ifyougnufilms Reviews

Suite Française (2014)

The Real War Vicitms Deserve Better Than This Cliche-fest

[3/10 · 22 June 2019]

Didn't you just know that polite, sensitive non-Nazi German officer was going to sit down at the piano and start playing sad classical music? Or that he and the trembling young French wife were going to be justified in their gasping grappling by the revelations of her having been forced to marry an adulterer she didn't love and of the misty-eyed officer's having been married to a girl he'd immediately left behind and could now, conveniently, barely remember? Wasn't it clear in this pseudo-memoir that all the Germans (except the Good German, of course) would insist on speaking, or rather barking, German while the French would persist in speaking English? Were you at all surprised by the stereotyped evil mother-in-law who enjoyed tormenting her daughter-in-law and grinding down her war-ravaged tenants? And did you suspect that the initially bedraggled, abused, and saintly Cinderella would morph from swooning collaborator into unstoppable resistance heroine, never getting caught in her most feckless feats by the barking, incompetent occupiers? Were you troubled by the irony that by shielding the peasant she was endangering the whole community (particularly the kindly but Vichy-like Viscount), her family, and her morose lover, who somehow showed up at just the right moment to save not only her but the man who had killed his comrades? Did you remember that love conquers" uber alles" as demonstrated when (we are told) the collaborator-turned-superpatriot goes on to help defeat the Nazis war machine? Are you surprised that I give the filmmakers 3 points for some nice shots of French provincial countryside but subtract seven points for their disservice to the real war victims by offering up a slapdash, formula war romance that is almost Hallmarkian in its simplistic artificiality.

West Point (1956–1957)

Star Parade at West Point

[6/10 · 14 April 2019]

Hearing again that cheerful Cadet March that introduced this series reminded me of a time when as kids my friends and I saw this as a realistic depiction of life at The Point with all its cool military tradition. These brief episodes were a showcase for such up-and-comers as Leonard Nimoy, Chuck Connors, Barbara, Eden, Larry Hageman and Steve McQueen, so the acting was generally quite solid. Despite Gene Roddenberry's efforts, some the plots were pretty thin, but it had an authentic look since, with full cooperation by the U.S. Army, it was filmed on location at the Academy, including firing range and bivouac sites. For a young generation raised on W W II movies and with a respect for the nation's military, it was quite satisfying. I don't think any of our group went on to the Academy, but several of us, not unexpectedly, later served in the military during wartime. Some of our commanders were definitely Academy grads, or "ring-knockers" as we called them -- somewhat enviously, I must say.

Peter Pan 2: Return to Never Land (2002)

Sails and Fails

[6/10 · 21 May 2016]

It's worth watching this sequel just to enjoy the old-style Disney nostalgia of the final scene when Peter says a last, sweet farewell to the grown-up Wendy. Since 1966 the Disney machine has demonstrated repeatedly that when Walt("No sequels!")Disney himself quit quality-monitoring the productions, a large part of the heart of the movies was lost. Return to Neverland, though it has some notable virtues, once again illustrates this essential loss. Some of the sequel's characters are less endearing, especially Jane, who, darkened by wartime responsibilities, is used in the contemporary you-go-girl fashion to demonstrate that girls can be as selfish, crude, and violent as boys. (She demonstrates this in part by spitting mucus on her hand for a ritual handshake!) The music as written and performed is boring and even for its time seems strangely old fashioned: cheesy, forgettable nineties pop. "Do You Believe in Magic.." is thrown in as an afterthought for nostalgia's sake. The obligatory sight-gag scenes with the Lost Boys are tedious filler(they were also a problem in the original). However, there are several things to admire in this film: It was daring to set the real-world-time as W W II London, and the art in this section works well. The Canadian and Australian Disney studios in general do a good job with art styles throughout and the blend of CGI and cel is smooth. Several critics were bothered by the loss of the crocodile, but thanks to comic animation styling, the octopus filled the part of the Hook's nemesis successfully. Some critics complained about the voice casting, but for the most part it works quite well for the main characters. Most of the classic characters, Tink, Hook, Smee are back and nicely delineated. Jane, poor girl, is less intriguing -- just used to deliver a contemporary message, while it is really Wendy and Peter who carry the old enchantment.

The Voice of Bugle Ann (1936)

Long Awaited Sentimental Journey

[8/10 · 17 May 2016]

Whenever my father would hear the music of a distant, musical hound, he'd say jokingly, "It's the voice of Bugle Ann!" For more than fifty years I've waited to see this movie and learn why it was so memorable for him. Happily TCM televised it today. At first I was afraid it was going to be too slow and rustically sentimental for me, but I stayed with it because it brought back memories of my dad and some of our hunts with hounds in the Midwest. Eventually Barrymore's great courtroom speech about man's most loyal and innocent friend and the haunting voice of Bugle Ann herself brought quiet pleasure, and I shucked off my modern day cynicism long enough to enjoy the wonderfully sentimental ending.

Peter Pan Live! (2014 TV Movie)

Peter Panned and the Hookzombie

[2/10 · 5 December 2014]

This shockingly awkward and careless production of a classic left me and my family (those who hadn't fled the room after Walken's Hookzombie appeared) numb with disbelief. How could a major studio disgorge so amateurish and unattractive a musical stew? No we weren't expecting performances like those of Mary Martin and Cyril Ritchard from the golden age. We didn't demand that, but we did look forward to some higher grade fun than this dreck. Williams tries hard to lend a bit of charm to Peter and succeeds to some degree, but she's swimming against an ugly tide created by the director and production managers. Walken, with (almost literally) one eye on the teleprompter and the other on the studio clock (When can I get out of this nightmare and go strangle my agent?), delivers what has to be one of his strangest performances, mincing around among his equally directionless crew like a geezerly Jack Sparrow. The pacing is nonexistent. The colors and costumes frightening. The Neverland boys are aging chorusliners, and the "Redskins" are ...let's see...what exactly are they supposed to be?

Bonanza: Top Hand (1971) Season 12, Episode 17

Highest Quality Production Episode for Scenery and Horsemanship

[10/10 · 1 May 2014]

This episode makes excellent use of Ben Johnson and other superb horsemen racing through the dramatic sweep of the Arizona territory. The production values are so high, at times you'll think you're watching a John Ford Western. The Cartwrights play backdrop for the struggles of an old horse breaker and cattle driver played to sympathetic perfection by veteran Western star Ben Johnson. There are some great horse breaking and cattle driving scenes filmed with dramatic cinematography backed up by a grand score. There are none of the hokey sound stage scenes with painted backdrops here: nothing cheap looking about this production. Note the grandeur of the western skies and the rolling chaparral hills. It's remarkable for a TV Western serial episode: almost literally a breath of fresh air.

Prophets of Science Fiction: Mary Shelley (2011) Season 1, Episode 1

Shallow, Error-Ridden Review of Mary's Frankenstein

[2/10 · 25 May 2013]

Mary Shelley, in her remarkable sci fi breakthrough novel asked all the right questions about science in relation to morality, but the superficiality of this episode from the "Prophets of Science Ficiton" series detracts from any praise that might have been meant. For instance, biographer Anne Mellor seems, amazingly, to have missed the whole point of the great novel by declaring that Mary Shelley probably thought it was all right to "go out and get dead pieces" to sew together to create a new species. This preposterous claim seems to be based on her feeling that since Mary frequently visited her mother's(Mary Wollstonecraft's) grave, she probably had deep thoughts about life and death and therefore would have advocated playing God to create pseudo-humans in the lab. The value of the novel is that it gives precisely and vividly a message opposite of that which Mellor proposes: Shelley warns those who believe themselves to have superior intellect, and thus feel justified in playing God with human life, create horrors,horrors. Victor Frankenstein's murderous and pathetic monster is the great illustration of this. With the exception of Michio Kaku, who gets it right, other commentators seems to miss the whole point,one that forms the theses of so many great science fiction novels and films. When we try to play God, terrible things happen. They brag on about how we can manipulate genes for gender, intellect, and skin color, etc., in our march toward designer children and "perfect" humans. Seemingly they haven't a clue about the moral implications (to which Shelley was so sensitive). She was the first sci fi novelist, truly a prophet who decried the coming dangers, and she did it brilliantly. In the film, scientist Jeffrey Steinberg admits scientists need to listen to the public, but it is wrong, he soberly tells us,to put "handcuffs" on a scientist. That is not the threat; the threat is that scientists themselves, seduced by their own research and self-perceived brilliance, will themselves fail to consider the moral impact of what they are doing. From Shelley, through Jules Verne, and on to today, that is the message of so many great science fiction writers. As Kaku, the one refreshing voice of reason in this botched documentary, says of Victor Frankenstein, "...he didn't think of the consequences."

Cave of Forgotten Dreams (2010)

Paleo-illogical Parody

[3/10 · 21 April 2013]

Perhaps this was intended as a Monty Python flavored mocumentary of some particularly pompous and solemn History Channel product. If it is, Werner has succeeded brilliantly. It's hilariously Dickensian in its portrayals of slightly loony characters and in throwing around jumbled theses in response to the Really Big Questions: Who are we? What is art? What is that awful music in the background? Will mutated white alligators some day make mocumentaries about us? Herzog and his cast of zanies play around with these gas-filled profundities, while we wait impatiently for some clear, well-lighted shots of those quietly beautiful sketches by our ancestors or some more earnestly scientific speculation on means, motives,and methods of the ancient artists. Instead we keep getting Gallic stereotypes like the sniffy matron d'cave guide who scolds the crew, reminding them not to step off the gangplank because their stupid boots will tramp out the 10,000 year-old footprints of a cave bear and then pauses to insist (rather too eagerly)that an indecipherable lump of rock shows a minotaur or something molesting the lower part of a woman's...well, you get the picture: the world's oldest cave porn. Then there is the paleo-reenactor who demonstrates the art of operating an atl-atl spear-sling, apparently attempting to fatally impale a grape arbor. Or do you prefer the archivist who shows us his collection of pendulous paleo-Venus carvings. One in particular he seems exceptionally fond of, not enough to marry perhaps, but at some point one expects he's about to say, "Could you all just please leave my lab now? We want to be alone." Eat you heart out Mel Brooks. Don't even get me started on the nice old guy who informs us he was once the Master of All French Perfumers or some such and who now wanders the wilds so he can sniff his way into promising holes in the ground, where he asks others to join him in smelling the essences of our deodorant-innocent ancestors. At one point he seems to get quite confused, staring into the camera as if to ask, "Am I ready for my close up now, Mr. Herzog?" All this is great for evoking chortles, of course, but there is such beauty in these caves (look at the haunting portrayal of the four expressive, individualized horses, for instance)that one wishes a more down-to-earth (pun intended),less artsy director had made a documentary on the subject.

National Velvet (1944)

Strange Beauty

[7/10 · 10 March 2013]

This is such a beautiful film visually I almost (almost) hate to quibble over some of the weirdness of it. The heart-lifting scenes of riding a spirited, stunning thoroughbred around the Pebble Beach/17mile Drive area even led me to take out a horse and try to relive the image on the beach trails of a local stable in that same area. My horse was not so beautiful nor I such a great rider, but the scenery was as splendid as it appears in the 1944 film. The look of horses and seaside vistas are the best part of the film. The artificiality of the "English village" decorated with Kincade-like painted backdrops only serves to emphasize how much better the location shots are. Mickey Rooney actually is a bit toned down in this film and works well with the budding Elizabeth Taylor who is charming and endearing despite moments of manic giddiness (blame the director, not the young actor). Donald Crisp (Lassie, How Green Was My Valley) was great as always as the gruff, kindly father who thinks he is running things. Anne Revere, however, seems a strange casting choice. Most of the time she has a squinting, somewhat sour or bitter look, broken rarely by bleak smiles. She's not an inexperienced actress and did good work in other films, but the only reason I can figure out why she got the Oscar nod for this film was because of the the quality of the dialogue and situations given her character as a proud, strong, and visionary woman. Perhaps it's just a matter of taste, but for me she doesn't look right at all for the part. And none of the children look like they could be physically related to her except perhaps that archly unamusing little brat of a younger brother. Jackie Jenkins seems to have been a studio favorite in those days as pint-sized comic relief (see The Human Comedy where he plays Mickey Rooney's younger brother). I began to dread when the camera reversed to him, knowing we were in for some more gag-me cuteness delivered by a child actor with the blankest face in film history. So these could be quibbles over personal taste but the greatest problem, with the plotting at least, is the way Rooney's character, after showing kind, brotherly concern for Velvet, gives in after a very brief struggle and helps her ride for the pride and glory of it (his and hers) in a horse sport as dangerous as rodeo bareback riding. The steeplechase footage in this film demonstrate that starkly, with horses rolling on their necks and drivers(if they are able)limping off the field. It's not the chariot race from Ben Hur, but it's close. How could an ex-jockey, fearful himself of riding in just such an event as a result of a terrible crash he was involved in that took another rider's life agree to let a girl about whom he supposedly cares, or any youngster, take this potentially deadly ride? The parents who managed to stay at home seem to be fine with this. Was it okay with Mom because it gave her chance to relive vicariously her past swimming triumph? It's a very strange conclusion to a film that is in many ways a classic.

It Happened on Fifth Avenue (1947)

Not in the A-list of Christmas Films But Has a Cute Mutt

[5/10 · 7 December 2012]

This is in every sense of the word a B- picture and is certainly not worthy of being listed among classic Christmas films of the same period, films such as Miracle on 34th Street and Christmas in Connecticut. The charm is potential in the comic plot idea, which is clever, but the execution may leave a viewer wishing for better acting, better directing, and less embarrassing shtick inserts. The vaudeville segments, i.e. the goofy ethnic tailor and the mugging restaurant owner trying repeatedly (eternally it feels like)to straighten the table, might have been handled with comic finesse by a director like Preston Sturges, but here they are just annoying, overlong plot breaks. Maybe director Roy del Ruth was giving his old, washed-up buddies from the Mack Sennett days a last gig. But this is not the only reason his directorial wisdom may be called into question. With a few exceptions, the casting is weak. Don DeFore was better playing comic sidekicks than romantic leads, and the redundantly named Gale Storm is a beauty but delivers her (admittedly badly written)lines unconvincingly. Both the romantic leads seemed made for the small screen where they comfortably ended up. Victor Moore, surprisingly, is ineffective as the supposedly charismatic rascal around whom all the action swirls. There were a dozen character actors around Hollywood at the time who could have done a better job. Of course, Moore had to contend with uttering some of the most feeble bits of pseudo-philosophical fluff ever offered in a film. He just prattles on and on in his equally feeble voice until it is a relief to see him toddle on down the Avenue toward the credits on his way to squat in another rich man's mansion. Charles Ruggles would have been much better in the McKeever part. The scenes between him and Ann Harding put all the other actors to shame (except maybe the dog). Thanks to the fine directing, acting, and other artistic talents available to the Hollywood studios at the time, some excellent B movies were produced. This is not one of them. The addition of heavy-handed populist political messages doesn't help--even though watching tomatoes being thrown at business executives may make us regular guys feel swell. The raggy little dog was cute, though, and it out-acted most of the two-legged cast members.

All Creatures Great and Small: Merry Gentlemen (1978) Season 2, Episode 14

Enjoy a Dales Christmas

[3 December 2012]

This episode of All Creatures Great and Small has become a must-watch for my family during the holiday season because it gives us a chance to re-experience the taste of a Yorkshire Christmas, spiced with clever dialogue, excellent acting, and neatly interwoven subplots. The stories include those of a gypsy family, a beloved donkey, a near-tragedy for Mrs. Pumphrey and Triki Woo, and a mysterious skeleton in a locked room. The episode also involves a close call with tetanus for Tristan (and the donkey), a test of Siegfried's miraculous cake-judging ability, a sample of his success at gruffly dispensing wisdom to family members and clients, and finally his efforts to arrange for all a "real, old-fashioned, Yorkshire Christmas." In this neatly composed episode look for a surprise nativity tableau in a humble stable and stick around through the credits for a glimpse of Triki's visit from "Santa." All in all, it's a particularly well directed segment(thanks,Christopher Barry)of a superior TV series.

Michigan vs. Ohio State: The Rivalry (2007 TV Movie)

Touchdown Docu-drama

[1 December 2012]

Those who grew up as rabid OSU or Michigan fans may find it hard to explain to outsiders why these two Midwest Kingdoms of Football have remained at such joyous war with each other these many years. This documentary attempts to explain the intensity and duration of that annual gridiron battle with humor (which side has the most lunatic fans?)and with humanity (Woody Hayes'touching late tribute to his former student, long-time rival coach Bo Schembechler). The film of course emphasizes the Woody-Bo years since these have elements of super-personalities, tragedy, and redemption. It includes interpretations about how the fan rivalry is really rooted in Midwesterners' traditional steadfastness and courage. Well, maybe a little, but mostly for the eternal fan it's about forgetting your personal problems, donning the team colors, and rushing down to the stadium to shout your lungs out as part of a one-hundred-year-plus tradition. Most of my family were Ohio Staters and never missed a game of the Great Rivalry. My mother would always cry on hearing the OSU anthem. Opinions on the moral quality of Woody rose and fell around Columbus, depending mostly on how well the Bucks were doing that year, but as the film suggests most fans refused to abandon him even after the disgraceful ending of his controversial career with an assault on a player of the opposing team. The documentary somewhat softens this tragic fall, as noted above, with reference to the Bo-Woody friendship. (I recently talked about this documentary with a guy who had been an assistant coach for Woody, and to this day he sees no fault with anything the man ever did.) That's admirable loyalty, of course, not logic, but it suggests the need to believe, as the film suggests,is part of this colorful All-American phenomenon. Whether you're a fan of Michigan or of OSU, or no football fan at all, you'll find this documentary entertaining, spiced with little truths about the way we celebrate as Americans.

Patton (1970)

Too American?

[9/10 · 3 October 2012]

The critics who dismiss this film as bad primarily because it is pro-American seem blinded to the probability that it's the most complex and artful film representation of the fierce pride and nagging problems that come with commanding any army of a democracy in a great war. (Perhaps their ancestors who served in that democratic army, or who were liberated in their millions by 20th century American soldiers, would be less inclined to condemn this portrayal of those soldiers and their leaders.) In any case, Patton, the poet, the historian, the bully, the sentimentalist, the great tactician and embarrassing propagandist, is shown in this haunting film to be the ultimate representative of type: the tyrant we call on to ensure defeat of the Great Tyrant. Of course, "democratic army" is an implied contradiction, and it is exactly this paradox that is examined and illustrated so brilliantly in Patton. The General knew enough about history to realize he would be harshly judged by some historians, the latter day advocates of political correctness, as he had been in his own lifetime. Of course, there is ambiguity in his character and ambivalence in people's feelings about him. (An old Warrant Officer told me he was in a military hospital in occupied German and when Patton's death was announced, half the soldiers there cried and the other half cheered.) He is hardly painted with untainted glory in this film, which captures well his self-awareness. Contrast Scott's perfectly delivered profane-glorious speech in the first innovative moments of the film with his message in the final scene when the resigned old warhorse, walking away from us into history, reminds himself and us: "All glory is fleeting." This is impeccably balanced work by writers North and Coppola, with superb directing by Schaffner, backed throughout by Goldsmith's alternately triumphant and plaintive score. Listen to the recurring "distant trumpets" (echoed in Saving Private Ryan). Patton is a classic.

The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe (1979 TV Movie)

Shows No Respect for Children or C. S. Lewis

[2/10 · 21 September 2012]

The children are badly animated blue-eyed zombies, Aslan has all the fierce majesty of a Hanna-Barbera animal-clown, and Narnia is a sloppily drawn, garish seventies water-color mess. This awkward attempt to create an animated version of Lewis's classic illustrates why the author was so reluctant to have his many-layered "children's" books given the film treatment. He believed no film maker could adequately portray the rich world of Narnia or particularly the awe-inspiring nature of Aslan. Melendez,of Charlie Brown fame,attempted to oversee the work of international contributors to this crude Saturday morning cartoon version of a great book and the result is flat and an aesthetic disaster. Of course, in fairness it should not be compared to the later, more successful advanced technique Disney version, which might have pleased Lewis, but even comparison to earlier animated versions of classic tales, makes it clear Melendez and crew didn't have a clue as to the real power of the story or try create a moving or even slightly eye-pleasing film. Perhaps they excused their carelessness by considering it just a kid's story. They certainly show little respect for children or C.S. Lewis's fine work that has enchanted children and fascinated adults for generations. That Melendez and his crew did not understand the story or their responsibility to children is obvious in the self-congratulatory voice-over comments offered on the DVD.

Scott Walker: 30 Century Man (2006)

Documentary in Search of a Theme

[3/10 · 22 August 2012]

I can understand why a previous reviewer mistook this at first for a mockumentary. It is jargon-loaded, trivia-burdened, and at times downright (unintentionally) comic-pompous. Walker had a fine mellow voice for ballad singing and expressed some originality in a very few later songs, but aside from this?

Why drag in everyone who knew him and/or once grooved on his music and lyrics so they can be mugshot while straining to convince us he's some kind of unsung (pun intended)phenom all of us should recognize and appreciate? If this was the intended theme and purpose of the film, it is an utter failure, suggesting the mystery of Scott Walker's life is that there is no mystery.

If the film makers are trying to make some other point (as is achieved in better music bio films), it's not clear what that might be. It doesn't help that some of his incomprehensible pseudo-poetic lyrics are scrolled in the background.

Several of the commentators are as embarrassingly inarticulate as Walker's own more "advanced" lyrics are. (Are we sure this isn't a mock-umentary?) Where was the director/editor in all this rambling? Off somewhere grooving on Walker's earlier recordings?

Interestingly, the most intelligent comment comes briefly from Sting when he begins to talk about the dark side of romanticism, etc. It's a shame he (or somebody) wasn't given more time to explore the significance of Walker's life. Scott Walker was not one of the greatest musical/poetry talents of the last forty years, but surely he deserves better than this inept bio-film.

Big Wednesday (1978)

Bittersweet Visions of a Fading Golden Age

[8/10 · 19 June 2012]

Panned by most critics when it first arrived, Big Wednesday has won the belated praise of many viewers. It still may seem contrived and hokey to some. It's sentimental. As the director admits, he likes it that way. Opinions about this film may vary according to the age of the critic and the degree to which he or she is a surfing enthusiast. For viewers like me, who rushed out to the California beaches to "live the life" in the early sixties, served a tour in Vietnam, then returned to start a family and steady job, it has visions and music that evoke strong, bittersweet memories. Showing the gradual intrusion of the real world and its effect on the dreamlike freedom of the younger surfers, Big Wednesday can be appreciated as a successful coming-of-age film. Having lived through those changes in American culture, a viewer can easily overlook the film's sometimes melodramatic nature and enjoy the emotional ride. For younger viewers, especially surfers,it still will have great appeal,especially as a depiction of the golden age of youth as represented by breathtaking, magnificently filmed footage of the riders of the Banzai Pipeline and Sunset Beach in Hawaii. The surfing scenes are excellent throughout, with none of the annoying back-projection studio shots as seen in lesser surfer films. The film is not flawless. The houseparty brawl goes into Peckinpah length for no real plot purpose. The let's-fool-the-drafters segment breaks from an accurate portrayal of the times in order to elicit cheap laughs. Even Busey's typical manic-comic madness doesn't save this segment. For characters who are usually portrayed as sympathetic and even respect-worthy, there are some jarring contradictions such as when Leroy brags about making a living as a "candyman" selling drugs to kids, and Matt(who has a child) and Jack (who is supposed to have matured) act as if this is a great joke. Bear seems a contrived and uncharismatic character a la "The Big Kahuna" though he is supposed to be the conveyor of wisdom to Matt. But these less successful aspects can be forgiven for the overall power of the film's emotional impact and its successful capturing of a dramatic decade of American history. It has some great moments as when Matt goes out for his last ride, and his wife,a tough and empathetic character, sends him off with an understanding smile. Perhaps that's a little unrealistic, but it says a lot about the joy and freedom a couple can share. Milius is capable of writing and directing some very subtle, effective moments in this film. (Note: Milius, an accomplished surfer himself, in his voice-over commentary on the making of Big Wednesday offers interesting biographical details and a fascinating view of American culture of the sixties.)

Gidget (1959)

Shoot the curl!

[8/10 · 23 May 2012]

(Slight spoiler below.) The historical importance of this breezy, enjoyable film is often overlooked. Frederick Kohner developed the story from his daughter Kathy's teen-dream summer diary (with her permission), giving the world an inviting view of California's burgeoning surfer/beatnik culture. The film's enormous popularity resulted,some old-timers complained,in the jamming(pun intended)of Malibu with gawking wannabes. It also spawned a generation of C- surf/rock films of considerably lesser quality. The reputation of the first Gidget film suffers from the sins of its "children."

Some reviewers here are angry about Gidget's innocence. Their comments tell more about their own unhappy "now" than they do about the coy, complacent "then" they condemn vaguely as "the fifties." Angry feminists' comments about the traditional oppression of women that is supposedly approved of in Gidget are apparently unaware that the film and the novel(there is much testimony from women on this)were a great boost to young women athletes who wanted to become excellent surfers.

Sandra Dee as Gidget is the key-light here: pretty and bright (in both senses of the word). Though sometimes over-the-top in her teener enthusiasm, she is much more than just another airhead beach bunny. She is insightful, sensitive, and eager to explore surfing and mature love.(And she plays the cello, but we're spared that.) It's a delightful portrayal.

Moondoggie and the Big Kahuna, with their summer-camp nicknames, represent American types emerging from the nonconformist movement, post-Korea era of America. Robertson gives depth to his character as a restless war veteran who wants to escape the responsibilities of a time-clocked world and who is subtly reminded by Gidget of the loneliness of his itinerant lifestyle. The last scene plays out this conflict skillfully, despite the admittedly sugary final moments of the film.

But it's not intended to be a critical documentary on the evils of the past. It's a brilliantly colorful and skillfully shot romantic comedy. Forget its minor flaws. Enjoy that exciting summer of the not- so-distant past. Surf's up!

Savage Sam (1963)

Savage Arliss?

[7/10 · 26 April 2012]

This is an entertaining film thanks in part to performances by character actor scene-stealers like Slim Pickens and Jeff York, whose ornery interactions are a joy to watch. Brian Keith portrays well the rugged frontiersman, demonstrating courage and offering avuncular wisdom. Kirk and Kristen are good as the young innocents. The main problem is the frequent intrusion of the Arliss character, who has morphed from mischievous/ornery in Old Yeller to deranged/homicidal in this film. Disney loved the image and performances of Corcoran(he was indeed a good kid actor) and perhaps exerted too much influence on the writing and directing of Savage Sam. The more PC viewers have commented on the film's scenes of cruelty to animals (at times just for laughs) and the stereotyping of native "savages." There is some justification for this criticism, but it should be noted, in regard to the portrayal of the Indians, that they were a renegade band and that some white settlers are equally stereotyped. Also, one of the ranchers actually sympathizes with the Indians in their plight, and there is obvious condemnation of the "only-good-Indian-is-a-dead-one" white settler who wants to shoot the wounded. Another virtue of the film is the sweep and color of its exterior landscape shots. There is even an (almost convincing) deadly prairie hailstorm! All this considered, some first-time viewers may find the film's strengths outweigh its weaknesses.