Movie review - "The Castilian" (1963) **

 Sidney Pink is best known for his sci fi efforts but this is a medieveal (well, tenth century) epic about a Spanish hero - a kind of El Cid knock off. There's plenty of production value. I didn't recognise the Latin actors but there's cameos from Alida Valli and Broderick Crawford, Cesar Romero is the hero's BFF and Frankie Avalon is a strolling troubador.

Movie review - "Drums of Africa" (1963) **

 Producer Al Zimbalist re-used Kong Solomons Mines footage for Watusi and does it again here, to even less effective results. To give him his due, the script does try  - Robin Estridge did it and there's lots of chat between Lloyd Bochner and Mariette Hartley about love and stuff, which implies ambition. But it lacks decent exploitation - pace, sex, twists. Foreigners are dodgy, whites know best, the black Africans try. The action is unexciting. A comic evidence is underutilised. Hartley's nude swum is lively.

Michael Pate is in it as a dodgy Portugese and Ron Whlenis in it as a ship's captain. Frankie Avalon is professional, charming and can sing but sorry he just looks weird in Africa. His part could've been cut out. Bochner has a deep voice but that's it, really.

Torin Thatcher plays a version of Allan Quatermain who is given a different name for some reason. Hartley does her best.

Script review - "Juno" by Diablo Cody

 Read this just for fun - warm, simple, unplotty. Great dialogue of course but also consistent - Juno and Leah talk different to Juno and Bleeker and Juno and her parents. Complication provided by the two yuppies. Cody doesn't demonise either not even Mark - it's clear Vanessa doesn't get him either.

Movie review - "One Way Wahine" (1965) *1/2

 More obscure beach party movie despite starring Joy Harmon, Anthony Eisley and Edgar Bergen. Harmon has this weird red tan and seems to be mentally off. Combieds some bech stuff with a robbery plot. Filmed on location but it stil looks cheap and studio bound. I am a soft marker on beach films but the indeptness of this got me down. Bergen's role is very small.

Script review - "Fletch" by Andrew Bergman

 Not the final transcript bc there are some key admissions (narration, some famous lines, the legendary "I billed it to the Underhills" line). But the core of it is all there and many famous lines were scripted. First rate mystery. Great villain - the scary cop. Charming relationship with Gail. Colourful characters. Escape sequences. It's a series of encounters but it's well plotted out.

Movie review - "Winter a Go Go" (1965) ** (warning: spoilers)

 The stars of Swinging Summer go to work for Columbia - photography looks great, neat ski action, sluggish story (they start a ski lodge). It as a TV vibe - goons try to wreck business - interspersed with musical numbers. Racist comic cook. The leads get married. Had trouble telling people apart.

Movie review - "A Swingin' Summer" (1965) ** (re-watching)

 A "lake paty" movie - the beach party set at Lake Arrowhead, Surprisingly heavy and serious - lots of talk about needing money, pressure, and a big brawl that is very seriously done involving James Stacy. More fun is William Wellman being pursued by Raquel Welch, a nerd determined to have a boyfriend for the summer.

Jerry Lewis' son performs in this. Michael Blodgett dances. The lake is pretty. Quinn O'Hara has to be too serious.

Movie review - "Thunder Alley" (1967) **1/2 (re-watching)

 Solid car film. Maybe benefits from having Fabian rather than Frankie Avalon - he's more serious, gritty, chip on his shoulder. He's sleeping with Diane McBain but falls for Annette Funicello who has one of her better roles. She's still the girl but she drives, sings, fights of Warren Berlinger, has a lot of swagger, and there's a nice father-daughter relationship. The film could've done with a little more star power - John Ashley at least. But strong score, pretty good film.

Movie review - "Alien: Romulus" (2024) ***1/2

 The first decent Alien film in a long time - made by a director who clearly knows what he's doing. Sets up a strong world, and flows it through logically. The Easter eggs for fans are a little annoying. Some excellent acting.

Random list - pop stars whose parents were movie stars

- Gary Lewis from Gary Lewis and the Playboys - son of Jerry Lewis
- Peter Lewis from Moby Grape - son of Loretta Young
- Crispian Mills from Kula Shaker - son of Hayley Mills
- Dino, Desi & Billy - sons of Dean Martin and Desi Arnaz
- David Crosby son of Floyd Crosby the DOP

Movie review - "It's a Bikini World" (1967) ** (rewatching)

 Deborah Walley is a cutie. Warm, gorgeous, plucky. Tommy Kirk is fine - better as the nerd. There's not enough story. Needs at least two more plots. Great photography and music.

Movie review - "Empire of the Ants" (1977) **

 Giant ant movie from the 1970s. Joan Collins shows some potential land buyers around, they're attacked by giant ants, they run to safety, but find the townsfolk are under thrall of the ants. I really liked this twist.

Interesting cast - Collins, Robert Lansing, Robert Pine (Chris' dad, the sarge from Chips).

It's not a very good movie but it's impossible to dislike.

Movie review - "Trap" (2024) ** (warning spoilers)

 Gets off to a strong start, playing with audience sympathies. Josh Hartnett has his best role in ages and rises to the occasion. M Night Shamalan clearly loves his daughter. The film does run out of ideas. Shifts POV twice - to his daughter and Alison Pill. I think we could've done with one. Shame they had to lead the stadium. Hayley Mills is a profiler and she's quite good!

Book review - "I am Pilgrim" by Terry Hayes

 Admired this more than liked it. Hayes has done a lot of work, done his research, come up with sequences of imaginaiton. But it's got a black heart. I didn't care about the hero or his protagonist or anyone really and the cracks about how easy it was for immigrants to move around got annoying. A book that demands respect though.

Movie review - "A Christmas Frequency" (2023) **

 Ansley Gordon is a solid lead. Novelty in seeing Denis Richards. The male lead has a literal mop of hair.  Awkward blocking.

Movie review - "Acquaman and the Lost Kingdom" (2023) **

 Big, loud, dumb. Who cares about Jason Mamoa and Patrick Wilson being brothers? Who cares about the random villain being bad. Some interest in seeing Amber Heard's role being minimised - I guess she'd be too heroic? They may as well have killed her. Or kidnapped her. And Nicole and Dolph.

Dull.

Book review - "Helen Morgan: The Original Torch Singer and Ziegfeld's Last Star" by Chris Connelly

 Definitive book on Morgan, a singer I was mostly familiar with because of Showboat and that film about her. Hollywood was kind of obsessed with that twenties Broadway period with Texas Guinan, Morgan, Ziegfield etc. It sounds like fun with everyone drunk and getting raided and making huge amounts of money. Of course there was a dark side and Connelly is strong on that - he's strong on everything, even Morgan's legal troubles, her complicated upbringing (lots of step dads).

Impossible to imagine a better book about Morgan.

Movie review - "Ski Fever" (1966) **

 European version of beach party/ski movies. Shot in Europe with Curt Siodmak as director! Martin Milner is a dull hero. Claudia Martin is pretty as an American at a ski lodge. There's some lecherous Europeans. The girl who had dream sequences were funny. Nice ski shots. Some songs. A pool scene.

Movie review - "Stop Making Sense" (1984) ****

 I finally saw it! Understated direction. The band are very talented. David Byrne is a clear star. Changes visual look.

Movie review - "Sergeant Deadhead" (1965) ** (rewatching)

 Some bright moments but the film never seems to make up its mind what the story is. There's a bumbling soldier who gets shot into space - fine - but then he has a big head and so they get in a look alike, which is a whole new movie, then the lookalike tries to avoid having sex with Deadhead's fiance. Then the lookalike disappear and they go to meet the president.

It's unsatifactory. Some songs are alright. The players try. Frankie Avalon gives his all. Deborah Walley is sweet. Why is John Ashley in this? Harvey Lembck. Donna Loren gets some lines. Bobbi Shaw is wasted. Buster Keaton gets  a joke. Eve Arden gets a song.

Movie review - "Fireball 500" (1966) ** (warning: spoilers) (re-watching)

 A transitionary film from beach party to stock cars - I've seen this a few times and now I'm used to it and it's more enjoyable. The acting is very good, Fabian helps make it more serious, the conflict between he and Avalon feels real, I like the moonshine stuff, Harvey Lembeck is excellent in a serious role.

I think it was a mistake to resolve "who caused the fatal accident" before the big final race. There should have been some sabotage - Fabian found out but the audience didn't and the baddies tried to kill him or something.  

An odd mishmash but endearing.

Movie review - "Puppy Love" (2022) ***1/2

 Sweet rom com which actually has a point of difference in that it's more about the guy - the lead, a screenwriter surrogate most likely (Grant Gustin) has bad social anxiety, is very used to being alone. He mets hot mess Lucy Hale and they dislike each other but in a cute twist their dogs hook up so they're stuck together.

Hale is always good in these roles, and she and Gustin have genuine chemistry. There's a range of "turns" from wacky people the lead run into each other. Some of these go over the top, others work.

But you genuinely sense the leads fall in love and it's all very sweet.

Movie review - "The Last Lion" (1972) **

 I know little about South African cinema - mostly Jamie Uys and various films shot there in the 70s. This one has a script by Wilbur Smith though not based on one of his novels. He did use part of it for A Time to Kill because like that this is about a dying man determined to kill a lion. He's accompanied by a woman only not his daughter bu doctor Karen Spies. Jack Hawkins is the guy, only a short time from death, with his voice dubbed. He's playing a dying man so that's moving.

Most of it is chats with Hawkins and Spies. Spies is pretty but her role is "you shouldn't be doing this". There's another guy who is a guide who I expected to have a romance or die but he doesn't. There's no development. No twists.

It's novel. Just a little dull.

Movie review - "The Spoilers" (1942) **** (rewatching - warning: spoilers)

 Much better than the 1930. Much clearer. Better dialogue. Acting. The lot. Okay the blackface scene isn't great - Wayne putting on boot polish to rob a bank.

But the other stuff is good. The set. John Wayne young and sexy playing off against Marlene Dietrich. Harry Carey, who I expected to die. Richard Barthemless shines as Dietrich's offsider. Randolph Scott, firm and tough, a surprise villain. Margaret Linsday lots of fun.

Everyone wants to have sex in this. Dietrich and Linsday want to have sex with Wayne. Wayne wants to have sex with Dietrich and Lindsay. Barthemless and Scott want to have sex with Dietrich. Dietrich wouldn't mind having sex with Scott.

Movie review - "The Spoilers" (1930) ** (warning: spoilers)

 First sound version of the famous tale. Not very widely seen. Not bad. Confusing. Gary Cooper has youthful charisma. He still plays a sook when he thinks a woman has betrayed him.

Cooper aside lacks stay power - Kay Johnson is a bland heroine, Betty Compson a dull saloon gal, William Boyd a bland baddie. The death of Cooper's friend had an impact. The brawl at the end is fine.

Director Edwin Carewe doesn't do much of a job. The tension going to sound is an issue but the movie didn't have to be as confusing as it was.

Movie review - "Beach Blanket Bingo" (1965) *** (re-watching)

 The last really strong AIP Beach Party movie - energetic, confident. Weird moments like that moody ballad Frankie Avalon sings and the Deborah Walley fake rape plot. Odd that John Ashley is Frankie's rival.

The romance between mermaid Sylvia Kristel and Jody McCrea (who is the lead as much as anyone) is charming because both. are dumb - but then he gets with Linda Evans? Confusing that both are blondes. Unsatisfactory.

Linda Evans gorgeous and sweet. The double act of Bobbi Shaw and Buster Keaton is funny. Fun silent era chase and climax. This was peak Mac Sennett period at AIP.

Don Rickles' night club act isn't funny. Paul Lynde is funny.

Movie review - "The Secret of Nimh" (1982) ***

 I'm not that familiar with Don Bluth films. The animation is very fine, and there are memorable sequences such as visiting the owl and going underground - all the spooky stuff. There's some full on scenes of animal testing, people getting crushed and stabbed, and adult flirting. 

The story lacks momentum - it's about staying still, inside because a kid has pnuemonia. 

Really interesting voice cast including Wil Wheaton, Shanneon Doherty, Elizabeth Hartman and Aldo Ray! Hartman took her own life only a few yers later.

Movie review - "Tudor Rose" (1936) ***

 British view on Lady Jane Grey. It doesn't have much time to settle into anything other than Jane and her husband were sweet and naive, and Edward VI was manipulated and the adults were prats... but that's basically true, so why not? There is no central core relationship - at the very least it could've dug into the love story more.

 Nova Pilbeam briefly became a star playing the lead. John Mills didn't playing her husband - he just is too young looking. Cedric Harwicke is a terrific villain. I liked Desmond Tester, from Sabotage, as Edward VI.

Very stylishly shot and directed by Robert Stevenson.

Movie review - "Out of Sight" (1966) *

 There's no reason why a mash up of Beach Party movies and spy films couldn't have worked. AIP could've pulled it off - they mixed it with haunted house films and sci fi. This is just a bad movie. Jonathan Daly is hard work as a spy's butler who becomes a spy.  He' s a drag. Maybe he was famous at the time. But Frankie Avalon in this role would've been so much better.

There's some terrific music - versions of "Baby Please Don't Go" and "It's Not Unusual". I did really like the three female assassins

But on the whole this is a dull movie.

Movie review - "Beach Ball" (1965) *** (re-watching)

 Roger Corman financed cheapie. Stephanie Rothman worked on it. A decent script - a little more stakes-y than AIP which tended to be more of a grab bag.

It's cute. Edd Byrnes is sleazy. Chris Noel is fun as are the other girls. Aron Kincaid is amiable. Terrific music including the Supremes.

Movie review - "Furiosa: A Max Max Saga" (2024) ***

 Sublime action, terrific technical achievement, acting very good. I can see why it wasn't a hit - this is in hindsight. There's nothing at stake. We know Furiosa will live and can guess her friend will die. But Mad Max 2-4 were about saving a group of people. That's not done here.

The opening sequence is amazing because the stakes are so huge - trying to hide the nice community. But this is dropped for the rest of the film. The movie needed to be about protecting that.

Fantastic stuff here. But some stuff could've gone - like seeing how Chris Hemsworth (excellent) rose to power. Didn't need it.

Movie review - "Ski Party" (1965) *** (rewatching)

 Gene Corman was brought in to produce this and he in turn brought a fresh infusion of talent - Alan Rafkin director, Robert Kaufman writer, Aaron Kincaid actor, Robert Q Lewis actor.

It doesn't quite work, a little bit too much of a rip off of Some Like It Hot, but full of energy, fun moments. Terrific music - Lesley Gore, James Brown, etc. Skiing on location (moving to the beach at the end is a jolt). Bobbi Shaw is very winning and likeable - more than Deborah Walley and Yvonne Craig to be honest. Annette Funicello is fun as a student kissing teacher - it's a shame she couldn't have come along.

Bright and fun.

Movie review - "Absolute Beginners" (1986) ***

 A mess. So much good stuff. So much bad stuff. Patsy Kensi is fine. Gorgeous full of energy. Eddie O'Connell sinks the film. He's a rebel but also sells out. Not good looking. Can't sing, dance or act. This, in Britain in the 80s with film stars falling from every tree. The movie stuffs the love story.

Needed to simply - not that they're going out but that he adores her from afar, has a crush, she has to do what she does for money, she realises he's the perfect guy etc.

So much good stuff though like I say. The title track, Bowie's dance number, the tracking shot, the riot, the colours, Ray Davies' Frank Tashlin/Jerry Lewis style number. Temple was allowed to spend too much money.

The film needed a male lead who could act or at least have presence and to be made for a quarter of the price.

Movie review - "Am I Ok?" (2022) ***

 Enjoyable friend-com about a later in life lesbian Dakota Johnson and her BFF Sonoya Mizuno. Done with warm and style. Occasionally the guest stars - Sean Hayes, Tig Notaro (who directed) get a little hammy in their cameos - but it's all in good fun.

Movie review - "Muscle Beach Party" (1964) ** (re-watching)

 Odd Beach Party movie - no Harvey Lembeck, lots of soulful philophising from Frankie Avalon who dreams of surfing forever, Luciana Paluzzi instantly falls for a bodybuilder then instantly falls for Avalon, which is unsatisfactory, then offers him a singing contract, and this offends the friend group because... why? He wants to be a pop star? And Avalon is offended because Paluzzi wants to pick up the tab because...? The film doesn't make sense.

The muscle boys are at least visually different, Don Rickles has fun, Candy Johnson dances, Donna Loren sings, Little Stevie Wonder sings, Dick Dale plays music and surfs, Peter Lorres does a cameo, Buddy Hackett is Paluzzi's helper, fun opening credits, some decent tunes. Avalon smokes after a night surf.

But it's too serious and gloomy.

Movie review - "Wicked" (2024) ****

 Extremely well directed - John Chu deserves more kudos than he gets. A real film. It's opened up. Leans in to the benefits of filmmaking in 2024 with animatronic animals and so on. Gets points fot giving the juiciest role to a relative unknown Cynthia Erivo - who will no longer be unknown. Ariana Grande is more limited but is perfectly cast so it doesn't matter.

Gorgeous colours. Gutsy story. I did feel the momentum dropped when they got on the train - the film could've ended there really (as it was the end of the emotional connection between the two leads). 

Jonthan Bailey seems to channel Rupert Everett - a good thing for the role.

Movie review - “The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini” (1966) ** (rewatching)

I’m glad the Beach Party series ended on this and not How to Stuff a Wild Bikini. This isn’t a good movie, not really, but it’s full of fun stuff. So was How to Stuff, but that film had a hollow core as there was no decent central romance. This one has, however tentatively, Tommy Kirk and Deborah Walley.

It also has a script heavily influenced by Pajama Party - like that this is a mash up, in this case beach party and haunted house stories. Patsy Kelly plays, basically, Else Lanchester, Aron Kincaid plays the nephew role essayed by Jody McCrea, Bobbi Shaw is back with Benny Rubin stepping in for Buster Keaton. Quinn O’Hara is fun as the short sighted femme fatale, constantly trying to seduce statues, Francis X Bushman plays an old butler, Basil Rathbone has a decent sized role as a villain, Piccola Pupa is this random singer stepping in for Donna Loren, Nancy Sinatra is the second female lead. Kirk and Kincaid spend a lot of time being spooked, Walley doesn’t have that much to do, Harvey Lembeck and co are on hand.

The device of Boris Karloff and Susan Hart was added after the original cut - it suits the jokey nature of the film. Bobby Fuller Four is in this.

The whole notion of a busload of teens travelling to a house and breaking out into impromptu dance numbers with a band playing a long is just so silly it’s very endearing.

As finales to series go, this was fine.

Tommy Kirk interview

 

Movie review - "Star Trek Beyond" (2016) **

 Gets off to a bad start by coming in on the Enterprise more than half way through its deep space expedition, and showing Kirk as... bored. Come on, he was hanging out for it. Then they run into a space station which robs from the "deep space exploration" feel because it's a huge base. Then they help out a alien person in distress, and there's a baddy and the Enterprise breaks up.

It feels like the episode of a TV series.

Why not use the deep space stuff? Isolation, loneliness, mutiny, cannibalism, primitive-ism? What happened to Alice Eve's character - why not give Kirk a romance and/or son?

The villain is dull - an ex Starfleet officer.

It isn't a very good script. The cast don't seem that into it.

Movie review - "A Cry from the Streets" (1958) ***

 Charming melodrama with Max Bygraves a little awkward but a warm, comforting presence. He has a decent role to play an engineer whose wife and kid died so is wary of involvement but he falls for Barbara Murray a social worker dealing with kids including two Aussies - Dana Wilson from The Shiralee whose dad murdered her mum, and Colin Petersen from Smiley whose mum is a drunken actress. There's also another older kid.

It's serious subject so the warmth is welcome. Lewis Gilbert directs with sensitivity. Lots of care in the film.

Bygraves sings one song and it's sweet - I'm surprised they didn't do a few more.

Movie review - "Pajama Party" (1964) *** (re watching)

 Fun dance numbers. Plot is silly. Anntte Funicello gets to dance. But her character falls in love very quickly - she's so flippant. Jody McCrea isn't in to her so she goes with Tommy Kirk but then he is attacked by Bobbi Shaw and she huffs, he says sorry, finds out she's a martian, and huffs again.

The veterans are very well used - Jesse White is fun as is Elsa Lanchester, it's great to see Buster Keaton yucking it up with Bobbi Shaw, Dororhy Lamour has a terrific number. The numbers are good except the dim love ballad with Funicello and Tommy Kirk.

Annette suits Frankie better but she and Kirk are fine and he's charming as usual. Teri Garr is a dancer - all those AIP starlets and the true star was there. Susan Hart gets a lot of screen time but she just shimmies. She struggles with her few lines. Donna Loren sings. They may as well have shown Avalon's face we know it's him. He's funny as is Don Rickles.

This is fun. A mash up of sci fi and beach party - the first mash ups. Goldfoot and Ghost in the Invisible Bikini were closer like that.

Movie review - "The Scamp" (1957) **1/2

 A genuine Colin Petersen vehicle. He repeats much of the stuff from Smiley - knocks out his dad and runs away, gets in a fight, is cute. Also he plays drums which Petersen could do. He's charming star - the heart of this film. Richard Attenborough's school teacher is a little creepily invested and dismissive of Dorothy Alisoin his wife. Terence Morgan is an excellent cad as Petersen's dad and Jill Adams is fun as the trashy blonde he dates.

Movie review - "Smiley" (1956) *** (rewatch)

 Charming. Lovely shot. Good acting across the board - Chips, John McCallum. Shame all the POC had to be bad.  Alex Korda's last film.

The Robert Clarke account

 

Movie review - "Dr Goldfood and the Bikini Machine" (1965) *** (rewatching)

 It doesn't hold up well but I'm giving it three stars because it's silly and fun and such a delight for AIP fans: whether it's James Nicholson writing the story as a vehicle for his soon to be wife Susan Hart, Susan Hart getting a lead role, the double act of Frankie Avalon and Dwayne Hickman, the double act of Vincent Price and Jack Mullaley, the cameos from Deborah Walley, Harvey Lembeck, Annette Funicello.

The film just works. All the casting. It has an emotional core - Hickman and Avalon have a proper bromance. Also the scenes where Hart is tortured by Price make her likable.

No room for songs, cutting them was good ieda.

I watched The Weird World of Goldfoot afterwards - it just wasn't as good. Aaron Kincaid isn't as funny as Avalon. Tommy Kirk isn't as warm as Hickman, Harvey Lembeck isn't as good as Mullaney.

Movie review - "Star Trek Into Darkness" (2013) ***1/2 (warning: spoilers)

 Extremely good sequel. Inevitably lacks the surprise and freshness of the 2009 version but full of life, mixes the tropes well, and I really liked how there's two villains, nasty Peter Weller and enigmatic Benedit Cumberbatch.

I was surprised that Bruce Greenwood's Captain Pike survived the first movie so it wasn't a shock to see him killed her. Alice Eve - an It Girl at the time - doesn't really add much and has to do a scene in her underwar. They struggle to give Zoe Saldana stuff to do. Chris Pine and Zachary Quinto are excellent.

There's the usual bloat but on the whole I enjoyed this.

TV review - "Noon Wine" (1967) ***1/2

 This brought Sam Peckinpah back after the double whammy of Major Dundee and Cincinatti Kid.  The plot hasJason Robards and Olivia de Havilland running a farm - a mystery man turns up to work for them. He does a good job. Then its revealed the man has a history of mental instability. A visitor says this, causes trouble, and Robards kills him .

Interesting parallels to Straw Dogs - a simpleton innocently accused.

Plenty of story. Unexpected developments that are logical - the bounty hunter after the guy is slimy but Roberts still overreacts killing him, the simpleton is killed by the posse, Robards is full of guilt. Ben Johnson is a local sheriff.

Movie review - "Star Trek" (2009) **** (rewatching)

 Really fun. Starts with a bang and keeps it up. High drama.

I maybe had some reservations at wiping out a planet to give stakes for Spock - I mean, the whole planet? Felt heavy. Winona Ryder is only in two scenes really but it's nice to see her in a hit. Ben Cross is fun.

It's spectacularly well cast. Beautifully so. Chris Pine and Zachery Quinto have the biggest shoes to fill but Karl Urban is fun and Simon Pegg and... everyone really. Eric Bana is fine as the villain. Leonard Nimoy steals the show. I didn't really follow the time travel stuff but I'm sure it holds.

Movie review - ""Star Trek: Nemesis" (2001) ** (warning spoilers)

 This gets off to a flying start and I was excited to see it but then slows down and becomes sluggish. Next Gen films really only focused on Picard and Data and that's the case here.  The film kills off Data but it doesn't really matter since he's got a clone. Young Tom Hardy is on hand as the evil Picard clone a young version which had potential but it's not developed. Hardy gets too much screen time where he chats rather than doing anything cool. The regulars don't seem into it.

Movie review - "Star Trek Insurrection" (1998) **1/2

 The only one with much to do in these is Picard and Data - the other characters don't pop, or maybe it's different in the series. This feels like an episode of a TV series but it's well done, I liked Picard's romance, the fountain of youth always works. F Murray Abram does decent villainy.

Movie review - "Beach Party" (1963) ***1/2 (re-watching)

 Kind of taken for granted but all the stuff is there -  the bright tone, the meta nature (Dorothy Malone telling Bob Cummings "AIP will buy the film rights", Vincent Price's cameo), the various subplots (Cummings studying kids, Frankie and Annette making each other jealous, bikers as a threat), colourful characters (Lembeck and his bikers, Morey Amsterdam's cafe owner, Jody McCrea's dumb friend, Eva Six's blonde bombshell, Dorothy Malone's sexy older woman, Cummings' anthropologist, Candy Johnson's dancing, John Ashleyh's more cynical friend). 

The tunes are very good - "Beach Party Tonight", "Don't Stop Now", "Surfin".

There is variety in the female roles - Funicello is a good girl, but there's also a man hungry Rhoda (who can't understand why Annette doesn't want to have sex with Frankie), the shimmying Candy Johnson, Eva Six, Dorothy Malone.

The musical numbers are done with tremendous verve.

Cummings was 53 (32 years older than Annette) but still looked good at the time - that would change within a year or so eg The Carpetbaggers.

Analysing John Ashley's role in this film - it's clear he's a kind of alpha in the group, suggesting Frankie dump Annette and also being the one not Frankie who entices Cummings on to a surf board (maybe this was to protect Frankie? Or Avalon may not have been available.)

The action screeches to a halt when Annette sings her ballad 'Treat Her Nicely'. But I liked how she was so protective of Cummings. (Also there's a moment where her character seems willing to sleep with Cummings, which is interesting. As is the implication that Frankie has slept with Eva). Because Funicello's character wants to be married an acts old she kind of matches with youthful (ish)Cummings.

Dorothy Malone doesn't have much to do but I liked her and she's sweet shimmying along to 'Tell It to the Moon'.

Movie review - "Lucky Me" (1954) **

 Bob Cummings appeared in a few musicals, usually playing light comedic leading man duties and not being involved in any singing or dancing. He plays a songwriter here so he has to warble a tune or two. -well, he's dubbed, not very well. Still he handles light comedy stuff as adept as always. Doris Day is the lead and she's very winning.

It's a dim story. It feels like one of those scripts that they kept putting writers on to work on it and never did much good since the central concept was weak. Doris and her mates (including Phil Silvers) are struggling performers, Cummings is a top composer. There's a scene where he pretends to be a mechanic to woo her - people were always faking their identity to romance Doris Day but it's not funny here.

Martha Hyer is the fake love interest.

Movie review - "Star Trek First Contact" (1996) ***1/2

 Solid entry which involves going back in time to find the Inventor of the Thing (James Cromwell) and his friend (Alfred Woodard). The Borgs are strong villains and Alice Krige is fun.

It's entirely smart and respectible. I miss the lunatic fun of William Shatner and the originals, I admit.

Movie review - "Heaven Only Knows" (1947) **

 Angel fantasy which had more potential - Bob Cummings is an angel sent down to reform Brian Donlevy who has grown up bad as a scowly saloon owner in the old West when he's meant to be good. Cummings is ideal as a breezy angel and Donlevy as a baddy and the Western setting had potential because it's full of violence.

While the film has good moments, notably Majorie Reynolds as a saloon gal taken by Cummings and the death of Edgar Kennedy with a sobbing boy, the film never quite works. It takes itself too seriously when it needed to be lighter. It could've lent into the Western tropes more. There's a dull pastory in the town and the action screeches to a halt when boring school teacher Jorja Curtright (the future Mrs Sidney Sheldson) had scenes with Donlevy. Like, give her some life and fun.  The whole movie could've been more fun. More matchmaking from Cummings, more Donlevy-Cummings by play.

I was confused by the mum giving up the kid at the end - so he's meant to die? She gives her kid up to die? I was just a little confused.

Movie review - "Lovin' Molly" (1974) *

 This film is an abomination.

The credits started I thought "this is okay" but it's sunk within the first two minutes with Tony Perkins (then 40) as a young cowboy and Beau Bridges and Blythe Danner (both around 30) as his friends. They needed to be the same age and played by young actors.

I think the rationale was "well they're playing older later in the film let's get older actors" but there's 50 minutes of them being young.

Perkins is spectacularly bad. Danner is sweet and lovely and might've succeeded in another film but goes down with the ship. Beau Bridges is too chunky. He's not as bad as Perkins but isn't great either.

Susan Sarandon's part - quite big in the book - is blink and miss.

The whole thing feels fake. The friendship. The sex. The mood.

It's awful.

Movie review - "Star Trek: Generations" (1994) ***1/2 (warning: spoilers)

 Smart, very well done, has an ace up its sleeve in that it allows Kirk to meet Picard and shows the death of Kirk. Those are great "posts" for the film to swim towards.

Malcolm McDowall has played this sort of villain role a lot but what they heck. Starts strong with Kirk, Chekov and Scotty and some action - plus Alan Ruck as the guy taking over from Kirk! Then cuts to the new gang. Some talk and action... there's decent spectacle. Strong last third.

Movie review - "Tell It To the Judge" (1949) **1/2

 One of Rosalind Russell's many comedies of remarriage and she's excellently teamed with Bob Cummungs who is in superb form, as is she. They are so terrific and the film full of possibilities and some strong support (Gig Young) that it's frustrating the filmmakers couldn't cobble it together.

Rosalind Russell is up for being a judget and is getting over the divorce from her ex Bob Cummungs. That's promising as are other bits - Cummings giving testimony from gangster's moll Marie McDoanld who gangstes are to get, Gig Young romancing Russell being a suave possible criminal.

Why don't they use the gangsters? Why don't they have life and death stakes? It would justfiy the lying. Why not have MacDonald love Cummings?

So many dumb ideas like Rusell being continually upset about MacDonald when there's a perfectly good reason for him to be with her, and Cummings not wanting Russell to be a judge in the first place, and not using gangsters, and MacDonald being scared all the time and Cummings fobbing her off.

Have Cummings as a prosecutor, Russell an co worker becoming a judge, make the blonde more Machiavellian and less trust worthy, have Cummings under strict instructions to lie to Russell, have Russell applied to the case, have people trying to shoot them, use the gangster, have Young be either super virtuous or super villainois.

So frustrating. Nice photography.

Movie review - "Star Trek 6 The Undiscovered Country" (1991) ***1/2 (warning spoilers)

 Nick Meyers' return to the series acts as a tonic - it's a first rate story and done wittily, with solid stakes (Kirk arrested for murder). It could have done with extra pesonal connection. -like maybe the traitor should have been Kirk's ex, mother of dead son, as well as or instead of Kim Cattral.

It feels low budget - has a TV episode feel. Like it lacked an extra $5-10 million to do the action or something. Star Trek 4 had whales, I don't know, felt bigger. Maybe a romance would've helped. Or a relative.

But it's very enjoyable. Tight, Fun. Christopher Plummer adds dash as does Kim Cattrall, Iman, Brock Peters. The film loses some poionts having Shatner do a Bodyguard style dive at the end. Maybe this is more a three star movie. But it's the last one with the old gang, so...

Movie review - "The Bride Wore Boots" (1946) **

 A comedy of remarriage that shoud've been a romantic comedy. Because they split up for dumb reasons so I didn't care, and it's so contrived keeping them apart. It's a dumb script.

The set up would've worked as a rom com. Barbara Stanwyck is a horsey outdoorsy woman who falls for booking Robert Cummings who writes about the Civil War. Both can play comed and would be ideal casting - Stanwyck looks physical Cummings can play nerds. But this central conflict isn't dramatised. It's mostly Cummings having literary groupies particularly Diana Lynn who tries to kiss him all the time and Stanwyck eventually sues for divorce. It makes everyone an idiot. Break them up for a solid reason. I mean they've got two kids one of whom is Natalie Wood.

Classy cast includes Robert Benchley, Willie Best. Patrick Knowles is dull as a rival for Stanwyck.

Book review - "Sonny Boy" by Al Pacino (2024)

 Fun. Actor-y. Rambles. I listened to the audio book. Helped a lot. He's a man child. A creature of Greenwich Village. Thought nothing of playing gay characters in the 70s. Loves the process. Keeps dating actors (good taste: Diane Keaton, Beverly d'Angelo, Tuesday Weld, Marte Keller, Jill Clayburgh, Kathleen Quinlan). Hopeless with money. As in, a kid. Bumbles through life. Loves his craft.

Some great stories like Diane Keaton going to Pacino's accountant after he was broke "don't you know who this man is? He's an idiot! A child!" Pacino going to the Oscars stoned.

Leaves out stuff, like Lyndall Hobbs.

Enjoyable read.

Tony Scott Top Ten

 1) Spy Game - I've never forgotten this especially the endin

2) Revenge - ditto - flawed but memorable

3) Domino - another spectacular Scott ending

4) Crimson Tide - a great macho movie

5) The Last Boy Scout - always thought this was terrific

6) Enemy of the State - feels forgotten now but very slick very fun

7) True Romance - the best Tarantino film not made by QT (I know that's not a big category)

8) Top Gun - too campy and well done not to include

9) Unstoppable - silly fun

10) Man on Fire

Movie review - "Star Trek 5: The Final Frontier" (1989) **

 Not very good. Some good bits. Interesting ideas. Starts evocatively on that desert plant. I enjoyed the Star Trek crew being challenged by trauma. But there's too many "bits". Some just don't work - sorry, Kirk rock climbing... he's not Tom Cruise he's too tubby. Not much continuity for the previous films. (2 to 4 really are the proper trilogy). Unfocused. Laurence Luckenbill isn't much of a villain - no Ricardo Montalban and not even Christopher Lloyd. Taking on death and religioun was a decent idea but the film can't package it.

Fun to see Harve Bennett make a cameo as an admiral. Jerry Goldsmith's music is wonderful. But it's not a good movie.

John Candy Top Ten

 1) Planes Trains and Automobiles

2) Uncle Buck

3) Home Alone - only a short role but terrific

4) Splash - scene stealing turn esp when he admits he could never be that happy

5) Stripes - a stand out

6) Cool Runnings - don't believe him as a former athlete but really good

7) National Lampoon's Vacation

8) Brewster's Millions

9) Spaceballs

10) JFK

I haven't seen Only the Lonely - am sure it's terrific

Movie review - "A Man About the House" (1947) *** (warning: spoilers)

 After leaving Gainsborough, producer Ted Black joined Korda then seemed to have trouble getting films made. He eventually made this which at heart is an old gaslighting saga about two sisters, Dulcie Gray and Margaret Johnson, who go to Italy. Both fall for handsome local Kieron Moore who marries Johnson and then seems to be trying to poison her to get the land.

It's handled very well. Gray and Johnson are excellent even if both lack X factor of a star - I did miss Phyllis Calvert and Margaret Lockwood say. Moore looks the part and mostly is fine - when he gets too much dialogue the Italian accent is wearying. Guy Middleton is fine but he's so old - he's Gray's love interest and he beats up Moore at the end but he looks 105. Why didn't they cast a young spunk? What was Black thinking?

Some scripting problems - the girls are passive for so long. Takes them ages to figure out what's going on and then they just whistle for help - well, Gray, Johnson never does. It lacks another twist, a bigger role for Moore's secret lover say.

I did like the way it conveyed Moore was shagging Johnson into compliance - her look of dreaminess.

The film cost too much. It was shot on location in Italy and didn't need to be, not really. It's in black and white.

Black's star spotting hadn't abandoned him altogehter - Gina Lollobrigida has a small part.

Movie review - "Star Trek IV: Voyage Home" (1986) ****

 Deserves its high reputation. Warm, funny, smart, exciting. Catherine Hicks isn't just the girl. Other crew members are given something to do. Nick Meyer's combination of wit and literacy is perfect for Star Trek.

Movie review - "Charlie McCarthy Detective" (1939) ** (warning spoilers)

 I've heard some radio shows with Charlie McCarthy the dummy - he was very funny, and could have transferred to films if in the right vehicle. This isn't it. It has some funny momens but is far too gloomily shot - director Frank Tuttle seems to be in noir mode.

The cast is very strong - Constance Moore, Bob Cummings, Louis Calhern. There's not enough Charlie though - why was this? Too many brooding actors. Not enough comedy. Wrong director? Wrong producer?

I did like that Cummings was guilty, that was different.

Movie review - "The Ballad of Cable Hogue" (1970) *** (warning: spoilers)

 Sam Peckinpah's follow up to The Wild Bunch was closer to Noon Wine and features the same star as that - Jason Robards. This was budgeted at $880,000 and blew out to $3.7 million which is absurd for a simple tale.

Roberts is engaing as Cable who discovers water and falls for a hooker (Stella Stevens). Peckinpah/s direction of Stevens is pervy and lecherous - close ups of her crotch, cleavage, arse, etc... She's very winning it's just Peckinpah is such a perve. So too David Warner's charactr. he's a sexual predator.

Strother Martin, LQ Jones, Slim Pickens, RG Armstrong and company are on hand.

This film is beloved in some areas. It didn't do it for me. The ending was quite moving when he dies.

Movie review - "Start Trek III: The Search for Spock" (1984) *** (warning: spoilers)

 Direct pick up from part 2 with Kirk trying to save Bones, and retrieve Spock by stealing the Enterprise. Because they're looking for Spock, his absence until the end isn't noticed. The film has learned from Part 2 to keep the regulars at the forefront - the plot is about rescuing Bones, and finding Spock, and the Enterprise blows up, and Kirk's boring son is in danger and dies (he doesn't even get a close up the poor guy).

Kirstie Alley's replacement as the female Vulcan isn't as good. I like Chris Lloyd's nasty Klingon - Shatner gets to beat him up and throw him off a cliff presumably to make up for not doing with the Khan.

Some nice lines, Shatner has a fine old hammy time. Sorry these stories are a little silly. Why didn't Nichelle Nichols go on the mission? It seems weird just with Scoy, Sulu and Chekov.

Nice to see Australia's own Judith Anderson at the end.

Movie review - "Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan" (1982) ***1/2 (warning: spoilers)

 I saw this at the cinema and didn't like it -too slow. I still find it a little slow although I totally respect the love the fans have for it. It's much better than the 1979 film - less enamoured of its special effects, tighter, faster, but most of all: it puts the emotions of its regulars front and centre. One of the people on the planet is Chekob, Kirk deals with an ex and his son, Spock dies, Khan is after Kirk. It doesn't talk down to its audience.

Movie review - "Star Trek The Motion Picture" (1979) **1/2

 The fans don't like this even though they did turn up and it's got the cast. The special effects are pretty snazzy - maybe lingered over too long. I think the core problem is the big emotional stakes - the spirit of the bald lady being possessed (Persis Khambatta) and the man who loves her (Stephen Collins) being affected - are "guest stars". This issue needed to be given to our regulars.

Still it's not bad. It's smart. Talky. Nice to see everyone, although only Spock has much to do.

Movie review - "Junior Bonner" (1972) **`1/2

 Part of that weird early 70s enthusiasm for rodeo movies, this is arguably the best known, starring Steve McQueen and directed by Sam Peckinpah, although it didn't make much money.

McQueen is very cool and good. Peckinpah's direction is understated. The acting is fine. Robert Preston is flashy dad, Ida Lupino is harder mum, Barbara Leigh is the hot girl (that's about it). Joe Don Baker is excellent as McQueen's realestate brother. Ben Johnson is in it as some rodeo guy.

The movie  would've been more exciting with McQueen as a gunslinger. Sorry, it's nice Peckinpah wanted to change pace, but the film is boring.

Aussies will like how McQueen buys Preston a ticket to Australia (Preston's dream destination).

Movie review - "The Under Pup" (1939) ***

 All I really know about Gloria Jean is that she was Universal's back up Deanna Durbin but this debut starring vehicle is a charming tale, perhaps to be expected from producer Joe Pasternak (Richard Wallace directed).

It's a decent story - Gloria is a plucky 11 year old from a poor background with colourful uncles (including C Aubrey Smith) who wins a chance to go to summer camp. There's plenty of bitches but some nice sones too as well as pleasant counsellors Robert Cummings (his follow up to Three Smart Girls Grow Up) and Nan Grey.

The cast is full of familiar faces like Dickie Moore, Beulah Bondi, Billy Gilbert and Australia's own Cecil Kellaway. Cummings' part is quite small - he does get a funny scene where football fan Jean gives him some sass (heis character is a footballer). The subplot about a lonely girl and her divorcing parents getting back together is sweet.

Aubrey Smith does well enough listening to Jean warble. Cecil Kellaway does too at the start - he'd just done that in Mr Chedworth Steps Out.

Movie review - "Cross of Iron" (1977) ***

 Some good stuff here. Focusing on Germans in the Eastern front gives this a solid downbeat quality. Some excellent war scenes. James Coburn plays it straight, no joking, and it's a reminder that he can act. Max Schell and James Mason are on hand. It's long. Bad female roles again - rape victims, and Santa Berger as a hot nurse who roots Mason.

But Peckinpah resonated with material. Some good scenes. Much better than The Killer Elite I think being away from Hollywood helped him.

Movie review - "And One Was Beautiful" (1940) **1/2

 Odd melodrama with two sisters in love with the same guy - sophisticated Jean Muir and "homey" Laraine Day with Robert Cummings as the gyy. Muir and Cummings go to a party he gets wasted and insists on driving - but then she does it, she runs over and kills someone. He takes the fall. That's not a bad drama set up.

The film stacks the deck against Muir - who actually had my sympathy. She lies, Cummings goes "no I'd remember running someone over" which isn't true, Day instantly suspects her sister... A little more work and this could've been a lot better.

Day is sweet, Muir good and Cummings charming - the acting is a reasonable standard. And it's got MGM gloss. Cummings seems remarkably chipper the whole time for someone who is up for murder. He's chipper in prison, and chipper when he finds out he's innocent. The family of the guy Muir kills are forgiving - plucky stock working class types.

The film covers a lot of ground.

Movie review - "Free and Easy" (1941) **

 Interesting collection of elements. The feature directorial debut of George Sidney. An MGM cheapie so it's still pretty glossy. C Aubrey Smith. Based on an Ivor Novello play. Still feels English. Bob Cummings and Nigel Bruce are son and dad (?), fortune hunters - they love each other which is sweet. Cummings strikes up a nice relationship with Judith Anderson who is rich but falls for Ruth Hussey who he thinks is rich but is poor. Bruce gets gambling debts so Cummings gets engaged to Anderson. It's resolved too quickly.

It clocks in at 55 minutes. Maybe it needed songs. Hussey has no charisma no chemistry with Cummings who has to do all the heavy lifting. There is warmth in the Cummings-Anderson scenes and the Cummings-Bruce scenes.

Movie review - "Woman of the Hour" (2024) ***1/2

 The story is fascinating - woman meets serial killer on a dating show - but doesn't really have legs because she had the meeting and that was it. So the writer cleverly expands it by adding a woman in the audience who recognises the guy but is ignored, and there are flashbacks to other attacks, which are done well - including quite a sizeable role for Autumn Best who plays a runaway (this character is shown to be responsible gor getting the guy and good on Anna Kendrick for not hogging this role for herself0. 

It's all done very well. A most impressive directorial debut.

Top Ten Monty Python Linked Films

 (excludes TV which means no Ripping Yarns, Fawlty Towers)

1) A Fish Called Wanda - at his best Cleese really worked hard on scripts and it paid off brilliantly which is why Fierce Creatures is so hard to understand

2) Brazil - Terry Gilliam's brilliant take on 1984 a reminder of what he once could do

3) Yellowbeard - look I haven't seen this since I was a kid but I loved it as a kid

4) Clockwise - a stressful movie in many ways but very well done

5) Nuns on the Run - funny drag comedy that was a big deal in Oz when released but seems to have been forgotten

6) The Adventures of Baron Munchausen - intense, wondrous, imaginative - I pick it over Time Bandits

7) Labyrinth - the script is too simple but it was a wondrous element to it

8) Personal Services - untypical film, very well done

9) The Missionary - naughty and sweet, like Michael Palin

10) A Private Function - another strong effort from Palin

TV review - "Territory" (2024) ****

 Good, solid soap. Intergenerational. Plenty of different motivations and clashing parties. Gorgeously shot. Pretty good acting. Some slightly smelly scenes that reek of pointless rewriting but the basic story holds really well.

Movie review - "Gaolbreak" (1962) **

 One of the last leading roles from Peter Reynolds who is top billed. You'll recognise some of the other cast including Carol White. 

Reynolds is part of a crime family. They're planning a job. They have to bust a brother out of prison even though he's not that keen to do it being with Carol White.

Reynolds lacks a little of his old humour and was looking puffy but he holds the screen I love that mum was part of the gang.

It's not bad. Feels like an ep of a TV series really but done with some pace.

Movie review - "The Osterman Weekend" (1983) **1/2

 Sam Peckinpah's famously mediocre last movie. Dutch actor Rutger Hauer plays an all American TV host who hosts weekends for his old college friends. Then CIA agent John Hurt (a British actor) tells him that his friends are spies. The friends are played by Dennis Hopper, Chris Sarandon and Craig T Nelson.

Actually this film wasn't as bad as I thought it was. I felt it was easy to fix - they should have told the whole story through Hauer's eyes. The reveals come when he's revealed. Also more characterisation work please - I couldn't tell the difference in personality between Hopper, Sarandon and Nelson. 

Everyone had a blonde wife too - Hopper ( a sort of trashy hooker), Hauer (scary eyed Meg Foster who at least got to kill someone with a bow and arrow), Hurt (whose wife masturbates before being killed). Sarandon's wife was played by the woman who was Kris Kristofferson's sad eyed lover in Convoy.

 The action scenes are done very well. The voyeur stuff is irritating - the CIA watch everything on screens. How did they film everything? I got confused in a lot of places.

This actually should have been a character piece - dig into the notion of friendship.

But I didn't mind it. I guess my expectations were super low.

Movie review - "The Ipcress File" (1965) ****

 Harry Saltzmann's anti-Bond is still about a sexy agent who beds women, has some sophistication (he's a cook), outsmarts the bad guys and is cocky to his superiors - but he wears glasses, is unapologetically working class, and there's nice touches about filling out forms and bureaucracy.

It's very stylishly directed by Sidney J Furie, clearly loving having more of a budget. The music score is very James Bond-y as are Ken Adams' sets.

The plot was a little confusing but basically it's whether Nigel Green is the baddie or Guy Doleman is the baddy. You know that Gordon Jackson is going to be killed.

Some Aussies in the cast like Guy Doleman and Ric Hutton.

TV review - "The Westener" Ep 3 Brown (1960) **

 A saloon owner, John Dehner, wants to buy Brian Keith's dog, Brown. Bruce Geller wrote this. Peckinpah directed. 

Keith's character is drunk a lot of the time, Dehner is sly. There's plenty of production value - dancing girls and celebrations. It's not really funny.

Movie review - "A Dangerous Age" (1957) **1/2

 Sidney Furie got his start working for Canadian television and this debut feature - entirely financed by his dad - feels more like a TV play. It's a simple tale of a couple who want to elope - both less than 21. 

It's unpretentious, quite well acted. The adults come across as smug prats. We never get to meet the parents. Like a lot of films that feel like TV plays, it needed another key subplot.

Location filming helps as does the jazz score. Shane Rimmer, from many Hollywood films shot in the UK, is in it.

Movie review - "The Long Riders" (1980) ***1/2 (rewatching)

 My opinion of this film hasn't really changed over the years - it's episodic, a film of vignettes rather than a cohesive whole. But the pleasures remain. It looks terrific, wonderful production design and locations. Some superb performances - David Carradine is electric, Keith and Robert very good, Stacy Keach a superb Frank James, the Guest brothers are fun as are the Quaids. James Keach is a little stiff as Jesse. Pamela Reed is splendid as Belle Starr as are James Remar and James Whitmore.

Movie review - "The First Time" (1952) ***

 Frank Tashlin's directorial debut (as a feature) is a comedy about new parents Barbara Hale and Robert Cummings. Its a series of small vignettes - waiting for the baby to come, she even gives her will in case something goes wrong (not unreasonable at the time), scenes of grandmas and mid wives ripping babies out of mum's hands, struggle to get sleep, worries about finances which prompts Cummings to take a job he doesn't like

Tashlin's vision arrived pretty formed. There's lots of his touches, like jokes about sex (Cummings collects a hooker/floozy thinking she's a baby sitter), animation references (the family watch a cartoon)

I feel a third main character would have helped more - there's a nanny but even she's a little skim.

Still this is charming and sweet.

Movie review - "God Told Me To" (1976) ***1/2 (rewatching)

 I saw this only a few years ago but couldn't remember it - just flashes of Andy Kaufman at the St Patrick's Day Parade. I saw it on the big screen. Enjoyed the New York locations, the 70s actors, the ambience. Tony Lo Bianco was solid. Loved Deborah Raffin. Her part could't been bigger - she could've been used to explain things. I got confused in the second half. It was wild.

The scene of the actor explaining how he killed his family was powerful. Some plots cried out for more treatment - such as the cabal of rich people helping the demon. More Richard Lynch.

Full of ideas.

Movie review - "Two Moon Junction" (1988) **1/2

 This film was a big deal in its day - Sherilyn Fenn was a very big deal. It's some classy erotica from Zalman King with Fenn as a hoity Southern belle who gets horny for hunky carnival worker Richard Tyson. Both are very good looking. And they commit.  Fenn is a natural. The two leads have plenty of heat.

There's an impressive support cast - Burl Ives, Lucille Fleticher,  Hervé Villechaize, Kristy McNichol (she goes topless too), Martin Hewitt (Brooke Shields' lover in Endless Love), a young Milla Jovovich.

Looks gorgeous. I wasnt one hundred percent into the story but Fenn looks terrific and it's an elevated movie.

Kevin Kline Top Ten

 1) The Big Chill (1983) - stands out in a great cast as Larry Kasdan's surrogate

2) Silverado (1985) - again playing Kasdan, in a Western

3) A Fish Called Wanda (1989) - very funny

4) Dave (1993) - this is very 90s but its heart was in the right place

5) No Strings Attached (2011) - funny support performance

6) Grand Canyon (1991) as Kasdan again

7) In and Out (1997) - a deal in its day, he is charming

8) Soapdish (1991) - very funny

9) The Pirates of Penzance

10) The Ice Storm

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

 A clear inspiration for Tarantino's From Dusk til Dawn  - three guys go looking for a stripper in a club and find one (Grace Jones) only to realise she's a vampire. That's a decent premise and this is a pretty fun movie.

It could have done with more character interaction between Chris Makepeace, Robert Rusler and Gedde Watanabe. Deedee Pfeiffer is very sweet as the waitress who has an old crush on Makepeace. Grace Jones is perfect in the role.

Apparently they wanted Jerry Lewis to play the barteneder but New World didn't go for his price - they went with Sandy Baron. Billy Drago is in it too.

It's silly rather than scary but is made with energy and a bit of flair.

Movie review - "The Great American Beauty Contest" (1973) ** (warning: spoilers)

 Classic Spelling-Goldberg television movie - high concept, lots of starlets, some old time-y stars. It focuses on a beauty contest, run by Robert Cummings and Eleanor Parker (a former beauty queen and actress with a Secret). 

There's a heap of plots: Louis Jourdan blackmails Parker into getting help for Susan Darnonte to sleep with him; Darnonte has a neglectful dad; one of the contestants is black, Tracy Reed; Farrah Fawcett has a boyfriend (Larry Wilcox) who doesn't want to be ignored; Joanna Cameron plans to make a feminist protest. I'm surprised there wasn't a killer out to get them.

The film is silly but it moves along at a fast clip (75 minutes!) and does tackle some issues, such as racism, feminism and soon. But the film loses a lot of points by having Parker scold Tracy Reed about racism and have Cameron win and not be feminist at the end.

Movie review - "The 4.30 Movie" (2024) **

 Kevin Smith fans were hoping for a return to film from this film - he'd given up marijuana, was making a heavily autobiographical movie about a tubby kid in New Jersey 1986. The basic idea is simple and could've been great - young teen invites girl out (though they've already kissed and she seems very keen on him and so there's no stakes).

The young actors aren't very good. They yell at each other a lot.

The piece lacks logic and a sense of truth. Like it builds up to him taking a girl to the movie which is great, but then they go to the movie that morning as well and get kicked out.

I think Smith made a mistake focusing on the one guy and his story - that should've been more of a subplot. It needed three or four stories like American Graffitii. That way you could focus on the location, and cut from story to story.

There's a few too many "hey isn't this inaccurate prediction about the future funny" jokes. And also the trailers of films they see don't seem real - did they have grindhouse trailers in 1986 suburban theatres? On VHS yes but not in the movies.

Movie review - "Angel" (1984) ***

 The first movie New World made, I believe, after Roger Corman left. It's very good exploitation - a solid, easy to understand concept (high school student works the streets of Hollywood as a hooker), with a strong story engine (serial killer is knocking off hookers). Donna Wilkes plays a fifteen year old (!) who's been doing it since she was 12 (!!) but the impact of this is lessened as Wilkes looks so much older and never does nudity (there's more nudity from the girls in high school who all look as though they're in their twenties). Wilkes handles the lead quite well - she's very empathetic.

The unexpected strength of the film is its sense of family - Angel gets on with the other hookers (one of whom has a sweet prospective romance with a Charlie Chaplin impersonator), and has nice friendships with Susan Tyrell and cross dresser Dick Shawn, and cop Cliff Gorman isn't judgey about street walkers, and the most vile person in it apart from the serial killer are the male snots at high school. So when people die it means something. Elaine Giftos from Student Nurses pops up as the guidance counsellor and John Diehl is the killer.

Cliff Gorman actually doesn't so much - doesn't solve any crimes, get the killer , or even save Angel's life. That's all Dick Shawn, Rory Calhoun. But he's got gravitas.

The film surprised me. Not that sleazy and it had a lot of heart.

Movie review - "Children of the Corn" (1984) **

 Apparently Stephen King's original draft focused its opening scenes on the arguing couple as per his brilliant short story - I think he was aiming at a slow build tale along the lines of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Totally legitimate. But it went to New World who made a pulpier, shockier version (more "bumps" earlier) - also legitimate. It breaks POV to incoporate the young kids, which TBH is less scary. The couple who come across the town are happier, younger.

The film has a terrific story which cries out for atmospheric treatment and true horror. The cast are pretty good - the main kids are appropriately scary. But too much of it is silly like Peter Horton scolding them about religion. There's not a high enough death toll. No sense of dread. It's too much a vehicle for Peter Horton being heroic - with Linda Hamilton being rescued.

So basically you have to let go of this being a good movie and just enjoy its clunky straight to video ness.

Movie review - "Tuff Turf" (1985) ***

 It didn't really twig for me until about 30 minutes in that James Spader was meant to be a former rich kid sent to a crummy high school -  once I got that, then I understood this film and why Spader was cast. It shouldn't have been hard to set that up.

This is part teen melodrama, with Spader falling for the girl (Kim Richards, very pretty and good) of the local hoon (Paul Mones, who Michael Pare slapped around in Streets of Fire). It's also part musical with Spader singing to Richards, and forcing her to dance with him, and big production numbers, and lots of music.

Nice to see Spader playing a hero in this era, and Robert Downe y Jnr as his friend. Spader and Richards are a cute couple and Mones is a decent villain. It goes on a bit - the final fight is especially long - and lacks the strong handling of a really good B but it was fun.