Hold that Co-ed must have seemed at the time to be an innocuous little comedy about a Governor, Gabby Harrigan (John Barrymore), and his attempts to win a seat in the U.S. Senate. He does this, in typical 1930’s style, by buying the electorate. In this case, he uses the power of his […]
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service introduces George Lazenby in the role made famous by Sean Connery, James Bond. It would prove to be Lazenby’s only outing as the secret agent, but not because of a lack of quality. It’s true that Lazenby is a bit of a drag on the film (it was […]
Having watched all the Superman films, I decided to follow that up with a review of the “90s” Batman films. * This encapsulates Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
To kick things off, here’s my famous quick and dirty guide to the Batman films:
Batman: directed by the artsy Tim Burton, produced by […]
Having watched the previous Superman cinematic outings one at a time, I decided to watch the entirety of Christopher Reeve’s output in the character in one go. Including both versions of the second film, this runs to five: Superman, Superman II, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest […]
Hollywoodland takes a fictionalized look at the events surrounding the death of George Reeves, best known for his iconic portrayal of the Man of Steel on The Adventures of Superman.
It accomplishes this by introducing a fictional detective, Louis Simo (Adrien Brody), hired by Reeves’ mother to look into the actor’s death. As he investigates, […]
Run Ronnie Run is a film spun-off from the HBO comedy series Mr. Showstarring David Cross and Bob Odenkirk. On that show, there was a sketch about one Ronnie Dobbs, a redneck loser who became famous for being captured on COPS-like television shows. Run Ronnie Run is essentially an expanded version of that […]
Casino Royale is the bastard step-child of the James Bond franchise. When Ian Fleming sold the rights to the first Bond novel, leading to its use on the TV show Climax! (where Barry Nelson was the first actor to portray the famous spy), he couldn’t have guessed that this would be one of the […]
Brenda Starr carries a 1989 release date, but it was really produced a couple of years earlier. Legal troubles kept it from release, otherwise it might have been seen as a precursor to the “comic book” revival begun in ‘89 by Batman, instead of as just another attempt to cash in on a fad. […]
The original, 1968 version of Mel Brook’s The Producers and its 2005 remake naturally have a lot in common. But there are almost as many differences. As I mentioned in my original review, the biggest change is the expansion of the storyline to include a love story for Leo.
These changes alter the dynamic […]
What’s to be said about Johnny Dangerously? Made in the wake of Michael Keaton’s success in Night Shift and Mr. Mom, it is a big, showy comedy about 1940s gangsters. It tries, soemwhat, to emulate the Airplane!-style of over-the-top comedy, but only partially succeeds. It is resuced by spirited performances from its […]
Hang ‘Em High is my favorite Clint Eastwood Western. Yes, most would choose a true spaghetti western like The Good, The Bad and the Ugly or A Fistful of Dollars, but Hang ‘Em High is an American film through and through. And if there is a genre that benefits from true American roots, […]
Batman (1966) is my favorite Batman movie. There, I’ve said it and I’m not ashamed to admit it. I know a lot of Batman fans hate the 1960s Adam West TV show and (by extension) this movie, but I simply cannot agree with them.
“But it debases all that defines the character” the […]
Cool World is a crazy quilt of animation and sex jokes, put together by the bad-boy of feature animation, Ralph Bakshi. It stars Kim Basinger as Holli Would, a “doodle” (as cartoon characters are known) who wants to make it with a human in order to become real. Her human of choice is […]
Fugitive Girls a.k.a. Five Loose Women a.k.a. Hot on the Trail a.k.a. Women’s Penitentiary VIII* is almost certainly the best of the Ed Wood / Steven Apostolof collaborations. Filled with everything you’d expect from the two, with a “women in prison” theme on top, it’s actually a satisfying film on many levels, although still […]
A Fish Called Wanda is very much a 1980s film. The plot, characters and tone all speak to that very specific time. Luckily, it holds up pretty well, if not shining as brightly as it did years ago.
The film is, at its heart, a caper story. It follows a diamond theft that […]
Dr. No initiated the James Bond film series and, while not the first appearance of the character*, it established many of the standard features that would carry the series for over four decades. That being said, there is much about this production that makes it more in line with the most recent film, Casino […]
The serial Batman and Robin is a mixed bag as far as improvements over its predecessor are concerned. While it sticks closer to the source material (no need for war propoganda in 1949), its plot and characterizations aren’t nearly as strong.
First of all, Batman and Robin shows the dynamic duo (Robert Lowery and Johnny […]
S.O.S. Coast Guard is a fairly standard action serial that is saved from total obscurity by a few high profile cast members. But it’s never able to really rise above its basic nature and become something truly memorable.
It tells of Lt. Terry Kent (Ralph Byrd - the same year he would debut as Dick […]
High Anxiety is probably Mel Brooks’ most underrated film. While his true classics (Blazing Saddles, Young Frankenstein) are justly lauded and his missteps (Life Stinks) properly ignored. But I have always felt that High Anxiety is this little gem of a film that doesn’t get a fair shake.
It is a parody of Alfred […]
The Violent Years was the most successful film in Ed Wood’s filmography. It played for years on the exploitation circuit, reaping hundreds of thousands (if not millions) of dollars. Of course, Ed saw none of it because it wasn’t his production. No, The Violent Years was one of dozens of films on […]
I’m Gonna Git You Sucka is writer/director Keenan Ivory Wayans’ Airplane!-type parody of 1970s “blaxploitation” films.
It tells of soldier Jack Spade (Wayans) who comes home following the death of his brother Junebug. He learns from his mother (Ja’net DuBois) that he died from an “OG” (Over-Gold - basically too many gold chains), leaving behind […]
The Great Mouse Detective is a highlight of the “dark days” of Disney Animation - those years between the death of Walt Disney and the renaissance brought about by the production of The Little Mermaid.
It is an adaptation of the Paul Galdone novel Basil of Baker Street and tells the story of Basil, a mouse […]
National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1* was released at a time when these kinds of Airplane-inspired comedies were a dime a dozen. The difference here is that, unlike the contemporary Hot Shots! series, Loaded Weapon doesn’t have any of the Airplane crew on board. It tries to mimic that style, but ultimately comes up […]
Night of the Ghouls is classic Ed Wood. In fact, it suffers from more classic Ed problems than just about any other film. It’s got the usual wacky dialogue, questionable acting by Ed’s usual bunch and Ed’s poor camera skills. It even has that old Ed standby; recycled footage. (In this […]
After the end of the Monty Python TV show, the various members of the troupe went their separate ways, each pursuing different projects (although often with one or more fellow members involved). Graham Chapman was no different, but (perhaps due to his well documented drinking problems) he only ever got one film project to […]
Even before Woody Allen made What’s Up, Tiger Lily? people had been putting new dialogue to old movie footage. (Fractured Flickers, for instance.) The difference here was that Allen re-dubbed and re-edited the entire movie (in this case, the Japanese spy film Kokusai himitsu keisatsu: Kagi no kagi aka Key of Keys) to give […]
Blazing Saddles is Mel Brooks’ boldest film. Not by today’s standards, of course. In an age more defined by American Pie, it’s rather tame. Only it’s liberal use of the “N” word qualifies as being in any way shocking in this day and age.
But back when it was first released, it was […]
Atom Man vs. Superman is the second Superman movie serial, the last appearance of Kirk Alyn in the role and a vast improvement over the original Superman.
The main reason this one is an improvement is the appearance of a much better villain (and Superman’s main nemesis at that): Lex Luthor. Played here by the […]
Dick Tracy is Warren Beatty’s big-screen adaptation of Chester Gould’s famous comic strip character. Coming only a year after Batman, it is easy to see why it was kind of overshadowed by that much higher profile film. But despite some similarities (composer Danny Elfman, for instance), they are very different projects with very […]
Alright, I know ther are some people who hate Ishtar with a burning passion. I am convinced, however, that these are people who’ve never actually seen the movie. Sure, it is an aggressively silly movie. Sure, it cost wa-a-a-a-ay too much money to make. But if taken as it is (a […]
Spaceballs is considered by many to be Mel Brooks’ last great film (or next-to-last, depending). Sure, there’s solid material in Robin Hood: Men in Tights and I personally think that Dracula: Dead and Loving It is underrated, but you find someone who will defend Life Stinks. Go on. I’ll wait…
…
…
Nothing, huh? The […]
Mystery Men is one of the most underappreciated comic book movies of all time. Really, I don’t understand why people don’t like this film more.
First, it has a brilliant, sublime performance by William H. Macy as The Shoveller. He brings such pathos and resonance to what could have been an extremely silly role. […]
Ah, The Sinister Urge. The last of the “classic” Ed Wood movies. While Ed would do another movie with Criswell (Orgy of the Dead) and one more with stalwart Duke Moore (Take it Out in Trade), this is the last time he would assemble a large group of his “stock company” and is […]
Andrew “Dice” Clay doesn’t get the respect he desrves. He gets the scorn he deserves, but not the respect. Sure, he chose to play to the cruder aspects of comedy, but you can’t do that as successfully as he did without some ability. Before hitting it big as the “Diceman”, he had […]
Modesty Blaise as high-camp musical comedy? If you’ve ever read a Modety Blaise novel*, you’ll understand why fans of the comic and novel series thoroughly dislike this film. It flies in the face of the generally serious tone of Peter O’Donnell’s creation. And, yes, I usually back the side of purity when […]
I really like Dirty Work. Your ability to enjoy the film is directly linked to your tolerance level and enjoyment of Norm MacDonald’s comedy, as he pretty much shoehorns in every running gag he’s ever done (except, for some reason, the Germans). Just about everything else is here in abundance: “note to self”, […]
The Hound of the Baskervilles is perhaps the oddest Sherlock Holmes film that is actually based on a work by Arthur Conan Doyle. It starts with the fact that Holmes is played by Peter Cook and Dr. Watson by Dudley Moore. Now, they were both fine actors when they tried and could have […]
Although the character had previously appeared on radio, the 1937 serial Dick Tracy marked his live-action debut. It was produced by the kings of the form at Republic and their mastery of the genre shows, even if it is lacking in accuracy in the details.
First of all, they moved Tracy from being a local […]
I, like many I’m sure, was introduced to The Wild World of Batwoman through its appearance on Mystery Science Theater 3000. But despite the uncut version appearing on the MST3K DVD, I had never bothered to watch it all the way through. Does it stand up un-MSTied? Sort of.
First, it’s important to […]
The Lemon Drop Kid is, for the most part, a typical Bob Hope comedy of the era. What gives it a bit of a zing is the fact that it is based on the works of Damon Runyon (like Guys and Dolls and Little Miss Marker). So we have Bob making his way […]
Radar Men from the Moon is a late entry into the world of movie action serials and suffers heavily from an air of “been there, done that”. Radar Men from the Moon was made in 1952, when many major serial-producing studios had moved on, but Republic was still churning them out. (It was […]
The films that Ed Wood is best known for are undoubtedly those on which he collaborated with his freind Bela Lugosi: Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster and, most famously, Plan 9 from Outer Space. In 1994, director Tim Burton filmed a fictionalized version of the making of these films in Ed Wood.
Glen […]
What made the classic Muppet films stand out is that, like the Muppet Show before them, they didn’t treat them as a puppet show. These were regular, normal comedies that just happened to have puppets in many of the major roles. This is never better represented than in the best of all Muppet […]
Despite the love I felt at the time for Toy Story 2 and Monsters, Inc., I was not at all enthused by the early previews that I saw for The Incredibles. Much of that early ad campaign (including the first teaser trailer) did not look promising, focusing on the comedy of a fat super-hero. […]
The 1943 movie serial Batman not only marked the first appearance of the iconic comic book character, it marks the first appearance of any DC character. (Superman would not appear for another five years.) As such, it had more of an influence on its subject matter than most adaptations.
One big influence it had […]
Flushed Away shows that just because it says Dreamworks, that doesn’t mean it’s crap. Of course, Dreamworks and producer Aardman Studios (also of Chicken Run and Wallace and Grommit) parted ways with Dreamworks shortly after this film was released, so maybe Aardman realized that Dreamworks was not the place for them. I, myself, […]
The serial Superman marked the debut of the Man of Steel in live action and would help define the character for many years. Even the portrayals by George Reeves and Christopher Reeve, both of whom far outshone Alyn, owe something to his version.
The first thing that impressed me about Superman when I originally watched […]
I decided that the one type of film I didn’t watch last year that I should have was the movie serial. A mainstay for decades, their influence is still felt today in things like the Star Wars Saga and many television adventure series. I figure that if I watch the whole thing, that […]
Heaven Can Wait has always been one of my favorite films and it’s the one that made me an unabashed fan of the great Charles Grodin.
But there’s so much more to this film than just that. Heaven Can Wait (for those of you who don’t know) is a re-make of a popular (and excellent, […]
Viewed December 26, 2006
Hitler: Dead or Alive is a propoganda film that portrays what would happen if there was a successful attempt to assassinate Hitler in the early days of World War II. That this attempt is put together by gangsters due to a $1 Million bounty tags it as Hollywood through and through.
The […]
Viewed December 4, 2006
Think Bela Lugosi lowered himself by appearing in Ed Wood movies? Maybe so, but if The Gorilla is any indication, he was already willing to hire himself out to anybody back in 1939. To understand the circumstances, you should know that the stars of The Gorilla, the Ritz Brothers, were […]
Viewed November 30, 2006
Like many, the first notice I gave Gumnaam was when I saw it’s opening dance number included in the film Ghost World. But far from the wacky 60’s romp that the number seems to indicate, Gumnaam turns out to be a somewhat altered re-telling of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians (uncredited, […]
Viewed November 26, 2006
Fatty’s Spooning Day aka Mabel, Fatty and the Law is a relatively early entry from Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle that displays all his typical character traits. He womanizes. He gets in trouble with the law. Just about the only thing he doesn’t do is the acrobatics that he was […]
Viewed October 23, 2006
Donald really starts to hit his stride here, as the animators have obviously begun to really define what works for him and what doesn’t.
Officer Duck is a nifty crime caper short that has Donald disguising himself as a baby to infiltrate the lair of a wanted criminal, Tiny Tom (essentially the eternal […]
Viewed October 21, 2006
You know, I don’t know what I expected from Gilda. I mean, I knew it was considered a classic, but I guess I just never really got a sense of what the film was all about. I’m not sure what I expected, but I rather think itwas something much darker […]
Viewed October 20, 2006
In 1872, a ship called the Mary Celeste was found adrift off the coast of Portugal. The ship was completely abandoned and no trace of the crew was ever found. It was one of the great mysteries of the day and continues to spark the imagination and interest of authors […]
Viewed October 19, 2006
Scared to Death has the distinction of being one of only two films that Bela Lugosi made in color and the only one to have a color print survive to the present day. The story of the film is told from the perspective of a corpse (who was, no doubt, “scared […]
Viewed October 5, 2006
Clockwise is an attempt to take John Cleese’s immensely engaging screen persona and translate it to the big screen in a starring role post-Monty Python. Unforunately, the main character is neither as irritating as his classic Basil Fawlty, nor is he as appealing as the later Archie Leach from A Fish […]
Viewed October 1, 2006
Ever since I started this project I planned to watch a lot of horror movies during October. So, naturally, when the month rolled around, I promptly forgot and watched Sherlock Holmes in New York. Not that I mind, because I quite liked it. It’s just I had meant to […]
Viewed September 27, 2006
The only reason I saw Miss Grant Takes Richmond is because Turner Classic Movies decided to air it during a William Holden marathon. The fact that TCM had never aired it before should give you some indication of how obscure this movie is. Starring Holden before Sunset Blvd. (1950) and […]
Viewed September 24, 2006
What dooms Catwoman is straying from the source material. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times (and will say it a thousand times more): stick to the source mateial and you’ll be fine. There’s a reason that characters like Catwoman have stood the test of time. […]
Viewed September 22, 2006
Happy New Year is a strange little film. Starring Peter Falk as Nick, a jewel robber, it shifts between whimsy and drama with such abandon, it’s easy to get lost in its wake.
Nick and his partner Charlie (Charles Durning) plan elaborate heists that involve complicated impersonations (and impressive makeup). Their […]
Viewed September 15, 2006
This will seem like heresy to some (perhaps many) of you. I was utterly bored by Fargo. Now, I always seem to blow hot and cold with the Coen brothers. I either love ‘em (Miller’s Crossing, The Hudsucker Proxy) or hate ‘em (Barton Fink). This time, however, I […]
Viewed September 10, 2006
Bholi Bhali Ladki is a story of love and loss. It is, in many ways, a typical Bollywood film, full of drama, music and themes of faith. Although filled with all the standard elements of many of the Bollywood films I’ve seen, Bholi Bhali Ladki is at least able to […]
Viewed September 9, 2006
So, one day after the Star Trek anniversary, I wound up watching a film on TCM that starred the ultimate Trek villain, Ricardo Montalban. Mystery Street is a typical B-movie, but a really good one. Solid performances and a better-than-average script make this little-known film worth the while of any […]
Viewed September 5, 2006
OK, right off the bat, twenty points to Martin Short for kicking off his film Jiminy Glick in Lalawood with an impersonation of David Lynch. I mean, who does David Lynch? Who knows film well enough to know what David Lynch is like? Martin Short, that’s who. In […]
Viewed September 4, 2006
Cards on the Table is a recent TV Movie featuring David Suchet as Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot. Now, I’ve read plenty of Christie (and seen a lot of Suchet’s Poirot on his show and other TV movies), but I’m not familiar with Cards on the Table. A bit of digging […]