Movie review - Pink Panther#1 - "The Pink Panther" (1964) ***

The first in what was to become a lucrative franchise for Blake Edwards and Peter Sellers. A writer brought the central idea to Edwards of a French inspector chasing a jewel thief who doesn't realise that his wife is the thief's mistress. Although the film was obviously intended to be a hit (plenty of stars, lush locations, beautiful clothes, plots about jewel thieves, a scene where everyone stops and listens to a singer perform a number) it also had two amazing strokes of luck: during filming Edwards decided to add an animated pink panther, and Sellers became involved when original choice Peter Ustinov pulled out. Ustinov would have been fine, but Sellers contributes the immense dignity which made the character of Clouseau fly.

This film is more of an ensemble piece than its sequels; Sellers has as much screen time as David Niven, Capucine and Claudia Cardinale; Robert Wagner has a decent enough role as Niven's nephew (Wagner's career was in the doldrums at the time but playing this charming con man here helped him establish a template which he subsequently used on television a lot).

Everyone gets into the spirit of slapstick - except for Cardinale, who was rarely more beautiful (she is dubbed beautifully). Capucine was the real surprise here, engaging in some pratfalls with aplomb. Didn't quite believe Cardinale would fall for David Niven so much she'd give back her jewel - then not say good bye at the end.

The film is set in the Italian Alps and in Rome, with beautiful women and lush sets and costumes - Edwards had just made Days of Wine and Roses so obviously decided to go to town. Terrific theme song.

Play review - "Badger's Green" by R C Sherriff

RC Sheriff was the toast of Broadway and the West End with his hit play Journey's End and many people were keen to see what he'd do as a follow up. He decided on a total change of pace with this piece, a light amusement about a squabbling village which unites when a property developer wants to do some developments nearby. The strength of the piece lies in its gentle observation and the fact that the "heros" are flawed - petty, little egomaniacal committee members - and the "villain" property developer is a nice chap, just one with ideas which don't suit the village. Enjoyable but it feels as though it lacks something - a little weight, or another subplot or twist.

Book review - "Karloff and Lugosi" by Gregory William Mank

Excellent look at the rivalry between the famous two horror stars - though as the author points out Karloff was always ahead ever since Frankenstein. In their teamings only in The Raven does Lugosi really outshine Karloff. Karloff was the better actor and in the better movies - not just horror, and he also had two genuine big stage successes in Arsenic and Old Lace and Peter Pan. However Lugosi has the bigger cult and the better story - more tragic and pathetic. A major mystery is why Universal didn't make more of Lugosi - he was one of the biggest stars they had (they didn't have many), a guaranteed money spinner, but for most of the time they saw him as a support actor at best.

Karloff was an interesting guy, though, too - the black sheep of a distinguished family, married several times, adored by everyone he worked with it seems except for Lugosi, a capacity for hard work which saw him become wealthy and probably killed him earlier. Karloff was not too pick about material and certainly made a lot of bad films just like Lugosi but he had a better agent and was smarter about money and contracts; he was also more versatile. Other horror stars like Lionel Atwill and Lon Chaney also had unhappy personal lives so maybe we shouldn't be too hard on Lugosi - although it is frustrating to read his staggering career.

TV show - "ER: the pilot" (1994) ***1/2

Never was a big fan of the E/R show, but then never been too into medical dramas - too many sick people! Michael Crichton wrote the script for the pilot, using some incidents which popped up in Travels . Lots of stuff going on, plenty of plots and medical dialogue and some good acting - though not from George Clooney who mainly leans his head at an angle and tries to look cute (they don't give him too many complicated medical words). Sherry Springfield is again effortlessly likeable and Anthony Edwards looks too much like, well, me.

Movie review - "The Corpse Vanishes" (1942) **

One of a series of low budget star vehicles Bela Lugosi made for minor studios after the horror movie was restored to popularity with Son of Frankenstein. This one is very obviously influenced by vampire films - Lugosi plays a doctor who kills of brides to extract their "essence" for his sick wife a la that Baroness who killed virgins. He and his wife also sleep in coffins and they have some weird assistants: a dwarf and a hunchback moron and his mother. The hunchback could have been a bit better cast but the dwarf is spot on - played by Angelo Rossitto, a popular dwarf who played Master in Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome. Luana Walters is likeable as the spunky 40s investigative reporter determined to get to the bottom of the dying brides. The male doctor hero is bland. There are some poor performances from some of the supporting cast and awkward handling, but some strong scenes, such as where Walters pokes around Lugosi's house one night, and a good story. Lugosi is in fine form again, though one wishes the action focused more on him rather than the reporter.

Play review - "Arcadia" by Tom Stoppard

Probably my favourite Tom Stoppard. I saw it on stage in Qld in around 1996 and didn't really get into it at first but it has stayed with me, especially the ending, and I have re-read it several times. It has all the smart stuff you expect from Stoppard but also has a terrific emotional impact. That ending is so sad, so wonderful.

Movie review - "The Devil Bat" (1941) **

Son of Frankenstein helped bring back Bela Lugosi, albeit in low budget films and he stars in this PRC effort which at least has a bright idea; he's a scientist who invents perfumes and cold cream and has made a fortune for a company but has missed out. To get revenge he breeds a massive bat which attacks people who wear a certain cologne.

Lugosi is in fine form and there is a strong scene where the head of the company tells him he's lucky he hasn't made any money so he can concentrate on experiments. The hero, an investigative reporter, is irritating and the bat attacks laughable, though it is all watchable.

DVD review - "Battlestar Galactica - Special Features"

Excellent addition on te DVD, with an overall behind the scenes doco, plus interview with Glen A Larson and special bits on cylons and daggit. All the cast seem to be lovely people and in terrific shape - Dirk Benedict's face seemed a little odd but he has a great sense of humour. Laurette Spang and Anne Jefferson Jnr seem particularly nice. Some hilarious outtakes, like the girls pulling wedgies on the boys, and the monkey in the daggit costume making monkey noises.

Movie review - "The Life and Death of Peter Sellers" (2002) ***1/2

Sellers was a fascinating guy and Geoffrey Rush delivers a bravaura performance. Rush doesn't look like him, but is probably the only actor in the world who could have done such a fine job. Sellers is correctly portrayed as a fair nutcase, a very talented nutcase.
The little additions like Sellars talking to the camera is OK - the swooping camerawork at the beginning is annoying but this calms down. Mariam Margoyles plays Sellars' mum - listen to the wonderful elocution of her and rush in their scenes together.
John Lithgow and Stanley Tucci are fine as Blake Edwards and Stanley Kubrick respectively. Charlize Therzon is pretty and shows a bit of skin as Britt Ekland.

Play review - "Command Decision" by William Wister Haines

Terrific 1948 play about a US bomber command where the head general has a unit suffering immense casualities - but will more lives be lost in the long run if they aren't inflicted? There is plenty of back ground politics as the general has to deal with rivals for his job, politicians, a (seemingly) weak superior officer, a mutinous officer, a troublesome journalist, his own conscience. Once I figured out who was who this was great.

Play review - "The Mercy Seat" by Neil La Bute

Neil la Bute in a slightly less caustic mode, though still with a lot of sting, as a man contemplates remaining dead post-Sept 11. His family think he's dead but actually he was off banging his boss. Did September Affair (1950) have this plot? Well, kind of but without La Bute touch. Tough dialogue, interesting characters, sparse, etc. I really liked it.

Movie review - "Aeon Flux" (2006) **

Charlize Therzon is very attractive and a good actor but she isn't charismatic enough to hold a full film without a real character. It doesn't help that this story is glum and played out by a glum cast - aren't there any jokes in the future? Highlights include some scenes of Charlize in skimpy underwear (the film would have benefited by being trashier), a vicious blade of grass, and a shoot out at the end. But it is a bit silly. And spoilt - why does she have to blow up the ship at the end? What's the hurry?

Movie review - "The Mouse that Roared" (1959) ***

Sweet British comedy with one of the best ideas ever: the smallest country in the world invades the USA to deliberately lose and then get foreign aid. Since this is used up in the first scene the film struggles to find something to match. It's a good idea also to have the country accidentally win - though less good having them do it by obtaining a nuclear bomb (though how else could you do it? A question for remakers out there.) 

Peter Sellers is fun in three roles. It's also enjoyable to see Jean Seberg in a comedy, though not quite believable how she falls for Sellers. Also could the "villains" be a bit more villainous? 

Some bright satire and decent points to make about nuclear bombs.

Movie review - "Must Love Dogs" (2005) **

Diane Lane found stardom unexepctedly late playing glamorous yet battered 40 somethings in Unfaithful and Under the Tuscan Sun and she pops up here in a rom com. She is pretty and gives a nice performance, but lacks the spark of a Meg, Sandra or Julia. Indeed the whole film is undercast - a bright script isn't given the spark it deserves. John Cusack seems to be slumming it, the guy who plays his best mate is a lazy performance, Dermot Mulroney has played the false love interest too many times, Chris Plummer just feels wrong as a loveable Irishman, the wacky support cast aren't wacky enough. Only Stockard Channing manages to hit the right notes. Fairly run of the mill stuff.

Movie review - "The Pink Panther" (2006) **1/2

OK remake with Steve Martin doing a decent Clouseau, ditto Kevin Kline as Dreyfus. Beyonce Knowles is pretty but can't really act. There are some funny moments, but I have trouble remembering any of the film now. Is Jean Reno required to play a Frenchman in every Hollywood film needing a Frenchman? Notice how in the second half Clouseau is actually a really good detective - is this cheating somehow?

Movie review - "Hoosiers" (1986) ***

Charming, sweet sappy American film with Gene Hackman coaching a high school basketball team in a country town in 1950s Indiana. There's a fesity non-sports-living teacher (Barbara Hershey), an alcoholic former player who gets redemption (Dennis Hopper, who was nominated for an Oscar and was brought back to the Hollywood fold with this film), a star player who comes out of retirement. It's simple and it really works, with a great deal of charm and conviction. The writer and director later reteamed on Rudy. Story of the film's real life inspiration is here.

Book review - "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life"

HandMade films were one of the few bright spots in the British film industry in the early 80s. Formed by George Harrison and his accountant Dennis O'Brien to help bail out Monty Python on The Meaning of Life, they then funded Time Bandits - both films were big hits and HandMade suddenly found themselves in the movie business. Over the next ten years they made a handful of films that really stand the test of time, including A Private Function and Withnail and I. Eventually, as these companies always do, they went bust and it all ended acrimoniously when Harrison found that O'Brien had been ripping him off.

This book is mostly a collection of interviews with people crucial to HandMade, except O'Brien and Harrison. Harrison was dead and O'Brien not around - so he really cops it. I mean really cops it. The fact is the company wouldn't have existed and the films wouldn't have been made if it hadn't been for him - he had a real gift for raising finance (mostly on the strength of Harrison's personal guarantee), and also had a bright taste in comedy.

HandMade fluked into two massive hits to start up with (they also picked up The Long Good Friday, a solid success) but soon established a niche - British comedy. Since hardly anyone was making British features at the time, they could have kept their budgets low and enjoyed a longer life churning out these, living off the occasional break-through hit. But they got ambitious, and made Shanghai Surprise then moved to America. Actually even when they moved to America they didn't go Hollywood but still made artier stuff - but they went against their niche and ran into a series of flops which killed the company.

This is a very entertaining book on a very worthwhile subject. It probably needed some more hard data than being mostly interviews - many creative people like to whinge about executives - with the quality of access is high. Oh, one more thing - everyone bags Water but I loved Water, I think it really works.

Movie review - "Silver City" (2004) **1/2

John Sayles movies are always worth watching and for the most part this is an engrossing combination of detective film and political satire, as a rumpled investigator (Danny Huston) looks into a corpse that has been fished out of the river by a governor candidate (Chris Cooper). Huston is like an aging shaggy dog, an interesting type of detective, cheerful and a bit incompetent; Cooper is hilarous as the well meaning dimwit. There are also entertaining cameos from actors like Richard Dreyfuss, Billy Zane, Thora Birtch, etc. Around the half way point the film becomes a bit muddled with the points it seems it wants to make - the story lacks drive, and the big secret isn't really enough of a secret to power the film. Like most of Sayles movies, there's a down beat ending.

Movie review - "Chasing Amy" (1997) *****

Brilliant comedy drama which remains Kevin Smith's masterpiece - funny, tight, well acted, low budget, imaginative til the end. The opening credits start things off on exactly the right note (being tone), every member of the cast is perfect.

Movie review - Hitchcock #24 - "The Lady Vanishes" (1938) *****

Wonderful thriller that looks even better over the years. Michael Redgrave and Margaret Lockwood aren’t among Hitchcock’s better known pair of stars, but they work marvellously in a jolly-good-chaps 1930s kind of way. He has a good natured, wet, intellectual quality which is perfect for the part (Robert Donat in 39 Steps mode would have been too dashing – although not Donat in Goodbye Mr Chips mode, if that makes sense). Lockwood is terrific fun and they make a spirited, youthful couple – you can imagine them spending their honeymoon hiking in the Cotswolds or something.

The piece glories in its Englishness – you’ve got cheery sensible Lockwood, slightly eccentric Redgrave, glorious Dame May Whitty having a ball as a very useful senior citizen, adulterous Cecil Parker and his stressed out partner, the magnificent Basil Radford and Nauton Wayne, the very likeable cockney nun in high heels who works for the baddies until she realises they’re trying to kill an English lady. (It’s not all rah-rah Royal Britannia, though – it makes fun of British hypocrisy and the slipperiness of their foreign office.)

An extremely well acted movie – so many of the roles were open to caricature but the actors don’t take that option (well, not all of them – the suave European types do their European thing). It helps that this is more of an ensemble piece than a star vehicle; most of the Brits get a chance to shine, even at the end.

Many wonderful moments: the nun wearing high heels; Dame May Whitty making a dash for it across the forest as people try to shoot her; pretty much everything Radford or Wayne say (eg “I say you can’t go about tying up nuns”); Redgrave’s “I went to Cambridge line”; the realisation only the British passengers are left on the train because it’s tea time. I love it.

Book review - "State of Fear" by Michael Crichton

Michael Crichton's back and he's not happy. Not happy about criminals - there's savage scenes where victims of crime talk about killing their attackers and they do kill them (Crichton was robbed at gunpoint before he wrote this book). Not happy about academia, who he describes as mostly funding whores (which is true). Not happy about do-gooding Hollywood types, who he lampoons and makes look foolish (and gives a grisly end).

Most of all he's not happy about global warming, which he not only believes is false but the concept of which some people are so devoted to they are willing to set off a series of artificially-created environmental disasters to bring attention to the cause.

Crichton always writes a good techno thriller and I enjoyed a lot of it, the exotic locations, exciting actions sequences in Antarctica and the Solomons; I went with the science (he flings a lot of data and journal references at you) because I don't know enough not to. Didn't believe the environmental terrorists on that scale though - I'm sorry, even if they are misguided I can't see them as that ruthless. Or well organised. If they'd been terrorists or criminal masterminds, yes, but not environmentalists. I guess I'm just prejudiced. (NB I had the same problems with "tungsten" in Gilda.)

He also cheats by giving many environmental arguments to dopey/villainous characters such as the Martin Sheen-like actor Ted Bradley (who is actually likable in an appalling way). The superhero professor character is a bit irritating.

Book review - "Outposts" by Simon Winchester

Before Winchester wrote the best seller The Surgeon of Cawthorne he was a foreign correspondent and travel writer and in the erly 80s penned this delightful book, a series of visits to the remaining British Empire outposts through the world. In addition to the ones everyone knows -- Gibraltar, Hong Kong (then), Bermuda - there are odder ones like Ascension Island, Falklands (which he vists just as the war begins), St Helena, Tristan, British India Territories. 

The edition I read was a 2003 one, with an intro updating it. It's an interesting intro - it makes a comparison between the old British Empire and the new empire of global corporations. He also says he thinks the Empire was a good thing. However, he isn't very nice about the remaining colonies in his book - Falkland Islanders are a bit pathetic and the war was a waste, British Indian Ocean Territories are a black stain on British memory, Gibraltar is pathetic, Bermuda is weird. He does like St Helena. 

The travels are always interesting, especially the really obscure places, and I liked the history (there could have been a bit more of it - and a little more local colour and maybe some photos). Winchester keeps running into people he went to school with - the old school tie network seems to have evolved neatly.

Book review - "Black Jack - Political Gladiator"

Fascinating biography of Jack McEwen, head of the country party and deputy PM for Australia from the late 50s to the early 70s, briefly PM after Holt's death. When people talk of the "Menzies era" they really mean the Menzies-McEwan era - his philosophies helped define the economy. He was in charge of trade, not the treasury. A protectionist, there is some doubt whether his influence was all good - his biographer argues that he was totally right up til 1960 but after a key adviser left he became more inflexible. It probably really would have been better for Australia had the Libs been voted out in 1961 like the public seemed to want - they had run out of puff. But McEwen was clearly a giant, a man who inspired fear and respect on both sides, a formidable opponent. The stories of his clashes with McMahon and Gorton are the most dramatically interesting; there is also a lot of stuff about tariffs and trade which can be a little heavy going at times. Was he right? Would you prefer him back? His is a story that should be told and remembered more than it is.

Movie review - Hitchcock #25 - "Jamaica Inn" (1939) ** 1/2

This film, Hitchcock's last before he left for England, normally cops it from critics and while it isn't up to the standard of his great English classics I really enjoyed it. Great start, with a moody Cornish coast, lots of waves crashing and creepy inns, and its a pretty good story, as lovely young Maureen O'Hara arrives at an inn that is HQ for some ship wreckers.

The villains are an engaging bunch, and there is a surprisingly touching relationship between O'Hara's aunt and her husband, one of the main wreckers. Charles Laughton is in fine form in the lead; Robert Newton isn't as comfortable in the romantic lead Robert Donat part - he looks too odd.

Two major plot holes: why doesn't Laughton kill Newton when he has the chance? Why does Laughton risk taking O'Hara away with him at the end? In true Hitchcock heroine style, O'Hara gets slapped around, has to tear off her dress and is bound and gagged. Spectacular climactic fall.