Reviews

A triumph of adaptation! We get vocal fry in a nineteenth century costume drama.

What a wonderful party the tribal people threw at the 25:00 minute mark and lasted till 32:00. This serves as the high point of the film Murnau composed. There's a bit too much operatic storytelling in this film, and not enough documentary observation on the life a South Sea islander lives.

If you want to experience nature, then get outside and go on a hike. Nature docs have stronger plots and characters than this film anyways.

Count me surprised for 1940s MGM releasing a film like this. We see horror, nuanced acting, and beautiful cinematography. The quail scene alone deserves immortality. Much more to like than dislike in this film.

However, I do wish a couple things were different. One, the score was slapped onto the film. A piano solo had a full orchestra playing over it at one point for no good reason. The film could have introduced piano music as a way to see the inner turmoil of Dorian in a far more effective way than the voice over narration. Secondly, it would have been great to see a really grimy underbelly in London. The contrast between prim-and-proper Dorian with Victorian poverty would have been striking.

This movie is three hours of melodrama. Credit to the team for the beautiful on location shooting. But you're going to appreciate Scorsese and Coppola even more for their ability to lift the good bits, and to leave the dull edges behind.

To have Martin Balsam star in an episode of 'The Naked City' is a real treat. It doesn't hurt that Paul Burke gets a nice story for some added shine. Throw in a bunch of well-defined character actors, and BOOM! We've now got an enjoyable episode of one of TV's greatest shows.

So good and heartwarming that it's becoming a Christmas time tradition at my house.

Here we have a silent film sin: lots of inter title interruptions. Jazz is a free flowing art form that oftentimes includes improvisation. To call 'Our Dancing Daughters' a testament to jazz doesn't do the term justice.

First, this is simply a well made film that anyone can appreciate. You don't have to be film aficionado. You can be unfamiliar with the source material. The quality story telling alone can draw an audience in.

Second, this is the best film adaptation of a Dostoevsky novel we'll ever get I bet. While I haven't seen everything ever produced I just doubt anything else blends art with cinema the way this film has done.

Third, Orson Welles fans will find a lot to like in this movie. The leading man looks and carries himself like Welles. And there's just something about the construction of the film that reminded me of his works.

A free version exists on YouTube as of 2020 so please give it a go if curious.

Nothing original took place in this film asides from pairing Mitchum and Wayne. We see another story about cattle ranchers stealing water rights. The supporting cast is dull. Our female stars are totally unbelievable, in particular due to their hair and makeup. The movie takes over two hours to reach a pre-determined end. And the studio sets look like garbage with colors clashing all over the place.

This was no B-movie. It had a healthy budget for it's time with two big name actors getting top billing. Venerating certain directors is not criticism, it's worship.

Robert Mitchum is at his best playing a villain. Thankfully we get that for half the film, and the other half descends into a rote Hollywood Western we've all seen a million times.

Nolan walked a million step backwards between Dunkirk and Tenet.

Most folks going into this film see all it's components and figure it must be good. An all star cast? Check. Accomplished director? Check. Looks beautiful? Check. So with all that where does the film go wrong?

And that would be the plot. This story plays out over two long hours. To call it a slow burn would be an understatement. There exists so little tension in this film that the conflicting interests are just left to dangle in the wind. When we finally see the resolution to the problem you're left saying 'That's it?'.

Throw me in the same group as the bro's disappointed with Marty for making 'Goodfellas' and then releasing this dull period piece. Sorry, but I expected more given all the praise this gets on the Internet.

Who doesn't love Scorsese? He's made classic, fun films with some of the best acting performances ever. 'Casino' doesn't fit that bill.

As many have noted, all aspects of 'Casino' are extremely derivative of 'Goodfellas.' One of the flaws of 'Goodfellas' though was Robert de Niro playing a dull character. Well, guess what? Scorsese thought it'd be interesting if that de Nero character had a whole movie to himself. De Nero gives a fine acting performance that lends itself to a believable character. But it's just hard to get over the fact that he's playing a manager at a casino.

Our two other big stars are Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone. I really wasn't crazy about either. Pesci could care less when he read one of his many voice over narrations. And it was 50/50 if he actually did something of note when acting. A far cry from his 'Goodfellas' performance. Sharon Stone was just a lot to take in. Her sophistication and smarts at the start of the film melt away as soon as she marries de Nero.

This is definitely a good mob movie. Yet it can't be called a masterpiece. The three hour run time definitely feels it, the acting is hit or miss, and voice over narration enables a bad tendency in Scorsese of having drawn out stories.

If you're interested in the films of Sirk and have never seen 'All that Heaven Allows' then start there first. It came out only a year after this film and used much of the same cast. The themes between both movies are very similar, but far better developed on Sirk's second try.

Once you have seen it, then feel free to watch this to round out on the 50s melodramas. There are a few good scenes and ideas. Like the night out on the Swiss town Hudson and Wyman share. Overall though the soap opera tacked-on feeling can get a bit much in this one.

Imagine you're building a 1000 piece puzzle. 200 of the pieces are missing. They've been replaced by pieces from another puzzle that look similar, but will never fit into place. As you construct the picture you begin to see all sorts of fascinating and startling things take shape. Many aren't even shown on the puzzle box cover art. And yet you're eyes never can quite focus in on what should go where and how it all connects.

If you like puzzles and solving riddles, then you'll probably enjoy this movie. Filling in those final 200 pieces of the puzzle will be up to your imagination.

I'm always happy to see Claude Akins guest starring in a production from the Golden Age of TV. In this episode of 'The Rifleman' he cuts an intimidating figure as a Texas gunslinger in all black. Well worth tuning in as this turns out a tad bit different than your usual Western bank heist episode.

You get everything that makes noir such a great genre in this episode. Perfect for 'Peter Gunn' fans as well as a general audience unfamiliar with the series.

If you want to see what a US-Soviet nuclear war might have looked like, then watch this. And while you're watching you'll be reminded of just how similar this film is to 'Dr. Strangelove.' But there are no laughs in this movie; it's deadly serious.

Truly, this movie took me in and provided a convincing depiction of what could have happened in the 60s. What this film lacks though is emotional connection with the characters. When the wife of the bomber pilot screamed over the radio to ask her husband to abandon his mission, I felt it. Otherwise the film had a problem with shallow characterizations that affected all but the Professor and before mentioned pilot.

Sydney Lumet deserves credit for the pacing and harsh tone of the film. And yet since this is a work of fiction I have to dock it a little due to the characters. Just look to 'Dr. Strangelove' when thinking of how important interesting characterization matters.

The film 'Safe' has one chief quality to it: balance. We see the vapid and hollow life of rich 1980s Californians. We also recognize that such a life leaves a hole in the heart of our protagonist played by Julianne Moore.

What I liked about this film was the acting of Moore and most of the cast, it's critique of 80s Yuppie life, and the tight rope act it gave for 90% of the runtime.

The ending disappointed me though. Addressing psychosomatic issues is a brave thing to do through art. Too many ideas somehow got mixed up in the last half of the film, and that resulted in a conclusion not matching the rest of the movie. Oh well, I really did enjoy the vast majority of the film.

It can be nice to step aside from the seriousness of a dramatic show from time to time. And in this episode we get to have fun watching the eccentric Hackert family face the consequences for the choices they've made.

Problem is, these people march to the beat of their own drum. Repeatedly Lieutenant Parker gets flummoxed with the logic of the case. It's not as simple as locking up some punk who robbed a jewelry store. No, no. These are Peter Pan crimes that require a lighter touch.

By episode's end we all get to laugh along with this great show. After near cancellation following the first season, 'Naked City' came roaring back with 32 hour-long episodes in Season 2. Quite an accomplishment.

This may not be a top quality episode of 'Naked City', but it does deliver a unique thriller flavor for this series. It's not too often that fight sequences are employed in this show, and perhaps for good reason. Nevertheless I find it fun when other genres influence an anthology series.

Will the psychopath killer get away with the crime? Can Detective Aracaro function without Paul Burke leading the way?

Tune in and find out.

For lovers of film noir be sure to tune into this episode of Perry Mason. Almost all the noir tropes are here, and it'll remind you quite a bit of 'The Big Sleep.' And that should come as no surprise since the director of this episode edited that classic film.

Be sure to catch this interesting episode. Multiple characters have intertwining flashbacks, and it's the detectives' job to untangle the mess.

Perhaps one of the top guest starring episodes ever produced by the 'Naked City.'