Movie review – “Take Me Home” (2011) **1/2

Inoffensive teen film, with a similar plot to Can’t Hardly Wait only set in 1988 and with the characters a few years older - kind of a The Graduate vibe. Topher Grace works at a video store and has a long crush on Teresa Palmer - and why not, since she's stunning here (looking great in that 80s hair). She's a lot more attractively shot than Anna Faris, who is normally attractive but not here (it's her hair colour or cheeks or something) - she's wasted too in far too small a role. At least she doesn't hook up with Dan Fogler, which is what I was worried about.

Topher Grace isn't a real slacker - he's a graduate of MIT (hence The Graduate reference), Teresa Palmer's acting is exposed in a few places (she's good with dialogue, but still hasn't grasped the acting of conveying what she's thinking with her face), I can't recall a teen film which was so pro-cocaine (Fogler has some blow and has a terrific night under the influence, scoring with hot chicks, winning a breakdancing contest), Michael Biehn seems too young to play Topher Grace's dad (I'm guessing he probably isn't,  it just seems that way), pleasing tunes, shonky period detail (were they breakdancing in the late 80s?), a lot of predictability, but it has a lot of charm and I enjoyed it.

Radio review – Ford – “Abe Lincoln in Illinois” (1948) ***

Karl Swenson rather than Raymond Massey in this version of Robert Sherwood’s play but I enjoyed hearing it. It's such a cynical take on the marriage of Lincoln and Mary Todd - maybe "cynical" isn't the right word... non-worshipful? Goes up until Lincoln's arrival in Washington - being a young man, death of Ann Rutledge (did they even go out), meeting ambitious Mary, the slave debates, etc.

Movie review – “Footsteps in the Fog” (1955) ***

Entertaining, unpretentious little thriller – those first three words could be used to described many films from director Arthur Lubin. Stewart Granger gives one of his best performances (okay so maybe the bar isn't that high) as a man who marries and kills a rich woman - only to be blackmailed by his maid (Jean Simmons). It's fun to see Granger and Simmons together, especially in such a warped relationship - he's always trying to kill her, she thinks he's wonderful.

Quite a clever, twisty story, in it's way - no classic, but at least stuff is always happening. Some bad support performances from Bill Travers (lawyer) and Belinda Lee. I love the atmosphere of Victorian (or is it Edwardian) London.

Movie review – “Your Highness” (2011) **

I can see why people would like this especially if they like James Franco and/or Danny McBride – a spoof of Lord of the Rings type fantasy, with plenty of quests, knights, royalty and danger. But too many of the jokes repeat – references to masturbation and swearing within period dialogue - and it runs out of ideas, downing in an orgy of special effects at the finale. Danny McBride's comedy is a one note samba - he doesn't have the warmth of a Seth Rogen - and Natalie Portman, while pretty, isn't a natural comic - and it's distractingly obvious that she's using a body double.

Radio review – Suspense – “The Steel River Prison Break” (1951) ***

Jeff Chandler was a superb radio actor, with a powerful voice and charismatic presence - he was better on air than on screen. He's very good as a prisoner who plans to break out during a flood. No budget restrictions when depicting a flood in radio. More of a gangster tale than the usual Suspense but effective.

Radio review - Suspense – “The Hunting of Bob Lee” (1951) **1/2

Richard Widmark's strong voice helps make this a strong episode. It's a Western, which is weird to hear on Suspense - it's about a feud between families which builds to a tragic conclusion. Based on a true story I believe.

Movie review – “An Ideal Husband” (1947) **1/2

One of a series of underperforming films that helped drive Alex Korda back to the verge bankruptcy (eg Bonnie Prince Charlie). It looks sumptuous with colour photography and elaborate sets and costumes – needlessly so, really, they over did it. I didn’t mind the ball rooms and such but every drawing room and bedroom looks like a tacky museum – it’s ridiculous.

 

The other big debit are the characters of the politician and his wife – they’re prim on the page but the playing here (Hugh Williams and Diana Wynyard) is so humorless and dull; they’ve cast unattractive actors too - why not have a few spunks? Especially the priggish wife – why not make her beautiful? Because the point is that the playboy lord (Michael Wilding, excellent) loves her - but it doesn't really come across here. 

 

It's a shame because the rest of this is fine - Wilding tosses off the lines with aplomb, Glynis Johns is good ingenue value, Paulette Goddard wasn't the best actor in the world but could be engaging and is ideally cast. And the story and one liners are solid.