To be honest, given the anime status this has, I was a tad disapppointed with it all. Stories move as snail pace, and there is just so many better Anime out there.
Reviews
14 Reviews
The Legend of Korra
(2012–2014)
Has moments and stands alone, but can never compare to original series
29 June 2021
A sequel of sorts to the Last Airbender. It stands alone, any yet its cant really compare. I enjoyed it, but it was also a bit disappointing to see the follow up on the characters from the original series. Watched it all out of commitment to the original series, but it does have its moments. At best it was fine, but could never reach the highs of expectation given the association with the original series.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
(2005–2008)
Watershed Cartoon
29 June 2021
Watched this a number of years ago on DVD with my son. Just a brilliant series and I think the inspiration to get into Anime. Wonderful story telling and a true artistic endeavour. The end of Season 1 and Season 4 are the best moments of a full joyful experience. Before you watch any anime, watch this so that you will always have a high benchmark.
A movie that continues the excellent Anime series
27 June 2021
This is not the movie you just watch because you have heard about this anime, but as a continuation of the excellent anime series, most enjoyable. Really do like the art direction and score. Sure, it could probably do with some excess edits, but then again, its a movie, just sit back and enjoy the world and the ongoing strange stories these anime shows toss up.
Spider-Man 3
(2007)
Wait till its out on video, and then only when its a weekly.
9 May 2007
I think its best in any review to try and be balanced, to weight up the pros and cons, to be constructive with any criticism, and to praise where appropriate. So, in that context, I would just like to say that Spiderman 3 was a total dog's breakfast, and advise you to see something else.
Its a rare cinema experience to see so many keen and eager people at the beginning of a film, with their chatting, fidgeting, laughing and excited expectations; and then to have these same people at the end of a film realising that, despite their best intentions, they have been completely let down, and so they simply quietly disperse.
It fails because one senses the producers are more concerned about the survival of the franchise and the drive-thru burger license than the credibility of the story. You realise early on its all going to be so safely, completely and nicely resolved that any plot development is really only a distraction, and you start to wish the audience could have a show of hands to fast-forward thru the dull convoluted middle bits for the obvious showdown at the end.
Its such a bland soulless CGI affair that you serious start thinking that even a cameo appearance by Jar Jar Binks would improve it ("Me's a tinking me Jar Jar senses are tinkling"). At least Jar Jar would be able to hand over the award for most stupid CGI creation, with "The Monster from the Bag of Liquorice" now being clearly the most ludicrous creation of all time.
Forgetting all the logical inconsistencies and incredibly remote coincidences in the story (and thankfully, 15 minutes after you leave the cinema, you find that you do), the biggest sadness with this film is that the three characters, who you invested some emotional commitment to in the first two films, fail to develop or grow in any meaningful way. They just have a series of set pieces seemingly designed by a committee that is only missing someone in the background holding up a sign saying "They are Now Sad", "They are Now Happy", "They are Now Angry", or "They are Now Trying to Be Funny".
It you do intend to watch this film, watch the first two first; because after seeing Spiderman 3, you will find the first two forever tainted, as you know now where its all going to head. Oh; and the praise. The Morwell Cinema in Victoria has assigned seating. Fantastic idea guys, I wish everyone would do this.
Its a rare cinema experience to see so many keen and eager people at the beginning of a film, with their chatting, fidgeting, laughing and excited expectations; and then to have these same people at the end of a film realising that, despite their best intentions, they have been completely let down, and so they simply quietly disperse.
It fails because one senses the producers are more concerned about the survival of the franchise and the drive-thru burger license than the credibility of the story. You realise early on its all going to be so safely, completely and nicely resolved that any plot development is really only a distraction, and you start to wish the audience could have a show of hands to fast-forward thru the dull convoluted middle bits for the obvious showdown at the end.
Its such a bland soulless CGI affair that you serious start thinking that even a cameo appearance by Jar Jar Binks would improve it ("Me's a tinking me Jar Jar senses are tinkling"). At least Jar Jar would be able to hand over the award for most stupid CGI creation, with "The Monster from the Bag of Liquorice" now being clearly the most ludicrous creation of all time.
Forgetting all the logical inconsistencies and incredibly remote coincidences in the story (and thankfully, 15 minutes after you leave the cinema, you find that you do), the biggest sadness with this film is that the three characters, who you invested some emotional commitment to in the first two films, fail to develop or grow in any meaningful way. They just have a series of set pieces seemingly designed by a committee that is only missing someone in the background holding up a sign saying "They are Now Sad", "They are Now Happy", "They are Now Angry", or "They are Now Trying to Be Funny".
It you do intend to watch this film, watch the first two first; because after seeing Spiderman 3, you will find the first two forever tainted, as you know now where its all going to head. Oh; and the praise. The Morwell Cinema in Victoria has assigned seating. Fantastic idea guys, I wish everyone would do this.
M
(1931)
Worth a look, 75yrs on ...
4 May 2007
Ultimately, I think how you got to find out about 'M' does influence to a degree how you perceive it.
If you were to approach this after being told it was one of the greatest movies ever; I think you would be disappointed. But only because, such a comment implies that it should be viewed on equal terms with films of today (which have used and added to many of the ideas in this film).
However, given I came across it as part of a "Cult Film" box-set which included Plan 9 from Outer Space, my expectations were not necessarily high.
Viewed as a piece of movie making from early 1930s, it's quite fascinating. Directionally, it is very impressive, apart from a most unusual shot of a policeman at a desk viewed from below the desk. I guess the idea is to imply a "Land of the Giants" feel, but you end up in a Spinal Tap moment, as you start hypothesising about what is wrapped around the cucumber.
Peter Lorre is brilliant, yet you can't but help notice exaggerated acting moments more akin to a silent movie. And yet, there are other moments where his acting is so sublime you wonder whether there has been any significant improvements in the supposed art at all in 75yrs. The sound also links back to silent film, in that, whilst a talkie with music, there are significant moments of silence; which add such a strange atmosphere to the film you wonder why someone doesn't try it with a film made today.
And, it has that one thing I like about old films. Time. It takes its time.
The world has changed incredibly in 75yrs, yet this film is still entertaining, provoking and ultimately leaves the viewer at the end with something to decide. For just these reasons its worth watching, but it's definite you will not forget it (and Im talking here about more than cucumbers).
If you were to approach this after being told it was one of the greatest movies ever; I think you would be disappointed. But only because, such a comment implies that it should be viewed on equal terms with films of today (which have used and added to many of the ideas in this film).
However, given I came across it as part of a "Cult Film" box-set which included Plan 9 from Outer Space, my expectations were not necessarily high.
Viewed as a piece of movie making from early 1930s, it's quite fascinating. Directionally, it is very impressive, apart from a most unusual shot of a policeman at a desk viewed from below the desk. I guess the idea is to imply a "Land of the Giants" feel, but you end up in a Spinal Tap moment, as you start hypothesising about what is wrapped around the cucumber.
Peter Lorre is brilliant, yet you can't but help notice exaggerated acting moments more akin to a silent movie. And yet, there are other moments where his acting is so sublime you wonder whether there has been any significant improvements in the supposed art at all in 75yrs. The sound also links back to silent film, in that, whilst a talkie with music, there are significant moments of silence; which add such a strange atmosphere to the film you wonder why someone doesn't try it with a film made today.
And, it has that one thing I like about old films. Time. It takes its time.
The world has changed incredibly in 75yrs, yet this film is still entertaining, provoking and ultimately leaves the viewer at the end with something to decide. For just these reasons its worth watching, but it's definite you will not forget it (and Im talking here about more than cucumbers).
The Wasp Woman
(1959)
You can judge a movie by its title.
27 March 2005
A film title that leaves you in no uncertainty as to what your going to watch.
And the introduction of the film doesn't make you think much more, as we have this sequence of people walking around a bee farm, but the background music is that intense "something spooky is going happen" sound, but nothing does. It's a bit like walk down the road to buy a Sunday newspaper, then walking back, but all the time the "Jaws" theme is playing in the background.
But then it pick ups. Actually, it turns out not to be that bad, In particular, Susan Cabot as Janice Starlin does a quite a good job as the lead actress. So, and as you would obviously expect from the film title, when she finally does turn into the Wasp Woman, and you see the exceedingly poor wasp woman makeup effect, instead of bursting out with laughter, you first thought is "Oh Dear ".
From there, the film just does not quite recover from the poor makeup effects of the wasp woman. From her appearance, there really is not much to get excited about, and even if you were, the ending arrives a bit too quickly, given the significant time you had to wait for the wasp woman to make her appearance.
Essentially, a cranked out predictable B-grade movie with a bonus of a good lead actress.
And the introduction of the film doesn't make you think much more, as we have this sequence of people walking around a bee farm, but the background music is that intense "something spooky is going happen" sound, but nothing does. It's a bit like walk down the road to buy a Sunday newspaper, then walking back, but all the time the "Jaws" theme is playing in the background.
But then it pick ups. Actually, it turns out not to be that bad, In particular, Susan Cabot as Janice Starlin does a quite a good job as the lead actress. So, and as you would obviously expect from the film title, when she finally does turn into the Wasp Woman, and you see the exceedingly poor wasp woman makeup effect, instead of bursting out with laughter, you first thought is "Oh Dear ".
From there, the film just does not quite recover from the poor makeup effects of the wasp woman. From her appearance, there really is not much to get excited about, and even if you were, the ending arrives a bit too quickly, given the significant time you had to wait for the wasp woman to make her appearance.
Essentially, a cranked out predictable B-grade movie with a bonus of a good lead actress.
Horrors of Spider Island
(1960)
Sufficiently Enjoyable Rubbish for Bad Movie Buffs
22 March 2005
It doesn't take you long to suspect that this movie was made quickly and cheaply, and the opening scenes with the 'dance girl' auditions is definitely a large signpost which says "Bad Movie Buffs Only".
As you might expect from the title, there needs to be a way to quickly get our girls (and guy) to Spider Island, and the obligatory plane crash helps. It's the highlight of the film, as the stock footage suggests we are no longer watching a DC-3, but rather a Kamikaze plane in a ball of fire rapidly dropping from the sky into a raging sea. The fact that they all manage to survive almost confirms the amazing optimism expressed by the girls manager back on shore, where he tells a distressed relative on the phone "No need to fear the worse, all we know is the plane caught fire and we lost radio contact".
OK, I think its best come clean and reveal that the real horror of Spider Island is the appalling overdubbing of the voices. In fact, after a while, you start listening to the secondary sound effects, to see if they are as equally bad. I particularly like a scene where someone is showering in a waterfall, but the actual sound effect is that of someone gargling water. So, the film does manage in this way to keep your interest.
And, in a strange way, as the plot and women begin to be revealed, you begin to wonder what will happen next, only because you know it will not be logical, and probably will involve women fighting. And the women are great, a flash back to when buxom was in, women could really cat-fight, and they had no trouble in throwing themselves shamelessly at an ordinary man.
So overall, a few agreeable moments for the bad film buff. In particular, I suggest you watch out early on for the logical jump when they find an extended-handle hammer, and the guy concludes: "Ahh, an extended-handle hammer, they must be mining uranium". Now, as well known in bad film land, uranium is the universal cause of giant nasty animals, so you are ready for big spiders to start appearing. Yet, in this film, uranium also seems to be an aphrodisiac, making the extended-handle hammer metaphor even more poignant.
This movie was on the Treeline 50 sci-fi classics compilation I suspect it is not readily available as a single release. The type of film you wouldn't seek to watch, but if you are stuck on the lounge after a heavy pizza and it came on, you probably would end up watching it.
As you might expect from the title, there needs to be a way to quickly get our girls (and guy) to Spider Island, and the obligatory plane crash helps. It's the highlight of the film, as the stock footage suggests we are no longer watching a DC-3, but rather a Kamikaze plane in a ball of fire rapidly dropping from the sky into a raging sea. The fact that they all manage to survive almost confirms the amazing optimism expressed by the girls manager back on shore, where he tells a distressed relative on the phone "No need to fear the worse, all we know is the plane caught fire and we lost radio contact".
OK, I think its best come clean and reveal that the real horror of Spider Island is the appalling overdubbing of the voices. In fact, after a while, you start listening to the secondary sound effects, to see if they are as equally bad. I particularly like a scene where someone is showering in a waterfall, but the actual sound effect is that of someone gargling water. So, the film does manage in this way to keep your interest.
And, in a strange way, as the plot and women begin to be revealed, you begin to wonder what will happen next, only because you know it will not be logical, and probably will involve women fighting. And the women are great, a flash back to when buxom was in, women could really cat-fight, and they had no trouble in throwing themselves shamelessly at an ordinary man.
So overall, a few agreeable moments for the bad film buff. In particular, I suggest you watch out early on for the logical jump when they find an extended-handle hammer, and the guy concludes: "Ahh, an extended-handle hammer, they must be mining uranium". Now, as well known in bad film land, uranium is the universal cause of giant nasty animals, so you are ready for big spiders to start appearing. Yet, in this film, uranium also seems to be an aphrodisiac, making the extended-handle hammer metaphor even more poignant.
This movie was on the Treeline 50 sci-fi classics compilation I suspect it is not readily available as a single release. The type of film you wouldn't seek to watch, but if you are stuck on the lounge after a heavy pizza and it came on, you probably would end up watching it.
Monstrosity
(1963)
Queerly Disturbing D-Grader
21 March 2005
I enjoy bad movies. There is such a wicked delight in watching something that fails on many levels. Because of this enjoyment, I had originally intended to regularly review a movie from the Treeline 50 Sci-fi movie collection. But that was until I watched "The Atomic Brain" (aka Monstrosity).
It all came to fruition in a particular scene which made me uncomfortable with my whole bad movie fascination; like finding out that your first girlfriend has since turned into a lesbian.
But first, a quick précis of the film.
Given that its a black and white film called the Atomic Brain (aka Monstrosity), you should be guessing that you are about to watch a movie with obvious D-grade plot, photography, acting and script. And you would have made an excellent guess.
But what differentiates this film from other D-grade fodder are two unique aspects.
The first is the voice over. This film must have the longest voice over introduction in history. The only voice you hear for the first 15 minutes of the film is the voice-over guy. Normally, the voice-over guy is a device to setup a film, then he vanishes, to maybe reappear at the end, if everyone has died, with an "I told you so".
But this voice-over is unique. Firstly, the delivery is akin to the "You will follow the great leader" type you might associate with mass hypnosis cults. Except, instead of delivering the facts, the voice-over not only paraphrases the feeling of the main characters, but in places provides disparaging editorial comment on the actions taken by the main characters. Its all quite strange.
The second aspect relates to the uncomfortable scene mentioned earlier. Essentially, voice-over guy in his first 15 minutes establishes that the old lady wants to transplant her brain into a new young body. So, later in the movie, we have this scene where the old lady is asking the young women to model some underwear (so she can also check out her shape), and our friend the voice over guy reappears, and you sense lewdly enjoys telling us what she thinks, with comments such as "she is so nicely rounded in places men like".
Basically, listening to a disturbed voice-over guy explaining the desires an 80 year old women has for the body of a 19yr old girl is not something I would like to experience alone again. Especially when the old lady has the same name as your first girlfriend.
Worth only watching so that when you view the Mystery Science Theatre version, you actually begin to see how clever those MST guys must be to make it enjoyable.
It all came to fruition in a particular scene which made me uncomfortable with my whole bad movie fascination; like finding out that your first girlfriend has since turned into a lesbian.
But first, a quick précis of the film.
Given that its a black and white film called the Atomic Brain (aka Monstrosity), you should be guessing that you are about to watch a movie with obvious D-grade plot, photography, acting and script. And you would have made an excellent guess.
But what differentiates this film from other D-grade fodder are two unique aspects.
The first is the voice over. This film must have the longest voice over introduction in history. The only voice you hear for the first 15 minutes of the film is the voice-over guy. Normally, the voice-over guy is a device to setup a film, then he vanishes, to maybe reappear at the end, if everyone has died, with an "I told you so".
But this voice-over is unique. Firstly, the delivery is akin to the "You will follow the great leader" type you might associate with mass hypnosis cults. Except, instead of delivering the facts, the voice-over not only paraphrases the feeling of the main characters, but in places provides disparaging editorial comment on the actions taken by the main characters. Its all quite strange.
The second aspect relates to the uncomfortable scene mentioned earlier. Essentially, voice-over guy in his first 15 minutes establishes that the old lady wants to transplant her brain into a new young body. So, later in the movie, we have this scene where the old lady is asking the young women to model some underwear (so she can also check out her shape), and our friend the voice over guy reappears, and you sense lewdly enjoys telling us what she thinks, with comments such as "she is so nicely rounded in places men like".
Basically, listening to a disturbed voice-over guy explaining the desires an 80 year old women has for the body of a 19yr old girl is not something I would like to experience alone again. Especially when the old lady has the same name as your first girlfriend.
Worth only watching so that when you view the Mystery Science Theatre version, you actually begin to see how clever those MST guys must be to make it enjoyable.
The Amazing Transparent Man
(1960)
Better than the title suggests - but that suggested stinker
11 November 2004
A title like "The Amazing Transparent Man" does have you seriously wondering on how poor the movie you are about to watch will be - - for a start, he can't even achieve invisibility (only transparency), so what is 'amazing' about that?
But the opening titles suggest you might get something a bit better than you were bracing yourself for. It's quite a good mood setting, with the music involving a cello grinding 4 repeating notes ominously. The other give away is that in the opening credits, the directors and producers names are shown in running-writing style - clearly both artists. And the opening prison escape bit is good, as well as the police checkpoint scene, and they involve some nicely framed external shots.
In fact its all looking like this might be a surprisingly enjoyable film, until the escaped safe-cracking crim Faust (played by Douglas Kennedy) has his first real indoor talking scene. And then you realize that for some reason only known to him, Mr Kennedy plays Faust like some "John Wayne" cowboy. Why a safe cracker would also be a swaggering tough guy who looks like he is ready to say "Ok Pilgrim" is a constant annoyance which does tend to cripple the film.
Anyway - - I don't think I'm giving much away to point out the early setup in the film when Krenner (the Bad Guy) says something like "Dr, make sure the radioactive material is kept away from the beam, or else we will all blow up", and then Dr Ulof repeating something similar back to Krenner five minutes later - - clearly, something is eventually going to go wrong along these lines much later in the film, and they really don't want you to miss it.
The other annoying thing about this movie is how quickly the characters (Faust, Krenner, Dr Ulof, Laura (the bad guys girl), and Julian (the bad guys hired help)) seems to keep swapping alliances and personality, all as a result of some simple statement that would even make a daytime soap opera blush.(eg: a "But your son is dead" has Julian swapping sides without a thought that "Hey, maybe she is lying because I have a gun pointed at her?").
So, the film is not too strong on the logic of how and why the characters act and respond. When combined with its over-earnestness, the final sentence uttered in the film, instead of being the deep and meaningful thought provoker the director and producer obviously intended, resulted in me chuckling for quite a while after the closing credits finished.
Ultimately - The Amazing Transparent Man is better than its title suggests, but not something to recommend.
But the opening titles suggest you might get something a bit better than you were bracing yourself for. It's quite a good mood setting, with the music involving a cello grinding 4 repeating notes ominously. The other give away is that in the opening credits, the directors and producers names are shown in running-writing style - clearly both artists. And the opening prison escape bit is good, as well as the police checkpoint scene, and they involve some nicely framed external shots.
In fact its all looking like this might be a surprisingly enjoyable film, until the escaped safe-cracking crim Faust (played by Douglas Kennedy) has his first real indoor talking scene. And then you realize that for some reason only known to him, Mr Kennedy plays Faust like some "John Wayne" cowboy. Why a safe cracker would also be a swaggering tough guy who looks like he is ready to say "Ok Pilgrim" is a constant annoyance which does tend to cripple the film.
Anyway - - I don't think I'm giving much away to point out the early setup in the film when Krenner (the Bad Guy) says something like "Dr, make sure the radioactive material is kept away from the beam, or else we will all blow up", and then Dr Ulof repeating something similar back to Krenner five minutes later - - clearly, something is eventually going to go wrong along these lines much later in the film, and they really don't want you to miss it.
The other annoying thing about this movie is how quickly the characters (Faust, Krenner, Dr Ulof, Laura (the bad guys girl), and Julian (the bad guys hired help)) seems to keep swapping alliances and personality, all as a result of some simple statement that would even make a daytime soap opera blush.(eg: a "But your son is dead" has Julian swapping sides without a thought that "Hey, maybe she is lying because I have a gun pointed at her?").
So, the film is not too strong on the logic of how and why the characters act and respond. When combined with its over-earnestness, the final sentence uttered in the film, instead of being the deep and meaningful thought provoker the director and producer obviously intended, resulted in me chuckling for quite a while after the closing credits finished.
Ultimately - The Amazing Transparent Man is better than its title suggests, but not something to recommend.
She Gods of Shark Reef
(1958)
Woeful
27 October 2004
It seemed (I thought) to be such a noble goal. To review all the movies on the Treeline Films DVD compilation '50 SciFi Classics'. And after 'The Incredible Petrified World', 'Queen of the Amazons' and 'Robot Monster'; to this bad film aficionado, it would also be most enjoyable.
But then came 'She Gods of Shark Reef'.
One can only imagine the good people at Treeline discovered the day before it released '50 SciFi Classics' that their collection only contained 49 films. So, in their need to find a filler fast, we end up with this non-SciFi film that was seemingly videotaped off a TV station whose reception you can only get by plugging the aerial into the toaster. Except, such a movie would never be played by one of those TV stations, due to its fear of losing an audience.
Even the Treeline plot summary on the DVD sleeve gives you the tell tale sign that your in for a painful experience, as the best thing they can say at the beginning is 'Filmed in Hawaii'; which to my surprise, turned out to be a colour production process that seemingly gives this film a maximum of only 3 colour tones at any one time.
I will not give you a plot synopsis as I strongly recommend you don't watch this film. It manages to find that special 'woeful' niche, where it's not bad enough to be enjoyable, yet hardly good enough to be watchable.
However, I know that no matter how appalling it is, lessons can be drawn from a movie. The three lessons I learned from this film were:
(1) its OK to hit a woman, provided she is fat and ugly
(2) no matter how you film it, a dead shark looks very obviously like a dead shark, even if you push it to the intended shark attack victim, or drag it in the water to give the impression that its swimming
(3) if there was an award for 'Smallest Killer Shark in Film', the poor little dead creature used here would win (and by more than a fin). In fact, if it were any smaller, it could easily be mistaken for krill.
I have sacrificed myself to the She Gods so that you may forego the pain. I recommend that you take the opportunity instead to turn off the TV and go outside for a pleasant 70 minute walk and talk with a friend or loved one. The type of thing people probably did before the invention of film.
But then came 'She Gods of Shark Reef'.
One can only imagine the good people at Treeline discovered the day before it released '50 SciFi Classics' that their collection only contained 49 films. So, in their need to find a filler fast, we end up with this non-SciFi film that was seemingly videotaped off a TV station whose reception you can only get by plugging the aerial into the toaster. Except, such a movie would never be played by one of those TV stations, due to its fear of losing an audience.
Even the Treeline plot summary on the DVD sleeve gives you the tell tale sign that your in for a painful experience, as the best thing they can say at the beginning is 'Filmed in Hawaii'; which to my surprise, turned out to be a colour production process that seemingly gives this film a maximum of only 3 colour tones at any one time.
I will not give you a plot synopsis as I strongly recommend you don't watch this film. It manages to find that special 'woeful' niche, where it's not bad enough to be enjoyable, yet hardly good enough to be watchable.
However, I know that no matter how appalling it is, lessons can be drawn from a movie. The three lessons I learned from this film were:
(1) its OK to hit a woman, provided she is fat and ugly
(2) no matter how you film it, a dead shark looks very obviously like a dead shark, even if you push it to the intended shark attack victim, or drag it in the water to give the impression that its swimming
(3) if there was an award for 'Smallest Killer Shark in Film', the poor little dead creature used here would win (and by more than a fin). In fact, if it were any smaller, it could easily be mistaken for krill.
I have sacrificed myself to the She Gods so that you may forego the pain. I recommend that you take the opportunity instead to turn off the TV and go outside for a pleasant 70 minute walk and talk with a friend or loved one. The type of thing people probably did before the invention of film.
Robot Monster
(1953)
Must be watched once in your lifetime with your closest friends
20 October 2004
How can you approach a recent repeat viewing of a movie you first saw 20 years ago in a double feature with 'Plan 9 from Outer Space', which to this day is still the most joyous, funniest cinema experience you have ever had. Without these two films, I would never have been seduced by the wonderful Golden Turkey Awards books, nor started my secret, indulgent near obsession with enjoying bad movies.
And as bad movies go, Robot Monster is simply wonderful.
Its almost pointless to go about what is in store for the unwary viewer, except that they will encountering a cinematic experience they will still be talking about in 20yrs time. However, I cannot complete this review without mentioning my two most favourite magic moments.
The first magic moment is this wonderful scene at the grave of the recently buried little brat girl (who thankfully is terminated extremely efficiently by Ro-man). Suddenly, in the top left corner of the screen is this small dot. Which starts slowly getting larger and larger. You eventually realize it's a shirtless George Nader running to the graveside. George keeps jumping rocks and branches as he eventually makes his way to the grave. Keep running George. Eventually, he finally gets to the grave, to tell the parents that Ro-man has their adult daughter. At which point, he instantly collapses, and is immediately pronounced dead. The timing is so exquisite, you will rewind the film, just to see this wonderful setup and delivery, again and again.
The second magic moment is a touching piece of prose which I feel has been ignored by scientists / engineers around the world as a personal incantation when confronted with a crisis. Basically, Ro-man doesn't want to kill the girl because he is having 'strange feelings' towards her (much like the strange feelings my neighbors dog had for my leg when I visited a few days ago). Alas, his superior wants her (and everyone else) killed. We then have this lovely 'to camera' moment, when a creature, consisting of the body of a gorilla, and the head of a deepsea diving helmet plus antenna, laments to the viewer:
'I cannot, yet I must. How do you calculate that? At what point on the graph do must and cannot meet? Yet I must. But I cannot'.
If only Macbeth and Hamlet had consider life as deeply, they might not have died.
Robot Monster is definitely recommended viewing just don't do it alone. Invite around your closest friends, and you will be bonded with enough 'But what about when ' experiences for the next two months. And how many modern films can claim to be able to do that.
And as bad movies go, Robot Monster is simply wonderful.
Its almost pointless to go about what is in store for the unwary viewer, except that they will encountering a cinematic experience they will still be talking about in 20yrs time. However, I cannot complete this review without mentioning my two most favourite magic moments.
The first magic moment is this wonderful scene at the grave of the recently buried little brat girl (who thankfully is terminated extremely efficiently by Ro-man). Suddenly, in the top left corner of the screen is this small dot. Which starts slowly getting larger and larger. You eventually realize it's a shirtless George Nader running to the graveside. George keeps jumping rocks and branches as he eventually makes his way to the grave. Keep running George. Eventually, he finally gets to the grave, to tell the parents that Ro-man has their adult daughter. At which point, he instantly collapses, and is immediately pronounced dead. The timing is so exquisite, you will rewind the film, just to see this wonderful setup and delivery, again and again.
The second magic moment is a touching piece of prose which I feel has been ignored by scientists / engineers around the world as a personal incantation when confronted with a crisis. Basically, Ro-man doesn't want to kill the girl because he is having 'strange feelings' towards her (much like the strange feelings my neighbors dog had for my leg when I visited a few days ago). Alas, his superior wants her (and everyone else) killed. We then have this lovely 'to camera' moment, when a creature, consisting of the body of a gorilla, and the head of a deepsea diving helmet plus antenna, laments to the viewer:
'I cannot, yet I must. How do you calculate that? At what point on the graph do must and cannot meet? Yet I must. But I cannot'.
If only Macbeth and Hamlet had consider life as deeply, they might not have died.
Robot Monster is definitely recommended viewing just don't do it alone. Invite around your closest friends, and you will be bonded with enough 'But what about when ' experiences for the next two months. And how many modern films can claim to be able to do that.
Queen of the Amazons
(1946)
Some old fashion brain fodder.
17 October 2004
It called Queen of the Amazons, its in black & white, and its shot in 1947. You should know exactly what you are about to watch.
And if you watch to the end, you get to see a wonderfully bad stunt double replacement. In fact, one suspects on the day of shooting, they realized the mistake of booking two stunt doubles for the hero, and none for the baddie, but we still went ahead anyway with the shoot.
OK - there is lots of stock footage, and plenty of time devoted to filming tricks performed by the monkey and bird, and any logic test would fail the plot; yet, its not a 'bad' film.
I strangely enjoyed Queen of the Amazons, its much like the comfy Saturday afternoon black and white films I use to watch on TV 25yrs ago - it has a secret appeal to the 12 year old inside. It has a good pace, which stops you dwelling too long on the improbable of how they managed to justify the next piece of stock footage, or that the lion attacks involve the person holding onto the lion so he doesn't get away.
But, I think my main reason for enjoying this was Patrica Morison; the feeling you are watching someone who is better than the material she has been given, but still gives the best within crippling limitations.
I saw this on the TreeLine 50 SciFi DVD boxset - - so, invite a few like minded friends over for drinks and nibbles, sit back, and enjoy some old fashion brain fodder.
And if you watch to the end, you get to see a wonderfully bad stunt double replacement. In fact, one suspects on the day of shooting, they realized the mistake of booking two stunt doubles for the hero, and none for the baddie, but we still went ahead anyway with the shoot.
OK - there is lots of stock footage, and plenty of time devoted to filming tricks performed by the monkey and bird, and any logic test would fail the plot; yet, its not a 'bad' film.
I strangely enjoyed Queen of the Amazons, its much like the comfy Saturday afternoon black and white films I use to watch on TV 25yrs ago - it has a secret appeal to the 12 year old inside. It has a good pace, which stops you dwelling too long on the improbable of how they managed to justify the next piece of stock footage, or that the lion attacks involve the person holding onto the lion so he doesn't get away.
But, I think my main reason for enjoying this was Patrica Morison; the feeling you are watching someone who is better than the material she has been given, but still gives the best within crippling limitations.
I saw this on the TreeLine 50 SciFi DVD boxset - - so, invite a few like minded friends over for drinks and nibbles, sit back, and enjoy some old fashion brain fodder.
The most exciting thing about the film is the title ...
17 October 2004
When thinking of a catchy film title, "The Incredible Petrified World" is a strange one, as by the third word, you are starting to think of frozen stillness becoming lifeless. So, in this case, it is an apt title.
The simple problem with this film is nothing happens; and it seems forever to occur.
Our four heroes (sorry, two heroes and two women, judging by the subservient roles given to the female leads, and the bleak plot warning that if you step out of line, men will hate and leave you) go down in a dodgy diving bell, which conveniently fails at depth near an underwater cave that glows in the dark (phosphorus they explain). I could be critical of the science at this point, but this claim pales with the completely unexplained manner they can snorkel in and out of the diving bell without it being flooded.
Anyway, once they reach the Incredible Petrified World (aka small cave with glowing walls), they eventually meet a stranger who claims he got there from a shipwreck 14yrs ago. Now, it would have been good if they explained how he might have been able to swim so deep without being scuba supported, although it would have been better to explain why they chose to make him look like Chico Marx with a Santa beard, and wearing caveman clothes.
And thats the main problem; you don't mind putting up with the first three quarters being tedious if there is a payoff. Alas, in this case, the payoff is just the remaining tedious quarter.
The simple problem with this film is nothing happens; and it seems forever to occur.
Our four heroes (sorry, two heroes and two women, judging by the subservient roles given to the female leads, and the bleak plot warning that if you step out of line, men will hate and leave you) go down in a dodgy diving bell, which conveniently fails at depth near an underwater cave that glows in the dark (phosphorus they explain). I could be critical of the science at this point, but this claim pales with the completely unexplained manner they can snorkel in and out of the diving bell without it being flooded.
Anyway, once they reach the Incredible Petrified World (aka small cave with glowing walls), they eventually meet a stranger who claims he got there from a shipwreck 14yrs ago. Now, it would have been good if they explained how he might have been able to swim so deep without being scuba supported, although it would have been better to explain why they chose to make him look like Chico Marx with a Santa beard, and wearing caveman clothes.
And thats the main problem; you don't mind putting up with the first three quarters being tedious if there is a payoff. Alas, in this case, the payoff is just the remaining tedious quarter.
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