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Reviews
The Big Valley: The Death Merchant (1966)
Handy Random
This episode was so well-written and well-acted it holds up splendidly to this very day.
James Whitmore is Handy Random, who in spite of his clownish, droll air and comical mule, carries such an aura of sociopathic, pure evil hovering around him he is positively chillling. He has no morals or loyalties and no empathy for anyone and is willing to kill anyone if the price is right.
Royal Dano gives his usual excellent performance, here as the rigid yet upstanding patriarch Craddock, and watching this makes me nostalgic for the days of memorable and wonderful character actors.
The end of this episode was very tense and wonderfully filmed. I love this whole series, but this episode truly stands out so well it really could have been made into a TV movie.
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
Seriously?
I started to watch this and was dazzled by the gorgeous visuals. When we got to the part where we are supposed to buy that DeHane, who looks like a 13-year old who hasn't slept for a month, is a "ladykiller" I gave up. Maybe in some galaxy je would be highly desirable, but I can't imagine where that would be. I can't comment on the rest of the movie since I saw no reason to continue.
The Twilight Zone: Execution (1960)
Enjoyable up until the end
Having written a story about Old west characters being transported to the 1960s myself, I really liked this concept. Albert Salmi was great as the amoral and violent murderer, who is thrown for a loop by the racket, lights and bustle of modern downtown New York. Him thinking the TV cowboy aiming a gun at him was quite realistic, considering audiences at the 1903 movie, "The Great Train Robbery" also were alarmed at the actor pointing a gun at the camera, thinking they would be shot.
The plot contrivance of Russell Johnson's scientist telling Salmi's brutal character - with whom he was alone and defenseless - he would send him back to the hangman's rope was not credible, but necessary to have Salmi attack the scientist.
The ending, where we see a scrawy little crook overcome the hulking Salmi and strangle him in mere seconds with a blind cord ruined this ep for me. It was not just unlikely, but nonsensical. Personally I would have preferred to see Salmi maybe fall out the window and accidentally hang himself to show you can't escape your fate, but of course that would have meant excluding the last scene.
Deep Blue Sea 2 (2018)
Not even cheesy fun!
I admit there are times I enjoy a big, dumb, action/CGI-packed movie on a snowy Sunday, but this is not it.
From the marine biologist/shark expert who dresses in very tight, very short shorts, always displays cleavage and looks like a pole dancer, to the sharks chirping, screeching and snarling (gee, sharks, even very intelligent ones, have NO vocal cords) to the dire, hammy, amateur acting and cringe-worthy dialogue, this was not even enjoyable as a guilty pleasure.
I rather enjoyed the first movie. This one has nothing going for it and appears to be a cheap money grab. I watched this for free and still turned it off halfway through.
I do feel bad for the actors, but I guess everyone has to make a living.