MCL1150 Reviews

Roseanne: Into That Good Night, Part II (1997) Season 9, Episode 24

What?!?!?

[2/10 · 7 December 2008]

Let's see. In the "St. Elsewhere" finale we found out that there was no hospital and that every thing had been in the mind of an autistic child. "Newhart" ended by telling us that it had all been a dream. And "Roseanne" ended by telling us that it all had taken place in her mind. Very "creative". Annoying was more like it. Yes, it was just a TV show and wasn't at all reality. It's just that when you get caught up in a great movie or TV show you end up at least wanting to believe that it's all "real". At least as far as the reality it portrays on screen. This type of series finale had been done twice before and was old hat, frustrating and simply not fun to watch. Now "Newhart" being all a dream? At least done in a creative way that far exceeded the expectations of anyone who loved the show. The idea itself was not too engaging but it was so brilliantly done that its arguably the Best Series Finale Ever. Roseanne left me feeling cheated after being such a loyal fan.

12 O'Clock High (1964–1967)

Finally, After All These Years!

[9/10 · 24 August 2008]

As a fan of the theatrical version of 12 O'Clock High (Best Ever War Film!) I finally had a chance to see the TV series that I've read so much about. I even figured that the Robert Lansing episodes must be better because he was playing the TV version of Gregory Peck's General Savage. Lansing (Savage) was the perfect, no nonsense commander. They had a job to do and they had to get it done! As the channel running the episodes is running them out of order, I've seen a good mix of both Lansing as Savage and Paul Burke as Col. Gallagher. I made the transition just fine. I only wish I hadn't known it was going to happen, but what ya going' ta do?

That said though, I like them both just fine. They're different, yes, but in war there's always a big turnover. In fact, I found it hard to believe that such high ranking officers would fly so many dangerous combat missions and Savage finally getting it made it much more realistic. In fact, they way he was lost was a nice bit of outside the box thinking. I also think that 78 episodes were about as far as they could stretch story lines before recycling used Hogan's Heroes scripts. Heck, they practically did for a few episodes when they wrote in the prison camp and "shuttle raid" story lines. They almost had to. By it's very nature, most of the combat takes place in the air which left no real way for more personal "Us vs. Them" action and more plots involving the 918th working with French ground resistance would have gotten old fast.

Anyway, great show with one of the best ever theme songs and I'm savoring every episode. In fact, I've just completed my "25th mission" and hope to see the remaining 53 episodes before some programming genius takes it off the air. They run only one episode a week which is just fine with me, (except for running them out of order) , because I have about a year's supply left. Programming execs not withstanding.

BTW, how many "Picidilly Lilly's" have there been? I count at least four. Savage was shot down three times and Col. Gallagher continues to fly a B-17E named for Lilly.

Roseanne (1988–2018)

Roseanne Stands the Test of Time

[9/10 · 16 July 2008]

For some reason, I completely missed "Roseanne" during its original network run. Only recently have I discovered the show over eleven years after it went off the air. And it's hilarious! I remember reading and hearing so much about what a demon Roseanne was to work with or be married to. Well I don't know if all that tripe was true, but whatever she did worked and worked brilliantly. I was actually shocked at how hard I laughed at some of the episodes. "Roseanne" is plain fall down funny! Roseanne and Darlene's mean one liners almost always zing with a wicked delight and are alone worth the price of admission. Then there's the great John Goodman. I was a fan of his even 'before' the show debuted (See "Raising Arizona" NOW if you haven't!) and he is just fantastic here as Roseanne's hubby Dan Conner. Shows like this are rare. Just compare it to other "family" sitcoms of roughly the same time like "Full House", "Family Matters" and "Home Improvement". Each of the latter were completely predictable and simply not funny. I must have watched five episodes of "Home Improvement". One was enough. They were all the same. All exactly the same! People think that writing for a show like "Roseanne" was easy, but those other lousy shows illustrate perfectly how hard it is. "Roseanne" stayed fresh somehow and each episode makes you look forward to the next. One of "Roseanne's" great trademarks are its gag endings. Surprise appearances by Bob Hope, Luke & Laura, Fabio, a "Graduate" parody and dozens more keep you tuned in literally through the final credits. "Roseanne" could also toss in some great change of pace dramatic episodes such as the one where Dan's mother is committed to a mental asylum. When Dan broke down and cried, I lost it too. "Roseanne" had the talent to pull off an episode like that without embarrassing itself. Yes, "Roseanne" was a comedy centered around a very dysfunctional family, but you knew that they didn't 'actually' hate each other. And that's exactly what made the whole thing work. Anyway, if you haven't yet seen "Roseanne" then you have something wonderful to look forward to. Any show I've never seen that can make me laugh this hard 11 years after leaving the airwaves truly meets with my definition of Standing the Test of Time. Enjoy!

Remington Steele (1982–1987)

Steele the One

[10/10 · 16 May 2008]

Remington Steele is back on TV! I must have seen every single episode back in the 1980s, but luckily my memory of the details has faded so I can see it again for the first time. It last aired over 20 years ago so I haven't had the pleasure since. Pierce Brosnan and Stephanie Zimbalist were simply terrific together. Ms. Zimbalist alone, as they say, was worth the price of admission. A simply gorgeous woman who still looks fantastic 25+ years later. Sure, the producers played the then emerging "Sexual Tension" card, but they had more chemistry between them than formula. I can't remember if they ever hooked up and I can hardly wait to see it all again with fresh eyes and fresh expectations. So far, those expectations have been met. It's every bit the great detective show I remember it to be. It runs second only to TV's immortal great "The Rockford Files" as Best Ever Detective TV Series. One comment about the carbon copy "Moonlighting". Good show. Pale imitation. The pilot should have been titled "Steeleing from the Best". Cyble Shepard needed gauss over the lens for close-ups and Pierce didn't have an annoying smirking habit like Bruce Willis! As for Stephanie ... wow! Sharp as a tack visually and mentally all the while delivering the fantastically crafted dialog. Pierce was great too, but I didn't have a crush on him. Catch the re-runs on the American Life TV Network.

Hudson Hawk (1991)

Everyone's A Critic

[3/10 · 10 May 2008]

Three Razzies? C'mon! I mean, not one "Porky's" nor even a single "Police Academy" earned a Razzie as worst picture of the year, so just how fixed ARE the Razzies?

IMHO, the Razzies are a Hollywood scam. You know. Even bad publicity is good good publicity?

Every film deserves to be seen at least once by anyone who loves movies. OK, so Hudson rates no more than one viewing, but it didn't deserve WORST FILM OF 1992. Just like Plan 9 shouldn't be tagged as Worst Film Ever.

That honor should at least go to a $75,000,000 budgeted stinker. At least Ed D. Wood tried his best with what he had. Ed Wood also had a passion to make films and certainly wasn't in it for the $$$. And anyone who tried to revive the career of a Hollywood legend like Lugosi at least had his heart in the right place.

My guess is that Hawk received the Bottom, or is that Top, Razzie because Willis ruffled too many feathers and the industry punished him accordingly.

IMHO, Peter Jackson's "King Kong" should have fetched at least a Razzie nod if not the grand whammy itself! Talk about awful!

As for me. I watched it once. Not as bad as some would have you believe, but do make sure to see it on DVD or at least on your TIVO box to avoid having to wait through four minute commercial breaks. And if you like, you can make all of the four minute breaks you see fit too.

King Kong (2005)

Why?????

[1/10 · 11 April 2008]

OK, the "Why???" really comes down to money, but I ask "Why?????" as in "Why remake perfection . . . again?" All right, this time we didn't get Ron Baker in a monkey suit, but to me it was simply awful. For starters, it's at least an hour too long. I get it already. It's an island full of weird scary creatures that only want to devour whatever they come across! They can't just get along and every creature tries to kill every other creature. Just when you think the story will finally progress, POW! More monsters! By the time they're attacked by giant spiders in the crevasse I was just like STOP, JUST PLEASE STOP and get on with it! Enough showing off. Even "Jurassic Park" wasn't this over the top. I was practically expecting Barney the Purple Dinosaur to show up and take a crack at a pterodactyl. The only redeeming thing was how Jackson showed such restraint in not having the blonde scream her head off every time another dinosaur tried to eat her. The 1933 original on the other hand? It is absolute perfection. It scared me as a ten year old and it still scares me. The special effects were not only great for 1933, they are in no surpassed by the glossy CGI in this version. Yes you knew that the 1933 Kong was fake, but the SFX worked and worked gloriously for ANY film era. The 1933 animators gave Kong a level of emotion that tears my heart out every time I see it, especially at the end. There's a humanity in that picture that can't be done by today's button pushing computer guys. Besides the 1933 original, look out for a Gary Cooper film called "Wreck of the Mary Deare". It was made in 1959, obviously long before CGI. It contains one of the best ship in peril sequences ever put on film by a studio SFX department. You'd swear that the ship and giant waves were real. I'd love to know how they did it. The shipwreck scene in Peter Jackson's "Kong" looks like a cartoon by comparison and twice as fake. One last quibble. If the natives were so afraid of Kong that they built that giant wall to keep him out, then why did they also build a doorway big enough for him to get through? Maybe install a doggy door, but I would have stopped there. BTW, I docked Peter Jackson's "Kong" one star for being so darn glossy and relying way too much on in your face CGI FX.

The Window (1949)

Top Ten Film Noir

[10/10 · 17 February 2008]

In film, there's two kinds of 'predictable'. First, there's the "I can't believe they'd do something SO INCREDIBLY OBVIOUS!!" type. Then there's the kind of predictable in which you know exactly what will happen next, but the suspense still literally tears you to pieces! "The Window" is definitely the latter and it's all the better for it.

Featuring a great, if mostly unknown cast, this should be counted among the top film noir's ever made. Starring 12 year old Bobby Driscoll, there's also noir vet Paul Stewart, Ruth Roman, Barbara Hale and Arthur Kennedy who's probably the best actor to ever have been Oscar nominated five times without ever having won. Directed by Ted Tetzlaff, Jr., a seasoned and previously Oscar nominated cinematographer himself, virtually every frame is a beautifully crafted black & white image of substantial texture and depth. Photographed by William O. Steiner & Robert DeGrasse, the camera-work is brilliant. The direction of the actors is just as good. Every character comes across as a real, living breathing human being (even the killers) and every actor turns in nothing less than a terrific performance.

As icing on the cake, the rundown tenement and condemned building sets are so perfect that they count as characters themselves. The climatic scene in the abandoned building is simply incredible. How they filmed such a realistic looking nail bitter of a scene in 1949 is beyond me. Today it would all be done on a computer, but not in 1949. I won't ruin it, but I felt like I was right there teetering on the edge of that failing wooden support beam about to plummet three stories along with the characters. Not a bit overdone, this particular scene is one of the best photographed, executed and outright suspenseful scenes ever put on film. And while there is a musical score, it gives way to the natural sound of the setting at key moments rather than to telegraph what's coming next.

With its terrific combination of acting, directing, writing, photography, art direction and restrained musical score, this "little" film is the complete package. At about 73 minutes in length, it's all story and not a second of fluff or padding. I'd bet the farm that if "The Window" ever gets remade they'll add at least 20-30 minutes for fear that today's audience will feel cheated by such a short running time. "The Window" was produced by RKO Studios. Great Film Noir flicks were a specialty of theirs and this is one of the very best.

We Are Marshall (2006)

Moving Because It's True

[7/10 · 21 January 2008]

"We Are Marshall" is a truly moving and enjoyable film. And as far as the sports movie genre goes, the film is better because it's based on a true story. Think of it as being "Brian's Song" multiplied by the tragic deaths of seventy-five people. You know how sports announcers will say "Boy, if you saw this plot in a movie, you wouldn't believe it!"? A film like "We Are Marshall" is proof. Had this been a completely fictional film, it would rate much, much lower. But reality based it is and that gives it a free pass when it comes to all of the obvious clichés. Clichés with lines like "I know what you have inside. You've shown it to me" when coach Lengyel addresses the team before the first home game, or the standard issue slow motion game scenes that every sports film made over the past 30 years uses to heighten the drama. Mostly, the fact that it's a true story helps how predictable the outcomes of the games will be. You'll know just how much you like this film when you root for the team in spite of the fact you already know how the games will end. I did wonder about the reality of one thing. The portrayal of Coach Lengyel as being so quirky and eccentric. Perhaps it's a dead on depiction, but it got to be almost too much at times. If was a true reflection of the man though, then OK. Overall, a real feel good football movie that is very much worth watching. In fact, while you're at it, rent "We Are Marshall" along with "Brian's Song" and "Rudy". It makes a great trilogy!

Arrested Development (2003–2019)

Sadly, "Police Squad!" has company

[9/10 · 29 December 2007]

First, allow me to nominate Arrested Development for the "Police Squade! Memorial Award" which pays homage to hilarious TV comedies canceled well before their time by network Chuckleheads. Somehow I missed "Arrested Development" during most of its original run on FOX. Luckily I've been able to tune in on a Canadian channel and make up for lost viewing. It's maddening that such a terrificly funny show was killed of by such short sighted executives. Even at only 6 episodes "Police Squad!" was hands down the funniest TV show of the 1980s. Arrested Development is clearly the funniest show of the new millennium thus far. Every spoken line has a twisted meaning that always pays off in a way that has me laughing until it hurts! The whole cast is brilliant in their respective roles so I won't single any particular character/actor. Clever, hilarious stuff this is! What really kills me is that "Seinfeld" and "Friends" were mediocre at best but received the kind of accolades in their time that A-D should have gathered in its time. Yes, it won an Emmy, but never garnered the respect it deserved. One of my greatest hopes for network TV is for Arrested Development to make a comeback like "Family Guy" did. A smart network (yes, that IS an oxymoron) would put the show back into production. They could easily pick up where the Bluths left off! BTW, www.saveourbuths.org is still active. "Family Guy" made it back, and on FOX no less, due to the show's building a fan base long after it met with the network wrecking ball. In addition to that, my all-time favorite show, "The Rockford Files", even came back in a series of new TV movies almost 15 years after cancellation. And "Police Squad!"? Even that came back in the form of three theatrical films so it can be done. Give your best shot! Go to www.saveourbluths.org and pile on. If it's worth the effort to post here and complain about how A-D was unjustly canceled, then it's worth the time to try and bring it back! S-O-B Save Our Bluths!

A Christmas Carol (1951)

Too Good for Only Christmas Viewing

[10/10 · 24 December 2007]

I've watched this wonderful adaption of the Dickens classic every year for most of my life. It scared me as an eight year old and it still scares me! Alistair Sim is simply magnificent. He's so believable in the role that I always get lost in it as if I were watching a real life event through a window. For a great many years, CFTO and CBLT out of Toronto, Canada, have broadcast this version at 11:30PM every Christmas Eve and I never tire of it. I only tire of the commercial interruptions! I'm 44 now, but it still gives me the shivers like when I was 35 years younger. In fact, I still go to bed with that same eerie feeling! Every time something goes bump in the night, I pull the covers even tighter over my head. The only disappointment is when I recently found that they changed some of the original Dickens story around and added a couple of extra characters. And as good as the faithful George C. Scott version is, no other adaption even comes close to the brilliance of this one. One year they made the unfortunate mistake of running a horrible colorized version. Now THAT was truly horrifying in its own way. Of course I turned off the color, but I just couldn't believe that anyone would have spent the time and money to wreck it like that. Glorious Black & White is the only way to see it. All in all, this is easily the Best All-Time adaption of "A Christmas Carol". One final thought. As miserable as Scrooge is, you really can't blame everything on him. After all, in the first five minutes, he's accosted for money no less than three times. I'm not rich, but I have to sympathize with just how many times a day someone with money has to deal with people approaching them with the purpose of asking for a hand out! That said, this film is truly too good to only be seen during the Christmas season. Watch it in July if you ever get the chance as it'll give you a somewhat different perspective. Merry Christmas and God bless us all, everyone!

St. Elsewhere (1982–1988)

"AIDS and Comfort"- One of TV's Ground Breaking Episodes

[10/10 · 24 December 2007]

St. Elsewhere isn't only one of television's all-time best dramas, but is arguably the greatest hospital drama of them all. Take "AIDS and Comfort", an absolutely brilliant episode produced in 1983 when AIDS was hardly as much on the public's conscience as it would be only about two years later. The resulting panic of the staff, their incredibly ignorant selfishness regarding the victim, the ensuing media frenzy and how it all compromises a much needed blood drive seems cliché over 24 years later, but this is remarkable stuff for 1983. This episode not only takes the unfounded paranoia about AIDS head on, but it also addresses the misconception that AIDS is strictly a homosexual disease. Again, quite remarkable television that dared to deal with an important subject at a time when people knew so little about the disease. Not only an episode way ahead of its time, but sadly an episode that's still all too timely considering the prejudice AIDS patients continue to live with. And if this episode hadn't broken enough fresh ground with the AIDS plot alone, it also delves into the problem of athletes using steroids to gain an edge. In this case it's a young teen tennis prodigy whose own father is having her take them to advance her career. How timely is THAT? St. Elsewhere has been off the air for over 18 years, but for me it continues to be head and shoulders above "ER", or just about any current drama.

St. Elsewhere: AIDS & Comfort (1983) Season 2, Episode 9

Groundbreaking Episode

[10/10 · 24 December 2007]

St. Elsewhere isn't only one of televisions all-time best dramas, but is arguably the greatest hospital drama of them all. Take this episode, "AIDS and Comfort". The episode was produced in 1983 when AIDS was hardly on the public's conscience as it would be only two years later. The resulting panic of the staff, the media frenzy and how it compromises a much needed blood drive seems cliché over 24 years later, but this is remarkable stuff for 1983. This episode not only takes the unfounded paranoia about AIDS head on, but it also addresses the misconception that AIDS is strictly a homosexual disease. Not only an episode way ahead of its time, but sadly an episode that's still all too timely considering the prejudice AIDS patients continue to live with. And if this episode hadn't broken enough fresh ground with the AIDS plot alone, it also delves into the whole problem of athletes using steroids to gain an edge. In this case it's a young teen tennis prodigy whose own father is having her take them to advance her career. St. Elsewhere has been off the air for over 18 years, but for me it continues to be head and shoulders above "ER". St. Elsewhere paved the way and "ER" grabbed all the glory and big time ratings.

Mexican Spitfire (1939)

The "Mexican Spitfire" Films: A Great Series of RKO Comedies

[7/10 · 23 November 2007]

Lupe Velez. Remember that name. Lupe Velez, the Mexican Spitfire. In a series of extremely funny comedies for RKO she played the title character, Carmelita Lindsay. Wife of Dennis Lindsay, a Caucasian, the films were practically a reverse "I Love Lucy" over a decade ahead of time. Lupe Velez was a vivacious, energetic, beautiful AND funny comedienne. I'd even go so far as to say that her of portrayal of Carmelita Lindsay was a blueprint for Lucielle Ball's Lucy Ricardo. Lupe even had her own humorous way of crying, much as Lucy did. She was also forever getting herself into silly situation after situation and hair brained scheme after hair brained scheme. While she was always married to the same man, (played by different actors) the other constant of the series was character actor Leon Errol as Uncle Matt. Together, Lupe Velez and Leon Errol made a great comedy team! A BIG THANKS to TCM for airing every one of these films back to back. Every time I think that the Hollywood well has run dry of anything I haven't seen that I'd like to, TCM finds something else worthy of attention. I hope TCM runs them again soon so I can see the ones I missed. Solid, funny, well done movies all! The only sad thing connected with them is the fact that Lupe Velez died a suicide in her mid-thirties. If only she had known how much laughter and enjoyment she would have certainly brought to future audiences, perhaps she would had she lived through her depression. If you really love funny films from the 1930s and 40s, these are your kinds of films! Certifiable reasons why it was known as The Golden Age of Hollywood.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Great to Look at, but...

[1/10 · 13 November 2007]

"2001: A Space odyssey" is one of the great cinematic visual experiences ever put on film. And flying across the United States from coast to coast while staring out the window is also a great visual experience. Yep, you're certainly glad that you weren't asleep the whole trip, but there's no way to stay awake the whole time either. Such is 2001. Looks Fantastic, but at some point you're just staring out that window wondering "For God's sake! When will we FINALLY touch back down and get on with it? Some fans see Stanley Kubrick as God. I see their point. God created this incredible planet and there's so much surrounding heavenly beauty to behold, just like Kubrick stuffs into 2001. That said, you just reach a breaking point at which you're like "OK, nice planets! Nice starry heavens!! Nice lens flare!!! Assuming though that I'll live at least one more day, I'll try and see the rest of it tomorrow 'cause I'm like really freaking' bored silly right now! Yep, tomorrow. I'll admire it . . . tomorrow . . . or the day after that, but for now it's just putting me to sleep. And guess what? My own dreams never leave me bored! I just don't commit them to film and then charge admission. THAT would be cruel.

Night at the Museum (2006)

One of My Favorite Movies of the New Millnium

[8/10 · 4 November 2007]

At the risk of having to post a "Spoilers Warning", I'll start off by saying that "Night at the Museum" is as predictable a movie comedy as has ever been made. That doesn't mean it's not enjoyable. There's bad predictable and good predictable. Good predictable is when you just know what's going to happen, but you're disappointed when things don't end up like you JUST KNOW they will. "Night at the Museum" is clearly good predictable. Comparing it to "Jurassic Park" which used a ton of CGI effects and STUNK, "Museum" uses a ton of the same FX, but here they make for a better film. "Jurassic Park" is just a bunch of effects thrown together to take the place of substance. In "Night at the Museum", the FX are very much a part of the substance. Anyway, this is a very enjoyable 100 minutes. Ben Stiller is his usual funny self and Ricky Gervais steals the best laughs in a hilarious supporting part as the museum's uptight curator who can't finish a thought, but expects to be understood. It even has the bonus of comic vets Dick Van Dyke and Micky Rooney in small but funny roles. So while it pushes all the right buttons, don't take that as a criticism. After all, they are the RIGHT buttons. Funny, Clever and very enjoyable. Especially when compared to the way overdone, rude, crass and simply lousy films of today. Very well directed, shot and the CGI effects are so good that you forget after a while that they're not real. In that vein, they work for me like the effects in the ORIGINAL "King Kong". The first "Kong was a hand crafted work of art. The recent remake was just too slick and full of "LOOK AT THE EXPENSIVE EFFECTS" content. So give "Night at the Museum" a shot. I'm 44 and about 85% of the films I watch were made in the 1930s, 40s & 50s. Unless your a fan of nudity, for letter words, bodily fluids (well, there are some in one scene, but just one) and every other bad taste item tossed into films these days, you'll definitely feel as though your time hasn't been wasted. In a way, this is the kind of film they just don't make anymore. I'd like to shake director Shawn Levy's hand and offer sincere "Well Done"!

What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962)

I Love it for Mostly the Wrong Reasons...

[8/10 · 25 October 2007]

"What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" is a great picture from the early 1960s. The funny thing is that I've never ever liked Joan Crawford one bit but have always loved Betty Davis. This film is one of many Betty Davis movies that proves that she had no problem playing an unglamorous role. Here she's downright mean, nasty AND ugly! And if this picture had to star both Davis and Crawford, there's no way Crawford would ever have played "Baby Jane"! So what are my wrong reasons for liking the movie? Well, because of how poorly Davis' "Baby Jane" character treats Crawford's Sister Blanche character! I know it's just a movie, but I'm as big a Betty Davs fan as I am an "un" fan of Crawford's. Betty would do anything to look the part of whatever character she played. Sometimes that meant she was stunningly gorgeous, and sometimes, well, she looked like Baby Jane! My only complaint is with the makeup. While it really does a great job of appropriately making Davis' Baby Jane character one ugly woman, they could have backed off of the "white wash" a little. Shot in beautiful B&W, it looks far too much like they double-dipped Betty's face in a full bucket of white primer! Both stars are great here though. Crawford actually made me feel sorry for her, but my money's still on Betty. She should have won the Oscar that year, but legend has it that Ms. Crawford did her best to make certain that didn't happen . . . and whatever it was sadly worked. Anyway, Davis looks ugly and acts even uglier while Crawford's character is the sympathetic goody two shoes. And as a huge Betty Davis fan, it's what I call perfect role reversal!

Detour (1945)

The Cheaper the Better!

[8/10 · 17 October 2007]

As a huge fan of Film Noir, this rates as one of my favorites. The writing is full of that corny but wonderfully appropriate dialog that all noir greats feature. The picture is dim and soft and sometimes too dark to see anything, but I'd have been proud to have gone down in film history with "Detour" as my one and only directing credit. "The Third Man" is classified as a Film Noir and it's fantastic, but it was a high budget production with big time stars and an A-List director in Carol Reed. Edgar G. Ulmer isn't as well known, but who cares? He took what little was given him and made the most of it. "The Third Man" is a great noir but I truly favor low budget noir's like "Detour" The bigger the budget, the smoother and slicker the production. Yes there's lots of rear projection and lots of scenes filmed in a hotel room, but so what? And what if they did have the budget to actually drive around for real? For me, the fact that the whole film looks like a TV kine scope before kine scopes even existed adds to the atmosphere. And I also love the casting. Ann Savage is perfect as the shrew who's attractive, but who also has that worn, aged, definitely younger than she looks look that her character needs to be believable in the part. Tom Neal is no great actor, but he's perfectly cast in his part as a guy who's aways in the wrong place at the wrong time. And please do read his biography. This turns out to be one heck of a case of 'pre' type casting. If you love film noir, are reading this and have never seen it, for god's sake see it! If your reading this because you just want to share your love of the movie with other fans, thanks for joining the club. Not my favorite Film Noir, but definitely one of the best ever made. I love it so much, I just had to take the time to write this review. Please drop me a line to share your thoughts if you wish. There's nothing better than fans of any given film discussing their love of it. It's the next best thing to inviting everyone over for a screening!

The Threat (1949)

Charles McGraw's Best film

[7/10 · 7 October 2007]

In my opinion, Charles McGraw is probably the best and best known actor of the post war / film noir genre. Sometimes he was one of the good guys, and sometimes one of the bad. In "The Threat", he's the baddest. Michael O'Shea and Virginia Grey get top billing, but compared to McGraw they're hardly even in the film at all. McGraw is clearly the star of this movie, and he's absolutely terrific as a no nonsense, cold blooded killer. Those piercing eyes of his go right through you. Just about as scary a movie criminal as there ever was. Scary because criminals like this actually do exist, and a great little film like this brings the audience enough into the movie that you can't help but think "what if I were kidnapped by a homicidal lunatic like this?" At 65 minutes, "The Threat" is a very tight film noir type crime drama filled with tension, and Charles McGraw is the center of picture. Great film and a great under rated actor with Charles McGraw. I've been a fan of his for years, and thanks to a recent run on TCM, I finally got to see what has to be his best starring role.

The Narrow Margin (1952)

The Holy Grail of Noir

[10/10 · 7 October 2007]

As a huge Noir fan, this film had eluded me for years. I seemed to miss it every time it was on. On the other hand, I still had it to look forward to. Truly my own personal Holy Grail of Film Noir. I finally just watched it on my DVR. Every bit as great as I've always hoped. It stars non other than Charles McGraw, legend of Film Noir. Sometimes a bad guy, sometimes a good guy and sometimes even both. (See "Roadblock"). As with any great entry to the Noir genre, the photography is first rate. It's by George E. Diskant and the hand held camera work is quite innovative for 1950 when the movie was originally produced. Director Richard Fleischer wanted to move fluidly around the train while keeping the claustrophobic feeling, no mean feat for sixty years ago. In fact, the filming is so contemporary you have to be a classic movie fan to notice. Fleischer also uses only the train and surrounding natural sound instead of a traditional music score. It works so well that you'll never even notice unless it's pointed out. At least I needed someone to clue ME in. At less than 75 minutes, it seems over before it's even started, but that's the mark of any good film. Chances are that if you're reading this, you're a big Noir fan already. If that's the case, you can't be disappointed. It's one of those great little "B" pictures that will keep calling you back.

John Loves Mary (1949)

I Love "John Loves Mary"

[9/10 · 2 October 2007]

I don't know who, if anyone, will ever read my review, but if you're reading this you must be a big fan of someone here. Ronald Reagan, Patricia Neal . . . Irving Bacon, Edward Arnold. For me, it's Jack Carson: Master of the Double Take. Bob Hope was a much bigger star for certain, but Jack Carson was funnier with those big, over done, expressive, double takes and Bob is believed to have taken Carson's cue. Anyway, in "John Loves Mary", everyone follows Carson and acts over the top. Even Reagan, who usually can't even act surprised, is good here. Easily my favorite Reagan movie. Director David Butler, another favorite of mine, winds up the cast and makes the over acting an important part of the film. The over acting fits, and allows Jack Carson to be Jack Carson. Carson even reacts with his hair in this one! I'm not kidding! Great cast, and when a character acting great like Irving Bacon shows up in a small role, it's 1940s Hollywood Heaven! Best verbal exchange: Lilly: "Tell me, what's it like west of New Jersey?" Edward Arnold as US Senetor McKinley: "REPUBLICAN!!" Hey, if you really love the film AND read this, please drop me a note. "Gone with the Wind" and "Citizen Kane" are great, but there's some great "little movies" that beg to be seen too. Three viewings to date and counting.

Moonlight (2007–2008)

Just another L.A. Vampire

[7/10 · 29 September 2007]

As a fan of the Buffy/Angel tandem, I just had to check out "Moonlight". The lead character is Mick St. John: Vampire/Detective. In the opening scene, done in fake interview style, they set up THEIR vampire "rules". Direct sunlight sickens him, but no bursting into flames. Crosses and holy water can't hurt him. He flippantly states that that only flame throwers can do him in. And get this! A wooden stake through the heart won't kill him. I mean, if you're going to do a vampire show, at least stick with the classics! Certainly no one would have accused them of stealing THAT one from Buffy/Angel. And Mick is not now nor has he ever been evil, and they totally gloss over the whole soul / no soul good & evil thing. In fact, he's a self described do good kind of guy. Come on, vamps have ALWAYS been evil. At least Joss Wheadon creatively dealt with WHY Angel was a vamp with an, um, heart. As for the similarities, vamp Mick St. John can be stabbed or shot, but heals fast. He also does that quick disappearing act thing and can leap up or down a flight of stairs in a single bound. He even drives a cool vintage black convertible like Angel does. I was surprised they didn't at least give him a Saab or a Volvo! And they must have hired "Angel's" film editor because the flash transitions between scenes look as if they've been lifted from "Angel" itself. In fact, the flash transition thing was such an "Angel" trademark, I can't believe they so obviously "appropriated" it for a show that was already being compared to its well known predecessor even before the first episode aired. "Moonlight" even shares something with "The Rockford Files", my all-time favorite show. Both Jim Rockford and Mick St. John are professional L.A. detectives who take on cases that they don't get paid for! What do they do for cash? But while Mick has a very nice apartment, Jim live in a beat up trailer. Mostly, episode one showed no real purpose for the vampire angle. Angel/Buffy dealt with "actual" monsters, dark magic and the occult. "Moonlight" is really trying to be "Moonlighting". A detective show with the cute blonde and good looking guy, but it doesn't have the humor or great writing. My advice for viewers? If you're a Buffy/Angel fan, watch once for laughs. If you're one of the producers, write David Boreanaz in as a vampire cousin who shows up every episode with a certain blonde girlfriend in tow. And toss in Andy Hallett for little color!

The Brady Bunch Movie (1995)

If You Were There in 1969...

[10/10 · 16 September 2007]

If you were actually there watching first run episodes every Friday night from 1969-1974, be prepared to bust a a gut laughing! I was eleven years do when The Brady's went off the air. I was too young to know just how funny the show really was. The Brady Bunch Movie is by far the best theatrical remake/parody of a 1970's TV ever made. First, there's the brilliant idea to set the film in contemporary 1995 and allows the BRADY's to be the anachronism. A fact to which they're totally, wonderfully oblivious to. Everyone else lives for "today", but the Brady's are still a quarter century out of sync. This allows for one of the great rules of comedy to work perfectly. The Rule: There's nothing funnier that watching someone watch someone else lose their mind. John Clesse said that (or close to it) but it's so true. Watching the reactions everyone has to the Brady's and their 70s ways are side splitting. Possibly the funniest bit is the simplest. Cindy Brady strolls over to the next door neighbors to bring them some undelivered mail. She walks through her own backyard, a poorly lit indoor TV studio set complete with an Astoturf lawn that sports rather obvious seams where it's been stitched together. She then passes trough the hedges onto the neighbors property and she ACTUALLY IS outside for real! Subtle, but hilarious! To have done the film "straight" as if the TV series never ended would have been embarrassing. Here we have the best of both worlds. Casual fans can laugh at the razor sharp satire, and long time fans can enjoy the trip down memory lane and still enjoy the good natured satirical humor! The cast is amazing! I realize that they can do anything these days, but it still must have been difficult to find actors that not only resembled the originals, but that were enough off kilter enough to make the satire work. My favorite line comes near the start as Marsha is walking through the high school campus as she draws longing stares from just about every guy who lays eyes on her. One remarks "That's Marsha Brady. She's harder to get into than a Pearl Jam concert!"

The Shaggy Dog (1959)

What Cures Wilby??

[6/10 · 2 September 2007]

I caught this film on Turner Classic Movies one Sundy morning. I almost NEVER watch Disney movies but for some reason ended up sitting through the whole flick. More enjoyable than most Disney movies I must say. I saw plenty as a youth and and there's one thing I'll always remember. As much as I wanted to see the films, I was always disappointed because all of the best/funny parts were already in the promotional TV ads which made the theater viewings redundant. Anyway, throughout the entire movie, after his exposure to a magic ring, Wilby turns into the Shaggy Dog and back without warning several more times. Every time this happens, the real shaggy dog disappears from wherever he is as the Dilby transformation takes palace. By the end of the movie though, Dilby seems to have been cured of this Jeckll & Hyde routine, What did I miss? What cured him? It went right over my head!

Scandal Sheet (1952)

This Scandal Sheet is a Must 'Reed'!

[10/10 · 27 August 2007]

As great a Film Noir as there is! I LOVE Film Noir and often search them out by auditioning titles. And with one like "Scandal Sheet", what else could it be? Fronted by Broderick Crawford and co-starring Donna Reed and John Dereck with Rosemary DeCamp and Harry Morgan, the cast is as first rate as any Film Noir could hope for. It even has Columbia's master (future) Oscar Winning B&W cinematographer Burnett Guffey on board for lots of wonderful Noir shots. One more "Big Name" anywhere would have ruined it! And there's a GREAT turn by the much underrated Henry O'Neil as Charlie Barnes, a washed up drunk of a former great newspaper man. His role is small but by far the most important. Wow. Nothing more satisfying than a great Film Noir with all the clichés in tact and WORKING FOR the picture instead of against it. You absolutely know how it will end up, but there's still lots of high powered tension. And at about 80 minutes, it doesn't feature any unnecessary padding. Low budget pictures never do and it only makes them tighter. I caught it on TCM. Keep an eye out for it. A truly satisfying Film Noir in all respects! There's even a comical (I'm convinced it was definitely meant to be) bit in the opening scene with Derek pretending to be a cop and doing a "Joe Friday" in telling a distraught woman "I know it's rough lady, but I only want the facts!" Moments later in walks Harry "Bill Gannon" Morgan! A little icing before you even have at the cake. As the headlines in the picture itself might have said in a self review: Terrific! Fantstic! A MUST SEE!

The Last Posse (1953)

Great Little Western

[7/10 · 25 August 2007]

If you love Westerns, you'll love The Last Posse. I had never heard of it before TCM tossed it into their Broderick Crawford Day of movies. Great cast too! Not only Crawford but Henry Hull, Charles Bickford as well as Harry Hayden, an always uncredited character actor who I've come to notice. Much of the film takes place in the desert among some absolutely remarkable rock formations as the backdrop. Anyway, all Western Lovers should have this one on their list. I thought I'd seen just about every Western at least once so this really came as a wonderful surprise. Watch for it and enjoy! At less than 90 minutes long, it doesn't wear out its welcome like this overlong review! Unfortunately the IMDb insists on ten lines whether or not you have something to say. OK, it finally says I wrote enough lines!