My husband thought this new version of Mulan was great, but I found it rather lackluster. I liked the work-out montages and some of the cinematography. However, I found the lead actor who played Mulan rather blah. Also, Disney movies usually have humor in them. I only smiled a few times and never laughed. I’ll take the animated version over this one.
Unhinged: 6.8 out of 10
I think most people have seen the trailer for this movie. Russell Crowe becomes “unhinged” when a lady honks at him. Actually, he is unhinged before that incident. This movie had some big plot holes. (Hello lady, drive to a police station.) However, the narrative does have some BIG surprises. Crowe is one savvy villain. This movie takes some interesting twists and turns and provides a few scares or shocks that I didn’t anticipate. Crowe is great as a truly reprehensible, crazy bad guy. I was entertained and never bored.
I know it has been 20 years since Crowe did Gladiator and was in great shape. Still, he has gone from chubby to fat to obese, and I find that sad because he is a good actor who can afford a personal trainer. (Or maybe a nutritionist. )
IRON FURY (Also known as T34) 2019 Director: Aleksei Sidorov. Russian ww2 film that starts with the most brilliant authentic tank skirmish in the snow where a solitary T34 crew take on about 6 German tanks and using clever tactics and buildings for cover, destroys them all. The outcome is, though, the Russian survivors end up in a brutal pow concentration camp where they are given a captured T34 and have an opportunity to test trainee German tank crews, during which they band together to plot a daring escape. So a Soviet Great Escape, of sorts. The Russian troops are dubbed adequately and Germans speak with subtitles. No point listing the actors, suffice to say all the surnames finished in "ov"!! I liked it. The opening battle set piece really gives a realistic feel of what a tank skirmish must be like. Recorded this off Sky. 8 out of 10
True story of DuPont pretty much mass poisoning and killing American men, women and children over decades by the thousands, and getting away with it. Probably still at it.
Good acting, well written, some dodgy framing at times. Quite liked the score, which was suitable. I saw a documentary last year about it which was more horrifying.
This is a decent second feature, produced before America entered World War II, which finds MGM bumping THE WIZARD OF OZ’s Frank Morgan up to lead status. Morgan plays a wealthy industrialist trying to get a bill through Congress to provide war relief to Europe. He is opposed by Kent Taylor, an isolationist newspaper editor and radio commentator, who also happens to be the fiancée of Morgan’s daughter, Ann Rutherford. While Morgan’s wife and daughter are on one of their endless trips abroad, a lonely Morgan takes up with a dancer whom he meets at the Marigold Club when he visits the place with a Senator. Although the “affair” consists solely of dinners and visits to the tourist sites of Washington, sleazy club owner Dan Dailey thinks he can use it to his advantage. That leads Morgan into a web of blackmail and murder.
This film really isn’t that suspenseful, in that the main thing in jeopardy seems to be the passage of Morgan’s pet bill. The filmmakers also throw in some comedy and a lengthy water ballet number that takes place at the totally unrealistic Marigold Club. It looks like a practice run for the Esther Williams films that MGM would be making in a few years. Still, the frivolities are leavened by a few deaths, so there’s that. Not a film to go out of your way for, but nothing to run from either.
What factors bring us to watch a film? The actor(s), director, critical/public opinion, franchise, marketing ... or, for our select community, the composer ...?
I'll admit that my limited knowledge of this film was from seeing the title some time ago when I looked at the works of composer Annette Focks (I've bought a few of her scores) and for this reason alone I decided to record the recent TV broadcast. The opening music is nice ... very much of today's minimalistic sound and after a few minutes I wasn't sure we'd reach the first break. But the stupidity of a the story: a serious, sensible, aged school teacher leaves his class to chase a young women, who he has recently saved from suicide, to board a train from Berne to Lisbon was enough to keep us watching.
I was convinced this was going to be a romantic melodrama: old man ~ young woman. how wrong I was! And the aspect which kept us watching until we were interested enough to watch the film through was: Lisbon.
One of our European travels has been to Lisbon and of all the cities we've visited this was, for me, the least interesting. Except that we found a wine bar not too far (but still a steep climb afterwards!) from our hotel in which I sampled the most wonderful port (30 year old) I've ever tasted. I'm convinced that many scenes were filmed only a few yards / metres from said bar
So we watched. And we saw a film unfold with wonderful actors (Jeremy Irons was superb), excellent location photography and a story which was confusing and moving and well-told. As with many flash-back films, we have well-known stars in the current day portrayed by unknowns as their younger selves but as the film progresses this becomes natural and you can overlook the differences.
I recently criticised the highly rated The Godfather - Part II for having two story-lines which don't interact ... there's nothing in the back story which affects the current story. Here the interaction is paramount and works wonderfully well: as the story unfolds we see what happened from the individual protagonists' perspectives.
The story-line isn't great and you have to overlook numerous faults including one significant coincidence (having broken his glasses the teacher visits an optometrist whose uncle just happens to be ..., etc.)
As for the back story: I'm ashamed to say I know virtually nothing about the Portugese revolution - or the era of the Dictatorship - despite this being recent history (my youth!). But then, I'm English ... why should I know anything about another country's history?
As for the Annette Focks' music score: I'm tempted to obtain a copy. Like the film, it's not great but it will remind me of a film well-worth watching. Mitch
True story of DuPont pretty much mass poisoning and killing American men, women and children over decades by the thousands, and getting away with it. Probably still at it.
Good acting, well written, some dodgy framing at times. Quite liked the score, which was suitable. I saw a documentary last year about it which was more horrifying.
True story of DuPont pretty much mass poisoning and killing American men, women and children over decades by the thousands, and getting away with it. Probably still at it.
Good acting, well written, some dodgy framing at times. Quite liked the score, which was suitable. I saw a documentary last year about it which was more horrifying.
Hey, corporate poisoning. Sounds good.
I am now interested.
Warlok, the documentary is better and is on netflix, i think it is called The Devil We Know.
CAST A GIANT SHADOW 1966 Kirk Douglas, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Topol, James Donald. The exploits of legendary U.S colonel Mickey Marcus (Douglas), from ww2 and ending with his career as a general in the israeli "army", whose gutsy but poorly-armed youth fight against the more well-equipped arabs to determine independence. Appropriately-jewish flavoured score from Elmer, one of my first Bernstein LPs. Amusingly Kirk has to choose between his wife, Angie Dickinson, and a girl he meets in Israel, Senta Berger. As much as young Angie was lovely, I think i wouldve chosen Senta. 7.2 out of 10.
Three years after his superlative performance as Philip Marlowe in Farewell, My Lovely, Robert Mitchum took on the role again but this was no sequel (or prequel!) as its setting was transferred from early 1940's L.A. to mid-70's London.
Amongst everything else, Mitchum is still superb and carries the role as if no-one else could play it. I do recall seeing other Philip Marlowe interpretations over the years and, of course, Humphrey Bogart is renown for this part in the 1946 version. But, until I revisit some of those earlier ones, Robert Mitchum is Philip Marlowe.
Add James Stewart as the General, Richard Boone as the heavy (a guest role as his screen time was limited) and Candy Clark as the wayward daughter and that's about it for US cast involvement in this otherwise British film directed by Michael Winner. Many British faces appear ... and disappear quickly ... in a complicated story which is just about explained by voice-over as the film concludes.
It's entertaining (my third, maybe fourth) viewing but not a patch on Farewell, My Lovely - perhaps the setting didn't help, more likely the limey take on what is essentially a US character (the character does state that after the war he failed to find a way home ) doesn't quite work. Seeing him drive and walk around London streets and English residential suburbs does jar.
A reasonable score by Jerry Fielding is largely forgettable and not in the same class as David Shire's wonderful work for the earlier film.
As trivia: I'd forgotten that the stars Messrs. Mitchum and Stewart died only a day apart 01 and 02 July 1997 (not too far apart either though my lack of knowledge does not allow me to assess the distance from Santa Barbara to L.A.); and Richard Boone was born the same year as Mitchum (1917) Mitch
Query: Was this the only film in which Mitchum appeared with Stewart? Both appeared in multi-star outings (such as The Longest Day and How the West Was Won) but not the same one, that I can recall.
GUNS OF WYOMING 1963 50s-style Robert Taylor western made in 63, where cattlemen clash over grazing land. Usual theme of innocent people have to die and several injustices before hero gets angry and tackles the villain. Interestingly in the supporting cast was a guy i recognised from Scarface and Sopranos as Robert Loggia, he was very young here and i dont think id seen him in anything till the 80s (but looking it up he was in 233 separate roles, notably in Somebody up there likes me and Raid on Entebbe and just about every US tv series in the 60s n 70s). 6.1 out of 10
It's entertaining (my third, maybe fourth) viewing but not a patch on Farewell, My Lovely - perhaps the setting didn't help, more likely the limey take on what is essentially a US character (the character does state that after the war he failed to find a way home smile) doesn't quite work. Seeing him drive and walk around London streets and English residential suburbs does jar.
Yes, I think it was a mistake to have the 1978 Big Sleep take place in the present and not in LA. Actually, it was perhaps folly to remake it at all as the 1946 version is a perfect jewel of a atmosphere-drenched private eye suspenser. I'd rather they had followed up Mitchum's properly period Farewell My Lovely with maybe something like The Lady in the Lake which had an interesting, but gimmicky movie adaptation in the 1940s.
There is much to admire in this telling of the assassination attempt on Reinhard Heydrich in Prague, 1942 with some early lovely countryside scenes (so much snow!), city scenes which show Prague without the hordes of tourists of today , a generally reliable cast and some fine action scenes with the assassination sequence being very tense ... even if we're aware of the outcome.
But the film is let down in too many ways. If we ignore various factual errors (refer to IMDb for details) and accept this as a dramatisation, the script is weak: the parachutists are dropped in the wrong place and separated yet get to Prague with no difficulty; the time of year is inconsistent ... there's a reference to the assassins being there for weeks but Christmas is mentioned later which given the snow earlier and the subsequent assassination attempt means said festive holiday must be around Easter! We're not given details of how Curda disappears to find his wife and reappears almost by magic; the reinforcements are mentioned, there's a repeat of the earlier parachute drop and our assassins now number seven ... but their involvement amounts to nothing other than the big shoot-out (maybe one acted as the lookout for Heydrich's car?)
Martin Shaw was the only one who looked the part with Timothy Bottoms and Anthony Andrews being "star" material only; Diana Coupland was totally miscast and Nicola Pagett there merely for the love interest. A few other known faces were good but most credit should be given to the young Pavla Matéjuvská who plays her role exceptionally well (watch her racing to find her brother) and, of course, Anton Diffring ... the go-to actor for the role of German aristocrat and/or Nazi officer.
Without CGI, the re-creation of the German occupation of Prague for filming must have been very harrowing for the local citizens and these scenes leading to the Hollywood-style ending were the most compelling ...
... if we ignore the truth about the aftermath of the assassination: the razing of Lidice and murder, etc. of its inhabitants.
Back to the film: I saw it during its cinematic release but don't think I've watched it during the last 45 years so had forgotten many of the scenes ... and, happily, the music score.
* David Hentschel's music was truly awful, completing ruining scene after scene. Nicely melodic at times (but usually way OTT) and appropriately tense at others, it was scored as if played on an homemade electronic keyboard. Only the end credit music was suitable. If ever we list films which scores have ruined, this has to be in the top 10. (I recall his score for the later Educating Rita (1983) was dreadful, too). Mitch
Bill's holygrail - the superb score for Operation daybreak. The main title and the theme for the resistence are superb!
Try watching the parachute jumps and say that! My better-half was not watching but after the film ended she asked what the awful music was ... The best piece in the film was the diegetic dance tune for the romantic interlude between Jan Kubis and Anna. No details available for this non-original piece.
I see from IMDb that the music credit behind composer David Hentschel is Dukeslodge Enterprises Limited owned by Director John Gilbert (latest accounts - to 31 Jul 20 - indicate the company is struggling despite a history which involves links with Genesis, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, et al. ... perhaps due to tax planning?) and wonder if this was an early version of the corporate music enterprises which prevail today.
The composer's other credits, according to STC, are limited ... his Wiki bio answers a lot of questions (and, I'm surprised I'd forgotten: he worked with singer Marti Webb and lyricist Don Black re: I'm Not That Kind of Girl (1983) - I used to own that album). Brilliant at technical stuff, no doubt, but as a film scorer ...
THE WOLF'S CALL 2019 French thriller about modern submarine warfare. A gifted sonar officer on a sub attempts to identify an unknown craft they encounter and then has to use his abilities to end the threat of war. Tense and well-made. The electronic-heavy music score was by tomandandy, but weirdly, and ironically given musicmad's comments above, a recurring theme sounded to me a little like Hentschel's Operation Daybreak. Hints, anyway. Subtitles but it moves so fast through the water you dont notice them. 7.8 out of 10
Doppelgänger (a.k.a. Journey to the Far Side of the Sun) (1969) ... 2+/10
I recall seeing this many years ago and knew the twist, but thought I'd give it it another viewing simply because I've enjoyed various Century 21 Television productions. It's amusing to see the genesis of UFO in much of this film, from sets to actors to models ... to ideas.
And that's about it for amusement and entertainment because this is pretty dour story with very few redeeming features. It's sad to see a number of well-liked actors reciting such puerile dialogue and playing out scenes which go nowhere. Pre-credits we see Herbert Lom secretly photographing some Top Secret papers ... after the credits he's not seen again and his discovery goes nowhere; our hero American astronaut argues with and hits his wife ... why did we need that in this story and again where did it lead?
Some of the sets looked good (though the Portugal scenery and weather were easily the best things on show).
And if you thought it would be great ending ...
I was surprised to find that the waxwork model who played Ross, the American astronaut, has a film/TV career (indeed we recall liking him in X-Files where had a recurring role) so perhaps this was his apprenticeship.
Barry Gray's score was interesting, especially for the journey but I felt the film needed a more boisterous opening title theme. Another film I can delete from my viewing list. Mitch
BULLETPROOF AKA CROWN VIC 2019 Third good movie ive seen this week. This LAPD cop thriller follows the first shift of a rookie in a patrol car with a cynical veteran cop. An x-rated Hill Street blues, in a way. Echoes of Fort apache the bronx and Colors. Its a tense, maniacal, wild, wacky, dangerous and nightmarish baptism for the rookie, and it had me on edge several times. Written and directed by Joel Souza, good performance from Thomas Jane as the vet. I dont give out high scores often but id give this an 8 out of 10.
NEVER LOVE A STRANGER 1958 Remarkably decent crime biopic from Harold Robbins pen, - the story of Frank Kane (John Drew Barrymore), from orphan on the streets to teenage hustler to crime boss. Steve McQueen plays his pal who ends up District Attorney and having to pursue Kane's empire. 7.3 out of 10.
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