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Reviews
Rio Grande (1950)
Exceptional John Ford Western
John Wayne was always entertaining in John Ford's films, but the Trilogy stands out as a superb grouping of post Civil War US Army scenic Westerns.
The actors change roles, but the characters are sympathetic to the period, with charming little cameos dotted throughout the action.
The Native Americans as usual appear to get something of a raw deal, but as in all Ford's Westerners do still get an element of respect.
Monument Valley does make for a traditional backdrop, and Maureen O'Hara is stunningly beautiful.
Movies like this always make for great viewing, and while they may be somewhat predictable, still have a place in our hearts.
Age of Kill (2015)
Horrendous story, awful casting and acting - Tripe!
This awful thing is a dirty blot on the list of British movies. There was no credible plot line, and the cast looked as if they were in a rush to go back to the boozer. Phil Davis is usually superb, but in this he was just an angry little man from start to finish. The locations were awful, and stank of low budget trash. Who had the twisted genius to cast Patrick Bergin as a Scottish Earl? His accent was appalling, and the silver topped cane was a ludicrous idea. The School bus filled with the racist mob was probably the funniest part of this disastrous epic, and reminded me of Miss Fritton of St Trinian's fame.
I would like to brand this as forgettable, but I'm sure it's going to haunt me for years!
Last Knights (2015)
Excellent Film - Thoroughly enjoyed it
Clive Owen played his part superbly, it's a shame that we didn't see more of Morgan Freeman, but there are plenty more good films where he doesn't get cut so early.
The plot might be similar to a few other movies, but this played out well, with some brilliant swordplay, and some archery shots that did strike the imagination boundaries.
I don't mind a film stretching out to a couple of hours, if the content is up to standard - which it certainly was.
The film was dedicated to Dave Legeno, who appeared in the film, and died under tragic circumstances. It makes a fitting epitaph for his career.
The Old Man (2022)
Brilliant Series - Can't wait for Series 2
Excellent storyline, full of twists and turns. The flashbacks and alternate characters worked really well. The younger castings were good, showing how the players developed. The two dogs were real scene stealers, working together as a team. Jeff Bridges looked his age early on, but limbered up well in the fight scenes. I binge watched this over two nights, and just couldn't wait for the next episode to kick in. Loved the contrasting locations, with the ruggedness of scenery in the desert areas, and the unashamed luxury of the palatial settings. Series 2 is bound to get off to a good start, although there have been a few casualties along the way.
Boîte noire (2021)
Nail Bitingly Excellent
French drama can occasionally get diverted by affairs of the heart - this stays tightly on the rails of being a thriller, with a main character so wrapped up in his work, that it utterly consumes his time.
Because he's human, he is guilty of the occasional error, which has caused past issues with his work, but his dedication to detail draws him back toward his investigation into the loss of 300 lives.
The plot twists and turns, and the subtitles become something of an impediment, so I gave up with them after the first half an hour - and used my ears instead, which form the focus of the entire story.
Brilliant casting and direction, and the plot keeps you guessing for almost the entire story.
Renegades (2022)
Deserves a Full Remake!
Turned it off after nineteen minutes! The star appearance was in the first minute, by a Fairchild Republic A10 Thunderbolt II Warthog Tankbuster.
After that everything else took a nosedive. The music was crap - if this thing ever had a plotline, hopefully it made it to the shredder fairly quickly.
The cast list showed an element of promise, but that definitely faded away in well under five minutes.
The fingerless victim of the early scene could be excused for his early exit - although seeing him wink on the floor, with a gut full of 9mm, almost had us in pleats!
His killer then teetered off in badly fitting shoes, 'hotly' pursued by a duck lipped female police officer and her temperamental colleague (also running like wimps) - who had a tantrum with a wooden chair. In this scene the chair had the best performance so far.
Nothing could possibly spoil this film - it was irreparably damaged before it made it through the camera!!
Allan Quatermain and the Lost City of Gold (1986)
Absolutely Hilarious!
The 'special effects' had me in stitches - the musical score was especially memorable, as it was mainly ripped straight out of the first film!
Directed by 'Kildare's husband - who produced several of the good Doctor's other extravaganzas, this effort should keep the kids entertained for a couple of hours.
I was particularly impressed with the bulletproof négligées - our hero certainly made good use of them.
The 'people of colour' painted white, and Robert Donner sprayed nut brown certainly juggles the little grey cells - but James Earl Jones twirling his unbelievably huge chopper is quite a sight to behold!
Probably best to avoid this, if you're searching for a solid interpretation of the H. Rider Haggard 1887 novel.
I pirati della Malesia (1964)
Confusing to say the least
I couldn't work out when this was supposed to be set, because it contained such a weird selection of artifacts and weapons.
Apart from the magical machine gun on a little railway truck - which seemed to fire forever, without feeding any cartridges into the breech, there was the significant quantity of Number 4 Lee Enfield rifles, which weren't manufactured until after the beginning of WW2 in 1940.
Considering that the original novel was written in 1883, that stretches the timeline way beyond the bounds of credibility.
The dubbing is at times hilarious, and occasionally disappears altogether - with sections reverting to Italian, before slipping back into comedic English.
On an extremely wet day, with precious little else on TV, this rescued me from listening to the raindrops bouncing off my roof tiles.
Then Came You (2020)
Absolutely Loved It
Wonderful acting, and incredible locations help create the additional magic that wasn't even needed.
The storyline might have been expected, but the characterisations were excellent, and so perfectly cast.
The Scots humour was there from the outset, and trickled through the script like a babbling burn.
The pathos runs in just the right measure too, with a beautifully memorable score purring along like the 2 litre Triumph Vitesse with a full tank of fuel.
A perfectly relaxing film experience, without the slightest trace of violence, anger, or trauma - suitable for adults, children, or pets alike.
We loved it.
Yesterday (2019)
Excellent - Several Golden Moments
Well laced with improbability factors, which made it so watchable - including the most wonderfully moving meeting with a hero.
Excellent casting including family, friends, and audience members, which provided meaningful exchanges, lateral humour, and some beautifully tender moments.
The locations were delightfully set, with visual humour played out by apparently thousands of extras.
Himesh Patel's voice is beautifully clear, and seamlessly complements the soundtrack songs, for which $10m was paid to the Beatles copyright holders.
The remaining $15m or so production costs appear amazingly small against box office receipts of $153m.
A truly enjoyable film, which defied my expectations, and made my eyes leak on more than one occasion.
How It Ends (2018)
How it Started would be a better title!!
Well my advice would be just to keep on scrolling by this one!
Forest Whittaker was our only reason for selecting the damn thing in the first place.
The storyline is confused and irrational, with the cast list providing more entertainment than the script.
I spent more time looking at my watch, than at the screen, with the wildlife giving some of the best appearances throughout the interminable chaos.
The only thing that stopped me falling asleep, was the vain hope that we were going to be blessed with a happy ending - other than the sheer relief at seeing the end credits rolling up screen.
I can't imagine that I have written anything that could be remotely classed as a spoiler!
This film is a total waste of production time, and belongs in shreds, on the cutting room floor!!
Nobody (2021)
Bloody Good Fun!
Takes a humdrum family situation into another realm, with all the necessary elements for an absolute blast of a film.
Excellent acting from a diverse cast, with all the little comic touches that spell out excellent entertainment, that grips attention until the final frame.
I fully expected to like this film, but in fact I loved it, with the cameo roles providing the padding to the soundtrack of music which spans decades.
Perhaps a touch too much bloodletting for those of a delicate nature, but the kids will love it - if you dare let them watch it all the way through!
The kitten does look adorable too!
Magpie Murders (2022)
Excellent Double Barrelled Murder Mystery
Superb writing by Anthony Horowitz lays out a dual layer intrigue of classic proportions.
On one hand we have an author whose life is apparently going stale, and on the other a wealthy landowner whose tenure on life comes to an abrupt end!
The characters become skilfully entwined, across the world of international publishing, and threading through beautiful Suffolk countryside.
Horowitz's choice of characterisation is impeccable, as they effortlessly glide across the two timelines - one is an idyllic post war landscape, and the other is the high speed world of corporate acquisition.
We binge watched the whole series over two nights, and thoroughly enjoyed it to the last frame.
Furry Vengeance (2010)
Excellent Family Fun Movie
Looking forward to the bits in the trailers has nothing compared to actually watching them in this movie.
Some of the gags are predictable, but watching them performed by the animals had us in tears of laughter.
The storyline has a lot of the truth in reality, with corruption and evasion by developers being a major problem now, with unnecessary loss of wildlife habitat to wasteful clearance.
The slapstick scenes are particularly good fun, and the mechanics of the animal trickery most entertaining.
All in all it was some of the best entertainment that American humour has to offer - and without all the posturing of the better known 'stars' - btw Brooke Shields was gorgeous!
Your Witness (1950)
Charming Post War Story
I'm frequently amazed by the low scores, and detrimental reviews about older films on here.
Some films have you gripping the seat of your chair, others have plenty of whooping and hollering - this was comfortable armchair viewing, where you could almost smell the hay, the stables, and the flowers in the village church.
This might have a somewhat predictable storyline, but the softened focus and beautiful locations further enhance the performance by an excellent cast of recognisable characters.
The transition from bustling streets in the States, contrasts beautifully with the tinkling of bicycle bells in a quintessential English village, as the lead character enters the local inn - run by Mr Memory, from The 39 Steps.
The livery stables are as I remember some from the 1950s, with overhanging ivy, and leaning gates - in fact the portrayal of a post war village is perfectly played.
Having a somewhat predictable plot provides a suitable vehicle for an experienced and talented cast, to display their talents and ability to a greater effect - giving impeccable and almost imperceptible nuances to their characters and portrayals.
There was ample time for the enjoyment of these performances, whilst still absorbing the plot line, the anticipated conclusion in the courtroom, and the final scenes around the magnificent house and garden.
A Hologram for the King (2016)
Far better than I expected
I watched this without expecting too much - it just shows that reviews can be misleading.
I found instead an interesting insight, into the troubled life of an executive with more than the weight of failure across his shoulders.
The characters were a pleasant blend of contrasts, portraying the complex lifestyles that exist within and around Middle Eastern society.
From the wreckage of the planned developments, to the Holy city, beyond to the highlands, then plunging into sapphire blue seas, the beauty of the country shone through in glittering colour.
Rediscovering life and purpose became far more important than artificial imaging, and the conclusion did not disappoint at all.
Tom Hanks carried his role in the usual distinctive style to which we are accustomed, drawing in the past of his character in order to draw comparisons with the life experiences of others.
Whilst it didn't end up as a tear jerker, the feelgood factor was there in the final scenes.
The Rivals (1963)
Hair raising at times
Barry Lineham is wearing a 'syrup' which looks like a sleeping polecat at times
The cars are wonderful period models, and Erica Rogers is superb
Gideon's Way: State Visit (1964)
An Explosive Story
Wonderful uncredited appearance by Desmond Llewellyn (Q in James Bond) with a gentle Welsh accent
Miss Marple: The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1992)
One Glaring Error
The Rover P4 taxi driven by Inch, is unlikely to have had a 1979 model Motorola car radio, in the 1950s
Gideon's Way: Fall High Fall Hard (1965)
Clever use of scenarios
Both Michael Erickson, and George Gideon's son Matthew have scenes involving record players
The Wolseley 6/110 Police cars always feature heavily, however this is the first car chase featuring two units, stopping the speeding Jaguar 3.8
The two villains were driving a Ford Zephyr Mk 3, with the 4 cylinder 1703cc engine
Janet Davies (Dad's Army's Mrs Pike) is sadly uncredited as the Hospital nurse
Mark of the Phoenix (1958)
Nostalgic & Fascinating
All manner of interesting detail, if you study it well
Classic cars, like the Ford Zodiac, with whitewall tyres, and the Citroen Traction Avant
The planes and airline scenes are well worth studying too
The plot might be thin by today's standards, but the Brussells street views more than make up for it
I found it thoroughly entertaining, and worth watching
The Train Robbers (1973)
I like this movie because
I have never seen a John Wayne movie that I didn't enjoy, although some of the very early stuff was a little hammy.
The Duke always gave his best in all his films. Who cares about little little blips here and there. The Good guy always wins, and usually gets the girl.
This film excels because of the way it leads the viewer down a dirty dusty path, with a wonderful twist just where you don't expect it.
As always - Excellent Scenery, even the animals have their own little cameos.
There is plenty of drama, and enough suspense to keep up concentration levels
There are the usual little two way quips, and enough dialogue to paint a clear enough background to the key characters.
Ben Johnson is his usual dry character, Rod Taylor plays a likable delayed adolescent, Ann Margret fills her part amply!
Good Fun - Plenty of Bangs - Well Cast - Memorable Quips.
Nobody minds a bit of repetition if it works, and contributes to the storyline which it does well.