Safety Last!

Review #758: Safety Last!

Cast
Harold Lloyd (The Boy), Mildred Davis (Mildred, The Girl), Bill Strother ("Limpy" Bill, The Pal), Noah Young (The Law), Westcott Clarke (Mr. Stubbs, The Floorwalker), and Earl Mohan (The Drunk) Directed by Fred C. Newmeyer  (#667 - The Freshman and #674 - Grandma's Boy) and Sam Taylor (The Freshman)

Review
Yes, Safety Last. When it comes to an actor doing all their own stunts, Harold Lloyd is a prime example of this, and especially in the 1920's. The scene of him hanging from the hands of a clock high above the street is especially impressive while also one of the most memorable scenes put onto film. Lloyd shines once again as the everyman (sorry, everyboy) who manages to get himself into such fun situations. As with good silent movies, there are good titles, with my favorite being this gem: "There were certain days of the week when she could be sure of a letter from him. They were Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday". Words fail me here. The movie runs along nicely, not dragging and managing to have fun gags, especially with the climax of Lloyd trying to climb a building. It is impressive to see Lloyd hanging from a clock, because it just showcases his brilliant physicality (I myself would not climb 5, let alone 12 stories), but it is his charm of being likable despite all of the madcap stuff that happens to him that makes the movie work well. Silent comedies are fun to watch because the gags that work manage to do so without needing sound, just good ol' slapstick, with a little bit of suspense this time around. The movie is enjoyable while also having thrills that make for good entertainment. Whether it be Keaton, Chaplin. or Lloyd, you really can't go wrong.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Seven Chances.

Review #757: Seven Chances.

Cast
Buster Keaton (Jimmy Shannon), T. Roy Barnes (Billy Meekin, His Partner), Snitz Edwards (His Lawyer), Ruth Dwyer (Mary Jones, His Girl), Frances Raymond (Her Mother), Erwin Connelly (The Clergyman), and Jules Cowles (The Hired Hand) Directed by Buster Keaton.

Review
Ah, Buster Keaton. I knew that I would eventually get to one of his feature films sometime on this show, and what better time than now, before this year (the 120th anniversary year of his birth) ended? You might be wondering why this film, and not his first film, The Saphead? As the old saying (read: not really) goes, sometimes you don't need a particular reason. One good thing about Keaton is that you can find a good portion of his films on the web (if you look hard enough, anyway), which is a relief. But aside from that, Keaton is certainly the most definable thing in this movie, because of his screen presence. He is an interesting person to watch, especially near the end during the chase. One of my favorite parts is him climbing a tall tree...that is then chopped down. Speaking of which, the end sequence of being chased by would-be brides is especially amusing, particularly at how absurd it can get, to the point where Keaton is not only chased by a bunch of women, but by a group of rocks. The rock sequence was a pure accident of Keaton accidentally dislodging a rock, which made two other rocks tumble that was turned into a full on tumbling of (paper-mache and chicken wire) rocks going after him and the women that is so fun to watch. Seeing people getting knocked over by rocks is funny especially when you don't really see their pained reactions. There really isn't much story (Keaton must get married by 7pm on his 27th birthday to receive 7 million dollars), but the movie doesn't really drag too much, which makes the 56 minute run time worth it. The cast is entertaining enough, but the movie really is all about Buster Keaton and his acting-directing talent. It's no wonder why he is called the "The Great Stone Face", but it's also no wonder why he is still being watched to this very day.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Monster A Go-Go.

Review #756: Monster A Go-Go

Cast
Phil Morton (Col. Steve Connors), June Travis (Ruth), Peter M. Thompson (Dr. Chris Manning), Lorri Perry (Girl at Dance), and Henry Hite (Frank Douglas/The Monster). Directed by Bill Rebane and Herschell Gordon Lewis (#752 - Blood Feast)

Review
Happy Turkey Day, everyone. What better way to celebrate then with a movie...like this? Once again, I'm covering a movie riffed by MST3K (which will return in the near future), but this movie has an infamous legacy to begin with. Rebane ran out of money to make the film in 1961, but the story doesn't end here. Lewis needed a film to fill a double bill (Naturally, the first film was named Moonshine Mountain), and so he filmed a few extra scenes and dialogue to make the movie "whole". Isn't that a good sign, watching a movie made solely to make money. It's sad how a movie can be so boring, but it's also sad how a movie can look so boring as well. Nothing in this movie is interesting to watch, not even the Monster's makeup is interesting. Having narration (by "Sheldon Seymour", naturally) either means the movie has no foundation of plot on its own, or is a way to pad the movie out. In this case, the narration fulfills both. The first sign of trouble is not the tiny space capsule, nor the audio, nor the laughable song, but the steps in what appear to be a galaxy floor. Seeing those (space-looking) steps try to evoke terror set the tone for what is an awful movie. It's hard to pay attention to this movie largely because of how boring it is. You would have more fun actually looking for a turkey to eat. If this movie had a soundtrack, it would consist largely of pings, which is sadly the only thing in the movie that will stick with you.  I would recommend the MST3K version of this only because that features actual talent. This is a movie that would be an insult to movie making, but that would imply that this was actually meant as a movie to entertain. The ending might be the only thing one will remember from this, because of how awful it is.

If you are wondering, this is the ending.
As if a switch had been turned, as if an eye had been blinked, as if some phantom force in the universe had made a move eons beyond our comprehension, suddenly, there was no trail! There was no giant, no monster, no thing called "Douglas" to be followed. There was nothing in the tunnel but the puzzled men of courage, who suddenly found themselves alone with shadows and darkness! 

With the telegram, one cloud lifts, and another descends.  Astronaut Frank Douglas, rescued, alive, well, and of normal size, some eight thousand miles away in a lifeboat, with no memory of where he has been, or how he was separated from his capsule! Then who, or what, has landed here? Is it here yet? Or has the cosmic switch been pulled? Case in point: The line between science fiction and science fact is microscopically thin! You have witnessed the line being shaved even thinner! But is the menace with us? Or is the monster gone?

Yes, there was no monster. By that logic, there was no review of this movie. I was never here. I may have very well never existed. Movie Night may have been just a dream made by a teenager bored out of his mind during sleep that felt like nearly five years but was in reality just 10 minutes.

Or maybe the movie just stinks.

Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy turkey (or Turducken), cranberry sauce, stuffing (if you like it, anyway), potatoes (sweet or mashed), ham, dinner rolls, and whatever else you enjoy. And thank you for reading this.

Overall, I give it 0 out of 10 stars.

Starcrash.

Review #755: Starcrash.

Cast
Caroline Munro (Stella Star), Marjoe Gortner (Akton), Judd Hamilton (Elle), David Hasselhoff (Simon), Christopher Plummer (The Emperor), Joe Spinell (Count Zarth Arn), Robert Tessier (Thor), Nadia Cassini (Corelia), and Hamilton Camp (Voice of Elle) Directed by Luigi Cozzi.

Review
With lines like "Soon I will join you as your prince of darkness", "Full battle speed!", and "What in the universe?", how can you take this seriously? Answer: You don't. One could just pass this off as a Star Wars rip-off, but it is hard to ignore the fact that Christopher Plummer (playing an Emperor who isn't a villain) stars in it, reportedly only doing the role just so he could be in Rome. John Barry (composer of 11 Bond films) composed the film, which I admit is pretty cool. Right from the opening scene, the movie already looks like a ripoff of other, better science fiction films, but I started losing it when the crew was attacked by what appear to be pink bubbles. I have to admit, I had no clue about what I would see, and...this is one really weird movie. It only makes sense that David Hasselhoff is in this movie, though he only shows up in the last 40 minutes or so. It's funny how out of all the space-sounding names in this film, he gets the most simple one. I guess Simon is a real popular name in space. The effects are certainly noteworthy, mainly because while they aren't exactly good, I can't imagine a CGI version of this being any better. While the movie was released in America in 1979, apparently it was released first in West Germany, in December of 1978...I guess West Germany wanted it more. The acting in this movie is...over-the-top, but also very hilarious to watch. I especially love the interactions between Munro and Gortner, who seem to have a very animated face about everything. I especially like Elle, the robot with emotions (because...[Answer not found]) who sounds like a cowboy. Nothing about this movie is entirely original, but the movie is interesting to watch because of all the absurdities that go on. I especially love how Akton (the sidekick to Stella) suddenly has powers to deflect lasers with his hands, use laser swords, and know about the future, yet he apparently can't save himself from being killed by what are apparently robot golems. At the end of the day, I know it is a bad movie. And yet, I'd recommend checking it out, mainly so you can see the absurdity for yourself.

Overall, I give it 6 out of 10 stars.

The Peanuts Movie.

Review #754: The Peanuts Movie.

Cast
Noah Schnapp (Charlie Brown), Bill Melendez (Snoopy and Woodstock), Hadley Belle Miller (Lucy van Pelt), Mariel Sheets (Sally Brown), Francesca Capaldi (Little Red-Haired Girl and Frieda), Anastasia Bredikhina (Patty), Noah Johnston (Schroeder), Rebecca Bloom (Marcie), Mar Mar (Franklin Armstrong), William Alexander Wunsch (Shermy), Venus Schultheis (Peppermint Patty), Madisyn Shipman (Violet Gray), AJ Teece (Pig-Pen), Alexander Garfin (Linus van Pelt), and Kristin Chenoweth (Fifi) Directed by Steve Martino (#483 - Horton Hears a Who!)

Review
Prior to Charles Schulz's death in 2000, there had been four movies (#295 - A Boy Named Charlie Brown, #298 - Snoopy, Come Home, #424 - Race for Your Life, Charlie Brown, and #489 - Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!!) based on the famed comic strip. 15 years later, we have a new Peanuts movie, so I decided to see it to wonder if ol' Chuck can spruce up the same magic that has entertained the world for so long. For what it's worth, I thought it was enjoyable. Is it perfect? No. But then again, neither was Charlie Brown. The animation looks great, toeing the line of the traditional style while managing to stand out in its own way (in fact, some of the thought bubbles use the comic style). The movie retains the basic charm of what made Charlie Brown so likable even with all of his failures (such as never throwing a good fastball, flying a kite, or kicking a football)...and his attempts at trying to be a winner. Charlie's infatuation with the Little Red-Haired Girl is still there, but with a twist. For one thing, the Girl actually speaks, and I appreciate the fact that it wasn't just Charlie Brown trying (and failing) to get her attention. The movie doesn't take too much risks, but it at least is entertaining. Snoopy's scenes (most of which dealing with the Red Baron) are amusing enough, even if it almost comes off as a way to pad the movie a bit. The dialogue is reasonably balanced, never veering off the rails too much.While the movie lasts 93 minutes, it doesn't feel too short nor drag too badly. I enjoyed seeing the Peanuts gang again, especially Charlie, who is my favorite character. He's my favorite because he is easy to empathize with when he fails but when he does get in a victory ever so often, it is satisfying, even when it is simple as flying a kite. I always appreciated how hard he tried even when he failed because that made me want to try even with all the risks I had (and still have) in my life. I'd recommend it for any Peanuts fan because of the way it brings the magic back into the theater after all these years.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Sicario.

Review #753: Sicario.

Cast
Emily Blunt (Kate Macer), Benicio del Toro (Alejandro Gillick), Josh Brolin (Matt Graver), Daniel Kaluuya (Reggie Wayne), Maximiliano Hernández (Silvio), Victor Garber (Dave Jennings), Jon Bernthal (Ted), Jeffrey Donovan (Steve Forsing), and Raoul Trujillo (Rafael) Directed by Denis Villeneuve.

Review
Sicario (a term for hit man) is a tough movie to write words about. It's a good movie, I can say that much. But I can also say that it is not for everyone. The movie certainly had a mystique on me, given that it was the first R-rated film I saw in theaters. The movie had gone into full release in October, yet I was watching it in November, with not much of a crowd (six, including myself) but perhaps that made the movie a little more isolated and intriguing. The movie certainly deserves its R-rating, but it also deserves accolades as well. What we have here is a tense and brutally effective thriller that is both unrelenting and interesting to watch. The main three are brilliant in their own ways. Blunt is certainly a lead character we can identify with as an audience to follow with. As for del Toro, he always seems to lurk around but still manage to be interesting and entertaining to watch, especially as his story comes full circle. Brolin has a grimy charm to him that makes him enduring to watch as well. The movie isn't really about hunting down a villain as much it is about seeing the progression of our lead as she sees the methods Brolin and his team uses, especially with regards to del Toro. The movie works because the drama and action balance each other out really well, especially at the end with del Toro. It's a great movie to look at, especially the night vision scenes. Ultimately, this isn't a movie for the faint-hearted, but it is a good movie to watch for some entertainment that may make you think hours after you watch.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.