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Reviews
Foreign Correspondent (1940)
Lesser - known gem, but still brilliant.
Even though this isn't one of Hitchcock's best known movies, it is extremely entertaining. The Master of Suspense proved himself to be quite humorous, which, in turn, made this film not only suspenseful but very funny. Robert Benchley, as Stebbins (the reporter who does almost everything else except drink) adds a lot to the hilarity. However, the actor who shines more than anybody throughout the film, Joel McRea excepted, is George Sanders. He is the quintessential aloof, smooth Englishman with wicked wit. Hitchcock uses his camera effectively all the way through the movie, especially during Van Meer's interrogation scene in the hotel. The scene with the umbrellas has become a classic in the Hitchcock canon. All in all, a very good movie made by a one of the greatest directors.
The Big Easy (1986)
Big Easy a Big Mess
As a native of New Orleans, I can state that almost everything in this movie, from the atrocious N'Awlins dialect to the highly creative "manipulation" of Crescent City geography, is horrible. This is another one of those Big Hollywood movies that decides to stereotype New Orleans as: 1. A city full of French-sounding idiots 2. A city full of people who sound as if they've just returned from Blanche Dubois' summer home 3. A city of drunkards, where every day is Mardi Gras 4. A city of deep mystery, where almost everyone practices or is a victim of voodoo (I admit that maybe we are a city of drunkards; although every day is NOT Mardi Gras). "The Big Easy" is one of the worst films about New Orleans. I wouldn't recommend it to anybody.
A Christmas Carol (1984)
Scott not hot
George C. Scott, a great actor by any stretch of the imagination, is out of his league as the miserly Scrooge. His gruff voice and "Patton" delivery grates on the nerves, and does not contribute to the overall picture. Also, the little actor portraying Tiny Tim is perhaps a bit TOO cloying. Otherwise, this is a rather mundane adaptation of the Dickens classic.