billbrooks02 Reviews

The Pledge (I) (2001)

IMDB listing

[2 March 2018]

What gives? This film's cast includes a star-studded roll call including Helen Mirren, Jack Nicholson, Robin Wright Penn, Vanessa Redgrave, Mickey Rourke, Sam Shepard, and Harry Dean Stanton. But these names do not appear in the main listing for the film, only available in the 'full' listing. The only names I recognise in the main listing are Patricia Clarkson and Aaron Eckhart and we are blessed with such major players as Bus Driver, Store Clerk, Real Estate Agent, Criminologist #1, and Deputy #3. This is not the first example of this sort of thing on IMDB; can some common sense be brought to bear?

The Windsors (2016– )

Broad satire with some hits

[8/10 · 24 December 2017]

An irreverent look at the royal family. There are a number of running jokes, Kate's 'gypsy family', Edward's terrible 'business career', Fergies incessant grubbing for money and best of all Anne's Mrs Danvers-like personality. The satire is rather broad but some of the shafts really hit home; a few more one liners wouldn't hurt but overall entertaining as long as you don't hold the royals in high(or indeed any) esteem.

Left Right and Centre (1959)

Typical 50's BritPic

[6/10 · 12 September 2016]

Sub-Ealing fare with many stalwarts of the genre in evidence. This is the Flanders and Swann style of satire('It's not meant to be funny - it's gentle humour - like Last of the Summer Wine')having a go at the Lord who turns his stately home to a tourist attraction(e.g. proto-fascist Duke of Bedford who 'let the side down') that thinks if it gives the impression of attacks on both parties it is neutral. Of course it is a product of its time so all the clichés are respected. Expect men to be calculating, women to be silly, featherbrained things, toffs well meaning, workers drinking, salt of the earth types, etc.etc.The mark is mostly for seeing Sim, Wattis and Barker do their stuff.

Return to the Lost World (1992)

Poor quality film

[6/10 · 10 May 2016]

Why do Berlusconi films use such poor quality film stock? This, its predecessor, the Sherlock Holmes films with Christopher Lee/Patrick MacNee, all present fuzzy images. Surely this is a false economy? How much difference in price is there between good quality stock and the rubbish stuff? Is it purely to match the stock footage(volcanoes) and avoid those Irwin Allen type mismatches? This film is worth watching if you want to be a completist, but the previous criticisms, hammy acting, ludicrous dinosaurs are all correct, but I can't agree that the two principals are second rate. Warner was an actor of promise before he went to Hollywood(see Gielgud's comments on Claude Rains{irony alert 1960 version}). There are also mistakes, piranhas in Africa, guns not firing, why do the workers wear their tin helmets all the time? Whatever happened to Nathania Stanford? Just these two films? Probably saw sense and got a life.

Sanctuary: Nubbins (2008) Season 1, Episode 6

Star Trek rip-off

[5/10 · 8 March 2016]

I wonder if the writers had seen 'The Trouble with Tribbles'? I have seen the first six of these episodes - how on earth did they get four series out of this? The lead characters seem to be charisma-free, Bigfoot is a routine baddie-turned-good. Have any of these actors gone on to better things(or any things!)? There are no surprises or plot twists in this episode; even the vaunted 'strange goings on' between the principals is just skimmed over and not really developed into anything interesting. Special effects are cursory, but scenery etc. is well done and production values are OK. If you're a fan then this will be alright for you but if you're speculating about the series start with a different episode(can't say which one because none of the episodes I've seen rates above a generous 6).

Suspect (1987)

More holes than Swiss cheese

[7/10 · 22 October 2014]

Not a bad film as such and Cher gives a reasonable performance as a lawyer, for someone who once believed the sun revolved around the earth(according to Sunny). The main fault is the plot. There are so many holes; for example, would a lawyer *really* get into such a relationship with a juror? What was Michael doing at the station? did he follow the juror? if so how? why did Cher go to the judges' home? to confront him? why did she back off when she saw the deputy attorney general? surely this was a chance to to present her evidence to him. Would the deputy a.g. allow all of the confrontation in the court at the end or would he have quietly called off the trial and have the judge arrested at home(he obviously knew what was happening or else why was he there?). And that sappy ending! perhaps it was a bad film after all...Really expected better from Peter Yates.

The Day the World Ended (2001 TV Movie)

All over the place

[4/10 · 9 October 2013]

This film has it all. There's the self-referencing clip from the Roger Corman original watched by the kid on TV. An ersatz 'Alien' type monster. A a Dr. who turns to the hypo as a method of child discipline. A policeman sharing evidence with all and sundry. An old judge loosing his clothes and wandering off. A town meeting. An appeal to gun law. The interfering damsel. Flashing lights, blurry camera work, flashback, illogical plot points, and some of the worst dialogue you'll come across in many a day. Great title, story by King, music by Bernstein, starring Kinski and Quaid, what could go wrong? Unfortunately it's Brian,not Stephen King;Charles, not Leonard or Elmer Bernstein;Natasha, not Klaus Kinski; Randy, not Denis Quaid.(Well,those last two may not be so bad but...) But, just think, there are some films that are so terrible that they are made and put on the shelf, never to be released. This one was not so much released as escaped. One point of interest, the film was dedicated to James H Nicholson, who died 29 years previous to this film, but he was partner of producer the improbably named Samuel Z. Arkoff (Flash Gordon anyone?) and it was his ante-penultimate film.

Romance & Cigarettes (2005)

Tribute or rip-off?

[8/10 · 11 June 2013]

Dennis Potter? Never heard of him! Not the Hollywood versions(Steve Martin's 1,012th rubbish film, Robert Downey, still on *something* and Mel Gibson??!!) The BBC ones. Get boxed sets of Pennies from Heaven(Bob Hoskins) and The Singing Detective(Michael Gambon) to see how it was originally done. I don't understand how this could be delayed by two years or how we are expected to believe Susan Sarandon could take Kate Winslett, even given Ripley. Despite being something of a dog's breakfast there is something in this, perhaps it it the language, the lighting or the je ne sais qua of the Coen bros. that make it watchable.