Movie Night: Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla.

Review #535: Bela Lugosi Meets a Brooklyn Gorilla.

Cast
Bela Lugosi (Dr. Zabor), Duke Mitchell (Himself), Sammy Petrillo (Himself), Charlita (Nona), Muriel Landers (Saloma), Al Kikume (Chief Rakos), Mickey Simpson (Chula), and Cheeta (Ramona the Chimp) Directed by William Beaudine (#463 - Billy the Kid versus Dracula)

Review
The title alone tells all you need to know about the film. Lugosi's in it, and there's a gorilla, though the only one from Brooklyn is actually one of the main characters who just happened to be from Brooklyn who is transformed into a gorilla half way through. The title came because the producer decided it would be foolish not to exploit Bela Lugosi's appearance in the film. When the only way to attract people to watch your movie is by shamelessly put the actor's name in the title, there isn't much hope. The only other reason this film was made was take advantage of the success of Dean Martin-Jerry Lewis films at the time, made (of course) on a cheap budget. Is the movie funny? Laughable to look at, but not really funny. Lugosi looks tired, though maybe he's tired of Petrillo's screaming, or the fact that he agreed to a movie with a gorilla in it. Maybe it's Petrillo's voice that bugs me so much, because it always sounds like wailing, which gets tiresome quickly. It is sad to see Lugosi be in a film as low as this, in a film that feels so soulless and so rushed. There are many words you could use to describe this movie: Stupid, rushed, idiotic, campy, non-funny, insolvent, irrelevant, but my favorite one is: Bad. While it may be easy to find, it's hard to tell if you want to find it. Take this film...forget it, you don't want to take the risk. The movie won't get a 0 because I do have some pity for Bela Lugosi. The only question you can ask about this movie is which is better, the next film on this week, or this film? What is the next film, you ask? Glen or Glenda. Stay tuned.

Overall, I give 1 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Scared to Death.

Review #534: Scared to Death.

Cast
Bela Lugosi (Prof. Leonide), George Zucco (Dr. Joseph Van Ee), Nat Pendleton (Bill Raymond), Molly Lamont (Laura Van Ee / Laurette La Valle), Joyce Compton (Jane Cornell), Gladys Blake (Lilybeth), Roland Varno (Ward Van Ee), and Douglas Fowley (Terry Lee) Directed by Christy Cabanne.

Review
The movie claims to be filmed in "natural color", and while it may seem utterly ridiculous to market especially in the title card, the movie doesn't look that bad, though even if it was in black in white, this would still be a mediocre film. The movie has a premise that could either be seen as creative or entirely useless. And what's the premise? The character that was scared to death narrates (I put that one loosely, given that all is speaking brief lines while just lying on the table) over the film, complete with really silly screamy music that occurs every time the corpse narrates (The narration lasting about 30 seconds)...and after it ends, which makes me wonder why didn't they just have narration over the film itself, and not these stupid interruptions that aren't long enough to be called interruptions. Lugosi is hamming up to the max, and hey, he's not the villain here, though he does have a short sidekick, which is really bizarre because it doesn't really add anything to this shoe string plot. The actors look like they don't care, and the film's plot is so ludicrous that you'll be begging for it to end by the half way mark. It's a strange, but ultimately useless film that shows its age, and it's lack of scares. It actually would work better as a comedy, but even that sounds too generous. For the next film on Bela Lugosi Week, we'll be dwelling into...the 1950's.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Devil Bat.

Review #533: The Devil Bat.

Cast
Bela Lugosi (Paul Carruthers), Suzanne Kaaren (Mary Heath), Dave O'Brien (Johnny Layden), Guy Usher (Henry Morton), Yolande Donlan (Maxine), Donald Kerr (One-Shot McGuire), Edward Mortimer (Martin Heath), Gene O'Donnell (Don Morton), Alan Baldwin (Tommy Heath), and John Ellis (Roy Heath) Directed by Jean Yarbrough.

Review
The Devil Bat isn't much to marvel at, but it entertains cheaply and effectively, getting the job done, I suppose. Lugosi is the villain once again, and while it may feel familiar at this point, he certainly seems to be enjoy the role, and I like his performance, over-the-top, yet satisfying. The rest of the cast do an alright job, they work well with Lugosi at times. The direction is decent, given that this is a film about a killer bat that kills people who are sprayed with a "special scent", so as long as the movie doesn't veer off the sane rails, it works. And yes, this is another film available due to it falling into the public domain. A fun fact is that this was released by Producers Releasing Corporation, a small, but busy studio that made films fast and cheap, and they seemed to put care into this film, with satisfactory horror that's enough to entertain for a hour and such. Lugosi does a fine job and is one of the reasons to watch this film, along with the mild, but decent scares. For our next film on Bela Lugosi Week, it's another from the 1940s...

Overall, I give it 7 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Death Kiss.

Review #532: The Death Kiss.

Cast
David Manners (Franklyn Drew), Adrienne Ames (Marcia Lane), Bela Lugosi (Joseph Steiner), John Wray (Detective Lieutenant Sheehan), Vince Barnett (Officer Gulliver), Alexander Carr (Leon A. Grossmith), Edward Van Sloan (Tom Avery), Harold Minjir (Howell), and Barbara Bedford (Script Girl) Directed by Edwin L. Marin (#503 - A Christmas Carol (1938))

Review
The point of this week is not just to review Lugosi, but also to give some of his films a bit more recognition, such as this public domain film from 1932. The movie starts out okay, not too shabby. It quickly sets the plot up, essentially a murder mystery, with an interesting tile sequence hat may be the best scene in a short movie. Lugosi doesn't really have much screen time, more of a supporting role that lets Manners take over, which is sort of disappointing, because Lugosi was a distinct actor even when he didn't speak. Bela Lugosi, David Manners (John Harker) and Edward Van Sloan (Van Helsing) are reunited, one year after all three were in Dracula (#071), and while they may not have much interaction, it is  at least interesting enough to be a fun fact to note. And if you're wondering, no the movie is not a horror film. As much as the title sounds like one, it's really just the title of the film within the film in which the murder happens. The movie itself flows okay, it veers between mystery thriller and comedic idiocy. It just feels standardized and not exactly exciting. It does have some moments of brilliancy, such as the idea of having the film revolve around a studio and the film projector being mysteriously filled with acid just as the murderer is about to be revealed but it doesn't save the movie. The film isn't awful, it's just not that good, and if you came for Lugosi, you will be disappointed. Next time, I will be delving into the 1940s for Part Three of Bela Lugosi Week.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Murders in the Rue Morgue.

Review #531: Murders in the Rue Morgue.

Cast
Bela Lugosi (Doctor Mirakle), Sidney Fox (Mademoiselle Camille L'Espanaye), Leon Ames (Pierre Dupin), Bert Roach (Paul), Betty Ross Clarke (Mademoiselle L'Espanaye), Brandon Hurst (Prefect of Police), D'Arcy Corrigan (Morgue Keeper), Noble Johnson (Janos), and Arlene Francis (Streetwalker) Directed by Robert Florey.

Review
I'm very familiar with Bela Lugosi already, with his work in (#071) Dracula, (#183) Plan 9 from Outer Space, (#260) The Wolf Man, (#274) White Zombie, and (#470) Mark of the Vampire. A theme week is 7 reviews of a subject in 7 days (Such as Robot Week with #086-#092, Harry Potter Week with 8 reviews from #117-#124, and the last one until this, Dreamworks Animation Week, from #160-#166), and I'm starting with the earliest Lugosi film I could find on short notice, and end...with his last speaking role. Murders in the Rue Morgue was (loosely) based off a short story by Edgar Allen Poe (notable for being the first detective story), with a few more of his works being adapted by Universal in the following years as part of their Universal Monsters line. Lugosi doesn't do that bad of a job, he certainly has a level of lunacy for this character, and it works well. The rest of the cast do fine and all, they aren't too overdramatic, and while Lugosi nearly steals the show, the cast don't do that bad. This film was sadly butchered upon original release from 80 minutes to 61 minutes by the studio, the deleted scenes apparently being cut due to being deemed too disturbing, and while the film does feel hacked off, the camera angles and the way of filming make up for it just enough. This is a disturbing, but entertaining film that lets Lugosi have his moment. Tune in next time for another one of Lugosi's films from 1932.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Alien.

Review #530: Alien.

Cast
Tom Skerritt (Dallas), Sigourney Weaver (Ripley), Veronica Cartwright (Lambert), Harry Dean Stanton (Brett), John Hurt (Kane), Ian Holm (Ash), Yaphet Kotto (Parker), and Bolaji Badejo (The Alien) Directed by Ridley Scott (#100 - Blade Runner)

Review

Alien has its shares of influences such as (#519) The Thing from Another World or (#331) It! The Terror from Beyond Space, but beneath all that is a wonderfully dark masterpiece. The set design by Ron Cobb and Chris Foss is really well done, it doesn't distract from the movie, but it is wonderful. The alien (and other accompanying elements) by H. R. Giger works so well because the design doesn't look like a suit for somebody to be in, it's a big and long suit that is so unconventional and yet so cool looking. Ridley Scott does a good job directing, his best decision in this film is not showing all of the Alien throughout most of the film, which keeps the suspense and terror of the Alien intact. The actors (insert your John Hurt as the War Doctor reference here, which I won't do out of choice in the name of peace and sanity...oops.) are well suited for a film like this, especially Sigourney Weaver, who certainly can act with terror all around her. Even Bolaji Badejo does a good job, his movements of the Alien from inside the suit are more natural looking and menacing. This is a tense and effective horror film that would later have three sequels and a...film in the same universe as Alien but not a prequel. Whatever the case, Alien is still a terror to behold 35 years later.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Mildred Pierce.

Review #529: Mildred Pierce.

Cast
Joan Crawford (Mildred Pierce Beragon), Jack Carson (Wally Fay), Zachary Scott (Monte Beragon), Eve Arden (Ida Corwin), Ann Blyth (Veda Pierce Forrester), Butterfly McQueen (Lottie), Bruce Bennett (Albert Pierce), Lee Patrick (Maggie Biederhof), and Moroni Olsen (Inspector Peterson) Directed by Michael Curtiz (#125 - Casablanca and #416 - Yankee Doodle Dandy, and #505 - The Adventures of Robin Hood)

Review
Mildred Pierce is a classic film noir (Which is why this film is in the National Film Registry, along with other films such as The Maltese Falcon, D.O.A, and other various films) that also manages to be a very gripping drama. Joan Crawford has a powerful performance as Pierce, she makes the movie whole, and she gives her all to make this more then just a film noir. The other actors are good, they certainly work well with Crawford, and they are also fun to watch. Ann Blyth is really effective at her acting in this film, especially with a character so brutal. Curtiz does a fine job directing and the film itself never has a bump or a sluggish moment in it, and the ending is certainly satisfying.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Bright Road.

Review #528: Bright Road.

Cast
Dorothy Dandridge (Jane Richards), Philip Hepburn (C.T. Young), Harry Belafonte (School Principal), Barbara Randolph (Tanya), Maidie Norman (Tanya's Mother), Rene Beard (Booker T. Jones), Howard McNeeley (Boyd), and Robert McNeeley (Lloyd) Directed by Gerald Mayer.

Review
While only lasting 69 minutes, Bright Road manages to strike a chord and makes a big impression with such a small budget that some big budget films can't even do. The actors consist of mostly kids, but Dorothy Dandridge does a fine job in a lead role, and Hepburn does an alright job in what seems to be (according to IMDb) his only film role. Belafonte has a good ballad song that stands out and the film has a good deal of passion for its subject and it certainly is a fine film to watch, not too shabby all in all.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer.

Review #527: The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer.

Cast
Cary Grant (Richard Nugent), Myrna Loy (Margaret Turner), Shirley Temple (Susan Turner), Rudy Vallee (Tommy Chamberlain), Ray Collins (Dr. Matt Beemish), Harry Davenport (Thaddeus Turner), Johnny Sands (Jerry White), and Don Beddoe (Joey) Directed by Irving Reis.

Review
The title certainly got me interested in this film, trying to figure out what exactly a Bobby-Soxer was. Apparently it (according to Wikipedia) is a 1940s sociological coinage describing the often very zealous fans of Swing music, often young adults, or in this movie, Shirley Temple. If your like me, you probably didn't know Shirley Temple made films in her teenage years (that or like me you didn't watch any of her films prior to this and only know her due to commercials trying to sell her films to people watching at home), and she doesn't do a bad job, and while her character could be regarded as annoying at times, she is okay either way. Cary Grant is charming and is certainly very entertaining, and Myrna Loy works well with Grant as well. The rest of the cast do well, and there are good laughs with this film, it has a clever way with fun, and this is a film that while unusual with its pairing, is a good film.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Review #526: Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy.

Cast
Will Ferrell (Ron Burgundy), Christina Applegate (Veronica Corningstone), Paul Rudd (Brian Fantana), Steve Carell (Brick Tamland), David Koechner (Champ Kind), Fred Willard (Edward Harken), Vince Vaughn (Wes Mantooth), Chris Parnell (Garth Holliday), Fred Armisen (Tino), and Kathryn Hahn (Helen) Directed by Adam McKay.

Review
This film never seems to miss a beat and never stops in a relentless, but fun loving approach for comedy. Ferrell does a fine job, never letting go on trying to make us laugh, and his look (especially that bushy mustache) only seems to contribute to a over the top, but domineering performance. Applegate and Ferrell seem to go well together and have some chemistry, even when they fight each other. The rest of the cast do a good job, and Carell makes an impression even when he isn't talking. It's a decently crafted film that never seems to stop going on its approach, making more than missing on attempts at comedy, and it (unlike films like...#525 - Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls) is enjoyable to watch, in all of its bizarre, but coherent manner. It's a silly, but memorable film that seems to be quoted from even to this day. Stay classy, San Diego.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.

Review #525: Ace Ventura: When Nature Calls.

Cast
Jim Carrey (Ace Ventura), Ian McNeice (Fulton Greenwall), Simon Callow (Vincent Cadby), Maynard Eziashi (Ouda), Bob Gunton (Burton Quinn), Damon Standifer (Wachati Chief), and Sophie Okonedo (Wachati Princess) Directed by Steve Oedekerk.

Review
I thought the first film (#148 - Ace Ventura: Pet Detective) wasn't all too bad. It had its moments that worked and while of course it could have been better, it wasn't that bad. The sequel though, just stinks. Ventura was mildly enjoyable in the first, but in this film, the patience and level of joy wears thin, really, really fast. It seems that the movie itself thinks its pretty funny, it laughs at its own jokes, but if you ever were wondering why this is the only sequel to a film starring Carrey in which Carrey reprised his role, this is why. Carrey seems to just be trapped in the role, and while he certainly seems to be trying, the movie can't make up for being so tiresome, yet so short. The cast isn't awful, but they seem to want to watch Carrey act as Ventura then make an impression. It doesn't have much of the spark, if any of the original, and it is somewhat forgettable. Maybe it's better for others who have better patience then I do, but I just didn't find much to enjoy.

Overall, I give it 4 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: D.O.A. (1950).

Review #524: D.O.A.

Cast
Edmond O'Brien (Frank Bigelow), Pamela Britton (Paula Gibson), Luther Adler (Majak), Lynn Baggett (Mrs. Phillips), William Ching (Halliday), Henry Hart (Stanley Phillips), Beverly Garland (Miss Foster), and Neville Brand (Chester) Directed by Rudolph Maté.

Review
D.O.A. is certainly unique in its approach and also relatively easy to find due to it being in the public domain (Examples of movies in the public domain being Night of the Living Dead, Carnival of Souls and most notably, It's a Wonderful Life), and also being short to watch that also makes it a hidden gem. The actors do a fine job in a film noir that takes its own approach to entertain and bewilder, the mystery isn't inherently obvious nor overly complicated, it stands in the middle and it pays off relatively well. O'Brien stands out well, and Mate directs nicely enough. The movie has moments of brilliance (Such as O'Brien's character going to the Police station and reporting his own murder or when he finds out why he is even involved in this), and it certainly does not die on arrival.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: It Happened at the World's Fair.

Review #523: It Happened at the World's Fair.

Cast
Elvis Presley (Mike Edwards), Joan O'Brien (Diane Warren), Gary Lockwood (Danny Burke), Vicky Tiu (Sue-Lin), Yvonne Craig (Dorothy Johnson), H. M. Wynant (Vince Bradley), and Kam Tong (Walter Ling) Directed by Norman Taurog.

Review
To begin with, today is what would've been Elvis Presley's 79th Birthday, so I decided to watch one of his movies. And...here it is. It's hard to say much about this film. Why? It's just not...interesting to talk about. Granted, the fact it was filmed in Seattle on the site of the Century 21 Exposition is certainly noteworthy (to me anyways), and the film at least takes some of its time to show off Seattle (Such as the Seattle Center, the Monorail and my favorite, the Space Needle), which is nice. Then...there's the film itself. The story isn't really interesting and while Elvis tries to spruce up the film, he can't save the movie, neither can his supporting cast. It's a mediocre film that seems to distract you more with Elvis' singing (and Elvis does at least try to sing well) then entertain with story. Is it a bad film? No, but it isn't any good either. If you really want to see some Elvis films, I'd probably stick to Jailhouse Rock (#327) instead. Happy Birthday, Elvis.

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Muppets.

Review #522: The Muppets.

Cast
Jason Segel (Gary), Amy Adams (Mary), Chris Cooper (Tex Richman), Steve Whitmire (Kermit the Frog/Beaket/Statler/Rizzo the Rat/Link Hogthrob/The Muppet Newsman/Lips), Eric Jacobson (Miss Piggy/Fozzie Bear/Animal/Sam the Eagle/Marvin Suggs), Dave Goelz (Gonzo/Dr. Bunsen Honeydew/Zoot, Beauregard/Waldorf/Kermit Moopet), Bill Barretta (Rowlf the Dog/The Swedish Chef/Dr. Teeth/Pepe the King Prawn/Bobo the Bear/Beautiful Day Monster/Mahna Mahna/Behemoth/Fozzie Moope/Muppet Gary/Whatnot Hobo), Peter Linz (Walter), David Rudman (Scooter/Janice/Miss Poogy/Wayne, Nigel the Conductor/Bobby Benson), Matt Vogel (Floyd Pepper/Camilla the Chicken/Sweetums/'80s Robot, Lew Zealand/Uncle Deadly/Crazy Harry/Rowlf Moopet), Rashida Jones (Veronica), Jack Black (Himself), Alan Arkin (Muppet Studios Tour Guide), Bill Cobbs (Grandfather), Zach Galifianakis (Hobo Joe), and Jim Parsons (Human Walter) Directed by James Bobin.

Review
It had 12 years since the release of Muppets From Space (#377), and in that span the Muppets were confined to television specials only (Okay, okay, I admit to watching A Muppet Christmas: Letters to Santa when I was younger, it wasn't bad, but I don't remember watching any other special), until this film. I wanted to end this so called Muppet Trilogy of mine with this film because the first part of the trilogy began with the first, and so it only made sense to finish with the most recent (Muppets Most Wanted hasn't been released..yet.), and...this is a good Muppet film. It has its moments of fun, and Walter is a welcome addition for the Muppets, the human cast is interesting because Segel and Adams work alright together, and Cooper is pretty funny, and "Man or Muppet" is probably the most memorable song of the film along with being a really fitting one for a film like this. The Muppets are fine as usual and while not every joke works, the film still has enough passion for its subject to work. I hope you like this trilogy of Muppet films, as I enjoyed watching these films, and I hope you do as well.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Muppets Take Manhattan.

Review #521: The Muppets Take Manhattan.

Cast
Jim Henson (Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, The Swedish Chef, The Muppet Newsman, Waldorf, Baby Kermit, Baby Rowlf, Ernie), Frank Oz (Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam the Eagle, Baby Piggy, Baby Fozzie, Bert, Cookie Monster), Jerry Nelson (Floyd Pepper, Crazy Harry, Camilla the Chicken, Pops, Lew Zealand, Bear), Richard Hunt (Scooter, Janice, Statler, Baby Scooter), Dave Goelz (Gonzo the Great, Chester the Rat, Bill the Frog, Zoot, Penguin, Jim the Dog, Baby Gonzo), Steve Whitmire (Rizzo the Rat, Gill the Frog), Louis Zorich (Pete), Juliana Donald (Jenny), Lonny Price (Ronnie Crawford), and Art Carney (Bernard Crawford) Directed by Frank Oz.

Review

While The Muppets Take Manhattan may not be as magical as The Muppet Movie, it certainly has enough gas to chug to the finish line and it does have its moments of shine. The Muppets, as usual, are entertaining. They sing well and they mesh well with each other and the human cast. It has its standard fare of cameos (Such Art Carney, Liza Minnelli, John Landis), but I suppose at this point it makes perfect sense. The movie's plot is not exactly original (A group (or a person, take your pick) trying to make it big on Broadway), but the Muppets manage to make the most of it, the songs are nicely done and there is never a dull moment in the film. It's not great, but this film does have enough Muppet power (whatever that means) to drudge along just fine.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Muppet Movie.

Review #520: The Muppet Movie.

Cast
Jim Henson (Kermit the Frog, Rowlf the Dog, Dr. Teeth, Waldorf, and the Swedish Chef), Frank Oz (Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, Animal, Sam the Eagle, and Marvin Suggs), Jerry Nelson (Sgt. Floyd Pepper, Crazy Harry, Robin the Frog, Lew Zealand, Camilla the Chicken and Blue Frackle), Richard Hunt (Scooter, Statler, Janice, Sweetums and Beaker), Dave Goelz (Gonzo the Great, Zoot, Dr. Bunsen Honeydew, Nigel the Conductor, and Doglion), Charles Durning (Doc Hopper), Austin Pendleton (Max), and Scott Walker (Snake Walker) Directed by James Frawley.

Review
Ah yes, the movie that started the Muppet film franchise, which has had 7 films released in a 35 years span, with an 8th coming this year. Usually I'd ask if this a good flick to watch, but I think we both know the answer: Yes, of course. The Muppets are entertaining, especially when they sing. The puppetry is good and all, but the real show stoppers are the many voices and characters the Muppets bring to the table. But that's not all the movie has, it also seems to have endless cameos (Bob Hope, Edgar Bergen, Mel Brooks, Dom Deluise and last but not least, Orson Welles), good songs (such as Rainbow Connection) and a good deal of imagination with fun, there is never a dull moment to get in the way of the pace and it always keeps itself fresh and well. It's no wonder why there were more Muppet movies after this, and I'm going to continue that with another Muppet film soon.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Thing from Another World.

Review #519: The Thing from Another World.

Cast
Margaret Sheridan (Nikki Nicholson), Kenneth Tobey (Captain Patrick Hendry), Robert Cornthwaite (Dr. Arthur Carrington), Douglas Spencer (Ned Scott), James Young (Lt. Eddie Dykes), Dewey Martin (Crew Chief Bob), Robert Nichols (Lt. Ken 'Mac' MacPherson), James Arness (The Thing), and William Self (Corporal Barnes) Directed by Christian Nyby.

Review
The movie (produced under Howard Hawks' Winchester Pictures Corporation) shows promise and it lives up to it. The title sequence is excellent, because it has a certain interest in mind and intrigues you in. The actors do fine, and James Arness does impressive as the Thing's body (I do wonder how scary the movie would be with Thing from The Addams Family), and the movie itself doesn't have too many hokey moments, it has its moments of tension and suspense, such as the end sequence, and the last line is slightly chilling. The movie (I guess it's a cliche to remake movies over 40 years old I suppose) has been remade, one by John Carpenter in 1982, and the other in 2011, but this on its own is a decent movie.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Hang 'Em High.

Review #518: Hang 'Em High.

Cast
Clint Eastwood (Jed Cooper), Inger Stevens (Rachel Warren), Ed Begley (Captain Wilson), Pat Hingle (Judge Adam Fenton), Ben Johnson (Dave Bliss), Charles McGraw (Ray Calhoun), Ruth White (Peaches Sophie), Bruce Dern (Miller), Alan Hale Jr. (Matt Stone), Arlene Golonka (Jennifer), James Westerfield (Prisoner), and Dennis Hopper (The Prophet) Directed by Ted Post.

Review
I had reviewed the Dollars Trilogy that starred Clint Eastwood and directed by Sergio Leone (#015 - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, #017 - A Fistful of Dollars, #019 - For a Few Dollars More), and the success of the trilogy led to this film, one that Eastwood's business manager (Irving Leonard) described as a cross between Rawhide and Leone's westerns, and I can see why. But how is the film? It's okay. Eastwood is raw but intriguing, and Stevens delivers a contrast despite not having too many scenes, only near the end does she get her chance to shine. Begley and Hingle are good, but it seems the one who is really memorable despite having once scene is Dennis Hopper, he sticks out and rambles, and he certainly made an impression on me for his one scene. The film is raw at times and somewhat interesting and while it may take its time, it's an alright film and it is a film you could watch if you're still reeling from Leone's masterful Trilogy, take this for what it's worth.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Be Cool.

Review #517: Be Cool.

Cast
John Travolta (Chili Palmer), Uma Thurman (Edie Athens), Vince Vaughn (Roger "Raji" Lowenthal), Cedric the Entertainer (Sin LaSalle), Harvey Keitel (Nick Carr), Christina Milian (Linda Moon), André Benjamin (Dabu), Dwayne Johnson (Elliot Wilhelm), Robert Pastorelli (Joseph "Joe Loop" Lupino), Paul Adelstein (Hyman Gordon), and Arielle Kebbel (Robin) Directed by F. Gary Gray.

Review
I was in my living room, when a sudden urge came into me (No, it was not to eat more chicken), and it led me to pick Be Cool to review. So, like a fool, I decided to watch it. Hours later, I think I'll regret watching this film. It is not a bad film, it is a disappointing film that seems to either try way too hard (Multitudes and multitudes subplots) or try too little (Such as some of the acting), all springing into a lifeless "comedy" that seems to care about its cameos more then its actual actors. Travolta does okay, but his cast seems to not have any life in them, it seems the only one who cares enough to make an (positive) impression is Dwayne Johnson, who has some charm and likability even with a bad afro. The rest of the cast either range from okay (Cedric the Entertainer, who always seems to be fun to watch, but he's the only one in this film that is okay) to not really memorable (Milian, who is plagued by all the subplots) to just plain awful (Vince Vaughn, a baffling, yet lame choice), and they never click. It seems the comedy is overridden by the subplots and characters, which are endless and mostly annoying, in that order. Get Shorty was a fun flick that used the actor to their best talent. Be Cool uses their star power instead, and the film suffers because of it. Comparing these film would be impossible as this review would be 50 lines long, but I will close this review out by wondering if this film's true title was Sell Out.

Overall, I give it 3 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Unknown (1927).

Review #516: The Unknown.

Cast
Lon Chaney (Alonzo the Armless), Norman Kerry (Malabar the Mighty), Joan Crawford (Nanon Zanzi), Nick De Ruiz (Antonio Zanzi), John George (Cojo), and John St. Polis (Surgeon) Directed by Tod Browning (#071 - Dracula and #470 - Mark of the Vampire)

Review

I get to revisit Lon Chaney, and watch Joan Crawford in arguably one of her breakout movies. What she said about Chaney in this film is certainly interesting, saying that she learned more about acting from watching Chaney work than from anything else in her career. Chaney certainly shows a lot of facial expression that carry their own emotion. He and Paul Desmuke (the armless double for this film) go well together in the scenes required for this film, he gets a chance to shine, doing that effectively. Crawford certainly shines, even with a limited role, but she works fine with Kelly. The film may run short and may be disturbing, but it's an impressive and an intense film that is fun to watch.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars. 

Movie Night: Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Review #515: Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Cast
William Shatner (James T. Kirk), Leonard Nimoy (Spock), DeForest Kelley (Leonard McCoy), James Doohan (Montgomery Scott), Walter Koenig (Pavel Chekov), Nichelle Nichols (Uhura), George Takei (Hikaru Sulu), Stephen Collins (Willard Decker), and Persis Khambatta (Ilia) Directed by Robert Wise.

Review
This review was delayed a week as other films took this film's place on the reviewing spectrum, that and Santa Claus Conquers the Martians sounded better to review on Christmas. Since this is a new year, it only makes sense to finally publish this review. Enjoy and welcome to the beginning of Season 4.

Out of the seven Star Trek films I've watched (#009 - Star Trek (2009), #225 - Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, #226 - Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered County, #246 - Star Trek: Generations, #299 - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, #337 - Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, #492 - Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home), Star Trek II was the best of them all, and for some, the first. Then there's this film, the first that started it all, and...the one with the nicknames. It is often called The Motionless Picture, The Slow Motion Picture, The Motion Sickness...and the names make perfect sense. The movie isn't awful, but it is so slow. The movie tries to hide the mediocre acting by showcasing many special effects (Along with some awful costumes that make them look more like yoga instructors then a space crew), which are fine and sometimes spectacular, but the effects can't save the movie from padding them out to the point where even 2001: A Space Odyssey would be merciful. Shatner does okay, but it seems like he's going through the motions, Nimoy is slightly better, it's usually fun to see Kelley and Nimoy bicker at each other. With 2001, I could forgive it because while it also took its time, it was an extraordinary film that was subject to much interpretation. The other Star Trek films (And to a lesser extent, the fifth one) were more subdued, more focused on the characters and their interaction along with the story. This film sticks out like a sore thumb, and it's no wonder why none of the events (along with throwing out the pale costumes) were ever mentioned again. It's an okay film.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.