Reviews

Most ratings of this film give it a one star or bomb rating, however, "The Black Sleep" is not as bad as some would have you believe. Mind you it's not a great film, but in fact is an adequate programmer that compares favorably with any thing turned out by Universal or Monogram in the 40s.

Basically, it's a mad scientist film with Basil Rathbone emoting as usual, in the lead role. But then old Basil was always way over the top. Herbert Rudley is the nominal hero - the good scientist who is rescued from the gallows by Rathbone.

In the supporting cast are many seasoned veterans. Akim Tamiroff is good as the procurer of Rathbone's "subjects". Playing various mutants are Lon Chaney Jr., John Carradine (in yet another over the top performance) and poor old Bela Lugosi.

Lugosi nearing the end of his life looks sick, tired and underweight. Chaney is totally wasted. Had the producers beefed up his part, "The Black Sleep could have been a much better picture. They could have combined his role with that of the Rudley character, for example.

Given all of its limitations, "The Black Sleep" is good way to pass an hour and twenty minutes if you don't expect too much going in.

The Oregon Trail was the last of four serials that Johnny Mack Brown made for Universal in the 30's before moving exclusively to features. This 15 chapter saga details the trials and tribulations of a wagon trail headed west to the promised land in Oregon.

There are large scale Indian attacks, the cavalry riding to the rescue and the usual hair-raising escapes to entertain the avid serial lover. As in most Universal serials, liberal use is made of stock footage from the silent era.

Once again, Brown is cast as the dressed all in black hero who leads the wagon train. Fuzzy Knight provides support as Brown's sidekick.

Where the casting breaks down is in the portrayals of the chief villains. James Blaine is barely adequate as "Morgan", the chief baddie, but it is Jack C. Smith as "Bull Bragg" who clearly was not up to the role. Of the villains, Charles Stevens as "Breed" stands out. Either Forrest Taylor, Tom London or Charles King, who play small roles as henchmen, could have elevated this picture by playing the "Morgan" and "Bragg" roles.

If the producers could only have seen a few years into the future, they would have seen that they had the future "King of the Bad Guys", Roy Barcroft (cast curiously as General Custer) in their cast. Ah but hindsight is always 20/20.

Rustlers of Red Dog was the first of four serials that Johnny Mack Brown made for Universal in the 30s. It's loaded with non-stop action and boasts a cast of thousands. There are large scale Indian attacks and raids by the large gang of rustlers of the title a-plenty. There is liberal usage of the Universal library of stock footage (obviously from the 20s)very much in evidence as well.

There are the usual assortment of cliff hangers at the end of each chapter (falls off the cliff, overturned wagons, the hero and/or heroine in life threatening situations etc.).

There is a stellar cast of serial and "B" Western veterans in the cast. An all in black Brown plays the hero and Raymond Hatton and Walter Miller play his two sidekicks. One of the best "B" Western villains, Harry Woods (billed here as H.L. Woods) plays the chief bad guy and Joyce Compton is the helpless heroine "Mary".

A sharp-eyed fan of "B" Westerns will spot veterans Edmund Cobb, Bud Osborne and Wally Wales (Hal Taliaferro) as members of Woods' gang and Iron Eyes Cody, Chief Thundercloud and Jim Thorpe as injuns.

Although lacking the polish of the later Republic serials and over-using stock footage, I nonetheless found this serial very entertaining.

The 1925 version of Ben-Hur is an outstanding example of silent film making at it's best. With the proverbial cast of thousands, it compares favorably with it's more expensive and lavish 1959 remake. Had the Academy Awards been given out at this time, Ben-Hur would undoubtedly have won it's share.

The video version that I saw was restored to it's original splendor complete with tints and two color technicolor sequences, They are quite spectacular and hold up quite well today. The birth of Christ sequence is most memorable.

The flagship sequences, the sea battle and the chariot race, are expertly staged and remain the most exciting parts of the picture. They are as good as those in the 1959 version.

The casting is, for the most part, excellent. Ramon Navarro as Judah and Francis X. Bushman as Messala stand out. The only problem is the casting of May McEvoy as Esther. With her blond hair, blue eyes and riglets, she looks more like a Mary Pickford want to be than a Jewish slave girl.

Despite all of it's well documented production problems, Ben-Hur still is one of the best movies of all time, silent or sound.

Life is Beautiful is really two movies in one. The first half, which takes place in pre-WWII Italy, involves the comical wooing and winning by Guido (Roberto Benigni) of his wife Dora (Nicoletta Braschi). The second half takes place during WWII (about 5 years later) during the persecution of the Jews by the Germans.

In pre-war Italy life is beautiful as Guido becomes a waiter in his uncle's hotel and keeps running into (literally) a charming school teacher named Dora. He finally wins their heart and they marry. Benigni could have made a charming movie ending it here. But cut to a few years later, it is now WWII and they have a 5 year old son. Guido and his family, being Jewish, are soon rounded up by the Germans and sent to a concentration camp. There, the picture takes on a more serious tone as Guido tries to protect his son, with humour and imagination, from the horrors of the camp.

Writer, director, actor Benigni has created a cinematic masterpiece - in any language. He is able to perfectly blend humour, pathos and tragedy in telling his story. His characters are believable and synpathetic. It was also nice to see Horst Buchholtz (as a German doctor) again after so many years.

This movie, in my humble opinion, should have been given the Best Picture Oscar over the inferior Shakespeare in Love. It's so good that if you watch it in Italian with sub-titles, you won't even notice the sub-titles, you'll become so engrossed with the story. A bona fide tear jerker.

The Black Legion is significant in the career of Humphrey Bogart. This film is the first time he played the lead in an "A" feature. The film is also a great showcase for his acting talents.

In this film Bogey's character, Frank Taylor, moves from a happily married family man, to a man filled with hate and finally to a man remorseful for the trouble he has brought upon himself and others.

When Frank Taylor loses an expected promotion to a "foreigner", he becomes disillusioned and is coerced by a co-worker (Joseph Sawyer) into joining a secretive hate and Klu Klux Klan like organization called The Black Legion. Despite pleas from his wife (Erin O'Brien-Moore) and best friend (Dick Foran), Taylor continues his terrorist activities leading to the inevitable tragic consequences.

The subject of prejudice and hate organizations in a major studio production was quite daring for the 30s, given the introduction of the Production Code only a few years earlier. It still delivers a powerful message today.

The Black Legion remains one of the best of Bogey's early films.

G-Men vs. the Black Dragon was the first of two serials released in 1943 starring Rod Cameron as Government Agent Rex Bennett. Loaded with action, it is one of the best of Republic's serials. There's at least two knock down drag out fights in every chapter, enhanced by Cameron's athletic prowess, which allowed him to be clearly a part of the fisticuffs (although he is clearly doubled in the more difficult stunts).

The story, set during WWII, involves the evil Japanese price Haruchi (Nino Pipitone) and his secret organization The Black Dragon, trying to sabotage American War efforts while planning an invasion of the U.S. Aided by his two henchmen Rango (Noel Cravat) and Lugo (George J. Lewis), The Black Dragon attempts to steal secret plans, blow up strategic installations and the like only to be thwarted at every turn by Bennett and his two assistants (Constance Worth, Roland Got).

All of the serial cliches are here, the exploding bridge, cars/trucks going over the cliff, warehouses blowing up, narrow last minute escapes etc. The stuntwork is excellent as always and the special effects created by the Lydecker Brothers are amazing for their time. Director William Witney keeps the action flowing and the fights a coming.

Cameron (before going on to bigger and better things) is excellent as Rex Bennett, who just can't seem to stay away from fist fights. Pipitone, Cravat, and Lewis add admirably to Republic's gallery of hissable serial villains. The only weakness in the cast are the wooden performances of Worth and Got as Bennett's assistants.

Still and all, G-Men vs. The Black Dragon represents one of the best examples of the lost art of Saturday matinee serials and should not be missed.

This latest episode of the Star Wars saga is a special effects feast. It seems that George Lucas has turned his Industrial Light & Magic division loose. What they came up with are digital effects, the like of which we have not seen before. No need to pay supporting players or extras here, they'll just create them digitally.

The special effects, to be sure, are dazzling but did they go overboard? There are so many digitally created characters that the human cast is almost lost. Take the Jar-Jar Binks character as an example of the overkill. Firstly he comes off as a cartoon-like character, as sort of cross between Daffy Duck and a duck-billed platypus, and is totally unecessary. He looks like Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 Century.

R2D2 and C3PO could have just as easily handled the comic relief chores as they had in the previous films. For some reason, Lucas chose to keep them in the background. We could have done without the giant horsefly character, whose name escapes me, as well. It was nice to see old friends Yoda and Jabba the Hut again but they merely put in cameo appearances. The droid army looks like an army of mechanical ants.

The Pod Race sequence seems to pay homage to the chariot race sequence in Ben-Hur. There are many similarities.

Of the human actors, and there are few, Liam Neeson stands out as the Jedi Master. It's hard to imagine Ewan McGregor as Obi-wan growing into Alec Guinness. In an effort to appeal to the younger crowd, Lucas has cast Natalie Portman as Queen Amidala and Jake Lloyd as the young Anakin Skywalker. It's a pity that actors of the calibre of Terence Stamp and Samuel L. Jackson were given so little to do.

George Lucas directs this episode and it reminds one of the first Stars Wars in both its settings and characterizations. It is hoped that he will return to the more simplistic and less creature oriented themes of the earlier films, when he makes the next episode.

As a post script, it has always interested me that both Lucas and Steven Spielberg have often looked to the old B&W serials of the 30s and 40s for inspiration. Why don't one or both of them make a new serial and see how it flies (no pun intended).

The Third Man is a truly classic film. Filmed in Black and White it presents a text book example of the film-noire period. It shows the Black and White film as a true and distinct art form. It is a pity that so few films utilize this medium today.

The story has Joseph Cotten (excellent as always) coming to post-war Vienna to take a job with his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles). It seems though that Mr. Lime is not what his friend believed him to be. The rest of the film has Cotten, together with Vali, Trevor Howard and Bernard Lee trying to solve the mystery of Harry Lime.

In terms of photography, The Third Man ranks right up there with Citizen Kane and Touch of Evil, both incidentally starring Orson Welles. The lighting and shadows are all there and the chase through the Vienna sewers is a sight to behold. That first shot of Welles standing in the shadows is a cinematic masterpiece. Director Carol Reed must have collaborated very closely with Welles in the directing of this film. It has Welles written all over it.

A superb film, the kind of which nobody seems to make any more.

Message in a Bottle is one of those Hollywood love stories that are unlikely to ever happen in real life but are nonetheless entertaining to watch.

Robin Wright Penn plays a newspaper researcher who stumbles upon a bottle on a beach containing a message. She is moved by the message and sets about to find out who wrote it. As luck would have it, it turns out to have been written by Kevin Costner who is grieving the recent loss of his wife. Well, you know what happens next.

Costner, after those two mega turkeys "Waterworld" and "The Postman", turns in a good performance as Garret, and Wright Penn is adequate as Theresa, however, it is veteran Paul Newman who walks away with the picture as Costner's father. He still has that screen presence and charisma that have kept him a star for over 35 years. Robbie Coltrane also contributes a nice but brief appearance as Theresa's boss.

The ending is a bit unexpected, but all in all, Message in a Bottle provides for an enjoyable evening's entertainment.

Dick Powell was a musical comedy star in the 30's who in 1944 made a dramatic career change when he switched to hard-boiled private eye/cop roles. Station West, his only western, is basically this character in a western setting. Make no mistake, Station West is a good western.

Powell plays an undercover army officer trying to find out who murdered two soldiers while stealing a gold shipment (No not the Gold Diggers of 1933). Along the way he meets Jane Greer as a business like saloon owner who may not be what she seems to be.

One of the best moments in the film is the knock down drag out fight Powell has with Guinn "Big Boy" Williams, playing a villain this time around. At first, after Powell knocks him down in the saloon, Williams utters a classic line: "You're too small to have made such a big mistake".

Other notables in the cast include Raymond Burr as a cowardly lawyer, Agnes Moorehead as Powell's "contact", Tom Powers as the army commander, Powell regular Regis Toomey as an undercover agent and an unbilled Burl Ives as a guitar strumming hotel clerk.

The black and white photography is excellent, particularly in the outdoor scenes. Station West raises the question as to why Powell didn't make more westerns. This was a good one.

I was a little disappointed when I finally got to see this movie. As Best Picture of 1998, I expected better. Make no mistake, Shakespeare in Love is a good movie, but not as good as people would have you believe.

When you strip away the Elizabethan costumes and sets (which are excellent, by the way), all you have left is a typical Hollywood "roll in the hay" romance.

Gwyneth Paltrow (Best Actress) and Judi Dench (Best Supporting Actress) deservedly won Oscars for their performances. I found Joseph Fiennes as Shakespeare to be over the top and totally miscast.

Perhaps I am not a romantic, but I am still at a loss as to how this picture won the best picture Oscar over much better films, in my opinion, such as "Saving Private Ryan" or "Affliction"

I was a little disappointed in The Professionals given it's big name cast.

The story involves four "professionals" (Lee Marvin, Burt Lancaster, Robert Ryan, Woody Strode) who are hired by a railroad tycoon (Ralph Bellamy) to go into Mexico to bring back his wife (Claudia Cardinale), who has apparently been kidnapped by a Mexican bandito (Jack Palance).

On the level of an adventure film, The Professionals is entertaining. But realistically, could you really expect that four men would be able to overpower a large group of professional soldiers such as they do. The Mexicans are portrayed as a bunch of illiterate whiskey drinking banditos who are easily outsmarted at every turn by the heroic American soldiers of fortune. Not likely.

Marvin is the gruff leader of the group, Lancaster, teeth a flashing, is the explosives expert, Ryan, the horse wrangler and Strode the tracker. Lancaster performs feats of epic heroism, Marvin growls and Ryan is totally wasted. Palance is alternately brutal and sympathetic as the Mexican leader. Cardinale is well, Cardinale.

The Professionals will pass a couple of hours but will be quickly forgotten as another routine western.

I recently saw this film for the first time on TV. It starts out OK but later turns into a joke.

The first part of the movie deals with the Brian Keith character's fight to help Texas recover following the Civil War. This includes battling with the carpet baggers and organizing the ranchers to move their cattle to the nearest railhead, which happens to be in Kansas. The drive fails so Keith decides to go to Kansas to persuade the railroad to run a line into Texas.

Fine up to this point, but then the picture turns ludicrous. Along comes Wild Bill Hickok (a woefully miscast Robert Culp), Young Buffalo Bill (Jim McMullen) and Calamity Jane (Judi Meredith). Why these characters were introduced into the story is beyond me. They add nothing and serve as not much more than comic relief. The Plainsman (1936) explored this concept much better.

The conflict between Keith and the army (led by an effective Albert Ryder), could have been developed without the aforementioned three characters. Good character actors like Warner Anderson, Harry Carey Jr., Richard Deacon and Trevor Bardette are wasted. Possibly some of their scenes were cut as the film only runs 75 minutes.

They should have built the story around the opening scenes. That would have resulted in a much better movie.

The Violent Men is pretty good western that certainly benefits from its excellent cast.

Edward G. Robinson is the big rancher trying to squeeze out the smaller ranchers one of whom is Glenn Ford. Ford is ready to sell to appease his fiance (May Wynn) until Robinson's ambitious brother (Brian Keith) murders one of Ford's hands. Then you know what happens next.

Barbara Stanwyck is along as Robinson's scheming wife the kind of role in which she specialized. Dianne Foster plays their daughter who comes to admire Ford.

The Violent Men is nothing more than a "B" plot with an "A" movie cast but it is very well done.

House of Dracula is another of the series of all-star monster extravaganzas produced by Universal in the 40s.

This one deals with The Wolf Man (Lon Chaney Jr.) and Dracula (John Carradine) coming to scientist Onslow Stevens for a cure for what ails them. Along the way they find the Frankenstein Monster (Glenn Strange) and try to help him as well. Well, we all know that things will not go smoothly and the monsters will soon be running amok.

Carradine, playing Dracula for the second time, is quite effective in the role. He gives it his own interpretation and doesn't try to copy Bela Lugosi. Chaney gives a sympathetic performance as the doomed Lawrence Talbot. Stevens, in a rare leading role, also stands out as the doctor. The Frankenstein monster has little to do until the final minutes of the film.

As monster films go, this isn't one of the all-time greats, but on the other hand it does provide 67 minutes of solid entertainment.

I have to admit that I approached the viewing of this movie with some apprehension. But as it turned out, I enjoyed it very much.

The film consists of three separate stories dealing with lesbianism set at different times and featuring characters from three distinct age groups.

The first, set in 1961, and the best of the three, features an outstanding performance by the marvellous Vanessa Redgrave as a retired school teacher who suddenly loses her lifelong companion. She suddenly finds that all of the things she has taken for granted are suddenly gone, including the roof over her head. The vignette shows how lesbianism was never talked about in public in the 60s as evidenced in the hospital scenes where Redgrave attempts to find out what has happened to her "friend". Paul Giamatti plays the deceased's nephew who has to tell Redgrave that she no longer can remain in her home of 30 years. Elizabeth Perkins effectively plays his scavenging wife.

The second story, set in 1972, deals with the relationship between a college co-ed (Michelle Williams) and a girl who likes dress in macho male attire (Chloe Sevigny). I found myself actually hoping that they would live happily ever after.

The last story concerns the often humorous efforts of two mature companions (Ellen DeGeneres, Sharon Stone)to "have a baby".

Although not for everyone, I found that this movie was tastefully done and very well acted.

A Thunder of Drums could have been a much better movie given the talent in the cast.

Richard Boone plays the grizzled captain of a remote fort in the middle of nowhere. He has little to do other than snarl at the young lieutenants and lament over that lost promotion. Pretty boy George Hamilton is woefully miscast as the new officer on the block. And speaking of miscasting, Arthur O'Connell as the top sergeant is a long way from "Picnic".

Charles Bronson appears as one of the soldiers who is either supposed to be comic relief or a slimey peeping Tom, we're never quite sure. The fight between Bronson and Hamilton is laughable considering the outcome.

Others in the cast include the bland Luana Patten as the heroine, a young Richard Chamberlain as one of the officers and veteran Slim Pickens who was hardly seen after the opening sequence. And yes, not to forget Duane Eddy as a guitar strumming private. The best that can be said about Eddy is that as an actor he makes a fine musician.

Most of the first 2/3 of the picture consists of the Boone character barking at his subordinates. The final third of the film contains most of the action and manages to salvage the picture.

I think that for this film could have done with less talk and more action.

The Enforcer ranks as one of Bogey's best films. A look at the supporting cast will tell you why.

Bogey plays crusading DA Martin Ferguson who is trying to convict mob kingpin Everett Sloane of murder. The crime organization appears to be a thinly disguised version of Murder Inc. (aka the Mafia).

Told mostly in flashbacks, we meet an assortment of characters, each of whom is a piece in the overall puzzle. Veteran Ted DeCorsia stands out as Rico, Sloane's right hand man as does Zero Mostel as one of the mobsters. Lawrence (aka Michael) Tolan plays Duke Malloy one of the hitmen who is forced to kill his own girl friend. Roy Roberts and King Donovan appear as the cops.

Special mention is saved for veteran western actor Bob Steele (billed as "Robert"), who plays Herman a hit man from Kansas City. Steele plays the character much like the chilling Canino in the earlier "The Big Sleep" (1946). His death scene at the end of the picture is not to be missed.

An oddity of this picture is that there was no love interest for Bogey. Know what, It makes for a better and more compact movie. The Enforcer will hold your attention from start to finish. A very entertaining film.

If there was ever a doubt that Rock Hudson could act, this film should set the record straight. Hudson turns in the best dramatic performance of his career in my humble opinion.

The story revolves around a middle-aged man (John Randolph) who is unsatisfied with his lot in life and is transformed into Rock Hudson (we all wish) and set up in a new life with a new identity by a mysterious organization known only as "The Company".

Hudson as mentioned above is excellent in the role of the reborn painter. John Randolph is also good as the man who wants a new life. Also in the cast are Will Geer as the founder of "The Company", Jeff Corey and Richard Anderson as various members of "The Company" and Salome Jens as the Hudson character's love interest.

Director John Frankenheimer keeps the story moving and keeps us guessing as to the final outcome. The stark black and white photography of James Wong Howe sets the dark and dreary mood of the story throughout.

This is one time that you should stick around for "Seconds". And don't miss the ending.

Edtv suffers by the inevitable comparison to the similar and superior "The Truman Show" (1998). Frankly, I'm surprised that a director of the caliber of Ron Howard would be involved in the making of this clone. This will definitely not go down as one of his greatest films.

The story involves a cable network called True TV deciding to televise the daily life of an everyman to the nation. A cast of talented people is largely wasted. To theirs and Howard's credit they, for the most part, almost carry it off. Unfortunately, the story degenerates into the Hollywood formula boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets girl back formula, complete with the contrived happy ending.

Matthew McConaughey stars as Ed and is one of the reasons that I didn't like this film. He is not believable as the main character and goes through the entire film looking like he needs a bath and a shave, and dressed as though he picked his clothes out of the laundry hamper. Woody Harrelson is wasted as Ed's brother. He has little to do after the first half hour. I think he would have been much better in the lead role than was McConaughey.

Of the rest of the cast, Ellen Degeneres as the producer and Rob Reiner as the network executive are good, as is Martin Landau in a limited role. I would have liked to seen more of the Landau character. Dennis Hopper turns up all too briefly as Ed's long lost father and Sally Kirkland is over the top as his mother. Jenna Elfman plays the heroine and Elizabeth Hurley sizzles as the actress trying to seduce Ed for her own gain.

In the end, EDtv is too much like but not near as good as "The Truman Show".

Sabrina is a movie that was made for Audrey Hepburn. She is simply charming as the title character. The story is Cinderella like in that Sabrina, a chauffeur's daughter with a crush on the playboy son of her father's employer, goes to Paris and returns as a mature sophisticated lady who charms everyone she meets.

The picture is enhanced by the direction of Billy Wilder and the casting of Humphrey Bogart and William Holden (Why did they make him blond?)as the Larabee brothers who vie for Miss Hepburn's affections.

But the film is clearly Miss Hepburn's and one can see why she was one of the most beloved actresses of her time. Watch Sabrina and you too will fall in love with her. A marvelous film.

A Simple Plan is an excellent thriller from start to finish.

The story is basically that three average men (Bill Paxton, Billy Bob Thornton, Brent Briscoe) stumble upon a downed plane and discover $4.4 million in a duffle bag. They decide to keep the money but hide it until they feel that it is safe to divide up - a simple plan. Of course, with that amount of money at stake the plan is not adhered to. The lives of the princpals begin to unravel, double crosses ensue, deceit and deception take over leading up to unexpected tragic events.

Director Sam Raimi keeps the story moving and builds the suspense throughout the story. Paxton plays the college educated Hank Mitchell who is married to a scheming Sarah (Bridget Fonda) who begins to plant ideas in his head. Thornton plays Hank's simple-minded brother Jacob who wants nothing more than to buy back their parents old now vacant farm. Briscoe is the loose cannon of the trio who likes his drink and is in need of money for debts. And then greed takes over. And you know that the "rightful owner" of the money will eventually show up.

An edge of your seat thriller. Don't miss the ending.

One of a series of interesting westerns Audie Murphy made for Universal in the 50s and 60s. As in all of these oaters, many veteran performers turn up in various roles. This one is no exception.

Dan Duryea appears in one of his patented good bad guy roles as a character called, now get this, Frank Jesse. At the beginning Murphy is almost strung up for hoss stealin' by veterans Roy Barcroft and Bob Steele. What makes this scene unique is that they attempt to hang him from a wagon tongue, a method that I haven't seen employed before or since. Also, Republic serial veterans George (Commando Cody) Wallace and stuntman Dale Van Sickel turn up briefly as various bad guys.

The story is basically two drifters (Murphy and Duryea) hired by a mysterious and gorgeous blond (Joan O'Brien), to escort her across Apache territory to meet up with her long lost husband. There are the expected Indian attacks and of course, the final showdown between Murphy and Duryea.

The film is a good western competently handled. But what I still can't figure out is who the Joan O'Brien character is trying to signal during the trek across Apache country.

I was very disappointed in this movie. It could have been a good murder mystery. It turns out to be nothing more than an "R" rated TV movie of the week.

A great cast is largely wasted. John Travolta merely walks through his role of the chief investigator and Madeliene Stowe as his assistant, does likewise. James Cromwell is good as the general as is Clarence Williams III as his assistant. James Woods as always, is better than his material and Timothy Hutton has little to do as the the Commanding Officer of the military police.

The identity of the murderer is not too hard to figure out which detracts from the mystery element that was intended. A so-so thriller that could have been much much better.