Movie review - "Dick Tracy" (1990) ***

 I'm of the movie going generation for whom Warren Beatty really doesn't mean that much. Sorry, just being blunt. When Ishtar and this came out it wasn't as though there was Beatty fever.

There's much to admire here. The gorgeous production design. The tone. The story is effective. The colourful characters. The world. The costumes. The acting. The music.

Warren Beatty's direction is maybe a little off. Or it could be him. Or maybe me. I felt it needed someone harder - Beatty had soft elements about him. It should have been Clint Eastwood (who turned it down) or maybe Robert de Niro. I bought Beatty as a shy lover not so much the tough guy.

I agree with the screenwriter who worked on this who said John Landis would've been a more suitable director. I agree. Walter Hill's version would've been interesting - a Warriors style take.

Al Pacino's haminess suits it. Fun to see people like Dick Van Dyke, Dustin Hoffman and James Caan. Sondheim's tunes are perfect.

Movie review - "The Great Rupert" (1949) **

 George Pal's first production is a slight oddity. It's more reminiscent of a sentimental MGM film, featuring Jimmy Durante and Tom Drake, both of whom are in this. There's lots of talk of money, so much talk, it gets annoying. 

Everything is a little off. Drake was just that little bit too old by now. He doesn't match that well with Terry Moore who is full of life and vitality though seems too young for him. For me, a little of Jimmy Durante goes a long way.

It's half a musical. Feels as though it wants to be a musical. There's some musical numbers but it's not one.

There's a very cute squirrel who drops money down to the floor below... but really the whole story could have been told without the squirrel. The money could have just dropped. They should have used the squirrel more.

A film that isn't quite sure of itself.  Kind of a nice heart. But I didn't like how that family expected money to rain down. Or how Moore expected her false love interest boyfriend to help her career. Everyone is greedy.

Movie review - "Phantom of the Paradise" (1974) ***

 Famous cult film/disaster/oddity is great fun once you switch into its rhythm. Paul Williams is an excellent villain, Swan, who rips off the Phantom. There's some neat twists like Swan knows the identity of the phantom all along.

Jessica Harper is fun as the girl, there's some unfortunate homophobia, funky songs, and a mood of anarchy and love of old movies.

Movie review - "Biggles: Adventures in Time" (1986) *1/2

 So frustrating! The classic movie where the producers lost their nerve along the way and leaned away from its source material when its source material is the best thing about it. There's a genuinely exciting airplane dogfight scene early on and the actor who plays Biggles is ideal.

And you know something? There's no reason why a time travel update couldn't have worked. But they don't lean into that either. Alex Hyde White isn't particularly 1986. They should have committed to that concept - have him as a full on yuppie who is very dependent on technology or something. But there's hardly any time culture clash. I kept forgetting Hyde White was from the future.

And to be frank Hyde White isn't very good. He never seems that involved in what's going on, there seems to be a delay in his reactions to things. In fairness that may be the editing/direction.

Really the Hyde White character should have been female. Then you would have inherent conflict because of the differing attitude towards women from 1917 to 1986 and you could have a romance, and a love triangle with that spy.

In one scene we meet this girl who Biggles had a fling with and a support character goes "oh that's a spy who Biggles fell in love with then she betrayed him and he got upset but now she says she wants to help." I want to see that movie!

It's confusing. The jumping between time feels random. A simple story is needlessly made confusing. I'd love to know what the proposed pre-Terminator script was like.

Movie review - "Conquest of Space" (1955) ** (warning: spoilers)

 A flop which led to George Pal leaving Paramount. Before I saw the film I was surprised to hear it wasn't successful - mid 50s was peak sci fi and I was sure the effects would be good. And they are. And there's a simple story at the core - it's about a trip to Mars and the captain goes psycho and has to be knocked off. That's a very dramatic situation.

But the script is muddled. It's written by the guy who did Destination Moon and has similar flaws - all male story (it's the future - couldn't they find a way to get a woman along), achingly awful military stuff (haw haw haw comic relief Irish sergeant haw haw haw comic Italian, the men clapping and howling at a movie of a woman singing in an Arab harem), clunky dialogue, lack of interesting characterisation. The dramatic build isn't very effective either - the general going nuts and being killed by his son is so meaty but dealt with too quickly.

It's a shame because the effects of the space station and space walk, etc are so effective. And that basic set up - man having to kill dad who goes nuts - has great potential.

The son is played by Eric Fleming, who later starred in Rawhide and died shooting a movie.

Movie review - "When Worlds Collide" (1951) ***1/2

 Much better than Destination Moon - stronger story, more memorable characters, females (well, one Smurfette). Has one of the all time great set ups - a planet is headed to destroy the earth so we'd better get off and set up at another planet. Full on. Much of the world refuses to see there's a problem (hello global warming parallels before warming was a thing) but some richies stump up the cash. There's lottos to pick who goes and... this film actually raises more issues than it can deal with, it basically has a greedy millionaire in a wheelchair, some random couple, and a love triangle involving Barbara Rush and two guys who want her (a doctor and a pilot).

The fact most of the human race is going to be wiped out isn't really dealt with - this should be remade. But it's a kick arse story, the acting is decent, I liked Barbara Rush, the others were fine, the effects were decent (superb for the time). It's a serious, full on, big stakes film.

Movie review - "Destination Moon" (1950) **

 Historically important - helped kick off the 1950s sci fi boom. Impressively serious treatment of going to the moon. Impressive effects for the time.

Just dull. Buttoned down. Hard to tell characters apart. There was some wise cracking comic relief guy. Needed a traitor or a woman or something.

There's some camp Cold War era fun with scientists in suits worrying about being beaten in the space race and pitching to industrialists why they should finance moon exploration.

And interest in seeing Woody Woodpecker explain how the technology works - this was "homage-d" in a similar scene in Jurassic Park.