bill-688 Reviews

The Mist (2017)

Fool me once

[2/10 · 12 November 2017]

I cannot believe how bad this one is. It would put an old-fashioned radio soap opera to shame! It is literally terrible; the only bright spot in this little play comes from the opening scenes when there is sunlight. It soon began to go nowhere and the longer one watches the faster it seems to get nowhere. It is so filled with trite babble that I found myself hoping that giant monster lurking in the mist would hurry up and have these losers for supper.

The Narrow Margin (1952)

film noir classic reminiscent of a similar film from 1941

[9/10 · 11 April 2013]

The Narrow Margin, while a great representative of it genre, is amazingly similar to a film made 11 years before: "Sleepers West" starring Lloyd Nolan, Mary Beth Hughes, Lynn Bari and a fine cast of supporting actors. Sleepers West is one of several Mike Shayne entries with Nolan as the wise-cracking private eye. Both films feature lawmen protecting female witnesses to murders and both films are set on trains moving to the West Coast of the U.S. While Marie Windsor is a lady cop playing decoy witness in The Narrow Margin, Mary Beth Hughes is the actual witness being guarded by gumshoe Shane in Sleepers West. Sleepers is slightly lighter than Narrow Margin and may not qualify as film noir. At any rate, both films represent a time when train travel was in vogue and could be exciting and even deadly.

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Great adaptation of O'Brian's work

[9/10 · 15 May 2012]

This film gives the viewer a tantalizing hint at the scope and depth of O'Brian's Aubrey/Maturin series. There are, I believe, some 19 of them. I have read 15 and hunger for more. The characters in the film are straight out of the books and as a reader, you get to know them. The series is really one continuous story that takes Aubrey, Matuarin and the rest of the crew to the four corners of the earth where they do battle with the bad guys--usually the French but sometmes the Americans--which battles O'Brian describes in graphic detail. This film is one you can watch over again without the onset of boredom. My only complaint at this time is that other Aubrey-Maturin stories have not been filmed. Believe me, there are more great stories of these men and the crews that sailed with them.

Blazing Saddles (1974)

shame on AMC

[10/10 · 10 December 2009]

I keep hoping that one of these times, AMC will show an un-edited version of this film. It is really disturbing and disheartening that the PC crowd is able to get this once superb movie channel to censor the films it runs. If I were Mel Brooks I'd be more than a little upset over this wanton editing of an otherwise classic movie. If AMC does this to Blazing Saddles, how many other films are facing the censor's knife or edit button so that AMC can safely assure itself that, by bowing to the beast of political correctness it isn't offending anyone. It makes one wonder how the decision to edit this film was made; was it just some folks sitting around and decided, "hey, we can't show this stuff?"

Dressed to Kill (1941)

One of the best B-movies ever!

[10/10 · 20 August 2009]

Watching this and other Mike Shane entries in this series is truly a treat. They simply don't make them like this any more! Lloyd Nolan is a glib, fast-talking, somewhat arrogant Mike Shane but these traits only add to the character. This one was filmed on a set--unlike some of the others--and the viewer doesn't get a time-travel perspective of the way things looked in 1941. Even so, this little film is well worth watching and owning. Black cast members are given roles of ghost-fearing janitors and one--Mantan Moreland--has his name misspelled in the credits. Oh, if you like double-breasted suits, this film is for you. Shane and other male members of the cast wear them in every scene.

Blue, White and Perfect (1942)

They really don't make them like this any more.

[8/10 · 11 March 2009]

Crisp black and white prints look very good on my HD set. Great film, part of a package of four on two DVDs. My wife and I have now gone through three with one to go. I was intrigued by product placement which is very unusual at this time in film history. For example, in Sleepers West, a pack of Chesterfield cigarettes is held so that anyone can read it. Then, in Blue, White and Perfect, two cartons of Chesterfields are held up for the longest time. Mission Orange soda is also prominently shown and directors make no effort to disguise the makes of the great cars used in the films. DelMonte is plainly advertised along with Yellow Cab. Also, there seems to be just enough location scenes to give the viewer a good look at life in the 40s. This Michael Shane group is great fun and easy viewing; four little time machines waiting to take you back.

The Jack Benny Program (1950–1965)

Benny's radio shows remain great entertainment.

[10/10 · 1 August 2008]

Jack Benny's radio shows remain among the very best that Old Time Radio has to offer. Hundreds of hours of this programming are available from any one of several dealers around the country. Most of them sound as they were being broadcast at that moment! Listening to the shows as they were presented week-in and week-out, one gets to know the players while developing a real appreciation for the lines, delivery and timing. In particular, the World War II shows are among my favorites; broadcast from various military bases and always with the best talent of the day. Sadly, it appears that present-generation America doesn't remember Jack Benny or the little group that every week helped him become one of America's all-time great showmen.

George Washington Slept Here (1942)

Kilbride and Benny weren't strangers

[8/10 · 9 August 2006]

Percy Kilbride shows up often on Jack Benny's radio show, particular those broadcast during World War II. His deadpan delivery always had the cast and audience in stitches and it is a real treat to encounter Kilbride in roles as a postal official or delivery man, bent on enforcing the "rules" much to the chagrin of Benny, and his sidekicks. Later, as Pa Kettle, Kilbride enjoyed his greatest success. Any fan of Jack Benny and anyone who has access to Benny's radio shows can benefit from "George Washington Slept Here" because you not only get a good look at the man himself, but in this case you get the extra benefit of seeing Benny and Kilbride reprise, so to speak, their wonderfully workable comedy.

Stagecoach to Denver (1946)

The kind of Western they used to make

[5/10 · 31 January 2006]

Almost anyone who grew up during and after the World War II years will recognize this shoot 'em up as similar to hundreds of quickie Westerns filmed during the period. I bought the film for $5 or less just to see what they were really like and, boy, it is exactly as I remember. I have seen chases and gun fights in and around the same rocks and trails in this film as in countless other Saturday matinées. If you do remember what it was like to sit through two of these plus shorts, cartoons and previews, you can refresh your memory and step back to a time when the movies were innocent and the good guys really did beat the bad guys . . . every time, all in less than one hour.

The Thing from Another World (1951)

Really scary in the 50s.

[8/10 · 2 June 2005]

Some people may remember "Midnight Shows" which were films shown to those willing to stay up until midnight to see a movie! So it was with "The Thing From Another World." As a boy of 12 I accompanied some adult friends to a midnight show and was treated to this film. Believe me, I wasn't the only one in the audience scared stiff. This was a trail blazing film of suspense, excitement and terror. In fact, it scared me nearly to death! Imagine being trapped in a frozen wasteland with a vegetable-like creature that thrives on human blood. There were screams from the audience. In retrospect, seeing it was a genuinely good time. I went home that night and checked my closet to see if The Thing was waiting for me.

Murder, My Sweet (1944)

Great movie. Great radio!

[10/10 · 2 February 2005]

I own a copy of this film and only wish they made them this way today. There is no disputing the importance of this film and while it is a piece of cinema history, it is also a piece of Old Time Radio history. Murder My Sweet was broadcast on the Lux Radio Theater on June 11, 1945. Dick Powell, Claire Trevor and Mike Mazurki recreate their film roles for the radio presentation. It is excellent radio and is an excellent companion to the film. The two scripts are almost identical except that the radio version is a little shorter in duration. A real treat is that Powell, Trevor and Mazurki return to the microphone after the show to talk about their parts. If you like old time radio, you'll love this. Turn off the lights, light a candle and enjoy.

Birdman of Alcatraz (1962)

Good acting pays tribute to a truly horrific person.

[6 December 2004]

Anyone who knows anything about the real life of Robert Stroud will agree that this film bears no resemblance whatsoever to Stroud's real life. Stroud was a murderous pedophile and there is some evidence he was a cannibal. This film grossly exaggerates this man's life and so-called accomplishments! Read his letters! Read his record! To glorify this monster is typical of Hollywood. To treat a film about this demon as a work of art is in itself horrible, particularly since no attempt is made to show the real Robert Stroud or his true life. Every time it is shown there should be a disclaimer describing that the film is--except for his name--a complete work of fiction.

Girl with a Pearl Earring (2003)

good sets, good costumes; little else

[30 June 2004]

I kept waiting for the Girl with a Pearl Earring to close her mouth. This poor child was in a perpetual state of angst and seemed to have great difficulty responding to even the simplest query or comment. I thought the scenery was very good and the costumes came straight from Vermeer's paintings. The girl, however, was never, but never, happy and if she smiled I don't recall it. Even the briefest glimpse into the life of a man like Vermeer is always fascinating. Even so the poor viewer is left with many doubts: Did the girl marry her butcher's boy? What did she do with the pair of earrings? Vermeer's wife's jealousy didn't reflect the fact that in real life she gave him 15 children. It would have been nice if the girl could have smiled once and answered one question quickly.

Take Me Back to Oklahoma (1940)

Formula B Western plus Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys

[22 April 2004]

The scene with Bob Wills and his band riding on top of a stage coach strumming a tune is priceless. Tex Ritter is in fine form saving the little lady's property and snaring the bad guys. Ritter, who has a trusty side kick to add a little slapstick to the plot, sings and so does Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys. To any Wills fan this is an excellent opportunity to see how the band looked in a performance. Wills' dancing is not unlike some modern performers. Good entertainment and a great reminder of how Westerns once were in the U.S. This is the kind of movie I spent countless Saturday afternoons seeing and sometimes staying over to see again. Without the music this is about average; with the music it is priceless.

A Christmas Carol (1951)

I'm happy to join in the praise of this gem.

[21 November 2003]

Christmas time for me and my family always includes two or three viewings of this absolute masterpiece. The British seem to do black and white films better than anyone else and this is certainly no exception. The story itself is as good as any ever written and the cast of this film does it justice. The redemption and transformation of Scrooge is enough to bring a tear to any eye. Watching this film is a joy I would recommend to everyone. If you haven't seen it,add it to your list of things to do this Holiday season. If you don't own it go out and buy it.

The Long, Hot Summer (1958)

Faulkner without the Faulkner

[4 November 2003]

Hey, where's Flem Snopes? At the time I saw this film I hadn't read William Faulkner. In the intervening years I have devoured Faulkner but haven't forgotten this turkey of a film. In the real world of William Faulkner Quick is a minor character. Suddenly he's the star of the epic. This film bypassed a great opportunity to bring Faulkner to the screen. What we have instead is Hollywood slight of hand, complete with fake Southern accents. If you want to see Faulkner on the screen try "Intruder in the Dust".

Gangs of New York (2002)

riveting film based on real people and real events.

[14 January 2003]

I won't attempt to add to the praise already heaped on this masterpiece film. It is a classic and all who enjoyed it might want to read Herbert Asbury's book of the same title published in the last century. Interestingly enough there is an image of the "old brewery" in the book that was perfectly duplicated in the film. Everything you see in and around "five points" is described by Asbury in great detail. Knowing this, the film becomes more real and thus, more enjoyable.