Movie review - "Fortress" (1985) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

There is a really interesting movie lurking in here - an examination on the effect of violence on young children in the vein of Lord of the Flies - but unfortunately these issues are only skirted over and for the most part this is a fairly run of the mill adventure tale.

It is badly hurt by a dreadful performance from Rachel Ward in the lead. It's a gift role - you get to be brave, tough, beautiful, conflicted, smart, go on a real emotional journey... but it is completely beyond her abilities. She just has this dead flat delivery and grating accent. She is pretty and does go for a swim in her underwear, but that's very little compensation.

The kids come off better and kudos to the filmmakers and actors for enabling them to have some personality despite their large number: they include Beth Buchanan, Rebecca Rigg, and Asher Keddie! They all seem very believable, constantly complaining and wanting to go to the toilet, with the elder boys perving on Ward, and getting bloodthirsty. Towards the end it gets kind of complex with Ward whipping the kids up into a violent frenzy and the kids going berko on the kidnappers, then keeping silent about it... but like I say that feels undercooked. (The script was written by Everett de Roche whose scripts often felt as though they needed another draft.)

It's almost as though the finale of this needed to be the second act, with an extra third act showing the impact of the violence - you could still have a kidnapper at large if you like to keep the suspense. It could have enabled the filmmakers to get into the characters of the kidnappers a bit more too, who are just giggling, loud thugs, whose faces we rarely see. (NB If I'm not mistaken there were four kidnappers but we see only two get killed.)

Arch Nicholson wasn't the world's best director - I know he died young, which is tragic, but it's true. This offers opportunities for suspense and action galore and he only does a mediocre job.

Movie review - "Alison's Birthday" (1980) *1/2 (warning: spoilers)

A fairly dreadful Aussie knock off of Romemary's Baby marked by some soapie Tv performances of the leads, including the pretty Joanne Samuel, who seems like a nice person but acts Sons and Daughters style. So does the guy who plays her boyfriend - and the adults aren't that much better, although it is a novelty to see Bunny Brooke as a more upper class type. Actors like Vincent Ball and Brian Blain to their best but ultimately come across as silly.

This sort of material can work - it's not a bad story, the final twist is the same as that used in The Skeleton Key which I really liked - but it needs atmosphere, menace, spookiness, decent acting and directing, none of which is provided here. The opening, with Alison and her friends having a seance and one person being killed, isn't bad - ditto the ending, with Alison being trapped in an old person's body. But it makes too many mistakes - Joanne Samuels isn't allowed to be pretty, her character is far too passive (boyfriend Lou Brown carries the action trying to rescue her), it's an ugly looking film.

Movie review - "BMX Bandits" (1983) ***1/2

After being pillorised for making Turkey Shoot Brian Trenchard Smith bounced back into critical favour with this delightful children's film - although interesting enough both movies have a lot in common: fast paced, full of action, a lively sense of humour, good production value, strong performances. The main difference is that this movie has a good heart whereas Turkey had a black one.

It's also a hell of a lot more positive in its depictions of women than Turkey Shoot: Nicole Kidman admittedly is kidnapped by the baddies twice and has to be rescued but she is brave and smart, gets to ride the bike, is part of the gang and is lusted after (in a cute tween way) by her two men; the only vaguely competent police officer is a woman.

I know this is in hindsight, but Nickers has terrific charisma from the get-go - her appearance really lifts this movie, with her frizzy hair and distinctive voice. No wonder she was rarely out of work in Australia (her stunt bike double does look a bit too much like a man). Her two co stars aren't as good but aren't bad - James Lugton is funny (even if his voice always sounds dubbed) and Angelo d'Angelo quite engaging - the three of them have a solid camaraderie. David Argue is hilarious as one of the crooks whose pursuit of the kids provides the plot. I also felt for the fat rich kid who teased Nickers, calling her moll - he's supposed to be a sort of villain but I looked at him and kept wondering he is probably full of self loathing, scoffing that chocolate milk and hating himself.

The film does bog down in a middle with yet another chase sequence (nothing wrong with the sequence, it just feels like yet another chase sequence), but rallies for an inspiring finale. The locations are well used - Manly looks beautiful (and so clean!). People who've lived there will get a kick out of seeing the wharf, Tanya Park, the mall, etc. There are some funny lines as well as daggy funny ones, and a few risqué (of the Are You Being Served kind - there a few English actors in the cast.) To be blunt some of the BMX stunts look a little lame but it's a really fun and nice film.

Movie review - "Long Weekend" (1978) ***

Colin Eggleston seemed to launch himself as a talent to watch when this movie came out - but none of his subsequent movies impressed and it soon became obvious the real talent to watch was the writer, Everett de Roche, who soon established himself as one of Australia's leading screenwriters. It's a very clever, tricky idea of humans vs nature - a couple go away for the weekend and pick away at the world: throw cigarettes out the window, hit kangaroos, chop down trees. Eventually nature strikes back.

If I'm being really honest there's not quite enough story here for a feature, so it doesn't quite come off, but it's very skilfully done - I kept thinking of early Roman Polanski films. There are lots of noises, and jolts, and a creeping sense of unease.

The domestic spats between John Hargreaves and Briony Behets is pretty good but occasionally spills into TV on the nose dialogue (when it's restrained and implied it is much better). There's a bit of nudity from Behets who also does a masturbation scene - I guess it's a cheap special effect.

Hargreaves is very strong as always; Behets is less good although she matches him at times. Her fate is a superbly done sequence - the movie has a strong ending after tap dancing in the middle.

Book review – “No Name on the Bullet” by Don Graham

Superb biography on Audie Murphy which tackles all the important aspects of his life equally well: upbringing, war service, immediate post war career, film career, and final days. It was an astonishingly varied life for a small town Texan sharecropper – war hero, trauma victim, movie star, ally of Jimmy Hoffa, protege of Jimmy Cagney, songwriter, gambler, womaniser, thug, amateur cop (no kidding, he went out on raids and everything). There was a lot more to him than being a war hero - or a movie star.

Graham gives due credit and prominence to everything. I maybe would have liked more on the movies but recognise the book would have run for 500 plus pages (which actually would have been great, I enjoyed this so much) and what is here is very good. Murphy didn't become a movie star over night - it took  a couple of years, including training paid for by the Cagney brothers, and a few bit parts before being given a fat juicy role in Bad Boy. Murphy owed his fame to his war service, but he also brought a lot to the party himself - those boyish good looks, short stature (Joe Dante said kids liked him and I think that had something to do with it), lightning temper, quick fire moves, old Texan politeness. There was no other movie star like him, he had genuine individuality: he was like a politer, younger Texan Jimmy Cagney, maybe.

The genre Murphy overwhelming specialised in was Westerns - he made these more than any others. In part this was because he was reluctant to make war movies (only three), in part because most male actors of the 50s did time in the saddle, but also because the public didn't seem to like him in other roles. And he did try, particularly after his massive success in To Hell and Back: he made a boxing movie, service comedy, biopic, thriller, rural comedy. But none of them particularly took so he went back to Westerns for the sixties instead of pushing himself. There were a couple of terrific sounding movies he tried to get up but was unable to get finance for. In the sixties his budgets got lower, his scripts worse, his acting less inspired (although he was still capable of rising to the occasion). It's a shame. It's also a shame like an idiot he gambled all his money away. He didn't drink but he had plenty of other flaws - womanising, hot temper, stupid business decisions.

What could he have done differently? Well, for starters he could have pushed himself more and worked with better talent. He was directed by John Huston, Don Siegel and Budd Boetticher  -  he needed to seek out people like these more than journeymen, who didn't push him enough. And he shouldn't have gambled. And he should have gone to therapy at least once a week. This is all hindsight, but they aren't bad lessons for every actor to learn. Or war veteran.

His war service was tough, ferocious, unglamorous, unrelenting: Sicily, Italy, southern France (which is known as the champagne campaign but sounds quite hard here). A man born to soldier - there's a great quote where he talks about the benefit of audacity in war. A good thing to know in life. It made him and destroyed him too. (NB What would have happened to a 4F Audie Murphy? Maybe a nice life as a small town clerk. Who knows).

If you want to read a Murphy bio this is the one to do. Well researched, footnoted, and written.

TV review - "Veep" (2012) *****

Superb comedy. Maybe it is just a version of The Thick of It, which I've never seen, but it's still damn funny - the idea of a show about the Vice President is inherently funny, and it's very well executed. Julia Louis Dreyfus is in superb form - the opening credits crack me up, with her going from exhalation to sadness in a few photos. The support cast are top notch too - I'm so glad for Anna Chulmsky that not only is she not in rehab, she's become a good comic actress.

Movie review - "Patrick" (1978) ***

Is Everett de Roche the world's best "half brilliant" writer? His scripts are always full of such imagination and cleverness but they always feel as though they need another draft - or punching up by another writer. I went to a Q and A once with Richard Franklin who was promoting The Visitors and he said as much - from memory he claimed de Roche would do this terrific first draft but never be able to substantially improve upon it.

This film has a very clever idea - a comatose patient who killed his slutty mum (shades of Norman Bates) has the power of telekinesis, falls in love with a nice nurse who looks after him (Susan Penhalgion, who seems like a nice person) and if he can't have her then no one can. This is great because Patrick's motivations are based on love, which drives all the best horror movie protagonists (e.g. Norman Bates) - the telekinesis means he can do things from his hospital bed.

He should have done more, though - Patrick is relatively benign here, he hardly kills anyone. And bits of this feel undercooked: Susan Penhaligon's relationship with her ex Rod Mullinar (is he a nice guy or what?) and the one with Dr Bruce Barry (who seems to be sleazy but is quite sympathetically depicted). The performances of Julia Blake and Robert Helpmann have been called hammy but they are completely appropriate for the tone of this movie, with it's gothic hospital and booming Brian May score.

Penhaligon is a pretty, decent enough lead - it's a shame this couldn't have been played by someone really charismatic. The guy who plays Patrick has a great look and there are lots of spooky sequences, and it is frequently interesting.

Movie review - "The Crack in the World" (1965) **

After the Samuel Bronston empire collapsed, Phil Yordan stayed on in Spain to crank out the blockbusters. This is a disaster movie with the novelty being that humans are responsible for the disaster - they set of a nuclear bomb in the earth's crust to tap into the world's geothermal energy setting off a chain reaction. Serves them right.

Lots of scientific mumbo jumbo and some very impressive special effects - not nearly enough of them, or enough action, too much time sitting around talking and devoted to a boring love triangle between Dana Andrews who is distant from his wife, but luckily for her there's her bulky ex, Keiron Moore, standing in the wings.

Best performance comes from Andrews, who suited disaster films with his silver haired, craggy faced authority. But it's hard to care too much when it's the human's fault. (NB Because it happens in Africa, most of the people who die are Africans, who almost all perish off screen and are barely mentioned as an after thought.)

Movie review - "Attack Force Z" (1981) **1/2 (warning: spoilers)

I remember seeing this film in the video store when I was a kid and thinking it was so cool - an Aussie guys on a mission action movie, how awesome! - then being disappointed when I saw it. Re watching it years down the track the same feelings remain. This should have been could, it could have been good, but it's never more than average.

It starts well - the terrific title, a scroll explaining what Z Force was, touching on their two famous missions, then listing the cast with their characters full name and rank. And there's a great opening of a submarine dropping off the men - and the beginning sequence where one of the gang shoot their own is striking. But then it gets bogged down with too many scenes of people peering over ridges and firing machine guns. That sounds exciting, even writing it, but not as you see it.

It's a fairly rudimentary trudge through the jungle. They could have done great things with Jon Philip Law being a Dutchman from the area whose family was killed by the Japanese, but its thrown away. (Is this island meant to be a former Dutch colony? It's never clear.) His romance with local Sylvia Change is very chaste (they snuggle, not have sex), and there are some silly bits like local resistance leader going all kung fu fighter on the Japanese. And the ending rips of The Wild Geese with the human McGuffin carking it at the last minute.

I will say this for it - the cast is great, and they all have distinct roles to play: callow Mel Gibson, who is bullied into the final battle by the Japanese diplomatic (who looks like a caricature of a Japanese from a war comic); ruthless Sam Neill who nonetheless has sympathy for the villagers; cheery Chris Haywood; sensitive Jon Philip Law. It's a great opportunity missed- they should look at remaking this.

Movie review - "The Stuntmen" (1973) **

Early documentary from Brian Trenchard-Smith, who met Grant Page while making it, this is a look at some of Australia's stunt men at the time, including Page - although I was never clear what TV show or movie they were working on. There's some talk of the philosophy of being a stunt man (the appeal, pay, worry about dying) and a lot of stunts. I found it a bit dull after a while, but then I don't really care about stuntmen. Best bit is when Trenchard Smith sets himself on fire to prove its safe then quickly douses the flames.

Movie review - "Hospitals Don't Burn Down" (1977) ***1/2

It's a great shame Brian Trenchard Smith never got the chance to direct an Australian disaster movie because on this evidence he would have been terrific - this is a 22 minute short for Film Australia about a discarded cigarette which causes havoc in the hospital. The response of the staff is basically professional - a few people make mistakes, others do the right thing, some die simply from bad luck.

It's very well directed - tight, fast paced, gets straight into the action. Jeanie Drynan is attractive and likeable as the heroine (a nurse), there are some great support turns by people like Ray Marshall (whose cigarette causes the tragedy), some funny lines. Film Australia made a number of non-memorable feature films in their day - I wonder why this was never expanded?

Movie review - "Turkey Shoot" (1982) ** (warning: spoilers)

This gets off to a pretty good start, with your standard early 80s montage of society collapsing (well done, it should be said), then some John Carpenter-esque music playing as three prisoners are taking off to a camp, throwing us right into the action. (Apparently there were scenes setting up the action which were cut out but I think they were right to get straight into it, with only quick flashbacks for Steve Railback and Olivia Hussey but they set up everything you need to know.)

There is some campy (excuse the pun) fun at the prison, with Noel Ferrier and Michael Craig excellent as wardens, Steve Railsback hamming it up hilariously as a resistance leader, Lynda Stoner showing off her bare arse in the shower, Olivia Hussey looking terrified, Roger Ward as a sadistic guard, Gus Mecurio as a castrated guard, Carmen Duncan being nasty. All the actors play their roles in exactly the right styl for this sort of thing - intense Railsback, reminding me of a communist militant captured by the Nazis, beautiful flower Hussey out of her depth, scenery chewing pirate acting from the villains etc.

And, you know, some of this was pretty good  - the satire, the Most Dangerous Game set up, the quality of the cast, some of the delirious excesses (a werewolf, the most hilariously inappropriate stand-in breasts for Olivia Hussey during her shower scene). There are bits of over the top violence I didn't mind - Roger Ward's sadistic guard deserved to have his hands cut off, Michael Craig deserved to blow up, the werewolf deserved to be cut up, the cowardly vicious prisoner... well you didn't mind him being tortured. And of course the prisoners taking over the camp and slaughtering all the guards at the end was justified.

But other stuff just felt plain mean - the pretty girl beaten up by Roger Ward at the beginning (Oriana Panozzo) - she didn't deserve that, and the film lingers over her pain. Ditto the brave prisoner (Bill Young) who is part of the escape. Most of all there is the horrible scene where Carmen Duncan captures Stoner, then rapes her and stabs her through the eye with an arrow. I will go along with Trenchard Smith's claim the movie is "only" satire for the most of this movie's running time - but not for these scenes. These scenes have a black heart. And there are far too many of them. (Though it must be said when I watched the movie for the third time, in 2015 on the big screen at the Astor - they bothered me less. Maybe because I knew they were coming. But still, they are not satirical and funny, it is sadism and catering to that market.)

Olivia Hussey's performance is an interesting one. A pretty actress, she looks absolutely terrified throughout the film (apparently this was her emotional state during filming too). She does some kind of empowering things - zipping up Gus Mecurio's dick, chopping off Roger Ward's hands, stabbing Carmen Duncan - but remains scared all the way through. Still, it's sort of a journey.

Seeing it on the big screen in 2015 made me appreciate the quality of the photography and the North Queensland locations. However it did show up a lack of logic in the action sequences - characters run around with little rhyme or reason, baddies are ridiculously bad shots with their guns.

In the end, I look on this as a partly fun futuristic violent satire, with a really, really mean side.

TV review - "The Hatfields and the McCoys" (2012) ***

It was a great idea to make a modern day mini series about this famous feud because enough time has past to approach it with the reality the true story deserves and also the longer running time can explore the complexities. It seems a combination of things led to the murderous feud - strong family links, post-war instability, warped notions of honour, a feuding culture (presumably imported from the old country), ineffective law and order, but most of all good old fashioned money and power.

Kevin Costner and Bill Paxton are both excellent as the leads - Costner surly and regal, determined to execute what he considers is fair justice; Paxton slightly more honourable, but bad to his daughter, paranoid, a poor politician. As often seems to happen in these feuds, the two leads ended up surviving and the innocent suffered, particularly poor old Paxton's daughter. The character of Costner's son is a bit too pretty and modern with his gym body - he feels like he stuck out.

Ronan Vibert is terrific as a slippery lawyer and Tom Berenger perfect as a fanatical foot soldier. It looks and smells like post Civil War America - ironic, considering it was shot in Romania. Kevin Reynolds isn't that great a visual director though. And often the story gets repetitive - shooting, revenge, shooting. Which I guess is what happened but it does drag at times.

Movie review - "Pacific Banana" (1980) *

A fascinating time capsule - to think this was not only written, but funded, released in some cinemas and on video. But then Alvin Purple had been a phenomenon as had Australia After Dark so the South Australian Film Corporation presumably thought there was still some life in the sex comedy genre.

There is something endearing about a film that is so shameless - with it's atrocious puns, frequent nudity, idiotic plot, and dopey humour. It has absolutely no pretentious other than to be a piece of crap - and while the humour is broad, it isn't mean.

It also isn't professional however - the idea of using a narrator to comment on the action (as in actually comment on it - saying things like "oh no!" to events on screen and "watch out Martin") is up there with the worst ideas in the history of Australian cinema. The core story concept is bad too - it's about Martin (Graeme Blundell) sneezing and losing his erection whenever aroused. That's not fun to watch it's just sad and depressing (cf Alvin being chased by all these women was funny). It's also a bit yuck he's pursued by a school girl, even if she is 18, who turns out to be his true love - isn't this skating things a bit close to the wire, even for 1980? The plot with Robin Stewart and his two fiancés feel as though it doesn't go anywhere.

Graeme Blundell does everything he's required to - but he was getting a bit too old to play this sort of role (at this age having been impotent for so long felt sad). There are some nice views of Tahiti, some appalling acting from the support cast, shoddy directing. There are two very good looking girls in Deborah Gray and Alyson Best who keep taking their clothes of and seem like nice people (free spirited rather than sleazy) and Robin Stewart plays his party in the style required. But that narration...

Movie review - "Stunt Rock" (1978) **

An utterly fascinating movie that is impossible to dislike because it is so completely, utterly daggy. Brian Trenchard Smith tried on several occasions to make a star out of Grant Page and never quite succeeded - this was his international attempt, a concoction of stunts, an un-famous rock band (Sorcery) and a random Dutch actress, plus Trenchard-Smith's own wife and some stock footage involving Page's stunts in old movies such as Mad Dog Morgan.

Trenchard Smith keeps everything going at a fast clip but deserves to be wrapped over the knuckles for not coming up with anything approaching a story - Grant Page plays Grant Page who turns up in LA to do some work and is related to a member of a band. Margaret Gerard (Mrs T-S) is a journalist doing a story on him. And that's it. Seriously - I thought someone would try to kill off members of the band, or Page, or something but it never happens. Page gets injured, recovers, does a stunt, there is some philosophical discussion on the nature of stunt work, the climax involves Page doing a stunt at concert, there's a sort of romance between Page and the journo... but that's it. It's negligent this was made, really - but I'm giving it two stars just for the sheer randomness of its existence.

Movie review - "The Raven" (2012) **

This must have sounded like a winner at pitch - a look at the last days of Edgar Allan Poe's life, where a serial killer is knocking off people in a manner described by Poe. But despite that strong idea, and some terrific production design, it all feels like a damp squib. I love Poe, love Poe movies, but it's got none of the atmosphere of the Roger Cormans, or even the Boris Karloffs. Maybe it needed to be shot on a soundstage, or be more expressionistic like The Legend of Sleep Hollow - less realistic. Actually the presentation here isn't that realistic - it just feels bland.

John Cusack is a good actor but he's miscast here. He feels - I don't know, too modern, too sane. He lacks the tormented doomed passionate genius thing that a bigger (and, yes, campier) actor would bring to it - Vincent Price, James Mason, Joaquin Phoenix. He's not helped by the role which makes Poe passive too much of the time - there are actually two heroes here (the other is a cop, Luke Evans, who is a good actor, and who drives more of the action). Alice Eve is pretty but lacks that Poe touch of 19th century tragedy/beauty/whatever.

There are occasional flashes of gore too which feel out of place - presumably this was a requirement - when what was needed was more intensity and suspense. It's not a bad film, and at least they've read their Poe, it's just feels flat.

Movie review - Chan #29 - "Charlie Chan in The Chinese Cat" (1944) **

Charlie was over at Monogram by now and this is heavy going - Sidney Toler hadn't gotten any better and the action moves at a slow pace. The most interesting thing is the opening where a person is killed playing chess and no one knows why or how. There's an unfortunate comic black chauffeur.

TV review - "The Newsroom" (2012) ***1/2

Even really bad Aaron Sorkin is entertaining  - it's always so easy to listen to, but this had a lot of flaws such as:
- at times it was a blog rather than a drama
- the goodies never took on the Democrats or anyone progressive at all
- the goodies seemed more interested in doing op ed pieces than reporting news
- the characters were grossly unprofessional at work, having massive arguments in front of people, constantly bringing up their love lives
- the black characters felt the need to bring up they were black and discuss Barak Obama because that's what black people do
- there were two English characters which was one too many (constantly calling MacKenzie American doesn't make her American when she talks in an English accent)
- the segues were shocking (e.g. "Tea party, tea party, is my girlfriend falling out of love with me")
- it glorifies smoking
- swearing does not improve Aaron Sorkin's writing
- Jeff Daniels is not and never will become Spencer Tracy and Emily Mortimer is not and never will become Katherine Hepburn
- continually referring to Jeff Daniels' character as republican when he plainly isn't in the slightest
- Jeff Daniels is playing a fantasy Aaron Sorkin self idealised pictured self (smoking, bad personal relationships, brilliantly tormented, adored by his staff, brave, a wordsmith)

It was like a musical where the book it patchy but the songs were great. On the sunny side, there is some terrific acting - Olivia Munn is a revelation, I liked the two young guys from the New York stage, some of it's wonderful. But it's a bit of a mess.

Movie review - "Damsels in Distress" (2012) ****

A welcome return to the movies by Whit Stillman who has been away far too long. He's come up with something with material as strong as anything he did in the 90s helped by a terrific concept - at a modern day college a group of college girls try to help out the depressed and suicidal by teaching them manners and how to tap dance. There's so many wonderful lines and moments, with Stillman's gift of being constantly unpredictable, and a top cast. Occasionally it gets a bit broad and gaggy e.g. people falling off balconies, Aubrey Plaza's performance (I normally love her, she just doesn't feel like she's playing the right tone here). And the big problem is the end - there isn't really one. Would it have hurt to have a bit of a story conclusion? His other three features had it. Frustrating, because I think that will hurt this at the box office which will make it harder to get up his next feature.

Play review - "Batman Follies of 1929" Oct 11, 2012 at Vanguard

Not a bad way to string together some acts - a burlesque strip (Catwoman, naturally), stand up comedy (Scarecrow), acrobatics (Robin), torch singing (Poison Ivy), tap dancing (Batman). Could have done with a stronger book and gags and would play better if you're drunk but a fun night out.

Theatre review – “Sunday in the Park with George” – NIDA Oct 16, 2012

NIDA musicals have to be the best theatre value in town because you've got all the production value at ridiculously cheap prices and if you're lucky you'll get two top leads like that have here. This is the first time I've seen Sondheim on stage and it's pretty impressive - the intelligence, complexity, maddening at times refusal to go for the easy hit tune (would it hurt that much, Steve?), beautiful music, cleverness, enchanting. The character of the wife in the modern day feels extremely undercooked.

Movie review - "Road Train" (2010) **1/2

This starts off extremely well - a sex scene, four young adults on a trip together, some domestic mystery, then run off the road by a truck. Once it comes to a stop it's less good, and the action literally gets bogged down. Some of it feels just plain unbelievable, such as someone trying to lure another person into a truck, and there's one or two really overly nasty violent bits. But it's not a bad story and I was surprised by Bob Morley's decent performance - maybe I shouldn't be surprised I'm not that familiar with his acting, but he was very strong.

There's a good shock early death, Sophie Lowe has charisma, Georgia Haig looks like she's going to give a good performance but doesn't, the South Australian outback looks great, it gets a bit silly towards the end, but I didn't mind it. Good modern day Oz-sploitation.

Movie review - "The Last Step" (2012) **1/2

The Iranians seem to love their family melodrama - the female star of A Separation pops up in this tale of a married couple: the man dies seemingly of a heart attack, and what did their doctor friend have to do with it. For a while I didn't mind this - it has non linear narrative, so we go back in time when the husband was alive and find out what happened. It felt as though it went on too long and got too confusing, though. Tehran is shot ugly, again - surely it's a better looking country than this?

Movie review - Chan#22 - "Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum" (1940) **1/2

This is my third Sidney Toler Chan film and I'm really not enjoying him - the make up is distracting and he's got none of the warmth of Warner Oland. I was hoping this would be better than it turned out to be because it has a great trashy 40s Universal horror movie set up: Marc Lawrence is a killer who escapes from a courtroom and is determined to get revenge on Chan so he takes refuge in a wax museum.

There's some creepy museum workers, plastic surgery, a snappy girl reporter who says things like "I've got to get this story filed", a 4F leading man (normally this didn't become prominent until much later), lots of running around the max museum getting confused with dummies. I kept expecting Lionel Atwill to appear - or at least Abbott and Costello. But the result is strangely flat and unexciting, lacking in atmosphere and pace. A real shame.

Movie review - "Wing and a Prayer" (1944) **1/2

A sober, buttoned-down war film - as Hollywood tended to make towards the end of the war, being more documentary like and less jokey. It's set in the period between Pearl Harbour and Midway, a deals with the adventures of an aircraft carrier. Don Ameche is the martinet commander - and while there's nothing wrong with his performance it's still a jolt to see Don Ameche in this sort of role. 

Dana Andrews is solid in one of his solid, man of war, Dana Andrews parts. There's a showy role given to someone called William Eythe (not very charismatic) who plays a Hollywood star turned pilot - a nod to Tyrone Power?

Best bit is where the ship mates listen in to pilots talking on the radio. I also enjoyed the restrained treatment although the conflict still winds up as "you don't care about the men you are so hard on them" and "I'm cocky".

Movie review - "The Hunger Games" (2012) ****1/2

Hollywood may be on the slide when it comes to making adult entertainment but we are in the Golden Age of comic book movies - something never better demonstrated than in this first rate adaptation of the popular novel. Like Harry Potter, Star Wars and Twilight, it's full of elements which feel familiar but they are re-packaged well: a combination of Steven King, gladiator movies, gritty girl novels, post-apocalyptic dystopia, etc. It's pulpy, junk stuff given intelligent, through treatment and anchored by a fabulous performance from Jennifer Lawrence, who is everything Kirsten Stewart should be but isn't (except for looks): a top actor, full of serious gravitas, sympathy and relatability.

This is gripping, exciting stuff - the sight of teenagers turning on each other, killing young ones, isn't one you're likely to forget soon. The politics of the time is all too believable - I like how it didn't end in revolution but in a strategic victory, and as the heroes learning to use the media for their advantage, manipulating the emotions of the public. Josh Hutcherson is a bit vanilla but the support cast are superb. It took me a while to "get" the look of it, but once I did I was hooked.

Movie review - "Underground: The Julian Assange Story" (2012) ***1/2

Watching this on Channel Ten was an unusual experience - the TV movie was of such quality, yet all the ads just made the channel seem like a toilet. The advent of illegal downloads has made Channel Ten a pointless institution really, unless they start making more local stuff.

Anyway, this was an entertaining film, perhaps Robert Connolly's best as director. It was a genuinely interesting story - I wonder how much was true? It did feel like punches were pulled in its depiction of Assange and his mother - you get the sense that if either had been dead, Connolly would have been able to cut more loose, get into the nuttiness. As it is both characters felt far too restrained, particularly Assange's mother.

Still, it punches along and I really liked the look of the early 90s.

Movie review - "What to Expect When You're Expecting" (2012) ***

The critics got stuck into this one and it didn't perform as well at the box office as you'd expect a girly film packed with stars to do - but I guess the public figured this material is tackled on TV enough. And it's about babies rather than falling in love. 

Still it's quite a bright, entertaining film which some good moments, particularly the dad group - Chris Rock and company are so funny (many of their lines feel ad-libbed - though this may not be the case) that they are strong enough for their own film. There are lots of laugh out loud moments and a warm heart. Elizabeth Banks and Ben Falcone are particularly good.

It does feel like an opportunity that got away, though - Cameron Diaz and Matthew Morrison's plot in particular feels undercooked (their major conflict is over whether their child gets circumcised); so too does Anna Kendrick and Chance Crawford's plot (their scenes together feel too much like people acting rather than something naturalistic - Judd Apatow has set the bar high here and it's not reached); often the movie feels like it's pulling punches (e.g. the relationship between Falcone and dad Dennis Quaid, some of the darker material). 

But it was much better than I'd been led to believe and I can understand why the people who made it might be scratching their heads.

Movie review – “Dead End Drive In” (1986) **1/2

In recent years the reputation of this Brian Trenchard-Smith actioner has improved, due in part to it featuring in Not Quite Hollywood. I remember reading about it at the time and being really excited about the film because of its central idea, and it came from Trenchard Smith, but it came and went in the cinemas very quickly and when I saw it on video I was disappointed.

Looking at it years on, I would still call the movie a half success. For a story set in the “near future” it feels very 1986, and quite main stream 1986 – the colourful fashions and hair cuts, pop music on the soundtrack (Machinations, Kids in the Kitchen), some of the most unthreatening juvenile delinquents in recent history (how’s this for a line up… Wilbur Wilde, Dave Gibson, Murray Fahey, Brett Climo). So this kind of makes the movie feel jokey and unscary when there was so much more potential in the story.

It’s a good concept – teenagers being lured into drive ins, given coupons, junk movies and junk food, going along with it like sheep. It feels as though something darker needs to be going on, i.e. the kids will be killed or become slaves, or something. (The cops – led by the unthreatening Gary Who – are corrupt and thuggish but not really evil.) Instead the last act has some Asians turn up and everyone getting racist. I get the point but not that much is done with it except having the baddies say racist things (the Asians are represented not by teenagers, like the whites, but by families and a kindly Indian man) – a great opportunity is wasted here.

It does look great – the set is impressive. Ned Manning isn’t a bad hero – he’s not terribly charismatic or compelling but he’s likeable, and has an engaging character (the one person in the place determined not to eat junk food and to get out of there); Natalie McCurry, a late 80s crush, is believable as his dopey girlfriend. There’s not a lot of action – only at the end, really – but it moves along fast, and is quite tense and thought provoking. I think if it had been scarier and darker in the last third (with a greater sense of threat) this would have been a classic.

Oh, and despite Trenchard-Smith’s deserved fame as an action director the final stunt isn’t very well handled – too much cutting, and you never get a really good look where you see how amazing the stunt was.

Movie review – Chan#21 - “Charlie Chan’s Murder Cruise” (1940) **

I’m really not enjoying Sidney Toler’s Charlie Chan and I miss Keye Luke. Maybe other entries will cure me of this but not for now. There are some effective moments on board ship drenched in fog as it travels from Honolulu to Los Angeles and a murder is committed; Leo Carroll and Lionel Atwill add a lot of class to the support cast; I liked the suspenseful end sequence where a woman is blinded and talks about who did it; there’s some cute stuff with Chan discussing a report card with his son. But it’s a very average entry – some running around and spouting one liners without any real atmosphere or interest. Despite three murders, it’s unexciting too.

Movie review - "ATM" (2012) **

For a while I was willing to go with this. Late night ATMs are creepy places, these isolated islands of fluro at dark, and there are some effective bits here - freezing outside, deserted car park, a mysterious figure in a parker, figuring out what to do. Alice Eve's character seems like a nice person, and I guess the other guys are okay. But it's one of those movies full of irritating questions - why is the evil person doing this (it seems to be an awful lot of trouble to go to for a minimum reward); the plan is very dependent on someone not taking in their mobile phones, and parking the car a long way from the ATM; none of the characters seem to consider cuddling up for warmth. Also there isn't quite enough plot for a feature. Once you start picking at it you won't stop and the whole thing unravels. I should be fair, though - for extended bits I was into this.

Movie review - Chan#19 - "Charlie Chan at Treasure Island" (1939) ***

After watching a bunch of Warner Oland Charlie Chans it s a jolt to see Sidney Toler in the role and no more Keye Luke. Toler seems to lack Oland's warmth and cunning, but maybe I'm just struggling to get used to him.

Still, he's helped by some nice touches like Number Two son being scared of flying in a plane and putting his head on his dad's shoulder. I also really loved the mystic aspect of this - it feels like it could do with a Bela Lugosi or Boris Karloff to make it a classic (we are given Cesar Romero). It took me a while to adjust to Toler but once I did I really enjoyed this.

Movie review - "The Man from Hong Kong" (1975) ***1/2

I have a massive soft spot for this film from watching it as a kid - I still remember the joy of watching a real action film that was Australian. WIth as much objectivity as I can bring to it though (which isn't much) this is still a joyously fun film, full of energy and verve. It's got one of the greatest opening sequences in Australian cinema: a montage of shots as the sun comes up over Uluru, a glorious over the top action sequence involving a drug exchange, kung fu fighting on the rock, a helicopter chase, an exploding car... then segueing into 'Sky High' by Jigsaw as a hang-glider flies over Hong Kong. I always love the bit where the credits end and you think that's it but then the song starts up again and there's this whole extra bit - it's like finding extra chips at the bottom of the pack.

I'll go over the flaws first - this goes for too long (the car chase towards the end was when I was becoming a bit tired), some of the dialogue is very corny, the script could have done with a little more complexity, George Lazenby and Hugh Keays Byrne could have done with more to do, a few of the bit part players are just silly (e.g. the cop who supports Roger Ward at the beginning).

But now we've gotten that out of the way now for the praise - how good is this film? Jimmy Wang Yu's skinniness, Roger Ward doing kung fu, Hugh Keays Byrne and Frank Thring being marvellously flamboyant, George Lazenby is great just being George Lazenby, Rebecca Gilling was then one of the most beautiful women in cinema (and she's nude), there are some tremendous stunts and action, Brian Trenchard Smith moves it along at a tremendous clip. This was a quite popular film, especially internationally, but it didn't lead to many imitators in the period film happy late 70s - a great shame, since Australians have liked action films set here (e.g. bushranger movies). It's lived on and it remains great fun.

Movie review - "Sid and Nancy (1986) ***1/2

A big art house hit of the 80s - I remember if was very popular amongst teens in Brisbane, where the Sex Pistols were very popular in the late 80s. Gary Oldman and Chloe Webb are superb in the lead roles - yes they are showy parts where they get to Capital A act: sing rock songs, throw bottles at walls, take heroin, stab each other, howl at the moon, have sex and banter - but it's still an acting challenge.

There are some great bits here, like Sid and Nancy kissing by the bins in New York, Courtney Love making an appearance, Malcolm McLaren threatening a thug by using his finger as a gun (I really loved this bit), re-enactments of classic Vicious songs like "My Way" and "Something Else". It probably goes for a bit too long and the yelling and junkie acting gets monotonous after a while, but it's a strong film.

Movie review - "Burke and Wills" (1985) **

Remember when Australia used to make epic films about itself? This is one of the dull ones. In part this is due to the story, which isn't that interesting - there is the great irony of Burke and Wills missing their fellow explorers by a few hours, and the novelty of Burke's affair with an opera singer, but apart from that it was a dull journey - no aboriginal attacks (not against them, anyway - there was against another part of the mission), lots of trudging over sand dunes and through marshes. Burke and Wills are obviously such idiots that it's hard to sympathise (aboriginals watching on the sand dunes as they die through an inability to eat food). Their characters aren't terribly interesting (mad Irishman and stiff upper lift Pom) and their plight unengaging.

There's no supporting character to liven things up, either. Greta Scacchi keeps her clothes on. Hugh Keays Byrne looks as though he's going to do something interesting but doesn't. There's a dreadful bit where a British member of the trip talks about being traumatised by seeing sepoys killed during the Indian mutiny - maybe this happened, but it feels false and 80s political correctness. There's a fair bit of that during the film, actually, notably the depiction of the Aboriginals - who are treated badly, are noble and mysterious with their dreamtime stuff... but at the same time are very much the "other", they are given no humanity or personality, they are these exotic creatures.

Michael Thomas, the writer, does what he can: dream sequences, a bit of non linear narrative. But it's not enough. This is dull. 

Beautifully photographed, though.

Movie review - Chan#16 - "Charlie Chan in Monte Carlo" (1937) **1/2

The last Charlie Chan that Warner Oland every made is a breezy, bright entertainment with Oland and Keye Luke in excellent form. It's given an extra fillip by being set at Monte Carlo (French police, casinos, shady ladies, desperate gamblers) and also in the relationship between Chan and the local head of police, charmingly played by Harold Huber.

It's a lot of fun even if the mystery isn't particularly memorable and by now the characters were becoming really hard to tell apart. It's also hilarious that the killer confesses the crime, then runs out of a building... and is hit by a speeding car. This isn't one of the best in the series - no Boris Karloff for starters - but it's a good one for Oland to go out on.