charlescorn Reviews

A Summer Story (1988)

An unforgettable movie.

[10/10 · 22 June 2014]

I was lucky enough to watch this when it first came out way back in 1988, and I've never forgotten it, but only recently watched it again on YouTube. It's a mesmerizing film, haunting, lovely and painful all at the same time, and the feelings linger for days after. Imogen Stubbs is just captivating. A truly wonderful acting performance. Together with the directing and music, the movie really pulls at the heartstrings.

It's one of my favourite films and I'm amazed so few people know of the film. Even when it was first released, there wasn't much mention of the film, but people are missing out on a real gem.

Carry on Cowboy (1965)

The Worst Carry On?

[1/10 · 19 September 2006]

Perhaps I have overly fond childhood memories of Carry On movies and now that I'm starting to rediscover them, I'm a bit more critical. That said, many do stand the test of time, but Carry On Cowboy is not one of them.

Carry On Cowboy is a film in that category of movie in which: (1) you can't wait for it to end, but (2) it's so unbelievably bad that you assume it has just got to get better at some point, so you continue to watch. Torture!

I didn't laugh once. The biggest attempt at a gag in the film seemed to revolve around Jim Dale being clumsy. The occasional example of Dale doing a poor impersonation of Norman Wisdom is bad enough (eg Carry On Doctor), but to repeat it again and again is agony. Towards the end of the movie, when Dale practices shooting a gun, was so painful to watch I half-hoped he would shoot me instead.

The only selling points are the great sets and the half-decent American accents of the Carry On gang.