Reviews

When sci-fi came to the movies in short trousers, this was the fare served to the young masses. Total 'B' movie hokum for vintage sci-fi buffs only. It was probably made on a budget of $300.00 and possibly came in with a profit of $200.00. But put it this way; Steven Spielberg, wonderful and fantastic director as he is, could not replicate this film in the exact same form. It belongs where it is in the past.

I love Laurence Olivier therefore I had to see this film even though he was taking the part of a cop. But he is a top cop and did it almost blindfolded. The others thrashed along behind him but were excellent with Marita Hunt, Carol Lesley and Noel Coward being standouts. Clive Revill, who is a cracking actor, was not in his strongest role and suffered as a consequence. The film, tagged as a mystery, kept being mysterious until towards the end when we were all let in on the secret but had to endure an overlong conclusion which I feel let the film down.

I've never had an inkling of this film yet from the first few notes of the introductory music (John Barry) the singer (Shirley Bassey) and the opening credit animation were the all the hallmarks of James Bond. After that the story deteriorated into self indulgent scenes of, well, self indulgence actually. I did enjoy the the cameo scene of John Barry conducting the orchestra but unfortunately not the music. He hasn't changed since his days with the 'John Barry Seven'. A handsome man and usually a beautiful music maker.

This is one of those twerpy 'swinging 60's' films with cavalier photography, 'swinging' introductory and background music, to get us all in a 'fab' mood to insure us that the everything you are about to endure is not to be taken seriously. It's all the fault of the Beatles wonderful 'A Hard Days Night' that all the others are trying to catch up. However, this film couldn't catch a George Formby film on a bad day. And why-oh-why did it have to have the obligatory American actor in the lead role? To me this lowers the tone completely as we have many, many British actors who would be more than willing to make a complete fool of themselves.

I particularly liked the battle of the pipes scene where Robert Flemying, with his pipe, took on his adversary, with his pipe, smoked and sucked and huffed and puffed (with some dialogue in between) must have been extremely pleased when the director shouted "cut".

What a shame....or is it who's to blame! A lot of acting talent and a lot of expertise. So who's to blame for this absolute rubbish? It's all rather sad.

As I recall this is the first time I've ever paused a Ridley Scott movie and gone back to it the next day. But on this occasion I did. It's missing that pin that keeps me stuck to my seat. And then it became obvious..... it's missing that chill factor- not the feel good factor. It's missing, but never seen, the grotesque surrounding our man.

I just love a film that is riddled with foul lanquage and so ridiculous and unbelievable as long as it's made knowing that it is ridiculous and unbelievable. The storyline is the well worn path of cops and drugs and corruption which makes little difference because of the amazing rapport of the two female stars Bullock and the-other-one...sorry I forgot her name (but she is very good indeed)...would have both been good if the film had of been an adaption of Jane Eyre. I accidentally bumped into the movie about halfway through whilst channel hopping and was immediately impressed by them both. However, the truth is they are both very good actors and very good comediennes and it's all held strongly together by super direction, good camera work, editing and production.

I'm half-way through, approx. 45 minutes, watching this film and I've had to switch off for just now as I'm seriously worried about the stars of the film. Now don't get me wrong here, or jump to conclusions, for I think this is a very good film indeed and so well acted by the two main stars, William Powell and Myrna Loy. No, the reason of my concern is I'm very worried indeed about their health. And more to the point I'm VERY worried indeed about William Powell's health more than Myrna Loy's because he does it more than her, yet not that much. And what is it they both do that is so worrying? Drinking alcohol in such vast quantities that it would knock out an elephant! "Pass me a drink darling" William Powell would say to Myrna. "Of course darling" Myrna would answer, pouring about a half pint of scotch into a glass that he would swig off in a couple of gulps. Glass after glass after glass of liquor was consumed in this fashion and nobody battered an eyelid or fell over or even hiccupped. Fantastic!!

I've seen this film twice, the second time on TV only last week. It's about a group of US Jewish Soldiers who are in Europe during WW2 who go about killing Nazi soldiers in the most brutal fashion. Somehow they get mixed up in a strange caper to wipe out the entire Hirearchy Nazi regime including Hitler, Goebbels, Goring, Nazi Generals, wives and girlfriends etc, etc, by locking them in a cinema where they are viewing pro-Nazi propaganda films. The violence throughout the film is shocking and vile, but of course WW2 was a shocking and vile war. The outstanding actor in the film is Christoph Waltz who plays the Nazi Col. Hans Landa who in his scenes uses excellent underlying menace without always using violence itself. The scenes with actor Denis Menochet, who is excellent, and another scene with actress Melanie Laurent, who is also truly wonderful, were memorable. However, I must say that even Christoph Waltz's portrayal of a brutal Nazi is not as good as Ralph Fiennes Nazi, Amon Goeth, in 'Schindlers List.' And August Diehl, who plays Major Hellstrom certainly deserves a mention as do most of the rest of the cast...... Oh, and I almost forgot, Brad Pitt is in there somewhere but I'm not at all sure why.....

This is a film about a huge locomotive with countless waggons's of highly toxic chemicals about to be transported. Through foolish negligence by the crew, the train manages to begin its journey unmanned. Gradually it picks up tremendous speed through the countryside heading towards a large town. It is the guided missile of the track - the Cruise missile of the rails. It has to be stopped. But How? At this point I would like to say that if you have read other reviews putting this film down - especially the one's that start with "...I was on the railroad for 40 years and you couldn't do that etc, etc...." please don't take a bit of notice for this film is about pure nail-biting entertainment. Simple as that. The photography is world class and the direction and editing are wonderful keeping the film going along at a fantastic speed - like the Locomotive - until the very end. Great stuff!!

This is a rather glossy film that takes a very good plot of a 'perfect' murder and wraps it in yet more gloss and continues to do so throughout. In the opening scenes it reminded me of the 'Columbo' TV series where the murderer is seen by all doing his/her nasty work and then has to be caught out by a superior being. Anthony Hopkins is excellent, but gives nothing extra to his usual 'controlled but I might erupt at any moment' performance which he does very well and he fits snugly into the role. However, as miscasting goes, as miscasting does, Ryan Gosling, cast in the role of the superior being, looks as if he should be in a teenage skateboard film worrying about his acne as he gets ready to attend the local dance hop. Instead he tries very hard to do a wet vague impersonation of Marlon Brando, or was it James Dean, and comes out looking like he has been grounded by his parents for not doing his homework. What the love interest was between him and Rosamund Pike was all about I just do not know? Or was it even necessary? But of course I had to see the film through and see how the murderer would make, or had already made his/her mistake. And so it trundled on for another hour or so continuing with Anthony Hopkins acting with 'menace' and Ryan Gosling acting with his homework.

I watched The Third Man yet again on TV. However, I think this is the longest gap since I watched it the last time. It is, in my opinion, an almost perfect film and in my reckoning I cannot give higher praise than that for anything. Call me a cynic, but nothing is perfect. Perfection is something to strive for. As I watched it I realised several things. One of them was how perfect, sorry, almost perfect, the casting was for the characters. I cannot imagine any other person to take the part of Holly Martins than Joseph Cotton. Nor can I contemplate Harry Lime to be no one else except Orson Welles. Trevor Howard is wonderful and Bernard Lee is marvellous. But then again is it because I've watched it so many times that it's now a case that Holly Martins is Joseph Cotton and Harry Lime is Orson Welles and so on? Another thing was, and here I am slightly prejudiced as I like B/W photography, is what if this film had been made in colour? How ghastly a thought is that? None of the slippery bleakness of the city, none of the suspicious shadows and none of the bleakness of the night. And the final thing was that I cannot remember a better character introduction into film than Harry Lime. A cat purring around a pair a shiny black shoes of a man in a very dark doorway - suddenly a light switched on from a room in the apartment opposite spills across the road into the doorway and there stands Orson Welles. Truly Great!!

If you can imagine that this is your brief to make a film that must contain all of 1-4. 1)A sleazy swimming baths and steaming wash rooms. 2)A young woman swimming bath attendant and a young boy swimming bath attendant who are the principal characters. 3)Various other characters who visit the swimming baths. 4)Obsessional love. So from the list above an exceptional film must be made. It must hold your attention throughout. It must be fresh; never sluggish. It must have superb camera work. The principal characters must be void of cliché dialogue - and this is the hard part - use ABSOLUTE naturalistic dialogue - or improvised? If you think you can do it better than the above film then please do so. If not then watch 'Deep End'. Not only did I enjoy this film immensely but fell deeply in love (if you'll pardon the pun) with Jane Asher.

I started to watch this film then suddenly there was this awful din! Then I realised it must be the Mexico Brass Band and String Quartet warming up in the background. I strained my eyes, but no! They were nowhere to be seen. What could it be? Then I realised it was the background 'music' that is there supposedly to enhance a film- but this 'music' was in the foreground obviously in an attempt for the musicians to have a Number 1 hit in Greenland. But to the film..... with Yul Brynner sensibly wearing a hat to keep out the cold from his ever balding head looked as though he was missing his six other 'Magnificent' comrades and wistfully glanced towards the mountains in the hope that they would be skiing down to join him. Britt Ekland looked pretty, but her bottom lip is a little to thick for my taste, and Anton Diffring looking naked without his German Uniform. However, Clive Revill always is a cracking character actor. I gallantly tried to watch the wooden plot that has been done many times before in various guises, but I just couldn't hack the music so it was..... click! Goodbye!