Fischer and almost makes the strange and tortured soul someone we can root for even though his a highly unlikeable and intense individual.
Set during the Cold War, Pawn Sacrifice follows what is perhaps the infamous Bobby Fischer's most memorable chapter, that of his showdown with then world champ and Soviet representative--Boris Spassky.The film does a great job of building the tension and setting the stage for what was a very precarious geopolitical time.
Chess Prodigy Bobby Fischer (Toby Mcguire) becomes a household name during the Cold War years as he believes he is the best chess player in the world and his goal is to beat the Russian champion Boris Spassky (Liev Schreiber).
Pawn Sacrifice, the new film by Ed Zwick (Blood Diamond) about American chess prodigy Bobby Fischer (Tobey Maguire).
Pawn Sacrifice (2014) is a beautifully crafted film featuring Tobey Maguire, Liev Schreiber, and Peter Sarsgaard, This film is a story about an American chess prodigy named Bobby Fischer.
-Pawn Sacrifice is a 2015 American biographical thriller film based on the true story about Bobby Fischer who won the 1972 World Chess Championship in Iceland.
Based on those standards, "Pawn Sacrifice" (PG-13, 1:54) is VERY well-acted – enough to even make watching chess games exciting.Golden Globe nominees Tobey Maguire ("The Great Gatsby", "Brothers", "Seabiscuit" and the 2002-2007 "Spider-Man" Movies) and Liev Schreiber ("Lee Daniels' The Butler", "Salt", the "Scream" movies and TV's "Ray Donovan") play American Bobby Fisher and Russian Boris Spassky, two chess champions whose names will forever be linked in history for their decades-long rivalry, their epic matches and, in particular, the 1972 World Chess Championship in the politically neutral location of Reykjavík, Iceland.It's difficult for those who don't remember the Cold War to understand all the commotion that surrounded these two men at this particular time and place, but the film does a very good job at communicating its importance.
PAWN SACRIFICE is, on the face of it, a film about the famous chess match between American and Russian rivals Bobby Fischer and Boris Spassky in the 1970s.
"Pawn sacrifice" centers around the life and game of one of the greatest chess players of all time, Bobby Fischer, and his battle with both the cold war and his fragile mind.
This film takes place during the Cold War with a young American by the name of "Bobby Fischer" (played by Tobey Maguire) setting out to become the World Chess Champion which had been under exclusive domination of the Soviet Union for almost 40 years.
Pawn Sacrifice is a biographical film based on the true story of US Chess Grand Master(GM) Bobby Fischer particularly his experiences leading to his match with Russian GM Boris Spassky during the 1972 World Chess Championships. |
tt0051198 | The Wings of Eagles | Soon after World War I is over, "Spig" Wead (John Wayne), along with John Dale Price (Ken Curtis), tries to prove to the Navy the value of aviation in combat. To do this, Wead pushes the Navy to compete in racing and endurance competitions. Several races are against the US Army aviation team led by Captain Herbert Allen Hazard (based on Jimmy Doolittle – played by Kenneth Tobey).
Wead spends most of his time either flying or horsing around with his teammates, meaning that his wife Minnie, or "Min" (Maureen O'Hara), and children are ignored.
The night Wead is promoted to fighter squadron commander, he falls down a flight of stairs at home, breaks his neck and is paralyzed. When "Min" tries to console him he rejects her and the family. He will only let his Navy mates like "Jughead" Carson (Dan Dailey) and Price near him. "Jughead" visits the hospital almost daily to encourage Frank's rehabilitation ("I'm gonna move that toe"). Carson also pushes "Spig" to get over his depression, try to walk, and start writing. Wead achieves some success in all three goals.
After great success in Hollywood, Wead returns to active sea duty with the Navy in World War II, developing the idea of smaller escort, or "jeep," carriers to augment the main aircraft carrier force. A heart attack sends Wead home before the war's end.
Director John Ford is himself represented in the film, in the humorously-named character of film director John Dodge, played by another Ford favorite, Ward Bond. | violence | train | wikipedia | He rarely did characters with flaws, either physical or mental.But he does a great job.Did anyone catch a wonderful comment made by Wayne while he and the naval staff were watching films of the carriers being bombed?
John Ford+John Wayne+Maureen O' Hara= Film Film Biopic.
The iconic director and his usual cast of players take on Naval Aviation in this look at a man who helped to advance navy aviation as John Wayne again looms on the screen bigger than life in the role of Frank "Spig" Wead, a pioneer of the navy air corps.
Based on the autobiography of Wead the usual themes of adventure, patriotism and romance abound with stellar supporting roles with veteran actors like Ken Curtis, Dan Daily, and Ward Bond as a thinly veiled portrait of director Ford himself.
He brought to his writing a love of flying, pride in the military, and an understanding that a 'greater good' must sometimes take precedence over personal happiness.In THE WINGS OF EAGLES, director Ford illustrates how Wead's life was every bit as interesting and dramatic as anything he wrote.
A close personal friend (so much so that he even cast Ward Bond to play a thinly-disguised version of himself, named 'John Dodge', in the film), Ford was witness to many of the triumphs and tragedies of the pioneer Naval aviator/engineer's life.
After completing THE SEARCHERS, Ford commemorated the tenth anniversary of his friend's passing with this sensitive, 'warts-and-all' tribute.Wead (portrayed by John Wayne, in one of his most fully realized characterizations...he even sacrificed his hairpiece, as the older Wead, for the sake of authenticity), begins the film as a typical hell-raising Ford hero, a Navy flier who loved taunting his Army counterparts (led by the terrific Kenneth Tobey), lived for the sheer joy of flying bi-planes (even when he was clueless as to HOW to fly them), and had the love of a feisty yet devoted woman (Maureen O'Hara, of course!) But, in keeping with the tone of much of the older Ford's work, Wead's life does not tie itself up into a neat, happy package, but develops into a complex near-tragedy of a man so consumed with his career that his marriage breaks down, and has his greatest dream snatched away from him when an accident cripples him.
Wead is a 'real' person, not always likable, but someone you learn to admire for his sheer determination to contribute, and not surrender to self-pity.With an excellent supporting cast (particularly Ken Curtis, as Wead's lifelong friend, John Dale Price), THE WINGS OF EAGLES may disappoint someone looking for a 'typical' war movie, but, as a film biography, is far more honest than Hollywood's 'usual' hokum.
John Ford's biopic about the life of aviator-turned-screenwriter Frank "Spig" Wead, played by John Wayne.
The subject is Frank "Spig" Wead, a Navy man through and through who, despite all his success in the service, was never able to make much of a connection with his wife and daughters.
It was a very personal story for John Ford, who was a good friend of Wead's.
John Wayne gives a downright excellent performance as Wead.
Also giving excellent performances are Ken Curtis (maybe his best role in a Ford film), Dan Dailey, and Ward Bond as the first movie producer who hires Wead.
The only problem is that it is such a personal story to Ford that the most interesting part, the relationship with the wife and kids, is not treated fully in order to make Wead look better than he probably did in real life.
I would love to have been a fly on the wall when those two were goin' at it.Although Wayne was fiftyish when he did this film, I think he displayed a good youthful Wead as well as the somewhat more mature one.
In one respect it is too bad that the movie stars John Wayne because the expectation is that it would feature a "gung ho" performance.
Instead it is an amazing acting effort by Wayne as a suffering, crippled, insensitive Navy officer and author whose vision and commitment made much of the Naval air force possible.
A nice biographical film about Naval Commander Frank "Spig" Wead, credited with starting the air wing of the US Navy.
"The Wings of Eagles" starred John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara and was directed by John Ford.
Wayne played Lt. Commander Frank "Spig" Wead, the man credited with getting the Navy an air wing to support its military ships, and Maureen O'Hara plays the wife that has to contend with Spig's love of country first and family second.
Dan Dailey has a good role as Wead's best friend in the military, while other members of the John Ford company of players contribute their talents to the film.
Ken Curtis shows up a good bit, and Ward Bond has a role as a film director that smacked of a caricature of John Ford.
Bond plays this to the hilt, and seemed to enjoy the chance to show Ford how he came off, at times.The scenes that were very watchable could include several fight scenes between members of the Army Air Corps and their Naval counterparts, plus a very heart rending view of Wayne's efforts to rehabilitate himself, following a fall down a flight of stairs at his house.
Hollywood biography based on a Air hero named Frank Wead with sterling performance by John Wayne.
Wonderfully shot Ford film with a lively look at the spirit of Navy , including glorification of military life , familiar drama , love and sentimental nostalgia with interesting character studio of a varied assortment of individuals .
John Ford's willingness to play it up big in his movies was normally one of the director's great strengths.
A good example is this tribute to his friend "Spig" Wead.Wead (John Wayne) is a U.
The way he sees it, "How else are we gonna get aviation?" To that end, he takes on the Army, Navy superiors, and even his wife, Min (Maureen O'Hara).
Normally, the gears didn't grind so loudly as they do here."Wings Of Eagles" is perhaps best known for Ford's insertion of an autobiographical element, a director named "John Dodge" who enlists Wead as a screenwriter, which Ford actually did after Wead's Navy career came to a sharp end.
Just a year after making "The Searchers" with Ford, the actor was in his peak thespian form and plays the valleys of Wead's life with candid abandon, even shedding his hairpiece this one time on screen.
Much of the rest of the time is spent on merry fisticuffs with rival Army aviators, or eye-rolling reaction shots from cigar- chewing Dan Dailey as Spig's enlisted buddy Jughead.Spig's virtual abandonment of his family is one of the movie's constant themes.
This bio-pic about the naval aviation proponent and writer Frank "Spig" Wead may have one sitting on the fence for a moment or two at the beginning, not sure whether or not to stay with it, but there's a magic that slowly casts its spell, with the Metrocolor and a great opening set in Pensacola, Florida in the 20's, and John Wayne as "Spig" Wead commandeering a pontoon plane and crashing it right into a big party for southern belles and military brass.
For a John Ford-John Wayne collaboration that maybe not that many people have ever even heard of, this film is a true surprise, not only looking fantastic with the sets and color, but featuring great acting from Wayne in a very different role for him.
John Ford's tribute to Frank 'Spig' Wead(John Wayne) the pioneer aviator who helped develop naval air power and later turned to screen writing.
Well directed with top notch sets; and an all-star cast that features:Maureen O'Hara, Dan Dailey, Ken Curtis, Barry Kelley, Edmund Lowe and Ward Bond even "spoofs" Ford himself.
In this absurd John Ford biography, John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara play the young Mr.
Favorite early film moment: check out the way Wayne attacks Ms. O'Hara's face in the "love scene" before the accident!
Intermission: John Wayne and Dan Daily sing, "I'm Gonna Move That Toe".The movie becomes more dramatic.
Not so for O'Hara; who looks like Maureen O'Hara with an ugly streak of silver paint in her hair.Check out the scene with Wayne saying, "
it's too late"; then, O'Hara kisses his balding head - a symbolic way of saying, "John Wayne, you are older than your years, take it easy, we love you." It's a very nicely photographed scene, and the highlight of the movie.
*** The Wings of Eagles (2/22/57) John Ford ~ John Wayne, Maureen O'Hara, Ward Bond, Dan Dailey.
I feel like I'm missing something...Spig sacrifices his personal life with that bad-ass Maureen O'Hara because of his sense of duty to the Navy.
Frank "Spig" Wead's life story, as directed by real-life friend John Ford, starring John Wayne as the hot-shot aviation expert who transforms the U.S. Navy in the 1920s with his piloting prowess, rivaling (but not alienating) the Army in aviation power; later, after suffering a spinal cord injury and a separation from his wife and children, Wead discovers an untapped talent for writing, becoming a successful screenwriter and playwright!
John Wayne and Maureen O'Hara, both of whom toss cigarettes and matches away with abandon, are reassuring as husband and wife, and though O'Hara's initial exit is perplexing, Ford's handling of the narrative doesn't jar us with unresolved feelings.
John Wayne plays Spig Wead, credited with starting the Navy flying program, and Maureen O'Hara plays his long suffering wife.
My husband loves this film, but neither Wayne nor O'Hara seem to have been trying to act in it.
It's worth seeing for the aerial sequences, and if you like war movies.It's got a lot of the John Ford acting company in it, but Ford must have been sick during the direction of it.
The only good scenes have Ward Bond in them, when he plays a film director named "John Dodge"; he does a wonderfully hammy impression of John Ford..
This is all despite the producers having some great WW2 footage at their disposal, and the help of the US Navy.I mainly watched this because it starred John Wayne.
John Ford took the inspiration for this film from the actual life story of Frank 'spig' Wead, (John Wayne) who was a naval aviator and Hollywood writer.
Despite it being a comical look at the silly escapades with his life-time friends in the army and navy, it also illuminates the guilt laden sorrow between his wife (Maureen O'Hara) and the unfortunate tragedy like the loss of his first son which the couple had to endure.
A Great film for Wayne and a movie which became a Classic for his fans.
Interesting story but not one of John Wayne's better movies..
Maureen O'Hara is teamed with a very inferior part in "The Wings of Eagles," a moving tribute based on a true story...As Wayne's neglected, temperamental wife, she finds her dedicated husband frequently spending most of his time and energy on improving the status of Navy aviation...On the night, Wayne is appointed skipper of a fighter squadron, he falls down a flight of stairs and suffers back injuries that render him a cripple...Determined to fight his way back to some kind of independence, he persuades his wife to leave him and live her own life with their two daughters...Nursed back to health by his sidekick (Dan Daileylargely instrumental in motivating him in physical rehabilitation) he begins a new civilian career as a successful Hollywood writer...Just when Wayne and Maureen, now a successful businesswoman, plan a reconciliation, news is broadcast of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor...Maureen is last seen having another test of Irish temper as she heaves her half-packed suitcase across the room, frustrated that she again has lost her husband to the Navy...Despite his handicap, Wayne is sent to the Pacific theater of war to supervise his revolutionary jeep-carrier tactical system...The film is filled with humor: Wayne's plane landing in the swimming pool strike in the middle of the admiral's out-door tea party; the clubroom fight and cake throwing; the assorted cast members falling into the pool...
John Ford remarked that Wings of Eagles was the last really good film he directed and though I disagree with that, Wings of Eagles does rank as one of his and John Wayne's best films.It's a loving tribute to a great American hero and friend of theirs, Frank W.
For John Ford he did the screenplays for his films Airmail and They Were Expendable.After Pearl Harbor Wead applied for and got active duty though he was desk bound at first.
And eventually he did get to the Pacific Theater and served on one of the carriers he fought so valiantly for in and out of uniform.Wayne gives one of his best screen performances and he's equally matched by Maureen O'Hara as his wife and Dan Dailey as his good friend who sees him through the paralysis and eventual recovery.There's no happy ending here for the Duke and Maureen, unlike Rio Grande and The Quiet Man. Spig is a flawed human being, as dedicated to partying and carousing as he is to the Navy and Naval Aviation.
She calls him, "Star Spangled Spig" but from a term of derision it becomes one of admiration.Wings of Eagles proved to be the last film for character actor Henry O'Neill who plays one of Wead's Navy doctors.
Was this how John Ford saw himself?As long as America produces men and women like Spig Wead this country will endure.
The best John Wayne movie, besides The Shootist.
Also, a tip of the hat to the part of the story dealing with nerve injuries and rehab, and the backdrop of America's unpreparedness in air power post-WW I, think about Billy Mitchell while you're watching this movie.Must see for Wayne, O'Hara, or John Ford fans..
It's more a reference to the light and silly spirit of the first half of the film where John Wayne and Dan Dailey act a little more like frat boys than navy fliers.
Once 'Spig' Wead (Wayne) is nearly killed in an accident and is so badly hurt that his flying days are over, the movie seemed a lot more like a real-life version of the life of this actual person who served in the US Navy and was a consultant to Hollywood.
John Ford - John Wayne = good.
This film is an effort by famed Director John Ford to pay homage to a close personal friend of his.
Ford knew Frank "Spig" Wead very well and, from what I've heard and read, the Director pulled no punches in his portrayal of his friend.
A good example is the scene in Spig Wead's (John Wayne's) office, with Pincus (Tige Andrews) and Carson (Dan Dailey).
"I didn't want to make it," said Ford about the movie, "but I didn't want anybody else to make it." Probably no one else would have made it.The romance between Wayne and O'Hara is handled clumsily.
At one point in the film, Ford ridicules himself ("John Dodge") instead of someone in his cast.The director was beginning to run out of steam by this time.
It sounds like a fond personal relationship had a lot to do with the decision to make this film, as the popularity of Frank 'Spig' Wead's pulp and magazine stories eventually led him to Hollywood and a friendship with director John Ford.
Not that his military life didn't merit consideration for the subject of a film itself, but his failings as a husband and father seemed to outweigh in a sense, a lot of the good he achieved in terms of personal success.
There's more in the way of military camaraderie on display before it gets to Spig Wead's daunting accident that sidelined his career, thereby pointing him in the direction of writing about naval and aviation history, for which he was considered a recognized authority.
Weaded Out. With John Wayne, John Ford, Dan Dailey, and Maureen O'Hara involved in a true life story of a friend, you expect a perfect film here.
John Wayne plays a person who is looked upon as a hero, and give the film credit, it shows that he had many flaws.
Maureen O'Hara only gets a few good scenes in this one as his wife.The interesting thing to Wead is that even after this miracle, he still does not appear to have learned any lesson about change.
His priorities stay out of whack and he never seems to get a personal life with goals that make sense.Wayne is not comfortable playing Wead, and Ford though accurate with the main character, appears not to get a lot of the fine detail work of events behind the Biopic accurate.
The other was this film, and what I specifically remembered was the final scene where Frank Wead is transferred from his ship to another to be retired.
Or, did John Ford just try to make it a good and fun story?
As I watched this film, what was mostly on my mind was what a lousy husband and father Frank Wead was...at least as portrayed in this film.John Wayne did quite an admirable job acting here, particularly because it is not the kind of role -- a cripple -- that we usually associate with Wayne.
But, as the old saying goes, "They also serve who only stand and wait." Perhaps, next to Wayne, the best portrayal goes to Dan Dailey.Maureen O'Hara and John Wayne were excellent together, although of their pairings this is my least favorite.In the past year or so I've reexamined quite a few of John Wayne's films, and overall I'm more impressed than I remembered.
If you haven't seen this film, and you like Wayne at all, you ought to watch it...at least once. |
tt0307213 | Nabbeun namja | A power linesman by trade, Lucky Walden owes gambling debts, plus interest, to crooked gamblers. When they come to make him pay, Lucky hits one with a wrench, killing him. He goes to jail and is sentenced to death.
Lucky's one chance is for his brother Steve to find an eyewitness who can testify that Lucky killed the man in self-defense. When the man is found and corroborates that story, Lucky gets a stay of execution. He then earns a full parole by risking his own life in saving a fellow inmate from some dangerous high-voltage wires.
Lucky goes back to his old tricks. He violates his parole, then coaxes Steve into helping him rig the prison's electrical bars to help him escape. Steve's girlfriend Kitty is also attracted to Lucky and wants him out of prison. The cops chase Lucky, who, in a twist of fate, is electrocuted by the wires he knows so well. Steve is sentenced to jail himself, and now regrets helping his no-good brother. | psychological | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0410332 | August Underground's Mordum | Like its predecessor, Mordum is presented as a degraded home movie shot by serial killers. This one includes the returning character Peter, his sadomasochistic girlfriend Crusty, and depraved man-child brother Maggot. Also, the status of the cameraman from the first film is revealed.
After Peter walks in on Crusty and Maggot having sex, an argument erupts between him and Crusty, but it is quelled when Crusty sexually arouses Peter and herself via self-mutilation with a piece of glass. The two then break into a crack house, where Peter beats the owner to death with a hammer, while Crusty films the filth-encrusted building and the decaying corpse of an overdosed addict. When Peter starts stripping the body of the house's owner (claiming it will be easier to dispose of without clothes), another fight breaks out between him and Crusty when she questions his motive for undressing the body, accusing him of being "a faggot."
The film then switches to a scene of Crusty demonstrating her love of self-harm to Maggot and a friend, cutting her scarred arm with a knife. Crusty and Maggot are then shown removing a bound and masked woman from a box they have been keeping her in for "a long time." Maggot rapes the woman while Crusty cheers him on and taunts the victim. When Maggot is finished, he then lets a male captive out of another box, and he and Crusty force him to perform a penectomy on himself with a pair of cuticle scissors, then seal him back up. Crusty mimics oral sex with it, then violates the earlier female victim with it.
Scenes of the three killers in town tormenting a shopkeeper, eating fast food, and wandering around follow, followed by Maggot and Peter watching and masturbating to Crusty torturing two women, sexually abusing and repeatedly vomiting on them while a male corpse rots in the corner of the room. Eventually, the women are killed. Maggot disembowels one, chewing on her spilled innards and having sex with them, while the other is beaten to death by Crusty and Peter, the latter dragging the body away to presumably have sex with it. The three then get drunk, and afterward Maggot is found in the bathroom by his sister, shaving and cutting himself to "look beautiful" for Crusty.
The trio are next shown playing in the snow, attending a concert, meeting up with friends, raping a woman, and going to a piercing shop, where Maggot receives a nose ring, and gets into a fight with Peter over his relationship with Crusty. The group then visit another serial killer, who shows them the contents of his shed; mutilated bodies, dying victims, and a headless and maggot-covered toddler, which Maggot eats a chunk of. Later, while the others are asleep, the new killer borrows their camera, and films himself taunting and slitting the throat of one of his female captives.
When next seen, the trio have attacked a family, killing the father first by hanging him. While Peter tortures the mother, Crusty watches Maggot have sex with the corpse of the young daughter in a bathtub. The three get into a fight, which ends with Maggot slitting his own throat, followed by the film cutting to static. In a post-credits scene, a cat is shown killing and eating a mouse. In the same DVD, there is an altered form called "Maggot's Cut." In this, the whole point-of-view is seen through Maggot's eyes, and it is revealed that he is actually of the opposite gender. | violence, murder, sadist | train | wikipedia | I thought this genre of hand-held shock began and ended with Blair Witch Project.The movie is mindless, self-indulgent porn-gore, poorly "acted" by people simply reveling in attempting to give a shock-effect, while uttering the F*-word in nearly every line.Sure, the movie apparently meets its attempted goal, of desecrating all that is sane, normal, and decent in humans.
If you're like me and can watch gore and know that it's merely special-effects, the movie is a mere annoying waste of time.If you're into grotesque special-effects of mutilation, sexual perversion, porn and bodily desecration, then you'll probably think this movie is exactly what you wanted.
This film is filled to the brim with all kinds of nasty, depraved, and terrible things that should really satisfy people who want to be shocked or are obsessed with special effects and makeup.
A bunch of morons with a hand-held camera go around screaming ceaselessly and laughing idiotically in a never ending profanity-laden cacophony whilst performing "sick" acts which, as some unknown rule apparently dictates, can only be inflicted on disgusting fat chicks who forget to resist.This is not a movie, since it has no plot, and it is not disturbing, since you can find worse things on the internet in less than a fraction of the time it would require for you to waste your time with this childish foolishness called "August Underground's Mordum," which belongs in the same trash bin as "Scrapbook." Just because damaged American kiddies with fractured psyches, short attention spans, and a penchant for anything that can momentarily lift them out of their fuzzy world view-defined, over-indulgent, instant gratification-based existence manage to praise this film with the vocabulary of someone who - surprisingly - has at least managed to attain a high school senior's vocabulary, does not make it worth watching.
This film is developing a cult status amongst gore fans that it really does not deserve, a lot of the depraved acts appeared to be put in for no reason other than as an attempt to shock, however the emphasis has to be on the lack of plot.
the internet buzz was way off on this one there is nothing good about this movie, if you bought it like i did sorry,if you are thinking of buying it, think again.The special effects were violent and semi-bloody the location they used was the most disturbing thing in this movie.
I'm 40 minutes into the movie as I write this and I don't know how I feel towards it.The comments made about this movie in the beginning was nothing but good ratings and people who thought this would be worth it for horror fans out there looking for a fake snuff/gross movie.
Now however with all this hype surrounding the movie to what "it is suppose to accomplish" people have lost the shock value while watching it.Sure it doesn't have grade-A actors, and a fantastic plot (or plot at all), camera work is what grade 8 cyber-work class looked like, and the camera cuts are random...
I like to consider myself a pretty screwed up person and I do enjoy movies that disturb most "normal" people but I'm fine with that.
Having seen and really liked August Underground, the first of the trilogy I was expecting a lot from AU Mordum and lets just say I wasn't disappointed.The grainy, shaky, amateur like camera work is back making this genuinely feel like a home made gore movie.
Again the acting is good and although the screaming and shouting can get annoying at times it's another classic from Fred Vogul.As some have said, the gore is not quite as realistic looking as in the first film but that doesn't take away from it.The acts of brutality, torture and abuse in this film are extreme, it pushes the envelope far beyond what I have seen before.
It is easy to understand what will make you look into this movie, and comments you will find will push you over the edge into watching it, just as I did.Yes it is likely that it is the sickest film to have ever been put to film, however there is absolutely no entertainment factor to it.
When a film introduces extreme gore, it works within the content of a story line that makes you look away and get adrenalin during the violent sequences.
It is almost certain that you will come away feeling slightly ashamed that you wanted to watch graphic rape, torture and necrophilic pheadophilia with nothing else to its credit other then it makes it look very real.To call it shocking is to give it credit it doesn't deserve.
This is take-no-prisoners, in-your-face, dirty and unrelenting low budget horror.The film begins with "August Underground"'s Fred Vogel discovering his girlfriend acting in a most intimate way with her own brother.
The impressively realistic special effects were certainly repulsive, but it was the tone of the movie that really stuck with me.The sequel, AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM is about three times as sick, disgusting and gruesome as its predecessor, but it is also less powerful.
A scene in which the threesome make themselves vomit repeatedly on two victims is pretty vile initially, but it goes on so long that I stopped being disgusted and started wondering how the actors were able to continuously make themselves puke.AUGUST UNDERGROUND'S MORDUM is certainly worth finding and checking out for fans of maverick, underground and sick cinema.
Fred Vogel's original August Underground was a totally repulsive, yet very convincing piece of fake snuff that worked well due to the fine performances from the leads, the authentic camera-work, and the ultra-realistic gore.For their follow up movie, August Underground's Mordum, ToeTag Pictures have increased the level of sickness, depravity and violence, but in doing so, have lessened its effectiveness as pseudo-snuff.
Despite being a wall-to-wall catalogue of violence, the result is a pretty tedious film (there's just TOO MUCH screaming and swearing) which ultimately lacks the visceral impact and shock value of its predecessor.Although not a great film, Mordum will nevertheless find an audience amongst gore-hounds and fans of extreme cinema thanks to some fine stomach-churning effects and a few very sick taboo-busting scenes: a man is forced to emasculate himself with a pair of scissors; a woman makes herself vomit over her two screaming victims (who not once put up any resistance); a man guts a woman, then drops his trousers and proceeds to have a go at the dead woman's abdominal cavity; and then there's the notorious bath scene which takes sexual deviancy on film to a new (low) level—Hell, I don't even want to describe what happens here!!I'm going to be generous and award Mordum 4 out of 10 for its sheer audacity and willingness to go the extra mile to offend, but to be honest I found it quite tiresome; it really should've been so much better..
I like watching movies that make me feel uncomfortable and unsettled, films that irk me, which is why I got into horror in the first place.
Or, at the very least, knowingly bad/campy and therefore weirdly entertaining (for example, I'm a big Troma fan for that very reason alone!)I read a lot of hype about this movie and its companion pieces, critics and fans alike saying it was one of the most disturbing films they had ever seen.
An hour and twenty minutes later, I was in a bad mood for all the wrong reasons.The content may well be sick, depraved and morally abhorrent in its nature, but the way in which it is presented and the lack of any kind of plot to accompany it makes for a spectacularly dull and at times plain irritating viewing experience.
This is a movie that tries so overly hard to shock and disgust that it does exactly the opposite, and ultimately its the over the top gratuity and "gritty realism" (i.e. crap lighting, nauseating shaky-cam work and annoying over-usage of the f word to give the dialogue a more 'natural' feel) that is this films major downfall.Sure, the effects and gore are pretty convincing and a few times I even felt a little queasy, but as much as I like gore in movies, you can't just couple it with relentless screaming and swearing and hope that it packs a punch.
Just a mush of cheese and sauce that's difficult to eat without ruining your favourite shirt.To summarise, this movie consists of a bunch of severely unlikeable metal heads torturing and killing people in what is supposed to be their secret home video, but the more intense and real it tries to be, the more it leaves you craving something well structured and scripted, with twists and turns as well as unsettling gore sequences.
The film is a fake snuff movie gone global (so its OK to watch) Jerami Cruise, Mike Schneider, Killjoy (aka fat-man)& Fred Vogel need some guidance I think.
It had a strange subtlety to it that made you think "this could be your next door neigbours", but AU Mordum just goes beyond that and to the point of a bad horror movie that you have seen before.Its basically a lazy film that was created off the success of the first.
I will say that a few of the effects are descent but doe not make up for the crap that is "August Underground Mordum" The only thing messed up about this movie is some people in this world actually like this movie.
I've watched all of the "August Underground" films a few times and feel like I can review this one now.
The only thing that gave this movie any credence was the victims, at least their acting seemed somewhat believable.Don't waste your time watching this movie if you're looking for a disturbing movie.
Possibly the closest feeling I have taken away from a film to this would be Salo: 120 Days of Sodom or the hard-to-find Snuff 102.And that is exactly the point of the filmmakers' intentions, who clearly have a talent for this sort of thing (in fact, the latest from co-director Fred Vogel, Sella Turcica, is making ripples in the underground horror scene).
I've heard quite a lot about this movie,and of course I was dead-curious as to whether it lived up to it's merits.The question begs to be asked;did it really?Well,both yes and no.First of all,I am fully aware of the fact that this is made to seem like we are all watching these serial-killers'home video,and in that regard one should not expect nice,glossy frames,professional editing etc,etc.But here we come to my main objection regarding this movie.To me it seems like we are not only witnessing the jolly escapades of your average sadistic serial killers;these are truly special in that regard,because you know what?They all have Parkinsons'disease it seems!!The constant juggling and shaking of the camera certainly gave this impression,and this was as I've said a decisive factor in almost ruining the whole affair.Here is a newsflash for you;it doesn't ruin the gritty realism of the piece if one tries to keep the camera more steady(of course some shaking is to be expected as they are all wandering back and forth in murderous ecstasy,but sadly this crossed the well known fine-line),and if I was to give Penance a chance(it almost rhymed!!),this is something that definitely has to be improved upon.This would certainly give it the truly inhuman and somber feeling I had come to expect.The other thing that annoyed me was the obvious need these killers had,to go around all the time and scream their lungs off.Were we supposed to think along the lines;"S**t,this is really scary.They are really one mad bunch,just listen to them screaming"!!Yeah,right!It only leaves you with a feeling of utter boredom and annoyance.So please try to keep your mouths partly shut next time,will you?And I would also like to say;drop the constant playing and fondling with each other,and get to the point.Should we perhaps expect a pillow-fight next time?Are there any redeeming points then?I can think of a few scenes that left my mouth driveling;the guy having a good stomach-hump,the same guy later having a second in-absentia hump in the bathtub,the charming genital-mutilation scene,followed by disattached penetration,and the vomiting-scenes were also endearing.But sadly the negative parts are to many to completely redeem this movie,and the coldness I was expecting is lacking,I'm afraid to say.My instant thought,after watching it,was;so what?No big deal!!Here's a recommendation to the readers;if you want to watch something dark and ferocious,go and buy "Subconscious Cruelty" and "Flowers of Flesh and Blood" instead!!AUM's attempt of creating a violent and dark atmosphere pales considerably,when compared to these two masterpieces,that's for sure!!To think of the fact that AUM were supposed to be the American answer to Guinea Pig....in your dreams baby!!Of course,I almost forgot;plus points go to the Necrophagia music-video!!
"August Underground's Mordum" is easily one of the sickest and most repulsive horror films ever made.The film is extremely dirty and hateful,but at the same time it fails a little bit at the realism that "August Underground" achieved.It lacks the disturbing feel of the first,but it surpasses it in the shocks and gore department.There is a really sick castration with mini scissors,vomit degradation with taunting,cannibalism,fetus eating,sex scene with entrails or a maggot ridden baby torso.The plot of "Mordum" is easy to follow:three serial killers degrade,rape and kill their victims,whilst videotaping their sickening actions.Towards the end the fourth sicko is introduced(played by Killjoy of Necrophagia)and the film becomes almost too unbearable to watch.The special effects are incredibly realistic and the violence is ugly and vile.So if you like truly extreme and nihilistic horror give this piece of depravity a look.7 out of 10..
The film was a pretty good sicko/gore movie, really nice effects and a lot of sick stuff but nothing that really shocked me.
It takes a lot to repulse or offend me, but this film did it, no question.During my watching the movie, I developed a personal hatred and disgust for the people on camera, as I thought they were real.
now I can handle a lot,cause I have seen horrible things in real life, but this is at least twisted and disturbing for every sane human(if not, i fear you are a danger to society and should consider psychological help.) i'm handling this movie quiet OK, but i think majority of normal people will be shell-shocked , traumatized and feel really really bad.i know this is the point , but I repeat if it was in a nice story one could say OK, but this is not the case now.
What works is that they show you all kinds of sick and disturbing stuff and they also show you how these people are in their every day lives and it feels very real and natural as opposed to most horror movies with a masked man who kills 24/7 and doesn't do anything resembling what a human being would do.As far as the way it looks goes, it's not pretty.
For many years I have been fooled by the hype of "so called ultimate gore movies", Movies like Anthropopghagus, Cannibal Feroux and such, and almost always I am let down....Well no such luck with Mordum, it is in your face, disturbing film work.
The only mistake this movie makes is starting out slow...(which shows by the reviews it's got....its obvious that anyone who said this was boring either turned it off half way through, or they simply turned off their own brain, because they could not handle what this movie showed to them) but I can tell you that if you keep an open mind, and imagine this movie to be real, it would make any other film seem like child's play.
So, if you want to be truly DISTURBED WITHOUT watching something real, then this is the movie for you.I've seen it all, I watched A Serbian FILM (The uncut original version) twice in one day, and I've seen it many times since.
But if you thought AUM was not disturbing, and just "boring" then that means, either you're trying to act cool, or you simply did not watch the movie with an open mind.
People who say that this movie is a work of art are either messed up in the head or worked on the film because this is just honest to God total trash.A lot of the times you can't even tell what's going on because the camera is shaking so badly.
You may think that just because you use a digital camera and show disgusting or disturbing imagery that you are Takashi Miike, but Miike has an understanding for how to truly shock people (and I'll give you a hint, it isn't by showing scene after scene of disgusting or "shocking" images).Whenever I see movies like this I just want to talk to the creators and tell them how they messed up.
In fact, there are far more shocking things on the internet than there are in August Underground's Mordum.I give this movie a three for having some very good special effects at times, but it was an effortless movie that does not even try to entertain an audience.
I would like to quote Fred Vogel himself, when asked about August Underground series, who said "So looking back I think we've what made, and I think we made the most disturbing films to ever come out of America." And asked about the end scene of August Underground's Mordum "going back over to Jeramis' to rewatch the footage, and I started to well-up and was ready to cry because I knew that we'd done something special.
This 'movie' is sick, violent, unnecessary, the most disturbing film ever, but yet quite boring too.Mordum has very little or no plot, about three people who go out slashing the streets and capturing and torturing anyone they see. |
tt0073941 | Aloha, Bobby and Rose | In 1970s Hollywood, Bobby (Paul Le Mat) works as an auto mechanic by day, and shoots pool and races his red 1968 Chevrolet Camaro by night. His friend Moxey (Robert Carradine) is excited to be accepted to transmission school and build his skills for a better paying job. The less responsible Bobby seems to have no such direction in life and is still relying on his Uncle Charlie (Noble Willingham), a used-car salesman, to help him out of jams, such as by loaning him money to pay off his pool game bets to some menacing Chicanos.
Rose (Dianne Hull) is the young single mother of a 5-year-old son. Rose and her son live with Rose's romantic mother (Martine Bartlett), who minds the little boy while Rose works at a car wash. Bobby meets Rose when he personally delivers her VW Beetle Cabriolet, on which his garage had worked, back to her at the car wash. Bobby tries to charm Rose into giving him a quick ride back to his work, but she refuses and tells him to take the bus. Later, when she gets off work, she sees him unsuccessfully trying to hitchhike in the rain (presumably lacking even 40 cents bus fare) and picks him up. When Rose stops at her house to change, Bobby discovers she has a young son, but isn't bothered by it and even spends time talking to the boy. Rose's mother is planning to take her grandson to the movies and then on to Disneyland for the weekend, and, seeing Rose and Bobby are attracted to each other, encourages Rose to go have fun with Bobby.
Bobby and Rose go on a date, including ice skating (though Bobby can't skate), window shopping, a stop at Pink's Hot Dogs, parking under the Hollywood Sign, and cruising the Sunset Strip. They daydream about moving to Hawaii. During a stop at a convenience store for wine, Bobby pulls a prank on the teenage store clerk by pretending he is a robber with a fake gun (actually a stick of beef jerky). But the joke backfires when the shop owner emerges from the back room with a shotgun pointed at Bobby. To save Bobby, Rose hits the owner over the head with a bottle, and as he falls, the gun goes off, accidentally killing the young clerk.
Bobby and Rose flee, first in Rose's VW (which they crash) and then in Bobby's red Camaro, heading for Mexico. Rose misses her son and at one point boards a bus to return home, but finds she cannot leave Bobby and gets back off the bus. In San Diego, the pair meet flamboyant Texans Buford (Tim McIntire) and his girlfriend Donna Sue (Leigh French) driving a Lincoln Continental Mark III, who invite Bobby and Rose to go to Mexico with them. The two couples travel to Tijuana where Buford and Bobby bond in the party atmosphere, but Rose still misses her son, so Bobby and Rose leave Mexico and return to Los Angeles to get him.
After having Bobby's Camaro painted black and picking up Rose's son, Bobby and Rose stop at an ice cream parlor on the way out of town, where Rose leaves her son alone in the car for a few minutes while going inside. A police officer sees the little boy alone in the car. Upon seeing police surrounding their car, Bobby and Rose abandon the car, leaving her son to be taken by the police, and hurry to a nearby cheap motel to hide out. Bobby calls his Uncle Charlie to bring him a getaway car, but Rose separately contacts the police, who have her son, and tells them she wants to talk to them about the recent "accident," giving them the name of the motel where she and Bobby are staying. The police arrive that night in a rainstorm just as Bobby's Uncle Charlie drives up with the getaway car. As Bobby runs towards the car, the police mistakenly think he has a gun and, despite Rose's screams, shoot Bobby down. Rose cries over Bobby's body. | prank | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0043903 | Parsifal | Place: Near the seat of the Grail
=== Act 1 ===
In a forest near the home of the Grail and its Knights, Gurnemanz, eldest Knight of the Grail, wakes his young squires and leads them in prayer. He sees Amfortas, King of the Grail Knights, and his entourage approaching. Amfortas has been injured by his own Holy Spear, and the wound will not heal.
Vorspiel
About 14 minutes.
Scene 1
Gurnemanz asks the lead Knight for news of the King's health. The Knight says the King has suffered during the night and is going early to bathe in the holy lake. The squires ask Gurnemanz to explain how the King's injury can be healed, but he evades their question and a wild woman – Kundry – bursts in. She gives Gurnemanz a vial of balsam, brought from Arabia, to ease the King's pain and then collapses, exhausted.
Amfortas arrives, borne on a stretcher by Knights of the Grail. He calls out for Gawain, whose attempt at relieving the King's pain had failed. He is told that Gawain has left again, seeking a better remedy. Raising himself somewhat, the King says going off without leave ("Ohn' Urlaub?") is the sort of impulsiveness which led himself into Klingsor's realm and to his downfall. He accepts the potion from Gurnemanz and tries to thank Kundry, but she answers abruptly that thanks will not help and urges him onward to his bath.
The procession leaves. The squires eye Kundry with mistrust and question her. After a brief retort, she falls silent. Gurnemanz tells them Kundry has often helped the Grail Knights but that she comes and goes unpredictably. When he asks directly why she does not stay to help, she answers, "I never help! ("Ich helfe nie!"). The squires think she is a witch and sneer that if she does so much, why will she not find the Holy Spear for them? Gurnemanz reveals that this deed is destined for someone else. He says Amfortas was given guardianship of the Spear, but lost it as he was seduced by an irresistibly attractive woman in Klingsor's domain. Klingsor grabbed the Spear and stabbed Amfortas. The wound causes Amfortas both suffering and shame, and will never heal on its own.
Squires returning from the King's bath tell Gurnemanz that the balsam has eased the King's suffering. Gurnemanz's own squires ask how it is that he knew Klingsor. He solemnly tells them how both the Holy Spear, which pierced the side of the Redeemer on the Cross, and the Holy Grail, which caught the flowing blood, had come to Monsalvat to be guarded by the Knights of the Grail under the rule of Titurel, father of Amfortas. Klingsor had yearned to join the Knights but, unable to keep impure thoughts from his mind, resorted to self-castration, causing him to be expelled from the Order. Klingsor then set himself up in opposition to the realm of the Grail, learning dark arts, claiming the valley domain below and filling it with beautiful Flowermaidens to seduce and enthrall wayward Grail Knights. It was here that Amfortas lost the Holy Spear, kept by Klingsor as he schemes to get hold of the Grail as well. Gurnemanz tells how Amfortas later had a holy vision which told him to wait for a "pure fool, enlightened by compassion" ("Durch Mitleid wissend, der reine Tor") who will finally heal the wound.
At this moment, cries are heard from the Knights ("Weh! Weh!"): a flying swan has been shot, and a young man is brought forth, a bow in his hand and a quiver of matching arrows. Gurnemanz speaks sternly to the lad, saying this is a holy place. He asks him outright if he shot the swan, and the lad boasts that if it flies, he can hit it ("Im Fluge treff' ich was fliegt!") Gurnemanz tells him that the swan is a holy animal, and asks what harm the swan had done him, and shows the youth its lifeless body. Now remorseful, the young man breaks his bow and casts it aside. Gurnemanz asks him why he is here, who his father is, how he found this place and, lastly, his name. To each question the lad replies, "I don't know." The elder Knight sends his squires away to help the King and now asks the boy to tell what he does know. The young man says he has a mother, Herzeleide (Heart's Sorrow) and that he made the bow himself. Kundry has been listening and now tells them that this boy's father was Gamuret, a knight killed in battle, and also how the lad's mother had forbidden her son to use a sword, fearing that he would meet the same fate as his father. The youth now recalls that upon seeing knights pass through his forest, he had left his home and mother to follow them. Kundry laughs and tells the young man that, as she rode by, she saw Herzeleide die of grief. Hearing this, the lad first lunges at Kundry but then collapses in grief. Kundry herself is now weary for sleep, but cries out that she must not sleep and wishes that she might never again waken. She disappears into the undergrowth.
Gurnemanz knows that the Grail draws only the pious to Monsalvat and invites the boy to observe the Grail rite. The youth does not know what the Grail is, but remarks that as they walk he seems to scarcely move, yet feels as if he is traveling far. Gurnemanz says that in this realm time becomes space ("Zum Raum wird hier die Zeit").
Verwandlungsmusik (Transformation)
An orchestral interlude of about 4 minutes.
Scene 2
They arrive at the Hall of the Grail, where the Knights are assembling to receive Holy Communion ("Zum letzten Liebesmahle"). The voice of Titurel is heard, telling his son, Amfortas, to uncover the Grail. Amfortas is wracked with shame and suffering ("Wehvolles Erbe, dem ich verfallen"). He is the guardian of these holy relics yet has succumbed to temptation and lost the Spear. He declares himself unworthy of his office. He cries out for forgiveness ("Erbarmen!") but hears only the promise that he will one day be redeemed by the pure fool.
On hearing Amfortas' cry, the youth appears to suffer with him, clutching at his heart. The knights and Titurel urge Amfortas to reveal the Grail ("Enthüllet den Gral"), and he finally does. The dark hall is now bathed in the light of the Grail as the Knights eat. Gurnemanz motions to the youth to participate, but he seems entranced and does not. Amfortas does not share in taking communion and, as the ceremony ends, collapses in pain and is carried away. Slowly the hall empties leaving only the young man and Gurnemanz, who asks him if he has understood what he has seen. When the lad cannot answer, Gurnemanz dismisses him as just a fool and sends him out with a warning to hunt geese, if he must, but to leave the swans alone. A voice from high above repeats the promise: "The pure fool, enlightened by compassion".
=== Act 2 ===
Scene 1
Klingsor's magic castle. Klingsor conjures up Kundry, waking her from her sleep. He calls her by many names: First Sorceress (Urteufelin), Hell's Rose (Höllenrose), Herodias, Gundryggia and, lastly, Kundry. She is now transformed into an incredibly alluring woman, as when she once seduced Amfortas. She mocks Klingsor's mutilated condition by sarcastically inquiring if he is chaste ("Ha ha! Bist du keusch?"), but she cannot resist his power. Klingsor observes that Parsifal is approaching and summons his enchanted knights to fight the boy. Klingsor watches as Parsifal overcomes his knights, and they flee. Klingsor wishes destruction on their whole race.
Klingsor sees this young man stray into his Flowermaiden garden and calls to Kundry to seek the boy out and seduce him, but when he turns, he sees that Kundry has already left on her mission.
Scene 2
The triumphant youth finds himself in a wondrous garden, surrounded by beautiful and seductive Flowermaidens. They call to him and entwine themselves about him while chiding him for wounding their lovers ("Komm, komm, holder Knabe!"). They soon fight and bicker among themselves to win his devotion, to the point that he is about to flee, but then a voice calls out, "Parsifal!" He now recalls this name is what his mother called him when she appeared in his dreams. The Flowermaidens back away from him and call him a fool as they leave him and Kundry alone.
Parsifal wonders if the Garden is a dream and asks how it is that Kundry knows his name. Kundry tells him she learned it from his mother ("Ich sah das Kind an seiner Mutter Brust"), who had loved him and tried to shield him from his father's fate, the mother he had abandoned and who had finally died of grief. She reveals many parts of Parsifal's history to him and he is stricken with remorse, blaming himself for his mother's death. He thinks himself very stupid to have forgotten her. Kundry says this realization is a first sign of understanding and that, with a kiss, she can help him understand his mother's love. As they kiss Parsifal suddenly recoils in pain and cries out Amfortas' name: he feels the wounded king's pain burning in his own side and now understands Amfortas' passion during the Grail Ceremony ("Amfortas! Die Wunde! Die Wunde!"). Filled with this compassion, Parsifal rejects Kundry's advances.
Furious that her ploy has failed, Kundry tells Parsifal that if he can feel compassion for Amfortas, then he should be able to feel it for her as well. She has been cursed for centuries, unable to rest, because she saw Christ on the cross and laughed at His pains. Now she can never weep, only jeer, and she is enslaved to Klingsor as well. Parsifal rejects her again but then asks her to lead him to Amfortas. She begs him to stay with her for just one hour, and then she will take him to Amfortas. When he still refuses, she curses him to wander without ever finding the Kingdom of the Grail, and finally calls on her master Klingsor to help her.
Klingsor appears and throws the Spear at Parsifal, but it stops in midair, above his head. Parsifal takes it and makes the sign of the Cross with it. The castle crumbles and the enchanted garden withers. As Parsifal leaves, he tells Kundry that she knows where she can find him.
=== Act 3 ===
Vorspiel
About 5 minutes.
Scene 1
The scene is the same as that of the opening of the opera, in the domain of the Grail, but many years later. Gurnemanz is now aged and bent. It is Good Friday. He hears moaning near his hermit's hut and discovers Kundry unconscious in the brush, as he had many years before ("Sie! Wieder da!"). He revives her using water from the Holy Spring, but she will only speak the word "serve" ("Dienen"). Gurnemanz wonders if there is any significance to her reappearance on this special day. Looking into the forest, he sees a figure approaching, armed and in full armour. The stranger wears a helmet and the hermit cannot see who it is. Gurnemanz queries him and chides him for being armed on sanctified ground and on a holy day, but gets no response. Finally, the apparition removes the helmet and Gurnemanz recognizes the lad who shot the swan, and joyfully sees that he bears the Holy Spear.
Parsifal tells of his desire to return to Amfortas ("Zu ihm, des tiefe Klagen"). He relates his long journey, how he wandered for years, unable to find a path back to the Grail. He had often been forced to fight, but never wielded the Spear in battle. Gurnemanz tells him that the curse preventing Parsifal from finding his right path has now been lifted, but that in his absence Amfortas has never unveiled the Grail, and lack of its sustaining properties has caused the death of Titurel. Parsifal is overcome with remorse, blaming himself for this state of affairs. Gurnemanz tells him that today is the day of Titurel's funeral, and that Parsifal has a great duty to perform. Kundry washes Parsifal's feet and Gurnemanz anoints him with water from the Holy Spring, recognizing him as the pure fool, now enlightened by compassion, and as the new King of the Knights of the Grail.
Parsifal looks about and comments on the beauty of the meadow. Gurnemanz explains that today is Good Friday, when all the world is renewed. Parsifal baptizes the weeping Kundry. Tolling bells are heard in the distance. Gurnemanz says "Midday: the hour has come. My lord, permit your servant to guide you!" (Mittag: – Die Stund ist da: gestatte Herr, dass dich dein Knecht geleite) – and all three set off for the castle of the Grail. A dark orchestral interlude (Mittag) leads into the solemn gathering of the knights.
Scene 2
Within the castle of the Grail, Amfortas is brought before the Grail shrine and Titurel's coffin. He cries out, asking his dead father to grant him rest from his sufferings and expresses the desire to join him in death ("Mein Vater! Hochgesegneter der Helden!"). The Knights of the Grail passionately urge Amfortas to uncover the Grail again but Amfortas, in a frenzy, says he will never again show the Grail. He commands the Knights, instead, to kill him and end his suffering and the shame he has brought on the Knighthood. At this moment, Parsifal steps forth and says that only one weapon can heal the wound ("Nur eine Waffe taugt"). He touches Amfortas' side with the Spear and both heals and absolves him. Parsifal commands the unveiling of the Grail. As all present kneel, Kundry, released from her curse, sinks lifeless to the ground as a white dove descends and hovers above Parsifal. | murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0068786 | Junior Bonner | Junior "JR" Bonner is a rodeo rider who is slightly "over the hill". Junior is first seen taping up his injuries after an unsuccessful ride on an ornery bull named Sunshine.
He returns home to Prescott, Arizona, for the Independence Day parade and rodeo. When he arrives, the Bonner family home is being bulldozed by his younger brother Curly, an entrepreneur and real-estate developer, in order to build a trailer park. Junior's womanizing, good-for-nothing father, Ace, and down-to-earth, long-suffering mother, Elvira, are estranged. (Note: both Preston and Lupino were born in 1918, making them just twelve years older than McQueen.) Ace dreams of emigrating to Australia to rear sheep and mine gold, but he fails to obtain financing from Junior, who is broke, and refuses to ask Curly for it.
After flooring his arrogant brother with a punch, Junior bribes rodeo owner Buck Roan to let him ride Sunshine again, promising him half the prize money. Buck thinks he must be crazy but Junior actually manages to pull it off this time, going the full eight seconds on the bull.
Junior walks into a travel agent's office and buys his father a one-way, first-class ticket to Australia. The film's final shot shows JR leaving his hometown, his successful ride on Sunshine continuing to put off the inevitable end of his career. | cult, violence, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0045323 | What Price Glory | Upon the United States entry into World War I, the first American units to arrive at the front in France are veteran Marine companies, one of which is commanded by Captain Flagg, along with his lieutenants, Moore and Aldrich. Flagg has developed a romantic relationship with the daughter of the local innkeeper, Charmaine, and resumes their relationship after returning from the front. However, he lies to her and tells her he is married when she wants to come with him on his leave to Paris. Replacements arrive and their lack of discipline and knowledge infuriate the Captain. But he is expecting the arrival of a new top sergeant, who he hopes will be able to train them properly. However, when the sergeant arrives, it is Quirt, Captain Flagg's long time rival, and their rivalry quickly re-ignites.
Flagg leaves for Paris, and while he is away, Quirt begins to romance Charmaine. At the same time, another of the new arrivals, Private Lewisohn, begins a romance with a young woman of the village. When Flagg returns, he is approached by Charmaine's father, Whiskey Pete, who expresses concern over his daughter's relationship with Quirt. Flagg becomes angry, as Quirt has moved in on other girlfriends of Flagg in the past. But he sees this as an opportunity to get even with Quirt once and for all, by using Pete's concern to force Quirt to marry Charmaine, taking him off the market once and for all. As the wedding approaches, the unit receives orders to move back to the front lines. Flagg sees an opportunity to add insult to injury by not informing Quirt of the impending deployment, until after the wedding, which would mean sending Quirt into battle immediately after the ceremony.
As he sets up Quirt's wedding, Flagg is approached by Lewisohn, who wants to marry Nicole Bouchard, a local girl he has known for 8 days. Flagg convinces him to wait. General Cokely visits the unit shortly before deployment, promising Flagg that if they can capture a German officer, he will allow the company to retire from the front, as well as giving a week's leave to Flagg. Flagg's surprise is spoiled, and Quirt refuses to marry Charmaine, offering Flagg the choice of taking him into battle or sending him to headquarters to be court-martialed. Flagg realizes Quirt's value in battle, and gives in to him, taking him to the front lines.
At the front, Flagg's attempts to capture a live German officer lead to the death of Lieutenant Moore, after which a wounded Aldrich goads Flagg and Quirt in attempting to capture the officer themselves. On their way behind enemy lines, they both realize they love Charmaine, which once again re-heats their rivalry. The two do manage to capture a German Colonel, but as they are bringing him back to the American lines, they are hit by a German barrage, killing the Colonel and wounding Quirt. Quirt taunts Flagg with the fact that he will be going back to the village first, giving him the first shot at Charmaine. Right after he leaves for the base hospital in the village, Lewisohn brings a German Lieutenant he has captured to Flagg. The joy is short lived however, as Lewisohn is almost immediately killed by a German barrage after handing his prisoner over.
Flagg calls Cokely to tell him of the officer's capture, only to have Cokely renege on his pledge to withdraw Flagg's company from the front. As Flagg leads his troops deeper into enemy territory, Quirt begins to woo Charmaine. Before the two can marry, Flagg returns from the front, confesses to her that he is not married, and proposes to her. Charmaine cannot decide between the two men, leading to a physical fight between them. The two decide to play cards, with the winner being allowed to marry Charmaine. As Flagg wins the game, after bluffing Quirt, before he can marry Charmaine, Sergeants Lipinsky and Kiper arrive to let Flagg know they have been ordered back to the front. After initially balking at the order, Flagg realizes he can't desert his men.
As the troop moves out, Flagg tells Kiper that he's been discharged, and that he has kept the discharge hidden from him for over a year. Rather than become angry, Kiper slings his weapon over his shoulder and joins the troops marching out. Quirt, meanwhile, can stay behind, due to his injury, but he also picks up his rifle and joins his company. The film ends with the company marching back to the front. | romantic | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0052218 | Some Came Running | Dave Hirsh is a cynical Army veteran and an occasionally published but generally unsuccessful pre-war writer, who winds up in his hometown of Parkman after being put on a bus in Chicago while intoxicated. Ginnie Moorehead, a woman of seemingly loose morals and poor education, has taken the same bus.
Hirsh had left Parkman 16 years before when his older brother Frank placed him in a charity boarding school, and is still embittered. Frank has since married well, inherited a jewelry business from the father of his wife Agnes, and made their social status his highest priority. Dave's return threatens this, so Frank makes a fruitless stab at arranging respectability, introducing him to his friend Professor French and his beautiful daughter Gwen, a schoolteacher. Dave is entranced by Gwen, falling in love with her even though she rejects him, interested only in Dave's "mind" and his undeveloped talent as a writer.
Dave prefers and moves in different social circles, however. He befriends and partners with Bama Dillert, a hard-drinking southern gambler who has serendipitously settled in Parkman. Dave moves in with Bama, and they regularly gamble together, sometimes going on road trips to do so. Several young, aimless WWII veterans and Frank's daughter Dawn's boyfriend, Wally Dennis, an aspiring writer himself, hang around Frank and Bama in the bars of Parkman. Two factors seem to offer Dave hope and redemption: he takes a fatherly interest in his niece, Dawn, and continues to try to romance Gwen. Despite his somewhat notorious reputation, Dave is basically a good, honest man, well aware of his own shortcomings. His cynicism is often a mask to hide the pain of rejection.
Though Ginnie is not his social or intellectual match, he eventually sees the basic good in her and responds to her unconditional love. Saddened by Gwen's rejection, Bama's decline from alcoholism and diabetes, disgusted by Frank's hypocrisy and social climbing, and conflicted by his feelings for Ginnie, Dave nonetheless marries Ginnie and goes to work in a defense plant while continuing to work on his writing. As Dave tires of his work in the defense plant and Ginnie becomes more materialistic, their marriage goes downhill and Dave decides to leave town. As he walks through town at night during Parkman's Centennial Celebration, Ginnie's jealous, drunken ex-husband, who had followed her to Parkman, stalks and shoots Dave in the face, killing him (in the 1958 film version, Ginnie's ex is a Chicago hoodlum, and Dave is only wounded while Ginnie is shot in the back and killed after throwing herself in front of Dave).
The book's plot, taking place in peacetime civilian life, is framed by two short war episodes printed in Italics - the prologue depicting Hirsh's experiences in the Second World War, describing Germans attacking ("They came running through the fog..."), the epilogue having Wally Dennis, after being rejected by Dawn, who had married a more socially prominent young man, fighting Chinese Communists ("They came running through the paddy fields...") and getting killed in the Korean War. Wally, the aspiring writer's last thought before being killed in a grenade explosion, is of the manuscript he would never complete. | romantic, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0037954 | Objective, Burma! | A group of United States Army paratroopers led by Captain Nelson (Errol Flynn) are dropped into Burma to locate and destroy a camouflaged Japanese Army radar station that is detecting Allied aircraft flying into China. For their mission, they are assigned Gurkha guides, a Chinese Army Captain and an older war correspondent (Henry Hull) whose character is used to explain various procedures to the audience.
The mission is an overwhelming success as the 36-man team quickly take out the station and its personnel. But when the airborne troops arrive at an old airstrip to be taken back to their base, they find the Japanese waiting for them at their rendezvous site. Captain Nelson makes the hard decision to call off the rescue planes, and hike out on foot.
To reduce the likelihood of detection, the group then splits up into two smaller units to meet up at a deserted Burmese village. But when Nelson arrives at the meeting place, he finds that the other team had been captured, tortured and mutilated by the Japanese. Only Lt. Jacobs survives, and he too dies after telling Nelson what had happened. The surviving soldiers are then attacked and are forced again to retreat into the jungle. The men must then cross the swamps in their attempt to make it back to safety through enemy-occupied jungle.
Fighting an almost constant rearguard action, Nelson's paratroopers also succeed as decoys leading Japanese troops away from the site of the British 1944 aerial invasion of Burma. | violence | train | wikipedia | A solidly entertaining film that follows the exploits of a small group of American paratroopers dropped behind Japanese lines to destroy an enemy radar installation, it was quite gritty for a 1940's era war picture.
It's also one of Errol Flynn's best roles, as the captain of a parachute squad sent to blow up a Japanese radar station as a prelude to the allied re-conquest of Burma.
A few of the sequences have a lot of scratches and grain, but that was because the film makes good use of real jungle war footage.A must see for fans of WWII films, or of Errol Flynn fans who want to see him in one of his best roles..
There is a scene in "Objective Burma" which conveys to me, more effectively than any other film, how that rage was born.This is a Warner Brothers "A" picture, directed by the great Raoul Walsh, and it shows.
Errol Flynn leads a group of U.S. paratroopers on a mission to destroy an enemy radar station in Japanese-occupied Burma.
It rates right up there with Cagney's unbelievable turn in Yankee Doodle Dandy or Bogart's African Queen If you never thought Flynn could act, this flick will turn your head around.The usual TV Guide description goes something like "American paratroopers are dropped into Burma to destroy a radar station".
The real story begins when they find out they can't be picked up and are going to have to 'walk out', and it ain't no Robin Hood swash buckles his way through the castle sequence!The dialog, music, photography, settings, along with major and minor players all work exquisitely to deliver what I humbly consider to be the finest war movie ever made.
Objective Burma has to be one of Errol Flynn's best movies not to mention performances.
There is only a small amount of the stereotypical Bronx or New York guy with an accent.Objective Burma is an entertaining movie about a paratrooper units mission to destroy a radar station and how it their escape route becomes blocked and they must fight their way out.
I saw this movie when it came out in 1945.As a kid of 8 years it was terrific.I watch it every time it is on TV.I can almost repeat all the dialog in it.I think the part that Henry Hull says when they find our men captured in the village.I think it is very fitting today as to what is going on in Iraq.Colorizing this movie wasn't such a good idea in my opinion.Black and white seems to add realism to the film.I have been googleing all the actors in the film.Where Errol says to Henry Hull,"you know how old the colonel is in there?
It contains one of Errol Flynn's best performances and, correct me if I'm wrong, is the only film of Flynn's in which there are no females.Captain Nelson (Flynn) heads a group of paratroopers assigned by company commander Colonel Carter (Warner Anderson) to parachute into the dense Burmese jungle and destroy a Japanese radar station.
Well, since the film runs 142 minutes, you know that's not going to happen.The 36 officers and men including Lt. Jacobs (William Prince), S/Sgt Treacy (James Brown), Cpl. Gabby Gordon (George Tobias), Nebraska (Richard Erdman), Hogan (John Alvin), Miggleori (Anthony Carouso), middle aged journalist Mark Williams (Henry Hull) and others, attack the radar station and destroy it in a relatively easy operation where the entire Japanese detachment is wiped out and without casualties to Nelson and his men.As they are about to be picked up by a plane piloted by Lt. Barka (Mark Stevens aka Stephen Richards), the Japanese prevent the landing and Nelson and his group are then forced to walk out to their camp, a distance of some 200 miles.
Things don't go as expected, of course, and instead of being picked up by an airplane after their mission is completed they are forced to trek through the jungles and battle the elements to make their escape.Director Raoul Walsh was in good form when he directed this overlong but effective film which adopts a semi documentary approach.
Also look out for the terrific performances by several actors that later went on to well known TV roles such as George Tobias who played Mr.Kravitz on Bewitched and Hugh Beaumont who was The Beaver's dad.The film has one dated over-the-top diatribe by Henry Hull as a newsman accompanying the soldiers in which he rants about the Japanese as "stinking little savages" who should be wiped off the face of the earth.
Charlie Nelson (Errol Flynn) is assigned a risked mission , as he leads the group of paratroopers (George Tobias , Anthony Carbone , James Brown , William Prince) into Burma to blow up an important post in advance of the allied invasion.
The band of American soldiers must face the treacherous jungle and hostile Japanese in order to reach safety and battle against risks .Zestful Warlike action film in which a platoon suffers several dangers to wipe out Japanese station .
It was very, very realistic (though according to IMDb, the Brits and Aussies were NOT pleased that it made it look the the Americans did all the work, as they apparently were the ones who re-took Burma--oops).This film was unusual for Errol Flynn because he was normally known much more for period adventure movies or romance--not contemporary war films.
(By 'period films' I mean 'films created during the war.') And while it has some issues (more on those in a bit), 'Objective, Burma!' manages to tell an effective story while avoiding most of the pratfalls you often see in those other efforts.Plot in a nutshell: American paratroopers undertake a secret mission behind enemy lines in Burma, and while their objective is met with relative ease, their escape from Burma is not.Errol Flynn is very good here and it was a welcome departure from his 'Robin Hood' and 'Captain Blood' roles.
Errol Flynn stars as Major Nelson, who along with 50 other commandos parachute into Burma to destroy a Japanese radar station.
The mission is a success but while waiting to be air lifted to safety they come under attack from the Japanese and are forced to trek thru the jungle, simultaneously fighting the terrain just as much as the enemy.There were two magnificently directed war films made in 1945, one was John Ford's supreme John Wayne vehicle, They Were Expendable, the other is this much unheralded Raoul Walsh classic.
Captain Errol Flynn (Nelson) leads a unit of men into the Burmese jungle to destroy a radar depot that the Japanese have hidden.
Second, Errol Flynn's character, Captain Nelson, although a brave and heroic soldier and the epitome of a battlefield leader, makes a major tactical blunder which the movie tries, yet fails, to adequately explain.
It soon becomes pretty clear that the "Burmese dancing girls" that one of the men jokingly refers to in an early scene, are not going to make an appearance in this kind of war film.Of course, it can only work if we the audience feel immersed in that danger.
Errol Flynn (who I am most familiar with as a swashbuckling swordsman type) offered a totally convincing performance here as the commander of a group of American commandos sent behind enemy lines into Burma to blow up a Japanese radar station in preparation for an allied invasion of the country during World War II.
The plane that's supposed to pick them up can't land because there are too many Japanese around, and the men are forced to try to find their way out of Burma and back to their base on foot - an increasingly hopeless task as they deal with hunger, the jungle, and the Japanese.The climax of the movie probably begins when Nelson (Flynn) orders the squad to split into two and meet up later.
I'm lucky not to have lived through those difficult times but come from a region of the UK where a large number of troops were based in Burma, and several veterans of the campaign have told me they feared the jungle as much as the Japanese.I am a big fan of WW2 films and certainly place this amongst my top 10..
OBJECTIVE, BURMA!, Errol Flynn's last WWII-themed film (he'd done six in four years, the last four in a row) was his best, by far, but timing, always a factor in his career, would again work against him.
Also working against the film was Flynn's reputation for making cartoonish WWII action movies, something OBJECTIVE, BURMA!
Directed by Raoul Walsh (who had also helmed the most far-fetched of Flynn's WWII adventures, DESPERATE JOURNEY), this was an exceptionally well-made drama, of 'average' soldiers on a routine mission that becomes a fight for survival, in the jungles of Burma.Working outside the sound stage (it was almost entirely filmed on locations near Pasadena, California), the film has an almost 'documentary' feel, re-enforced by the presence of an 'Ernie Pyle'-like reporter (Henry Hull, who is excellent as 'Pop'), chronicling the people and events.
On the eve of the invasion of Burma, Major Nelson (Flynn), and his paratroopers are assigned to blow up an enemy radar station, and after a dramatic 'jump' into the jungle (punctuated by Franz Waxman's powerful music), they complete the mission successfully.
As the band is whittled down by the Japanese, the march gains an air of urgency, with the courage and endurance of each survivor tested.While the entire cast is exceptional (of note is George Tobias, possibly Hollywood's busiest character actor in the 40s, playing another of his many G.I. roles), the performance of Errol Flynn should be singled out.
Even with the new prologue, some British critics weren't appeased, and the film would not be widely released in England until 1952.If you want to see Errol Flynn in one of his most enduring roles, in one of the finest, grittiest war films produced during WWII, OBJECTIVE, BURMA!
Compare that to something like "Bridge on the River Kwai" (which doesn't, to the best of my recollection, show any actual graphic abuse either -- and holds the same PG certificate as "Objective Burma!") or even "In Which We Serve", where the enemy are seen machine-gunning the wreck survivors (unfortunately true), or the Japanese treatment of civilians and prisoners in "A Town Like Alice", and you only end up doubling the impression that this is comic-strip stuff.Next problem: the characters are pretty much interchangeable.
The other bit that worked for me was the night attack, where the Japanese soldier crawls into the trench pretending to be an American; I cottoned on to what was going on at just about the right moment for maximum tension, i.e. a few seconds before the characters did :-)Overall as a war movie, I'd rank it about level with "We Dive at Dawn" -- or a little below.
Errol Flynn leads his men in "Objective, Burma!" a 1945 war film also starring James Brown, William Prince, George Tobias, and Henry Hull.
Unfortunately, once they were in Burma, getting out became much more difficult.There's something about Errol Flynn war movies that invites controversy, and this one is no exception.
Although the film does some of the typical telegraphing of who will die, the deaths are still affecting.Objective, Burma eschews the patriotic fanfare characterizing many other World War II movies, wisely focusing on the challenges faced by the soldiers.
What the movie brings out is one of the many daring stories both American and British in the CBI theater and how the Allied forces tried matching up to the ultimate jungle warrior - The Japanese soldier, who almost attained invincible status in the CBI war!
The first hour is taken up by a detailed, deliberately paced lead-up to the operation and its execution but things pick up nicely in the tense second half as they meet up with every kind of opposition - human, natural, psychological, geographical and technological - which quickly takes its toll on the morale and number of the battalion marooned on the Burmese peninsula.This propaganda piece is the 5th film Errol Flynn made under Walsh's direction almost consecutively, as well as being his 7th war movie in as many years; unfortunately, it also virtually marked the end of his 10-year reign at Warner Bros.
An Action War Movie Made During the Second World War. Two platoons are sent to Burma to destroy a Japanese radar station.
Indeed today sounds very funny the exclamation of the journalist to Captain Nelson (Errol Flynn):`-Damn clever these Americans !' The movie is a little long, but will not disappoint.
The biggest is that the Japanese are just a big cruel mass, they aren't characterised, they are just killing machines.All in all it's a good film with great action scenes so I can recommend it to anyone who likes war films..
Like the obsessive sound track with the parrot cryings, after the second escape from the Burmese place with statues in stone inside the forest nearby the river, several aspects of this movie - that tells the story of some marauders on the jungle as a disciplined group but climbing slopes and crossing forest, nearby India colonial border, are nonetheless at the brink of collapse and despair -, are also subject of innovation since the aerial photography till the target of a Japanese village with an installed radar, which is destroyed during the mission that took the time of a picnic, but fails in the rescue for retirement by plane.
"Objective Burma" was unfairly savaged by the British press on its release in Great Britain and, therefore, never received its true accolade as one of the best war films ever made.
Well done Errol Flynn,well done Raoul Walsh, the war film has never been done better !.
This particular film deals with fighting the Japanese Government and showed the different ways in which the enemy tortured and tricked the American Forces in hand to hand encounters in the jungle.
This is just about the best American war film I've ever seen.It has great tension and suspense and could easily be shown to a modern audience today if only the black and white thing could be got over.Flynn is superb as the leader of a platoon in a very simple story of a group of men who are detailed to go into Japanese occupied Burmer on a mission and there struggle to return back to base.Most films of this era have awfully abvious studio stage set ups with lots of echoey speech and blowing up of models.I suppose this film does belong to its film making era to some extent eg some docu war footage inserted etc but even so the film is so good it does draw the viewer in so much so that the burmese settings become realistic.When it comes right down to it any film will succeed with good acting, great characters, atmostpheric music and with tight fast moving direction when needed and suspense as here shown in abundance by the great Raoul Walsh.If you like a war story instead of a war film this is recommended....
During World War II, a military unit is tasked with flying into the jungles of Japanese-occupied Burma and destroying a radar station.
This time, Flynn plays the role of an American soldier commanding a handful of men who successfully complete a mission but must trek through miles of jungle to get to their rendezvous point.
Raoul Walsh directed this real life account about a special operations unit of paratroopers led by Col. Nelson(played by Errol Flynn) who are sent into the jungles of Japanese held Burma to destroy a radar station there.
Errol Flynn left his swashbuckling image to star in this interesting film about a group of soldiers in India assigned to blow up a Japanese radar station in Burma.
It also boasted splendid looking Art direction by Ted Smith with the Burmese jungle mock-ups (filmed at the "Lucky" Baldwin ranch near Pasadena in California) not only looking convincingly authentic but with the added sounds of jungle wildlife making it quite daunting too.The story has Major Nelson (Errol Flynn) and his large contingent of American Paratroopers being dropped into the Burmese jungle behind enemy lines on a secret mission.
Losing half of the platoon on the journey - because of their forced march through rivers and dense jungle plus tangling with enemy troops - they finally make it to the pick-up point and are rescued.Although there are the usual stock characterisations - which seems to be endemic in all war movies - performances are generally good.
The British banned this film for 7 years because they resented the fact that this movie made it look like Flynn won Burma single-handed.
It has an almost documentary-type feel to it much of the time, showing a group of American soldiers going about a dangerous mission in the jungles of Burma, and the film is both exciting and tedious, showing the miserable conditions the average fighting man must have endured there and elsewhere.
Warner Brothers encountered greater production problems on "Desperate Journey" director Raoul Walsh's "Objective, Burma" than any other battle front movie that it made during World War II.Scenarist Alvah Bessie remembers the first time that producer Jerry Wald mentioned the idea for the film.
An older American war correspondent accompanies Captain Nelson (Errol Flynn of "Captain Blood") and his young paratroopers who drop behind enemy lines and demolish a radar station.
We welcome any suggestions Army would like injected." On March 11, 1944, Mitchell briefed Major General Alexander Surles about "the story of about 48 paratroopers dropped 200 miles behind the Japanese lines for the purpose of wiping out a radar station and some supply dumps." He explained that the filmmakers were "prepared to make any changes you suggest in order to keep away from any subject that might be embarrassing." Eventually, the War Department assigned Captain Charles Galbreath as technical adviser for the film production.Warner Brothers wanted "Objective, Burma," to look as realistic as possible, especially regarding the troops. |
tt1023500 | Doghouse | Vince (Stephen Graham) is depressed over his recent divorce. Six of his friends—Neil (Danny Dyer), Mikey (Noel Clarke), Graham (Emil Marwa), Matt (Lee Ingleby), Patrick (Keith-Lee Castle) and Banksy (Neil Maskell), all of whom have their own women problems—decide to take him on a "boys' weekend". They hire a minibus driven by Candy (Christina Cole) to Moodley, a village where the women allegedly outnumber the men 4 to 1. Banksy misses the bus and travels to the town on his own.
Arriving at the town, the boys find it quiet and surprisingly devoid of women. On the way back to the minibus, the men notice a hooded teenage girl (Alison Carroll) being attacked by a man in military uniform. They rush to her aid and in the confusion of the moment, the hooded teen takes the soldier's knife and stabs Neil. They run for the bus dragging the unconscious soldier with them but discover that Candy, their once-hot bus driver has already become infected. More infected women appear and begin to attack them as they retreat to a house owned by Mikey's grandmother. The soldier (Terry Stone) admits that the town has been infected by a biological agent that turns women into cannibals.
The men make another attempt to get on the bus, using the wounded Neil to lure Candy away. However two other infected women had joined her and chase the men back into the streets. They scatter about the village, hiding in a toy store, a clothes shop, and the butcher shop. Patrick gets trapped on a billboard. Neil runs into a house but is taken hostage by a morbidly obese woman who cuts off his little finger and eats it. Neil eventually escapes and is joined by the others, after their own misadventures, in the local church. There they discover a military command center. Matt powers up the computers and they talk briefly to a local politician, Meg Nut (Mary Tamm). She had been involved in the distribution of the toxin disguised as biological washing powder. The soldier finds a control box and explains it is a sonar device designed to emit a high pitched sound that will stun the zombified women once they have evolved further into "Phase 2" monsters that are faster, more intelligent and weirder. The women so change but when the soldier uses the sonar device it is revealed to have stopped working. He is then killed by Mikey's grandmother, before Matt bludgeons the monster-nan to death with a golf club. Traumatized by what he has done, Matt walks off to 'cool it off' and is killed by a "Phase 2" monster which had appeared from the basement of the Church. After finding a nest with women feasting on the bodies of men in the basement, the men barricade themselves on the roof of the church as more blood crazed women break in.
Banksy eventually arrives at Moodley. Although at first he believes his friends to be high on drugs, he soon recognizes the seriousness of the situation and fetches a ladder to get them off the roof. Graham is then attacked by the morbidly obese woman. Banksy leads the surviving group to his vehicle—a small Smart car, however it is not big enough for all of them. As they all argue Patrick is attacked and dies a bloody death. Everyone else heads to the minibus, where Banksy is killed as Vince fights off Candy. Vince blasts Neil and Mikey, who treat their women badly but get away with it, while nice men like him and their dead friends treat women with respect, only to be rejected or killed. He resolves to be more like them. Before they can drive away, the voice of the still-alive Graham crackles over the walkie-talkie. As he makes his way out from the church Graham powers up the stun-device using a high-voltage power supply. With it now working, the men are able to stop the women in their tracks; however, Vince inadvertently drops and breaks it. The infected are once again unleashed and, with the injured Graham in a shopping trolley, the four make a run for it, laughing. | absurd, cult, comedy, violence, flashback | train | wikipedia | Vince (Stephen Graham) is going through the final stages of his divorce and to help him through this period his friends Mikey (Noel Clarke) and Neil (Danny Dyer) decide to take him and a few of the other boys to a remote village outside the humdrum of their London lives to get, in Dyer's own words; 's**tfaced'.
However, when they turn up to the incredibly eerie village of Moodley to find flesh-eating, man-hating, cannibalistic women who want to do nothing more than rip out their internal organs and eat them for breakfast, the boys realise they have bitten more than they can chew and must fight their way through a barrage of blood-thirsty women in the most misogynistic way imaginable.The premise of the film completely reflects the manner in which Jake West approaches this project, with a gleeful nod towards plenty of harmless sexist humour and cheap gory death sequences that are all nice, light-hearted and fun.
Neil, Vince and Mikey are all your typical working-class likely lads out to simply flirt with the opposite sex and drink as much as their body-weight, with Danny Dyer in particular needing to place little effort in recreating his Cockney 'laddish' persona (yet again) on the big-screen.
While Dave Schaffer's script contains many easy-going humorous gags to keep your attention ticking over while the next axe, gnome or sword heads to try and end the boy's misogynistic ways and eliminate the male chromosome all in one.'Doghouse' is nowhere near the heights of Pegg/Frost's rom-zom-com-supremo 'Shaun of the Dead', but it isn't the worst film you will see this year.
Trouble is is that the village of Moodley has seen the female population turned into an army of man-eating "zombirds" out for male flesh.No doubt about it, Doghouse will not so much divide in two the horror/comedy faithful, it will dissect them into little pieces and continue to do so for quite some time.
Some scenes are horror delights, they may come with a quip or a tongue in cheek reference, but there is some fine blood letting stuff here.In the cast you have Stephen Graham, Noel Clarke and Danny Dyer.
I was at the first screening of Doghouse in the West End last night, attended by the director Jake West and stars Danny Dyer and Noel Clarke.Anyone going along to this and expecting anything other than what they know they are going to get are going to be disappointed.
After travelling to a remote village for a weekend of drunken debauchery and male bonding, a group of friends come under attack from the women of the village, who have turned into bloodthirsty cannibals as the result of a top-secret biological warfare experiment carried out by the army.Those looking for a stylish slice of quirky Brit comedy/horror in the vein of Shaun of the Dead, be warned: Jake West's Doghouse is aimed squarely at the lad-mag reading, post-footy, post-pub, post-curry crowd, and as such, the level of sophistication is not exactly high.
Don't expect clever word-play, irony, post-modernism, surrealism, or satire; do expect tit jokes, loads of swearing, mindless violence, and puerile gags about shagging zombies, all of which could have been tons of fun, if only the film's characters hadn't been such an unlikable bunch of 'blokes' (fully deserving of everything they get), and director Jake West hadn't forgotten to develop his plot beyond a repetitive string of silly chase scenes and gory battles.Although Doghouse is far from the worst British film in recent years to attempt combining laughs with scares (that honour goes to the abysmal Lesbian Vampire Killers, closely followed by The Cottage), I really was expecting a lot more from the director of zany splatterfest Evil Aliens, which I thoroughly enjoyed.
The basic premise—a blood-drenched battle of the sexes—is an interesting variation on the standard zombie plot, the design and execution of the female creatures is impressive (each has its own distinctive look and personality), and the gore is well executed; but with the comedy being so moronic, the narrative rapidly going nowhere, and not one sympathetic person to root for, Doghouse is definitely something of a disappointment..
STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning Over rated as I thought it was, Shaun of the Dead has spawned a barrage of imitation brit horror comedy type films, the latest of which is this from a director for whom this appears to be his most high profile work to date.
Due to it's limited release, it might not get his name remembered as much as he'd hoped and hopefully he'll make something more memorable (and better.) Which is odd considering the host of big new names in British talent involved, including Danny Dyer, Stephen Graham, Noel Clarke, Terry Stone and Neil Maskell, as well as an all too brief appearance from Billy Murray as a mutated army colonel.This is quite funny in parts, but mostly just succeeds in being really loud and silly, with unlikeable laddish characters and iffy make up/prosphetics on the female 'zombies.' I got the feeling it had been aimed at a target audience different from mine.
its an OK film to sit with a few mates and a few beers and laugh at the stupidity of the characters and the situations they get them self in.the name comes from the fact that all the characters are in the doghouse for going away for the weekend when there wives or girlfriends don't want them to go.something goes wrong (what!
Great Britain pretty much reigns in this area at this moment, by the way, with other famous and acclaimed titles like "The Cottage", "Shaun of the Dead", "Doomsday", "Severance", "Lesbian Vampire Killers"
Seven thirty-something friends have planned a weekend of heavy drinking and macho talking, so that they can help buddy Vince get over his divorce.
DOGHOUSE is a British stab at the comedy horror genre, featuring a group of guys who go off on holiday to a remote woodland locale and find themselves at the mercy of some zombie-type creatures.
It's a film that's more than happy to reveal its inspirations, which here seem to be the likes of horror classics such as THE EVIL DEAD as well as more recent fare like SEVERANCE, which also starred Danny Dyer.As such, the story is entirely predictable and almost everything that happens has been done before, and probably better.
It's surprisingly entertaining given the pedigree of director Jake West, who has made some real tosh over the years (I'm thinking of EVIL ALIENS in particular).The cast is littered with familiar faces and more than a few decent actors (Stephen Graham, Noel Clarke) and Dyer plays one of those laid-back, likable lead characters that he always seems to adopt.
Especially if the guy tells a bad version and doesn't really try to make it funny.That's the problem with Doghouse – I've seen it too many times and rarely as lazy or as unfunny as this one.The first 5 minutes of the film is spent trying to introduce us to "the lads", and show us that they are each individual guys with differing personalities and issues of their own.I made the mistake at the time of writing them all down, so in honour of my stupidity I am determined to pass the names along.Vince, Neil, Graham, Mikey, Patrick, Matt, Banksy, Ruth the bus driver.The reason why none of that matters is that there are only that many characters so some of them can get killed and others can grow up and have life changing experiences.Mostly though you hope they get killed.I might have been a touch more friendly to this if it hadn't been shamelessly trying to mine the same vein pioneered by Shaun of the Dead, and then copied far less successfully by Lesbian Vampire Killers.
Moodley is a sleepy backwater town in the UK with seemingly no inhabitants, initially
Not to be too precious, but a bunch of female zombies show up, all walking like they are doing the robot and wearing easily identifiable outfits:The Nurse - The Nun - The Bride - The bondage outfit girl - The fat chick (Ha-Ha)Well Yo-Ho-Ho and a bottle of Who Cares?The lads are suitably distressed and alarmed, and when they run into a fellow gent who is on the run from attack he tells them to stay in town, as the woods are even more infested.There isn't really much more than that, the guys run around, make "woooahhh" faces, there is some eye candy gore for the teens to say "gross", and some attempted humour that I would describe as juvenile, except sometimes juvenile is funny, but not here.And just when you thought that things couldn't get any worse, they try to shoehorn a reason for the infestation.
If you like a bit of daft zombie/man V woman/dog soldiers Shaun of the Dead type film you're in for a treat..
His friends who are in the Doghouse as each of them have a argument with their, Girlfiend, Wifes or last night's date.There all end up in a bar and they decide to have Guys weekend to a take trip to country side to cheer up Vince who getting a divorce On way to the country side the bus stop as there are two dead sheep's in the road, the bus driver Candy (The only Girl there) moves the Dead Animal out of the away (As none of the guys wanted to do it)Then someone's phones rings with The match of the day ring tone, everyone looks at there phones, after two calls Neil tells them give him their phones and put then in a bag that they leave on the Bus.When they get to Moodley they find out all the women have been infected with a virus that turn them into man-hating cannibals.
When they reached there, they found that the village is haunted by female zombies and boy, they are in for a ride.I'd call this more of a comedy than a horror film.
The comedy and gore blended so well that sometimes, I felt that it was not scary at all.All in all, I think this is something that is truly underrated, most probably because it is a British film and not everyone out there would enjoy watching actors speaking it a 'queer' accent other than those of Americans.8/10.
The closest the film comes to establishing links between the characters and the monsters is to have one of the heroes realize that one of the monsters is his ex-girlfriend, while the other is his "nan", though neither of these threads are pursued for more than a few seconds.The makeup and gore effects are well done, but you just keep wondering how much better they'd be if they were in the service of a smarter script, wherein these men were battling their own relationship "demons" made literal instead of a horde of hissing creatures with little personality and virtually connection to the heroes.And some things just don't add up, the key one being the little town itself, a quaint little "village-y" crossroads in the middle of nowhere.
Deciding to take a trip to a small town, a group of friends attempting to help a friend get over a divorce finds the area overrun by women mutated by a virus into ravenous cannibals that only target the men they find in the area and must band together to escape from the town in one piece.This turned out to be another rather enjoyable modern British horror/comedy effort.
I'll state right from the word go what is glaringly obvious in that "Doghouse", the latest film from British horror movie director Jake West won't win any awards for being original or innovative.
After all a movie where six male friends organise a lads night out in a remote English village to help a fellow pal and now divorcée get over their marriage ending, only to find them selves savagely set upon by the female population which have some genetically mutated in to man eating cannibals.
You know what, I'm a little tired of hearing so much crap about Jake west and his movies, give the guy a break, he makes (and its only my opinion) pretty great independent British horror movies, sure Razor Blade Smile was a movie with ideas way above its budget, Evil Aliens was the same, but lets be honest they were (yet again my opinion) gory, funny, silly and brilliant fun (if the combine harvester scene alone doesn't raise a smile from Evil Aliens, then its safe to say you are really not gonna like his movies) Doghouse falls into the same category.
Now these movies are by no means high art, but they do offer a great lads (hate that word, brings to mind, nuts reading, wkd drinking morons) night in movie, Jake West knows his market and he aims well, and the guy can direct, his movies always look bigger and better than his budget allows.
Doghouse (2009): The Good, the Bad and the NastySynopsis: A British film about a group of men having a "get-a-way" for a member of their pack that is getting a divorce.
And they don't let you down.The cast are okay in their roles, and look like they had fun making the film, but the narrative just doesn't gel, and it turns into a strange mish mash of comedy, horror, and drama.It doesn't work, and it goes from bad to worse.If you love the Brit flicks 'Sex lives of the potato men' and guest house paradiso' you'll love this.It's a shame, because with the acting talent, and the premise, it could have been a good camp film.It's boring instead..
Like all good horror stories, you have to wait for the gore in this movie but when it arrives, it vomits onto the screen!
If it wasn't for that I would of turned it off within the first 5 minutes.The idea behind the film was okay, the ridiculous scene with Danny Dyer and the fat zombie female, seriously who would even find that funny???Now Noel Clarke in a skirt that was funny.Just not believable at all, the rating maybe a little harsh as I didn't turn the film off but would not recommend to anyone..
Finding the movie at a local DVD shop for £1,I got set to go to Danny Dyer's doghouse.The plot:Wanting to escape their women troubles,mates Vince,Neil,Mikey,Graham,Patrick and Banksy decide to run off on a "lads weekend" to a village packed with pubs,and where women outnumber the men 4:1.
As they start to fear that their night out plans are over,a women appears,who turns out to be a murdering,man eating zombie.View on the film:Going for a night out with the lads to zombie town,the screenplay by Dan Schaffer makes the dialogue a perfect fit for the blokes,with their blue coloured humour capturing the banter of the guys,even as they are trying to outrun killer zombies.
Travelling to the village in a jolly mood,Schaffer turns the jokes down to give the title an unexpected dark Horror side,spilling from some of the main characters meeting their dogs dinner,as Schaffer gradually builds the bond between the friends,with the zom-women getting their hands on the immaturity of the boys.Taking on any man or zombie that challenges him ,Stephen Graham gives the movie a working class grit as Vince,as Graham smoothly hits Comedy pot-shots with Noel Clarke's wonderfully nervous Mikey,whilst making sure Vince hits the zombies with a ruthless punch for survival.
There seemed to be a big set up for the character with posters all around the village asking residents to vote for, as well as the militia orders and comms that are linked to her.The film is good but the ending isn't quite fulfilled, it feels like there is something missing, perhaps a finale or some kind of summarising outro but no, there is nothing, I even sat through the credits hoping for something but nothing appeared leaving me a little miffed.
I thought this was going to be rubbish – I was very wrong.This is a low-budget Brit lads horror/comedy movie and is succeeds on every level.Mark Kermode might say that this film is an indictment of Lads Culture and Misogyny on a wider scale – but we all know he's a pretentious bore who simply regurgitates the lowest form of current popular belief (I say might because actually I have no idea and am in fact making this up – but that probably is what he'd say).Essentially its Lesbian VampireKillers but with Zombies – some scenes were ripped out of Sean of the Dead, but hey so what, this film isn't pretending to be anything other than fun.Some seriously funny lines well delivered.It's as if Hammer house horror was produced by the carry-on team and updated for the 21st Century (they say c**t quite a lot!!) Terry 'Turbo' Stone crops up in this flick, probably due to its low budget, personally I'd prefer not to see him in anything else ever again but hey ho, what you gonna do when you need a thick-set guy for not much cash???
This film is fun - watch it, you'll like it (unless you're a zombie!!).
Its a classic get the boys round pizza and larger night in.All the actors play there part really well and you get the impression you are watching a bunch of blokes who have known each other for years.Dyer is his usual self which is exactly what the part needed plus even in a film about zombie hairdressers stephen graham show's what a great actor he is.
Friday night in with my girl, zombie movies and popcorn a real gore fest.I thought this film had great casting, now I am not a Danny Dyer fan or Noel Clarke but they did a great job in this film and the chemistry between them and Stephen Graham (first class Brit Actor) was spot on.
Danny Dyer is a little bit too blokeish for my taste, but he's one of those characters you find yourself liking anyway.It's true that Doghouse is highly derivative of other zombie movies, but I believe that (and the influence of horror comics) was the idea. |
tt0227538 | Spy Kids | Ingrid and Gregorio Cortez are rival spies who fall in love. They retire and have two children, twelve-year-old Carmen and nine-year-old Juni. They work for the Organization of Super Spies (OSS) doing desk work. The children have no idea of their parents' previous career. Ingrid and Gregorio are called back into the field when agents go missing. The children are left in the care of Uncle Felix Gumm. Gregorio suspects that a kids' TV show star Fegan Floop has kidnapped the agents, and mutated them into his "Fooglies," creatures on his show.
They are captured by Floop's "Thumb-Thumb" robots whose arms, legs, and head are made of thumbs, and taken to Floop's castle. Felix is alerted to the parents' capture, activates the fail-safe, tells the children the truth, and that he is not their uncle. The house is assaulted by Thumb-Thumbs, and the children escape alone on a submarine that's set to auto-pilot to a safe house. At the safe house, Carmen unlocks the door using her full name, and the children learn of their parents' past as they decide to rescue them.
Inside of Floop's castle, he introduces his latest creation to Mr. Lisp, small robots in the shape of children. He wishes to replace the world leaders' children with these super-strong robots to control the world. The androids are "dumb", and cannot function outside of their inherent programming. Lisp is furious, demanding usable androids to sell to his clients. Floop along with his second-in-command Alexander Minion interrogate Gregorio and Ingrid. Floop demands the 'Third Brain', but Ingrid has no idea what he's talking about. Gregorio claims that he destroyed the brain years ago. Thinking the brain must be with the children, Floop sends his minions after them. Gregorio reveals to Ingrid the truth about the Third Brain. It was the codename of a project back when he worked in the science division of OSS. It was to house the skills of all of the world's best super spies. The project was deemed too dangerous, was scrapped and the materials to be destroyed, but Gregorio couldn't destroy the brain.
Back at the safe house, the kids are visited by Ms. Gradenko. Gradenko says she works for OSS, and is there to help the children. Gradenko wants the Third Brain, but Carmen does not know anything. Gradenko orders the house to be dismantled, and Juni sees Thumb-Thumbs outside destroying the submarine. Gradenko's intentions revealed, Juni accidentally exposes the Third Brain, and a chase ensues with Carmen and some henchmen with jet packs. Carmen eventually gets the brain, and she and Juni escape the Thumbs.
Carmen realizes too late that the bracelet Gradenko gave her was a tracking device, and she and Juni are attacked by their robot counterparts. Although he tries, Juni cannot destroy the Brain, and the androids got it as they fly away. With the Third Brain, Floop can achieve his goal, but he wishes to continue his children's show. Minion has different plans, and takes over, locking Floop into his "virtual room." The kids receive reluctant help from Gregorio's brother Isador "Machete" Cortez when they come to his spy shop, steal some of his gear, and take his spy plane to fly to Floop's castle. Juni crashes the plane into the water, and the two swim into the castle. Minion takes Ingrid and Gregorio to the "Fooglilizer." Gregorio reveals that Minion used to work for the OSS, however Minion was thrown out thanks to Gregorio turning him in, when discovering Minion's intent to input his own ideas concerning the Third Brain.
Juni rescues Floop, and the three of them head to the control room. Floop theorizes he can reprogram the androids. They trap Minion on the Fooglilizer and, confronting Lisp and Gradenko, the family are beset by 500 robots. Machete busts through the window, and joins the family to fight. Floop resets the androids. With the children on their side, the family heads home.
With advice from Juni, Floop introduces the android children on his show. The family's breakfast is interrupted by Devlin who has a mission for Carmen and Juni; Carmen accepts on one condition, that they work as a family. | violence, atmospheric, clever, good versus evil, action, entertaining, storytelling | train | wikipedia | The Floop creations are too silly to appeal to adults but will probably provide some laughs for kids but generally the film gets the tone right for both groups.Rodriguez directs with his usual approach and I quite enjoyed the effect it had here because it does suit the silly, hyper material (which he also wrote).
The effects are mainly good and it should work for most kids in the way that older boys like their gadgets and fantasy video games.
I didn't like Cumming at all but that was more to do with his character; Shalhoub was OK, Hatcher was fun, Cheech pops up briefly, Patrick has a small role, Trejo is ever reliable and George Clooney puts in a small but amusing appearance.Overall this is not a great film because it all nonsense but then, as a kids' film, it doesn't matter so much.
Yet, as this energetic, light-hearted Bondesque spoof proves, Rodriguez has the talent to turn his hand to just about anything, and inject it with the suspense and adrenalin that are his trademark.From the gloriously OTT opening scene (which tells the story of how two agents sent to kill each other fall in love and settle down) to the last second, 'Spy Kids' doesn't miss a trick.
This was a silly kids' adventure story but still fun the younger ones and for adults, thanks to colorful scenes, great special effects, decent humor and a nice family tone to it.
This also looks very good on DVD.Included in the color and characters are "the thumb people" who were especially fun to watch.The only problem I found with it is the last 30 minutes in which it got too silly and emphasized (typical Hollywood) how the kids can do the job better than the adults, which a ludicrous film cliché.
They were too athletic to be real children, but I'd like to think that they are showing the kids seeing the movie that they can do anything that they put their mind to.
Fun for kids and their parents, good for a family movie.
SPY KIDS / (2001) *** (out of four)By Blake French: If James Bond married another secret agent, had kids, privately continued his life as a spy, became captured, and left his rescuing to his offspring, we would have the formula for Robert Rodriguez's new action adventure, "Spy Kids." Rodriguez normally directs harsher, more brutal movies, like "Desperado" and "The Faculty," but accustoms a slick style of adventure and humor in this film that exceeds past the level of any of his recent work.
She prepares her offspring for bed and turns the lights off, walks to her husband, and explains she thinks it would be a good idea to tell Carmen and Juni their real identities as top-secret spies; the story Ingrid enlightened her kids with was true.
Rodriguez quickly sketched his characters, but his method is surprisingly effective; the movie starts out with fast-paced action and captures our attention abruptly and does not really lose energy throughout its running time.
We learn the two married spies have retired from the business nine years prior, but their fellow OSS agents are disappearing all over the world, and thinks it to be the work of a kids TV show host named Fegan Floop (Alan Cumming in a very whimsical, fitting performance) and his assistant, Minion (Tony Shalhoub).
Finally, a live-action family movie that entertained me and my wife immensely, while my six-year old daughter had a blast too!The most obvious (and fitting) comparison film is Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.
Amazing fantasy world, some true menace, and a great message about being true to yourself and your family.Spy Kids as a family movie for the post-Matrix age.
This odd blend of one of the best (The Matrix) and worst (Baby Geniuses) movies of 1999 is surprisingly exciting for something so "PG", and director and writer Robert Rodriguez (From Dusk Till Dawn) manages to create loads of fun while still keeping the violence level down.He manages to do all this by being incredibly inventive with his special effects.
Back home, the feuding siblings must learn to work together in order to save their parents and the world as they are tossed into the spy game as well.It seems as if the best kids movies always have a family-like theme to them, and "Spy Kids" is no exception.
Alan Cumming is also very good, turning in an absent minded Willy Wonka style performance that also fits in very well with Rodriguez's style for this movie, which seems to be based largely around an amusement park surrounding a James Bond movie.His film may be corny for older kids, but this is for the young ones and chances are you will never find a movie as decent and fun for them as this one is for a long time.
Spy Kids is a special kind of family film that will please adults and children alike.
The parents buy the movie or the ticket for the kids, so they should both be provided with entertainment.Director Robert Rodriguez is all about special effects.
So it's nice to see Spy Kids was made just in the nic of time when technology could produce such a fun, original picture.The story is about two youngsters, Carmen (Vega) and Juni (Sabara), whose parents (Banderas and Gugino) are undercover spies.
They don't know their parents are spies, but after staying with their "Uncle" Felix (Marin), he tells them about their parents during an emergency, and sends both of them off to rescue their parents from an evil TV show host named Fegan Floop (Cumming).Spy Kids is only limited by the imagination from Robert Rodriguez head.
I was actually hoping two would go to war with each other if you know what I mean.The two leads are fairly decent actors, not perfect, but they have some time to practice, and I think these films are good places to start.
The storyline was the least of my concerns, I just wanted good-humored, little to non-violent fun, and Spy Kids works.
I loved this film as a kid and wanted to go back and watch it again to spot all the moments I enjoyed first time around.I think all these years later the film still holds up as a bitter than average family film.
I don't think the director needed to stretch it out to be a trilogy (or add the very poor fourth entry many years later)but that's another matter.The two lead kids play the parts well and have a good dynamic between them and Antonio Banderas/Carla Gugino are good support as the parents.Watching it back now though I think it does have some slow parts and the technology looks a bit dated compared to what we're used to today, but Spy Kids 1 still remains a quality film for all the family..
Director Robert Rodriguez (who has previously done just violent R-rated movies) turns out a picture that will appeal to adults and children equally.
Spy Kids is a film written and directed by Robert Rodriguez.
And I can safely say that I didn't like it.Plot: Carmen and Juni decide to take matters on their own hands when their parents who happen to be ex spies get kidnapped.Story and direction: This film had quite a good story in its place.
Robert Rodriguez's Spy Kids has a very special significance for me: it's the first movie I ever saw in theatres, and therefore left quite an impression on me.
Rodriguez makes two types of films: shamelessly violent, over the top, bloody genre fun, and family orientated sci fi/fantasy for kids.
Newcomers Alexa Vega and Daryl Sabara play youngsters Carmen and Juni Cortez, who are surprised to learn that their unassuming parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) are in fact lethal undercover spies, and need their help after being kidnapped by eccentric megalomaniac Floop (Alan Cumming hamming it up terrifically).
It's full of fun special effects and offers little crudeness like this year's previous Shrek in the way of family entertainment value.
I thought Spy Kids was a pretty cool movie to watch.
Forget about discovering that your parents were a pair of weirdo wizards (yawn!): in Spy Kids, Carmen Cortez (Alexa Vega) and her younger brother Juni (Daryl Sabara) find out that their mum and dad are ex-secret agents, which is a whole lot cooler in my book (I guess being raised on James Bond films might have affected my opinion somewhat).
This means that when Mr and Mrs Cortez (suave Antonio Banderas and yummy Carla Gugino) are captured by criminals intent on taking over the world with an army of robot children, it's up to the kids to save the day, equipped with all sorts of ultra-cool, high-tech gadgetry supplied by their uncle Machete (Danny Trejo).Pure, unadulterated slam-bang craziness from the warped mind of Robert Rodriguez, Spy Kids is cool, action packed fun for the whole family —perfect entertainment for a rainy Sunday afternoon on the sofa with the children.
Lots of quick camera switches and fast action mark this as clearly a Rodriguez film.The movie itself focuses on one family and works well by exploiting the differences between the parents and the children.
Robert Rodriguez has a great way of looking at life and the kids in this movie were just as good as the kids he had in Four Rooms.
'In search of castaways'), crossed with the old-fashioned, fetishised gadgetry and outre sets of Supermarionation; spliced, of course, with the more late-20th century likes of 'Star Wars', 'The Matrix', 'Mission Impossible 2' etc., and, hearteningly, the queasy colour schemes and various plot points from 'The City of Lost Children', which might be this film's dark double.As in 'The Matrix', there are some pop-metaphysical pretensions, such as the scene where our heroes fight their evil doppelgangers, but this is part of the conservative message: the rupture of the family unit entails a breakdown in identity (see also the transformation of dad into a grotesque puppet thing).In any event, we are free to ignore the message, and enjoy the film's surface (certainly, Rodriguez could argue that his message is explicitely framed as a fantasy, a bedtime story, unrealisable in the real world; that would make the tone sarcastic and in bad faith).
I took four kids aged from 7 to 11 and none of them liked it.The script seemed to be based on a Willy Wonka style story but it just didn't have anything to it.If you are considering seeing this movie dont waste your time, it is bad.They are making a sequel, so it may be worth watching to see if they can even make a worse movie, but I don't think it is possible..
The scenes and sequences are harmless enough for youngsters to enjoy and brief and charming enough for the adults seeing it with their kids to enjoy; the second strand consisting of the grown ups ambling along with parental life and cracking tired "Oh, aren't we both getting old!" gags which will no doubt induce grins onto that of the faces of thirty-something mums-and-dads watching on with an arm around each other and one of their two tots on either side of them.The problem being, and if like me, you land somewhere in the middle of all of this demographic pandering as a non-child whom isn't a parent and doesn't have any kids, chances are Spy Kids will be a bit of a chore; a film whose success rate in this case relies on it being an interesting and engaging enough adventure piece, something it isn't necessarily and thus doesn't quite pull through; a piece bordering on that of a monumental drag as it shuffles along doing its best to encompass people from better films that you've probably seen – by the end, I was having more fun mentally ticking off those whom had before worked with the aforementioned Rodriguez and were present here than I did from the film itself.
Where the kids have what is for them, everybody else will observe the ridiculously photogenic parents of the two titular Spy Kids in Antonio Banderas' Gregorio and Carla Gugino's Ingrid Cortez, respectively; two people living a seemingly normal life (whatever 'normal' constitutes in this film) in an isolated cliff-top villa hiding out as retired spies now trying to function as office workers and keeping their previous incarnations private from their offspring.Those kids are Carmen (Vega) and the younger Juni (Sabara), two more often than not at each others' throats in that innocent enough way brothers and sisters this age usually are; Juni's existence somewhat lowlier than Carmen's in that he appears weak and is easily victimised, sports warts on his hands and is disenchanted with school life.
Spy kids is a great movie which can be enjoyed by the whole family.
The film is the first in a long line to use the idea of child spies as the plot device with the story itself centring on twelve-year-old Carmen and her eight-year-old brother Juni as they strive to rescue their spy parents from the grasps of Floop, a campy TV presenter with dreams of world domination.There are, of course, an abundance of special effects in the film that are of a decent quality and a number of intriguing James Bond-like gadgets make their appearance.
Also, the child actors, Alexa Vega as Carmen and Daryl Sabara, show they are talented enough to carry off the bulk of the film themselves with limited support from Antonio Benderas and Carla Gugino, who play their screen parents.Unlike the lukewarm sequels, 'Spy Kids' is the kind of children's flick that older family members won't mind watching since the funny and action-packed plot and appealing performances by all the actors involved provide fun for a wide age range.
A kids movie that proves adults (or parents) could watch this film also..
My parents used to tell me that once I reached a certain age, no longer was I suppose to watch cartoon flicks or kid movies but films that a ten year old boy were suppose to watch: action films filled with blood, carnage, neat monsters and so forth.When I first heard that Spy Kids was out back in 2001, I was already used to the technology of DVD's replacing VHS movies while at the same time hearing how this movie directed by Robert Rodriguez captivated both children and adults alike.
Even my high school teacher Mr. MacAulay told me that he liked the film more than his daughter Fiona in which he was delighted with the special effects and cool story line.To my review of the film, Carmen (Alexa Vega) and Juni Cortez (Daryl Sabara) think they have it pretty bad with their lame parents (Antonio Banderas and Carla Gugino) who aren't hip like their peers parents.
What they don't realize is that both mom and dad are international spies who forbidden themselves from making any more espionage attempts until getting a briefing that a couple of their field agents have been kidnapped where it's up to them to save them.However, once the parents are kidnapped, it's up to Carmen and Juni to take their parents positions and save them."Spy Kids" is a whole lot of fun with a big set of innovated techniques from Robert Rodriguez where I didn't feel bored from the first minute of the film..
A fun story, extremely interesting and entertaining characters and an uplifting message all add up to a successful film in Spy Kids.The family is the fundamental unit of society and such is made particularly evident in this film.
SPY KIDS / Starring by Antonio Banderas, Daryl Sabara, Alexa Vega, Alan Cumming and Carla Gugini / Directed by Robert Rodriguez / Written by Robert Rodriguez / Rated PG / *** 1/2
Finally!The plot finds Antonio Banderas (Desperado) and Carla Gugino (The One) star as Gregorio and Ingrid Cortez, retired secret agents, though unknown to their two kids, Juni (Daryl Sabara) and Carmen (Alexa Vega).
But could there possibly be someone else stirring in the plot?Sure, the story isn't overly complicated and everything has a goofy look to it, but I didn't watch a movie called Spy Kids to come and expect Citizen Kane.
It's defenitely the best of the Spy Kids movies though, and does have some good moments..
spy kids is, as far as i can tell, a tribute to that film, not just in style, but in it's plot, which is about a little boy who has to rescue his mother from the diabolical dr t, who has kidnapped 500 children to play his giant piano.
For example, if you read my comments on "crime" or gangster movies, I'll usually start off by telling the reader whether the filmmakers succeeded in making it past that particular hurdle: Convincing me to to see criminals as human beings whose fate I should care about.Spy Kids is billed as a film for "the whole family", which is code language for saying that your 2-year old should be able to stay put through the whole thing (assuming a diaper change just before the opening credits).
I think this movie used WAY too much computer effects than it should have.I guess if you've got young kids, go ahead and watch this film, the kids may enjoy it.
I thought I wouldn't like Spy Kids, but it's a terrific & funny movie.
Probably my favorite movie since Can't Hardly Wait and Clueless (and let's include Being John Malkovich, too) But anyway I would just like to say that Spy Kids is a fruition of many years of hard work for Robert Rodriguez, the director.
I am 14 years old and I saw "Spy Kids" with my 7 year old sister and my mom and we all loved it which proves that this movie really is for the whole family.At first, I didn't want to see it. |
tt0093891 | Rumpelstiltskin | In order to make himself appear superior, a miller lies to the king, telling him that his daughter can spin straw into gold. (Some versions make the miller's daughter blonde and describe the "straw-into-gold" claim as a careless boast the miller makes about the way his daughter's straw-like blond hair takes on a gold-like lustre when sunshine strikes it.) The king calls for the girl, shuts her in a tower room filled with straw and a spinning wheel, and demands she spin the straw into gold by morning or he will cut off her head (other versions have the king threatening to lock her up in a dungeon forever). When she has given up all hope, an imp-like creature appears in the room and spins the straw into gold in return for her necklace (since he only comes to people seeking a deal/trade). When next morning the king takes the girl to a larger room filled with straw to repeat the feat, the imp spins in return for the girl's ring. On the third day, when the girl has been taken to an even larger room filled with straw and told by the king that he will marry her if she can fill this room with gold or execute her if she cannot, the girl has nothing left with which to pay the strange creature. He extracts from her a promise that she will give him her firstborn child and so he spins the straw into gold a final time. (In some versions, the imp appears and begins to turn the straw into gold, paying no heed to the girl's protests that she has nothing to pay him with; when he finishes the task, he states that the price is her first child, and the horrified girl objects because she never agreed to this arrangement.)
The king keeps his promise to marry the miller's daughter. But when their first child is born, the imp returns to claim his payment: "Now give me what you promised." She offers him all the wealth she has to keep the child but the imp has no interest in her riches. He finally consents to give up his claim to the child if she can guess his name within three days. Her many guesses fail, but before the final night, she wanders into the woods (some versions she sent a servant in the woods instead of going herself to keep the king's suspicions at bay) searching for him and comes across his remote mountain cottage and watches, unseen, as he hops about his fire and sings. In his song's lyrics, "tonight tonight, my plans I make, tomorrow tomorrow, the baby I take. The queen will never win the game, for Rumpelstiltskin is my name'", he reveals his name. Some versions have the imp limiting the number of daily guesses to three and hence the total number of guesses allowed to a maximum of nine.
When the imp comes to the queen on the third day, after first feigning ignorance, she reveals his name, Rumpelstiltskin, and he loses his temper and their bargain. (Versions vary about whether he accuses the devil or witches of having revealed his name to the queen.) In the 1812 edition of the Brothers Grimm tales, Rumpelstiltskin then "ran away angrily, and never came back". The ending was revised in an 1857 edition to a more gruesome ending wherein Rumpelstiltskin "in his rage drove his right foot so far into the ground that it sank in up to his waist; then in a passion he seized the left foot with both hands and tore himself in two". Other versions have Rumpelstiltskin driving his right foot so far into the ground that he creates a chasm and falls into it, never to be seen again. In the oral version originally collected by the Brothers Grimm, Rumpelstiltskin flies out of the window on a cooking ladle. | fantasy | train | wikipedia | Another Winner From Cannon!.
"Rumpelstiltskin" is another Cannon Movie Tale that does a fine job with it's classic material.
Few film versions of "Rumpelstiltskin" have been made, so it's lucky they did right by the story.
Amy Irving as Katie, the miller's daughter is lovely, and sings well, too.
Billy Barty is a suitably creepy Rumpelstiltskin.
The true stars, however, are Clive Revill as the greedy King,and Priscilla Pointer (Amy Irving's real-life mother) as the snobbish Queen.
Both give intentionally hammy performances which are delightful to watch.
The supporting cast includes John Moulder Brown as the Prince, Director David Irving's wife Susan Berlin as the cook's wife (star Amy Irving is his sister) and Robert Symonds, husband of Pointer, and Irving's stepfather as the Miller.
Good songs, good period atmosphere, good movie..
It doesn't get much better than this!.
After years and years of searching, I am so proud to say, I do finally own a copy of this wonderful fairy tale.
As a child of the 1980s, this was my absolute favorite and I rented it time and time again from my town library, in fact I rented it so many times that the tape wore out...
Honestly, I have no idea who did that!I can't help but love this movie!
I saw it for the first time when I was six years old and have been an Amy Irving fan ever since.
As it turns out, her entire family was involved in this production.
Her mom, Priscilla Pointer plays the queen (which she must have had a blast doing) her brother David Irving is the director (a very nice guy, I'm so lucky to have spoken with him personally) and her stepfather Robert Symonds plays the miller to perfection.Long before I knew the Irving connection I loved this movie.
I grew up watching all the Faerie Tale Theatres and the Cannon Movie Tales but this was my all-time favorite.
I grew up singing "Queen of the Castle" and "Miller's Daughter" and nothing, no matter how great a cinematic achievement will ever compete with this in my mind.I suppose those movies that were special to us when we were children will always be perfect in our minds despite their flaws.
But, I don't care.
Rumpelstiltskin has no flaws.
It's a lovely story.
Wonderfully acted, beautifully sung, and lovingly directed.
I spent years and years searching for this film, enquiring at every movie store and every rental place I ever came across.
I cannot begin to say how much this movie meant to me.Now I am actually a film student myself.
Although this is a children's film and I'm in my twenties, this is one movie that I'll watch my entire life.
Thank you, Amy, David, Priscilla, and Robert for inspiring me so much!
I grew up watching this movie, and as a film student I know that no matter how many times I see "Casablanca" or "Lawrence of Arabia" or even "Mulholland Dr" it's the movies that I watched when I was a child that will always hold a permanent place in my heart.
So what if I did have a thing for John Moulder-Brown?
So what if I saw every Amy Irving movie as a direct result of this?
Say all you want about Citizen Kane, it's the movies like these that you watch devotedly when you're six years old that can get you hooked for life.
How can you thank someone for giving you the love of movies and inspiring you in your future career?
It is a children's film, but one that I will watch until I'm ninety..
Rumpelstinkskin.
Cannon Movie Tales version of the Rumpelstiltskin story.
I enjoy quite a few of these movies, despite their low budgets and high cheese factor, but this one is not good.
Amy Irving plays the woman who, when forced to spin straw into gold, turns to the magical dwarf Rumpelstiltskin for help.
In her thirties by this point, Irving is too old for a part that seems to be written with a woman in her late teens or early twenties in mind.
This movie is a family affair for Irving.
Her brother David wrote and directed it (his first of three Cannon Movie Tales films) and her mother, Priscilla Pointer, plays the nasty Queen.
Even her stepfather, Robert Symonds, gets in on the act and plays her father here.
Billy Barty plays the title character and clearly is having a good time, which goes a long way towards making this work as much as it does.
His constant rhyming gets old quickly, though.
Clive Revill plays the gold-hungry King and appears to be having quite a good time himself.
John Moulder-Brown, with his ridiculous wig and all-kinds-of-wrong mustache, is the weakest part of the cast.
As with all these Cannon fairy tale films, they take a short story and stretch it to the breaking point.
This has some truly putrid songs that will test your will to live.
The production values are not good and the film looks drab and cheap at all times.
The cheapness is never more evident than the gold straw that is obviously just Christmas tinsel.
It's really a stinker and I wouldn't recommend you start with this one if you are wanting to try out the Cannon Movie Tales series..
My favorite version of "Rumpelstiltskin".
First time I saw this as a child I adored.
It was played on TV a few times during the 80's (I remember because once it was cancelled by a football game and I've never cared for that sport since).
Billy Barty was so awesome and the prince wasn't bad despite his funny haircut.
True, the songs weren't the greatest, but they weren't horrible either..
A Good Film!!!!!.
Liza-19's comments were absoulutly beautiful.I feel the same way about stupid little cartons,Cannon Movie Tales,and Faerie Tale Theatre's from when I was a child.I did not see this as a child.I swear that I saw something like this on TV when I was a kid though.I dont know what station it was on but I may have only caught the ending.I dont remember where I watched it.How Strange!This was interesting.It is definatly not the best Cannon Movie Tale.This film can be rather boring at times,but it is good because of great acting,sets,songs etc.
I loved the movie!It has good production values.This was the first Cannon Movie Tale.I would call it THE TEST MOVIE TALE.It was the one that tested whether or not they made more of the Movie Tales.They liked this one so they made others.This one is something that is age appropriate for everyone.There is nothing that is frightening or scary.Youre child would have to be really easily scared to get scared in this one..
Amy Irving sings????.
Not really *LOL* but I do like her opening song.
The rest kind've stink, and only Billy Barty is really good in it...
Definately for children.
They'll love it!
If you have children, and you aren't sure whether the story is too scary for them or not, just sit with them in your arms and let them bury their face in your shoulder.
They'll never need you to sit with them again!.
Kicks the Cannon Movie Tale film series to a pretty good start.
While not the best of the Cannon Movie Tale films (Hansel and Gretel), it's not the weakest either (The Emperor's New Clothes).
Instead it sits comfortably in the middle, and serves as a pretty good start.Rumpelstiltskin is less than perfect (none of the Cannon Movie Tale films are, with the flaws varying in number and size for each).
The Cannon Movie Tale films all had low budgets, which while rarely showing in the photography nearly always showed in the costumes for example.
This is true for Rumpelstiltskin too, while nicely photographed the production is rather dimly lit, the sets are flat in colour and are the sort that were constructed on the lowest amount a shoe-string budget can get and the costumes (apart from an appropriate one and some effectively grotesque make-up for Rumpelstiltskin) are shoddy.Like The Emperor's New Clothes and to a lesser extent The Frog Prince, Rumpelstiltskin also suffers from a story which, while great and nicely done in its own right, feels even when padded too short to suit a feature length film, some of the first half especially drags and has scenes going on longer than they need to.
And while most of the songs are enjoyable, though not the strongest set from a Cannon Movie Tale production, one does miss big-time and that is, despite Clive Revill's enthusiasm and fine voice, the embarrassingly weird and not particularly necessary (seeing as it adds very little to what we already know about the King, and it seemed only to be there for convenience) I'm Greedy.
John Moulder-Brown is very charming as the Prince, but doesn't have an awful lot to do and the character is not developed all that much.The rest of the songs, a nice mix of bright and breezy and nostalgic pathos, do work nicely, with Queen of the Castle and Miller's Daughter being the highlights, and the incidental score is whimsical and characterful.
The script is wonderfully witty in places, especially with the King and Rumpelstiltskin, and balances the serious parts of the story well without being too dark or heavy.
The story is very padded, is not always successfully executed and there are liberties, but the whole basic story, characters and events are present and correct, and with an easy balance of the fun, the emotional, the charming and the creepy on the most part.
The characters help make the film engaging and it's competently directed and staged throughout.Of all the performances from a uniformly solid cast, Billy Barty steals the show as a truly grotesquely creepy and very entertainingly performed Rumpelstiltskin while Clive Revill matches him closely in a riotous turn as the hilariously pompous King.
Priscilla Pointer is wonderfully snobbish, Robert Symonds plays the miller nobly and Amy Irving beguiles and affects as the heroine of the story (she acquits herself very well as a singer too), and shares an easy-going chemistry with Barty and Moulder-Brown in particular.
Overall, a pretty good start for Cannon Movie Tales.
6.5/10 Bethany Cox. It Has Billy Barty.
Billy Barty is Rumplestilskin.
good enough for me.
good enough for me.
any movie that showcases Barty's acting talent is watchable for that alone.
this also happens to be a Cannon Farietale family musical, and i'm partial to those, so that makes for double enjoyment here.this also has Amy Irving.
she was in 'Carrie' and 'The Fury'.
cool.
cool.
i love those horror flicks.
she's good in this movie and does a decent job of singing and is often pretty funny too.
can't say Irving is one of my favorite actresses or anything, but i've always liked her and been aware of her even though i don't seem to know anything about her.
she's always seemed a likable enough presence in film.the songs here are nice although i doubt they'll stop any show sometime soon.
but i guess if forgettable tripe like 'The Fantastiks' can go on to become one of the longest running musical plays in theater history, than i suppose the music here will more than suffice.
compare this musical score with say 'Stop the World' or the musical version of 'Lost Horizon' and you might rethink the music score here as fresh and breezy in contrast with that muck.i liked this.
i like Cannon Farie Tale musicals and i like fairy tale films in general.
as long as they are the authentic thing and not just a bunch of revisionist hogwash.
that's what is so often good about the Cannon Farie Tales, they don't attempt to rewrite the Fairy tales and usually present them as straight forward as possible.personally, i liked Shelley Duvall's 'Rumplestilskin' better.
probably because i think that Herve Villechaize is a more interesting actor than Barty.
with due respect to Barty of course.
i just don't think that Barty's career had the same cutting edge to it that Villechaize's did.it's pretty easy to recommend Cannon Farie Tales to families.
they are wholesome and unoffensive and pretty good for kids in terms of quality and intellect.
they are definitely smarter property than what is usually sold to kids and families.
with the recent trend and interest in fairy tales, Cannon also offers the more genuine thing without a bunch of big studio marketing rewrite. |
tt0074670 | Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks | Three crates arrive to the harem. Inside are tied up, gagged, chastity belt-wearing, unconscious, kidnapped, western women. The first woman is the sole heir of a "chain store king of the United States". The second is a large-breasted film actress, whom the western press dubbed "the new Scandinavian love goddess". The third is an Asian-European equestrian champion.
Meanwhile, Sheikh Sharif lies in bed as his personal sex slave, the buxom Asian Katsina, lovingly rubs her breasts against him. Sharif confirms his promise to let her accompany him on his travels, after dealing with the following day's visitor. The visitor is an American oil businessman, who is accompanied by an American army commander.
Ilsa promises luxury to the new women, but they oppose their white slavery. Ilsa tells them they have no choice. Ilsa, who herself has no lover, declines having a western man kidnapped for her next time. Unlike the original film, the current Ilsa states she is repulsed by the notion of a man who would sleep with her just because he must.
Ilsa prepares them by forcing them to perform cunnilingus and erotic massage on one of her lesbian bodyguards. To satisfy demands, Ilsa has an existing sex slave force-fed, and then inspects two - by now consensually - fattened sex slaves. Silicone is used to enhance only the buttocks of another.
A public auction is held to sell existing sex slaves, including one muscled African man. One sheikh has his purchase's teeth extracted. A belly dancer is then caught spying and Ilsa has her tortured for information. Ilsa uses a fiendish torture device to crush the belly dancer's large bare breasts. The victim only knows that the American commander sought inside information.
The Americans arrive. The businessman is offered a woman, but refuses, stating that he is happily married. In return, he finds in his bedroom a young boy sex slave, who claims refusal would mean severe punishment for the boy.
Ilsa immediately has an eye for the commander and dresses up. Crowding together on a couch near her bedroom, her lesbian bodyguard duo perform a make out session, but he is uninterested. She insults his manhood and he reacts by groping her. She sends him away, but he shoves her into bed. She is angered at first but eventually chooses to sleep with him.
Ilsa devises penetration-triggered, exploding diaphragms. She uses a mechanical dildo machine to demonstrate it on the spy, thus finally killing her. Sharif has one put in Katsina while she is unconscious, and then prepares her to visit a rival sheikh. Sharif is then about to sleep with the American heiress, but a vengeful local subject accidentally snipes her to death. The American commander sees the sniper burned to death without a trial, earning his disapproval.
Finally deciding to expose the commander, Sharif finds him in bed with Ilsa. Sharif has her tied up, standing topless, while a leper first gropes her large breasts, then performs cunnilingus on her; soon he mounts her and reaches a full climax while all the others watch in horror. Once she "learns her lesson," Ilsa initiates a rebellion. She quickly heads for the commander's prison cell, kills both his guard and the tarantula that has almost entered his face-cage, and frees him. Ilsa reveals that Sharif's young nephew, Prince Salim, is locked up to prevent him inheriting the sheikhdom. Ilsa's bodyguard duo free the two remaining new sex slaves and give them guns to assist in Ilsa's rebellion. Sharif's guards kill said bodyguards, but Ilsa gets Sharif under gun point. The commander then frees Prince Salim.
Sharif is chained and gagged, and Ilsa tells his loving Katsina that Sharif's final wish before his execution is sleeping with her. Removing Katsina's chastity belt, Ilsa mentions this will also win Katsina her freedom. Knowing about her diaphragm-bomb, Sharif twists beneath his gag, but Katsina mounts and rapes him. Sharif tries to withhold himself, but behind a window Ilsa encourages Katsina to push herself harder and harder on top of him, until the bomb is activated. The commander arrives too late to prevent their deaths. Ilsa argues it was a fitting punishment, but he reminds her Katsina was innocent, and dumps Ilsa in resentment.
Nevertheless, he reminds the prince that Ilsa did save his life, when she pledges her allegiance to him. Unimpressed, the prince sentences Ilsa to slow starvation. He frees the commander, who tells a cursing Ilsa that it is not his fault. | violence, pornographic, revenge, cult, sadist | train | wikipedia | HAREM KEEPER OF THE OIL SHEIKS, is a relatively decent follow-up to the classic SHE WOLF OF THE SS.
Ilsa trains the girls to be good little sluts, and the expected sleaze begins...Not as powerful as the aforementioned SHE WOLF, HAREM KEEPER has a "lighter" tone and was obviously an attempt to cash-in on the probably unexpected success of SHE WOLF.
Director Don Edmonds manages to pack copious amounts depravity, sex & violence into this flick, with Dyanne Thorne camping it up as the evil Ilsa.
Now everyone has come across DVD commentary tracks which are along the lines of 'Yeah I remember that, yeah that was fun etc', but this one actually makes the film even more enjoyable.
It makes one realise that many of our 'respected' actors would look just as bad as the cast of this movie if they were only allowed one take because the film makers only had a limited amount of film stock!.
Dyanne Thorne is at her campy (and sultry) finest in this second installment of the Ilsa series, delivering juicy dialogue with tongue firmly planted in cheek.
As Harem Keeper begins, we find Ilsa at the head of a white slave ring where her primary duty is to train innocent young girls for service in the lecherous El Sharif's harem.
Yes, Ilsa is your classic man-hater, but the frigid ice goddess soon melts in the arms of the studly American diplomat, who's actually a spy intent on overthrowing the sheik's corrupt government.
Marvel as Ilsa succumbs to her own lustful desires and falls under the spell of some good ol' fashioned "manpower!" Think of it as an adult comic book come to life, full of hardcore gore (at least by 70s standards) and softcore sex, and enjoy it for what is is - trashy exploitation at its best..
The only difference is, that "Harem Keeper" features much more sex´n violence than you may find in popcorn movies à la "Indiana Jones" and friends..!
If not, prepare for a bundled load of sleazy erotic, some bizarre torture and lots of comic-like brutality!
Dyanne Thorne returns as buxom bitch Ilsa, in 'Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiksthe second in the infamous exploitation series that began with the sleazy and repugnant She Wolf of the SS.
Where the first film made viewers feel decidedly uneasy due to the controversial 'Nazi concentration camp' setting, Harem Keeper manages a lighter tone due to its comic book premise and tongue-in-cheek execution, yet it still contains enough violence and nudity to keep fans of the first film happy.This time round the busty blonde sadist is to be found running a harem for evil oil sheik El Sharif, ably assisted by her two topless ball-breakers, Satin and Velvet.
The buxom bitch has resorted to kidnapping beautiful women to ensure a steady supply of hot babes for the sheik; it seems that he has a nasty habit of getting carried away during sex and 'damaging' his ladies.
Ilsa must train the newest additions to his harem, teaching them how to be subservient and willing to please; any resistance is punished with torture.Meanwhile, two guests have arrived at the sheiks home; Commander Adam Scott and his associate Kaiser are hoping to convince El Sharif to give up some of his oil which lies untapped beneath the desert.
Little do they know that the sheik has already rumbled their plan and isn't going to make life easy for them.Ilsa, however, takes a shine to hunky Commander Adam and indulges in much rumpy-pumpy with him; when the sheik orders her to have Adam killed, she disobeys and leads a revolt against the despicable tyrant.There is a real sense of fun to this installment of the Ilsa franchise; director Don Edmonds injects huge doses of camp into the proceedings making this film less of a 'guilty' pleasure than the first.
Of course, a strong stomach and hardened sensibilities are still beneficial for those who choose to watchthere is still plenty of cheesy gore and inventive torture in evidence to qualify the film as a genuine shocker: a man has his testicles pulled off by Satin and Velvet, a thief has his hand cut off, two women have explosive vaginal implants inserted into them (which are triggered during sex), flesh eating ants eat a woman's foot, and an enemy of the sheik is doused in oil and set on fire.It may be a different style of movie to the first one, but Ilsa Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheils is a more than worthy sequel and well worth checking out..
Thin comic book story line, dodgy dialogue delivered questionably, gratuitous nudity, sex, and violence.
At the least I think every action movie ever made could be improved by the inclusion of Satin and Velvet, Ilsa's bodyguards..
Ilsa(Dyanne Thorne)and her two lesbian guards-Satin and Velvet run a harem for depraved sheik(Victor Alexander)Of course women are tortured and abused in front of the audience!This film is much more campier than "Ilsa-She Wolf of the SS" and not nearly as shocking.Still there are some torture scenes and a good amount of sleaze and nudity to satisfy exploitation freaks!Check it out!.
I like all the ILSA movies and I consider this one to be a real good one.
The best one though is the first one, ILSA SHE WOLF OF THE SS, which is an absolute classic.
The fourth one is the weakest in my opinion and doesnt include DYANNE THORNE in the cast which for me makes the movies enjoyable to watch when she is in them..
The best of the three principal ILSA films, this one's got Dyanne Thorne, Haji Cat and the impossibly pulchritudinous Uschi Digart -- scenes such as the fight with the guards, the various audiences with El Sharif, and the tortures of Haji are just beyond belief!
From these ILSA films to Point of Terror and even her return with House of Forbidden Secrets...
This film was a sleazy drive in movie classic from beginning to end, but it had a good story and some terrific acting from Dyanne as well as Howard Maurer.
No spoilers here, but if you like trashy fun movies that push the envelope of good taste, you will LOVE this movie..
Ilsa returns for more sleazy fun.
As everyone no doubt knows, this is the follow up to the notorious movie Ilsa She-Wolf of the SS.
That flick was a real controversial one, seeing as it was mixing a Nazi concentration camp premise with an extremely exploitative story-line.
In Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks Dyanne Thorne returns as the super-bitch Ilsa.
In this one she runs a harem for a sleazy sheik.
Of course, this involves much elaborate torture and copious amounts of nudity.If anything, this one is more 'upmarket' than the first film.
Both of whom are always a welcome presence in any movie.Despite all of the atrocities, the Ilsa series is basically cartoonish.
For my money this one is neither as good as the original, nor Ilsa the Tigress of Siberia.
This follow-up to ILSA, SHE WOLF OF THE SS is another grisly sexploitation movie that mixes depraved violence and torture with endless softcore sex sequences.
The film retains the same star and director as the first, although thankfully the unpleasant sequences have been toned down making this a lot tamer.
I still found it deeply unpleasant in terms of the violence meted out towards the female cast members.The story sees Ilsa relocated to the Middle East (or North Africa, it never makes it clear), where she runs the harem of a rich oil sheik.
Inevitably she's a sadist at heart, dishing out all manner of depraved and sadistic torture to anybody who dares cross her; the 'highlight' involves one girl being gradually destroyed by various unpleasant methods including flesh-eating ants and an exploding dildo.Much of the running time is padded out with big breasted women either being stripped or taking part in simulated sex, while some crashingly dull sub-plots involve spies and an attempt to liberate the oppressed.
The cartoonish Ilsa (Dyanne Thorne) is the keeper of the Sheik's (Jerry Delony) harem, and trains the beauties kidnapped from around the world.
She is just what you would expect in the role of a Nazi she-bitch.The Americans are sending a Henry Kissinger type (Richard Kennedy) along with a naval officer (Max Thayer) to try and overthrow the Sheik and get his oil.
Ilsa and her henchwomen, Satin (Tanya Boyd) and Velvet (Marilyn Joi) are ruthless in their methods and devise extreme methods of torture to get what they want.Despite what Ilsa tells the Sheik, it is apparent that she is becoming close to the naval officer.
Dianne Thorne returns as the (not so) desirable Ilsa, this time making the wealthy Arabian world to her playground.
Ilsa is in control of Sheik El Sharif's harem and she arranges the kidnappings of new sex-slaves.
Satin and Velvet look like identical twins performing lesbian action, while their uniforms simply exist out of pink thongs!
A mixture of torture soft porn, schlock horror and political intrigue.The pneumatic Ilsa who takes out her bazookas for just a few scenes now works for an Arab Sheik's harem cum human trafficking prison camp.She helps train the kidnapped girls, and gets them patched up after they are tortured.
You have an auction scene where girls are sold off.The American government send a naval officer get rid of the Sheik.
You have the straight laced officer trying to teach the Sheikh of such things as democracy, human rights, fair trials, innocent until proven guilty.This was filmed in 1975, long before the 'War on Terror!'Ilsa falls for the naval officer and for her troubles, the Sheikh gets a leper to ravish her.Dyanne Thorne has a hoot of a time playing the amoral Ilsa in a Nazi uniform aided and abetted by her two well oiled black henchwomen who truly can turn a man into a eunuch.It really is curious, not enough horror, laughable torture scenes, too tame and cheesy to be sexy.It might had raised eyebrows almost 40 years ago for shock value.
These days when you have American women getting kidnapped in Europe to be turned into Human Centipedes then you can see how much these kind of films have advanced since then..
It's the first "Ilsa" movie I ever watched, and it's gonna be the last.
1/10 Not only this "movie" is a lot bad but many actor/actress too.Dyanne Thorne (Ilsa) play like a "brush".
I see her in other "movie" and she "play" "better".Max Thayer (Comander Adam, US Navy) is the best bad actor I see until now I think.
But if you watch (I don't suggest that) it and not take it serious you can laugh.Tanya Boyd (Satin) and Marilyn Joi (Velvet) play bad too even if they have good body.
"Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks" isn't as great as the original, but it's still entertaining.**SPOILERS**Working in the Middle-East, Ilsa, (Dyanne Thorne) works as the keeper for El Sharif, (Jerry Delony) a powerful oil sheik that controls a vast harem.
When US Navy Commander Adam Scott, (Max Thayer) arrives at the camp to help negotiate a treaty for the oil, she takes an immediate personal interest in him and tries to do her best to keep him while also attending to her duties inside his harem.
Finally growing restless with his stubbornness and refusal to allow her to keep him around, she decides to stage a coup with the girls and him to take over the palace and exact their revenge.The News: This wasn't that bad, but it's certainly good enough at times.
There's the usual inspection of all the slaves sequence here, where they spend the time going over every inch of their body and giving clear looks at everything on display to their training sequences for the harem, which include sexual favors, performances and more, all done with emphasis on the sleaze and nudity presented in the situation.
These work from the film's several sex scenes or massages that occur throughout.
There's also the wonderfully cruel forms of torture dished out along the way, including the rebel who gets set on fire in a spectacular scene that's the best moment in the film by a large majority, a thief has their hand amputated in full view of everyone at a party and an incredibly squirm-inducing one with rats-in-a-cage.
There's a couple other great parts to this, mainly the really fun action scenes at the end.
This one gets a little more thrilling and exciting than the previous one, which is a great feat in that it gets one over on the original, and the huge body count is a lot of fun.
It's a lot more toned down in the sleaze, with the violence being quite removed from where it was, there's a lot less amount of nudity than before despite it feeling like there's a lot, and the sleaze amounts are much lower, leaving very little in the way of the original.
The conversations about what to do with the harem girls didn't need to be done so often, as often-times it was just for a couple quick lines with no progression made in the time, and it sort of makes the middle drag a little bit.
Give it a shot if you liked the first one, are interested in the genre or have a deep appreciation for these kinds of films, but if you weren't a fan of the first heed caution.Rated R: Full Nudity, Graphic Violence, some mild sex scenes and some Language.
Ilsa gets sleazy in the desert.
*SPOILER ALERT* *SPOILER ALERT*I can't say enough good things about Ilsa, (Dyanne Thorne).
"My name....is ILSA!" I want her to be my harem keeper.
The Ilsa from the first movie was in Nazi Germany and was killed at the end of the flick.
The new Ilsa runs a harem for a depraved "Oil Sheik".Ilsa runs the harem efficiently, telling girls the right way to lick a body, disciplining traitors with flesh eating ants and presiding over topless kung fu fighting sessions.
Ilsa also comes up with a plastic explosive that you place in a girl's private area that will detonate when having sex.
The sleaze was working overtime."Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks" promises nasty sleaze and does not disappoint.
It's a great exploitation movie.
The exploitation worlds female Black Adder is back.This time its modern day and she looks as good today as she did in WW2.
This time she is working for an oil sheik (well some white guy with a tan, who is rumoured to be Spalding Gray).
Her jobs seem to involve kidnap, rape, torture and making girls fat.Not as in bad taste as She Wolf of the SS but more enjoyable and faster moving.
Such as Ilsa turning good and the very fake looking air plane interior.Still it is brilliant and very enjoyable.
In this sequel to "Ilsa, She-Wolf of the SS" we find that the lead character named "Ilsa" (Dyanne Thorne) has somehow miraculously escaped certain death and is now employed as the madam of a harem belonging to an oil sheik by the name of "El Sharif" (Jerry Delony).
Besides being cruel and sadistic El Sharif also has a voracious appetite for new women and because of that Ilsa has gone out of her way to satisfy his lust by kidnapping 3 prominent young women from abroad.
In any case, while this certainly wasn't a great movie by any means I still found it to be somewhat entertaining and I rate it as slightly above average..
Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks starts somewhere in a Middle Eastern desert as a special delivery of three crates are made to the Palace of Sheik El Sharif (Jerry Delony as Victor Alexander) where he likes to use & abuse various pretty young women before selling them to other rich oil Sheik's in slave auctions, the sadistic Ilsa (Dyanne Thorne) in her own unique way makes sure they obey his every wish without question & are fully trained to please their new owners aided by her two lesbian assistants Satin (Tanya Boyd) & Velvet (Marilyn Joi).
Meanwhile the Sheik is expecting visitors, two Americans named Kaiser (Richard Kennedy as Wolfgang Roehm) & Commander Adam Scott (Max Thayer as Michael Thayer) who intend to blackmail the Sheik into making him give up his land which is rich in oil.
However their plans don't go as they had hoped...This Canadian American co-production was produced & directed by Don Edmonds & in my opinion is pretty worthless, surely this is the worst of the Ilsa films which lets face it are hardly brilliant anyway.
There is no attempt at any sort of characterisation, all the women in this film are one dimensional, are given no background, personality or feelings & are simply there to be used, abused, treated like dirt & are nothing more than objects to please men.
The sleaze & violence has little impact because of the overall tone & feel of the film, there is plenty of female nudity & (very) softcore sex scenes, there are a few lame torture sequences too like pouring flesh eating ants (?!) over someones foot, a thief has his hand chopped off, an exploding stomach & in the films most brutal scene someone is set on fire.
There is a few minutes of unexciting action towards the end when the prisoners fight back but like the rest of the film director Edmonds fails to create any sort of pace or tension.
I was surprised at just how well made Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks is, the costumes, locations, sets, cinematography & general production values are much better than I would have expected.
In my opinion the worst & tamest of the Ilsa films that barely qualifies as exploitation, even Jess Franco's Ilsa, The Wicked Warden (1977) is better than this. |
tt1555126 | The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister | Anne Lister (Maxine Peake) is a young unmarried woman living in 19th century Yorkshire, at Shibden Hall, with her aunt (Gemma Jones) and uncle (Alan David). The one thing she wants from life is to have someone to love and to share her life with. The person she has in mind is Mariana Belcombe (Anna Madeley), with whom she has been conducting a secret romantic and sexual relationship. The relationship breaks apart when Mariana marries a rich widower named Charles Lawton (Michael Culkin). Depressed, Anne devotes her time to studying. A year after Mariana's wedding, Anne begins to think about finding another lover. She meets a young woman in church named Miss Browne (Tina O'Brien), and they become close friends.
Mariana asks Anne to meet her in a hotel in Manchester. There, the two women talk and Mariana tells Anne that she has missed her, and that one day, when her husband has died, they might live together as widow and companion. She says that her husband is not healthy, and will not have long to live. Anne agrees and they buy wedding rings, to wear around their necks until they can live together. Returning to Shibden, Anne ignores the attention of Miss Browne. A local industrialist named Christopher Rawson (Dean Lennox Kelly) proposes marriage to Anne. She turns him down and says that she could only marry for love. He tells her that people talk about her and call her 'Gentleman Jack.' Later, Anne tells her aunt and uncle that she does not want a husband, that she wants to be independent and intends one day to live with a female companion. Mariana visits her on her birthday and they continue their sexual relationship.
Anne attends a party with her acquaintances, including Rawson and the Lawtons. Mariana sees Anne wearing her wedding ring clearly on show and is unhappy with Anne drawing attention to herself. Anne complains that Charles Lawton is not as unhealthy as Mariana had led her to believe. Rawson sees the two women talking together and has a conversation of his own with Lawton. When Mariana returns to her husband's side, he looks dazed and asks her how Anne loves her. After the party, Mariana writes to Anne and tells her that her husband is suspicious. She tells Anne not to write to her anymore.
Anne's uncle dies and she inherits his wealth. She writes to Mariana, asking her to come to live with her at once. Mariana replies that she will be travelling nearby in a month's time and that they will discuss what to do then. When the time comes, Anne meets Mariana's coach coming along the road and excitedly gets in. Mariana is angry at her drawing attention to herself. She tells Anne that she would rather die than have people know about their relationship. She says that they could be happy together, but would have to live apart. Anne tells her that she wants to spend her life with someone, and leaves.
When Rawson offers to buy some land from Anne to sink a mine, she declines and says that she will mine it herself. She forms a business alliance with Ann Walker (Christine Bottomley), an unmarried acquaintance who has recently inherited her own fortune. They become close friends. Soon the two women are intimidated and harassed by Rawson, now their business rival. For protection, Ann Walker goes to stay at Shibden with Anne. Her aunt (Richenda Carey) comes to tell her niece that people are spreading shocking rumours about the two women. She asks Ann to return home before she ruins her family's name and warns her that she may ruin her chance of finding a husband. Ann tells her that she does not want a husband. When her aunt leaves, she tells Anne that she wants to live at Shibden with her. Anne asks her if she understands what the rumours and insinuations are about. Ann says that she does and makes it clear that she wants them to be together romantically.
Mariana visits Anne and says that she could leave Charles now. She asks if there is still a place for her in Anne's heart, but Anne says that she has found someone she is happy with now, and Mariana leaves. Her husband lives to the age of 89. | romantic | train | wikipedia | "I love and only love the fairer sex .
"I love and only love the fairer sex, and thus beloved by them in turn, my heart revolts from any love but theirs." - Anne Lister, Journals, Oct 29, 1820The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister (2010) (TV) was written by Jane English and directed by James Kent.
This film is a biography, because Anne Lister [1791 - 1840] was, indeed, a historical figure who managed to live her life as a happy and fulfilled lesbian.
Moreover, Ms. Lister did keep voluminous diaries.
Only a small portion of the diaries were actual secret--i.e. written in code.
Anne Lister was so intelligent that the code she devised wasn't deciphered for almost 100 years.
The encoded part of the diary described Anne Lister's romantic and sexual experiences.By a combination of enormous intelligence, class privilege, and unbreakable will, Anne Lister was able to maintain a lesbian life style in a society where such behavior was rarely tolerated.This is an excellent film, with strong performances from all the actors, and an absolutely stellar performance from Maxine Peake as Anne.
Because it's a BBC production, the production values are high and the costumes and location shots are entrancing.
Obviously, this movie was made for TV, so it will work well on the small screen.
However, it is really glorious on the large screen, which is how we saw it.
The film was shown at the Dryden Theatre, as the closing night offering of the terrific ImageOut: Rochester Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.
Don't miss this movie!.
Testament to womens liberation.
This true story had me glued.
To see how the women in Austen's time could pursue gay relationships and benefit financially just blew me away.
Miss Anne Lister would be considered a 'groomer' in modern society.
But the fact she did what she did back in the early 19th century is a gutsy delight.
With the luxury of being rich she was able to move within society with a liberty untethered by convention.
It just shows how financial independence for women is the true liberation from the tyranny of conventional society.
Big high five to women doing it for themselves!.
Inaccurate depiction of Anne Lister.
I agree with review by Karien Van Der Westhuizen.
I am very disappointed that despite the progress we have nowadays, none of historical movies can honestly depict historical butch/ftm characters as whom they really were.
I am sorry but Anne Lister was not a feminine lesbian as depicted here.
I know that TV shows and movies hate butch lesbian/transgender/intersex characters but to distort historical figures again and again is unforgivable.
Another example is the feminizing of Queen Kristina's hair and dresses in the movie "The Girl King".
Both Queen Kristina and Anne Lister are among the most interesting masculine queer historical figures.
Anne was a butch lesbian/ftm, while Queen Kristina was intersex/butch/ftm but both are re-characterized and suppressed to fit the typical Hollywood-styled cisgenders' feminine-lesbian fantasy.
Having read about real Anne Lister's lives, I find these movies hard to watch.
Otherwise, this movie is fine..
Review of a great film about women.
This superb film for TV deserves the widest possible audience: it tells a gripping and true human story that surprises all those like me who thought they know the era of Jane Austen.
Maxine Peake acts out of her skin as Anne Lister, the lesbian diarist whose story remained hidden form the wider public until Helen Whitbread's groundbreaking 1992 book.
The film is excellent on many levels: for its up-close portrayal of the emotional and sexual lives of (lesbian) women in an era when the concept of such love (and lust) was more or less unknown; for its sure-footed cinematography that creates a just-familiar-enough epoch; and for its wonderful script by Jane English.
Apparently it took 18 days to make - unbelievable.
Probably the best value drama for the licence money that BBC has ever achieved.
Well done to whoever commissioned this.
My favourite thing: the great way interior light and 30+something skin tones are worked: women shown as women rather than constructs of the advertising-consumer nexus.
My least favourite thing: what happens to Anne's final partner after Anne dies..
Homosexual Love.
Anne Lister is a landowner, an entrepreneur and a traveler in 18th and 19th century Yorkshire.
Her secret is learnt by others from her four million coded word diary hundreds of years later.
The film unveils the mystery, tells her lesbian life and her courage in love and secularism.Anne has an angular face with firm eyes.
Dressing in black clothes and hat reflects her masculine character.
The whole story narrates the ups and downs of Anne's blazing love life.
Her true love is pretty Mariana and their relationship lasts several years.
Their kisses, touching and sex make you blush.
She wants to be a real couple with Mariana, and live with her for her whole life and take care of her as her husband.
But Mariana trifles with Anne's affections.
Mariana is closeted and does not want to reveal their relationship to the public.
In the end, she marries to an old man.
Anne is miserable and heartbroken after she realizes Mariana does not want to be a real couple and live with her.
Lovelorn failure does not stop Anne.
She has lots of accomplishments in her career, better than many men.
She never stops her persistent pursuit for love.
Finally, she finds the one who suits her, and they live together.
Anne Lister's distinct personality impresses me.
The strong lady never shrinks back.
She deserves respect and admiration..
Good drama I must say!.
I really did like watching this television movie because it was interesting to see what a real persons life was like back in the 19th century when being a lesbian was a shocking thing to be (rubbish).
I have never heard of the real Anne Lister before, I had read about her life on Wikipedia and it was even more grimly in real life then the movie.
Her life was full of people talking absolute nonsense about the way she was dressed and how she was harassed many times by dirty men who needed to mind their own business.
It must've been scary for Anne even as a landowner!
It was too bad during those times about who you should really love and not go for the one you don't love!Anyways back to the film, Maxine Peake did such an amazing performance on Anne Lister.
She really did make a great effort being in character and she would just blow you away!I think this movie is definitely something you should give to your partner on Christmas or valentines day!.
As The Television Film Focuses on Only One Particular Instance of Great Importance in Anne's Life Than the Contents of Her Diaries, Its Should've Had A Different Title.
Love is all the more precious when the chance of finding a substitute is low; therefore, in the case of same sex relationships, finding and keeping love intact is all the more important because there are fewer chances of getting another suitable substitute, especially if such relationships existed in early nineteenth century.
Even in the world today, homosexuals have to take extra precaution while searching for their soul partner, because making a move with the wrong person (a straight person) can ruin well-developed relationships.
Movies, television shows, books and experiences have shown that in many cases, it is the relationship between two people of the same sex that is more mature and more intimate in its understanding of the true importance of love.
Anne Lister cherished the love she had for Mariana because she could not find a suitable substitute for Mariana, while Tib could only think of Anne as her suitable partner.
Mariana on the other hand had options with her, most probably because she was bisexual.
Some reviewers who are calling Anne's relationship 'prurient' only because of the open manner in which she displays her affection towards Mariana (and sexual desires towards other lesbians) forget that she did not have a wide range of options for whom she could display either her love or affection.
Anne basically has greater masculine tendencies such as constant craving for love and affection, and does not really care much what the people around her would say when she eyes/stares/holds hands with her object of affection.
I'm telling you, had this involved a straight couple, people wouldn't have labeled the intimate scenes between the couple as 'prurient'.
Yes, Anne didn't hesitate in openly showing her desperation in holding the relationship together because it would be difficult to part with someone whom she had found presumably after years of fruitless searching.The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister is less about the diaries as the key motif and more about Anne's relationship with three women - Mariana, Tib and Ann - and the particular period in which the relationships existed.
Anne and Mariana love each other dearly but after Mariana decides to marry a rich man named Charles Lawton, Anne decides to forget about her and focus on educating herself and finding another substitute for Mariana.
She tries her luck with a young maiden Miss Browne but soon realizes Browne is really not the girl for her; Anne's friend meanwhile has unrequited affections for Anne.
When Anne gets a letter from Mariana telling her to come over, the two ladies rekindle their affair to Tib's dismay.
It is only later that Ann Walker enters the picture (she is seen in a few scenes before but as a mute spectator) as Anne's business partner (not going to reveal any further for fear of disclosing spoilers).
We also get to watch the family's and the society's reaction towards Anne: while Anne's unmarried uncle and aunt do not mind her daughter's preferences, the society looks with mixed feelings towards her – the men jokingly label Anne the 'Gentleman Jack' while at the same time admire her business acumen and headstrongness, while the women gossip (which is far more painful) but again cannot deny how honest and natural Anne is.Maxine Peake does a fine job channeling the essence of Anne's character, and the job is especially hard because we see Anne for almost the entire time on screen.
She makes Anne's character unique from the other lesbian characters in the movie, which is very crucial for understanding how each character differs in her thinking.
While Anne would be the suitable 'husband' for Mariana, she would be more of a 'wife' had she married an more boisterous Tib; maybe that is the reason why Anne could not see herself with someone like Tib – she wanted to play the man.
Mariana had to keep a balance between her masculine ambitions and feminine tenderness, and she does it very well.
But it is Susan Lynch who is even more impressive in her short role as Tib, especially in the dinner scene where she starts an inappropriate conversation out of jealousy and dejection.
Even Anna Madeley is interesting as the delicate Mariana who while cherishing Anne's affection, cannot think of sacrificing her position in the society for her.
Ann Walker is also good as the shy, suppressed and introverted woman who holds a secret with her.
I have always been quite impressed by the production design in British films – the movies really seem to color and deck their movies very well.
The period costumes are fabulous, giving each character a unique personality; even the hats are carefully chosen according to what is most appropriate for a character.
The television film should have been named something else, only because we hardly find much time devoted to Anne's secret diaries leaving out the central theme of the title itself.
It could have been named 'The Forbidden Love of Anne and Mariana' or something of that sort..
Patronising look at lesbian.
Melodramatic, heteroed-down version of the life of a predatory, hairy, self-assured, male- identified 19th century woman of means.
I knew nothing of Anne Lister's life, but found this movie patronising from the word go.
Watching the nervous though more honest documentary included on the BBC DVD afterwards, confirmed why.
The film portrays Lister as a femme, melodramatic woman whose only quirk is to wear black and no makeup.
The sex scenes are unconvincing, and great liberty is taken to no doubt make the main character a bit more palatable for mainstream audiences.
In the documentary it emerges that Lister was rather arrogant, very butch, shrewd in love and business, and also sported a grey stubble.
The film fails to examine what it really must've been like for a lesbian in Lister's position ~ instead we are treated to a flaky tragic love story which might titillate hetero men and women.
It feels like the film says 'lesbians are people too, and look they are all hairless and have heteronormative female traits such as big dresses, high-heel shoes and emotional theatrics".
What a pity ~ let's hope someone will at some point make a serious film about this fascinating character! |
tt2112124 | Chennai Express | Rahul Mithaiwala (Shah Rukh Khan) is a forty-year-old bachelor living in Mumbai. His parents died in a car accident when he was eight years old, so his grandparents raised him. Rahul's grandfather (Lekh Tandon) owns a chain of confectionery shops. Before his grandfather's 100th birthday celebration, two of Rahul's friends invite him to accompany them on a vacation in Goa, which he accepts. Rahul's grandfather dies on the eve of the celebration, just when he witnesses Sachin Tendulkar on TV in a cricket match get dismissed on his 99th run. His grandmother tells Rahul that his grandfather wanted his ashes to be divided into two parts—one of each to be immersed in the Ganga and Rameswaram. She asks Rahul to take the ashes to Rameswaram and disperse them. Reluctantly, he accepts her request but is also eager to attend the Goa trip. Rahul and his friends plan to dump the ashes at Goa but his grandmother wants to see him off, forcing Rahul to travel by train. He books a single ticket on the Chennai Express, planning to meet his friends along the way, at Kalyan Junction station . However, Rahul forgets to take the ashes, and he almost misses the train when he returns to collect them. As he tries to leave the train, he notices a young woman running to board it. He helps her and four other people board the moving train, but the train leaves the station before he can get off.
Rahul tries to flirt with the woman, who starts communicating by singing parodies of Hindi film songs, and explains that the four men are trying to kidnap her. Rahul lends her his mobile phone so that she can contact her friends, but the men with her grab it and throw it from the train. Rahul is annoyed, but says nothing because the men are carrying weapons. Rahul tells the ticket inspector about them, but they push the inspector into a river below a bridge. Panicked, Rahul learns that the men are her cousins, and that her name is Meenalochni "Meena" Azhagusundaram (Deepika Padukone). She is fleeing from a forced marriage to Tangaballi (Nikitin Dheer). Her father, Durgeshwara Azhagusundaram (Sathyaraj) is a powerful headman of the local mafia in Tamil Nadu.
Meena takes Rahul to her father and introduces him as her lover. Tangaballi challenges Rahul to a duel that Rahul unknowingly accepts, due to his lack of knowledge in Tamil. On the night of the duel, Rahul escapes with the help of a local policeman, Shamsher (Mukesh Tiwari), but he ends up on a ship with Sri Lankan terrorists and smugglers. A gun battle ensues between the police force and the terrorists. When the police officers investigate and take Rahul into custody, he tells his story and ends up back in Komban. Terrified and once again surrounded by Azhagusundaram's sickle-wielding henchmen, Rahul pretends to take Meena hostage and escapes with her in her father's car, battling Azhagasundaram's men. When the car breaks down, Rahul and Meena quarrel and part ways. Rahul, not knowing which way to go, returns to Meena, who takes him to the Vidhamba village. Meena tells the villagers that they are a married couple who needs protection and rest, to which the villagers agree.
Meena then realises that she has fallen in love with Rahul. When Rahul plans to sneak away, she argues, not wanting to earn the villagers' distrust. Tangaballi catches Rahul as he tries to leave, but the villagers help them escape again. Meena persuades Rahul to disperse his grandfather's ashes and travels with him to Rameswaram, where they complete the rites. On their way back, Rahul realises that he has fallen in love with Meena, and does not tell her where they are going. He takes Meena back to her father and tries to make him understand and honour his daughter's wish. He also tells Meena that he loves her. Rahul tells Tangaballi and his goons that he is ready for the fight this time. In the fight that follows, Rahul is severely injured but emerges victorious. Meena's father and Tangaballi reform, accepting that the love of a common man like Rahul is bigger than their physical ability and political influence. Azhagusundaram allows Rahul to marry Meena. Rahul then leaves a message that love knows no regional or language barriers and that with a strong heart, there is no limit to what the common man can achieve. | romantic, flashback | train | wikipedia | Is it the director who does not bring out the best in her, or is it the Indian audience who just wants " Time Pass " movies with just a couple of beautiful faces, stupid story line and making fun of dwarfs!!
Coming to acting, SRK's comic timing was impeccable even when he was hamming through the scenes, it was done with a purpose, but finally it was Deepika Padukone who stole the hearts with her endearing performance.
Chennai express has everything going for it from the word PO!(Go in Tamil) I am a die hard Shahrukh fan and love Deepika too and let me tell you I wasn't disappointed at all!(though I had serious,serious doubts about the film till it actually began)The film is a laugh riot!
I never thought the two of them could actually come together and make a one of a kind film, keeping the essence of the genres that each of them is famous for intact!An original Bollywood flick 'King Khan' and Rohit Shetty style.
Just few hours back, I caught up with his new film released today 'Chennai Express' directed by the Singham & Golmaal director Rohit Shetty, co-starring Deepika Padukone.
But for sure a Rohit Shetty Fan.I was forced to write this review after observing incorrect and misguided review by many people.Well, I went to watch this movie on second day of release.
:DSongs and Music is Good, Few Comedy scene and typical Rohit Shetty Action Scene.The much hyped chennai express is a flop and simply bakwaas.
LIKE THIS PAGE : English Hindi TAMIL TELUGU Facebook : Movie Review by Yunus Irshad https://www.facebook.com/YunusIrshadsMovieReviewChennai Express (U/A) Hindi ------------ my Rating : ★★★★ NON STOP FAMILY ENTERTAINER STRENGTHS :- * Casting and Performances : Shah rukh khan's comedy and Deepika Padukone tamil slang was awesome ....
Being a Die-Hard Srk Fan If Anyone Wants a Mind Freshener, a Love Story , a Two & Half Hours Completely Action & Comedy Entertainer I Suggest You 2 Watch This Movie Once...
I am glad that Rohet Shetty gave time for the love to blossom between Srk and Deepika.I will go to watch Chennai Express again and even buy the disc once it's available.
After watching the film, you WILL say "Shah Rukh Khan is back in his game" and you will fall in love with Deepika Padukone.
The film exceeds expectations for the mere fact that it entertains you for most its duration.Let's not even try and get into the other technical and creative aspects (or flaws) of the film, because if any of you'll went into a Rohit Shetty movie looking for a coherent plot narration or solid character development, then you'll need a serious reality check, or rather a surgical extraction of your prudish natures.
SRK's charm is the only highlight of the movie that moves from very-funny-that-i-forgot-to-laugh to really-funny kind of sequences.Deepika Padukone is sometimes just perfect but at times exaggeration comes into being.
Since Salman Khan has already started stealing the formula of south movies and making them a big hit with masses in Bollywood 3 years back, Shahrukh went one step ahead and stole their language also to increase the mass audience size and yes, he got the numbers right; He is going laughing to the Bank..
A film that has an average script but super fast paced screenplay performance wise srk is excellent and he leaves an impact on your heart deeps is improving by every film she is superb and others have very little to do but have a very important role in movie and they are not wasted comedy is good dialouges are written superbly according to scene demand direction by rohit shetty is incredible watch it for refreshing Your mind and don t apply pressure on your brain while watching it such movies are made for entertainment purpose only and don t touch your brain but the touch your HEART by it sweetness GO FOR this mas ala entertainer and enjoy SRK And deeps s comical Jodi and for the cinematography is mind blowing and refreshes your mood.
This is a very funny movie in the first half, where as in second half some comedy is there and at the end time, there's some action which is giving true definition of love!
I liked this movie as i enjoyed it.I watched it with my brothers,mother and it was very enjoyable.SRK did a good job by doing this role of Rahul.Depika was also good.This movie will entertain anyone throughout the movie.It has romance,comedy,some good action and good songs and music.It is a good combination of different things.
A film like Chennai Express heavily thrives on SRK's hysteria and the affection that the audience has bestowed on Rohit Shetty's no-brainer comedy flicks(read : the 100 Crore club)over the years.The epitome of NRI romance, Shah Rukh Khan returns to hinterland with Shetty juxtaposing his love story against the barrier of culture and ethnicity.Shetty puts SRK in the same trajectory that he carved out in his Golmaal series without any novelty factor and the same tongue-in-cheek humor.SRK reprises his good old screen persona 'Rahul' that had catapulted him to an iconic status and connected instantly to the youth brigade.
This time around , he is 40 but flirts and flies with the same intensity and is all set to party with his friends at Goa(burying aside his family responsibility, hoodwinking his granny )and as destiny would have it, he comes across a Tamil runaway-bride Meena(Deepika) and heads to Rameswaram.So one wrong train and he gets the right track in his life – that's the crux of the story that Rohit tries to bring in, with his usual elements of masala and generous doses of entertainment.
even though he has to fight the don's(Deepika's father ) goons and the muscular hulk Hogan , Thangavvalli (Nikitin Dheer).You would like to forgive all the clichéd melodrama if you are a die- hard SRK fan , love his buffoonery even when he tries hard to make you laugh with those silly Tamil dialogues.
They are making fun of their own movies in an irregular and thin screenplay, way-over-the-top acting especially by Shah Rukh, mindless comedy scenes, flying cars and people, just by touching them, childish characters or caricatures and watching it for 141 Minutes is an intolerable cruelty .
25% of the dialog are in Tamil and it is inconceivable for the people unacquainted with the language.It really does not matter if it makes billions of money (I am sure it will) because it has become a trend now like other blotted movies earlier.Rahul (I don't want to hear this name), boarding the 'Chennai Express', pretending to go to Rameshwaram to immerse his grandfather's ashes but has a plan to go to Goa with his friends.
Rest of the thing is known to every Indian Cinema viewer."Chennai Express" never thrives in its dilemma of portraying a Rohit's typical action-comedy style or Shah Rukh's patent genre comedy-romance.
What I only liked is Deepika's acting and I must say SRK is not made for comedy films.Not only me you'll find many other people saying this.
plus it's rohit shetty shtyle......Well rohit knows the pulse of Indian audience....and our audience needs Entertainment..Entertainment..and Entertainment.......The beautiful places and the flawless acting of Deepika padukone makes it more watchable.......SRK uses his old movies dialouges and is successful in entertaining us .....
It is a hybrid of Bollywood romance and Rohit Shetty style .SRK is working in his comfort zone i.e. Rom-com.Songs are Good.Deepika takes the movie to another level.
Chennai Express is a movie which is made to generate laughs and to that extent in my opinion the movie has achieved that target.with a simple plot and simple jokes the movie has ensured that the audience will have a great time watching it and the die hard Shahrukh khan fans will not be disappointed.
Saw Chennai Express today .Well it was not like usual Rohit Shetty films but different and wonderful!
7 Reasons to Love Chennai Express!1)Not like usual Shetty films but different & wonderful!2)Cute story!3)Wonderful and Cute performances delivered by Khan & Padukone!4)Entertainment Entertainment Entertainment!5)Never get bored!6)A film for any age!(Child to Old)7)No lame and ridiculous stuff!
Chennai Express is Probably the Best Action Comedy of the Decade.It has all the elements that are required for a Perfect Mass Entertainer.There is not a single dull moment in the entire movie.The second half is as entertaining as first half.The Comic timing of SRK,the dialogue delivery of Deepika are Perfect.Rohit Shetty understands masses very Well and this will be his 4th 100 Crore Movie in a row.The songs go very well with the story.This Movie is for the entire Family.There is No Vulgarity or Vulgar item songs.Everyone from a 5 year old kid to a 70 year old grandpa will Love this Movie.The Locations and Cinematography is Awesome.
For the first time srk is team up with rohit shetty and it make the return of the king to attract all classes of people.Chennai express is a mass entertainer and i sure that it will not disappoint u for a second.After a long time Rahul is come back with his loverboy image,this time he was 40 and he continuously entertain the people with his love,comedy and action too.Deepika also plays his role perfectly.The film starts with angry srk then to cool srk.All characters in chennai express played their role very well.For the first time rohit shetty's film open with a +ve review.The power of king attracted the director to select a story suitable to srk.watch it,feel it and like it from The Great One - SRK.Come fall in love all over again.
Chennai Express is really an entertainment film with comedy, romance, action and off-course Rohit Shetty's style.
When I went to watch Chennai Express, I had in my mind that it was a Rohit Shetty movie and hence it couldn't be very good.
I still cant understand why people esp ( north Indians) tend to be so tasteless in movie appreciation.Chennai Express is an horribly made up massala movie that doesn't match up to even previous films of Rohit Shetty.The bollywood stereotyping of South Indians has reached a new level with the horrible and false tamil slang Hindi used by Deepika.It should be a known fact that South Indians mostly cant speak or understand Hindhi but when they do speak it will be the proper Hindi comparable to north Indian Hindi.Film is initially funny but the story goes downhill from second half.Whats more disgrace is that some western media has given above average review for the movie which is due to their lowered and false view of Indian movies being mostly a brainless massala flicks with which chennai exp is compared.Please for those who have not seen don't go for the movie its horrible and disgrace to Indian Movies (actually disgrace to bollywood only)..
He really swallowed his pride and took lots of jokes on himself.He makes you smile throughout the film.Deepika gets out of her stereotype girl-next-door image and acts pretty good.The action sequences are more realistic then usual Rohit Shetty flicks.
Chennai Express Is One Of The Best Masala Comedy Action Romance Movie I've Ever Seen You Cant Even Blink Your Eye Till The End Of The Movie Its That Entertaining Hope It Does Break All The Bollywood Records Because They Made A Wholesome Entertainer Shahrukh Khan Is Truly The KING Of Bollywood He Has Proved It Once Again!
Its Rohit Shetty's Best Direction He Has Proved Him As One Of The Finest Directors Of Hindi Cinema I Am From Pakistan And I Left 4 Of Our Movies Releasing On The Same Day To Watch Chennai Express People All Around The World Watch It AND GET EXCITED....
I would want you people to go watch it yourself.What I liked: Shahrukh's acting till the climax, comic timing, Deepika Padukone, Action scenes and songsWhat I did not like: Overdone color grading, Overdone scene transitions and sometimes the editing transitions within a scene, Deepika's accent and climaxClimax looked a little forced but the fight scene compensates for it.
King Khan is presenting you Chennai Express on EID festival, the movie packed with Action, Comedy, Romance as usual which has been the bench mark of SRK's movies but this time love story has been given typical south Indian flavor.
The movie has been excellently crafted with so many punch lines over which you can't stop laughing, brilliant performances by SRK and Deepika in particular who has given her best performance till date, adapting to south Indian accent wasn't easy in her dialogs and expressions but deepika has done this with so much ease, she looks so natural her in emotional scenes as well, Vishal-shekhar's music with south Indian touch also keeps audience on their toes with songs like Kashmir main and Tittli already on public's lips.
It's quite obviously; the unique combo of R Shetty and King Khan is enough to make one curious about their product and when you get Deepika Padukone as bonus.The journey on-screen begins with Rahul (Shah Rukh Khan back with one of his favorite screen names, good thing is that this time he aged 40) on way from Mumbai to join his friends in Goa for a vacation.
Seriously, cinematographer Dudley has an eye for capturing the Southern landscape in its abundance, and the breathtaking locations that one would see in 'Chennai Express' are going to make nature lovers fall in love with the lower reaches of the Indian subcontinent.Crowd puller Shah Rukh Khan, in his act throughout the film, is zany, charming and at times flinching.
It is Shah Rukh Khan's act that makes the film substantial and keeps one hooked.But in no time you feel bore on the trip in "Chennai Express".
Mr. Rocco's expert review .................Chennai Express takes you to a journey full of fun entertainment without making you feel to leave the ride for even a second.........Full on ENTERTAINEMENTTo all masala lovers , give it a shot this is a treat for you , even if you don't like it ; you will definitely enjoy it ........Srk's hamming was required for the film.....
you will get to know .....Keep your expectations in limit and ready steady PO !!!!!!!!!!!I was expecting loads of action but it was enough ......my rating: 3/5 for the movie (plot, story performances etc)5/5 for the entertainment ..i watched 2 back to back shows..........
the movie was incredible.it had a perfect combination of action,comedy,drama and romance.the movie was shot in the southern part of India.the director Rohit Shetty has captured the beauty of south perfectly.The movie is based upon a man named Rahul(Shahrukh Khan ).Rahul an orphan,was raised by his grand parents.When his grand father died he was sent by his grand mother to Rameswaram to complete some last rituals .He planed to go to Goa instead of Rameswaram.But destiny had something else planed for him.trying to full his grand mother Rahul went in Chennai express where he found Meenama(Deepika Padukone).
You will laugh, cry and feel the romance, what else you want on this Eid?SRK, Deepika and all the stars have done a great job and of course Rohit Shetty has brought his shtyle too!I really recommend the world to go and watch this movie..
In spite of Salman's Movie, this year Eid "CHENNAI EXPRESS" released form Shahrukh's Own Red chilies banner and this time "KING KHAN" patched up with a deadly Combination with Rohit Shetty and Deepika Padukone n Rohit Shetty did his job as usual in "SHETTY STYLE".
The locations and cultures captured in South India Throughout the movie are so so and so beautiful that I AM SURE THAT AFTER LEAVING THE HALL YOU WILL AGAIN FALL IN LOVE FOR YOUR COUNTRY, FOR YOUR India.On a whole Rohit Shetty made a movie with a stamp of his "ISHTYLE" in every part of it.Its a Complete Entertainer with fun, romance, jokes, songs, dances, stunning locations, actions.
All the south-Indian actors are up to the mark and Deepika is as charming as ever, and SRK...for better or for worse people liked him in Jab Tak Hai Jaan and I'm sure they will love him in this movie too.
I was in Chennai for a couple of months this year and the thought of seeing a movie that gave me a chance to reminisce about my stay there,however small that might be, was really emancipating.Moving on,the movie could not fulfill the promise it made in the first 20 minutes.It had some really funny moments in the beginning.The drama was also not over-the-top and it kept the audience rooted to their seats.But when the "express" came into the scenario,the drama,the dramatic aspects of the film started to incorporate one cliché after another.The artistic aspects were wonderful.I felt that a part of Shahrukh's acting was an effort to relive his golden days.Some worked out wonderfully until they were repeated 7-8 times and the wow-factors turned to clichés.And the others ,well,if you are an SRK fan,i guess it will be somewhat of sweet Deja-Vus'.The action was trademark Rohit Shetty.It wasn't Singham good, it was kind of like Golmaal good.
One thing is sure that people still love Khans and Kapoors even if they (sometimes) works in such crappy movies.Lastly Deepika's acting was good and descent..
The actor is brilliant in his comic timings and his fans will surely love him.Deepika Padukone lends a good support with funny Hindi dialogues with Tamil accent.
All time Entertainer Movie "Chennai Express" - Ready Steady PO...!!.
All in all, Chennai Express is a typical Bollywood movie with a not-so-typical script which covers all aspects of a good entertainment number; action, romance, comedy and even a bit of tragedy.
So if you want good entertainment and are fans of Khan and/or Padukone, go watch this movie!
All in all, SRK fans can easily survive the movie and it makes a good family entertainer when watching at home..
Loved this movie even if I'm not a great fan of SRK and I will definitely re-watch it with my family.. |
tt0298388 | Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie | Bob the Tomato and Dad Asparagus are driving Junior Asparagus, Laura Carrot, and other Veggie children to see the popular singer "Twippo" in concert. During the drive, Laura taunts the other children because she won a backstage pass; much to the annoyance of Junior. Circumstances unfold and soon Bob loses control of the vehicle, causing Laura to lose her pass, and the van careens down a hill, stopping short of a river.
In a nearby restaurant, Bob blames Dad Asparagus for the crash and Junior tells a grieving Laura that losing her pass was her own fault. Once seated by the maître d's, Jean-Claude and Phillipe Pea, Junior is met by Larry the Cucumber, Pa Grape, and Mr. Lunt, who collectively comprise The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything, who tell Junior that he was being rather tough on his friend and encourage him to show some compassion. To illustrate their point, they tell all the Veggies a story about a man of God named Jonah.
Jonah (Archibald Asparagus) is a Prophet of ancient Israel who goes from town to town delivering God's messages. One night, God asks him to deliver a message to Nineveh, the harsh and dangerous capitol city of Assyria. However, Jonah is unwilling to preach a word of repentance to the Ninevites and instead tries to flee from the Lord by having The Pirates sail him to Tarshish. After leaving port, a guilt-stricken Jonah goes below deck to rest where he meets Khalil, a traveling Persian rug salesman and a stowaway.
After experiencing a nightmare, Jonah awakens to find the ship beset by a great storm. Captain Pa Grape concludes that the storm has been sent because God is angry at someone on the ship. The group decides to play Go Fish to divine who is at fault. Jonah loses the game and is forced to walk the plank. As soon as Jonah is off the ship, the skies clear and the Pirates attempt to reel him back in, but a giant fish swallows Jonah. Attacking the fish, the Pirates fire a cannon with a bowling ball (with Khalil inside it) as ammo. The whale swallows the ball, disgorges Jonah's lifebelt, and swims away.
Inside the belly of the whale, Khalil finds a grieving Jonah and the pair are soon visited by a host of God's angels, who explain through song that if Jonah repents, God will grant him a second chance. Upon repenting, Jonah and Khalil are spit up onto the shore where they ride Jonah's camel, Reginald, to Nineveh.
After Jonah is denied entrance to the city, the Pirates appear, explaining that they won the Mr. Twisty's Twisted Cheese Curls sweepstakes which grants them free access to Ninevah where they are produced. Sneaking Jonah and Khalil into the city, the group is soon arrested after Larry tries to steal the King's Cheese Curls and are sentenced to death. As a last request, they are granted an audience with King Twistomer (Apollo Gourd). Jonah then delivers the message given to him by God that the Ninevites should repent of their ways forever or Nineveh will be destroyed. King Twistomer and the Ninevites quickly agree.
Still expecting God to destroy Ninevah for their past sins, Jonah watches from a distance in the hot sun. Feeling compassion for Jonah, God provides a plant to shade Jonah, only for Khalil to eat a single leaf off the plant, which kills it. Jonah laments the dead plant, but Khalil is disappointed in Jonah who shows compassion for a plant, but not for the Ninevites. He then tries to explain that God is compassionate and merciful and that he wants to give everyone a second chance. But Jonah refuses to accept that and states it would be better if he died. The story ends with Khalil and Reginald leaving Jonah to his sulking.
Back in the present day, the Veggies are disappointed in the anti-climactic ending, but come to understand the point of the story: God wants everybody to show compassion and mercy, even to those that do not seem to deserve it. Twippo then appears in the restaurant unexpectedly and offers to give everybody a lift to the concert, while Bob forgives Dad Asparagus and Junior gives his Twippo ticket to Laura. The film ends in song and the arrival of the tow truck driver, who is none other than Khalil. | cult | train | wikipedia | The movie certainly works for children, but those familiar with the Veggie franchise understand that much in the same way as Bugs Bunny, The Flintstones, and the Muppets that much of the humor is for the adults.The movie works on a number of levels:1) It tells a cohesive story for both the Veghead and the Veggie novice.
(He actually does help save the ship in one episode.) I like Jr. in small doses and I was certainly able to swallow his part in this movie.4) Larry the Cucumber is an integral part of the film.
The film is certainly strong enough to overcome these minor flaws (but when Veggie 2 starts being created, I better get a call!)Overall, Big Idea Productions should be very pleased with this movie and I think the film going public should be as well..
Although the movie tells the biblical story of Jonah, plenty of artistic lisence is taken to provide an upbeat, musical, and knee slapping experiance for the entire audiance.
You see, the creators of Veggie Tales (Big Idea) always try to throw in a few jokes every now and then that only adults will be able to enjoy, but unless you are actually paying attention to the film you might miss it.Now I've said that artistic lisence is taken in telling the Jonah story; however, this does not mean that you are being told an entirely different story from the one in the bible.
If you answered yes, then I see no reason why you won't absolutely adore this great accomplishment and wonderful new addition to the Big Idea Productions family.A full-length VeggieTales movie (83 minutes is a bit on the short side, but that works better for the kids) is slightly different from one of their videos.
If you've never experienced VeggieTales, you might not get all of the jokes or might think it's a little strange to see "hopping" talking vegetables, but believe me...it's worth it.Happy movie watching, and stick around through the credits for a cute little addition!.
Lots of insolent humour, good songs (a great Gospel number, for instance, and "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything"), and a moral -- a little broadly spread, but not unpalpable.It's sort of nice to have God in a movie without his name being taken "in vain." Nice change from the sort of movie I prefer.And my kids loved it.I hope this gets a wider distribution before its video release..
Jonah: A Veggie Tales movie should only be the kind of fodder to show to kids who have gotten too bored with the boring Bible readings in Sunday school.
But somehow, based on a recommendation from a friend (who sometimes leans towards the strange and abstract anyway), I watched the Veggie Tales movie and it is actually much better than should ever be considered.
But it's a little different than that, at least as far as the movie goes.It is ultimately very silly and marketed more for a specific target group of kids- Christian kids looking for morals in the stories of the Old Testament, in this case being the tale of 2nd chances taken and missed and slipped up on with a prophet via a giant whaler- and yet there is an appeal as far as taking less than two pages of the bible and making it into a 75 minute movie.
This isn't Pixar that one will be getting, but a lot of very clean-looking talking vegetables (where are their arms, minus the caterpillar guy, you might ask), and with a lot of extra-goofy songs; one of them is even a gospel tune, sung by angels whilst Jonah is trapped in the whale's belly.
All I could think watching this scene was "wow, what the hell, no pun intended, is this?" That was much of the reaction I had to what went on, and I even got a few genuine surprises through the story as I wasn't totally familiar with it all.If there is any crossover appeal, aside for the parents in watching their kids having fun enjoying the coolest little figures out of cartoon-like abstractions, with creatures bouncy and bright and even very cute (those peas are about as adorable as Miyazaki creations, if less textured).
The Veggie gang makes its way onto the big screen to tell the tale of Jonah..
I don't remember what they ask Junior, but they eventually strike up a conversation, and the pirates tell Junior the story of that one time when they met Jonah and had a little adventure
Jonah was a prophet who traveled across Israel delivering God's messages to His people.
He hires the pirates who don't do anything to take him out there, and so the four of them set sail for Tarshish.Just like in the Bible story, there's a big storm because of Jonah, and after they cast lots to determine who is responsible (done quite ingeniously in the movie I think), they throw Jonah into the ocean.
The storm goes away when they throw him in, and a whale (not a big fish like the story) comes along and swallows Jonah up.
There Jonah has a little encounter with a choir of asparagus angels, and then the whale barfs him up on the shore, and he heads out for Ninevah.I think the hilarious thing is how the pirates end the story.
Just like in the Bible story, at the end, Jonah is wailing and mourning and whining and crying and there's no real conclusion, and that's how it ends in the movie.
Of course, there's still some other stuff that happens outside of the story segment of the movie.Overall it's done pretty cleverly, but it doesn't quite have the same Veggie Tales zip that it should.
Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie is a perfectly good-hearted, innocuous tool to help indoctrinate your children into the Christian faith.
However, if one can look past the colorful qualities for just a few moments, they will find nothing more than a surface-level, preachy, morality play that grows tiresome quickly and is thankfully punctuated by a fluffy song in between the dreary exposition of the Bible.The film opens with Bob the Tomato driving Dad Asparagus and several young vegetable children to a concert.
They wind up getting into a bit of a wreck and seek help at a seafood restaurant where they meet "The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything." "The Pirates" decide to entertain the gang by telling them the story of Jonah, an ambitious prophet who makes a living preaching the word of God to different towns.
One song in particular I enjoyed, and wish was actually a complete tune, is "Billy Joe McGuffrey," which the young Veggie children are singing in the car which winds up distracting Bob the Tomato as he drives in a rush to see the concert.
The fast-paced tune, the frantic animation, and the excitement of everything happening at once made me feel like a young kid watching the VeggieTales on a Saturday morning.
What followed were other catchy tunes that, thankfully, were complete songs, like "Message From the Lord" and "Jonah Was a Prophet," two songs I'll be damned if I could get out of my head.I think that's value of watching something like Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie when you're either too old or an outsider of the target audience is the nostalgia factor.
I honestly don't get how people are put off by the Veggie videos, as they are very non-preachy and simply teach kids, in an entertaining way, that it's good to share, be thankful for what you have and to have the courage to stand up for your convictions.
The movie is a little more, "We should do what God wants us to do." Still, kids will be entertained and parents won't be checking their watches..
This means the main story ends on a bit of a down, and the tacked on `big finale' seems out of place to me.The fact that the main character turns out to be not so nice partially explains the "casting".If you're a big VeggieTale fan, you'll be left wondering why both the stars `Bob and Larry' have such a small part.
They appeal to both adults and children; their humor is juvenile on one level and very adult on another, similar to "The Simpsons." "VeggieTales" actually became so famous for a while in the regular mainstream market that Big Idea (the creators of the shorts) began to extend the new movies, and then created their own full-length theatrical feature film, "Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie." Unfortunately, the full-length film proves that thirty-minute shorts are far better.
The movie's Christian preaching is clearer than in the shorts, and the story itself runs out of steam rather fast.The Veggies are traveling and their car breaks down, and while they're stranded in a seafood restaurant of some sort, the Pirates Who Don't Do Anything begin to tell them of a tale involving Jonah, who was told by God to deliver a message to the people of Ninheva.
He instead boarded a pirate ship in an attempt to fool God, but soon a maelstrom had him thrown off board by the pirates and swallowed by an enormous whale.I ultimately couldn't really get into this film - it's not anywhere near as funny as the classic Veggie shorts or successful in its fusion of preaching Biblical values and slapstick humor.Overall, something of a "mixed vegetables" bag.
There is no Disney-fication of the facts, yet they still leave you entertained and with a positive message.I saw this with my three kids, ages 3,6, and 9 and they all loved it - watched silently with great interest.
After this movie, my six year old can define mercy in very simple terms, something I could not do prior to seeing Jonah.Parents - take you kids to see this film.
From the opening logo to the 2 songs in the credits, every single minute(83 in total) is a pure delight.The movie starts out with Bob, Junior, his dad, Laura, and a few other Veggie characters in a van on the way to a concert.
With this memory, they teach the customers a lesson in how God wants us to give each other a 2nd chance when we do something wrong.Jonah has some of the best songs Veggie Tales has to offer-2nd Chances is so catchy I recall dancing all over the living room floor as a kid...and a 16 year old.
(Don't judge me!) There is also A Message From the Lord, Jonah Was A Prophet, Billy Joe McGuffery, Steak and Shrimp, and a few others.The animation isn't Pixar level, but Veggie Tales is made by a company that had a limited budget.
The great Bible story and moral is one that should be presented to anyone, whether or not they believe in God. Forgiveness is something we should all try to give.Jonah is spectacular beyond words, with A Message From The Lord that all should hear...and enjoy..
This movie has everything you could want out of a "Veggietales" adventure and more.The retelling of the Jonah story is really well done here.
The animation has improved (though nowhere near Pixar level of course), song writing is just as great as ever, and the editing is all fine, but it was a story that could have been greatly shortened to have made standard video show length.
The character art is definatly top quality but the art of the characters in Monsters Inc and Ice Age could be considered TECHNICALLY better due to there being lots of fur and other hard-to-digitally-animate features.Finally, there are many hours of character development backing up most of the characters in the movie, in the VeggieTales video series so I know who Bob and Larry, Pa Grape and Mr. Lunt are before I even go to see the film.
For examples, Jonah didn't want to go to Ninevah, he did decide to go to Tarshish instead, he did stay in the whale for three days and nights, and the vine episode at the end really involved a worm eating it away (although this worm is Khalil, the half catapillar hooked on motivational tapes.)This VeggieTale is funny for family, but some may find it a bit dull compared to the thirty-minute ones of before.
Great animation, very funny dialogs, great music, and enough little bits to keep the adults as engrossed as the kids (how many movie references did you catch?).
The Veggie Tales idea of Sunday morning values with Saturday morning fun was transferred to the big screen in an excellent manner with this movie.
My entire family enjoyed the movie very much and were pleased that it included Jonah being angry with God when He didnt destroy Nineveh,just as the book says.It is a good movie for the entire family and expands the Veggie Tales concept to the big screen very well..
The high-quality computer animation that is used for each Veggie Tales video has been upgraded and enlarged and introduces us to the most talented singing and dancing vegetables around.It's all there, from the vivid colors that make our characters look so delicious, to the humor that tickles our funny bones.One of the most action-packed stories from the bible is now one of the funniest and most entertaining Sunday morning lesson to hit the big screen.
A very bold and clear message about mercy and compassion make up this wild and adventurous tale that speaks not only to the tiny vegetable fans in the audience, but to the parents as well.Like a refreshing fresh bowl of tossed salad that is low-fat but rich in flavor, this film screams for a second helping..
A Fun Movie for Any Age. In short, Jonah offers an engaging story supported by excellent animation and toe-tapping tunes.
But like any great kids movie, the humor is for anyone and adults will find more to laugh at than kids.Big Idea Productions has proven they can project their big ideas on the silver screen.
Sure hope that others can halt their adult critical thinking skills long enough to just enjoy the movie as it was meant to be enjoyed - silliness for everyone with a great Christian message.Let's keep it positive Christians, sometimes we have to walk away and dust our feet for those who will not follow.
The world needs more movies with great messages like Jonah!
Jonah- A Veggie Tales Movie is a breath of fresh air to an entertainment world full of violence, sex, and adult themes.
Like other Veggie Tale videos, the characters are GREAT FUN for the kids, and at the same time have that subtle adult humor.
the kids were all bouncing in their seats, clapping their hands, smiling, HAVING AN ABSOLUTELY GREAT TIME.Because the story of Jonah has it roots both in history and Hebrew Bible...
well here is a movie that works both as a great family film (i wonder if my nephews have the patience to sit 82 minutes....) and quality entertainment for collegefolk like myself..
Unlike the online trailer, which used modern music humorously, the actual movie dropped the good music for pretty badly written fare.My kids (and I) loved Lilo and Stitch, and came out telling me how important family was.
My husband and i went to see it together (he likes Veggie Tales as well, though i think i am the bigger fan).The movie was a very good movie.
But i don't think it fully lived up to the Veggie Tales greatness which has been shown with some of their videos.I would recommend this movie.
All in all a good movie for those who like to lie to their kids.
Very creative, Jonah: A Veggie Tales Movie, is a treat for young and old.
The animation is cheese at best, the humor is weak at best, and the story is a 10 to 15 minute clip from the Bible turned into a 90 minute movie.My head hurt after watching 10 minutes of this film.
It is a simple story, one that is good fodder for the folks at "Big Idea Productions;" the home studio of all the VeggieTales videos.
It can be done, and done well, but the folks at Bid Idea don't quite deliver a film up to the usual VeggieTale standards of cuteness and fun.The story begins when Bob the Tomato, Dad the Asparagus, Junior, Laura, and a couple of friends are riding through the woods and hills on their way to a see a "Twippo" concert.
We all left disappointed.For those who don't know the franchise, Veggie tales are wholesome children's stories with a `God' theme.
Characters like `The Pirates who don't do Anything' are fun to watch, as is the amazing rendering of the animation (earlier videos showed major polygons in the curves of the eyes, as an example), but the movie was preachy, plain and simple.
Perhaps it's the length of the film; more isn't always better.I think BigIdea was too quickly sold on the concept that for the full screen they needed a big idea, and what could be bigger than the whale that swallows Jonah?
it was awesome fun for both adults and kids alike.The story of Jonah comes straight from Old Testament history.
At one quiet moment, I heard a little boy exclaim "I really like this movie!" to the agreement and chuckles of everyone in the theater.If you're a parent that wants to teach your kids "good things" there is a lot of moral value to the film.
My kids love the whole series of Veggie videos, and I have to admit, that I get a good laugh out of each that I have seen.
Then they end up in a restaurant, and the main tale of Jonah is told by, my favorites of the Veggie Family, `The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything'.And, I have to say, that's where the steam seems to start to go out of the film.
Why not a good Pirate's Who Don't Do Anything movie?DO be sure you stay and watch the credits, for a great tune, and note the fact that `NO vegetables were harmed in the filming'. |
tt0060818 | Penelope | Penelope Wilhern (Christina Ricci) is a pretty young woman from a wealthy family with all the qualities to make an excellent match for any other well-bred man of her status. What sets her apart is that she has the ears and nose of a pig.
Generations ago, an embittered and vengeful witch (Michael Feast) placed a curse on the Wilhern family after their son had an affair with her daughter, one of the Wilhern servants, and, talked out of marrying her by his arrogant and disapproving family, abandoned her and married someone of his own status. The heartbroken and pregnant servant girl then threw herself off a cliff. Furious, the witch then cursed the Wilherns so that the next daughter to be born into the affluent family would have the face of a pig. For five generations, the Wilherns produced only sons, until Penelope was born with her ugly face, stricken with the curse. It is said that the curse can only be lifted if 'one of her own kind' learns to love her, which her parents interpret as meaning that Penelope must marry a man of noble birth.
A tabloid reporter named Lemon (Peter Dinklage) begins stalking the family to get a photograph of the infant Penelope resulting in Penelope's mother Jessica (Catherine O'Hara) blinding his right eye after he breaks into their house. Then Jessica and Franklin (Richard E. Grant) decide to fake their daughter's death and cloister her away in their mansion where Penelope spends her life immersing herself in intellectual pursuits such as literature, horticulture, and music. When Penelope becomes an adult, her parents attempt to introduce her to possible suitors, hoping that one of them will fall in love with her and break the curse, with the help of a matchmaker named Wanda (Ronni Ancona). Unfortunately, every man who lays eyes on her flees in terror, including Edward Humphrey Vanderman III (Simon Woods), a spoiled, arrogant snob who finds her repulsive. Normally, Jessica and Franklin's butler Jake (also Michael Feast) catches them before they leave, but he fails to catch Vanderman.
Vanderman's panicked flight from the Wilhern house results in a newspaper article dubbing him insane. To redeem his name, Vanderman decides to team up with Lemon (who is now wearing an eyepatch over his right eye) in an effort to get a photograph of Penelope. The two of them track down Max Campion (James McAvoy), a young blue blood disowned by his family because of his gambling problem and in desperate need of money. Lemon and Vanderman pay Max to pose as a new suitor for Penelope, hiding a camera in his jacket so that he can steal a picture of her. After talking to Penelope through a one-way mirror, Max is unexpectedly caught off guard by her sweetness and charm, and Penelope also trusts him enough to show him her face. Though Max is not frightened of Penelope, he accidentally triggers the camera in his jacket, which causes him to retreat.
A heartbroken Penelope believes that Max too finds her monstrous and instead begs him to marry her simply for her status and in order to break the curse, even promising to kill herself if the marriage doesn't break the curse. Max, though obviously torn, insists that he cannot marry Penelope. He then calls off his agreement with Lemon and Vanderman and destroys the camera, realizing that their attempt to exploit Penelope is wrong.
Meanwhile, Penelope, inspired by Max's conversations about the outside world, decides to flee the protection of her parents' home, and journeys out into the city, naive and ignorant about normal life. She uses a scarf to cover her face. Penelope's courage in going out to the world then acts as an inspiration for Max, who quits gambling and starts work in an old theatre. While at a bar, Penelope ends up befriending a delivery girl named Annie (Reese Witherspoon) who becomes her "real world" mentor and best friend. Having no money and seeing that Lemon and Vanderman are offering a reward for a photograph of her, she decides to collect on the reward by producing a photo of herself. When her parents see Penelope, she runs from them and then passes out in the bar that Annie is in causing Penelope's scarf to be removed. To her surprise, Penelope becomes an overnight celebrity, flocked by adoring fans who are not disgusted by her face.
Meanwhile, Vanderman's father Edward Vandermann II (Nigel Havers), seeing the public's fondness for Penelope and embarrassed by his son's vocal cruelty toward her, coerces Edward into proposing to the girl. Lemon eventually discovers that the man he and Vanderman recruited to photograph Penelope is not Max Campion, but actually another man named Johnny Martin who took the job for money while the real Campion (Nick Frost) is in jail. On Penelope's wedding day, he provides the information to Jessica and Wanda. Though Wanda wants to tell Penelope the truth, Jessica forces her to keep it a secret, believing that Edward is Penelope's only chance to break the curse. Penelope nearly marries him, but backs out of the wedding at the last minute when she realizes that she does not want to marry simply to break the curse. Though Penelope's mother urges her to marry Vanderman and at last lead a 'normal life', an exasperated Penelope says that she likes herself the way she is. This breaks the curse, as Penelope has at last been loved by 'one of her own kind' – herself – and her pig snout and ears disappear.
As the months pass, Penelope moves on with her life, becoming a horticulturist and teacher, and the spectacle of her former appearance is gradually forgotten by the public even when the news of a gorilla boy being found in a laundry hamper eclipses it. After he quits his job after 25 years, Jake is revealed to be the witch who had cursed the family long ago and renders Jessica unable to speak with magic. After realizing that Jessica can no longer speak, Wanda breaks down and tells Penelope about Johnny Martin. That Halloween, Penelope finds several of her students dressing up as her old pig self, and dons a "Penelope" mask as she goes to reunite with Johnny, who she discovers lives nearby. Johnny, not knowing that the curse has been broken, kisses Penelope and apologizes to her, saying that he does not have the power to break the curse. Penelope then reveals that she had the power to lift the curse all along, and the two share a passionate kiss, beginning a romantic relationship.
In the final scenes, Penelope tells her story to a group of children in a park-like area. After the children are dismissed, Johnny and Penelope walk up the hill to a swing, where he is seen happily pushing her. Meanwhile, on a nearby lake, Lemon rows up in a small rowboat and is about to take a picture revealing to the world what has happened to Penelope. Observing their happiness, Lemon decides to leave them alone as he rows away. | flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0057093 | Gay Purr-ee | The story is set in 1895 France and takes place predominantly in Paris. However, it begins on a farm in rural Provence. The lovely housecat Mewsette and the accomplished but shy mouser Jaune Tom are in love ("Mewsette"), until the former is frustrated with his plebeian ways (and those of the farm), to the point of calling him a "clumsy country clod". Inspired by the human Jeanette's stories of glamour and sophistication in Paris ("Take My Hand, Paree"), Mewsette runs away by taking a train to the big city ("Roses Red, Violets Blue"), where she encounters the slick con-cat Meowrice (Paul Frees). Taking advantage of the country kitty's naivete, he puts her in the care of the sultry Madame Henretta Reubens-Chatte, who promises to turn Mewsette into a dainty debutante known as "The Belle of all Paris". Unbeknownst to Mewsette, Meowrice is grooming her to be the mail-order bride of a rich American cat in Pittsburgh known as "Mr. Henry Phtt" ("The Money Cat"). Meanwhile, Jaune Tom and his sidekick Robespierre arrive in Paris, searching for Mewsette.
Training does not go well. Just as Mewsette is about to give up and return to the farm, Meowrice takes her out to see the cat side of Paris, the Eiffel Tower, the Champs-Élysées and the Mewlon Rouge and then take a buggy ride back home ("The Horse Won't Talk"). Reinvigorated, she returns to her studies. Jaune Tom and Robespierre arrive just at that moment but get waylaid by one of Meowrice's shadowy cat henchmen and barely escape drowning in Paris's famous labyrinthine sewers. By coincidence, Jaune Tom displays his incredible mouse-hunting skills in front of Meowrice (known as "Virtue-Mousety"), who sees a money-making opportunity, gets them drunk ("Bubbles"), and sells them as mousers to a ship bound for Alaska. On the ship, Robespierre consoles a depressed Jaune Tom, telling him that any problem, regardless of size, can be broken up into manageable pieces, by remarking that even the mighty ocean is made up of little drops of water. Jaune Tom has a vision of Mewsette singing about how no problem is unconquerable, and the importance of never giving up ("Little Drops of Rain").
Mewsette finishes her training and is now lovely enough to impress even Meowrice, who commissions a series of paintings of her by such famous artists as Claude Monet, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Georges Seurat, Henri Rousseau, Amedeo Modigliani, Vincent van Gogh, Edgar Degas, Auguste Renoir, Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin and Pablo Picasso (an opportunity for the animators to indulge in some artistic parodies), so that he can send them to Mr. Phtt. Meowrice quietly writes a check to pay his "sister", Madame Reubens-Chatte (using disappearing ink, so that the check is worthless), and takes Mewsette to his hideout in Notre Dame. There, he reveals his plan to ship her to America and tries to coerce her to enter a luggage crate, but after seeing a portrait of Mr. Phtt depicting him as fat and old, she manages to escape Meowrice and his sidekicks. In the resulting chase scene, she leads them to a bulldog, who injures Meowrice badly enough to put him out of action for six weeks. Meanwhile, his sycophants (who are nowhere near as intelligent as he is) comb the city without success, searching for Mewsette.
Meanwhile, not long after they reach Alaska (a howling wilderness of snow), Jaune Tom and Robespierre strike gold thanks to the former's mouse-hunting skills. Now wealthy, the two cats hurry back to Paris.
A disillusioned and homeless Mewsette wanders around the streets of Paris, eventually ending up sitting atop a bridge over the river, considering ending her misery ("Paris is a Lonely Town"), but gets captured by Meowrice and his sidekicks. She is taken to the Gare du Nord railway station, en route to a boat to America, and all hope seems lost, when Jaune Tom and Robespierre arrive. They have been aided by Madame Ruebens-Chatte, who is irritated that her own "brother" double-crossed her and tears up the worthless check. In a humorously over-the-top fight scene inside the boxcar of a moving train, the three heroes defeat Meowrice and pack him into the crate intended for Mewsette, doubtless that this will be a nasty surprise for Mr. Phtt. The film concludes with Mewsette, Jaune Tom and Robespierre enjoying the high life in Paris that Mewsette was seeking when she left home ("Mewsette Finale"). | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | But it does manage a certain kind of epic magic, more akin to the impressionist style it emulates than to the "MTV video feel" behind most of today's standard animation works.Gay Pur-ree (which aired in my country as "La Fair Mewsette", to my mind a MUCH better title) is a throwback to an age of innocence (corny as this may sound) in more than one sense; in those days, a simple, humane story was all the charm a story needed (my, that DID sound corny indeed).
I felt as they said you should feel after watching an animated movie.*sigh*Maybe not a must see, but certainly a must remember.
Madame Rubinschottz, the large, pink cat of ill repute with the long eyelashes and big, red lips who sends out the despicable Meowrice, the scoundrel who is to bring a lovely kitty (Mewsette) into her fold.
Paul Frees' voice is perfect for Meowrice, as is Robert Goulet's for Jeune-Tom. Judy Garland's voice is in fine fettle as Mewsette.
I've never seen another like it.This is one of those movies parents can allow their children to enjoy without fear of their being exposed to too much sex and violence.
The animation is quite unique, in that most of the backgrounds and such look like something out of an Impressionist painting, and are very beautiful.
Red Buttons is very cute as Jaune-Tom's (Robert Goulet) small sidekick.
The Harburg/Arlen songs are excellent, and they work nearly as well with Judy here as they did in The Wizard of Oz (1939), that marvel that truly started her entire career.
The story is a little low on magic, but is pretty charming, and small children will like it.
All in all, a treat for fans of Garland, Goulet, Harburg and Arlen, and original animation style..
Gay Purr-ee is the most beautiful movie I ever remember seeing as a child.
Unfortunately I don't remember the story-line in great detail, because many years have passed but I remember some very touching scenes from this movie.
Judy Garland, Chuck Jones and cats, a real dream of a pairing!.
I love Judy Garland, and think her performances in The Wizard of Oz, Meet Me in St Louis and A Star is Born are timeless.
Chuck Jones is a terrific animation director as well, who has directed some of the best cartoons in existence in my opinion.
And I love cats, they are cute, clever and lovely animals, and asides from Gay Purr-ee other great cat movies are The AristoCats(a film I always see this film compared to) and especially Felidae which is quite a different kettle of fish.Gay Purr-ee is simply terrific.
The animation is lovely, the visual style is unique and colourful and I loved the character designs of especially Mewsette and Meowrice, Mewsette is beautiful and charming and Meowrice is quite sophisticated.
The pacing is brisk, and I loved the inspired scene with the impressionist painters especially Van Gogh.My favourite assets though of Gay Purr-ee are the music and the voice work.
This film is more than a showcase for Judy Garland's talents despite what some might think.
Robert Goulet has a beautiful voice and Jean Tom avoids being bland thanks to the charm Goulet brings.
Red Buttons is like his character Robespierre, cute and funny, while the wonderful Paul Frees is outstanding as Meowrice.
And it was nice to hear Mel Blanc's distinctive voice again too.Overall, charming, witty, sophisticated and I think unfairly underrated animated film.
9/10 Bethany Cox. Judy's First (and only) Animated Film.
I love Judy Garland, I have a few of her films.
And I love movies that are set in Paris like "The Last Time I Saw Paris" starring Elizabeth Taylor (another favorite actress of mine) and Van Johnson; also the Pixar animated film "Ratatouille." One last thing to say is that I am cat lover, as I said many times.Judy did a wonderful job as Mewsette, both in speaking and singing for her.
It is colorful and beautifully animated, with songs you will remember and love..
This is a G rated film that features the voice talents of Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, and a host of the best voice actors working in animation at the time, including Paul Frees (Boris Badinov), Mel Blanc (Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Barney Rubble, and many more) and June Foray (Rocky the Squirrel).
It combines their voices with colorful animation and beautiful dream sequences put to songs.
The story takes place in France during the 1890s and involves a beautiful young feline named Mewsette (Garland) who leaves her home on the farm to become the toast of Paris.
Slim plot, about a French barnyard feline seeking adventures in Paris, is helped considerably by bright Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg songs, and of course by Judy Garland's incandescent speaking and singing voice as Mewsette.
Never popular with children, the film's writing tends to place the accent on sophisticated conversation, less on animated hilarity.
Consequently, it isn't a big crowd-pleaser, although students of animation would be wise to check it out (the humorous art history lesson on the Impressionists is worth the time alone).
I love this movie because the cats are so cute.
To me this movie feels like a Golden Era Hollywood musical that got turned into a cartoon with music.
Yes This is a great cartoon of which I'd first seen on Thanksgiving Saturday night of 1975.I even mistook The title for Gay Paree a.k.a./ or gay Pari.It's a very well made Cartoon.It only takes a few words to tell because there are few and far between to say about it or as the french may say eet.Jaune Tom makes a great character as you'll see.Judy Garland does a great voice supplementation too.Check out Chuck Jones' book Chuck Amuck too.Jaune Tom is interesting with his talent(s) too.Cordially,Stephen"Steve" G.
Voiced by the wonderful actors and actresses, this animated movie is magnificent in a way.
You got Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, and the voice of "Bugs Bunny" and other Looney Tunes characters, Mel Blanc.
The second one became the 1962 film Gay Purr-ee, released under Warner Brothers and directed by Abe Levitow, who has worked on many a Looney Tunes short with his partner Chuck Jones prior to this.Set in France in the 1890s, also known as the Gay '90s as the title implies, the film is about Mewsette (Judy Garland in her only voice role), a country feline living on a farm with the mouser Jaune-Tom (Robert Goulet in his film debut) and his partner, a small blue kitten named Robespierre (Red Buttons).
Jaune-Tom learns of Mewsette's departure from Robespierre and they head for Paris to try and find her.Even though the film is animated, it is, at heart, a musical, on par with many other musical films released before this, including the ones that also star Judy Garland.
Y. Harburg, the same duo who wrote the songs for the beloved 1939 MGM classic The Wizard of Oz. Even after 23 years, their songwriting still held water, with songs like the uplifting "Roses Red, Violets Blue", and the slower ballads like "Take My Hand Paris", "Little Drops of Rain", and my favorite one of them all, "Paris is a Lonely Town", to name a few.For the animation, if you're familiar with the shorts made by UPA, the animation is limited, but visually appealing and influential in terms of design and style, with French expressionism being a large inspiration of how the final film is supposed to look.
After watching the scene, you'll know why UPA was known for their unique style that other studios weren't doing in their heyday.The sad thing about this film is that it is not as well recognized as a lot of other animated classics.
Even the 1970 animated Disney film "The Aristocats", which also took place in France and focuses on...well...cats, became more popular.
"Gay Purr-ee" has some interest in that it was co-written by the great animation director Chuck Jones.
On the positive side, the movie does have some nice background art throughout (thought the actual animation is only so-so).
As a long-time animation fan, I sincerely believed I had never seen this film before recently obtaining a video, then a "flashback" much like a recovered, repressed memory hit during the song "Bubbles".....
So, I saw the movie somewhere in my childhood, but have no fond memories or nostalgia about it.Part of me sincerely wants to like this film.
is likely to look at this and scream "Are they kidding?" Furthermore, although the musical talent was excellent in this picture (even on low-tech videotape, the songs come off superbly rendered, among the best animation has ever offered), the pacing of the movie and its music hearkens right back to the movies of the Fifties, Forties, and earlier where the movies were musicals that served more as vehicles for the musical soundtrack, not the other way around.
If you go into this expecting the big musical where they continually interrupt the story to sing another song, you'll do fine, but many contemporary children may get fidgety and think "get on with it already!" All told, I don't want to discourage this film.
But I suggest that any viewer, over fifty years after it was made, consider the cinematic perspective of the time in which it was released, just as one should with any other decades-old film, animated or not..
An animated curiosity starring Judy Garland.
The UPA cartoons were known for their stylish art direction and in this film the backgrounds and scenery are like beautiful impressionist paintings.
Unfortunately it's not enough to save this mediocre animated feature.The main character designs look generic and the performances from the impressive vocal cast (Judy Garland, Red Buttons, Robert Goulet, Hermione Gingold) are mostly bland.
Voice actor extraordinaire Paul Frees does a good job as the villain.The story concerns a farm cat in turn-of-the-century France who journeys to Paris and falls in with some shady characters, while her provincial beau comes to the city looking for her.
The songs are forgettable, though the musical sequences have style.The best scene is a brief lesson about famous artists of the era and their styles (Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Van Gogh, Seurat, Degas, Renoir, etc.).
Quintessential French entertainer Maurice Chevalier sings the title song for THE ARISTOCATS, while Morey Amsterdam does the narration for GAY PURR-EE in his best Chevalier voice.
What people might find surprising is that the better-known Disney film was made eight years *after* this UPA feature.It's clear from other reviews that GAY PURR-EE (1962) is beloved by many who cherish the memory of watching it as children.
Judy Garland in Paris as a Cat!.
Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, and Red Buttons lent their voices to this animated movie about a cat, Mewsette, that dreams about leaving the French countryside to see the bright lights of Paris.
When Jaune-Tom (another cat obviously), voiced by Goulet, finds out she's gone, he must go after her.
I thought I remembered liking this years ago, but seeing it recently, I felt it to be an odd mixture of art-like animation and simple juvenile-type humor.
Instead it relies too much on the charm and talent of its stars, but that will be lost on children, particularly young children, who won't like the singing slowing down the picture.
Adults, who love the singing style of its stars, Garland and Goulet, may like its romanticism and feeling somewhat chic, and at the same time moody, but may be feel something's lacking.
But, maybe if you can find this little film, you can find more than meets the eye in Gay Purr-ee..
I remember enjoying this movie as a child, but, after viewing it some 30 years later as an adult, I wonder why it ever appealed to me.
(The one touch of inspiration was to paint the backgrounds in the styles of the great impressionist painters - most notably, Vincent Van Gogh.) The music, though written by two of this century's greatest songwriters, is entirely forgettable.
When there are so many wonderful family films from which to choose, both animated and live-action, why squander your time by watching this one?.
I vaguely remember liking it and had an amusing time hearing Judy Garland doing vocals for an animated cat!
This is getting three stars just for the vocals of Garland and Robert Goulet--they even make the bland songs sound OK.
RELEASED IN 1962 and directed by Abe Levitow, "Gay Pur-ee" is an animated film about a beautiful feline, Mewsette (voiced by Judy Garland), whose romantic fantasies about life in Paris become the awful truth when she stows away to travel there, but her dreams are shattered by a shady cat (Paul Frees) and his "sister" (Hermione Gingold).
Meanwhile, a tomcat named Juane-Tom (Robert Goulet) goes to Paris to save Mewsette along with his lil' pal, Robespierre (Red Buttons).I suppose it helps if you're a cat-lover, but I always liked this cartoon flick.
Sure, there are too many songs and only enough story to make up for half the runtime, but "Gay Purr-ee" has its charm.
The acting (Judy Garland, Robert Goulet, Red Buttons, Hermione Gingold, etc.) is excellent but although the orchestral background music is nice, the lyrics to the songs are embarrassingly banal.
She's in great voice and seems to be genuinely enjoying herself in the role of Mewsette.
The animation excellent and imaginative throughout, especially the sequence where Mewsette is depicted in the styles of various artists, and even though ace animator Abe Levitow gets sole directorial credit, it's obvious that executive producer Chuck Jones had a pretty active hand in things as well.One final note: In addition to owning the video myself, we also have it in the video collection of the library where I work.
Why didn't I know about it before?" And I tell them "Because it's one of the great hidden treasures of animated features." Which, I think, says it exactly..
This is a nice alternative to the Disney films for those who enjoy the really elaborate hand-drawn animation of those days but who want to look at some of the other stuff that was being done.
There's great little moments like when the lead cat, Jaune-Tom (voied by Robert Goulet) spots a mouse in the distance and his whole body is electrified before he dashes off after it at light speed.The film also provides an opportunity for Judy Garland, who voices the lead kitty Mewsette, to reunite with her "Wizard of Oz" songwriters "Yip" Harburg and Harold Arlen, although sadly none of the resulting tunes approach that film's magic.
"Paris is a Lonely Town" is an OK ballad for Garland, and most of the songs work well in the movie, but the only section that I think is really memorable musically is the part with the alley-cats, "The Money Cat," which also features some of the film's most stylish animation.
It's not bad music, and it's not bad for the movie, there's just nothing that really goes over the top and works on anything more than the basic level.The animation in this film is elaborate, really almost over-elaborate.
It's perfectly suitable for the song "Bubbles" to become very weird and hectic because it's a scene where Jaune-Tom and his buddy Robespierre (voiced distinctively by Red Buttons) are getting drunk for the first time.
Some of the other musical/animation sequences are a bit dull and really just padding the film basically.
The way the music and the plot are mixed isn't very fluid, because instead of showing Mewsette or Jaunte-Tom singing in character they cut away to these montages which are somehow at the same time the one thing really worth seeing here especially for an adult viewer but also just seem very poorly integrated with the plot for the most part so that they always seem to stop the action.
I think the integration of Garland's distinctive voice with this cute kitten character, which I was doubtful about going into the film, worked remarkably well.
Goulet's voice is genial and matches the characterization in the animation quite well also.
It's a rather conservative story for people like Harburg and Arlen to be involved with: basically the cats are happy in the country but the woman thinks that she's going to be happier in the city because she hears a society lady talking about it, so she runs off.
It wasn't only Disney doing animated films during the hey-dey of their classic cartoon features, even though it was a rare occurrence for other major films.
This came on top of "101 Dalmations" at Disney, so instead of some fabulous spotted dogs, you've got a variety of cats, hep ones, sweet ones, villainous ones, and in the case of one big eccentric cat, a total camp kitty.Judy Garland provides the voice of Mewsette, the innocent white cat who wants something more than her provincial life (to quote the leading lady of another animated classic).
So she leaves behind lover kitty Jaune-Tom (Robert Goulet) and heads to the big city of lights, falling prey to the nefarious Meowrice (Paul Frees) while being turned into a sophisticate by the wacky Mme. Rubens-Chatte (Hermoine Gingold).
It's up to Jaune-Tom to rescue her from the fate Frees has in store for her.This was a reunion for Garland and "The Wizard of Oz" song-writing team of E.Y. Harburg and Harold Arlen (also the writer of "Get Happy"), and the score they provide for her is a delight.
"Paris Is a Lonely Town" should be up there with the songs which Judy sang about other cities, and it is a shame it was not nominated for an Oscar.
Goulet, then a big hit thanks to "Camelot" on Broadway, is great singing opposite Judy, while Red Buttons provides great comic relief.
Frees, of course, is an animated voice over veteran, having frightened children (and make them laugh at the same time) as the Burgonmeister in "Santa Claus is Coming to Town". |
tt0485601 | The Secret of Kells | Brendan, a young, curious, and idealistic boy living in the tightly knit community at the Abbey of Kells, is under the strict care of his stern uncle, Abbot Cellach. Cellach is obsessed with building a wall around the Abbey, in order to prevent Viking attacks.
Brendan is apprenticed in the scriptorium of the monastery. After listening to the other monks of the monastery talk about Brother Aidan, the creator of the Book of Iona, Brendan is curious about the mysterious illuminator and "the book that turns darkness into light" (the unfinished Book of Kells). Aidan arrives in Kells, accompanied by his white cat, Pangur Bán, after his own monastery is destroyed by a raid. After eavesdropping on a discussion between Cellach and Aidan, Brendan wanders to the scriptorium, where he finds the still-to-be-completed book. Pangur Bán guards the book, but when the cat sees that Brendan means no harm to the book, she accepts him. Aidan arrives and tells Brendan about the book.
Seeing Brendan as a suitable apprentice, Aidan sends Brendan, with Pangur Bán for company, into the woods to obtain gall nuts to make ink for the illumination of the book. However, Brendan is cornered by a hungry pack of wolves. He is saved by Aisling, the forest spirit from the beginning of the film. Although at first suspicious of Brendan's presence, Aisling slowly comes to accept him after he reveals his intentions of helping to create the book.
After a brief yet scary close encounter with Crom Cruach, a deity of death and destruction, of whom Aisling is deeply afraid, Brendan and Aisling return to the outskirts of the forest. She assures Brendan that he can come back and visit anytime he wants.
Upon his return home, Brendan is reprimanded by Cellach, who forbids him to leave the monastery again. However, Brendan continues to work with Aidan. Brendan learns that Aidan's work is endangered by the loss of the Eye of Colm Cille, a special magnifying lens captured from Crom Cruach. When Brendan tries to leave to visit Crom's cave to obtain another Eye, he is confined to his room by Cellach.
Pangur Bán and Aisling set Brendan free. After running into the heart of the woods, Brendan tells Aisling of his objective. A shocked Aisling begs him not to confront the dark deity, warning that Crom Cruach will kill him just as it killed the rest of her people. But Brendan persuades Aisling to assist him, by stating that if he does not retrieve the Eye, the book will never be completed. Convinced, Aisling helps Brendan enter Crom's cave, nearly getting killed in the process. Brendan duels with Crom and seizes the Eye, blinding Crom and causing the dark deity to consume itself, becoming an ouroboros. Upon returning to the cave entrance, Brendan finds the forest covered in white flowers.
Brendan returns to the abbey and continues to assist Aidan in secret. The brothers of the monastery excitedly watch the two create the book. In a fit of frustration, Cellach locks Brendan and Aidan in the scriptorium, but not before ripping out a page that Brendan had created for the book. Shortly thereafter, the Vikings invade Kells, and Cellach watches in horror as they breach the wooden gate. Brendan and Aidan manage to escape by using smoke from the gall berry ink, confusing the raiders when they burst into the scriptorium. Meanwhile, the wooden staircase to the central tower of the abbey becomes overloaded with panicked villagers and collapses and the village and abbey below is set ablaze.
Cellach is wounded by an arrow, and stabbed by a Viking raider; Brendan is dragged away by the frantic Aidan, who tells him that there is nothing that he can do. After they leave, Cellach, having survived the attack, sees the burning remains of the scriptorium. The central tower of the abbey is left untouched by the Vikings, leaving the few villagers and Brother Tang to survive the carnage. Thinking that his nephew has perished, Cellach falls into a deep despair.
While running through the woods, Brendan and Aidan are confronted by the raiders, and the Viking leader takes the book's bejeweled cover and scatters the pages. Before two Viking raiders can kill Brendan and Aidan, Aisling's black wolves attack the Vikings, saving the two refugees. Brendan and Aidan gather the pages and depart. Cellach and the remaining villagers take refuge in the monastery.
Brendan and Aidan travel across Ireland, and, after many years, complete the book. Aidan, after entrusting the book to Brendan, dies. The now-adult Brendan returns to Kells with Pangur Bán, guided by Aisling (in wolf form). The aged guilt-ridden Cellach is nearing death. Brendan and the abbot happily reunite, and Brendan displays the complete Book of Kells to his uncle. The film closes with an animation rendition of some of the illuminated pages of the book. | psychedelic, fantasy, magical realism, atmospheric, storytelling | train | wikipedia | Thankfully, it came to pass that I was able to watch this animated little treasure.The story is about the child Brendan who was the nephew of the imposing and overprotective Abbot of the township of Kells.
Along the way, Brendan befriended the white forest sprite Aisling, as he sought to recover an ancient crystal invaluable to the meticulous art of book illustration."The Secret of Kells" is unlike most of the animation released these days.
The whole film is a thing of beauty and great imagination, I particularly love the animated illuminated book where the little figures come to life on the page.
It really is a beautiful movie, and I don't see how anyone could watch it and not be thoroughly impressed by the amount of creativity and work that had to go into making this.On the whole, I think this will appeal to older teens and adults more than children, as it's a quite serious story, and pretty violent in some places.
There's not much of the humor or kinetic antics that younger viewers usually like in their animated movies, but anyone old enough to appreciate The Secret of Kells will be quite pleased with this little gem..
In an age where it seems all animation is either expensive computer generated, a-list celebrity vehicles or anime, which seems like it's all drawn by one man, it's refreshing to see an throw back to a time when animation was hand drawn and more attention was paid to the use of color and intricacy of design than mimicing real life or creating 3D.The characters in this movie at times take a back seat to the scenery.
One can imagine how the scenes in the Irish forest and wilderness inspired the illustrators of the Book of Kells.The story is not simply a child's tale, and there's no potty humor as is prevalent in many Pixar and Disney movies today, but children with vivid imaginations and who love to draw will love this as will their parents..
Both the Christian world and the pagan world are fraught with danger and violence.The imagery, themes and music of this film create a work that is sublime, Yet the warmth of the characters and the spirited adventure ensures that the audience does not feel remote from the experience.
The Secret of Kells is one of the most unique, beautiful, and eye- popping animated films I have ever seen.
Before watching this film, I was convinced that nothing could give Up a run for its money and that it was a shoo-in to win in this category, but I found in Kells a serious contender.The Secret of Kells tell the story of a young orphan named Brendan, who lives with his uncle, the Abbot of Kell.
When the legendary Brother Aidan (who looks surprisingly like Willie Nelson) shows up and takes the boy under his wing, Brendan goes on a journey into the woods and meets a lovely forest nymph named Aisling who takes a liking to him (and saves his life more than once).
With Aisling's help, he attempts to save the town and help Brother Aidan complete the mystical book which—legend has it—can turn dark into light.See my full review of The Secret of Kells at: http://theoscarsblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/movie-review-secret-of- kells.html.
The Secret of Kells is an independent, animated feature that gives us one of the fabled stories surrounding the Book of Kells, an illuminated manuscript from the Middle Ages featuring the four Gospels of the New Testament.
This Oscar nominated animated film is about a young boy in a Celtic walled village who has to prepare for his book by wandering out into the forbidden woods."The Secret of Kells" is visually rich and artistic.
Brendan is the main character, a young boy who is adventurous like any other his age however has to face some of his fears to help finish a book.The whole movie was a magical, colorful, pictorial, unforgettable ride..
The film tells a true story about a book from an isle in Ireland with the most beautiful pictures and words written upon it's pages, describing it as "to look upon heaven itself".
The book is brought to Kells, a medieval outpost which is constructing a great wall around it's monasteries and abbey to protect it from the Northern Invaders, (presumed to be the Vikings of Scandinavia who also pillaged Scotland.) The area is known to be full of monks and holy symbols, lead by Cellach, who anxiously awaits the attack.
I also watched the Disney movie "Up" which won best animated film instead of the Secret of Kells that year.
All of these geometrical designs have a purpose - the story is about a young boy who is learning to be an artist working on illuminated manuscripts (the Book of Kells is a real illuminated Bible; the art of the film is based on the drawings in it).
The Secret of Kells is an Irish-French-Belgian-British animated feature film that revolves around the "making" of the famous "Book of Kells", an illustrated Irish illustrated Bible of the Middle Ages through the eyes of the young monk-child Brendan.The movie translates well into images and style the layout, functionality and way of life of old medieval abbeys in Ireland, and the religiosity dominating the period.The abbey in the movie, as well as its surroundings, are somewhat a reproduction of the old monastic place of Glendalough in Ireland, and even has the lighting and atmosphere you get when you visit it.
Also great is the dual coloring, so colorful and bright for the abbey and the forest, with a predominance of greens, while a mix of intense red/black mate colors are used for the scenes involving the barbarians and their attacks.The script is simple and somewhat predictable and the characters classic, but the story is so original and unconventional, the animation so artistic, the design so unique, the subject so educative, the music so beautiful, that the result is an uber-charming entertaining gorgeous movie for the whole family..
A mysterious, ageless young female voice narrates in whispers(who we learn more about) the beginning of this film, and so we follow the story of young Brendan and his quest to complete the sacred text in the mysterious book of Kells (which is the 'light' what with an impending doom of war causing darkness to overshadow the village).The main protagonist Brendan is likable though was it really necessary to have animated bald Gollywog for Brother Assoua?
There's a beautiful lullaby type song heard in the film sung by the female narrator (introduced at the beginning) that's just lovely.My main issues are: more back story for Brendan's character and why his uncle is so strict, better closure for the characters and what exactly that creature in the cave was.
The Secret of Kells,an Irish,French,Belgian co production,is a beautifully illustrated & animated film,that although is something of a fantasy treatment of how the Book of Kells came to be,it is still worth seeking out.
Its sad I have to give it the same review I did Avatar - great visuals, poor plot.We've got excellent, colorful, stylized animation, with some of the best scenes of nature you'll see outside of a Ghibli film.
The book that turns darkness into light." Aisling (Christen Mooney) Writer/director Tomm Moore's Secret of Kells is an Irish animation more like a highly stylized, richly illustrated children's book than an historical look at the Book of Kells.
Reverence for the illuminated manuscript so lovingly transcribed by Celtic monks in the post-Roman British era of Insular Art is there; characterization of the main players such as the Abbot Cellach (voice of Brendan Gleeson) is not there, as if the hand-drawn cells were the reason everyone is at the screening, not the characters.The abbot's nephew Brendan (voice of Evan McGuire) is a young apprentice scribe who eventually saves the manuscript and whose presence is continual through the film, a symbol of hope for Irish culture and a dramatic necessity given the flatness of the other characters.
Sneaking in is a bit of CG to augment the busy background of Kells town and the manuscript.The beauty of the animation is similar to that of the book itself, whose Christian gospels and motifs are lavishly ornamented, far superior to any other Insular Art in its time.
The colors of the film remind me of the richness in Sita Sings the Blues.The two-dimensional animation seems flat by contrast with the recent 3-D obsession, yet I was not interested in changing The Secret of Kells into a modern cinematic fad.
The Secret of Kells (1:19, NR) — Borderline, 3rd string, originalThis whimsically hand-drawn film so obviously has its innocent little heart in the right place that I feel kind of bad giving it only a middling rating.It purports to be the story behind the 9th Century creation of the Book of Kells, a stunningly intricate illuminated copy of the 4 Christian gospels that is considered (with some justification) to be the most precious artistic treasure of Ireland.
This book will contain information that will help "change darkness into light." Brendan lives in the village of Kells behind huge stone walls.
But what the movie does right is absolutely phenomenal!The beautiful animation and the both epic and soothing musical score really make The Secret of Kells enjoyable despite the short amount of running time.
Nonetheless, this is a beautiful movie that offers just the right amount of substance to click with audiences.The main story centers around the abbot Cellach of Kells, who is very determined to keep the small village protected by a giant wall from a possible viking attack.
The other characters like Pangur Ban and the other illuminator monks do serve a good purpose in keeping the book's magic in tact and by being good supporters for Brendan along the way.Overall, by blending fantasy and darkness with phenomenal illustration, The Secret of Kells is an all around gorgeous film with a clever story, engaging characters, interesting philosophies on Celtic culture, breathtaking animation, and sublime music.
As someone who wishes to bring light into people's eyes with his own work, I deem this movie a big influence, and I thank it for inspiring me to create cleverly imaginative stories and for giving me an interest in Irish culture itself..
Enchanting, alluring & visually spellbinding, Cartoon Saloon's first foray into feature filmmaking is a beautifully animated & exquisitely scored fantasy that draws its inspiration from Irish mythology & art and is brought to life with such care, love & dedication that every frame of it qualifies as a gorgeously textured & geometrically satisfying work of wonder.The story of The Secret of Kells follows a young kid named Brendan who embarks on an adventure of a lifetime after an esteemed illuminator arrives on their doorstep, carrying with him an ancient but unfinished book, and enlists the kid as his apprentice.
But in order to finish the magical book, he must overcome his deepest fears and must do so before their monastery is invaded by raiders.Directed by Tomm Moore & Nora Twomey, the animation style draws upon Irish art & culture and although the hand-drawn elements look deceptively simple in appearance, the attention to detail is breathtaking.
The story is pretty straightforward, the fantasy elements brim with magical touch & feel, and while the characters may be a bit underdone, a few of them manage to make us invest in their journey.The animation is as unique as it is transcending and in an age where most animation studios try to emulate a realistic background, it's heartwarming to see Cartoon Saloon embracing the imperfect, childlike & ornamental sketch which is then refined to perfection with splendid use of colours & a truly mesmerising score, thus providing its visual & aural elements a distinctive artistic flair and yet it feels oddly familiar & intimate.On an overall scale, The Secret of Kells is a heartwarming, evocative & endlessly endearing delight that begins Cartoon Saloon's filmmaking journey on a high note and is one of the most beautiful & dazzling works of animation to grace the silver screen.
Brendan needs to face his fears and help Brother Aidan finish the book.As I've mentioned before, I thoroughly enjoyed the director's animation technique because it's charming and magical.
Overall if you like Ireland and/or Irish art design you will love this movie.P.S. I have seen the Book of Kells and it really is very beautiful.
but seeing tons of animated features in the same style, it all gets a bit "boring".The Secrets of Kells are a MUST SEE film, for ALL interested in the Nordic and European history.For once its not a romantic viking story.
I like how they took the art from medieval Bibles, in particular the Book of Kells, and created an entire animation style from it.
I loved the fast pace and energy the film carried, because it kept me interested at all times, but they seemed to be running on nothing but visuals at some points and the creators seemed frustrated with their own movie, in a sense.However, The Secret of Kells does not disappoint.
Yes, I know I just said that I did not care for the Christianity and now I am saying I wanted more information, but I did say they held down the religion well and made it to where it was not over the top, so if they did exactly that with more details, it would have been even better.Anyway, the story itself is not as great as the characters it holds and the wonderful visuals because of the shortness, but in the end, whether you enjoy The Secret of Kells or not is based on sheer entertainment, and that is all the film is.
Telling the fictitious origin story for the historical Book of Kells, it is probably the animated movie with the most striking visual style I've ever seen.
In there Brendan meets many wonders and horrors, among them a female forest spirit named Aisling.This film is balm for the soul of anyone who has ever appreciated traditional hand-drawn animation.
It's gorgeous, with a lovely, lilting score.The story, on the other hand, is a bit of a mess.The protagonist, Brendan, lives in a monastery, and the film is inspired by The Book of Kells, an elaborately illustrated book of the gospels.
(Against the odds, the film was surprisingly nominated for an Oscar that year for Best Animated Feature, losing to Up.) This is must-see viewing.The animated film tells the story of Brendan, a young boy living in an abbey during the 8th century.
The film's young hero Branden is taken under the tutelage of Brother Aidan, a celebrated master illuminator to help complete the precious book before Viking raiders attack the Abbey of Kells.
The shortcomings of the film's limited budget and sometimes limited animation are more than compensated for by the visual poetry of the story of young Brendan's heroic quest to become a master illuminator during the dark ages.
The film's narrative--- which functions more as a parable--- centers around the conflict between Brendan, who seeks to create beauty in his illuminations during a time of encroaching darkness, and his stern Uncle the Abbot-- who seeks to protect the town of Kells and his nephew with a looming wall as barrier against the Norsemen.
(The United Nations' band of illuminators who appear as a rogues' club of artists in The SECRET OF KELLS aren't historically probable, but they're all well-designed, individuated characters who do much to convey the universal appeal of this quintessentially Irish story.) Animation has always seemed the best vehicle to me to better help us understand the visual art of different times and cultures.
The magnificent art direction of this movie clearly derives from its historical visual source, but has also been cleverly adapted to the demands of animated storytelling; if animation had existed in the Dark Ages, the SECRET OF KELLS is what it would look like!
The Story of "The secret of Kells" takes place in a fascinating but overlooked historical period, the time of Viking invasions through Britain and Ireland: the time of pillages, frightened communities and monks.And caught between two adults, two monks, two ways of coping with the horde which is destroying society, young Brendan will find friendship, hardships, the power of beauty and culture and a troublesome coming of age.
Often the film manipulated things to make it look like a page in the legendary Book of Kells.
There aren't too many Irish made Oscar nominated movies so I was looking forward to watching "The Secret of Kells" directed by Tomm Moore.The standard of animation was very high, breathtaking at times.
The animators seemed to have been inspired by beauty of the Book of Kells itself as they have created some of the most colourful and vibrant images I've seen in a movie in a long time.The story is about a young boy (Brendan) living in the monastery of Kells where his uncle is the Abbot.
However, when you look passed the flashy veneer you're left with a much less polished story.Brendan is a young boy living in the fortified city of Kells under the watchful eye of his uncle, the Abbot.
In this fantastic retelling of that story, a prepubescent boy named Brendan, living in a monastery ruled by his uncle, a stern abbot who is worried preparing the defenses of the abbey from the impending attack by the feared vikings, must get into the forbidding surrounding forest to find the materials that a master illuminator named Aidan needs to finish the book.
With fast, fluid animation, beautiful details and backgrounds, even the characters take on shapes of drawings found in the original Book of Kells.
Visually beautiful film, a solid story and good character development.
It has beautiful art direction, both colorful and traditional, and a fictional story of how the Book of Kells is miraculously created. |
tt0117108 | Multiplicity | Doug Kinney (Michael Keaton) is a Los Angeles construction worker whose job is constantly getting in the way of his family. On one job to build a new wing of a scientific facility, Doug meets up with Dr. Leeds (Harris Yulin), a friendly scientist who has developed a successful method for cloning humans. Doug is introduced to Dr. Leeds' clone as proof. Dr. Leeds is sympathetic to Doug's troubles, so he allows Doug to clone himself so that the clone can take over for Doug at work, while the original Doug tries to spend some quality time with his family. The clone, called "Two" (although he calls himself "Lance"), has all of Doug's memories and knowledge, but his personality is an exaggeration of Doug's masculine side and he is especially macho. Doug does not reveal the cloning to his family and he goes to great lengths to keep it a secret. Although the clone seems to be a dream come true, while Doug and his wife Laura (Andie MacDowell) are at a restaurant for dinner, Doug finds that Two is on his own date (due to not being allowed to be with Laura). Doug realizes clones are not as great as they seem, and Doug begins to worry about his clone being revealed.
Despite the complications of having a clone, Lance is extremely busy at work so Doug decides to have another made to help out at home. "Three" (who calls himself "Rico") is a sharp contrast to Lance and is an exaggeration of Doug's feminine side. He has an extremely sensitive and thoughtful personality. He is much like a housewife and loves to cook and take care of the house, much to Lance's chagrin. However, things take a turn for the worse when Lance and Rico introduce "Four" (who refers to Doug as "Steve", and is later himself named Lenny). Lance and Rico decided to make another clone and he is cloned from Two/Lance, and has the mentality of an overly-curious child. Unfortunately, since he is a clone-of-a-clone, his IQ is considerably lower than that of his predecessors, and the personality defects are more pronounced when a clone is cloned (the analogy from the movie refers to how a copy of a copy may not be as 'sharp' as the original). This causes an annoyed Doug to decree that no more clones of him/them be created.
Doug decides to take some time off and goes on a sailing trip. He doesn't want Laura to know, so he has his clones step in for him and take his place while he's away. However, he specifically instructs them that Laura is off limits. While he is gone, each of the clones, in turn, run into Laura and, despite their best efforts to follow instructions (one plays sick, etc), she persists and eventually has sex with all three of them thinking they're Doug.
The next day, Lance has a cold and is unable to go to work, so he sends Rico. During an inspection on site, Rico's lack of knowledge about the current construction site annoys and upset the inspector, which leads to Doug losing his job.
As time passes, Doug's wife becomes increasingly upset with her husband's erratic behavior, as she is wondering about Doug's sudden personality changes throughout the day and how Doug continually has no memories of discussions Laura unwittingly had with another clone. Thinking Doug is ignoring her, she reveals her feelings to Lenny, mentioning how Doug has never kept his promise to fix up the house. When she asks him what he wants, an inattentive Lenny (who is oblivious to the meaning of her question) merely replies, "I want pizza". Upset, she takes the children and leaves, moving to stay at her parents' home. When Doug returns, he learns that Laura and the kids have left. He also learns from the clones' confessions that he has lost his job and each one of them has had sex with Laura.
While Doug tries to determine how to get Laura back, Lenny tells him about what Laura told Lenny about how he never fixed the house. With the help of the clones, Doug remodels the house and wins back the love of his wife. Doug also tells Laura he is planning to start his own construction business. Realizing Doug can take care of himself now, the three clones move away. As they are driving away and stopped at a stoplight, Laura finally sees the three clones in the car next to her. Feeling like she is hallucinating, she tells her children that you can tell you really love someone when everyone you see reminds you of them.
The clones write to Doug that they have set up a successful pizzeria called "Three Guys from Nowhere" in Miami, Florida and are masquerading as triplets. Lance becomes the businessman of the shop and serves customers, enjoying this opportunity to meet many women. Rico is the head chef and is "cooking up a storm and having a ball", and Lenny is the delivery boy as well as taking a second job as a paperboy. Unfortunately, Lenny confuses the two and is seen delivering pizzas by throwing the box onto the lawn as he rides his bike by. | stupid | train | wikipedia | Though nowhere near as good as Groundhog Day (director Harold Ramis's previous movie) this is still a solid comedy with several big laughs.
Multiplicity represents his funniest film work in years, and perhaps his best ever.A couple of scenes in particular stand out as howlingly funny set pieces - such as the one in the restaurant and the one where the clones are left alone with Keaton's wife, played by Andie McDowell.
I find it funny, especially Michael Keatons portrayal as a feminine Doug and a "special" Doug, who really gives the movie most of its comedy.
He was perfect in Pacific Heights and is still the 'Sean Connery' of the Batmen.But the reason I liked multiplicity was because for once, in a movie about clones, the clones werent out to sabotage the original due to their disgruntlement at playing 2nd 3rd and 4th fiddle.These clones try as hard as they can to abide by the rules and make sure that the original Michael Keaton's life runs as smoothly as possible: after all thats why they were spawned.
And it is really amusing listening to the clones refer to Michale Keaton's Character as Doug (or 'Steve' in the case of #4) but are quite happy and comfortable in referring to each other by the numerical order in which they were created.One of the most hilarious parts of the movie is when rule number one is put to the test....watch it and you'll see what I mean.....and also how number 2 warns number 3 that Dougs wife is going upstairs.............
It's hard to get bored over the course of the movie because you keep wanting to see what Michael Keatons various personalities are going to do next.
This is one of those films that maybe the first time you watch it, you just think, "eh." But on subsequent viewings you realize how funny it is and the absolutely great characters & how well developed each one of the Michael Keaton's are.
I'm hoping that someday people will realize just how funny Michael Keaton can be in film & that he wasn't just BATMAN!
Michael Keaton is a workaholic who doesn't have any time for his family, so he goes to a scientist who clones him so he can have the best of both worlds.
I loved the part where the duplicates make one of themselves, whom the original Keaton refers to as "Rain Man." The bedroom, home, and work scenes are all hilarious, and the movie also has a good cast.
Doug Kinney never has enough time to do what he wants to do, his life is frantic and his family life is strained, then one day he gets the chance to have himself duplicated.It would seem that a lot of complaints about this film are about it being a waste of a good premise, well for sure Multiplicity is far from being a comic masterpiece, but to say it doesn't deliver laughs set amongst its charming romantic heart, is a touch unfair I feel.
What we get here is four Doug Kinney's, each one having its own driving personality to make it real easy for the audience to distinguish which is which, and with Michael Keaton delivering four excellent performances as the Dougs, the comic relief flows pretty much all thru the picture.However, director Harold Ramis is guilty of staying safe with the material because from the off the conclusion is never in doubt, the feel good factor is evident even as the Dougs are chaotically imploding.
Well no as far as I'm concerned, Multiplicity is a tidy fusion of comedy and romance that isn't taking the science literally.For Doug number 4 alone, with his skiing skills and pizza fetish, this film deserves 7/10, whilst Keaton deserves far higher..
Michael Keaton's character Doug is so busy with his work that the neglects his family.
The parts Keaton plays are all different from each other and the movie gets funnier as it goes along unlike other comedies that are played out towards the end.
i have watched this movie numerous times,and i find that it seems less funny,more amusing,the more times i watch it.even so,as far as i know,it is an original film,and there are a few scenes which are still hysterically funny every time.the acting is good from all concerned,but the funniest person in the movie,in my opinion,is Eugene Levy.he has what amounts to a bit more than cameo role,but he is brilliant.some of actions and reactions to situation in the film are a riot.Michael Keaton is also good in the lead role,and Andie MacDowell is also good,not to mention easy on the eyes.the movie is directed by Harold Ramis.('Ghost Busters' 1 and 2,'Groundhog Day')if you like his other movies,chances are you will like 'Mutiplicity'.for me,Multiplicity gets 7/10.
Doug (Keaton) a stressed-out contractor, decides to get a clone so he can have more time with his family.
very original concept and michael keaton does a wonderful job of portraying himself in the slight different clones.i was very surprised with this film.
Doug Kinney is a man who has many problems.He is very busy with his job and doesn't have much time for his family.In one day at work he meets a man who "saves" him.He is multiplied by this man and now he has much time for his family.His clones replace him at work and now he can stay with his kids, but this is not what he thought to be an easy thing.His clones has the same appearance but different personalities.One is shy, one is serious and one is retarded.It's message is that we all are different..
The plot is pretty silly but the four roles played by Keaton were quite entertaining.I wouldn't really rent this movie but if it comes on TV I would recommend that you see it..
MULTIPLICITY (1996) **1/2Starring: Michael Keaton, Andie MacDowell, Eugene Levy, Zack Duhame, and Ann Cusack Directed by Harold Ramis.
The Doug clones get the real Doug fired from his job, Laura leaves, and each of the clones manages to bed Laura.Instead of indulging us with fulfilling our interests, like lettingLaura to discover the clones and react humorously, the movie changes content when Doug desperately tries to get his wife, and life, back.
Keaton had to shoot each scene 3-4 times with the parts of the previously filmed clones playing on monitors off screen to get the interaction right.
Like I said,I think its one of Keaton's best films right along side the two Batman movies he did,Birdman,and,of course, Beetlejuice..
Intended to make Doug's life easier, all these 3 clones do is introduce increasing chaos, and at times it is hilarious.Really the only other cast member of note is Andie MacDowell (who teams again with director Harold Ramis as she did in "Groundhog Day") as Doug's increasingly confused wife Laura.
Unfortunately, the movie revolves so completely around Doug and the clones that MacDowell, while she was good enough and as always quite lovely, seemed to fade into the background more often than not, so that her talents were generally underused.
She's more impressive opposite Bill Murray in "Groundhog Day" than she is here, but that's more a result of the type of movie and the role that it asked of her rather than any deficiency in her performance.This is almost two hours long - which might be a little bit too much for this type of silly comedy.
Still, it's a funny movie, and Keaton's performance is worth watching.
Doug Kinney (Michael Keaton) is a over-working contractor, who never has the time for his wife Laura (Andie MacDowell) and their two children (Zack Duhame & Katie Schlossberg).
Now Doug has to try to make things work, since his wife and his kids thinks that Doug is been acting quite weird.Directed by Harold Ramis (Analyze This, Club Paradise, The Ice Harvest) made an entertaining fantasy comedy that is actually quite serious in tone at times.
Keaton is actually quite good in the four roles, which the three clones has different personalities.
The basic premise of the movie: A working man is pressed for time, so he buys clones of himself.
Oh dear....The plot is not even internally sensible (forget about the logic of a middle-class man buying clones made through a doctor's office procedure), and plays like a filmed bullet-list of obligatory romantic-comedy scenes faxed over from Central Scripting.
His wife Laura (Andie MacDowell) would like to go back to work but there isn't enough time for the kids already.
We have a saying if you do not show up to work on Saturday do not bother to turn up on Sunday.This leaves him with little time with his wife Laura (Andie MacDowell) and the kids and his wants to go back to work as the kids are now old enough.Doug encounters a scientist, Dr Leeds on his latest job at the Gemini Institute which is involved in cloning.
The clones are supposed to make life easier for Doug who thought he could spend time relaxing but in fact complicates it.Keaton does well interacting with the various versions of himself but the comedy is strained and not particularly funny..
It has its moments, I certainly enjoyed seeing Michael Keaton struggle to manage a life with clones, seeing him communicate with himself was very funny and there are many parts that I found baffling to imagine how it was made.
As a comedy, it has funny parts but not enough, it never really takes full advantage of it's fun and unique story, it could have used Doug's struggles with work and family to a larger comedic affect, there also could have been more clones, he only has three, despite the poster suggesting that the plot goes way out of hand, and that's the biggest problem, it never does.
The film is far too predictable, once the clones arrive you can predict all the problems that await Doug from a mile away, there's is never any real sort of twist or unexpected moment that turns the entire plot on its head, it's simply too safe, and because of that we are left with a Michael Keaton starring, Harold Ramis directed, movie that lets you down.
That's fine, because there are lessons to be learned and the lead actors are so good I'm willing to see them do anything.Michael Keaton does a very good job playing four distinct characters: Steve (original Doug), Lance (the first clone, a macho pig), Rico (the sensitive and effeminate second clone), and Lenny (because he is a copy of a copy, he is "special").Andie MacDowell is very funny in a series of scenes that begins with her in a sexy nightie and ends with her in just a pajama top.When more than one Doug is on screen, it really looks as if both or all are there.
Michael Keaton plays a busy man who doesn't have enough time between his demanding construction job and his family (Andie MacDowell plays his wife).
I think that overall, it shows that Michael Keaton really works best in comedy (see "Night Shift", "Mr. Mom" and "The Dream Team").
In MULTIPLICITY, Michael Keaton works extremely hard as a contractor named Doug Kinney who is so stressed out by work that he doesn't have time for his family or anything else for that matter.
Doug #2 is all about work (or so Doug thinks)leaving Doug more time with his wife (Andie McDowell)and kids, but Doug gets spoiled and decides he needs even more time so he gets cloned again and Doug #3 is very domestic and is an expert in the kitchen, very Felix Unger-like to the point where he starts criticizing McDowell about her skills in the kitchen, but this does free up Doug more and allow McDowell the opportunity to return to work.
Once Doug #4 (who being a copy of a copy, turns out to be kind of retarded)appears on the scene, the film begins to lose its momentum but it's a fun ride for most of the way, thanks to remarkable work by Michael Keaton..
Indeed, he managed to express himself the individual personality of his four characters even if the last one has no interest at all.But it is a pity that the movie doesn't go deeply enough into most of the comical situations and the script, especially contains quite a lot of implausibilities that are really unacceptable."Multiplicity" is eventually a comedy that has its funny moments but in which you could have wished more rigor, more mastery..
The big problem is, instead of trying to find humor out of normal situations, these so-called "comedies" just try to get by on outrageous situations which may not be inherently funny anyway, and are usually more smug than funny.This movie is based on an outrageous situation, but at least director Harold Ramis and star Michael Keaton try to stick to the everyday whenever possible.
Sure, as with every Ramis film, there are cloying times, especially during the end, and clone #3, the homemaker, is too much of a stereotype to work, but Keaton keeps the energy level up, he's always funny to watch, and the result is better than you'd think.
A very funny movie with a great cast including Michael Keaton as the four doug's and Andie MacDowell as the wife.
That can kind of be forgiven though, because this is supposed to be a feel good romantic comedy, purely for entertainment.Michael Keaton is great in this movie.
If the big expectation would have been the presence of multiples Michael Keaton on the screen, his talent makes forget all the technical effects, because each of his clone has his own personality.
Doug Kinney (Michael Keaton) wants to make some time for his work, kids and wife.Dr Leeds (Harris Yulin) has a solution for all of his problems:cloning.And Doug goes for it.Of course everything gets out of hands and Doug finds himself with three clones.And all of them are different.That makes Doug's wife Laura (Andie MacDowell) wondering.Multiplicity from 1996 is nice comedy from Harold Ramis.There are some laughable moments in the movie.The restaurant scene is absolutely hilarious.Acting work is brilliant.All the Michaels are great.This movie is way underrated.I enjoyed it very much.It's interesting to see a movie about cloning.It may not take such a long time when human cloning is reality.Watch this movie all you comedy lovers out there.Now I have to go and clone myself.I can't handle this writing all by myself..
Multiplicity is a very original movie, where Michael Keaton did a very good acting job.
Doug Kinney (Michael Keaton) is very busy with his job so he doesn't have time to spend a night with his wife and kids and starts cloning himself.
But it gets a little out of the hand.I give this movie a 7 out of 10, because Michael Keaton is one of my favourite actors..
With Multiplicity, Ramis has crafted a likable, slightly underrated feature, but one that still falls short of the inventive heights of Groundhog Day.Doug Kinney (Michael Keaton) is a stressed out construction worker.
So when Doug decides to go away for the weekend, the clones are left in charge and chaos erupts.I've always thought Michael Keaton often seems like he has more than one person inside of him, which makes him ideally cast for Multiplicity.
Like a masterful performance from Michael Keaton, great effects, and Harold Ramis again demonstrating that he may be the only director in the world who can actually get a good performance from Andie MacDowell..
Doug Kinney (Michael Keaton) owns a construction company, but finds the demands of the job as well as the needs of his family (a wife and two kids) are just stretching him too thin.
The plot - overworked, underpaid and unappreciated everyman construction worker Doug Kinney (Michael Keaton) never has enough time for his family or for himself.
While I remembered the broad gist of the story and some funny complications most of it was pretty fresh to me.Michael Keaton is Doug Kinney working for a big building contractor in Los Angeles.
All playing on the idea that, much like making Xerox copies, each one is a bit different from the original.Then the big surprise comes when one of the clones makes a clone of himself and a big deviation occurs, #4 is very goofy and strange in a number of ways, #2 and #3 begin to affectionately call him "Rainman." Andie MacDowell is really good as the wife, Laura.
And when you have a good actor like Michael Keaton - there are potential.However, the film is dumb.
I did, however, enjoy the deal with cloning #4 from #2 and getting someone who is described as "special." #3's explanation about making a copy of a copy, and having it not be as sharp as the original, is probably the best part of the movie..
One is more of a mans man, one has Doug's feminine side and one is like a young child...and a bit simple.This allows Keaton to showcase his comedic skills with different performances for each clone, and it works nicely.
When he has a clone doing his job, he finds that housekeeping takes over all of his free time, so he gets one to do his jobs there.The clones, interestingly enough, begin to develop their own personalities (which shows us Michael Keaton's acting ability), but the original is not interested in them leading their own lives.
It sort of plays like a sequel to "Mr. Mom", as Michael (or his clone) eventually ends up playing a "Mr. Mom" so his wife can return to work, this time, as a "Realtor".
Michael does a great job portraying 4 different personalities, including a macho-man, a metro-sexual, a "goofy" copy, and himself, Doug One. The funniest scene in the movie involves Laura's rampant sexuality, right after Doug warns all the clones "not to sleep with my wife".
Andie Mcdowell, as Laura, is quite good as his long-suffering wife, but she isn't Terri Garr, so she pretty much plays the "straight-man" to Doug and 3 clones. |
tt0437437 | Prince of Persia: Warrior Within | Seven years after the events of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the Prince finds himself constantly hunted by a terrible beast known as the Dahaka. The Prince seeks counsel from an old wise man who explains that whoever releases The Sands of Time must die. Because the Prince escaped his fate, it is the Dahaka's mission as guardian of the Timeline to ensure that he dies as he was meant to. The old man also tells of the Island of Time, where the Empress of Time first created the Sands. The Prince sets sail for the Island in an attempt to prevent the Sands from ever being created, an act he believes will appease the Dahaka. After a battle at sea with an enemy force led by a mysterious woman in black capsizes the Prince's ship, the Prince washes ashore unconsciously onto the Island of Time.
He later awakens and chases the woman in black through the Empress of Time's fortress into a portal that transports the two into the past. The Prince saves a woman named Kaileena from being killed by the woman in black, whose name is Shahdee. Unable to grant the Prince an audience with the Empress of Time, who is busy preparing to create the Sands, Kaileena instead tells him how to unlock the door to the throne room in which the Empress resides. The Prince makes his way through the fortress, using the sand portals to travel back and forth between the past and present, and narrowly escapes several encounters with the Dahaka, who he discovers cannot pass through water. The Prince activates the mechanisms in the two towers of the fortress - the Garden Tower and the Mechanical Tower - that serve as locks to the door. He returns to the throne room only to discover that Kaileena is actually the Empress of Time herself, who has foreseen in the Timeline that the Prince will kill her and who has decided to attempt to defy her fate, just as the Prince is doing. A battle ensues and the Prince proves victorious; he kills Kaileena and returns to the present.
He believes that he has changed his fate, but another encounter with the Dahaka forces him to realize that in killing Kaileena, he was, in essence, the one who created the Sands of Time, as the Sands were created from her remains and they flow into the hourglass. The Prince falls into despair, but then finds a glimmer of hope upon learning of a magical artifact called the Mask of the Wraith, which is said to transport the wearer into the past, allowing the wearer to alter his own Timeline. The Prince wastes no time in seeking out and donning the mask, which transforms him into the Sand Wraith, a monster that constantly ebbs away life, and sends him back to the time when he first arrived on the Island of Time. He formulates a plan to force Kaileena through a sand portal with him, transporting them both into the present, believing that if he kills her then, the Sands of Time will be created seven years after the events of Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, meaning it will be impossible for the Prince to release them in Azad. While still in the past, the Prince (as the Sand Wraith) ensures that the Dahaka takes and destroys his other self, who has just finished unlocking the door to the throne room, leaving the Sand Wraith the only Prince in that Timeline. This act loosens the Mask of the Wraith from the Prince's face and allows him to remove it and return to his normal form. The Prince goes to the throne room and, despite his pleas to Kaileena, his battle with her begins as before. He forces her into the present with him, and it is at this point that the game has two alternate endings. Which ending is played depends on whether all life upgrades and Water Sword were collected or not.
First ending, without the Water Sword
The Prince fights and kills Kaileena in the present, and the Dahaka arrives to claim her body as well as Farah's amulet from the Prince, so that the Sands of Time and all relics pertaining to it are removed from the Timeline. The Prince sails home to Babylon, alone, only to discover that the city is being ravaged by war. The old wise man's voice is heard, once again stating: "Your journey will not end well. You cannot change your fate. No man can."
Second ending, with the Water Sword
In the present, before the battle between The Prince and Kaileena begins, the Dahaka appears trying to remove Kaileena from the timeline. The Prince tries to save her and realizes that the Water Sword can damage the seemingly-invincible Dahaka. After fighting and defeating the beast, the Prince and Kaileena sail to the Prince's home of Babylon with each other. During the journey, he apparently ends up making love to Kaileena where a dream enters in the mind of the Prince, appearing to be a burning Babylon, with a gold crown rolling to the feet of a mysterious, shadowy figure that ominously claims: "All that is yours, is rightfully mine...and mine it will be." As in the first ending, the old wise man's voice is heard stating: "Your journey will not end well. You cannot change your fate. No man can." This ending is a canonical ending and continues into Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones. | violence, dark | train | wikipedia | I had very little idea about the game, a couple of years before I watched the Two Thrones announce but still it didn't appeal to me.When I got to play this since it worked very well on my computer I got instantly dragged into the world of Prince of Persia again (I used to play the first installment of this series a long time before).
You are able to perform incredible acrobatics in order to avoid the classic traps from the original game (Blades, those sharp thing that come out of the floor, etc.) You have tons of deadly combos to use in the different minions, but above that all is the use of time.
with incredible results.Even if the adventure takes place in a castle (and a bit in your ship), it's still a really big castle where you can get lost(I don't like games that show you every step to win them, therefore you never get lost and always know what to do without doing some exploring, like God of War, which was the only title that I liked despite the characteristic mentioned above).
So you can be sure there's a lot of adventure in Prince of Persia.Many people don't like this new aggressive, darker prince, but I think it works better this way.
The prince is a bit soft for my taste in "The Sands of Time" and in "The Two Thrones", and I said a bit because he is a terrific main character.
It is for me the best game in the sands trilogy.
I have been looking forward to this game since I first completed Sands of Time, and for me, unlike many others, it failed to disappoint.
It is definitely better than the Sands of Time, which was a very straightforward game, too easy, and completed within the day.Yes, the Prince has grown up, and he is no longer a boy looking for his father's acceptance.
People who say otherwise either have a completely different opinion, or are too obsessed with the fact that the game isn't "Persian" enough to focus on the actual story.The prince is darker, angrier, and with a definite edge to his personality.
His chest though...putting it lightly, it looks like he has breasts from certain camera angles.The music is amazing, still retaining much of the Arabian style, although others may have missed this due to the strength of the Heavy Metal in the background.
Really, this is a game made for the X-Box, since it's that that has a lot of the cool features...although I've only played on the PC and PS2 versions of the game.Fighting, as Ubisoft promised, is breathtaking.
I suggest you go out and buy/rent this game, and see just how much better it is than the Sands of Time, which was undoubtedly good in its own right..
Prince of persia : the warrior within is an excellent game that reveals its greatness as you progress.
It starts off a bit run of mill with our moody hero slicing up bad guys, but things take a turn for the best when you get to the island .
The character of the prince feels nice to control as he runs across walls , swings on poles and does tons of cool acrobatic tricks.Prince of persia : warrior within is a challenging and fun game that requires brawns ,brains and an appreciation of wicked looking back flips and stuff..
when i bought the game i felt like it had been a stupid thing to do, i had read that the game wasn't as good as sands of time.
i finished the game in 4 days or something like that, and at least half of that time i was stuck with the empress of time, thats the only problem with all prince of Persia games, the bosses (if i can say it like that)are to hard.
but it is still the best game i have ever played, because the thing of playing in the same rooms and in the same maps, but in different times, thats excellent.
and the whole chapter with the sand-wraith was excellent, and when i found out the story behind the sand-wraith, and why he was following me, i liked the game even more!
The sequel of an epic story that made a revolution in the gaming industry, earned millions of fans all around the world and became a cult for decades.
The classics will forever remain classics no matter what people say about it, and the original trilogy "Prince of Persia" will forever remain a masterpiece and a legend."Whosoever shall open the Sands must die
"As the prince continues his journey and his adventures with the sands of time, we get to see him in new dark tones of Gothic illumination.
Brand new: gory and arrogant, Prince astonishes with his decisive nature and willingness to do what it takes to avoid death and change his fate.
And though lots of fans loved the prequel for its "Arabic Nights" tales' visual style, the new chapter becomes like a breath of a fresh air to the Prince of Persia series."I began to wonder, if you could change your fate, perhaps I could change mine!"The gameplay.
Since the Sands of Time could not offer such combo's and tricks, the sequel is more than just great when it comes to this.
The FFFS (free-form fighting system) is an absolute breakthrough in the games' world which allows you to do to your enemies whatever you may want.
The metal chords interlace with the dark plot and barbaric gameplay perfectly, not to mention the Godsmacks' "I stand Alone" and "Straight out of Line" songs that unleash the full color palette of the game at full strength.
Monica Beluccis' sweet voice brings Kaileena an astonishing charm and a dominating tone intrinsic to the empress, and Robin Atkin Downes makes Prince sound like an adult and brutal man with no fear but rage and "balls" to follow his path."You can not change your fate
No man can."The game is gorgeous, flawless and unique.
The developers paid much attention to every aspect of the game so in the end it would be like a "candy",
a candy with bitter taste of doom, crimson color of blood and a sweet scent of death..
With this comes one of the new things to this: The Free Form Fighting System.
After thoroughly enjoying the previous game, The Sands of Time, I was excited to find that Ubisoft were creating a sequel to it.
At first, Warrior Within may look like your typical goth-brawling epic, but look behind the daunting colours and you've got an action adventure/platform romp that will challenge you in many hours of incredible game play.In this game, you play as the Prince as he attempts to change his fate to die before the guardian of time, the Dahaka kills him.
You can still do all the acrobatic moves and stunts that were available in the first game and more (including the ability to slide down curtains using your sword as a brake), but the thing that has improved the most is the combat.
It's good, because The Sands of Time's battles were rather linear with few combat moves.
Thanks to a magical Medallion, the Prince can use the Sand Powers that made Sands of Time's game play so unique - rewind time, slow down time and learn some new sand moves (including a cool move called Ravages of Time which lets you hack away at enemies at breakneck speed).
Unlike the previous game though, you can only obtain up to six sand slots - in Sands of Time you could have MUCH MUCH more.
This is a particularly bad feature of the game because it feels like it's been downgraded a bit.
The sequel to the sands of time and probably the best out of the 3 with some really cool changes to the gameplay were now you can pick up the enemies weapon or grab them and do combinations.the story here is so different than the first game and the prince is not as charming as before because the death is literally behind him so his goal is to change his fate and scape the guardian of time which is the dahaka.the graphics are top notch as well from the clean and colorful past to the dark and dirty present with the nature taking over it's just gorgeous.the warrior within is an amazing game and it's unbelievable to know that some people hated it because of it's dark tone and adult themes because to me that actually makes it the superior game over the first one and one of the best sequels ever made..
But. Great gameplay, great graphics and a great story, the fighting is really cool and it shows some special last moves in slow motion.
The will also be parts in the game where you think that the game is other, in a cut scene the prince might say something that will hint that its over but its not, I actually find this quite a good thing to..
The story is okay as the prince is being pursued by a super monster who most certainly does not care for the way the prince changed time around in the previous installment.
The prince hears that the sorceress of time on some island is the key to stopping this unstoppable beast.
His ship crashes and he begins his quest to stop the sands of time from being created thus putting right in some strange way what he did wrong in releasing the sands in the first place.
So in the end a step backward from the previous game for me, the whole making the game more bloody and stuff was unnecessary as was the heavy metal soundtrack as opposed to the great soundtracks of one and three.
Still, it was good enough to be an okay game...just needed more work in a couple of areas and it quite frankly needed more areas..
I don't know how many times I've played Warrior Within in the past decade.
When this game came out, it was my Netflix series before Netflix series were a thing: I had to binge play so that I could see what was going to happen next.
The game play is dynamic and it doesn't get old quickly like Sands of Time did.
The graphics were excellent for its day, and it wasn't so hard you constantly got stuck, but not so easy that you could necessarily breeze through it and be done in just a single afternoon (plus, unlike some video gamers, I like to go outside and get exercise, so that extended the time in which I was involved with this game!).
It followed the first game very well in terms of continuity all things considered, and character development was very good.
The Prince is much darker and brooding than he was in the first game, but he's not yet an anti-hero, or a villainous protagonist like Kratos from the God of War series.
Throughout the game, it's left unclear whether your job is to save or kill her, and different choices made by the Prince will ultimately decide which one you'll do (kill or save).
The Dahaka chases were always intense, especially when they dragged on for long periods of time; one little mistake like a missed jump or a hesitation and you're dead.
It's not a constant problem, and I've gotten through a good number of games without a freeze or a glitch, but it's happened enough times that it's noticeable.The other problem is in the dialog and the female characters.
I also groaned loudly when the Prince declared "At first the Dahaka filled me with fear, but now, it fills me with RAGE!!" Even Monica Bellucci and Robin Atkin Downes, accomplished actors, couldn't really make the script not sound amateurish.Now, for the women in the game: It's possible to have a female character be beautiful and sexy without having them be obnoxiously sexualized.
They could have animated the women to be sexy without being exploitative...but they didn't.The final problem: The end of the game in the 2nd ending (if you get the Water Sword) was confusing, and Ubisoft didn't really clear it up in the next game.Okay, so I gave a few complaints about this game, but it's because I've had a lot of time with it.
Prince of Persia was a game that was by no means rated mature.
This time however, the Prince is much darker,and the game play and story shows this.
The prince is being stalked by the keeper of the time line the Dahaka.
The Dahaka's only goal is to kill the Prince, and restore the time line.
Also stalking the prince are the minions of the Empress of Time.
In this game, the Prince's goal is to stop the Sands of Time from ever being created ,thus, the Dahaka would have no reason to stalk and kill him.
The classic Prince of Persia game play is back with a few new twists.
You still have the ability to control time but there is a new combo fighting system which makes the game play even more enjoyable.
The game developers thought that it would be a good idea to add the blood and gore to the game to make it seem more realistic.
In that they succeeded,and it was the best thing that they could of done to bring out the darkness of the story.
The dynamic environments, the sounds, the brilliant music by Stuart Chatwood, the awesome visual effects, and the rich dramatic story loaded with surprises all integrate to create on of the finest gaming experiences ever.
The creativity of this game shows in the vast variety of the enemies, weapons, not to mention the new brilliant fighting system.
What also makes this game unique is the possibility of finishing it in two different scenarios (To fight the empress or the Dahaka) which I think is new to the gaming world.
The soundtrack is great and showed some variation from that of Sands of Time especially in the integration heavy metal.
I can't wait to the the sequel of this game.Although the combats, enemies, weapons and environment elements are far more dynamic and variable than those in Sands of Time, I kind of prefer the atmosphere of Sands of Time especially the oriental music, which is more prevailing, the details of the Sultan's palace, and the costumes which seem more in line with the Persian style.
Flawed story but the bad-ass Prince kicks ass!!!.
WW (Warrior Within) takes place 7 years after the events of SOT (Sands of Time), it is the 2nd game in the Sands of Time trilogy.
A mythical beast who is the Guardian of the Timeline is trying to kill him because of the events of SOT – in the end, the Prince altered the Timeline making sure that events of SOT never took place at all (he remembers everything though).
The Prince reasons that if he journeys to the mysterious Island of Time and stop the Sands of Time from ever being created, the Dahaka will leave him alone.Similar to SOT, WW takes place in confined environments where you as the titular Prince use acrobatic skills to navigate the environment from A to B.
While this may sound boring, due to the time portals scattered throughout the island, you travel between the past and the present, the familiar areas change and become more challenging and interesting.
The game doesn't shy from violence, all fights are bloody gorgeous.And you of course have the Sands of Time to undo your mistakes should you make too many.
The game has two different endings depending whether you have all the health upgrades and obtained the Water Sword or not.
Both are pretty good but only one of them is canon and continues into the Two Thrones.Technically the game is superb, I liked the soundtrack, heavy metal guitar with Arabian sounds in between.
4. If Shahdee is out of time, why does the Dahaka not try to kill her too?
5. The Prince uses the Mask of the Wraith to become the Sand Wraith and travels back in time to stop his past self from killing Kaileena.
6. In the "bad" ending, the Dahaka kills Kaileena and takes the Medallion of Time from the Prince's breastplate.
But Kaileena's death was supposed to activate the Sands of Time, that would mean that the events of SOT never happened (again).
If the Sands are created because of Kaileena's death, how is the Prince able to use the Sand Powers in the past where Kaileena isn't dead?Anyways to conclude this review, the game gets an 8/10 for superb combat, platforming, graphics, and kick-ass soundtrack.
I like most people enjoyed the first game immensely.
the story, the graphics the game play...
however making prince look like a white guy was just absurd.
at times i didn't know if the problems of the game were my in ability to play, or a bug in the game.Graphics were good, although, both the female protagonist had large boobs and dressed like hookers, which is something that was probably meant to appeal to the lesser gamers who would rather see naked women as opposed to intelligent story lines.And now that all is said and done, and i have finally beaten this game will i play it again?
the only real reason why i beat it was so i could have some satisfaction in knowing that my time in playing wasn't a total waste.i do look forward to the third one, as from what i have read said that it was closer to the first one and had all the good qualities of the this one, minus all the glitches and bugs.Oh, and one more thing...
since when did the alternate endings for games become the main plot lines for the sequel. |
tt0067750 | Shoot Out | Clay Lomax is released from prison after serving nearly eight years. He goes looking for Sam Foley, a bank robber who shot Lomax in the back and left him to be arrested. Learning of his release, Foley hires a trio of young thugs—Pepe, Skeeter, and Bobby Jay Jones—to track Lomax's movements. Lomax locates an old friend, Trooper, and offers him money for the name of the town where Foley is staying. The thugs catch up to Lomax and force Alma, a prostitute working for Trooper, to spend the night with them.
While on board a train to retrieve the money he promised, Lomax is told of a young girl named Decky and that she is to accompany him, with her previous guardian dead. Lomax acquiesces and takes charge of Decky, receiving the money in exchange. He takes it to Trooper and then tries to find someone who would take care of Decky, but is unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the thugs fatally wound Trooper and rob the saloon, taking Lomax's money and Alma, before continuing to follow Lomax. Lomax learns of Trooper's death and that he mentioned the location Gun Hill with his dying breath.
During the journey, Lomax and Decky bond. One night, the thugs attempt to attack Lomax, but he disarms them, and tells them to run back to Foley and tell them that he is coming for him. Later, a rainstorm forces Lomax and Decky to take shelter at the house of a woman named Juliana, who becomes infatuated with Lomax and offers to watch over Decky. The thugs then return and take them prisoner. Bobby Jay gets drunk and eventually kills Alma in his inebriation. Lomax escapes, with Bobby Jay accidentally killing Skeeter in the process.
Bobby Jay grabs Decky and flees the house to find Pepe. When Pepe insults him, Bobby Jay kills him, and Decky takes advantage of his distraction to escape. He then goes to Foley for his money, but kills him when Foley tries to reach for a gun. Bobby Jay is then ambushed by Lomax, who psychologically tortures him while demanding Decky's location. When he confesses that he has no idea where she is, Lomax places a cartridge on top of Bobby Jay's head, and tells him that either the cartridge will explode and kill him, or Bobby Jay will be fast enough to kill Lomax. Bobby Jay tries to outdraw Lomax but cannot and is shot dead. Lomax leaves the money, tells the maid to call law enforcement, and finds Decky at Juliana's house. | revenge, murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | Plot has Peck playing Clay Lomax, who is out of prison after 7 years and seeking revenge on the partner who shot him in the back during a robbery.
But Lomax soon finds he has company in the young child form of Decky Ortega (Lyn), who has been sent to him by his one time lover Teresa, sadly now deceased.Just do your little chore, punk.It took a whack from critics of the day, and even now it only seems to have a handful of fans prepared to stand up and say they enjoy it very much.
The problems are hard to argue against, Peck is not adept at playing a vengeful bastard in his later years, the villains are of the near cackling pantomime kind, and a number of cheap money saving tactics are employed by an on the wane Hathaway.
Yet the action hits the right notes, Peck's unfolding relationship with the adorable Lyn is heart warming, and the elder female characters-put upon prostitute desperately seeking a way out (Tyrrell)/plain Jane homemaker who drinks to forget her unfulfilled lot (Quinn)-are afforded intelligence in the writing.
I really liked Shoot Out. I think that comparing it to True Grit because of some commonalities of cast/crew/producer and ( vaguely) theme is unfair.
The relationship between John Wayne and Kim Darby was very different than the growing affection and dependence between Dawn Lyn's delightful Decky and Peck's tough but tender Clay.
It works best if you consider it as a sequel to "The Gunfighter" (1950), what would have happened to Peck's Johnny Ringo character had he survived and left his town rather than remain there with his wife and son.Although the negative comments that have been posted are generally accurate, the film has several elements that make it worth watching.
Unfortunately Gregory Peck did not put Aticus Finch energy into the Clay Lomax character, and even though Dawn Lyn (Dodie from 'My Three Sons') is fine as the little girl-the idea just doesn't work.
But as someone has already mentioned this is not a great script and there are 1970's dialogue issues that periodically jar the viewer back to reality, making it impossible for this thing to ever really get going.On the plus side Robert Lyons gives a nice 'really out there' performance as the wacko bad guy.
Also the production designer did a good job on the overall feel of the film, there several absolutely great visuals (check out the shot of Dawn Lyn standing on the train station platform), and there is a very original non-formula climax.
The production has excellent overall unity and someone really paid attention to continuity issues (watch how the progress of the water dripping on the cabin table is matched to the time sequence of the scene).What stayed with me through the years and motivated me to watch this again was the first film performance of Susan Tyrrell, as the dumb but plucky saloon girl.
This film from a novel titled ¨The last cowboys¨ and adapted by Marguerite Roberts (True grit) deals with Clay Lomax (Gregory Peck) , he leaves the prison and seeking vengeance of his former partner named Foley (James Gregory) who double-crossed him .
Lions) who along with other gunmen (Pepe Serna and John Davis Chandler) abduct a prostitute (Susan Tyrell) and after that , they go out in pursuit Lomax .An average Western revenge story plenty of violence , action and shoot'em up ; though the veteran director Hathaway is uninspired and the ending is pretty predictable .
The movie displays a wide plethora of secondary actors usually seen in Western genre : Jeff Corey (True grit) as an old brawler in wheelchair , the usual Arthur Hunnicutt (El Dorado), Paul Fix , Rita Gam (Tomahawk) , Willis Bouchey's last film and the habitual cocky nasty named John Davis Chandler .
Henry was an excellent filmmaker who directed several classic Westerns , such as ¨True grit¨ , ¨Sons of Katie Elder¨ , ¨Nevada Smith¨ ,¨Rawhide¨ , ¨How the west was won¨ (also with Gregory Peck) , among others .
This film also co-stars the great character actor James Gregory who also never gave a bad performance.
It's also not a great western for Gregory Peck who in his day has given us classics like The Gunfighter, The Big Country, and The Bravados.
Gregory Peck plays a man just out of prison who's looking for his partner from a bank robbery who shot him and took all the loot.
A lot of the plot scenario has not been well thought out in Shoot Out. The cast struggles, but their hearts are clearly not in it.Best in the cast is Susan Tyrell who plays a prostitute who takes up with the three punks.
She's a 19th century version of a Valley Girl and she pays big time for her stupidity and very bad taste in men.Definitely not one of the better films for Henry Hathaway and Gregory Peck.
I admit that it's not the best western ever made, by a long shot, but it's worth watching just for the fine performance of Robert F.
Shoot Out (1971) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Western from the same producer, screenwriter and director of True Grit has Gregory Peck being released from prison after seven years and heading off to kill the man who shot him in the back during a bank robbery.
Gregory Peck looked like he was sleepwalking, and Dawn Lyn as the little girl was annoying, at best.
Gregory Peck occasionally played ambiguous, morally conflicted characters in films like "Moby Dick" and "The Bravados", but rarely played outright villains, "The Boys from Brazil" being an exception.
(The novel on which it was based had a different title, "The Lone Cowboy").Peck's career went into something of a decline in the late sixties and early seventies; few of his films from this period are of top quality; "MacKenna's Gold" is another sub-standard Western from around the same time.
Now young Dawn Lyn was obviously an adorable child, but she was the sort of adorable child who would have been more at home in a sweet family comedy than in a hard-boiled revenge Western, and the scenes in which she appears do not blend in well with the rest of the film.
Willis) and screenwriter (Marguerite Roberts) and had a similar theme in that they teamed an ageing male star with a young girl, although the character played by Kim Darby is rather older than Decky.
This is a disappointing follow-up to the same writer-producer-director team who made TRUE GRIT (1969) – here tackling another Western with child interest, but replacing John Wayne with Gregory Peck.
Not a genre stalwart like The Duke, perhaps, but he did manage some 12 appearances in Westerns between 1946 and 1989 – sometimes to striking effect as in DUEL IN THE SUN (1946), THE GUNFIGHTER (1950) and THE BIG COUNTRY (1958).Anyway, the film is a standard revenge tale which starts with Peck being released from a 7-year prison sentence (caught after he was shot by his own partner, James Gregory, as they were fleeing the scene of a bank robbery); on his way to town, he is told to pick up something from an arriving train – which turns out to be a little girl, the daughter of an old flame of his who has since passed away!
The relationship between weathered cowboy Peck and the cute yet spirited girl is nicely handled; this, however, serves to render the star’s character mellow as opposed to mean – and, consequently, diverts attention from the central plot (which sees Gregory hiring a trio of brash young gunman to follow Peck’s movements).The cast is divided between old pros and new talent – the former including Jeff Corey (as a crippled bartender brutally murdered by the reckless gang) and Paul Fix, and the latter, Pat Quinn (from Arthur Penn’s ALICE’S RESTAURANT [1969] – as a widow who shelters Peck and the girl, but falls foul of his pursuers) and Susan Tyrell (soon to be Oscar-nominated for John Huston’s FAT CITY [1972] – as a prostitute who tags along with the villains).
Thirty six year old Westerns seem to be on television every week but few directed by Henry Hathaway with Gregory Peck taking the lead.
Several times, Gregory Peck got the draw on the bad guys (i.e., captured them and could have shot them).
Lyons as the psycho gunslinger hired by Gregory, and 7-year-old Dawn Lyn as the cutesy, foul-mouthed little 'un dumped on Peck when he gets released from prison for a robbery gone sideways.You also get the startle of seeing a hooker's slobber-covered boobs in the saloon's back room.
And this thing got a GP?Hathaway's talent for lovely landscapes is lost on the viewer trying to translate the grammar-challenged westernese that spills out of everyone's mouth and with the grimacing from the scenery-chewing bad-guy behavior that would make anyone long for the quiet rationality of Richard Widmark's sociopath in Kiss of Death or the social responsibility of Andy Robinson in Dirty Harry.Just to show you how stolid Peck got toward the end of his big-star career, he gets the chance to have a heart-to-heart with a farm widow (a pretty, curvy actress named Patricia Quinn), and when she opens up to him about how lonely she is, how she drinks herself to sleep every night pining away for a man in bed, Peck doesn't kiss her or make goo-goo eyes at her, he grasps her head, and I thought, "My God, he's gonna check her teeth!"It's amazing how snarky one can get when watching a bastard stink- pot western..
Ten years after Gregory Peck played America's ideal father in To Kill a Mockingbird, he thought it would be funny to take a role in which he inherits a little girl and doesn't know how to handle her.
The father-daughter scenes are really cute, and there's a bit of romantic tension with Patricia Quinn to spice things up for Greg, who's a little worn around the edges but still looks good in a cowboy hat.
The book was a story as if told by a very prim and proper elderly lady who wrote in a prim and proper style, with no contractions, for example.When Ms. Roberts merely typed the book, rather than attempting some degree of realism in the dialogue, she made "True Grit" a parody, a burlesque of a great western story with most of the characters speaking their lines in a ridiculously stilted manner.Mr. Hathaway made no effort, apparently, at improving her script and if it hadn't been for great performers, "True Grit" would have flopped."Shoot Out" was not as badly scripted, nor as badly directed, though there were lots of holes and errors, some of which could have been fixed or at least helped by better editing.Still, Gregory Peck is always good to excellent, and made a surprisingly good cowboy, for such an elegant man.Here he is sometimes upstaged by a darling and petite actress named Dawn Lyn, one of the most likable little girls I've seen in a western, and, more, very believable as the feisty orphan with a mind of her own.Also from "True Grit" is Jeff Corey, one of Hollywood's most outstanding talents, and able even to overcome Henry Hathaway directing.Another of Hollywood's greatest actors is James Gregory, often a villain, as here, although he is on screen very little, but absolutely enthralling as the inspector in the 1970s TV series, "Barney Miller."Any film or show James Gregory is in is improved by his presence.There are several female performers and at least two are great to watch, but Pat, or Patricia, Quinn is not one of them.
But it's a western, with Gregory Peck and the adorable Dawn Lyn and the hypnotic Jeff Corey.
So, production value wise, "Shoot Out" is barely distinguishable from a TV western.Peck is OK in "Shoot Out." However, his role could have been played as well or better by most of his contemporaries; Glenn Ford, Lee Marvin, Richard Widmark, Robert Mitchum or James Stewart would have been just as good.
"Shoot Out" may not be a great western, but it certainly better than "The Train Robbers," "Cahill: US Marshall" or "Rooster Cogburn," three made by John Wayne during this time period.
Unlike the sadistic villains of Leone and Peckinpaugh, Bobby Jay is a "child man," the kind of psycho played by Robert Evans in "Fiend That Walked the West," and, to some lesser extent, Gregory Peck played in "Duel in the Sun." Like a school bully, Bobby Jay didn't see his actions as cruel.
Worse, director Henry Hathaway fails to cover for this lack of chemistry with tight closeups, which would have helped immensely.WARNING: SPOILERSSome have characterized Peck as "stupid" for not killing Bobby Jay and his partners when he had the drop on them at their campsite.
However, people make similar errors in judgment all the time, and Peck could not have anticipated Emma coming on to him.Given that Peck and Lyons are dopplegangers (two sides of the same character), producer Hal Wallis would have been better served by using the money he spent for the unnecessary holdup flashback to purchase the "skinny dipping" scene from "Duel in the Sun." With a little careful picture and sound editing, he could have passed off Jennifer Jones as Decky's mother and shown Peck in, arguably his best performance, as a playful psychotic.
Inserting this flashback immediatlely following the scene of Peck bathing Decky would have worked beautifully, and better established Peck's character and unruly past.END OF SPOILERSEven given it's weaknesses, "Shoot Out" is worth a view.
After seven years in prison, ex-convict and aging gunfighter Clay Lomax(Gregory Peck)sets out on the trail with revenge on his mind.
Lomax may be a hardened man, but he shows his soft side when he becomes burdened with taking care of a cute young orphan girl named Decky(Dawn Lyn).
I didn't vote it 10 stars because of the wonderful directing, acting, dialog or story value--because quite frankly, it doesn't have any of those going for it--I voted it 10 because I enjoyed watching this film so much.This is a western starring tall and handsome Gregory Peck, and it has some scenes and dialog that are a real hoot, as well as a couple of scenes where it is blatantly obvious the characters are not really on horseback.
There is also some so-called acting by Patricia Quinn as Juliana Farrell, where she sounds like she's reading her lines out a book, rather than saying them in a natural speaking manner.Not the kind of western you see every day, that's for sure.Clay Lomax (Gregory Peck)is getting out of prison after having served 7 years for an unsuccessful bank robbery.
Since he definitely has plans to get back at his bank robbing partner, Sam Foley, who shot him in the back right at the scene of the hold-up and then took all the money, I don't know why he unloaded the weapon.That's just one of many strange behaviors on the part of various characters in this film.
Decky (Dawn Lyn)is an obstinate little girl of about six, with a mind of her own.After getting stuck with Decky, Clay learns where Sam Foley is and sets out with his young charge.On the way to Gun Hill, there's another run-in with Bobby Jay and the boys, who at this point have forced a young prostitute, Alma,(Susan Tyrrell) to go along with them.During a drenching rain, Clay and Decky arrive at the ranch house of Juliana Farrell, a widow and her young son, Dutch.Juliana wastes no time getting down to business with Clay--five minutes after they meet.
He soon falls foul of three thugs who work for the now respectable rancher, following which he has a 6-year old girl landed on him by an ex-girlfriend, the girl's mother, who has died: the child may be his daughter.This 1970 western, made by the director and production team who had made John Wayne's True Grit, turned up on TV.
It had much of the look of True Grit, filmed on similar locations at the same time of year, and benefited from an unusual story blending together the quest for revenge with the unwitting and unwilling childcare element.
Dawn Lyn as the child did well, and was considerably less annoying that Kim Darby was in True Grit a year earlier.
Think about a western where the hero goes after a bad guy along with a 7 year old girl, and the bad guy stooges follow the hero along with a woman who cooks for them and has sex with them whenever they feel like it.
Instead the showdown is actually between Lomax and Bobby Jay Jones - the head stooge.Clay Lomax is played by the formidable as always Gregory Peck.
Lomax is kind of stuck with 7 year old Decky (who is probably his daughter, but the movie never says it for sure).
The relationship between Gregory Peck, as Clay, and Dawn Lyn, as Decky, serves as comic relief between the sinister aspects of the film.
Newly released from an 8 year prison stay, the first thing that Clay wants to do is 'pay back' his bank robbing partner Sam Foley(James Gregory) for betraying him.
Meanwhile, Foley has hired 3 young men(Bobby Jay, Pepe, and Skeeter) to keep an eye on Clay's movements, with instructions not to kill him.
"Shootout" begins with an unbelievable scene; when Clay Lomax (Gregory Peck) is released from prison, he's allowed to strap on a loaded gun directly in front of the prison warden.
Seems like a more vindictive ex-con could have done some damage.Shortly after, with his mind set on revenge against the partner that double crossed him in a hold up seven years earlier, Lomax inherits young Decky (Dawn Lyn) from a former flame who died en route delivering him a message.
Gregory Peck's performance appears tired at times, though there are some good moments with his young charge. |
tt0368530 | One Tree Hill | The main storyline in the early seasons is the relationship between two half-brothers, Lucas and Nathan Scott, who start out as enemies but bond as the show progresses. In the pilot episode, Lucas obtains a place in the Tree Hill Ravens (the high school basketball team) with the help of his uncle Keith. Nathan, the head of the team, takes a dislike to Lucas, and this becomes the basis of their rivalry. Lucas's romantic interest in Nathan's girlfriend Peyton Sawyer also strengthens their feud. Peyton's best friend Brooke Davis tries to date Lucas, and Nathan attempts to date Lucas's best friend Haley James. The story of Lucas and Nathan's father Dan Scott is occasionally explored through flashbacks, which show his relationships with Karen Roe, Lucas's mother, and Deb Scott, Nathan's mother, and how he ended up with one woman rather than the other. He had a high school romance with Karen, resulting in Lucas's birth, but he refused to claim Lucas as his son. Leaving Karen, he married Deb, and the couple bore Nathan. Seventeen years later, Deb begins a strong friendship and partnership with Karen against Dan's will. In later seasons of the show, Dan and Deb get a divorce. Karen dates her college professor Andy Hargrove after losing Keith.
The first season deals with the first half of the main teenage characters' junior year. The focus is on the rivalry between Lucas and Nathan during the state basketball championship. Other major storylines are Nathan and Haley's developing relationship, the Peyton-Lucas-Brooke love triangle and the love quadrangle involving Lucas and Nathan's parents.
The second season focuses on the second half of the characters' junior year and sets aside basketball and explores new romances. Lucas dates Anna Taggaro, Jake Jagielski dates Peyton, and there is a love triangle between Felix Taggaro, Brooke and Mouth McFadden. This season also shows the disintegration of Nathan and Haley's relationship because of Chris Keller, and the repercussions – especially for Lucas – of Dan's hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, an inherited disease. Peyton deals with drug problems and the return of her biological mother and Karen starts the Tric club and begins a relationship with her school teacher Andy Hargrove. A troubled Deb struggles with a drug addiction.
The third season focuses on the characters' first half of their senior year, and also has the return of basketball. It features the arrival of Rachel Gatina, who brings conflict to the romance between Brooke and Lucas when she sets out to date Lucas. Peyton deals with the return of her mom, and tries to get to know her when she finds out she is dying from cancer. Jake and Peyton's relationship draws to a close and Peyton's romantic feelings for Lucas resurface later in the season. Chris Keller returns and helps Nathan and Haley reunite, also causing damage between Brooke and Lucas. The later of the season sees Nathan and Haley plan their wedding. A major subplot consists of Dan's efforts to solve the murder attempt that was made against him during the previous season's cliffhanger. A major episode ("With Tired Eyes, Tired Minds, Tired Souls, We Slept") involves most of the main cast in a hostage situation at Tree Hill High and culminates in Peyton getting shot in the leg, Jimmy Edwards committing suicide and Dan murdering Keith. At the end of the season finale after Nathan and Haley renew their vows he, Rachel, and Cooper are fighting for their lives after a car accident.
The fourth season features the second half of the characters' senior year, and the love triangle of Peyton, Lucas and Brooke. Haley's pregnancy is threatened by Nathan's risky forays into gambling and loan sharks. Peyton is stalked by an impostor posing as her half-brother Derek and is saved by Lucas and the real Derek. Lucas looks for the truth behind his uncle's death as he documents his life since joining the Ravens basketball team. Lucas and Peyton enter into an official relationship after the Ravens win the state championship, meanwhile Dan rekindles his romance with Karen, Brooke explores a romantic relationship with Chase Adams and a friendship with Rachel. Chris Keller makes an appearance, and the group enjoy a "real prom" in a small town called Honneygrove after their original one is ruined by further interactions with the impostor who is known to everyone as "Psycho Derek". The season ends with the group's graduation from high school, Lucas discovering that Dan killed Keith, and Haley and Karen having their babies.
The fifth season jumps four years into the future. The characters struggle with adulthood after college and return to Tree Hill for various reasons. Lucas, a published author, is in a committed relationship with his editor, Lindsey Strauss. This relationship turns into a love triangle when Peyton returns after a failed music career in Los Angeles. The marriage of Nathan and Haley goes into crisis as Nathan faces major depression after being seriously injured the night he was drafted into the NBA. Brooke looks for life beyond success in her work and struggles to get acceptance from her mother Victoria. Peyton, with help from Brooke, launches a music label. Lucas and Skills return to the Tree Hill Ravens as coaches and ask for Nathan's help with star player Quentin. Mouth begins a relationship with his boss Alice, to get ahead in his job. He later settles down with Brooke's assistant, Millicent Huxtable.
The sixth season features the progression of Peyton's romance with Lucas as they reunite and deal with her dangerous pregnancy. Peyton meets her birth father, Lucas's book is optioned for a feature film by Peyton's ex-boyfriend, producer Julian Baker, and Nathan and Haley struggle to reach their dreams after being terrorized by Nanny Carrie who tried to kidnap their son Jamie and also held Dan hostage. Brooke is attacked in her store, leaving her scarred mentally. She later takes in foster child Sam. Star player Quentin is killed, leaving Nathan more determined to reach the NBA. Mouth and Millicent's relationship hits the rocks when Mouth's ex, Gigi, returns later in the season the pair reunite. Brooke battles with her mother for her company, and her attacker, who we find out is the guy who killed Quentin. Skills and Deb end their relationship. Dan comes to terms with his life and how much time he has left. Brooke enters a relationship with Julian.
The seventh season jumps fourteen months ahead. Rachel returns and two new regular characters are introduced: Haley's sister Quinn and Nathan's agent Clay. Lucas and Peyton have moved away, Quinn and Clay's relationship develops after the death of Clay's wife Sarah. Nathan's NBA career is jeopardized by a growing scandal that also affects Haley. Dan becomes a motivational speaker with the support of his new wife, Rachel Gatina. Brooke releases her new clothing line in the midst of conflicts with Julian and Alex, a model she hired for her company. Millicent struggles with a drug addiction which causes Mouth to break it off with her. The second half of the season deals with Haley's depression due to her mother's death. At the end of the season, the characters travel to Utah for the premiere of Julian's completed film, Haley announces she's pregnant, Julian proposed to Brooke, and Clay and Quinn are shot by Katie.
The eighth season centers around the wedding of Brooke and Julian and the arrival of Julian's mother Sylvia, Haley and Nathan's pregnancy, Clay and Quinn survive their life-threatening attack, and Brooke losing her company. Mia returns and the romance between Alex and Chase turns into a love triangle,while Mouth and Millicent reconcile. Nathan returns to college, and struggles to fit in due to his professor. Nathan and Clay start a sports management company named Fortitude, which is a reoccurring theme during this season. A fierce storm reaches Tree Hill, endangering the lives of Brooke and Jamie. Katie returns to take revenge on Quinn. Brooke and Julian look into adoption and are connected to a pregnant teen who keeps her baby, leaving Brooke heartbroken. Haley gives birth to a baby girl and names her Lydia (the first name of Haley's mother). Nathan discovers who was responsible for Brooke and Jamie almost drowning. Alex and Chase finally get together. Brooke becomes pregnant and has twins.
The ninth and final season deals with Haley facing multiple problems involving a busy Karen's Cafe, putting up with Dan and searching for Nathan as he is kidnapped after returning from Europe. Brooke and Julian adjust to life as parents which leads Julian to make a life-changing mistake. A mysterious problem haunts Clay, while Quinn attempts to get him help. Clay is hospitalized at a sanitarium, where he meets his son, Logan, with the support of Quinn. Millicent is forced to deal with Mouth's sudden weight gain, and Chase starts a friendship with Chris Keller. Chase Adams takes care of Chuck. Lucas returns to Tree Hill as Haley reaches out to him for help. The series ends as Tric celebrates its tenth anniversary while the Tree Hill family face new and exciting possibilities for their futures. | good versus evil | train | wikipedia | I didn't have the time to catch the tv spots when by any reason a finished watching the first episode just a few weeks after the beginning of The O.C., but there's a great difference between both, even when they have a great cast, good scripts, One tree hill feels like something fresh and at the same time more emotional.
One Tree Hill is Warner Brothers latest effort to emulate the success of its popular 90's teenage show Dawsons Creek and it a very good job overall.
The show deals with a lot of sensitive issues that teenagers face such as: sex, drugs,marriage, adoption, affairs, conflicts etc.The show is set in the fictional town of One Tree Hill and it stars: Chad Michael Murray as honest, likable Lucas Scott, James Laferty as spoilt rich child Nathan Scott, Hillarie Burton as the lonely but good hearted Peyton and Sophia Bush as the feisty but popular Brooke.
The adult actors really shine in this show and they help to make the characters interact as well as the children on the show.Underneath the shows skin is the running pulse of the conflict between long-lost brothers Nathan and Lucas Scott and that is what the whole show is built on.
This show works so well is because it allows the adults as much air time as the teenagers and this lets the viewers care much more about all the characters, not just the teenage ones.The characters are nearly all beautiful, teenage girls will droll over the eye candy of Lucas and Nathan and the teenage boys will droll over Brooke and Peyton.
It does not have the fan base popularity that other teenage shows have, but it nevertheless has a very loyal set of viewers who tune in every week to watch the latest comings and goings on in Tree Hill.There are some very good episodes of this show, but some others that aren't so good.
Drama series about two brothers and their lives and loves in the fictional town Tree Hill..
The cast of One Tree Hill is of course helped immensely by the fact that their characters are so well written; they are people the audience really cares for, and takes an active interest in (as demonstrated on the multiple fan sites and message boards dedicated to the "Naley"-relationship and the "Lucas-Peyton-Brooke"-triangle.One Tree Hill also has excellent writers, who are not afraid to deal with heavy topics like teen pregnancy, date rape, drug abuse and school shootings.
Love and friendship are the main themes of the show, and the writers, directors and cast have a way of making themes old as time feel new, fresh and interesting.Rumour has it that the WB won't renew the show for a fourth season.
Lucas, Nathan, Haley, Peyton, Brooke, Karen, whitey, Kieth, mouth, rachel, bevin skills, deb, and Dan i suppose are all cool in their own way.I think that i will probably start watching them all again..
i watch the first season only because i love chad michael murray for me he's the most beautiful men in this world, but the show was great and i turned a big fanatic of the show!
And what do u think to make it better Lets make this cool website the best about one tree hill (for those of you who love it!!)Anyways, byeLuv, Fifi Al SP.S Don't forget to log in the website i gave above !
The story of One Tree Hill revolves around half-brothers Lucas (Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan Scott (James Lafferty), who apart from sharing the same father, also share a love for hoops.
Chad Michael Murray(good looking great actor - love Lucas Scott.), Hillary Buton(admiration to the character P Sawer.), James lafferty(Seems sweet - hot - great at Nathan Scott.), Sophia Bush(don't like this character as much but the show would be strange without her.), Lee Noris(sweet lovable character), Brian Greenburg(so sweet - why does everyone forget he's in this?) + cast/crew should be very proud.
the sexy chad Micheal Murray also stars as does other up and coming great actors/actress.- James Lafferty and Bethany Joy Lenz The series also contains some hot tunes from the likes of Snow Patrol, Kaiser Cheifs,Fall Out Boy, Gavin Degraw and Jimmy Eat World.
The songs we hear not only convey the sometimes profound, intense and occasionally lighthearted moments these teenagers and parents go through, they even transcend them and somehow plunge us into their realm of distress or joy.The only negative aspect of One Tree Hill thus far has been the somewhat disappointing third season.Overall, a very enjoyable program..
the cast are all so glamorous and perfect its like just so awesome =D if you don't watch it you're totally missing out the story lines can also help a lot of teens relate to their everyday lives.
So I've started watching it again :D Cant believe Season 9 is the last of One Tree Hill with only 13 Episodes!!!
:'( For all you who don't watch One Tree Hill, I would highly recommend it-You are missing out!!!Lucas<3 Brooke<3 Nathan<3 Haley<3 Peyton<3 xxx.
This show gets major points in my book for staying watchable, at times brilliant, sometimes riveting, often solidly good for longer than any other teen-based show I know of.Lucas sticks out as one of the all-time great male characters.
Peyton represents a great first step towards making female characters that actually resemble real people AND are the kind of amazing, generous and genuine spirits that a person might actually WANT to know.Ms. Burton, rock ON.Haley was cool before the show decided to continue past all reason.
I started watching One Tree Hill two months ago and I am currently watching season 4.I have to say that I am addicted to this show and it is my favorite show on TV.The show revolves around the lives and relationships of four teenagers and their families an depicts all the problems that people in high school have to deal with.The writing and storyline of the show is stunningly breathtaking and the actors are extremely talented.Chad Michael Murray,Sophia Bush,James Lafferty and Bethany Joy Galeotti stand out from the rest of the cast.I believe that the creator,Mark Schawhn,has done a wonderful job and has picked fresh people that really like what they are doing.
The only thing that bugs me about the show is that it sometimes become a little exaggerated as it fetches situations and has unnecessary twists that make the show look a bit unreal.In addition,i have heard a lot of people comparing One Tree Hill to the O.C and I have to say that they are completely different shows and they can't be compared.Personally, I believe that One Tree Hill is way better than the O.C as it has better storyline and that's why One Tree Hill has lasted for 6 years whereas the O.C started fade away during season 3.Anyhow,I would like to recommend this show to every teenager as it is absolutely exceptional.For the reasons outlined above i rate this show with 10 stars out of 10 and I sincerely hope that it lasts more years..
I didn't start watching One Tree Hill until the school shooting in season 3.
I loved the OC, but it didn't have the great music and drama that One Tree Hill brings.
I hope sincerely OTH continue for a long time and with the same quality like episodes 9 and 10 of the 4TH season : Thanks to World Wild Web !
it always makes me get interest in it all the time but why does chad had to go to the other girl instead of Brooke.....but in the real life i don't understand why would they divorce after a couple months from there honey moon....i mean they made such a good couple.....anyway the show was great every Wednesday i wouldn't miss it at all and can't even wait until that day comes.....just wish that they would do it everyday.......i just don't like the show i LOVE IT...........chadmichealmurray is very cute and sophia is also very pretty..............but where can i see some shows of tree high every Wednesday.
So for me this is the best thing that i have seen in years and i just can't believe that there will be only 3 seasons.Please Warner brothers don't make us wait too long we are all devastated and sad from the last episode and want to see the happy ending :).Because I'm sure that we all want love like Nathan and Haley's but we don't want this to be the finish..
I first started to watch One Tree Hill when I bought the 1st season on DVD last year.
The pilot episode got me hooked so well that I really liked the kids from Tree Hill including Lucas, Nathan, Peyton Sawyer and Haley among other.
Without well developed characters, humour and an original story and not just fictionalization of real life events like when in a episode a gunman holds up the school.
Most of the entertainment I've gotten out of this show is laughing at how genuinely unbelievably poor the writing is (my favourite being characters flashing back to scenes they weren't in).WATCH THIS IF: You're looking for background noise while doing something else You've never seen a teen drama (it's not the best, by any stretch, but it's so vanilla that it covers pretty much all the bases).
It's not that I have a thing against relationships in television, I'm just sick of shows that concentrate on who went to bed with whom.I've already stopped watching entire episodes, but I won't quit entirely in hope that maybe OTH will clean up a little and explore better venues.
Peyton, Lucas, Brooke, Haley, Dan Scott, I think they are the best characters in the Show.
The writers,creators,and actors made such a praise worthy,memorable television series that has something in it for everyone.If you're trying to figure yourself out, doubting where life will take you, or just simply having high school problems, this show is everything you're looking for.Such an amazing saga of love,death,tragedy,and most importantly family and friends.From the wise words of Lucas Scott quoting yet another author -E.E. Cummings once wrote: 'To be nobody but yourself- in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else- means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.'One Tree Hill Is One Of The Best TV Shows I've Ever Seen.
I've watched this series twice and haven't gotten bored.Brooke Davis is my favorite character because I LOVE Sophia Bush.
I love both, but while the O.C has more comedy in it, One tree hill focuses on the drama and not all people like that.
I'm not normally into American drama series but one tree hill is so different to the typical high school clichéd.
There are stalkers, high school marriages and pregnancies, parties, basketball games, murder, break-ups, sex tapes, car crashes, drug addicts great loss, fashion lines, musicians, horrible mothers, bitchy sisters, amazing friendships, hot guys and all of this happens in a little place called tree hill!
From the Directing, if there is any issue on that, i don't see them because the story in every episode is always well played out.I don't even know where to start from.One Tree Hill is a fantastic show, i have been watching it for years and the special thing about it is that you get to learn something about life, friends, family, love, hate, aspirations, i can go on and on.
it is show that should go on, an end to it would really hurt.The roles occupied by each character fits so perfectly that you would forget you are watching T.V showThe great thing about the show is that it gets better by each season.I am thinking of something to criticize, OK i would say the absence of Chad Michael Murray that plays Lucas might be a missing part but the void has been properly and effectively managed, maybe we would get to see him back soon.
This is a great show if you are interested in watching drama, like to laugh, or want to relate to characters facing more of the typical real life situations of a teenager or young adult..
I think the high school years were good, I think the jump was great, and I think they should keep going because One Tree Hill has a lot more to show us.
It actually sucks that the show hasn't gotten awards for got acting and good episodes during certain points in its run, but I'm okay with it because the awards don't make the show.There's still stories to tell, lessons to learn, and moments to be had with One Tree Hill.
I've already purchased the first two seasons on DVD and watch it anytime it's on TheCW or SoapNet. And Unlike other Teenage Dramas like The O.C. and Degrassi: The Next Generation (this coming from a lifelong Degrassi fan), One Tree Hill actually seems like I have a hidden camera on all these character's lives because it's so realistic.
Thanks One Tree Hill and for anyone who has never seen this show, I highly recommend watching it and buying the DVDs. It's literally become my favorite show of all time.
when i first started to watch One Tree Hill i was in the 2nd season and was completely lost.
Do not underestimate "One Tree Hill".I feel like the show is crafted in such a way that I resonate with at least one character's journey in every episode.
The great thing about "One Tree Hill" is that the characters' conflicts and feelings remain the most important catalyst that drives this show and keeps audiences interested.
One tree hill has everything a teen series should, two persons that are meant for each other, two who aren't but make it anyway and a person you think should.Because it has it all it feels old and not new, after a couple of episodes it gets boring because they drag out on everything.
The problems they face in the show keeps coming back with so small changes it feels like your watching the same episodes all over again.In the beginning of the series you like it because of characters.
I like this drama very much.it is awesome ,no words to describe it,love one tree hill.
I recently started streaming "One Tree Hill" on Netflix and became an instant fan it is action-packed and very intense I was also pleasantly surprised that Nathan and Haley's relationship which started in season 1 was able to last the entire series you don't see that much in teenage romance dramas however I am a huge Lucas and Peyton fan therefore I lost most of my interest after season 6..
Of course the teenage boys have friends, and especially a confusing series of love affairs with musical talent Peyton Sawyer (Hilarie Burton) and Haley James Scott (Bethany Joy Lenz), also a tutor, as well as Brooke Davis (Sophia Bush) a popular cheerleader.
To begin with I was told that One Tree Hill is just like any other teen drama but what I found elsewhere on the internet was all about how good a show it is and that it has changed lives of people and so on and so forth so it caught my attention and finally decided to give it a try.
The show starts with the story of two brothers who have the same father but different mothers, and their life at high school and a few other friends and of course their love interests.
The series is almost like three separate show Seasons 1-4: A teen drama, set at Tree Hill High during the casts final two years in high school.
I didn't completely understand the episode but still enjoyed it so I decided to give the entire series a try.When I started watching the first few episodes of season 1 I thought the One Tree Hill series was going to be rather boring...
Half-brothers Lucas and Nathan Scott are both basketball players for the iconic Tree Hill High School.
Several episodes were full of mediocre teen filler, and then the last five minutes of the show were jam packed with so much drama, and so many questions to be answered that you were basically forced to watch the next episode if you didn't want your life to be haunted with questions such as "Who will Lucas end up with?" or "Will Haley and her guy make it through?" Although the One Tree Hill creators pull a fast one over on you, this show is still the most captivating series I have ever seen.
If you want to be addicted to a show where every character seems to call each other by their first and last name, then One Tree Hill is the perfect show for you to watch.Many viewers have the opinion that the show is not worth watching after season four.
Even though things are different and there are several new characters thrown into the mix what seems like every episode, it remains a very entertaining show, just possibly not as entertaining as the first few seasons.The main characters in the show are Lucas, Peyton, Brooke, Nathan, and Haley.
"One Tree Hill" is a drama television show recommended for teenagers and young adults.
one tree hill is one my most favorite shows of all time..though its over i still watch it again and again.i miss it so much..one of the reasons it is outstanding is because it shows life the way it is,filled with emotions,danger,happiness,mystery and all..the characters are amazingly played by the lead actors..some episodes are so breathtaking and excited that it still remains in my mind.chad Michael Murray is awesome and the others i.e. Hilary,Sophia,James and Bethany are also stunning.Moira Kelly ,and Craig has done a fabulous job.Paul is the best villain ever.he plays the role with absolute passion.
the most amazing thing is the music of one tree hill.its has some of the best musical tracks ever made.over all its a must watch show and i love it.............. |
tt0019946 | The Great Gabbo | The movie follows brilliant ventriloquist "The Great Gabbo" (Stroheim), who increasingly uses his dummy "Otto" as his only means of self-expression—an artist driven insane by his work.
Gabbo's gimmick is his astonishing ability to make Otto talk—and even sing—while Gabbo himself smokes, drinks and eats. Gabbo's girlfriend and assistant Mary (Betty Compson) loves him, but is driven to leave him by his megalomania, superstitions, irritability, and inability to express any human emotion without using Otto as an intermediary. In Otto's voice Gabbo accepts the blame for Mary's leaving and recounts all the things she did for him, but as Gabbo he denies his feelings and tells the dummy to shut up.
Two years later, Gabbo has become a nationally renowned ventriloquist. He is revered for his talent even as he is ridiculed for his eccentricity: he takes Otto with him everywhere he goes, even dining out with him, providing much entertainment to the restaurant patrons. Despite his success he continues to pine for Mary, who is now romantically involved with another singer/dancer, Frank (Donald Douglas). With both Mary and Frank performing in a show in which Gabbo is the headliner, he attempts to win her back. Mary is charmed by Gabbo's new romantic behavior, driving Frank to angry fits of jealousy. As his courtship meets with continued success, Gabbo increasingly expresses his emotions to Mary directly, without using Otto.
One day Gabbo finds that in his absence, Mary has straightened up his dressing room the way she always used to. Convinced that she wants to come back to him, he confronts her with his feelings, admitting his loneliness without her and in the process revealing that he has grown past many of his old failings, such as his superstitions and obsession with his personal success. However, Mary tells him that she loves Frank, and has been married to him since before Gabbo came back into her life. She says that she missed Otto but not Gabbo, and in a last farewell she says "I love you" to Otto.
In profound frustration at this, after Mary is gone Gabbo punches Otto in the face, but immediately apologizes and embraces the dummy, weeping. He then storms onto the stage during the finale and loudly rants at the performers. He is forced off the stage and fired from the show. Mary tries to confront Gabbo afterwards, but he only looks at her sadly and walks away. The film ends with workers taking down the letters of "The Great Gabbo" from the marquee as Gabbo looks on. | insanity, romantic, melodrama | train | wikipedia | THE GREAT GABBO (Sono-Art, 1929), directed by James Cruze, adapted from the story "The Rival Dummy" by Ben Hecht, stars famed director and actor Erich Von Stroheim in his talkie debut as an egotistical ventriloquist named Gabbo, or should I say, THE GREAAAT GABBO.
As time passes, Gabbo increases his fame by becoming a featured headliner in the Manhattan Revue where Mary now performs as a singer and dancer along with her new partner named Frank (Donald Douglas).
In spite that he is more conceited than ever, Gabbo decides he wants Mary back with him, but something happens that will cause Gabbo to go completely insane in a dramatic climax that disrupts the show.Aside from long stretches of dialog and no underscoring, a common practice in early talkies, "The Great Gabbo," though not considered a musical, has its share of production numbers.
What makes this 1929 movie stand out among other musicals at that time is that the orchestration during the stage numbers doesn't sound at all like the usual 1920s score but more-so something from the Ziegfeld Follies.
Kusell, unfortunately, does not have the creativity of a Busby Berkeley, for that mainly the girls on stage simply walk back and forth carrying umbrellas, do some dancing and ballet, but there are never any closeups and the camera seldom moves or intercuts, making some of the eight to ten minute production numbers appear to be a little longer than its time length.
The opening credits listing mentions sequences in Multicolor, but the entire movie itself can be seen today only in black and white.The songs (By Paul Titsworth, Lynn Cowan, Don McNamee and King Zany) from the existing film print include: "I'm Laughing" and "The Lollipop Song-Ickey" (both sung by Otto); "Every Now and Then" (sung by Marjorie Kane and Donald Douglas); "I'm in Love With You" (sung by Douglas and Betty Compson); "The New Step" (sung by Kane); "Caught in the Web of Love" (sung by Douglas and Compton/ chorus); "I'm in Love With You" (dance number); and a finale that includes a montage of dance numbers, including the cut number of "The Ga-Ga Bird" which is shown briefly.
Marjorie "Babe" Kane (famous for her role as WC Fields' daughter in the comedy short THE DENTIST in 1932) supplies some comedy, songs and taps.THE GREAT GABBO is Von Stroheim's show all the way, monocle and all, but not the voice that accompanies his dummy, Otto.
One wonders if Rod Serling, host of TV's "The Twilight Zone" of the 1960s, had seen this movie, since there is an episode that I recall that involves a performer obsessed by his dummy and having conversations with it, for which the dummy runs and later ruins his life and career.I last saw THE GREAT GABBO on Cable TV's The Nostalgia Channel in the early 1990s, and it used to be one of the movies shown on Public Television's SPROCKETS back in the early 1980s.
For a best VHS or DVD print with clearer picture and sound quality, with restored opening and exit music (but minus the reported color sequences), the best recommendation is to obtain a copy from the KINO Video Company.
Bizarre in the extreme but a highly entertaining film about a mad ventriloquist and the woman who loves him.Erich von Stroheim makes his talkie debut as the spooky/mad ventriloquist who often speaks through his dummy (Otto) and eventually goes totally mad.
But they meet up again 2 years later when von Stroheim has become a star.We get several scenes about the masochistic relationship between the stars played out against the background of a big New York revue.
There are several terrific 20s songs in this films and one unforgettable production number with Compson and Donald Douglas as a fly and spider and perched on a giant web.The film also boasts the zippy Marjorie Kane who intros "That New Step." Von Stroheim is good and has a surprisingly light accent, but Compson steals the show as the pathetic assistant who can't understand him.
And the final image deserves its place in the Louvre.)Regardless of if you're prepared for this type of experience, one thing is for sure: the amazing performance of Erich von Stroheim will burn itself into your mind forever.
Just like Gabbo, a man divided between two worlds, this film divides itself between Broadway musical and psychological thriller.
This is the best film I've seen in a long time, and the only reason why I'm rating it an 8 instead of a 10 is that, sadly, the original colour scenes were lost, and some of the scenes are in need of restoration on my DVD copy.
Clunky solid gramophone sound and some sensational Ziegfeld stage numbers make this early talkie musical drama a real treat for viewers forgiving of 1929 movies.
Vile schizophrenic ventriloquist brute, Von Stroheim, with his very creepy dummy (like the terrifying one in the DEAD OF NIGHT sequence with Michael Redgrave) seem somehow to be the toast of the stage.
Other comments on this site will tell you the story and some criticize it's 1929 limits, but really THE GREAT GABBO is an excellent film of its day that rightly and clearly shows the force of Von Stroheim and the expert stage and screen dance entertainment popular in the 20s in the Ziegfeld sequences seemingly filmed right in front of a real stage.
THE GREAT GABBO is a major find for students of 20s art deco, early talkie technology and very strong and effective acting.
All that notwithstanding, the lead role of Gabbo, a man who lives to be successful no matter what it takes, who is willing to forsake personal happiness to achieve, who runs the scope of emotions in minutes, is played with gusto by that wonderful actor(and even greater director) Erich Von Stroheim.
Von Stroheim uses all his European charm(and decadence) as the man who shares life and lives with and through his dummy Otto.
Meet the self-absorbed individualist Gabbo who never acknowledges others who help him gain fame, his ventriloquist dummy Otto, and his stage partner Mary.We soon realize that Gabbo has very superstitious religious beliefs.
Few people would dare be as direct today.The sad thing about communism's failure is that without community all we have left is individualists who, like Gabbo, are only self-absorbed and care nothing for their neighbor, nor acknowledge supportive people.This film is a treasure that should be studied over and over.
There are so many messages you simply can not absorb them in one viewing.Watch for Otto's "I'm laughing" song sequence, it is a precursor to Bobby McFerrin's "Don't worry, Be Happy." An interesting comparison is with this film's theater community and with the community environment of Los Angeles in the modern movie "Crash." How are they the same?
Though I agree with previous reviewers' comments about the good performances turned in by Erich Von Stroheim and Betty Compson, I thought the movie was disappointing overall.
Unfortunately, as a previous reviewer said, these scenes are not as creatively done as those by Busby Berkeley; the choreography is often unappealing, and the dancers don't look very well-rehearsed, though there are some bright spots.Interestingly, the contemporary "Variety" review mentioned a color sequence in the film, which was not present on the Video Yesteryear VHS copy I watched.
So it is for the Great Gabbo.Sound is coming and there are going to be actors that cannot cope with the new form of communication.
It crosses a horror story about a mad ventriloquist with an early-talkie musical revue.
Erich Von Stroheim chews up the scenery as he takes his lady-love (Betty Compson) for granted while interacting primarily with Otto, his wooden dummy.
Betty Compson does a good job as Mary, the lady-love of Gabbos' who finds happiness with another.
Most people who like this film dislike the many musical numbers included.
One of Monogram's 1933 films, "The Girl From Calgary", would interpolate dance footage from "The Great Gabbo", underscored by some different music.
Erich von Stroheim stars as a malevolent ventriloquist in "The Great Gabbo", and one can certainly draw parallels between his once auspicious directorial career and the fate of Gabbo.
Additionally, there's the other plot of a woman who easily makes it on Broadway as singer and dancer, with all the generic backstage drama of the early movie musicals.
Anyhow, the drama and musical plots are horrendous and made worse together.Most of the early talkie backstage musicals (including this one) are awful--creaky, lacking inspired film-making, lousy musical numbers, bad acting and insipid, hackneyed story-lines.
This type of picture isn't supposed to be dramatic; or, this type of drama doesn't work as a musical.Stroheim plays his typical tragic man-you-love-to-hate character, but it's out of place--and probably wouldn't have made a decent film alone.
The Great Gabbo was made as a musical and altho some of the musical numbers and songs are not as good as those in other films of its time, they are interesting and enjoyable to see and hear, at least for some of us lovers of the popular music of the 1920s (and 30s)..
Great Gabbo, The (1929) ** (out of 4)Early talkie has Erich von Stroheim playing Gabbo, a ventriloquist who breaks free from his assistant and then finds huge success on his own with his dummy Otto.
Then, for some unknown reason, the final thirty-minutes pretty much gets away from the Gabbo story and we get some incredibly long music numbers but more on them in a bit.
The best thing about the movie and the only real reason to watch it is for the performance of von Stroheim who is perfectly wicked in the role.
The film is pretty much doing its own thing when out of no where these dance sequences come up and they'll all incredibly bad, poorly staged and most of the time the voices are so high-pitched that you'll be wishing you were watching a silent.
As The Great Gabbo (Erich von Stroheim), as he sees himself, he's nasty, offensive, and disagreeable.
The part where Mary walks out on The Great Gabbo and the Dummy calls her softly back, to be reprimanded by Gabbo is both heartbreaking and creepy as hell.The film, in general, is entertaining, though I have to say I found the number of musical intermissions too much.
As director and actor Erich Von Stroheim did some very weird films and The Great Gabbo is certainly one of them.
In this Von Stroheim is a star attraction in a Ziegfeld Follies type stage review and he is fixated on Betty Compson who used to be his assistant in his act, but walked out on him because he treated her shabbily.Now she is keeping company with Donald Douglas a young hoofer in the show.
That was interesting and like Glorifying The American Girl, The Great Gabbo is a nice filmed record of what these shows were like on stage.
Although Von Stroheim is always interesting, The Great Gabbo's best value is as a record of the type musical revue so popular back then..
Now Erich Von Stroheim is regarded as one of the all time great directors but back in 1930 he was almost unemployable.
He was then hired to star in "The Great Gabbo" and the film showed audiences what a wonderful character actor he was.
People could see and hear him yelling, preening and huffing - sounding exactly the way he looked!!!Erich Von Stroheim plays Gabbo, a conceited meglomaniac, who has a ventriloquist act that he performs on the vaudeville circuit.
During one performance, his assistant and live-in love Mary (Betty Compson) drops a tray and is forced by Gabbo to find another job.
He has a complete break down and ruins the finale and the ending shows him walking forlornly away with Otto as his name is being taken off the theatre marquee.I think the problem with the musical numbers during the last part was that they didn't seem to be incorporated into the plot.
In fact, in his later career, given a great director (Jean Renoir, Billy Wilder) Von Stroheim was superb as an actor.So he returned to acting, and "The Great Gabbo" was the result.
Anyone turning to "The Great Gabbo" to see the artistry of early talking picture musicals will run screaming from the room.
One is not listening to his tunes to recall them for later humming or singing purposes of one's own.Instead, the dominating force of "The Great Gabbo" is the masterful, high strung, egomaniac Von Stroheim.
But she's found another, and it sends him into a tailspin."The Great Gabbo" saved Von Stroheim.
Erich von Stroheim plays Gabbo the ventriloquist, who tyrannizes his beautiful assistant Marie (Betty Compson) until she leaves him.
This film marked the talkie acting debut of Erich Von Stroheim, a great talent on the verge of a sharp professional decline.
The Great Gabbo was a low budget effort produced at the very dawn of the talking picture era, and it suffers from the common defects of many early talkies: the pacing is leaden, the dialog is clunky, and the performances are stiff and self-conscious.
We have no sympathy for him (sympathy for Erich Von Stroheim is another matter), and the other characters are superficial.It doesn't help much that the filmmakers took advantage of the backstage setting by adding gratuitous musical numbers.
That scene does earn points for sheer weirdness, however.In my opinion the only sequence that works is the last one, and it works not in relation to the movie itself but as a sad metaphor for Erich Von Stroheim's career.
For a moment he's no longer Gabbo, he's Erich Von Stroheim, icon of the silent screen, driven mad by noise.
good and unusual film marred by the musical numbers.
This was a very good film that could have been great had it not been a musical.
But, in 1929 when the movie came out, Hollywood seemed to be producing tons of musicals (so they could show off the new medium of talking pictures) and a lot of stage numbers were used to stretch out the film.
I think showing bits and pieces of the musical numbers or eliminating them altogether would have been a good idea in retrospect.Erich von Stroheim played "Gabbo", the world's greatest but seriously flawed ventriloquist.
The film starts with Gabbo unmercifully berating his companion, Mary, and blaming her for every little flaw in his act.
Either way, it's strange that von Stroheim can eat and drink--all the while Otto talks and talks and even lectures Gabbo!
Plus, for 1929, the sound and picture quality on the new Library of Congress restoration released by Kino Video.PS--As a homage to this film, THE SIMPSONS had an episode where a ventriloquist and his dummy, Gabbo, became a huge hit with the kids and briefly put Krusty out of work..
NOTES: Although Mordaunt Hall accorded The Great Gabbo a rave review in The New York Times, he did not list the movie as one of the Ten Best of the Year.
Anyone who enjoys spectacular stage numbers clothed with scads of dancing chorus girls will soon forgive the somewhat stagey off-stage scenes with Mr. Von Stroheim, Miss Compson (and the voice of Master Grandee).
This movie will probably be enjoyable mainly to those of us interested in the early talkie era of films.
It is not your melodrama set to music that you would typically see in 1929.Gabbo (Erich Von Stroheim) is a ventriloquist, apparently living with his girlfriend Mary (Betty Compson) who also helps him in his act.
Time passes, and Gabbo becomes the star of the Manhattan Revue, a successful Ziegfeld-like Broadway production, and a show in which Mary is also starring as a singer and dancer with her partner and boyfriend, Frank (Donald Douglas).
Gabbo even punches Otto saying it is his fault that Mary has left him.The musical part of the film has some lavish numbers that appear very typical of Ziegfeld's productions, although the famous showman had nothing to do with this movie.
Mary seems to hint at this several times early in the film when she says that the only kind words Gabbo ever said to her came from Otto.
At the end of the film, after Mary makes clear to Gabbo she will never return to him and why, Otto never moves or speaks again.
Erich Von Stroheim was particularly good as Gabbo.
The very autocratic von Stroheim makes Otto Preminger look like a pussy cat, and while many of his later roles lacked in humor while playing very severe brooding older men, here he is actually quite funny.
I don't think that there is anything funny about mental abuse, but the way von Stroheim plays the part, his character is so phony that he makes his dummy look real.
Yes, von Stroheim plays a ventriloquist, although not a very good one.
"Every Now and Then" is actually one of the best numbers of the early sound era, with the chorus girls and boys wearing white in the front and black in the back, and when they turned it gives a very interesting effect.
Betty Compson is a very attractive and personable young lady, and when they are reunited when he headlines a Broadway revue where she is now part of a singing and dancing team, it brings on a break down for him that has to be seen to be believed.Yes, Max from "Sunset Boulevard" is acting most melodramatic in an early musical that actually looks pretty expensive considering that it came from one of the Z grade studios of the era, Sono Art World Wide.
Some of the chorus numbers have so many singers and dancers in them there seems barely any room to move on stage, but these early movie musicals we're certainly not at all realistic in a Broadway sensibility..
"The Great Gabbo" is an American movie from 1929, so this one is from over 85 years ago and of course it is a black-and-white film still. |
tt1641385 | 96 Minutes | The film is set against 96 minutes in one night. The events of the night unfold in real time and the film intercuts the beginning and the end of that day. It follows four separate stories and the seemingly innocuous decisions that lead them towards a terrifying and life changing conclusion.
At first we see the four main characters: Karley, Lena, Kevin and Dre begin their day. Lena wakes up next to her boyfriend and they have a brief conversation about where he is going and what he will be doing for the day. From the tone of their conversation it appears that Lena does not trust her boyfriend. After a few minutes he leaves and Lena, left alone in the room decides to check his cell phone. She spots a text from another girl and in a fit of anger throws the phone against a wall.
Next we are introduced to Dre and Kevin. Dre is in a classroom where he receives a test back from his teacher. Dre has received a passing grade and his teacher informs him that he can now graduate. Kevin is shown to be a troubled 16-year-old with anger issues. It is shown that he is a product of an abusive home and these episodes of violence have led to Kevin becoming aggressive. Seeking an out, he attempts to join a gang in his local neighborhood. However, the leader JJ, declines his request. JJ offers him membership on the condition that he steals his "daddy's" car. This infuriates Kevin as he does not consider his "daddy" as his father.
The film moves to Karley who is on the phone with her father who she is trying to convince to come to her graduation. The audience only hears one side of the conversation and from Karley's reaction it seems that her father has a meeting in Tokyo that conflicts with her graduation. She attempts to tell her father that she will only graduate once and that it would be important for her if he attended. There is a brief mention of Karley attending law school in the future but her father is unable to make her graduation and when the call ends Karley is seen to be upset at the outcome.
Lena comes to the school and sees her boyfriend hanging out with another girl and quickly leaves and goes to her car. She is so distraught that she shifts her car in to "drive" instead of "reverse" which leads to her hitting a tree right in front of her. Her friend comes out and comforts her, they make plans to have a "girls night out". The time shifts to the present where Kevin and Dre are driving in a stolen car with Lena and Karley held against their will in the back of the car. It's clear that Lena has been injured and Karley pleads with her captors to take Lena to the hospital as she is losing a lot of blood. Kevin responds with hostility to the suggestion and telling Dre that they should let Lena die. Dre for his part is visibly upset at Kevin and blames him for shooting Lena. Kevin in turn attempts to blame his actions on Lena. He turns on gangster rap style music which Dre in turn switches of. Dre goes on to tell Kevin that he is an idiot for escalating the situation.
Karley spots an opportunity for escape and using Lena's blood writes the word help on the car's window. Kevin spots her attempts and scolds Karley. Dre stops the car at a gas station so they can grab some food. Kevin gets angered by a stray comment from the shopkeeper ("cool down my son") and shoots the man dead.
The film flashes back to how Kevin and Dre got the car. The two men spot Karley and Lena chatting with each other in the alley where Karley's car is parked. Kevin thinks that by stealing a car he will be allowed join JJ's gang. He attacks Karley and Lena in order to steal Karley's car. When Lena fights back, Kevin panickedly shoots her. Dre and Kevin steal the car and force the two girls into the back. The film returns to the present where Dre stops the car in a tunnel and gets out. He considers executing both Karley and Lena but decides against it. But as Dre diverts his attention, Karley attempts to escape only to be shot by Kevin. Kevin and Dre get back in the car and drive off, leaving Karley and Lena for dead.
Karley, wounded, manages to get to a main road, where she is spotted and admitted to hospital. It is shown that it has been about 96 minutes from the time they left the restaurant. While Karley is rescued, Lena is left behind and dies alone in the tunnel.
The film shows that a few days later Dre was arrested while Kevin committed suicide. Karley visits the jail to talk with Dre and as their meeting ends, she decides that she cannot forgive him for his involvement. | flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0034240 | Sullivan's Travels | John L. Sullivan (Joel McCrea) is a popular young Hollywood director of profitable but shallow comedies (e.g. Ants in Your Plants). Sullivan is dissatisfied despite his success and tells his studio boss, Mr. Lebrand (Robert Warwick) that he wants his next project to be a serious exploration of the plight of the downtrodden. He asks to make his next film an adaptation of O Brother, Where Art Thou?, a socially conscious novel. Lebrand wants him to direct another lucrative comedy instead, but the idealistic Sullivan refuses to give in. He wants to "know trouble" first hand, and plans to travel as a tramp so he can return and make a film that truly depicts the sorrows of humanity. His butler (Robert Greig) and valet (Eric Blore) openly question the wisdom of his plan.
Sullivan dresses as a penniless hobo and takes to the road, followed by a fully staffed double-decker coach at Lebrand's request. Neither party is happy with the arrangement; and Sullivan eventually persuades his guardians to leave him alone and arranges to rendezvous with them in Las Vegas later. However, when he hitchhikes alone, he finds himself back in Los Angeles where he started.
There he meets a young failed actress (Veronica Lake, identified only as "The Girl") who is just about to quit the business and go home. She believes he is truly a tramp, and buys him a breakfast of eggs and ham. In return for her kindness, Sullivan retrieves his car from his estate and gives her a lift. He neglects to tell his servants that he has returned; so they report the "theft" of the car and Sullivan and the Girl are apprehended by the police. Upon their release, the Girl pushes him into his enormous swimming pool for deceiving her about his true identity. However, after considering her options, she becomes his traveling companion.
This time Sullivan succeeds in living like a hobo. After eating in soup kitchens and sleeping in homeless shelters with the Girl, Sullivan finally decides he has had enough. His experiment is publicized by the studio as a huge success. The Girl wants to stay with him, but is stymied by his complicated living situation. On the advice of his business manager, Sullivan had gotten married to reduce his income tax. Ironically, he discovers that his wife cost him double what he saved in taxes.
Sullivan decides to thank the homeless by handing out $5 bills, but one man, who had previously stolen his shoes, ambushes Sullivan and steals the money. Sullivan is knocked unconscious and thrown onto a boxcar leaving the city. The thief drops the loose cash on the rails, getting run over and killed by another train while picking it up. When the thief's body is found, they discover a special identification card in his shoes identifying him as Sullivan. The mangled body is assumed to be Sullivan's, and his staff and the Girl are informed of his death.
Meanwhile, Sullivan wakes up in the rail yard of another city, with no memory of who he is or how he got there. In his confused state, he assaults the railroad worker who finds him, for which he is sentenced to six years in a labor camp. Sullivan slowly regains his memory. While in the labor camp, Sullivan attends a showing of Walt Disney's Playful Pluto cartoon. Looking at the pure joy in the audience's faces, Sullivan realizes that comedy can do more good for the poor than his proposed social drama, O Brother, Where Art Thou?.
But Sullivan still has a problem – he cannot convince anybody that he is Sullivan. Finally, he comes up with a solution: he confesses to being his own killer. When his picture makes the front page of the newspapers, the Girl recognizes him and gets him released. His "widow" had already taken up with his crooked business manager, so he can now divorce her and be reunited with the Girl. A montage of happily laughing faces ends the film. | comedy, satire, depressing | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0171768 | Sometimes They Come Back... for More | The U.S. military has a secret illegal mining operation in Antarctica. When one of the personnel stationed at the base goes on a rampage, two military operatives, Capt. Sam Cage (Clayton Rohner) and Maj. Callie O'Grady (Chase Masterson) drop in to search the base. They discover two survivors, medical officer Capt. Jennifer Wells (Faith Ford) and technical officer Lieut. Brian Shebanski (Max Perlich). The base radio is mysteriously smashed.
Going into the mining area of the base, Capt. Cage sees what appears to be another survivor and starts a chase through the corridors, taking an elevator to the second floor. When Maj. O'Grady collapses because of the gases in the mine he takes her to an elevator, only to discover they are actually on the fourth floor. Back in the main compound they discover that a body they had found in the snow has now moved and is gone. They find dead and dying personnel, and a book about conjuring the Devil. More bodies disappear when nobody's looking, and reappear later as lurching menaces. Soon Jennifer and Sam find themselves the only ones still alive, fighting the undead and their diabolical master. | murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0378661 | Les revenants | The recently deceased of an anonymous French town suddenly return to life, calmly streaming forth from a cemetery in a silent procession. The town council, led by the mayor (Victor Garrivier), makes plans to house the returned and help reintroduce them to society. The mayor informs the council that the event has lasted for roughly two hours throughout France, returning an estimated 70 million people to life nation-wide, with more than 13,000 in their town alone, all of whom had died within the previous 10 years.
However, the reintegration poses challenges. The returned suffer from effects similar to those that may be seen after severe concussion, such as disorientation, sleep disturbance, and wandering. Former professionals among the returned are moved to menial jobs when it becomes clear that, although they can perform rote tasks, they can no longer engage in spontaneous problem solving or planning, and that even their apparent consciousness may be an illusion. This behaviour adds to the growing sentiment that the returned are different from their former selves. However, while the returned generally function sluggishly during the day, a doctor named Gardet (Frédéric Pierrot) has become suspicious of the returned after observing some of them clandestinely attending animated meetings, conducted in the middle of the night, during which their symptoms seem to disappear.
Nonetheless, the returned reunite with their former loved ones: the mayor's wife, Martha (Catherine Samie), with the mayor; a 6-year-old boy, Sylvain (Saady Delas), with his parents, Isham (Djemel Barek) and Véronique (Marie Matheron); a young man, Mathieu (Jonathan Zaccaï), with his wife, Rachel (Géraldine Pailhas). Rachel is initially reluctant to see Mathieu, until one day he follows her home, acting as though he never left. Rachel eventually accepts him, and the two make love. In addition to the nocturnal meetings of the returned, Gardet also observes the gradual reunion of Rachel and Mathieu with growing concern, but when he tries to warn her of possible danger, Rachel rebuffs him.
One evening a series of explosions tears through the town, apparently detonated by the returned in an act of mass sabotage but without inflicting any casualties. In the chaos, the returned head for a network of underground tunnels. The mayor attempts to stop his wife from leaving with the rest but begins to feel ill and, after Martha urges him to "give in", apparently dies, only to appear later in the tunnels among the returned. The military responds by gassing the returned with a chemical that induces a permanent coma.
After guiding some of the returned to the tunnels, Mathieu makes his way back to Rachel, and recounts to her the events leading to his fatal car accident. He reveals that he crashed the car while looking for her after the two had fought. Rachel follows him into the tunnels, tearfully kissing him before he disappears into the darkness. She returns to the surface and observes the military carting away the comatose bodies. The bodies are laid atop their graves in the cemetery and slowly vanish. | flashback | train | wikipedia | If the purpose of film is to generate thought and reflection as much as to entertain, 'Les Revenants' succeeds by virtue of it's creepy essence and the personal and social problems we'd encounter as individuals if faced with the reality of having our dead loved ones come back to us.
The misty night scenes, serene almost drugged manner with which the dead carry themselves and the evolution of divided feelings regarding their return by the living give the film an ethereal pace which may disappoint flesh hungry zombie fans..
Forget those flesh-eating zombie movies, how much more scary would be for the world if the dead rose and wanted their old lives back!.
Well, anyone who's been to a 'zombie' movie knows that nothing good can come from bringing the dead back to life, but director Robin Campillo presents a more interesting dilemma.
How would a society accommodate and re-integrate their loved ones and relatives if they suddenly came walking out of the cemetery with clean clothes, no illnesses, and energy to spare.What director Campillo has done is replaced 'scary' with 'eerie' as a local government struggles to shelter and re-located hundreds of the town's former inhabitants.
In addition, the town's mayor must decide whether people can return to their old jobs, their old lives, or whether they should be studied to determine how all this came about.Film takes a very matter-of-fact approach to sifting through a population influx, much like having a large group of refugees arrive in your town.
The local scientists do make some early discoveries involving reduced sleep patterns, lower body, temperature, and how these 'arrivals' may only be acting normal as memory response.If you enjoyed last year's "Time Out" (which Campillo co-wrote), then you'll also appreciate this spooky, but 'non-flesh eating', dead people coming back to life cinema experience.
Oh, and both movies are populated with previously dead people, of course."Solaris" and "Les Revenants" pose similar questions as well: Are we dealing with actual "returnees," or are we simply struggling with the very palpable memories of those who have passed on?
The film doesn't offer up any easy answers either as we see the crypt-dwellers attempting to return to their lives in the little French village as if things were...just fine.And regarding the lack of answers, we also never find out what it was like to actually be dead either.
The newly returned dead are enigmas to their living relations and the audience both.I felt somewhat let down by the ending, but not as much as I would have thought if I'd known the plot of the movie beforehand.
Although some things in the movie (mostly plot elements) were not resolved to my satisfaction, I did feel like the character development was complete by the end.
In this particular return of the repressed, being forced to mull over the tedious, bureaucratic details of what would have to happen if hundreds of millions of dead people suddenly reappeared in our midst actually serves to engage the viewer in a very personal way.
The whole time I was watching I kept thinking: "Thank god for the French!" Such a movie could simply never arise from Hollywood..
In a surviving work of their literature, deciphered from a baked clay tablet, we learn that their goddess of love, named Inanna (who was called Ishtar by the later Babylonians), threatened to go down to the Underworld and smash the doors, saying: 'And all the dead will get out, and they will outnumber the living.' This ancient fear of our species, explicitly documented circa 2500 BC but really extending throughout the entire history of mankind, is explored in this strange and eerie French film, which has now inspired a popular French television series of the same original title and theme.
This film is entitled in French LES REVENANTS, which means THE RETURNED, and that is the title used now on the DVD release with English subtitles, though the cinema release with subtitles a few years ago was as THEY CAME BACK, a title which has now been abandoned, so that the continuity may be clear to purchasers that this is the basis of the TV series, which is making a hit.
Nor are they comical, in the hysterically funny mode of SHAUN OF THE DEAD with Simon Pegg (2004, see my review), which by strange coincidence came out in the same year as this film, for this film portrays zombies very seriously and thoughtfully, and is as far from being a comedy as you can get.
One day, without explanation, large numbers of recently dead people are seen walking from the cemetery back into a provincial French town.
We are told that millions of 'returned dead' have appeared all over France, and some satire creeps into the film here, because meetings are held in which various politically correct people insist that the human rights of these dead people must be respected, they must all have their old jobs back, and their pensions must be reinstated.
They are distant, and the living humans are made very uncomfortable by their presence, so that many people refuse to see the returned dead whom they had once loved.
After I realized this movie is not a horror or a trash one, just because it has zombies in its plot I thought it has a great creative mind behind the story; however, when the movie ended I felt there was something missing in the story.
The movie does not care much about explaining its core issue that is about the coming of the dead people themselves.
The socio-politic part, "how can we reintegrate thousands of ex-dead people back to normal life", is just a small part of the movie.Why is Les Revenants so good?
I found it to be a very good, eerie, sometimes creepy, but certainly emotionally disturbing film.Okay, if you expected to see flesh-ripping granny's who leave their denture sets in bloodied victims, you might get disappointed.
This certainly is not a horror/action movie.One of Ray Bradbury's MARTIAN CHRONICLES told about one of the first earth expeditions on Mars, where they found a small town just like home, in the USA.
I liked this film, but potential genre viewers beware, this is a subtitled French film, but since I enjoy both horror films and art house movies I had little problem with its leisurely pacing.
There is something of a J.G. Ballard-like feel of dislocation to the urban surroundings that matches the inability of the returned dead to fit in with the lives of their previously grieving loved ones.
Similarly, as in the short story The Monkey's Paw, it is perhaps better not to have your loved ones return from the dead because they may not be quite as you'd like them to be.It's a fascinating premise and goes to show how the zombie genre can be tweaked in to interesting new shapes.
Once the film has opened and we see the dead streaming into the town, and the town council discussing how it will be handled, all of the intriguing bits have occurred.The movie is devoid of life, including the living characters.
The music was pretty decent, and could have contributed to the atmosphere if the movie was actually interesting, but unfortunately there was nothing good for it to contribute to.This managed to be a poster child for the worst stereotypes of french films- boring and pretentious.I can't really summarize the end without giving spoilers, but what I will say is that the end of the film provided no resolution, no revelations, and nothing interesting.I recommend watching this if you're experiencing a bad case of insomnia- it would probably be more effective than sleeping pills..
Geraldine Pailhas confesses it on the making-of: " If I live this situation for real, I would laugh, cry, speak, stay silent, be happy & be terrified, but HERE, the director wanted no feelings".So, as I said in another review, sometimes the dead should never come back !!!!.
The movie is meant to be painfully and excruciatingly slow, for it to bring forth its philosophy about life and death, and its abstract ideas about existentialism.The big question presented, though it is hardly ever gonna come true anyway, is how will society react if the dead suddenly became alive again?
The movie begins with stoned elderly folks walking, and walking, and walking some more when the opening credits rolled, until it is said that the dead are walking the earth, and are quickly scrambled to makeshift holding areas while awaiting the relatives to come claim them, and for everyone else to try and make sense of this phenomenon.Perhaps Heaven is getting crowded, or Hell has frozen over, that the departed need to return to the land of the living.
The barrage of statistics -- everyone who died in the past 15 years, X% are this old, Y% that old, Z% have jobs to return to, W% walk nine miles each day, V% of their language is U% comprehensible often seems to apply just to the town, but more likely, given the level of the misguided science, is general.
Probably the writers deemed more deaths inconvenient, or did the normal folk's lives freeze even to the suspension of accidental, deliberate, and health-related death until order returned?If revenants emerge worldwide, then a key touch point film is Kiyoshi Kurosawa's Kairo.
Sadly, this was one of the worst 2 hours I've ever spent.The movie kept asking questions, (maybe most importantly) like "Why did the dead return?" Not a single question was answered!!!!
It's too willing to overlook so many obvious questions while determined to doggedly 'probe' a set of issues that oddly don't seem very pressing, to wit, "what would we do if dead people came back to life, wouldn't eat our flesh but couldn't work either, were boring to be around, and wished they were dead?" Duh!
I think she'd like it.PS: 'Grapes of Death,' which sounds like a title a francophobe humorist would come up with but is a real French zombie pic, is also available for your 'enjoyment.' Definitely more blood-n-gore, somewhat less philosophical (but only somewhat), but still a b-movie that is neither good enough nor bad enough to be good..
Débutant director Robin Campillo makes a pleasant film about the status of dead people in a living society !!!!.
Can the community and the dead reconvene properly or will the oddity of the situation and the difficulty in dealing with it be too much for the living?While certainly more of a fantasy/sci-fi (like a more serious Cocoon, for example), Les Revenants offers some truly chilling and frightening moments, and treats us to a more psychological fear than a visual one.
The thought of all of our recently deceased loved ones returning from the grave, while seeming like a pleasant idea at first, still chills me to the core.
The bewildered townspeople are told that they can visit their loved ones, but are not forced to take them back: it is understood that an enormous personal and emotional adjustment will have to be made, and that in some cases it may be impossible.Slowly, the dead return into the community.
Débutant director Robin Campillo has made a pleasant film about the status of dead people in a living society.
Everybody knows that unusual ideas are always welcomed in cinema.This is an observation which holds for French director Robin Campillo's film "Les Revenants"/"They came back".This is a socially relevant French film about old people who are given a new lease of life.Although this film talks about dead people,it cannot be classified as a zombie film.
Everybody knows that unusual ideas are always welcomed in cinema.This is an observation which holds for French director Robin Campillo's film "Les Revenants"/"They came back".This is a socially relevant French film about old people who are given a new lease of life.Although this film talks about dead people,it cannot be classified as a zombie film.
This is why "Les Revenants" is more a film about French society and its handling of issues related to old people's welfare and well being.Film director Robin Campillo and his screenwriter Brigitte Tijou have written a gripping scenario which continually asks what is to be done with dead people who have come to live with living people.This exceptionally sound narrative gives rise to a series of poignant observations about old people and their behavioral traits with surprisingly uncommon results.PS :Film critic Lalit Rao would like to thank a good friend Mr.Philippe Pham for having gifted a DVD of this film for detailed analysis..
This is why "Les Revenants" is more a film about French society and its handling of issues related to old people's welfare and well being.Film director Robin Campillo and his screenwriter Brigitte Tijou have written a gripping scenario which continually asks what is to be done with dead people who have come to live with living people.This exceptionally sound narrative gives rise to a series of poignant observations about old people and their behavioral traits with surprisingly uncommon results.PS :Film critic Lalit Rao would like to thank a good friend Mr.Philippe Pham for having gifted a DVD of this film for detailed analysis..
I think the point is to show the emotional impact of people you know returning from the dead.
It was the first time a director had tackled the "living dead" subject in a realistic way,without falling into the routine of the fantasy and horror treatment.One has never got the feeling of watching another "night of the living dead" rip off.The problem of this ambitious movie is that it is too ambitious.Instead of focusing on ONE character ,it tries to tell us the story of several characters who rose from the dead and the treatment is too superficial and too diffuse to involve us.Who ,after all ,has never dreamed he meets again one of his faithful departed alive as you or me?I had never asked myself this question when I saw all those story like movies involving people risen from the dead.The writers often boils down such an extraordinary thing to problems of employment or of temperature (about 32°C,if we believe them).Absorbing subject but the movie is not up to scratch.Too bad.Worth a look ,if only for its originality..
The film focuses on a French town and how the authorities work to integrate the "returners," most of whom are elderly, back into society.
All over the world, but in this film a small french town, the people who died over the last 10 years come back.
There's not much happening in terms of events and virtually no pay-offs watching this semblance of a story so very slowly unfold, either for the small things or the big overall mystery.Just so we're clear, this is nothing at all like Shaun of the Dead; this is a serious artsy drama, void of special effects, with a great concept (returning dead that are not zombies) that is totally and shamefully wasted.
To finish, all the big questions you think living people would ask their formerly defunct loved ones?
Some will claim an artistic charm that you or I are to dumb to appreciate, others will protest the film provides in insightful glimpse into the boundaries of the living and their recently dead relatives.
This film lacks the most basic of plots, reason, interest, debate or conversation.The living are more void of life than the dead.
Nothing.I implore you readers to spend the time you considered using to watch this film on something more interesting and productive and thought provoking doing something like boiling an egg.Please your sanity depends on it..
It's difficult to describe, but I'll try to, without giving away anything!This is a drama, about people that were dead coming back to "life" ...
That said, it was an interesting movie conceptually.As you well know, the dead returning in movies is nothing new.
In fact, in the town in this film, 13,000 returned from the dead.But, you will be disappointed in the fact that there is no blood or gore, no eating of brains.
This is just what the French do best - give us a film that makes us think for 103 minutes.Yes, they have come back, but they marched peacefully into town.
Actually, rather than a mystery movie it's more a philosophical approach towards the question of mortality and the emotional bonds people still hold strong to their deceased loved ones.
Like all fiction, it raises a big "What if?", this time even bigger than usual: What if the dead returned to live among us as if nothing - well, almost nothing, that is - happened?
We picked this movie because my mate likes zombie movies and we recently enjoyed Shaun of the Dead.Well, I certainly can't tell if I liked Les Revenants or not.
What if the dead returned to life and walked right out of the local cemetery?
I rented this movie expecting an "avant-zombie" film, and ended up with a healthy dose of philosophical inquiry.
The premise is the return of thousands of newly dead residents to a small French town, and the logistical problems involved with having to make room for them.
As the film approaches its end, those living members who have welcomed their dead relatives back are left empty and confused.
It's an interesting idea, and the movie starts off well enough, looking at how a town copes with the return of all of these people.
I don't want to give anything away, and I'll try not to spoil this, but I will say this movie goes more into the emotional aspect of the "what if" scenario the dead do come back to life.
Les Revenantes (They Came Back) is an artsy French film in which they, the recently deceased, come back.
Recently in this film spans ten years and 75% of the dead are over 60.
Mysteriously, the recent dead return and attempt to rejoin the living. |
tt0465316 | Afro Samurai | In a feudal yet futuristic Japan, it is said that the one who wields the Number 1 headband is the fiercest fighter in the world and shall possess god-like powers. The only way to obtain the Number 1 headband is to challenge and defeat the current wearer in combat. However, only the Number 2 can challenge the Number 1 whereas anyone can challenge the Number 2. Thus, whoever wears the Number 2 headband risks constant attack. The Number 2 headband's current owner Justice fights and kills Rokutaro, Afro's father and owner of the Number 1 headband. Afro Samurai witnesses the fight and vows revenge against Justice who tells him to seek him out when he is "ready to face a god."
Years later, Afro is the Number 2 master swordsman. He kills the Empty Seven Clan and various assassins, recalls his past memory, and goes to Mount Shumi. He also confronts his vengeful childhood friend Jinno. Afro discovers that there are other headbands in existence, ranging to an unspecified higher number and sees that the corpses of those who wore them are skewered throughout Justice's safe house. Afro kills Justice and takes the Number 1 headband, and all of the headbands disappear. Afro returns and lives in the mountains to confront Jinno, who is adorned with every headband in existence and seeking revenge. The final scene shows that Justice has returned from the dead.
However, the story changes in Afro Samurai: Resurrection, when Jinno takes Rokutaro's corpse, while Jinno's sister Sio takes the Number 1 headband and asks Afro to find the Number 2. After taking the headband from Shichigoro, Afro confronts the resurrected Rokutaro, who kills Jinno and Sio. Afro defeats Rokutaro, gives the Number 2 headband to Kotaro and continues to wear the Number 1. | revenge, psychedelic, violence, flashback | train | wikipedia | Well kids, i'm going to defend this show, because there's a lot too it you guys are missing out on.Afro Samurai is the new anime produced by and starring Mr. Samuel L.
Jackson, as well as high end voice talent like Phil LaMarr of Samurai Jack fame, and Ron Perlman, the man who is and will always be Hellboy.Like the great works of Shinichiro Watanabe, this work employs heavily the influence of western culture, specifically black western culture, which i suppose makes sense considering our stoic protagonist.
theaters in the 70's that would carry Exploitation and Blaxploitation films also carried many Kung Fu and Samurai films, so when 70's funk culture evolved into hip hop culture, it wasn't so shocking that the children who idolized Sweet Sweetback, also pulled influence from Yojimbo and Zoatichi, in fact, one of those children of influence even did the score for Afro Samurai - The RZA of The Wu Tang Clan, a seminal rap group that not only incorporated samurai and kung fu films into their lyrics, but into the music itself as well.Okay, History lesson over, the reason i wanted to make you read all that is so that you have a better idea of where Afro Samurai is coming from, it is, for all intents and purposes, the coming together of cultures that are not, and have never been so far apart as you may think.
Anime is very much like our version of the Exploitation genre of yesteryear, it's very underground, but still holds popularity and knowledge in the mainstream, it's filled with shitty crap, but the good stuff is worth watching, and it has it's own very unique style that has influenced generations of artists who've been exposed to it.
Anime has a long history of taking from western culture and vice-versa, i like to think of Afro Samurai less as a corny bloodbath, and more a celebration of the corny bloodbaths we all know and love.
i love Afro Samurai because it's not trying to deny all the things we hate to love, blood, gore, revenge, and i'm not saying that to be nihilistic or cynical.
Can you dig it?This is what you get when you mix Japanese samurai flicks, ultra-savvy blaxploitation attitude, future-tense technology, and hip-hop into one energetic camp hybrid that takes NO prisoners.The pseudo-Anime' "Afro Samurai" is set in a futuristic feudal Japan, in which all the swordsmen in the world are in a murderous pursuit of the #1 Headband, which once obtained, would allow its wearer to call himself a god and master of all that he surveys.
Undergoing conventional samurai training by a renowned master, young Afro grows up, receives the #2 Headband, sets out on his mission of revenge and attempts to obtain the #1 Headband, cutting down every single man who challenges him.
Bearing witness to it all is Afro's loyal sidekick and only friend, Ninja Ninja (also voiced by Jackson), who provides much of the show's comic relief.In many ways, at least to me, "Afro Samurai" was a long time coming.
As a longtime fan of Japanese animation and Manga (Japanese comics), "Afro Samurai" cut and slashed its way into my heart from its earliest moments when Afro's father is challenged and defeated by the maniacal Justice.
I've waited a long time for something to come along that fused hip-hop and Japanese animation into a relentless action feast and when it finally came along, I was not the slightest bit displeased.
The animated show "The Boondocks" is another example of this Anime'/hip-hop trend done right.But first and foremost, "Afro Samurai" is only concerned with one thing: style over substance, that means excessive sword-play and violence over anything even remotely resembling a discernible plot.
The brain-child of creator Takashi Okazaki, director Fuminori Kizaki and co-writers Tomohiro Yamashita and Yasuyuki Muto, "Afro Samurai" lets the blood flow (but really, more like spray) in fountains and geysers.
The blood flows in copious amounts in the various martial arts sword-fighting sequences, which are excellently and stylishly executed much like Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill" movies or your favorite samurai blood-letters.
In fact, if you look deeper, his comic foil Ninja Ninja could also be considered Afro's wild, fun-loving, and talkative alter-ego (since there were a few times when I felt Ninja Ninja wasn't even real)."Afro Samurai" also has one of the most memorable casts of bad guys ever assembled for animation outside of Japan.
(It's hard to believe this is the same man who once played the Bible-quoting hit-man Jules Winnfield in 1994's "Pulp Fiction.")With "Afro Samurai," an Anime' fan gets something that he's always wanted and more: a piece of animation that blends so many distant genres and fuses them into one hell of an eye-popping action experience.
Now, if only he can convince his other Anime'- and "Kenshin"-loving friends to watch the one and only dude wit' a head full of hair, "Afro Samurai."10/10.
Afro Samurai started as life as manga before animation studio GONZO adapted the story into a five episode series that premiered online January 1 2007.Like most contemporary anime, Afro Samurai is another exercise in culture jamming, straddling genres as diverse as Blaxploitation, kung-fu cinema, splatter flicks, western and, of course, Japanese animation.
Jackson lends his talents in the voice department, and is also credited as one of the shows producers.The plot revolves around Afro - nicknamed after his hairstyle - a perpetually silent and bloodthirsty master swordsman, whose quest involves exacting bloody revenge on the man who killed his father, and claiming the title of 'Number One'; a warrior whose powers are comparable to those of a god.
A word to the squeamish: Afro Samurai is one of the bloodiest, goriest and most anatomically detailed anime series on the market, so if you've got stomach issues with splatter flicks, avoid this one like syphilis.
If, however, high-definition animated gore-porn is your thing, Afro Samurai will not disappoint.
And seeks for vengeance over his father's death by reclaiming the number 1 title.Afro Samurai is different from the other samurai anime in so many ways.
Seeking to avenge his father's death, the Afro Samurai sets out to kill the #1 fighter in all the land, a man called Justice.
After earning himself the title of #2, which is required for him to be able to challenge Justice, Afro Samurai sets out on his journey to revenge.
His task is a lonely and dark one, but like it or not he has a companion in the constantly b1tching Ninja Ninja.Although it will not be to everyone's taste, Afro Samurai is a perfect example of something being pitched right at the target audience it is intended for.
adult swim is the perfect home for it because it is very much targeted at young males who like their hip hop, Anime and traditions of feudal Japan.
However for target audience the emotional core and the narrative twists will be more than enough to fill the running times of each episode and expand across the season.What the series delivers in spades though is the cool world of the samurai crossed with the violent and stylish world of Anime with a big dollop of urban culture thrown in there too.
The soundtrack compliments it really well because, as other things (eg Boondocks, Wu-Tang etc) have shown, the mix of ninja/samurai (yes, I know they are very different) cultures and modern hip hop seems to be an easy fit.
Generally though all voice work is good because they are matching the style of the series rather than giving performances per se.Overall then, not for everyone's tastes but in targeting its audience it is as ruthlessly efficient as Afro Samurai himself.
Afro Samurai will stay in my collection as a pure guilty pleasure, a black samurai saga that has more than a touch of being made just right for die-hard fans of blood-drenched anime (or, for that matter, members of the Wu-Tang Clan, for which RZA did the music, and is an asset via groovy beats and is an occasional deterrent with rap going on during a big battle).
Jackson mostly voices, Ninja Ninja as the fool of the series, gives some of it, and some of it just comes through the wild ways that the other samurais send out their forms of slaughter to Afro) and rapid stylization, with not just one specific style, though it is mostly indebted to recent ultra-violent anime.
Through first-time director Kizaki and the writers who are also working mostly as their first efforts, experiment with its "ghetto" influence with it looking as much like an exploitation flick from the 70s as much as a sword-revenge story (many of those out for Afro's head could be compared to those out for Grier or Williamson's heads in the classic films).But it's also science fiction to a degree, or at least futuristic in scope, mixing feudal Japan with crafty cyborgs and robots and other technology thrown in (including a robot clone of Afro who mimics his moves but not his subconscious).
It's not anything exactly masterpiece-like, and after a few episodes it does come close to being a little tiresome in seeing Afro, who has little-to-no personality and just a straightforward bad motherf***er attitude, on his quest to achieve something higher than his simple 2-level.
Yet with people like Jackson and Perlman as the voices behind the figures, and in such a distinctive blend of the usual and unusual in the genre, it's worth a look for fans, and maybe even as a curiosity to those who dug Chapter 3 in Kill Bill 1..
And even though I'm not an anime fan, I found lots to appreciate in this mini series of blood and mayhem.The main appeal for me was the combination of blaxploitation culture and samurai swordfighting (chambara).
Samuel Jackson doing the voice-overs for both Afro Samurai (Clint Eastwood style, few words, calm and badass) and his sidekick Ninja Ninja (wisecracking non-stop banter) was another major plus.
The graphics and design tend to be great (especially Afro Samurai's) although they can settle for just good or serviceable at times.
If you wanna get a picture of what Afro Samurai is, think of the animated sequence in Kill Bill vol.
And was amazed by the sound of the title "Afro Samurai" Right then in there i had a vision of this character looking like Jim Kelly from enter the dragon.Needless to say he reminds me of him in some way's.
Like the "Id", the action is excessive and illogically over-the-top: A testament to the limitless potential of animation and the illogical and almost random nature of our basic human instincts.Even the slightly disjointed and simplistic story reflects the properties of the "Id".
As a kid, young Afro watched his dad die at the hands of an evil gunman(played by Ron "Hellboy" Perlman), and vowed to spend the rest of his life training in the samurai way to take down his father's killer and become "Number One." Along the way, he meets old friends, new enemies and host of quirky characters in a stylish world where ancient feudal japan meets post-modern science fiction and fantasy.Clichés also extend to the many characters in this show.
It is like an all new liquor cocktail which uses existing ingredients, but what sets it apart from other cocktails is how everything is mixed together.Special mention goes to Samuel L Jackson who plays both the stoic Afro and his loud mouthed trash talking sidekick, Ninja-ninja.
Honestly if I never looked at the cast list, I would have never thought he voiced those two characters at the same time.Afro Samurai is to this new century what Ninja Scroll was to the 90s: A bloody, violent, fresh, unabashed display of excessiveness that delivers what it promises.
this has its fair share of blood and gore, but the silent macho persona of the main character is becoming a very tired medium to watch, the voice overs are so poor to the extent that i preferred to switch the sound off to mute, and the animation, even though it looked dark and pretty in some cases, for the most part it looked like a dated '80's cartoon.
and if i wanted to watch a relatively average '80's style animated series, i have a good fair share to pick from.
Afro Samurai is the story of a swordsman seeking vengeance for his murdered father.
I strongly disagree with the other comments that state that Afro samurai has a ghetto influence or that the history is simple for those users I just have to say: go and see 50 movies about samurais and read something about them and then come back again and erase such dumb comments, I don't have the time to explain why they are so wrong, great movie interesting personality conflict of the character, good animation, it is respectful of the samurai traditions, the character is well rounded as well as it's counterparts, maybe a little too bloody but well that is part of the style too, also the details in the movie are well taken care of, for me the last fight was too short, and the dialog could be improved at the end with Justice(final enemy), a background of Justice would be interesting too, recommended..
This is one of the greatest anime shows since, "Cowboy Bebop" and "Wolf's Rain".The story is about a ninja named Afro and he seeks to kill his father's killer and claim the Number 1 headband.The animation is great, the action scene's were cool, the story is good, and the voice acting was great.
Jackson does a cool job as Afro and Ninja Ninja, Ron Perlman does a nice and evil job as the villain, Justice, and Kelly Hu does a nice job as Afro's healer, Okiku.Overall, "Afro Samurai" is worth watching whether you're an anime fan or not..
I'm usually no fan of anime's for their poor attempt at stories and usually mountainful of fillers (Useless episodes that have nothing to do but to expand the series.), but Afro Samurai just cuts to the chase.
They needed a spark, something that would help them bring great music back to hip-hop and keep them relevant, and that spark turned out to be
Afro Samurai.This 5-episode anime was perfect for the Wu-Tang, combining rap and a love for martial arts into one, and this is why RZA, my favorite member of the bunch, created this show's soundtrack.
Afro Samurai is about a swordsman who witnessed his father's murder as a young boy and his blood-filled journey to exact revenge on the gunman who killed his dad.
Before I became a fan of the Wu-Tang, before I watched a lot of anime, I checked out Afro Samurai with my little brother a couple of years back on Netflix and saw everything except for the last episode.
Afro Samurai doesn't deserve to be labeled a series; it's a barely above-average 5-episode bloodfest of an OVA with plot holes aplenty that fails to be seen as a serious title.
You could call Afro Samurai overrated but I'm disappointed because I expected something better from an anime associated with the Wu-Tang Clan..
An extremely powerful samurai with an afro, hell bent on revenge, accompanied by a companion voiced by Samuel L Jackson himself, what's not to like.
Soundtrack is pretty good too, hip hop and whatnot, reminded me of Samurai Champloo.Samuel L Jackson voice acting was the best, typical nigga style with lots of humor.
Afro Samurai is a TV mini series that is as cliché as it can possibly get when it comes to a tale about revenge.
The best thing was the animation it was slick and sharp (though Afro looks 30 when he's supposed to be in his teens)and is why i gave it a 6.The story is basically his father is killed by a man called "Justice", this leads him on a journey of vengeance.
Every episode is him confronting someone and killing them in a gruesome way, there are no major twists in this series only a blatantly obvious one which you will be able to guess when you see it.The character of Ninja Ninja (Afro's sidekick) has been classed as annoying i personally found him refreshing it was change to a flash of blood.
Afro Samurai is not a new (filmed in 2007) but it's a new style of Japanese animation in a sense that Japanese and the US collaborative film and the screenplay is English.
Jackson or Phil LaMarr joined the film as voice actors and the hip-hop music is used, and the touch of animation is very stylish and aesthetic which is trying to attract them.
I was a bit hesitant to watch this because well it did sound a touch odd in the end I was more then pleasantly surprised.Afro - Samurai is a tale of revenge, responsibility and choices made.The titular hero ( oddly enough called Afro ) is a stoic one man army killing machine who is on his way to hunt down Justice.
If you can't stand blood or gore please don't watch.If you do own the Director's Cut or Murder Sessions then you will know that a lot of effort went into this anime.
I guess I should share my opinion on the rest of the movie.Afro Samurai was above all one of the greatest anime movie I've seen, excluding the ending of course.
It was a hip hop style anime movie chock-full of Romance, Action, Violence, Drama, and suspense.
I heard bunch of things about Afro Samurai before watching and also RZA factor was the major reason to found A.S. interesting.
The story was so superficial that it looks like they suddenly found an idea and started drawing without thinking about the plot.Headband didn't amaze me from the first episode to the end(and also in the Resurrection).
Afro samurai was one of the better anime films I've watched.
This is a revenge series set to a hip-hop soundtrack.Afro, as a young boy, sees his father slain by his fathers best friend. |
tt0118643 | The Prophecy II | Lucifer (Guri Weinberg) ejects Gabriel from Hell, claiming the War of Heaven isn't his to fight and Hell isn't big enough for Gabriel and he. Gabriel's new mission is to prevent the birth of a child, a nephilim, the offspring of an angel and a human. The coming of this child, said to precede reconciliation between the warring factions in heaven, has been prophesied by Thomas Daggett, now a monk. The child's conception takes place when Valerie, a nurse, is seduced by an attractive stranger (the angel Danyael) whom she hit with her car. She finds a few days later that she is pregnant.
Gabriel attempts to find the whereabouts of the child from Daggett, but kills him when he refuses to help. When Danyael kills members of Gabriel's army of angels, Gabriel instead employs the assistance of a teenage girl (Izzy) who has just committed suicide. Gabriel keeps her alive to help him in his search for Valerie (despite his powers as an angel, he is completely naive about technology, and is unable to drive a car or work a computer and has her use her computer skills to find her and drive him around).
Gabriel's war against Danyael and the other angels climaxes in a battle in Eden, now an industrial wasteland. Danyael and Izzy are killed, but Valerie defeats Gabriel by seizing him and jumping from a building, confident that God will protect her as He told her He would (she reveals that Gabriel is unable to hear His voice as he simply does not listen); she is indeed unharmed, but Gabriel is impaled on a spike. As punishment, Gabriel is turned into a human by Michael. Valerie raises the child by herself, accepting the risk that the angels may come for her. The film ends with Gabriel as a derelict; a face in the sky and ominous clouds show that the war in heaven is not over. | violence | train | wikipedia | null |
tt0058610 | The Spy with My Face | Mr. Waverly (Leo G. Carroll) gives U.N.C.L.E. agents Solo, Kuryakin, Arsene Coria (Fabrizio Mioni) from Italy, and Namana (Bill Gunn) from Liberia their assignment: they are to take a top secret code to a hidden location. After they leave, Waverly sends another agent, Australian Kitt Kittridge (Donald Harron), to follow them without their knowledge.
However, THRUSH has gotten wind of the "August Affair", though the villains know little more than the name of the operation. They send Serena (Senta Berger) to entice Solo to her apartment. After each unsuccessfully tries to find out what the other is after, he is gassed into unconsciousness and a THRUSH agent, surgically altered to look and sound like Solo, takes his place. An attempt is made to kill Kuryakin to minimize the chance of the substitution being detected, but it fails.
Aboard a jet liner, the fake Solo manages to open the briefcase and photograph the code. Kittridge greets his old comrade (from Solo's prior mission) and makes the mistake of saying that his instincts are telling him that there is something wrong with Solo, forcing the double to kill him. Solo tells Kuryakin that Kittridge was a THRUSH assassin. Solo's latest girlfriend, stewardess Sandy Wister (Sharon Farrell), is miffed that he acts as if he does not know her, but makes no fuss.
When the agents reach their destination, a secret, heavily guarded underground vault in the Swiss Alps (filmed at Griffith Observatory), they are told what is inside. Project Earth Save is a super weapon, designed by scientists from many nations because possible signs of an alien attack had been detected. The weapon is so deadly, even the sight of it is fatal, so they have to wear goggles. The code they have brought opens the vault, and is changed every year in August. When Namana spots Solo's missing jacket button in the briefcase, the fake Solo rips off Namana's goggles before he can warn anyone; the African agent is mesmerized by the weapon and stumbles into the vault to die.
Meanwhile, the real Solo is kept prisoner not far away. He escapes, killing the head villain in the process, and heads for the vault. The double and Serena intercept him on the highway. When U.N.C.L.E. agents drive up, Serena shoots the fake Solo. Afterwards, she talks Solo into letting her go to return the favor. | good versus evil, violence | train | wikipedia | "A time capsule of the 1960's.".
POSSIBLE SPOILERS THRUSH kidnaps Napoleon Solo (Vaughn) and replaces him with a double in order to infiltrate a secret UNCLE operation called 'The August Affair', which will enable them to get their hands on 'Project Earthsave', an intense energy force that is being stored for use in the event of attacks from outer space.
Such a weapon could give THRUSH what it always wanted - control of the world!THE SPY WITH MY FACE was the second spin-off movie from the popular MAN FROM UNCLE spy series.
It is an extended version of a season one episode called 'The Double Affair' (originally broadcast 17/11/64) and contains additional footage that was considered too risqué for television.
For example the scene where Vaughn takes a shower with Senta Berger and Vaughn in bed with Sharon Farrell.
The opening sequence where UNCLE invade THRUSH headquarters Australia was also an extra scene that didn't feature in the TV original.THE SPY WITH MY FACE is one of the best of the UNCLE films in that it's slickly produced and stands up as a time capsule of it's era, the 1960's when spy thrillers were all the rage.
Series regulars Robert Vaughn as Napoleon Solo, David McCallam as Illya Kuriyakin and Leo G Carroll as Mr Waverly are a joy to watch as always..
Average UNCLE movie..
The second big screen outing for "The Man from UNCLE" is a notch down from the first.
It is made up primarily of the first season episode "The Double Affair" and contains additional footage from "The Four Steps Affair".
The doppelganger plot is never fully exploited and there is an excessive amount of padding centred around Vaughn's romantic dalliances.
Sharon Farrell delivers a feisty turn as Vaughn's put-upon air hostess girlfriend and McCallum has a bigger role than in the first film (TO TRAP A SPY), but overall this is a routine mission..
Fans of the TV series won't be disappointed.
UNCLE (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement agents Napoleon Solo (Vaughn) and Illya Kuryakin (McCallum) are sent in a group of ten to deliver secret codes to a computer vault controlling project "earth save".
Earth Save is an immensely powerful weapon designed to deal with potential attack from outer space.
THRUSH meanwhile create a double of Solo to infiltrate the team to gain access to the weapon.Another in the series of UNCLE films following the TV series.
This film plays just like the shows so if you like them then you'll like this.
Plenty of girls & romantic interludes, plenty of gentle action and gentle laughs all done in a 1960's sense of innocence and spoof-fun.
There are of course plenty of weakness in this, it is after all a cheap bond spoof and always was, but it is a gently enjoyable film.
For me, as a fan of UNCLE, the biggest disappointment of the film was the lack of the UNCLE theme music.All the regular actors (Vaughn, McCallum & Leo G.
Carroll) are as good as ever, being comfortable in their roles, the women are all pretty as required.
The only thankless task is Donald Harron in the role of Kitteridge who has to do a very dodgy Australian accent whilst wearing a really bad fake beard.It's not brilliant but it's all a bit of 60's fun.
How serious can you take it when McCallum is ambushed outside a drycleaners by two small toy robots firing rockets!?.
"You wouldn't put a bullet through your own head, would you?".
'The Spy With My Face' was the second of eight feature films compiled from episodes of 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' series, and the last to be formed using a single episode extended by specially shot footage.
The original was titled 'The Double Affair'.
Subsequent features would be based on two-part stories.
It opens in Australia, where Napoleon Solo ( Robert Vaughn ) accompanies fellow U.N.C.L.E. agent Kitt Kittridge ( Donald Harron ) on a mission to destroy a THRUSH stronghold.
They are successful; but THRUSH are secretly watching their every move.
They have created a double for Solo, but before they can use him try to murder the one man closest to the agent - Illya Kuryakin ( David McCallum ).
Illya is leaving Del Floria's one evening when two toy robots with swivelling eyes glide towards him, and open fire.
The Russian shoots one, and deactivates the other.
"I think someone's sending their Christmas presents a little early this year!", he quips.Solo is dining with his current-girlfriend, air stewardess Sandy ( Sharon Farrell ) when he receives a call from Serena ( Senta Berger ), a THRUSH agent claiming to have knowledge of 'The August Affair'.
Back at her flat, they make love, then she gasses him, and the double takes over.The fake Solo is assigned to travel to Austria - along with Illya and two other U.N.C.L.E. agents - with the combination to open an underground vault containing a deadly new form of radiation, to be used only in the event of Earth being assaulted by creatures from outer space.
THRUSH intends to use it to conquer the world...Like all the U.N.C.L.E. films, this one charmingly betrays its origins as a television product.
However, such was the show's popularity at the time that audiences did not care, and lapped up each new one as it was released.
The films were shown on I.T.V. in the '70's, and a decade later the B.B.C. screened them in two bumper seasons in 1982/83.As both Solo and his impostor, Robert Vaughn is excellent, providing a nice contrast between the real man from U.N.C.L.E. and his arrogant counterpart.
McCallum here shows why the character of Illya developed a following of his own.
Next to Patrick McGoohan's 'John Drake', he was the coolest spy on television at that time.
Senta Berger provides glamour as 'Serena', a task she also performed on the movies 'The Quiller Memorandum' and 'The Ambushers'.
Donald Harron's 'Kitt Kittridge' is extremely likable.
Asked by Mr.Waverly if his beard is real, he says: "Its fake.
The real one is in my pocket!".
The U.N.C.L.E. boss is not amused.
The Director of 'Project: Earthsave' is a woman ( Paula Raymond ).
U.N.C.L.E. sexist?
Never!No big set-pieces of the Bond variety as such, but the opening gun battle, briefcase-switching scene on the plane and motorbike chase and subsequent fight are some compensation.
Michael Evans is fun as THRUSH villain 'Darius Two' ( so what happened to Darius One?
), delivering his lines in a manner which put me in mind of Rex Harrison.
Catching a guard spying on Solo's romantic tryst in a cell, he orders him from the scene with "Go away, you filthy pervert!", before peering through the door himself!( One thing I wish they had done with the movies was create new titles, rather than slow down footage and impose the credits over it.
'Face' suffers especially badly, as when the footage returns to normal speed Solo and Kittridge look like something out of Mack Sennett.
). A cut above.....
....the other three "Man From U.N.C.L.E" theatrical movies I've seen so far ("To Trap A Spy", "One Of Our Spies Is Missing", "One Spy Too Many").
This one is more tightly paced (running under 90 minutes), and it has an engaging story; it's true that the "double" plot gimmick has been used many times, before and since, in the spy genre, but there is a reason for that: it usually works well.
This film also has some clever spy tricks, sexy women (Solo gets to make out with, in chronological order, Sharon Farrell, Senta Berger, and in a brief but memorable role, Donna Michelle - even James Bond would be green with envy!), a surprisingly violent opening action sequence, and a couple of risqué moments that I'm assuming were added to the theatrical version of the original TV episode.
Unfortunately, it also has a pretty weak climax, with one important character showing a very sudden change of heart.
Second 'Man From U.N.C.L.E.' Feature Offers Undemanding Entertainment.
There was more of an expectation for the release of "The Spy With My Face" as it was the first feature released after 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.' had established itself as a TV favourite and I must admit, I was pretty pleased with it in 1965 and I find I run it at least three times a year fifty years later.
I saw it on its initial theatrical run with a fairly full house and you can tell the audience were enjoying it all, knowing that when a sign went up saying 'Somewhere In Australia' or 'The Austrian Alps', we were really seeing the back lot of MGM, but we all went along with the joke.The story wasn't that original – a double being planted in an organization, but it's done with a certain amount of flair and originality (although the scene where Solo meets his double by opening the door is exactly the same as the scene in "Thunderball"), and there are some unintentionally hilarious moments, like no one thinks it's unusual for a man with a completely bandaged head to sit behind Solo in a restaurant, THRUSH headquarters are designed in such a way that they can be blown up by a dying agent flicking one switch, and the other agents who join Napoleon and Illya are from U.N.C.L.E. in Sicily and UNCLE in Africa.
So a small island in Italy has its own operation, but there is only one for the entire continent of Africa – and the Sicilian is such a cliché with the sharp suit and when asked how things are going at home he says 'If it's not THRUSH, it's the Mafioso'.
But there are some really good moments Donald Harron as the Australian agent, and quite an imaginative sequence where the McGuffin is transferred in the air plane, and we get to see the (rather impractical) agent's entrance to the Washington U.N.C.L.E. office.So you get all this and Senta Berger who looks gorgeous and Sharon Farrell (in the first of three appearances in 'The Man From U.N.C.L.E.') and an exciting breakout then a shootout.
Great escapist stuff.
Here's what I wrote about it in my book "What We Watched In The 1960s (In The Cinema)" when it arrived in Glasgow during week commencing 26 September 1965.'The Man From UNCLE' had started quietly on TV in June but was now a staggeringly popular top 10 show, especially with the younger age group, so although the pilot "To Trap A Spy" had arrived without much of a fanfare, the crowds flocked to see "The Spy With My Face", the second feature length spin-off which arrived at the Regal and Bedford.
This one was based on 'The Double Affair', an episode not due for broadcast on TV in the UK – with additional footage from 'The Four Steps Affair' and some extra footage mainly of Napoleon solo having romantic liaisons with Senta Berger and Sharon Farrell.
Despite being made for TV it didn't seem out of place on a cinema screen and audiences got two Napoleon Solos for the price of one when villains THRUSH make a double of him.
"Son Of A Gunfighter" on the same bill was an old fashioned western, but more than adequate and pleasing.
Something to look out for – the sequence where the duplicate Solo enters U.N.C.L.E. HQ and walks through to Mr Waverley's office is re-used under the opening credits of "One Of Our Spies Is Missing".Jim Doyle is the author of 'What We Watched In The 1960s (In The Cinema)', 'What We Watched In The 1970s (In The Cinema)" and 'What We Watched In The 1980s (In The Cinema And On Video)'.
Kinda slow.
Need to like series to like this.
Downloaded this by chance.
Watched it 6 months later.Cannot actually give full review because I stopped at 40% in -- too boring, and I even have 2 screens, so was doing something else too.
Otherwise, I would've stopped watching sooner.This is too TV-like.
Although that's not necessarily bad, but it is just too cheesy, campy & borderline $hit, but I'm being too harsh.
It's not actually real bad.Other persons' taste will certainly vary. |
tt0176236 | Titanic: Adventure Out of Time | Players assume the role of Frank Carlson, a former British secret agent who failed a mission aboard the RMS Titanic; he now lives in an apartment. On 14 April 1942, Carlson is caught in an air raid during the London Blitz and his apartment is bombed. Carlson blacks out, before awakening in a ship quarters, as his younger self. He is informed that he is aboard the RMS Titanic; Carlson realises that he has somehow been sent back in time to the ship on the night it sank. His memory from the original timeline intact, Carlson uses his knowledge of the future to have a second chance to complete his mission.
Carlson's first mission is to locate and retrieve a stolen copy of Omar Khayyam's Rubáiyát, suspected of being in the possession of German Colonel Zeitel, who is traveling to New York to inspect embassies in the United States and Central America, alongside his young protegé Willi Von Haderlitz. It is revealed that the Colonel has made a deal with art dealer Sasha Barbicon to exchange the Rubáiyát for a painting in which there are hidden war plans stolen from the British government. They each act through a go-between, the Serbian stowaway Vlad Demonic. In addition to the Rubáiyát and the painting, the player learns that Willi is a spy for the Russians and has a notebook with names of top Bolshevik leaders. The notebook must be handed over to the Ochrana so that Communist rebels will be executed, preventing a threat to the Czar. Barbicon is also in possession of a stolen diamond necklace intended to finance the Black Hand, a Serbian military group. Assisting the player is fellow agent Penny Pringle.
The player can also become involved in optional subplots that do not pertain to the central mission or the winning conditions of the game. The main subplot involves retrieving a business document stolen by steel magnate Andrew Conkling's maid Shailagh Hacker. Others involve helping passengers such as the Lambeths, a wealthy couple whose marriage has deteriorated; Leyland Trask, a psychic from Boston; Reverend Edgar Troutt, a Protestant preacher from New Hampshire who is returning from a mission in Nyasaland; and Max Seidelmann, a businessman from Philadelphia.
The number of objects the player obtains before escaping the ship affects the ending and how history plays out. If the player manages to successfully obtain all four objects, history is altered with World War I, the Russian Revolution, and World War II never occurring.
Without Vlad providing the necklace or the Rubáiyát, the Black Hand is not financed and their plan to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria fails, preventing World War I.
If the painting is rescued, it becomes a popular piece because of it surviving the sinking. The painting is revealed to be Adolf Hitler's "The Courtyard of the Old Residency in Munich", causes him to become a famous artist after the painting is retrieved, keeping him from joining the National Socialists in Germany, averting the rise of the Nazis and World War II.
If Willie's notebook survives, it's delivered to the Czar, the Bolshevik leaders (Stalin, Lenin, and Trotsky) are executed, and the Russian Revolution never occurs.
Afterwards, the character retires after a successful career to a world of peace. Depending on which items the player fails to collect, history will change, but certain wars or revolutions will still occur. | murder | train | wikipedia | Rich and complex, many different possible endings.
This is a game you can really immerse (whoops) yourself in.
The story, like the Cameron movie, is fictional, set on the factual Titanic.
You have the chance to change history, but beware!
You may unwittingly make things worse!
The two CD set also features a walk-around only scenario.
After playing the game awhile, you really get to know your way around the Titanic.
Not all of the interior is authentic, (you *couldn't* really climb up the fake stack on the real Titanic!) but it's close enough to make the past live again.
Pay attention and take *lots* of notes!
No conversation with the many guests on board is pointless..
Such A Wonderful Dream World!.
I've always been interested in the Titanic and when I bought this game it felt like I really was one of the passengers.
It's an amazing game with both action, drama and spectacular effects which makes the Titanic alive again.
My favorite character is Penny Pringle.
She's a strong female character and a good role model.
I can't stop thinking about this wonderful game!
It really feels like I was there when it all happened.
I hope this game will never be forgotten and that there will be some kind of re-release or a sequel.
I remember almost all the quotes and I'm in love with all the characters."You came!
After all this time!
It's Georgia!
I heard you were on board, where have you been?".
A RACE TO ALTER HISTORY ON A SHIP OUT OF TIME.
Intrigue and adventure await you aboard the Titanic, the most famous ocean liner in history.As a British secret agent on a vital mission, it's up to you to change the course of history as you explore the world's most luxurious ocean vessel in all of its original splendor.Navigate the amazing detailed 3D reconstruction of this doomed ocean liner and rub elbows with high society from the turn of the century, all while gathering clues and solving challenging puzzles.Then, on the night of April 14, 1912, plunge into a race against time that will determine not only your own survival, but the destiny of nations.A great game to play over and over again..
A truly wonderful game for any Titanic fanatic.
I received this game last Christmas and thought it would be really cool.
I loaded it onto my computer and I thought it was really fun.
It made me feel like I was actually on the ship.
While playing the game, I got to talk to several people on the ship.
Let me tell you this: if you need to go someplace soon (such as school or work), I suggest that you not play this game until you get home.
You get so into it, time will really fly by..
Wonderful and stimulating.
Not only do you get to step back in time on the world's most famous ocean liner, you get to actually be a part of history in the making!
Gives me goose-bumps everytime I reach the end of the game.Cyberflix did a breathtaking job with the game.
A must-have for Titanic buffs.
Just don't spend much time trying to look for the Heart of the Ocean.
Also, you won't find Jack Dawson, which I know is a disappointment for girls everywhere.
One of the best games I've played.
This is such a great game.
This is such a great game.
The storyline is rich and complex, and it's really cool to walk around the ship, seeing how the company recreated it.
I definitely recommend this game to anyone who loves history or a game with a good plot.
The characters are often hilarious, and the acting is good.
There's a lot of sub-plots and mysteries you can uncover.
I liked being able to play a game of poker whenever I wished with Riviera, even if he did creep me out in "Dust," what with his odd imagery involving maidenhood.
I liked playing around with the Morse code, too.
I loved the references to actual events, and I learned a few things from the game (I'd never even heard of the Rubaiyat until this game)..
absolutely awesome!!.
I'm not much of a computer game, or indeed any kind of gaming (games consoles etc) enthusiast but there is just something about this one!!
I first got it back in 1996 (when i was ten) and still play it to this day.
For somebody who has always had an incredible fascination with Titanic anyway there is nothing better than the freedom this game offers to roam the ship and interact with things in such a high class manner.
Hours of my life have gladly been lost to this game!
Incredibley well done for its time, I have told almost everyone i know about Titanic: an Adventure Out of Time.
I only wish there were even more areas of the ship accessible to your character, and perhaps that is was even longer haha!
Hell, a follow up of some kind would be most welcome.
Anyway, if you haven't played this game yet i urge you to do so.
However, like somebody above me has said, don't start it unless you have a run of free time ahead- it tends to eat into your day somewhat!.
I bought this game because I have been intriged by the Titanic my whole life.I was very stunned and pleased to see the incredible detail.If you watch james cameron's > movie Titanic you will find your self saying things like "Hey,i remember that" or "I know what's behind that door".The detail is incredible,everytime i play this game i feel like i'm really there and that's very unusual to find anywhere ecspecially in a computer game.The creaters and people who worked on this project should be very proud of themselves.They created a game that is not only fun but very historicly accurate.This game is a must have for anybody who is facinated by the world of Titanic..
This is one of the best computer games ever!
Filled with excellent graphics and easy controls, and a plot that trumps a good deal of the standard Hollywood fare, you'll find yourself immersed in the imaginary world of intrigue and mystery hidden within the doomed ship.This game will force you to make some choices.
Will you focus on your task of finding a stolen book, or will you get involved in the lives and problems of one of the many characters involved?
Whatever you do, it has an effect on how events will turn out in the end.There are a few flaws, of course.
Some of the characters can be marred by clichés, but many of their mannerisms are reflective of the time period.
Still, the game is entertaining enough that any flaws can be forgiven..
This is an awesome game..
I have had a life-long interest in the Titanic.
This game, Titanic: Adventure out of Time has really fed my enthusiasm for anything to do with Titanic.
It is a really addictive game, and if you have any knowledge of the layout of Titanic at all, playing this game makes you feel as though you really are moving around the actual vessel.
The graphics are superb.
The scenario puts you on board Titanic's maiden voyage as a secret agent.
Your brief is to change history and prevent the sinking: quite a mammoth undertaking!
You need to talk to as many characters as possible, and the best thing to do is to make copious notes of who you've spoken to, their location, and any other information.
You need to poke and pry into every nook and cranny, and the feeling of satisfaction when you succeed in changing history is tremendous.
But be warned, you may make things worse!
Save your game frequently under different names, and you can go back and search different trails.
Have fun, and allow yourself a couple of days solid game playing to complete the full game - other wise spread it over several evenings..
This is a game that I would recommend to people with even the smallest of interest in the Titanic.
Although the characters are fictional, there are many references made to actual passengers on the maiden voyage and the programmers attention to detail is startlingly accurate.
The gameplay is very addictive and you can even download extra 'tour guides' from the official web page who tell you facts about the ship.
There are many alternative endings depending on certain items you collect along the way, people you talk to etcetera.
On the whole if, like me, you wish you could walk the decks like Jack and Rose, then buy this game.
It's the next best thing!.
Excellent interactive movie....
An excellent interactive movie game about the Titanic.
It's based around the fictional story of you playing a secret service agent during WWII and transported back to the Titanic.
Anyway, it really absorbs you, and is an excellent game to play.
However, the main problem is stability.....random crashes abound!
If you can survive the crashes, will you be able to survive the Titanic?.
A Wild Plot To Make Into A Movie!.
This past April 14TH & 15TH 1912 - 2012 marked the 100 Anniversary of The Sinking Of The Titanic.
Such a loss of life it is hard to believe that from out of that tragedy would inspire someone to create a Computer Game such as "Titanic: Adventure Out Of Time" copy right 1996.
At a Local Salvation Army I bought a 2 CD set of Titanic not really thinking what it was I thought is was a documentary of it's sinking I finally realized it was a game when I placed in my computer to view watch and/or read thinking to myself.
This is a game how very odd taking such a historical event with the loss of life that someone would think or turning it into a game.
The next thing you know the movie will come out.
With all respects to James Cameron's movie but the plot of this very game made into a movie does have interest to me.
I lobby for either Danial Craig or to Jason Statham star as the secret agent after all the part should go to a Englishman.
What do you who reads this think?
I transcribed a thumbnail synopsis of the plot from the covered jacket.
And on You Tube there are videos of this game at this Link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYLjkR4vCmo....
The game itself can also can be found on The Web. The Synopsis; YOUR MISSION Your mission begins in London 1942 during the dark days of World War II.
As the Blitzkrieg rages above, another battle unfolds with in you, a failed secret service agent haunted by the events that destroyed your career on board the RMS Titanic 30 years before.
A violent catalyst hurtles you back in time to April 14, 1912, the night of the disaster.
Assigned to recover a stolen book you are plunged into intrigue with far higher stakes.
Your success could change the future-preventing World War I, Russian Revolution or World War II.
Or even worse.
Titanic: Adventure Out Of Time the answers are left to you.
Sounds like a good plot to a good movie rather than a computer game?
Second to Irwin Allen's Television Series "The Time Tunnel" Pilot titled "Rendezvous With Yesterday" this computer game would if some Movie Maker produces a movie of this game it would be added to The Science Fiction Movie Genre So I wounder if anybody here that has played this game and what are your thought of it??
And what would you think of it being turned into a Science Fiction Movie?
Who would you cast as the star of it or have I hit the mark on who should play The Secret Service Agent??
Let me know your opinions and thoughts.
And less it has slip-ed your minds it also marked the 147TH Anniversary of The Assassination of President Abram Lincoln on April 14TH & 15TH 1865 - 2012..
One of the greatest CPU games of all time.
This game is truly fantastic.
I don't really buy or play computer games anymore.
But every once in a while, I'll pull this game out of the closet and play it all over again for kicks.
The graphics are incredible and the story was very well written.
I love being able to walk around the Titanic and talk to all the different characters.
You also really get a feel to how things were in 1912.
After playing this game, if you watch James Cameron's movie, you'll pretty much always be able to tell where they are on the ship.
The variety of characters that were made for this game are amazing.
You got the stuck up, stingy Charles Lambreth and his wife Georgia (of which the character you play has a history with).
There's the down to earth guy you'd probably find at a bar in Max Zidelman (looks like a young John Goodman).
I have to admit that Vlad gives me the creeps.
The plot of the game involves some thinking, but not too crazy.There is only one thing about this game that I found a disappointment to me, and it's a very minor one.
While I like the different endings, they deal entirely on the aftermath as the result of your mission and finding all the different objects.
But nothing is mentioned of what happened on the personal side.
For instance, as the ship is sinking, one decision your character encounters is whether or not to save the life of Lady Georgia by trading a painting to the evil German Zitel for the antidote of which she's been poisoned.
But whether or not you save Georgia's life, absolutely nothing about it is mentioned in the ending.
Other than that, this game is perfect..
Great Titanic Game!.
I actually bought this game at a garage sale.
It's great!
I have played this game SO many times!
I would have to say that my favorite game characters are Ms. Pringle and Georgia.
I personally like to tick Georgia off after I talk to her for the first time an the Aft section of the Boat Deck by continuously clicking on her.
I also found out that in zeitel's cabin, if you are unable to disable the bomb, you can just continue by clicking give up.
What makes the game even more interesting (for me at least) is picking out some of the factual goofs.
For example, the third officer's last name was actually Pittman.
And the cabin that you are staying in, C-78, is actually on the last row of portholes in the white painted area of the ship, not 3 rows below.
And, who could forget that fourth funnel still smoking as it went under?
The fourth funnel was a fake!
(One of my favorite scenes was at the end of the game in the apartment when I gave the painting to Zeitel to get the antidote to Georgia, The Russians, or Germans, Canadians...
Whoever the world they were...
broke in and shot my character and blood splattered all over the wall!) Overall, if you find this game and you are a Titanic buff, BUY IT!
The sinking simulations are awesome, and you get to put your "what would I have done if i was on the Titanic" phrase into action!.
CHANGING THE COURSE OF HISTORY.
It is very easy to provide a spoiler here as I have finally cracked the puzzle.However I will avoid the temptation to explain specifics and confine myself to general hints on playing this interactive game more effectively.Any student of the Titanic disaster will be fascinated to know they can if they want just explore the ship and this is recommended before star ting the game as you can then familiarise yourself with the ship's layout.Rather than labouriously walk from stem to stern you can in most cases (prior to the iceberg hitting) "jump" from one deck/room to another and so save time.Whenever a fictitous character appears, try and be positive in your response to their questions as you will become nearer to the correct path.It is appropriate the computer programmers did not use real people from this drama, in honour of their death in this tragedy.Depending upon your answer, the game will proceed in a different direction and unless you know the correct responses, no game played will follow the same pattern.This makes for interesting play.Good advice is given by previous reviewers when they say save your game regularly e.g."TIT1" TIT2" etc so you can have a break/go to work or whatever since the game takes quite a long time and is very absorbing.If your computer crashes you will only lose up to the last "save".Also the taking of notes will map out the trail and you will gradually learn that if you do say this, then that will happen.I would advise initially you save the game each time you meet a character noting down the response alternative followed to their question.I thought the actual sinking could have been improved.The boat sinks far too quickly and unrealistically and I had naively hoped we would see the onrush of water coming along the corridors filling rooms and cabins.Perhaps if the makers bring out a second version they could enhance the sensation of sinking inside the vessel.
The various endings cause a corresponding change to history and the solutions, when given to you at the end, makes you the think of cause and effect and of how a seemingly trivial change could have had a cataclysmic change on world history.I also did not like the phony British accents by American actors and as there are plenty of out of work Brit.
actors around, why not give them some real work and make the game more realistic?The pluses outnumber the minuses and will provide players with a novel experience not found in most other compter games. |
tt0479722 | Mulawin: The Movie | Aguiluz and Alwina's plan for a peaceful life as mortals unravels when their boat to Tierra Fuego (the realm of man) is caught in a violent storm. They wash up on separate shores, a young man and woman living without memories and living separate lives. Aguiluz is adopted by a humble farmer and Alwina becomes the surrogate daughter of a wealthy family and is engaged to be married to Gabriel.
But a new period in the Mulawin saga unfolds as "Keeper of the Jewel of Fire", Sang'gre Pirena uses the gintong binhi to bring Ravenum back to life. Ravenum summons the dragon Buwarka and raises an army of Ravenas to wreak havoc on Avila, which barely survives the initial attack. With the power of Mulawin’s Tree of Life dwindling down and the Mulawin race in peril, the Diwatas and the Tres Aves (a legendary trio of heroes with special abilities) rush to aid the Mulawin. But ultimately, the fate of Avila and the Mulawin race now hinges on the valor of two of its two greatest champions, Aguiluz and Alwina. The Tres Aves faces the dragon "Buwarka",The Mulawins and the Encantadia's Lireo soldiers led by Ybbarro/Ybrahim faces the Ravenas and Aguiluz and Alwina faces Ravenum. The fight continues as Aguiluz and Alwina goes inside Ravenum's hideout. There they find Dakila and continues their journey. They continue a violent fight with the Ravenas and as they reach Ravenum, Aguiluz's mother (transformed from death) shows up with her husband, Ravenum. Ravenum then forces Aguiluz to transform into a Ravena and complete the family or else he will kill Alwina. Aguiluz agreed, to save the life of Alwina and their child. The Ravenas took away Alwina and Dakila, planning on beheading them. Aguiluz's body was too holy for the darkness because he was blessed and once again turns into a Mulawin. Dakila dies in the hands of the Ravenas and Alwina graviously cries. She returns to Aguiluz but their ugatpak's powers only works for nights. Aguiluz is stabbed by a sword behind. They make a way out of the hideout and at the end, killing Ravenum and comes also the death of Aguiluz. They return to Avila after a victory and a deadly battle. Aguiluz is seen lying in a royal bed in the kingdom of Lireo in Encantadia with Queen Amihan of Lireo putting the gintong binhi to his mouth that can get his life back. Alwina is then seen putting Dakila's ugatpak in the Mulawin's Tree of Life. The last part is Alwina and her son flying together with Aguiluz behind them. | good versus evil | train | wikipedia | the long-running soap opera squeezed into 2 hours. So what will happen if an epic story which should take about many months to be presented properly is squeezed into two hours? Enter 'Mulawin: The Movie', GMA films latest fantasy motion picture to date. 'Mulawin: the Movie' continues the story where 'Mulawin the Soap Opera' left off, and that is the continuing adventures of Alwina and Aguiluz after their 're-discovery' of their bird-people ancestry which leads them back to a battle against an old enemy.Remembering 'Mulawin' the soap opera, it is a well known fact that the storyline of the said show was fleshed out slowly and tediously for a couple of months; and even then the story went no place! Now, the same guys who did the show will be creating a movie version.The finished product? a months-long soap opera squeezed into two hours. The editing and cutting of scenes resulted into sudden event changes, making the watchers go, "What the heck? What happened?" If the viewer blinks for even just half a second, he will never notice the plot twist that just unfolded before his eyes. character appear and disappear for no apparent reason, and even if there were any explanations, expect it to come as a single sentence from one of the characters, and then move on. By half the film I was so confused, I never even bothered to try and understand the rest of the story.The special effects, again, just like the soap opera, lacks 'speciality'. Again, the 'flying' effects are poorly done, the actors are seen as obviously hanging from a thread with a harness. The creators seemed to have forgotten how special effects should not look like special effect; it should look like the real thing.Blame it on the marketing strategy, but Mulawin was made to look like a great movie when in fact it is not. High expectations ultimately destroy a mediocre movie, and that is exactly what happened to Mulawin. I guess karma came in the form of 'Enteng Kabisote 2'.Watching Mulawin with high or low expectations does not make any difference. It is still a poorly done movie with flaws clearly defined. Can we expect the same weaknesses and flaws when they come up with an 'Encantadia' movie then? Let us hope not.Please visit www.innocentyears.blogspot.com for more commentaries and for you recations.. A Certified Blockbuster, Graded "A" Film by the Cinema Evaluation Board.. -=MULAWIN The Movie=- has a Great Story, limited Visual Effects but it seems Realistic... the acting was "Brilliant", Richard Gutierrez deserves an acting award for his portrayal as Aguiluz and Angel Locsin as always did a stunning performance, i also adore the presence of the TRES AVES who helped the main characters against the villains, speaking of the villains i love the way Pirena (Sunshine Dizon) used her power in which she could transformed into another character,nice twist. And with the participation of other Encantadia characters that made the movie and the story better, Ybrahim (Dingdong Dantes) did a great supporting role on the movie... With superb cinematography, i should say the Best Filipino Movie so far!. MULAWIN: An Overwhelming Disappointment, An Utter Failure. I thought Richard Gutierrez's "Chuck Norris" brand of bad acting was going to be the only thing bad about this movie. But it was the whole package in its entirety that was oozing in what appears to be a perfect disappointment. The SPECIAL EFFECTS & MUSIC: One of the major flaws of this movie is that it suffers from its miserable special effects. The special effect of flying alone takes a good amount of rendering, not only in terms of tools and technology, but in terms of handling the special effects that should be uniformed with an actor's interpretation of a flying scene. In the long run, it's best not to venture into such a scene than to force yourself into making one that will only look utterly ridiculous.The music in this movie certainly sounds like the same synthesizer-generated sounds of the typical Regal Films action-adventure flops that have stank the local movie industry for decades now. The SET DESIGNS, COSTUMES & MAKE-UP: Everything looks too polished-up clean and ultra-colorful, that everything looks like it was fresh off the factory. I have loved the Encantadia set in the television series. It may be the same set used in this movie but this time, the set looks intentionally "floralled-up" and made to look three times as colorful as it usually is. Instead of making the set a bit monochromatic as to make the sets look genuine, the set of this movie just explodes with vibrant colors that you know everything is fake. The walls that may have made to look real, now looks like it was plywood that glistens with the paint it hides in. EGAD! One Hathor (villain/orclike) warrior was wearing a striped white and purple shirt underneath his Hathor helmet and upper armor. And it was obvious! I guess they have boutiques in Encantadia! There was also another scene in the climax where I see another Hathor warrior wear the typical white shirt underneath the Hathor armor! Richard Gutierrez had THICKER make-up than Angel Locsin. That was just plain stupid. You've just been to battle, and you have lipstick and make-up? The ACTING: Every time Richard is made to act like he is staring with love in his eyes, it's a cheesy long stare that reminds you of Shampoo commercials, and he does it with a ridiculous smile and long pause as if waiting for the director's cue to tell him when to stop. This movie only proves that Richard Gutierrez doesn't know how to improv. His father Eddie Gutierrez seems stoned in his role as Dakila. Always seemingly oblivious and very un-reactive to the scenes and the pace of the storyline. And despite his being a main character in the series, his participation in this movie makes him look like less of an extra. Completely unoriginal and lame, Michael De Mesa as the villain has a performance the same way most villains in typical (overrated) Tagalog movies do: they just recite their lines and laugh & sneer in a cliché villain-like manner.The storyline and DIRECTION: The storyline of the movie is not completely faithful to the continuity of the Mulawin and Encantadia series. But at the same time, it draws upon many instances wherein the storyline requires one to have been familiar with what has transpired in the TV series. In one (supposedly suspenseful revelation) scene, Pirena reveals that she was able to know the secrets of the heroes using Imaw's tungkod (staff) but the movie doesn't even care to explain who Imaw is and what the staff can do. There is even no character development as we are just thrusted into scenes where we find out that everybody knew all along that Aguiluz and Ravenum are father and son. The pointlessness goes on. There's one scene where Ybarro (a character from Encantadia, played by Dingdong Dantes) just appears out of nowhere fighting alongside the Mulawins. There is no progression or proper introduction of characters. Bad direction also refers to things that are opposite from common sense. The swords of heroes like Ybarro and Aguiluz have obviously killed not less than five villains, but after that we still see their swords glistening in cleanliness. As the climactic battle ensues, Pirena just disappears without even leaving a note. Did she intentionally flee from battle? Did she need to go to the bathroom? She's the second main villain and we just assume her absence in the end? In the main battle in the beginning of the story, the fighting never makes sense. The Hathors pause their fighting to give way for a dialogue between Pirena and her sisters. Because this is a motion picture, I would assume that the fighting sequences would improve from the television standards. It did not. It was even diminished, thanks to the improperly ambitious move of making special effects shots out of the sword duels. Those shots were clumsily fast, technically obvious, and cinematically awkward that the scene ends up as pointless garbage. The shots were too close to the actors that we never really see them have a duel, and whose fighting-face acting is unconvincing.I dread upon the conclusion that MULAWIN the movie only destroys the reputation of the Encantadia series. And gives a damning demerit to GMA's track record in making seriously fantasy TV series. GMA Films was presented with the grand opportunity to change the face of Philippine cinema in terms of action-adventure fantasy movies. They failed it by resorting to the old standards. MULAWIN the Movie is a Disappointment and a Failure.. Best Filipino Movie Made In 2005.. No one remasters this hell of a beast-film, which is sad. Anyways, this film is 100% Appropriate for Kids and Adults. It's Just awesome. How the actresses and actors deliver the characters. The stunts, they are just SOLID and Awesome. Despite of its oldness, the story never gets boring. There are some emotional scenes which will never fail you to cry. Like the Death of Bagwis and Agiluz. They are just sad. Angel Locsin And Richard Gutierrez Are a perfect pair on movies, but way more lovely in real life. I hope for the Part 2 of this movie. Just awesome. The violence is not that gory since this movie is suited to be for kids. This continues the TV Show "Encantadia" from 2005. Everyone loves the nostalgia of the Song, The Characters. Everyone Remembers Sunshine Dizon Being "Pirena." She's suited for the role which is great. Her face expression, just makes us Clap Our Hands!This is my childhood film. So Awesome. Even Today, I Still watched this film. Now I'm in Great Britain, I will recommend this film to EVERYONE. Don't forget my British friends right there in the UK. Must-watch Filipino Movie. Much better with English subs. Just AWESOME. |
tt0031506 | Jeepers Creepers | Three days after the events of the first film, the Creeper, disguised as a scarecrow, abducts young Billy Taggart in front of Taggart Sr. and Billy's older brother, Jack Jr. The following day, a school bus carrying a high school basketball team and cheerleaders suffers a blowout, after one of the wheels is hit by a hand-crafted shuriken made out of bone.
Cheerleader Minxie has a vision of Billy and Darry Jenner, the Creeper's victim from the first film, who both attempt to warn her about the Creeper, which then blows out another tire, disabling the bus. With the party stranded, the Creeper abducts the coaches and the bus driver, and singles out several of the occupants: Dante, Jake, Scotty, Bucky, and especially Double D. Minxie has another vision in which Darry explains that every twenty-third spring, for twenty-three days, the creature emerges from hibernation and hunts victims for specific body parts which it then consumes in order to replace those of its own, which she relays to the others.
After hearing numerous police reports, the Taggarts go hunting for the Creeper and make radio contact with the school bus. The Creeper attacks Bucky and is injured, and then kills Dante, using his severed head as a replacement for its own. The students leave the bus, where they are again attacked and chased into a field, where the Creeper kills Jake and takes Scotty. After the Creeper attacks Bucky at the bus again, Taggart shoots it with a home-made harpoon; however the Creeper escapes and flips the truck. Izzy, Rhonda, and Double D attempt to escape in a truck and are chased by the Creeper, causing the vehicle to crash. Despite missing an arm and leg, the Creeper continues to stalk Double D until Taggart intervenes by shooting it with a harpoon again. Taggart repeatedly stabs the Creeper in the chest and face but the creature goes into a hibernation state before it can die.
Twenty-three years later, a group of teenagers drive to Taggart's farm, where the Creeper is a sideshow attraction. They notice Taggart watching it with a harpoon gun at his side. When they ask him if he is waiting for something, Taggart looks up at the Creeper and says, "About three more days, give or take a day or two." | psychedelic | train | wikipedia | One of The Best Loony Tunes Funnies.
No collection of old time cartoons would be complete without this one.
If I were going to select my all-time favorite Warner Brother Loony Tunes cartoon, it would be a tie between this nutty ghost story and the nuttier "Porky in Wackyland" (1939) aka "Dough for the Do-Do".
I first saw these as a small kid at the age of 4 or 5 and have been a fan of these old cartoons on into adulthood.
The ones created in the 1930s and 1940s have always been the best.Anyway, this nutty ghost story holds your attention from beginning to end.
Imagine sitting in a police cruiser (Porky is an policeman in this one.) and being told to "investigate strange noises in an old, abandoned house.
And to be careful - THERE MIGHT BE GHOSTS!!!!".
Porky stops for a minute and thinks to himself "Did he say ghosts?" And the radio responds "Yes - you know those white things that go "BRAHH AH AH AHHH!".
Great fun.At the house there is a rambunctious, but overall seemingly harmless ghost with the voice of the great Pinto Colvig and a bizarre sense of humor (I can relate to that) that enjoys scaring people.
And he does a great job on Porky once he arrives.
(I won't reveal everything here.) And the disembodied "walking shoe" prank is hysterical.
(I would love to a pull a gag like that.) Great fun throughout.10/10 Dan Basinger.
Spooks and fun with Porky and Clampett.
Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.As was said with some other Bob Clampett-directed Porky Pig cartoons, have more often than not had a lot of respect and appreciation for Clampett, and while not quite one of my favourite Looney Tunes characters (prefer those with consistently stronger, funnier and interesting personalities) Porky has always been very easy to like.
'Jeepers Creepers' is as perfect a representation of both as one can get, and one of the best to me.Clampett's distinctive outrageously wacky and anarchic style is all over 'Jeepers Creepers'.
Porky is endearing as ever very effectively plays it straight, is used well and is actually treated like a lead, after having cartoons where he feels more like underutilised support.
The ghost is a great support character.Mel Blanc is outstanding as always.
He always was the infinitely more preferable voice for Porky, Joe Dougherty never clicked with me, and he proves it here.
Blanc shows an unequalled versatility and ability to bring an individual personality to every one of his multiple characters in a vast majority of his work, there is no wonder why he was in such high demand as a voice actor.
Pinto Colvig, most familiar to me as the original voice of Goofy for the Disney Silly Symphonies cartoons, is every bit as great.Animation is excellent, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail.
Ever the master, Carl Stalling's music is typically superb.
It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it.'Jeepers Creepers' is beautifully paced, imaginative, often hilarious in a wonderfully bizarre way and very spooky.
The creepy setting is used to full advantage and the disembodied walking shoe gag is indeed a riot.In conclusion, very spooky and lots of fun.
10/10 Bethany Cox. Porky gets scared...again.
Here is another Porky Pig cartoon great for Halloween.
This one is directed by Bob Clampett, and I remember watching the edited, colorized version on TV as a little kid.
But from watching the original black-&-white version online as an animation-loving adult, I found it much better then the crappy edited version for TV.In this short, Porky is a police officer ordered to investigate strange goings-on at a old, run-down, deserted house.
But the house is actually haunted, and a fun loving ghost (voiced by Disney regular Pinto Colvig) plays a series of pranks on the unsuspecting pig.
And then Porky gets finally scared and ran out of the house.There is one scene I liked the was kind of recycled from the short "The Case of The Stuttering Pig".
It was when a scared Porky ran up the stairs like a flash, and then jump right into the ghost's arms stuttering "I just saw a..." Overall I love this short..
One of my favorite "Redrawn Collection" Shorts.
The Redrawn Collection, is a collection of B&W shorts that got both a redrawn & computer rendered versions.
This is one of my favorites, Pinto Colvig of Disney fame voices the titular character.
It starts with Porky as a policeman labeled 6 7/8 and then gets warned about ghosts, and then it cuts to an amazingly animated house scene, it's most impressive on the computer version, and then it zooms in to a gag where cigar smoke is donuts and he dips it in good ol coffee, and then it was time to haunt people, so he sang Jeepers Creepers while talking a bath, levitating, and acting like a horse.
Porky enters with the ghost talking like a girl...
you have to watch the rest, it is epic...
the only downside is the slightly outdated smoke gag at the end, which was edited in the redrawn port..
Police pork.
If you hear the name "Jeepers Creepers", then you will maybe think of a lot of things, but this Warner Bros cartoon from 1939 is most certainly not one of these.
That's fine though as the quality wasn't too convincing here.
But first things first: At almost 9 minutes, it was slightly longer than the usually were back in the day and this one will soon have its 80th anniversary.
Porky is the protagonist here, the closest WB had to an Everyday Joe, so the scary dangerous profession of a police officer may not be the best thing for him, especially if it comes down to investigating an actually haunted house.
It's a fairly clean-cut film.
Porky gets his introduction.
Ghost gets his introduction and afterward we see the pranks pulled on Porky by the ghost.
In the end, Porky just cannot get away fast enough.
Speaking of that final scene, I'm sure some liberals will scream RACISM when seeing this slightly politically incorrect shot of the ghost, but I found it refreshing.
Sadly, it was maybe the only moment I kinda liked with the exception of the bagel/doughnut scene early on.
Overall, it is a bit unusual to see a black-and-white film (in the original) by Warner Bros as their cartoons were usually full of color during that time already.
But I also don't think that color would have saved the mediocre plot and comedy here.
Not recommended..
Since Warner Bros.' Reason-to-Be is to Warn Americans .
. (most often We Citizens of the (Then) Far Future) of our upcoming Calamities, Catastrophes, Cataclysms, and Apocalypti, when one of Warner's shorts or features spotlights a ghost among its main characters, we can surmise that Warner's prolific Prophets of Doom are working overtime to caution as about at least one prospective Dire Strait we'll soon be facing.
Because JEEPERS CREEPERS only has TWO on-screen critters with speaking parts (not counting the frogs), we're treated to a scenario in which 50% of the cast is DEAD.
This white specter is first shown smoking a cigar (and dunking his smoke rings into a cup of coffee!).
Does this mean JEEPERS CREEPERS is a simple polemic against Big Tobacco?
I think not.
It's easy to overlook an earlier bit in which lightning fries the roaster weather vane atop the Haunted House into a cooked roast.
Warner is telling us that America's goose will be toast IF we ever allow a traitorous minority to install Red Commie KGB Chief Vlad "The Mad Russian" Putin's puppet Rump into our White House.
Just this morning on CNN Congresswoman Wasserman-Schultz of Florida estimated as least six million of our most loyal, patriotic, True Blue citizens--including many war heroes--will be rubbed out, liquidated, erased, slain, and murdered due to Putin's Rump Care bill passed yesterday (May the Force be With You, 2017).
If memory serves, this is how many Jews Hitler burned up during the Holocaust.
Perhaps Warner is forecasting with JEEPERS CREEPERS that we should expect a Rumpocaust Memorial to be erected on our National Mall 75 years from now. |
tt0042771 | Mystery Street | Blonde B-girl Vivian (played by Jan Sterling) is pregnant and tries to contact the father to seek financial help. He refuses to meet and stops taking her calls. She goes to "The Grass Skirt" bar in Boston where she works and picks up a drunk (Marshall Thompson) so she can use his car to drive to Cape Cod, where she can confront the father face to face.
Vivian drives with the car's owner drunk by her side. When the man realizes he's miles from Boston, he demands to be taken back. Instead, she ditches him and steals the car. But the father of the child, James Harkley, kills Vivian rather than pay up or risk exposure of the affair to his wife and family. He buries Vivian's body and sinks the car in a pond.
A day later, the drunk reports the car stolen to his insurance but neglects to mention the blonde, not wanting to get in trouble with his wife (Sally Forrest), who had been hospitalized suffering from the loss of a pregnancy. Months later, the B-girl's skeleton is found half-buried on a beach. State Police Lt. Peter Morales (Montalban), assigned to the District Attorney's Office in Barnstable, teams up with Boston police and uses forensics with the help of Dr. McAdoo, a Harvard doctor (Bennett), to figure out who the woman is.
Morales wants to know how she died. Vivian's nosy landlady (Lanchester) attempts to blackmail Harkley, the man Vivian had been calling from her boarding house, going so far as to visit the wealthy married man and steal his gun. Morales tracks down the stolen car from police records and questions Henry Shanway, the drunk Vivian was with the night she disappeared. Morales eventually finds Shanway's car and he's identified in a police lineup. The innocent man is arrested and charged with the murder.
Dr. McAdoo discovers a bullet stuck in the car. Morales then finds that the landlady has the gun, but not before she tries to blackmail Harkley for $20,000, is knocked over the head and dies. Morales chases but loses the killer. He comes across a hidden baggage check in the landlady's bird cage, which sends Morales racing to catch the killer before the murder weapon can be disposed of. At the train station, he apprehends Harkley and takes him into custody. Shanway gets to be set free. | murder | train | wikipedia | In the unusually large cast besides Montalban as Pete Morales were Sally Forrest, Marshall Thompson, Elsa Lanchester, Edmon Ryan as the villain, Bruce Bennet as a forensics professor, Betsy Blair, Jan Sterling and many others.
A "B" girl being told to get lost by her rich married boyfriend has to hijack a car driven by a second man to get from Boston to Cape Cod. Months later, she turns up as a skeleton near Cape Cod. Working from clues with a forensics professor, Morales tries to free the innocent motorist she had hijacked from suspicion, prevent another killing and catch the guilty man.
It's mainly simply a crime story where we meet a bunch of characters responsible for a killing that took place.I thought the leading characters, played by Ricardo Montalban and Bruce Bennett, were upstaged by a couple of ladies, namely Elsa Lanchester and Jan Sterling, although the latter is killed off quickly.
By the way, if you liked Montalban in this kind of movie, check out "Border Incident," a noir he starred in the previous year.This particular story won't keep on edge because we know early on who is the murderer.
"Lt. Morales" (Montalban) gets valuable help from "Dr. McAdoo" (Bennett) is piecing the case together.It's "Mrs. Smerling" (Lanchester) who is the most fun to watch in this film.
As a result, viewers come away with a sense that the film is an ensemble piece when in fact it isn't.Jan Sterling is well cast as Vivian, a young, blonde hussy who is in trouble with the wrong people.
The look and feel is very 1940s, with scenes at a seedy rooming house, a tawdry bar called the Grass Skirt, and sleazy music to match.The main reason I chose to watch this film is because of the mystery genre and the casting of wonderful Elsa Lanchester.
CSI fans might laugh or find it charmingly quaint, but I don't recall any other "noir" type of films that I've seen from this era talk about forensic details to the extent that this film does.I won't spoil the movie, but there are two scenes I'd like to comment on:1) While Ricardo Montalban is searching the office of a snobby Cape Cod blue blood, the blue blood (Mr. Harkley) says to him, "The Harkleys have been here since before this land became known as the United States.
Jan Sterling, (Vivian Heldon),"Female on the Beach",'55 gave a great short supporting role and played a very important part in this nice Mystery Story!
It is partnered with "Act of Violence" on a "film noir" DVD which offers an excellent evening of entertainment from two lesser-known movies of that genre.Ricardo Montalban plays a Portuguese-American police detective trying to piece together the clues left behind by a skeleton found buried in the sand dunes near Hyannis, Massachusetts.
The rest of the cast is filled with great little cameo performances, most with one scene each in rapid-fire succession.So fans of classic police drama will find much to enjoy in "Mystery Street," a movie which certainly foreshadows current trends in that genre, and gives fine actors a great showcase for their talent.**** out of *****.
John Sturges' taut, tense thriller combines a documentary style (including location shooting in Boston) with intense performances, striking photography, and a fresh-for-its-time approach to its murder mystery plot.
When floozy Vivian Heldon (Jan Sterling as the anti-Judy Holliday :-) hijacks grieving father Henry Shanway's (Marshall Thompson) car to go shake down James Harkley (Edmon Ryan), the rich father of her baby-in-progress, she's next seen as a skeleton washed up on a Hyannis beach.
Lt. Pete Moralas (Ricardo Montalban) enlists the help of Harvard forensic criminologist Dr. McAdoo (an avuncular yet no-nonsense Bruce Bennett), and the results are as riveting as a good episode of one of the "CSI" series.
I liked the way the investigation and forensic evidence rang true while the story (Leonard Spigelgrass got an Oscar nomination) kept me on the edge of my seat with twists and turns, including a monkey wrench thrown into the works by the late Vivian's blackmail-minded landlady, Mrs. Smerrling (a delightfully sly Elsa Lanchester).
A grisly little entry in the police-procedural film noir sub-genre that stars a swarthy Ricardo Montalban as chief detective investigating the death of a mysterious girl (Jan Sterling) whose skeleton is found buried on a beach.
To that end, there are all sorts of little nasty details that come as a bit of a surprise in a film from this time period -- the foot of a skeleton poking out of a sand dune, a photo of a dead woman lying in a pool of blood, the tiny bones of an unborn baby being contained in an envelope -- and the film goes out of its way to emphasize the deadness of a dead human body (as Jan Sterling's body is being carried away from the car in which she was just shot, the murdered accidentally thunks her head against the car door).Sterling, despite the fact that she usually played caustic, cheap blondes, always had a winning quality for me, and I was somewhat bummed that she dies so early on.
"Mystery Street" might be revealing as to what makes a Sturges film what it is.I mean, there's the Mexican-American lead male, Ricardo Montalban, who is far more believable than, say, Humphrey Bogart.
The cast list is as long as your arm, but the leads – Ricardo Montalban, Sally Forrest (top-billed, despite her small role), Bruce Bennett (giving a rather off-hand performance), Elsa Lanchester (at her best!), and the well-cast Marshall Thompson – hardly qualify as box office draws.
In Boston, the prostitute Vivian Heldon (Jan Sterling) is pressed by Mrs. Smerrling (Elsa Lanchester), who is the greedy owner of the boarding house when she lives, to pay the rent of the room that is late.
Detective Peter Morales (Ricardo Montalban) is assigned to investigate the case without any clue; however the coroner Dr. McAdoo (Bruce Bennett) from Harvard gives technical support to Morales and he finds the identity of Vivian.
Will Detective Morales proceed his investigation and find the real killer?"Mystery Street" is an engaging film-noir directed by John Sturges.
It stars Ricardo Montalban, Sally Forrest, Bruce Bennett, Elsa Lanchester, Marshall Thompson & Jan Sterling.
The police, led by Montalban's Hispanic detective, Pete Morales, think they have their man when it emerges that she was seen leaving the Grass Skirt bar with a drunk Henry Shanway (Thompson).
However, aided by Dr. McAdoo at Harvard Medical School (Bennett), Morales starts to unravel the mystery and identity of the killer.Not the classic film noir piece that some DVD marketers want you to believe it is (strip away Alton's brilliant shades and shadow work and it's just a forensic based who done it), the film however triumphs on account of its wrong man premise and the interesting characters woven into the plot (Lanchester walks away with the movie as a devious and batty landlady).
The procedural aspect of the story is given weight by the forensic angle used (the CSI film noir tag that comes with the film is an apt one), while some social awareness is deftly slotted in via Morales' immigrant background.Good writing, visually impressive and paced with no little skill, Mystery Street is recommended to the mystery thriller fan.
Ricardo Montalban is a police detective, Lt. Morales, who thinks he's caught a murderer in "Mystery Street," a 1950 noir-ish B with an excellent cast that includes Elsa Lanchester, Sally Forrest, Bruce Bennett, Jan Sterling and Marshall Thompson.
As Grace Shanway, Henry's wife, Sally Forrest portrays the desperation of the situation, her grief over losing a baby, and her belief that her husband didn't kill anyone - but her doubt over whether or not he slept with the victim.This is a highly interesting film with some wonderful Boston and Harvard location shots and good performances.
Vivian was reported missing six months earlier by another boarder who resided in the same rooming house where Vivian was known to use the landlord's downstair hallway phone regularly to call her male companions.As this film was released in 1950 I was more than impressed with the manner in which the lead detective Peter Moralas (played by a young looking Ricardo Montalban) teamed up with Harvard University doctor/scientist named Dr. McAdoo (played by Bruce Bennett.
The film is a very good crime/drama/mystery with good acting and an intriguing plot filled with sex, greed, suspicion, blackmail, assault, and of course the earliest signs of how forensic science has assisted in determining the W5, who, what, why, when and where of a murder victim.This is a movie well worth seeing..
It bears some of the trademarks of the genre, such as the extremely moody and effective black & white lighting by John Alton.Ever charming Ricardo Montalban stars as Boston detective Pete Morales, working an interesting case.
So he calls upon Harvard forensic specialist Dr. McAdoo (Bruce Bennett), who determines that the person was a woman named Vivian Heldon (Jan Sterling), who as we saw from the prologue, met a bad end while desperately trying to get in touch with a particular man."Mystery Street" is quotable and enjoyable, and snappily paced.
It also gives fine showcases to its supporting cast: Bennett, a fun Elsa Lanchester in an amusing turn as an eccentric landlady, Marshall Thompson as an unfortunate sap who falls under suspicion due to his circumstances, Sally Forrest as the saps' agitated wife, Edmon Ryan as an upper class type, and Betsy Blair as an associate of the murder victim.
RICARDO MONTALBAN is thoroughly convincing as a detective who has to solve a baffling murder when a woman (JAN STERLING) disappears suddenly in Cape Cod. Turns out she was a prostitute, so there's a long list of possible suspects, the chief one being an innocent man (MARSHALL THOMPSON) who is wrongly accused of the crime.BRUCE BENNETT is effective as a professor at Harvard Medical School who is able to obtain some clues from the skeletal remains washed up on the beach.
And ELSA LANCHESTER just about walks off with any scene she's in as a batty landlady who turns out to be too greedy for her own good.With its shadowy, low-key lighting and film noir atmosphere, it's a fast-moving story well paced by John Sturgess who keeps the tale taut and tense enough throughout, only slowing a little toward the ending.Well worth watching, a surprisingly noirish melodrama full of gritty moments not usually found in the glossier sort of films MGM was more famous for..
Nevertheless a super film and well worth seeing with so many good performances, notably Ricardo Montalaban as the police officer in charge and a lovely turn by Elsa Lanchester, a bit laid back in her early scenes as the boozing landlady but when she starts to get into the action - wow!.
Mystery Street casts him as a police detective getting and solving a missing person case that turns into a homicide.The victim is Jan Sterling and she's seen in a brief and memorable prologue where she's a girl who gets around.
She catches on before the police do who the real killer is and it costs her dear.Some future Hollywood heavyweights were involved in the making of Mystery Street, it's an early film for director John Sturges who in a few years would be getting bigger budgets and writer Richard Brooks who would soon be directing.
But never a Studio to go Completely Dark, they attached the also Popular Docu-Style-Scientific/Technological Aspect and here's what Resulted.They had the Advantage of the Best Film-Noir Cinematographer in John Alton an Off-Beat Cast (Montalban, Lanchester, Sterling), and a Cracker-Jack Director in a Young John Sturgess.
John Sturges directed this interesting film that stars Ricardo Montalban as Lt. Pete Morales, a police detective from Boston who is investigating the death of a young woman, whose skeletal remains are found washed ashore on a Cape Cod Beach.
In order to identify them, he takes them to Harvard professor McAdoo(played by Bruce Bennett) who helps Morales with a positive ID, which leads to the arrest of a young man(played by Marshall Thompson) for her murder.
Montalban is good in unusual role for him, and film fascinating as an early example of forensics technology being used to solved crimes, which is quite popular on TV series today..
Can find little to fault here.Sally Forrest does to my tastes have far too little to do, although she does well with what she has a sketchy character and not enough screen time wastes her somewhat.Also found some of the back and forth is at times on the slightly fractured side.However, the performances are all strong, with Jan Sterling being well cast and Ricardo Montalban being a big pleasant surprise in a role one doesn't typically associate him with (of the films and roles seen of his this is from my perspective against type stuff and this is meant in a good way).
Still, Montalban's scene being talked down to by a privileged blue blood is pretty terrific.The story is generally solid, although the action in the last third feels a bit forced.A must-see for Lanchester fans, and worth watching for anyone who likes detective movies..
Ricardo Montalban as a serious and cold detective support by Havard's forensic Dr. McAdoo who joint the missing link...and finally Elsa Lanchester who is magnificent on a greedy and disguised unmarried woman or as she say's "not exactly"...all movie is around her...really a real star of this movie,great noir!!!.
Part noir, part docudrama, it features a brilliant, understated performance by the very talented Ricardo Montalban who plays a detective on Cape Cod who must investigate a murder.
Despite the wife's emotional outburst, Morales acts true to character: as a hardened detective, he stubbornly clings to the belief that the suspect is truly guilty.Meanwhile, Vivian's landlady, Mrs. Smerrling (played very nicely as a nasty eccentric by Else Lancester) discovers Vivian's connection to Harkley so she goes to Cape Cod and attempts to blackmail him.
Mystery Street-I had not heard of this movie until I purchased it as part of the excellent Film Noir boxset from Warner Brothers- volume 4-so far I have seen 5 of the movies from this set and I loved each one.This movie crams a film noir plot complete with femme fatale into the first 15 minutes-a solid paced and economically told story of a B-girl who wants to confront her upscale lover.Along the way she shanghai's the patsies' patsy- a near blind drunk hubby miserable over his wife's miscarriage and takes his car.Shot on location in Boston this film changes perspective the way some folks flip channels during a vice presidential debate.One scene we follow the police(including Ricardo Montalban) and then we see the shifty landlady(Elsa Lanchester) trying to blackmail a killer,etc.This movie is near perfect -except a Thin-Manish gathering of all of the main characters with a speech from the detective before the finale.The DVD has a 5 minute featurette and a commentary track by 2 film historians.
"Mystery Street" is a nice little "film noire" mystery from MGM and Director John Sturges.
Its a dark little film full of night scenes, dark shadows and strategic lighting....and it has not one, but two "femme fatales"."Femme Fatale" number one is Vivian Heldon (Jan Sterling) a prostitute whom we meet in a seedy Boston rooming house trying to phone a rich "boyfriend" in Hyannis, Mass.
'Mystery Street' is a solid drama, with some nice little 'film noir' touches.
The cop in charge, Lieutenant Pete Morales (Ricardo Montalban), calls on Dr. McAdoo (Bruce Bennett), a forensic scientist at Harvard, to help with identification.
Ricardo Montalban, Jan Sterling, and Elsa Lanchester all reside on "Mystery Street." Jan Sterling has a small but pivotal role in this exciting crime drama.
When she is killed, the killer ditches the car and several months later Sterling's skeleton is found along with the awfully wet car.Excellent detective work by cop Ricardo Montalban and as a Harvard professor turned sleuth Bennett leads to the arrest of Thompson, thus destroying his life with his wife, nicely played by Sally Forest.Elsa Lanchester steals the movie as a snoopy, vicious landlady, whose greed shall lead to her demise as well.Well done picture by showing how the real killer is caught at the end.
When she meets up with James Joshua Harkley (Edmon Ryan), he simply shoots her at point blank range, dumps her body in the ocean and her car in a nearby lake and then promptly leaves.Some months later, when part of a human skeleton is found on a beach at Cape Cod, Boston Police Lieutenant Peter Moralas (Ricardo Montalban) is assigned to the case and instructed to liaise with Dr McAdoo (Bruce Bennett) who works at Harvard's Department of Legal Medicine.
The locations are Boston and Cape Cod. The reason it has to be set around Boston is that a forensic physician from Harvard (Bruce Bennett) is brought into the plot to help solve the riddle of the victim's (Jan Sterling's) identity and the means of her murder.The lead detective is Ricardo Montalban and the plot focuses on him, but there is room for an abundance of supporting players, all of whom have important functions in the story -- Marshall Thompson as the unlucky schmuck who is arrested for the killing, Sally Forrest as his wife, Elsa Lanchester as a chuckling would-be blackmailer who pushes her prinked charm a little too far, Betsy Blair as the helpful friend of the victim, and Edmon Ryan as the haughty aristocrat who kills the pregnant B-girl Sterling to protect not just himself but his family but who doesn't get an ounce of sympathy from the script anyway.In fact, Montalban, the probing detective, doesn't show anybody any sympathy either.
Police Lt. Pete Morales (Ricardo Montalban) investigates with the help of Harvard forensic specialist Dr. McAdoo (Bruce Bennett).This starts very well. |
tt0112431 | Babe | Babe, an orphaned piglet, is chosen for a "guess the weight" contest at a county fair. The winning farmer, Arthur Hoggett, brings him home and allows him to stay with a Border Collie named Fly, her mate Rex and their puppies, in the barn.
A duck named Ferdinand, who poses as a rooster to spare himself from being eaten, persuades Babe to help him destroy the alarm clock that threatens his mission. Despite succeeding in this, they wake Duchess, the Hoggetts' cat, and in the confusion accidentally destroy the living room. Rex sternly instructs Babe to stay away from Ferdinand (now a fugitive) and the house. Sometime later, when Fly's puppies are put up for sale, Babe asks if he can call her "Mom".
Christmas brings a visit from the Hoggetts' relatives. Babe is almost chosen for Christmas dinner but a duck is picked instead after Hoggett remarks to his wife Esme that Babe may bring a prize for ham at the next county fair. On Christmas Day, Babe justifies his existence by alerting Hoggett to sheep rustlers stealing sheep from one of the fields. The next day, Hoggett sees Babe sort the hens, separating the brown from the white ones. Impressed, he takes him to the fields and allows him to try and herd the sheep. Encouraged by an elder ewe named Maa, the sheep cooperate, but Rex sees Babe's actions as an insult to sheepdogs and confronts Fly in a vicious fight for encouraging Babe. He injures her leg and accidentally bites Hoggett's hand when he tries to intervene. Rex is then chained to the dog house, muzzled and sedated, leaving the sheep herding job to Babe.
One morning, Babe is awakened by the sheep's cries and sees three dogs attacking them. Though he manages to scare them off, Maa is mortally injured and dies as a result. Hoggett arrives and, thinking that Babe killed her, prepares to shoot him. Fly is so anxious to find out whether he is guilty or innocent that, instead of barking orders at the sheep, she talks to them to find out what happened. Learning the truth, she barks to distract Hoggett, delaying him until Esme mentions that the police say feral dogs have been killing sheep on neighboring farms and asks him why he has taken his shotgun out.
When Esme leaves on a trip, Hoggett signs Babe up for a local sheepherding competition. As it is raining the night before, Hoggett lets him and Fly into the house. However, Duchess scratches him when he tries to speak to her, so Hoggett immediately confines her outside. When she is let back in later, she gets revenge on Babe by revealing that humans eat pigs. Horrified, he runs out to the barn and learns from Fly that this is true. The next morning, Fly discovers that Babe has run away. She and Rex alert Hoggett and they all search for him. Rex finds him in a cemetery and Hoggett brings him home. However, he is still demoralized and refuses to eat. Hoggett gives him a drink from a baby bottle, sings to him "If I Had Words" and dances a jig for him. This restores Babe’s faith in Hoggett's affection and he begins eating again.
At the competition, Babe meets the sheep that he will be herding, but they ignore his attempts to speak to them. As Hoggett is criticized by the bemused judges and ridiculed by the public for using a pig instead of a dog, Rex runs back to the farm to ask the sheep what to do. They give him a secret password, first extracting a promise that he will treat them better from now on. He returns in time to convey the password to Babe, and the sheep now follow his instructions flawlessly. Amid the crowd’s acclamation, he is unanimously given the highest score. While he sits down next to the farmer, Hoggett praises him by saying, "That'll do, Pig. That'll do." | cute, fantasy, entertaining, boring | train | wikipedia | It is a fantasy world where animals speak just like humans do.....albeit not in Australian accents, which is where the film is meant to be set.The hero of this tale is a young pig named Babe, who is transfered from the pig pen, to the village fête, to the hands of Farmer Hoggett who wins the little fellow in a prize raffle(James Cromwell).
Not so warm is Rex (voiced by Hugo Weaving of Agent Smith fame), her growling no nonsense other half, who believes pigs do not belong with sheepdogs.Babe is portrayed as the personification of innocence, and his gleeful and inquisitive nature brings him into contact with a host of farmyard animals.
But Babe has an awful lot of ambition for a little animal, and his heart is set on being a "sheep-pig".There are moments of sadness in this film, such as loss and death, but it is mainly sweet natured and enchanting.
I recall sitting in the theater before the movie commenced, looking at my watch and estimating the time it would end, when my life could begin again after this rude 90 minute interruption.Then the film began.
we Americans have never been good at telling children's stories without being condescending and heavy-handed with the moral message.The story takes place in some fairy tale amalgam of all the rural cultures of the English-speaking world - Sometimes it seems like England, other times Kansas, Australia, New Zealand, it's really never anywhere particular.
When this came out -- years ago, I thought, "Wow, this is pretty amazing" and since then movie audiences have been amazed at a number of camera tricks, computer-enhanced people, animals, monsters, and who knows what....so this kind of story with fun special effects is no longer is unique.However, it's so charming, so nice a story that it should hold up as solid entertainment for a long, long time.
I haven't found an adult friend yet who didn't like this film.It also was good to see James Cromwell play a nice guy, too.
I love this film because it has a sweet lining, yet tells a deep story about resolve, goodness, and the struggles of life in a very large sense.
As Farmer Hoggett begins to notice the unusual way Babe can work with the sheep he begins to groom him for that role much to the worry of his wife and the other farm animals.Written by the guy who wrote the Mad Max films that's what kills me.
I've seen this several times and the silent, wonderful climax to the sheepdog trials makes me choke everytime (even if it is predictable).All the voices are good and the use of animals is faultless.
Babe is a great hero and you feel for him from the start to the end when he gives a little satisfied sigh it's difficult not to feel warm inside.Overall this is one of the best children's films I've seen it's light and unassuming and not a classic but it is comic, gentle and ultimately heart warming what more do you want?.
In the end, there's not a whole lot to this film, but the good things outweigh the bad, the dark edges keep it all from getting too sappy, and some of the more expressive moments truly achieve a kind of magic.
Although it is billed as a children's film, and the message is portrayed via farm animals who can talk, people of all ages should be able to connect with, and appreciate the coming together of different cultures to achieve a common good.
My Take: The CITIZEN KANE of talking animal movies.For many years, BABE has been on the same line as THE WIZARD OF OZ and E.T., as a classic family film.
Before being bogged down into terribly mediocre films like RACING STRIPES, talking animal movies can actually potentially achieving as this one.
That is, except for the compassionate farmer Arthur Hoggett (James Cromwell), the most valuable human character in the movie, who sees his talents as a pig who actually knows how to herd sheep (by talking to them respectively, no less).BABE maybe a straightforward children's film, but it no doubt still has power to charm any adult audience out there, thanks to its adult script, thankfully co-written by George "MAD MAX" Miller adapted from a novel by Dick King-Smith, and an especially endearing performance by the underrated James Cromwell as the farmer.
Just suffice to say that by using very realistic puppets from the Henson Workshop and lots of live creatures, they managed to convincingly tell a story where the audience is pulled into it--and actually can accept that the animals talk and do other extraordinary things.What I love about the film is its tremendous sense of style.
Not only does it have a wonderful idea, but the combination of great music, amazing cinematography, storybook farms that look like David Winter cottages, the best voice actors you can imagine and those wonderful mice all work together to make a film that is a truly unique viewing experience.Overall, what's not to like?
By the way, as excited and in love with this film as I was and am, I feel almost 180 degrees different about the abomination that was the sequel, BABE: PIG IN THE CITY.
A "kids' movie" that's enjoyable for audiences from 8 to 80 years old, with a smart script/direction, great characters (human and animal beings!) and an unforgettable climax.
The Greek choir of mice often steals the show (their interpretation of Édith Piaf's "Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien" is classic), but it's Babe's, Hoggett's (the brilliant James Cromwell) and Maa's humanity that makes this story so special.
I absolutely love babe, i think it's a wonderful, a fantastic children's movie to watch with the whole family, the movie is about a pig that is separated from it's mother, brothers and sisters.
A lot of what has been said is also impertinent in order for kids to be able to enjoy this film.Babe is a movie for all ages, with beautiful (slightly dated making it a relic of movie design history) design and story.
The short chapters make it easy for children to consume and the characters in my opinion are lovable and therefore I can easily empathise with.Babe could end up being a moral time capsule and is worth watching as an adult if you want to learn about the history of animal liberation.
James Cromwell is terrific as Farmer Hoggett, the voice actors of all the animals are great, the movie is visually gorgeous.
A Kid's Flick With Just Enough Heart To "Round Up"Adults, Too. When it comes to children's movies, "Babe" pretty much corners the market on successful genre characteristics with its talking animals, simple humor, & heartfelt story.For a basic plot summary, "Babe" tells the story of a pig who, after losing his mother, gets brought to a small family farm.
When we did, it was one of those memorable occasions you wish you could experience again; kind of like a family tradition we had of watching "It's a Wonderful Life" each Christmas season as a "feel good" mood changer.
Arthur lets Babe, the little pig,to participate in a sheepdog contest even though he is not a "dog." Babe mentions many problems but friendship between him and his friends and Arthur makes Babe strong.The most interesting point of this movie, in my opinion, is that friends around Babe, including Arthur, respects and loves him.
Even though the first appearance is not really good, the person, the animal in this movie, might be a great one or he or she might has a wonderful skill of something.In conclusion, this movie is a story of a pig who is good at leading sheep.
I recall first watching this movie in August 1995(I've seen it again no fewer than twice since) with minimal expectations,figuring it was at least better than the poorly planned Gordy,which was released earlier that year(if I recall correctly),and wondering if they could pull off the "talking pig" film for kids.
What I found simply blew me away.The simple story of a piglet(voiced by Christine CAvanaugh) who is adopted by eccentric and kindly FArmer Hogget(JAmes Cromwell,kick-starts his career here and deservedly so),and slowly but surely earns his destiny as something more than being merely food by becoming a herding or "sheep pig".
He becomes this through the gentle guidance of Fly,the lady sheepdog(voiced by Miriam MArgoyles) who becomes the surrogate mom for the initially lost pig.Despite the reluctance of the confused male,alpha sheepdog(voiced by Hugo Weaving,well before become a celebrated mythic character actor in future films) and the skepticism of practically everyone on the farm,Babe goes about this unusual endeavor with positive results,to the amazement of--among others--Hogget's wife(Magda Szubrski,who would get much more work in the sequel).With additional voicing by(among others) Danny MAnn(as the loopy Ferdinand the Duck,who comes to believe BAbe is his "lucky pig"),Russi Taylor(as the ostensible villain,Duchess,the spoiled house cat)and the narration of Roscoe Lee Browne,for whom in my opinion makes the difference between this being a thoughtful,intelligent movie for all ages and merely something elementary,this movie--a treatment of a Dick KIng-Smith novel and a George Miller screenplay--is a true treat.
Reminiscent of "Charlotte's Web", this wonderful piece of Cinema Magic combines live action with state of the art technical tricks that will leave any viewer spellbound throughout the film.The story of a farmer and his attachment to a small pig he won at a Carnival develops into a special relationship of mutual respect and affection.
Sometimes, some shine out as actually quite good and can indeed be entertaining to thinking, mature people and not just infants.Babe is one of the greatest examples of a "family" (i.e., child-oriented) film that excels so well in almost every respect, that it transcends the apparent goal of "family" entertainment and is a great movie.To start, the film is, of course, a very sweet, heart-warming tale.
It contains the usual themes, talking animals, and sweetness, but one must admit that the whole idea of a "sheep pig" is really quite different and obviously possesses possibilities for amusement.The film also develops very well.
There is also actually some character development, even if much of it (except for Farmer Hoggett)is confined to the animals.Critical to appealing to thinking audiences, the film also is very good at making one care about the characters and events.
Won by a Farmer (James Cromwell) at a state fair for use as a future Christmas ham, Babe the pig is taken in by his surrogate mother Fly, a sheepdog.
Being a sheep dog seems to him like a good plan!Beautifully done with tons of style and excellent special effects and musical score, this movie is CLASSIC.I love Babe!Kids will enjoy it too, but it's so much more than a children's movie..
Very good movie about that little pig who gets to live on the Haggett's farm.
The lead farmer, Mr. Hoggett, played by James Cromwell, is a model of reticence and folksy wisdom, and he really does lead the movie, whatever the title role of Babe, who remains, after all, a pig.
To do that he quit being a doctor and started Australia's most successful independent production company.Through lots of twists and turns he finds himself writing the screen play for a children's movie called babe also produced by his production company.So here we have the story of a little pig who ends up on a small farm where there are no pigs.
A young, orphaned pig is adopted by a kindhearted farmer and brought to live amongst a zany group of farm animals, including a duck who thinks he's a rooster, a herd of talkative ewes, a trio of singing mice, and a group of the town's most talented sheep dogs.
I mean, on the one hand, it got very good reviews and it was from Australia, but on the other hand, it was a movie about a pig that ends up working as a sheep dog!
I mean, on the one hand, it got very good reviews and it was from Australia, but on the other hand, it was a movie about a pig that ends up working as a sheep dog!
On the "children level" the story is rather simple: little polite orphan, pig Babe, lives happily on the farm with his various animal friends and a good master, does a valuable job and makes his master and all of his friends proud.
On the "children level" the story is rather simple: little polite orphan, pig Babe, lives happily on the farm with his various animal friends and a good master, does a valuable job and makes his master and all of his friends proud.
From the beginning of the movie, when Babe thinks his mother and all of his brothers and sisters are going to "Pig's heaven", as everyone says, when in fact they are taken to be slaughtered, move is full of such black humour, including Mrs. Hoggett calling Babe "my little pork-chop", and farmer Hoggett wanting to kill Babe because he thinks that Babe is so much like a sheep dog that he could kill a sheep!
From the beginning of the movie, when Babe thinks his mother and all of his brothers and sisters are going to "Pig's heaven", as everyone says, when in fact they are taken to be slaughtered, move is full of such black humour, including Mrs. Hoggett calling Babe "my little pork-chop", and farmer Hoggett wanting to kill Babe because he thinks that Babe is so much like a sheep dog that he could kill a sheep!
Sure, a pig who herds sheep is a little corny, but like the plot or not, the movie is, as I say, Just About Flawless.
But I really liked the film because it's a pleasing family-friendly film that features a dynamic story, great acting, and just very cute animals.Chris Noonan's film tells the story of Babe and his life at Farmer Hoggett's farm.
We also get some good voice acting from the likes of Hugo Weaving and Christine Cavanaugh, who recently passed away, as the titular character of Babe.Overall, Babe is a timeless classic and a film that generations of people will be able to enjoy.
This is a feel-good animal film based on the children's novel, Babe, a story about Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell) winning a runty piglet named Babe at the local fair.
The pig befriends the other animals on Mr. Hoggett's farm and learns and takes on the job of sheep-herding.Though a children's story, this film can be enjoyed by adults as well, as it is heartfelt and charming that is perfect for the entire family.
The special effects team did a great job in making the real life animals talk, so you have to suspend reality for several minutes and imagine a world where animals can interact with each other like humans can.This film reminds me of Charlotte's Web, where the pig of that film has an innocent personality whose inquisitive nature eventually brought the farm animals closer, much like the characters in this film.
Then he began training babe in earnest for participation in the sheep dog contest.I love this film because this describes the world of animals speaking words.
Babe is a great movie with a really sweet storyline,a great voice cast as well as an inspired performance by James Cromwell and some very likable and memorable characters.The movie is a great movie for the whole famly,it has enough in it to entertain both younger and older audiences.I certainly don't think that is a Best Picture nominee,although it did definitely deserve the Academy Award Best Visual Effects as the movie is very well made.These talking animal films are usually only fun for children,but Babe has enough in it for the entire family to enjoy and I would highly recommend it as a film for the whole family to watch.Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell) trains a pig who was taken away from his mother and grew up with sheepdogs,to herd sheep himself..
It's an animal-centered movie but through its inspirational story and endearing sweetness, remains closer to "Bambi" and "Dumbo" than "The Jungle Book" or even "The Lion King"."Babe" is the name of a little pig that grew up in an Australian farm owned by Arthur Hogget (James Cromwell) and dreamed of becoming a sheep dog.
Also, it starts off the core of the story, which is less the coming-of-age of Babe than the beautiful relationship between the little pig and his master.James Cromwell, was rightfully Oscar-nominated for Best Supporting Actor because this is the kind of role you can't cheat on.
In the movie Babe the pig is bought to Farmer Hoggett's (James Cromwell) farm and taken under the care of Fly the Sheepdog.
The plot of this story is simple, which is good for the kiddies, and the adults will enjoy this too as it has many life lessons demonstrated by the animals on display.The special effects here are great for the time, although there have been advances (just watch almost any cat/dog food commercial nowadays).
As much as I love the original Dick King-Smith novel upon which this was based ('the Sheep Pig'), I definitely feel that the screenwriters here did a great job in fleshing the story and characters out even further, giving us a deeper and more intricate picture along the theme of seeing eye-to-eye with others.Almost ten years on, 'Babe' still remains one of the most rewarding and thoroughly heart-warming family films you're ever going to see - well-made and lovable, it works a real treat.
With some characters that you will just fall in love with, Babe is a true family film and will entertain you again and again.
Which is a strange thing to say when the entire plot of the first film has a lot to do with whether our trusty hero will end up as Christmas dinner.And that's why "Babe" is better than any talking animal movie has any business being. |
tt0043140 | The Woman in Question | Agnes Huston, an English widow, is found murdered at her house. Superintendent Lodge, the detective on the case, and Inspector Butler start questioning people closely associated with her. Her neighbour Mrs. Finch, tells Lodge that Agnes is a gentlewoman, and throughout her rendition Agnes is shown in a pleasant looking, smart and well-mannered light. She explains that Agnes’ sister Catherine Taylor is a rude, obnoxious woman.
According to Mrs. Finch, once before Agnes’ husband Charles died, Catherine made an unpleasant entry. Agnes and Catherine had an argument about Agnes’ husband having an affair with Catherine. Catherine then left after hurting Agnes’ feelings. On another occasion, Bob Baker, Catherine’s boyfriend once tried to make advances to Agnes and got censured for it. A few days later, Baker and Catherine barged into their apartment and forced their way to see Agnes. Finch ran to get the help of Mr. Pollard, a timid pet store owner opposite the building, who came in but withdrew in fear. Catherine and Baker threatened to kill everyone and left. This leads Lodge to question Catherine.
Catherine tells that the day she visited her sister, Mrs. Finch gave a bad welcome to her. According to Catherine’s rendition, Agnes is a drunk, not-very-pleasant-looking woman, who is also rude in her manners. Catherine told Agnes, in a nice way, that she went to visit Charles; however, Agnes accuses her and Charles of having an affair. They then end up in an argument and Catherine leaves in contempt. She admits to dating Bob Baker and getting engaged with him. After Charles’ death, Catherine and Baker visit Agnes but are intercepted by Mrs. Finch at the door. The two politely insist their way in. Baker arrives at Catherine’s and Lodge and inspector start questioning him after sending Catherine off. He admits to meeting Agnes at her workplace — she is a fortune teller named Astra. He, being a marketer by profession, gave her an ad script to go through. He tells Lodge that he went to her place another day, to ask about it but Agnes hardly showed any concern to it and meets Catherine there. He visited her two days later, where Agnes attempted to seduce him. When he refused, Agnes got mad and shouted at him to get out. The day when Catherine and he went to visit Agnes because she was interfering with Bob’s divorce with his former wife, she treated them disrespectfully and asked them to get out.
Lodge and the inspector go to meet Andrew Pollard, the pets and birds seller opposite Agnes’. He starts to narrate with a very happy and thoughtful face. He portrays Agnes as a nice, sensitive and ever-smiling woman. She once came into his shop to ask for help with her bird. He visited her another day to tell her that her bird is dead but offered a parrot to replace it. On the day Catherine visited, Mr. Pollard comforted Agnes. Another day, he was politely sent away from her place due to the arrival of one Michael Murray, a naval officer and friend of Charles. On the day Catherine and Baker barged in and Pollard was called for help, he bravely repelled both of them and sent them out (completely opposite to what Mrs. Finch said earlier). He admits that he had fallen for Agnes and she accepted to marry him the previous night but was unfortunately found dead in the morning.
Superintendent Lodge and the inspector visit Agnes’ residence with few others once again and catch Murray as he enters. Lodge questions him. He also admits to have met her at her fortune-telling place. He gives her a bird he won. They immediately date and go to Astra’s (Agnes's) house to sleep together. He then set sail and returned after about three months. She immediately welcomes him and they kiss. Just then Pollard the bird-seller enters and immediately leaves after seeing them kiss. The parrot he gave is behind them, and Murray asks about him. On another night, when to Murray comes to see Agnes, he sees her with Pollard. He questions her again about him and she answers to him dismissively, angering him. After three more months of sailing, he comes to see her but she is with another man. She presumed he had forgotten about her. He gets furious, manhandles her and leaves in rage.
Lodge remarks that they have seen the central character – Agnes/Astra – only through the eyes of others. Each of these people has seen her differently. He further says that Pollard’s version of the story is the most unlikely of all. They question again a newspaper boy they talked to in the beginning. The boy says that the parrot said “Merry Christmas”, and immediately Lodge deduces the killer. Lodge and the inspector go to Pollard's pet store and Lodge asks Pollard to imagine a situation where Murray could have gotten drunk and entered Agnes' house to kill her. Pollard agrees that it must have happened that way. But, when the killing happens Lodge switches the killer with Pollard, provoking a confession. Pollard confesses uncontrollably, and Lodge and Butler arrest Pollard. | murder, flashback | train | wikipedia | 'The Woman in Question' shows the same person, the fairground fortune-teller Astra (real name: Agnes) as five different people saw her.
Astra has been found strangled and the police chief tries to put together what has happened to her.Jean Kent is excellent - for me, she was at her best in sleazy, tarty roles and the episode seen from her sister's (Susan Shaw) point of view is no exception.
I love the moment when we first see this version of Astra, sprawled in bed in a messy room, drunk.
Hermione Baddeley is equally good as the nosy neighbour Mrs Finch.Jean Kent (in 'Sixty Voices' by Brian McFarlane) felt the episode closest to the character in her view was the happy-go-lucky girl as seen by the Irish sailor played by John McCallum.
When a fortune teller named Astra (Jean Kent) is found murdered, the police investigate and hear several versions of the kind of woman she was in "The Woman in Question," a 1950 British film directed by Anthony Asquith.
Besides Kent, the film features the excellent Hermoine Baddeley and Dirk Bogarde, still in the early part of his career.The police are given five women and therefore, five different stories.
To her neighbor Mrs. Finch (Baddeley), Astra was pure class, gracious and sophisticated with questionable taste in men.
To Pollard, the owner of the pet store who was crazy about her, she was pretty, quiet, and sweet (though the audience can see how manipulative she is); to Baker (Bogarde) who wants to do a nightclub act with her, she is a tart; to her sister, she's a slovenly drunk.Finally, from a violent sailor, Mike Murray, she's a faithless woman who cheats on him while he's away.
She also lets Pollard do things for her for free and must realize he has a crush on her.All in all, an interesting and sometimes funny film.
Kent is excellent in all of Astra's manifestations, and, since I am a Dirk Bogarde fan, I loved seeing him and hearing him with an American accent (which he actually did pretty well with).
"Five Angles on Murder" or "The Woman in Question" is not the most exciting film you'll ever see, and like a lot of British films, it's a bit slow in the beginning, but it's enjoyable..
A Woman in Question (recently IMDb lists it as Five Angels on Murder) is a Rashomon like story told in flashback.
The story develops after a women is found dead and police detectives question witnesses, each of whom provides a different account of events leading to the murder.
For the first twenty minutes or so, the film feels like a run-of-the-mill investigation film noir, but then it takes a unique spin, providing five different accounts of the events.
It is quite interesting to watch from there on in, even though the male characters are rather thin and flat - the investigators in particular.
The conclusion is also a bit disappointing and it is all a bit overly melodramatic at times, but the core of the picture - its middle section - is really quite strong, and that is what causes this film to be much better than the average piece of crime investigation film noir out there..
Sort of like a British "Rashomon"..
Both "Five Angles on Murder" and the Kurosawa film "Rashomon" came out the same year, so it's very possible that neither film influenced the other-- though they sure have a similar style.
Both films consist of a mystery and you see the story through different folks' eyes...and they have extremely different views on exactly what ACTUALLY happened.
Both are worth seeing, though by many "Rashomon" is considered a classic.When the film begins, a child finds a woman dead in her flat.
Apparently she was murdered and the police interrogate several people to try to determine what happened.
She LOVED the deceased and HATED her friend, Mr. Baker (Dirk Bogarde).
When the police talk to the deceased's sister, she sees Baker very differently...as she was in love with him.
And so the movie goes...with the police interviewing different folks and all having a very different view of the dead woman as well as their opinions about who was responsible for her fate.
Of all the folks in the film, Jean Kent really stands out as the victim.
This is because she had to play such a different character depending on the viewpoint of the interviewee...ranging from almost sickly sweet and refined to coarse and god-awful!
While I would never say the film is as good as the Kurosawa film, it IS very good and very well made...far better than most British pictures of the era..
Love murder mysteries, Anthony Asquith often was a very reliable director and Jean Kent, Dirk Bogarde and Hermione Baddeley have all been great in other films.After seeing it, 'The Woman in Question' is solid and has some inventive elements.
It mostly lives up to its potential but doesn't entirely, there are a few short-comings that bring it down from a potentially great film to just a good one worthy still of more credit.
'The Woman in Question' doesn't get into high gear straight away, it's a little too slow to begin with.
Was also one of those people who found the ending abrupt, though the solution was clever and unexpected still.Most of the performances are fine, but for my tastes Duncan Macrae is a little pallid and John McCallum much too hammy.However, 'The Woman in Question' is atmospherically produced and shot.
Asquith directs with a lot of engagement and command of the material, helped by that it's good stuff to work from, and the film is hauntingly scored without intruding too much.Script is thought-provoking and does a wonderful job with the development and writing of the titular character, a complex and juicy one.
The story is not perfect but is mostly tense and suspenseful with some inventive elements, especially in its treatment of the titular character and what we find out about her.With the exception of two, the performances are very good.
The best of the lot is Jean Kent, who is also the best thing about the film and is simply incredible with some of the widest range of emotions ever seen on film.
Dirk Bogarde is charismatic in an early role and his accent, which was a good attempt to stretch his acting chops, wasn't an issue to me.In support, Hermione Baddeley in particular has a ball and Charles Victor has some fine moments, especially in the final third.Overall, good and solid film that could have been more.
Made the same year - 1950 - as Rashomon which is acclaimed for retelling the same story several ways, The Woman in Question does the very same, allowing Jean Kent to portray five rather different versions of Astra, the fortune teller.
The women in the film are much better drawn than the men, despite both the director and writer being themselves men, and despite the narrative framework of the all-male police team.
The combined portrait of Astra is not very flattering, especially her refusal to visit her dying husband, and in her using Pollard, the pet-shop keeper, to work for her for free, but then refusing his polite advances, she is walking a dangerous line.
The underlying sadness of her person comes through, but she is not as sad as Pollard.The outstanding secondary character is Mrs Finch, the nosey neighbour from next door who never stops talking.
Hermione Baddeley, in the part, practically steals the first part of the film to the extent that the rest almost seems like an anticlimax.
This film is a slightly below average detective movie which passes the time if you've nothing else to do.
As with many similar black and white films of the era "The Woman in Question" offers an insight into post-war Britain, but it doesn't hold a candle to "Brighton Rock" which, like this film, also has a seaside setting.The story takes a while to get started, but Jean Kent is excellent as the murder victim as described to the police by different witnesses.
Hermione Baddeley also does well in a dull and overlong role as neighbour Mrs Finch, whose son discovers the murder.
Jean Kent has been murdered in her bedroom.
Duncan Macrae and Joe Linnane conduct the investigation by speaking with the people around her.The gimmick in this movie is that as each of the witness/suspects describes the events, we see it from the speaker's viewpoint...
and the character, appearance and behavior of every individual changes according to whose version we are hearing.
THree years earlier, Hitchcock had misused it in THE PARADINE CASE and the year this came out, Kurosawa directed RASHOMON which seems to assert there is no objective reality.That's not what's happening here.
In the course of so doing, we get to see the actors perform their roles in a variety of manners, particularly Miss Kent, who ranges from slattern to aristocrat.
In the US, this would have been a vehicle for the actress in the lead role looking for an Oscar.
THE WOMAN IN QUESTION is a British detective story of the 1950s and a little different to the rest, following an atypical plot structure, featuring some characters who are presented in a much more harsh and realistic light than is usual for the genre, and set in Brighton, although mostly this is a set-bound little thing.The film turns out to be nothing more than a blatant rip-off of Kurosawa's RASHOMON, with the events leading up to the murder of a young woman told by various different characters who each put their own spin on things.
It's an interesting premise in itself, but the writer is unable to sustain suspense for the entire running time, and in the second half this falls apart quite spectacularly with sub-plots that go nowhere and seem to have been included merely to pad out the narrative.It's a pity, as THE WOMAN IN QUESTION does have some good stuff amid the tedium.
Jean Kent has the chance to play the victim in a number of different characterisations and is completely convincing in all of them.
Dirk Bogarde has a supporting role, but it's an obvious one that he can do little with.
A woman is murdered.
There's not a single character in the film that you care about, nobody's interesting, there's not a trace of suspense, it's just an empty exercise in figuring out who the murderer is (yawn).
They try to pump a little interest into this hackneyed old mystery by portraying most of the story in flashbacks and showing the victim while alive as having a different nature according to how various people saw her.
You won't hate this film, but you'll be lucky to stay awake to the end..
This film repays several viewings.
It's not just Astra who changes according to who's telling her story.
Astra's sister Katie as remembered by Mrs Finch is a nasal-voiced slut.
When we see her with the police (and this we assume is "reality"), she is much nicer than Mrs Finch's view of her, but more lower-class than her own self- image.
In the minds of Mrs Finch and Mr Pollard, Astra is always seen in a shaft of light, her voice is like an angel's - and her dressing gown is clean.
Katie has the unkindest view of Astra - seeing her as a round-shouldered slattern with a growing out perm, a filthy dressing gown, someone who sleeps in her makeup and (ripped) stockings.
But at the very end, when the Inspector tells Pollard "This is what really happened" we see...
Astra herself, not seen through the distorting lens of another character.
And she is the hunched, harsh-voiced woman in the dirty dressing gown.Apart from the unusual psychological detective story (who killed her?
Despite a tendency to be overshadowed by the likes of Carol Reed, David Lean, etc, Puffin Asquith was arguably the finest all-round Director to emerge from England turning out consistent high quality product unlike Reed, for example, whose early work was risible.
By the mid forties Asquith was on a roll and between 1945 and 1952 he turned out six exceptional movies, The Way To The Stars, While The Sun Shines, The Winslow Boy, The Woman In Question, The Browning Version and The Importance Of Being Earnest.
Jean Kent featured prominently in two of the six, this one, and its successor, The Browning Version, a masterpiece and one of the finest films ever produced in England.
Beside Rattigan and Wilde the name John Cresswell gets lost in the shuffle and perhaps rightly so; this was his first screen credit and though he achieved a dozen or so more this was arguably his finest hour and even that was a rip-off of Rashomon.
It was arguably Jean Kent's finest performance and she revelled in the chance to play Astra the Gypsy Fortune Teller who failed to foresee her own demise and who was five women in one, depending on whether it's Hermione Dabbely, Dirk Bogarde, Susan Shaw, Charles Victor or John McCallum who's describing her.
"The Woman In Question" has all the ingredients in place to be a good ol' whodunit, but it is more than that: it is a filmic essay on the subjective nature of truth, on how we frequently see people not for who they are, but for who we want them - or pigeonhole them - to be.
John Cresswell's script is ahead of its time; Anthony Asquith's direction is workmanlike, sometimes routine, but other times creative.
Jean Kent has what must be a dream assignment for any actor who wants to prove their worth - that of playing several characters who are really all one character - and she pulls it off successfully.
This is a film worth seeing - possibly more than once.
***SPOILERS*** Clever Rashomon-like British film involving fortune-teller Madam Aster who was found strangled in her flat in an obvious crime of passion by someone she may not have been that passionate with.With policemen Supt.
Butler called on the scene they check out all the clues to Madam Aster's murder and come up with five suspects.
As the movie goes on we get statements, and flashbacks, from the five suspects in Madam Aster's murder that all contradict each other.
It becomes very apparent to both Lodge & Butler that Madam Aster had deeply offended everyone of the five persons suspected of murdering her.
There's Madam Aster's landlady, and suspect #1, Mrs Finch who didn't like the company that she kept in her apartment that included, suspect# 2, double-talking BS artist and carnival mind reader Bob Baker.
It was Baker who left Madam Aster for her far more attractive sister, and suspect #3, Catherine Taylor after she threw him out of her apartment!
All that the frustrated Pollard ever got from her, for his noble and unselfish services, was nothing more then a handshake smile and thank you!And finally we come to the insanely jealous rummy and bar-room brawler, as well as suspect #5, Sailor Mike Murray who wherever he went violence always followed.
Sailor Mike went nuts when he showed up unexpectedly at Madam Aster's apartment, after being out at sea for three months, and finding her with an other man!
Throwing Madam Aster's boyfriend, or possible John, down a fight of stairs a fired up Sailor Mike then checked out and got himself juiced up in a local ginmill.
With Sailor Mike coming on the scene after Madam Aster's body was discovered by the police was that his way to show that he was innocent of murdering her or him just playing ignorant in order to throw the police off his tail!
***SPOILERS*** It's Supt Lodge who finally cracks the case not by having the evidence lead him to Madam Aster's murderer but the murderer him or herself unknowingly doing the job for him!.
Film Noir in Rashomon Style.
Investigating the brutal murder of a fun-fair fortune teller, a detective encounters five different witnesses' accounts of her character.This ingenious noir thriller provides an opportunity for Jean Kent to give the stand-out performance of her career as the murder victim who is seen though different eyes throughout the narrative.
Every critic in the world has pointed out this obvious fact, but very few have zeroed in on Susan Shaw who gives a far more subtle but nonetheless equally telling interpretation of the victim's sister as her part in the drama is also recalled by the various witnesses.Also handing out an astonishingly well-rounded performance is Dirk Bogarde who cleverly overdoes the bogus American accent in order to tip the audience off to his real persona.
To my mind, Macrae lacks the charisma for this important part and I would have much preferred to see Duncan Lamont, a fine actor, who does wonders with his small and inconsequential role as a direction finder at the fun fair.Asquith has handled his players well, although I thought that a little more ingenuity in camera angles would have made the film even more noirishly appealing..
Movie in question..
At first sight,"woman in question" seems to be a whodunit with a Georges Simenon flavor thrown in.The form seems intriguing,presenting twice some scenes,first from the witnesses' point of view,then from the main characters ' themselves.That's why we have five different portraits of the same woman.She 's so many women that we do not know if she is for example the nice little pet lover who falls for the birdman or the slut whom her sister depicts.Actually the trick is not new at all:see "citizen kane" ,which remains unsurpassed for that matter.And I could mention at least a dozen of movies which follows the same pattern.The crime and the flashbacks recall Marcel Carné's "le jour se lève" (1939).The plot is never really exciting and the final revelation downright disappointing,even if there's a good twist:the scene begins with one of the suspects the culprit and ends up with another one.Although at the top of the credits,Dirk Bogarde is only a supporting actor here.Another disappointment. |
tt0071268 | The California Kid | The story takes place in 1958, and involves a town, Clarksburg, California, with a famous speed trap, in which a disturbed Sheriff Roy Childress (Vic Morrow), whose wife and daughter were killed by a speeder, turns bad, with a habit of deliberately punishing speeders by pushing their cars off the mountain highway in his 1957 Plymouth Belvedere.
Two Navy sailors on leave (one portrayed by Sheen's younger brother, Joe Estevez), speeding to get back to base on time in a 1951 Ford Custom, are pushed off to their deaths by the sheriff. Soon after, a stranger arrives, driving a hot rodded black 1934 Ford three-window coupe. He provokes Sheriff Childress into giving him a speeding ticket on purpose, establishes his credentials with the sheriff as a hot rodder and potential speed maniac, with an explicit reference to the 3-window's tested speed. He pays the ticket in front of Judge J.A. Hooker (Frederic Downs), and it is revealed he is Michael McCord (Martin Sheen), older brother of one of the sailors.
Believing his brother's death was no accident, he does his own investigating, with the help of Maggie (Michelle Phillips). He finds a stripped bumper from his brother's Ford at the impound yard, dented as if by pushbars. He checks out the lay of the land. Knowing how his brother was killed, he goes out to the Curve, testing its limits.
When Lyle Stafford (Gary Morgan), the younger brother of the town's auto mechanic Buzz Stafford (Nick Nolte) is killed and his girlfriend Sissy (Janit Baldwin) badly injured by the sheriff after the duo go for a drive in a 1955 Mercury, McCord sees the pushbars on the sheriff's car. When Buzz wants to kill the sheriff for revenge, McCord persuades him not to. Then the sheriff tries to run McCord out of town, and the stage is set for the climactic duel.
McCord then runs the speed trap, challenging the sheriff, who tries to run him off the road. McCord is ready, knowing his car's limits for the curve, and the sheriff is a victim of his own obsession, going too fast to make the deadly turn. He drives off the cliff, while McCord manages to stop in the sand. | revenge, murder | train | wikipedia | null |
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