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date1969-697-374378
Reviews
The Earl of Chicago (1940)
A New Beginning
I for one found the ending wanting for the nephews testimony. Had he been questioned Robert Kilmount aversion(phobia)towards guns would have been revealed. The act could have been deemed an irresistible impulse and He should had been acquitted of the murder charge. He could have abdicated his position in favor of his nephew. Not having a home in the States He would live on the estate as his nephew's guest for life just like the others living there. A last minute reprieve culminating into a pardon would have worked for me. Of course a remake or a sequel might work as well. Then again perhaps it was left to our imagination. We never saw the execution. Nor the after math. More lose ends left undone.
The Divide (2011)
To Many Loose Ends
Going straight to the crux. The who and why of the attack. The teaser of the hazmat invaders who take the girl was unnecessary and it left me with that cheated feeling. At the beginning you see incoming missiles and explosions with aircraft flying through the carnage. But the attackers seem to defy military logic as to fly into an impact zone risking destruction themselves assuming the attack is nuclear. Of course the film is about the human condition under extreme circumstances. So why not have an air raid warning and people going for cover with a big boom and the shaking of the building without the extra glimpses of the invaders and the like? It was for the trailers of course.
7th Cavalry (1956)
Loose End
Capt. Tom Benson played by Randolph Scott had fallen under disfavor with his superior officer and future father in law Col. Kellogg played by Russell Hicks because of his absence from his command at the Battle of the Little Bighorn (not depicted). Col. Custer (referenced only) just prior to the battle had given Benson a verbal order, "Benson, I want you to show the gumption to ride off to Fort Supply and bring back that girl and marry her..." of which he couldn't confirm at the military inquest. Facing the prospect of a court martial he jumped at the chance to lead a detail to recover the bodies of the officers of the 7th Cav. to show he was not a coward. Unbeknownst to him a witness, Cpl. Morrison played by Harry Carey Jr., who also had been ordered from the field prior to the massacre therefor he had survived but had been put on courier detail before the inquiry. After Benson had left the fort and was making his way to the battlefield Morrison returns bearing the good news to Benson's fiancé, Martha Kellogg played by Barbara Hale, but not reporting it to the Col. He instead rides in pursuit of Benson to give him the good news on one of two look alike horses that Custer had ridden. He ends up getting killed by a lone brave which is needed to have the horse gallop to the battlefield riderless just in time to spook some Indians who had surrounded the detail and save the day. But all seems to be forgiven back at the Fort because of Benson's completion of his mission despite the fact that he hadn't proved that a verbal order had been given. But that's Hollywood for you.
The Reckless Moment (1949)
Enamored Bad Men
I just got through watching this movie and two things stood out. One is that the bad man, James Mason(Martin Donnelly) played by James Mason, in this blackmail scheme fell for the mark,(Lucia Harper) played by Joan Bennett, with only a couple of conversations. In fact in the second conversation Lucia chastises and belittles Martin but somehow it turns the tide and he falls for Lucia. The second is the "Help" (Sybil)played by Frances E. Williams who is ever present when the blackmailer(s), Martin and (Nagel) played by Roy Roberts, come to the house. She sees them and seems to be privy to the fact they aren't exactly good guy's though she develops a liking for Martin. Though not credited in the movie the character plays an essential roll in the story. Overall it's not a bad movie which gets to the suspense quickly and resolves with the loose ends all tide up.
Snow Falling on Cedars (1999)
Snow On Missed Opportunity
Great movie but a missed chance at some irony. The plot revolves around a racially charge post WW2 America and a murder case of Kazuo Miyamoto, a Japanese American, War in Europe Veteran, accused of killing Carl Heine, fisherman. Ishmael Chambers, an amputee Veteran from the War in the Pacific and news reporter realizes that Carl was thrown overboard by the force of a wake created by a freighter, the S. S. West Corona. The opportunity lost there was the suspect freighter could have been a Japanese flagged freighter like the Hikawamaru which had returned to it's Seattle Water Route in 1953. At the end of the story someone could have asked what ship caused the wake. Then of course the truth that the freighter was Japanese flagged could come out.
Strategic Command (1997)
Stratigic Crudd
Spoiler Alert. What's obvious is that this is an Executive Decision rip off. But what this rip off has is the not so professional special forces. As soon as there is a glitch in the plan the characters start fighting among themselves. Apparently they don't know how to adapt, improvise and over come. Lost cabin pressure sequence none of the Emergency Breathing Apparatus deploy. A contradictory (germ) warfare (chemical) called Bromax-360 is released in first class but none of the rest of the craft is affected. Bromax-360 sound more like a sex enhancer for men. Obviously a this is a terrible acted movie. Not worth watching. Thumbs down 5.