Reviews

I thoroughly enjoyed TV "Superman" George Reeves with Rosemary Lane as the girl he pursues and tries to "win over" from John Eldridge. George does play his out-of-work, contrarian, devil-may-care role "over the top," because that's JUST THE CHARACTER HE IS: a' la Cary Grant in Bringing Up Baby, Joel McCrea in Sullivan's Travel, etc. Imagine either of those two actors, Bob Cummings, Robert Young--any of these would have played the part the same. It's BOY meets GIRL, BOY loses GIRL and BOY wins GIRL back by being himself. Good supporting cast, too. With all the renewed interest in poor George via Hollywoodland, see this picture for yourself when it comes on Turner Classics again. You'll really enjoy it: the underdog, march-to-the-beat of his own drummer vs. the staid, safe world out there--who should a girl (and her parents) choose?Some clever dialogue about marriage, nifty mayoral race tactics and a love triangle to boot. GO SEE IT for yourself. It's NOT awful. It's pretty darn good, and only about an hour long!

What starts out as a most realistic and exciting Year 2000 "Invisible Man" eventually unwinds into a far-fetched, unbelievable story--show--of blood and gore. Josh Brolin gets "stuck" by rod and about frozen to death and/or bled to death but then--out of the literal "blue" he bounces back to fight Kevin Bacon. Bacon gets fried alive by flame thrower Elizabeth Shue (looked like about 80% 3rd degree burns to me!) but just keeps coming back. Then appeared to be electrocuted (maybe 4th degree burns this time--oh, but Bacon is hollow, so....) but is he through yet? Don't bet on it I would rather have seen the special effects needed for Bacon to attempt to "have his way' with his sexy next door neighbor whom he observes from his rear window into her rear window. Less violence to be sure. Other than this hollow conclusion with almost un-ending gore, the exciting, dazzling special effects DO hold one's interest. The "credit crawl" after the movie is entertaining, as well, with the pyro effects people and wild names of companies who assisted. Literally hundreds of special effects people credited.

I just happened upon this great little 1984 made-for-TV (ABC) movie starring Jeff Goldblum who is dead-on Ernie Kovacs. Great direction, music and even a cameo by Edie Adams (Ernie's widow, by whom this story is based)playing Mae West. Plus just watching all the 1950s cars go by. Nostalgia city!

Not only is the direction by veteran Lamont Johnson wonderful, but the casting by Lynn Stalmaster is just superb! The two Kovacs daughters are delightful (especially the younger's reply at the end to Ernie's admonition about still sucking her thumb!).

The picture captures the wacky, frenetic pace--and true life--that was Ernie Kovacs. How to film all this, with kids screaming "they want their mommy," and yet keep Goldblum and the Edie Adams actress true to their characters is marvelous.

Special commendation, too, to a real pro: Cloris Leachman, who plays Ernie's mother. Her walking around with no underwear and just long-sleave men's shirts, while speaking with a thick Hungarian accent and broken English, is just spellbinding.

Don't miss this great little movie when it's on: I had wanted to watch it because I thought it was a 2-hour Biography on A&E; instead, as a movie made for TV, it was almost a better biography (save for no beginning about Ernie or his tragic death in a car accident and later great help by Edie to pay all of his IRS and other debts).

Steve Allen's first motion picture is rarely seen or shown on TV in most markets (I have *never* seen it in Los Angeles, for example, but did see it originally in Phoenix, AZ eons ago. Released in 1949 (black and white), Steverino is his young, wacky self but, as I recall, without even his glasses back then.

He basically introduces a bunch of old Mack Sennett shorts (thus, a great primer and intro for those who have never seen such fare before)-- the best by far is "The Dentist" with W.C. Fields. Also continuing running gag with Ben Turpin about ever-expanding boiler about to burst. Mabel Normand, even Mack Sennett at the end. What with all these classic gems and really young Steve Allen to boot, don't miss it if comes your way or shows up on late, late nite TV. I don't believe it's available on videotape, either. Too bad.

Definitely worth your time.

Talk about a wasted cast: Jean Simmons, Sandy Dennis and Jason Robards--a mailman who decides to become.....a tree! Director Pancho Kohner, who later made a number of Charles Bronson vigilante films like St. Ives, really went out on a limb to make this dreck. Don't waste your time--this one is SO bad it's not even funny to watch. Really embarrassing.

Future U.S. President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy, was supposedly often on the set captivated by Gene Tierney, just as was Clifton Webb, Dana Andrews and Vincent Price in this film noir black and white classic with one of the best motion picture songs throughout to boot! Number of twists and turns with the usual suspects like Vincent Price. Webb is marvelous; whether taking a bath or visiting Laura Hunt for the first time: "announce me, boy!" A definite C-L-A-S-S-I-C!! Do NOT miss it.

Originally made in 3-D, this is another of Columbia's black & white releases of this genre (like Vincent Price in the Mad Magician). 3-D process and numerous subjective camera techniques (like scapels used in operation coming out at the screen, bullets firing at speeding cars, whirling around car rides at an amusement park, etc.)make this interesting viewing and out of the ordinary story about a thug who can't remember anything about his $130,000 heist after brain surgery.

For Americans, it might take a "wee bit" of getting use to the Scottish accents, but this loopy, off-beat picture is so good and so entertaining, the viewer just sits back and takes it all in. Two boys who work at a Magic Store by day make their own "magic" as they rob tourist buses after work. Ned Beatty is fine, as always. This film is a real gem: the kind you just wish would get more publicity so that so many more would see and enjoy it. Savor it--and tell your friends!

For those that enjoy pure escapism like Field of Dreams, Blue Lagoon, etc., this film is a "must." Poitier and Cassavettes are great, as are the rest of the British cast. Actually filmed in the BVI, who wouldn't enjoy a delightful tale of a "boy meets girl," "girl leaves boy on cruise ship," and then "boy convinces girl to jump overboard and marry him to live on island he just purchased?" Wow!! With "Man Friday" Poitier and his girlfriend as able assistants, really well done picture of what living life on an actual island would be like. Even to the point of mother-in-law coming to visit. A must see picture!

Yet another Frank Tashlin (a former cartoonist) farce, set in LA on Christmas Eve with juvenile delinquent Debbie Reynolds (as perky and as cute as ever) consigned to old Oscar-winner Dick Powell--with the late Alvy Moore as his kookie sidekick, Virgil. Dated now with early 1950s song and look (dig that crazy sports car Powell drives), "real nervous" dialogue, etc. but something still comfy and fun about it--especially to watch on Christmas Eve. Look for great cameo at end by Red Skelton. Oh yes, and *I* like dill pickles and peanut butter!!

Maybe it's just me, but I am a "sucker' for these goofy films predicated on a chance meeting between the opposite sexes and what happens next! A sophisticated architect meets a gal, chases up the Empire State Building to catch her, does so and then......well, you'll just have to watch to find out what quirky things happen next. Suffice to say that Holden and Niven are great, and who would have expected the Catholic Legion of Decency to issue a "C" condemned rating for this film when Holden had actually said "no" to his girlfriend? A must-see on the history of motion picture ratings, if nothing else.

Filmed in the beautiful British Virgin Islands, a charming fairy-tale type story of guy who meets girl, seemingly loses her, then gets her to literally jump overboard and marry him! After buying a small, uninhabited island, Cassavetes and his "Man-Friday" (Poitier) build a dream house for???? The newlyweds? Their family? Poitier? Really a truly enjoyable little picture: you buy the premise, you "buy" the island--and the story!

Reviewer Varlaam is "right on" about the gracious appreciation of audiences who watch House of Wax in its original 3-D. They LOVE IT!! Of course, the glasses are a bit cumbersome. At a wonderful screening a few years on the Paramount lot, where Andre' De Toth later appeared for Q & A, some audience member at the outset yelled "focus" to the projectionist--apparently not correctly wearing his 3-D glasses or whatever. Remarkable that one-eyed De Toth could make such a classic. Also, that near-the-end, from out-of-the-apparent-audience 3-D effect, is just F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C!!

Wonderfully unpredictable movie, with fine direction and acting and nice film score. Lemmon should direct more often. Viewer never knows what is going to happen next, although expectation Matthau may die or get killed. Great movie on aging, uplifting and superbly directed, acted and written. A real "10."