Reviews

Oh, what the hell.... I certainly won't argue with the obvious fact that The Matrix did contain some very fine moments of CGI excellence, but I will argue with the fact that every single character in this film was less than likable (some clearly less likable than others). And because of that painfully plain truth The Matrix only rates 5 stars.

In particular, it was The Oracle who I thought to be nothing but a big, pudding-faced phony, baking her stale cookies and cheerfully dispensing away with her worthless "kitchen-counter" prophecies and laughable "dime-store" philosophy as if it were all to be taken at face value by gullible fools, like the stubborn, thick-skulled Morpheus.

And, on top of that, no one can tell me that NYC has such an incredibly vast and spacious sewer system that a literal fleet of ships the size of the Nebuchadnezzur can actually get lost within them for days and days on end, while scouting around for who-knows-what (?).

"Finding Vivian Maier" was certainly one of the more interesting documentaries that I've seen in quite a while.

Eccentric, secretive, enigmatic - Vivian Maier (who, besides being nanny) was also an amateur street-photographer with an exceptionally acute "photographic-eye".

To me, the most surprising thing about Vivian was that throughout her lifetime she never once showed her photographic work to anyone (and yet her output was phenomenal). Yes. Vivian was so private, yet so prolific.

Through interviews with members of the families whom Vivian had worked for from the late-1950s, onwards, the viewer gets a somewhat clearer picture as to who Vivian Maier really was.

But, the truth is, we will never, ever know the real story of the "real" Vivian Maier (who, sadly enough, died in 2009 in a state of poverty).

If you're someone who has (or suspects you have) an eating disorder, then I would certainly recommend that you give "Thin" a serious view.

This documentary certainly does open one's eye to how really critical this problem is in the USA, alone. It's estimated that eating disorders affect millions (especially teen-aged girls) all across the American nation, and beyond.

The one thing that I found to be on the somewhat ironic side of "Thin" was that a number of the employees (both men and women) who worked at the Renfrew Center (where a good portion of this documentary was filmed) were, indeed, grossly overweight. This, in turn, showed yet another form of eating disorder and greatly contrasted the super-thin look of the patients who were in residence there.

All-in-all - I found a good part of this documentary to be on the depressing side, and so, in the long run, I wasn't able to fully appreciate the grave message that it was trying to deliver.

Starring an exuberant, fresh-faced Elizabeth Taylor (only 12 years old at the time), National Velvet (which is now 70 years old) is certainly one of the less dated family pictures from that particular era of Hollywood movie-making.

In a small, English, coastal town (in the 1920s) it's summer holidays for the Brown children. And when a beautiful, chestnut-coloured horse (who Velvet christens "The Pie") enters into the story, the scenario immediately transforms into a "dream-come-true" when Mi Taylor convinces the wide-eyed Velvet to enter this magnificent steed into the Grand National race being held at Aintree.

This first-rate production was expertly directed by Clarence Brown.

Here's a film where the rapport and chemistry between the actors was right on the mark. Here's a story where all of the characters were quite likable and the viewer finds themselves cheering Velvet on to victory, as if it were the most natural reaction of all.

So, whether you happen to be a enthusiastic horse-hugger, or not, National Velvet is a vintage, Hollywood gem that you're bound to enjoy, time and again.

Whether you happen to be a serious horse-hugger, or not, 1994's "Black Beauty" (impressively directed by Caroline Thompson) is an emotionally-charged tale that I'm sure will tug on your heart-strings in a very special way.

Beautifully photographed by Alex Thomson, "Black Beauty's" story of trust and betrayal (which was based on Anna Sewell's novel of the same name) was set in England in the late-1800s.

As the viewer is soon to find out - Awaiting the magnificent, black stallion in this top-notch story are both good times and bad times - And, yes, as well, there are times for this fine steed that are sure to break your heart (if you have one).

Regardless of your age, I guarantee that "Black Beauty" will, most certainly, leave you moved by its first-rate story-telling.

Below are 2 quotes from actor Anthony Perkins who had played the pivotal role of Norman Bates in Hitchcock's "Psycho". I think these quotes are sure to be of some interest to anyone who is at all familiar with this film and its legacy to the genre of horror.

(1) "Hitchcock thought of Psycho (1960) as a comedy. When it first came out, it was greeted with screams of laughter. People laughed all the way through, so much so that he declared it was the first time he had ever been out-thought by an audience. He knew it was going to be funny, but he didn't realize it was going to be that funny."

(2) "Not many people know this, but I was in New York rehearsing for a play when the shower scene was filmed in Hollywood. It is rather strange to go through life being identified with this sequence knowing that it was my double. Actually, the first time I saw Psycho and that shower scene was at the studio."

.... Well, there you have it.

1967's In Cold Blood is really quite a remarkable and riveting motion picture in many ways. Even today, nearly 50 years later, this is certainly one unique film-experience that still holds up very well.

Impressively filmed in a semi-documentary style, In Cold Blood tells the true-life story of 2 young men who senselessly murder the Clutter family for a large sum of money that was supposed to be hidden in a safe in their Kansas farmhouse.

Masterfully directed by Richard Brooks, this compelling picture was based on Truman Capote's book of the same name. The film's exceptional b&w camera-work was done by Conrad Hall.

For anyone who's interested in seeing a fine example of first-rate movie-making from the 1960s, I recommend this picture very highly.

If you enjoy crazy "rampaging monster" movies from the 1950s, then 20 Million Miles To Earth is sure to give you an extra-satisfying adrenaline rush with its top-notch special effects by Ray Harryhausen.

As the story goes - The 1st spaceship to Venus crashes into the sea off the coast of Sicily. Its only 2 survivors are its pilot and a fast-growing Venusian monster who doesn't hesitate to fight back when frightened.

With an intelligent, fast-paced script - This Creature Feature's wild climax takes place at a showdown between monster and man in the Colosseum in Rome.

20 Million Miles To Earth's running time is only 82 minutes.

To date, I have now seen every single episode from all 6 seasons of the "I Love Lucy" TV show from the 1950s. And, by far, I rate Season 4 as being the absolute best season of them all.

In fact, I'd quite confidently say that when it came to the show's superiority in the realm of its hilarious scriptwriting, Season 4 was, without question, the ultimate peak of Sit-Com perfection.

It was especially when the Ricardos and the Mertzes arrived in Hollywood, USA that this show's scriptwriters proved themselves to be at the absolute pinnacle of their craft by creating incomparably uproarious situations for Lucille Ball and her fellow cast members to indulge themselves in.

This review of mine is my respectful tribute to writers Bob Carroll Jr., Madelyn Pugh, and Jess Oppenheimer who, as a team, surely must have worked like fiends behind the scenes as they wrote one memorable episode of priceless, 1950's comedy after another.

I would also like to take this moment to salute and pay honour to director William Asher who was the one responsible for knowing exactly how to handle the script-material given to him and then mould the actors perfectly into the characters which they inevitably became. Even today, 60 years later, the "I Love Lucy" show still remains, on all levels, one of the most unique and unforgettable programs in all of television history, bar none.

Yes. This 1961 Supernatural-Thriller certainly had its fair share of good points, as well as its not so good points.

The one thing that really impressed me about this particular ghost story was that it delivered its eerie, little story quite effectively without spilling even a single drop of blood.

I think that, alone, earns The Innocents some rightful and respectful recognition in the realm of "horror". 'Cause, even way back in 1961, a fright flick could never be expected to hold the viewer's rapt attention without the necessity of blood & gore.

Anyways - With strong performances given by all of its principal cast members, I thought that the overall subtlety of The Innocents' sinister and nightmarish tale was quite impressive. And I wasn't in the least bit disappointed with this supernatural story as it slowly, but surely, unravelled its mystery of mounting madness that seemed to rise from the depths of a very dark and curious netherworld.

Favorite Movie Quote: "Whadda ya think I am? Dumb? - Or, something!?"

Of course, today, not a lot of people realize just how many Hollywood actors' careers were completely ruined back in 1927 by the coming of sound. Believe me, the number was not small.

In a nutshell, these famous actors of the Silent Era may have projected plenty of that wonderful thing called "charisma" onto the silver screen, but when it came to their voices (ugh!), they were atrocious!

Actors such as the super-dashing leading man, John Gilbert, with his laughable, high-pitched lisp, and the ultra-chic beauty, Barbara La Marr, with her horrendous Bronx honk, were literally laughed right off the screen when their voices were finally heard by movie-audiences all across the nation.

In Singin' In The Rain, actress Jean Hagen is absolutely priceless as Lena Lamont, the seductive superstar of silent films. I mean, Lena may have looked like a million bucks, but, whoa, when that babe opened her trap, man, she had a voice that could literally rupture eardrums from 50 paces. No kidding.

Hagen's "Lena" was a prime example of an actress whose career was, most surely, destined for the axe once "Talkies" took over in 1927.

All-In-All - Singin' In The Rain ranks right up there as one of the greatest and most entertaining Hollywood Musicals of all-time. Even if "Musicals" aren't your thing, you'll find it near impossible not to enjoy this high-energy, non-stop spectacle of song, dance, and comedy.

Singin' In The Rain is a fond recreation of that bygone movie-making era when the flourishing Hollywood film industry was making its shaky transition into the greatest sensation of all - Talking pictures.

The entire cast in this film are all absolutely first-rate, with everyone putting in a stellar performance from start to finish.

My favourite musical number was "Broadway Melody".

Originally released as an IMAX presentation - "The Alps" (with its 45-minute running time) was an alright (but certainly not great) documentary. It chronicled John Harlin's treacherous climb (in 2005), 14,000 feet up the North Face of the Eiger mountain range, located in Switzerland.

Since 1935 - This particular range of hazardous mountains has claimed the lives of at least 64 climbers, including John Harlin's father who met his death there 40 years earlier, in 1966.

What I found to be the most impressive aspect of "The Alps" was its first-rate camera-work, especially that of the surrounding scenery, showing the green valleys and placid-looking settings of the Swiss towns situated at the base of the Alps.

When it comes to being an all-round sport - This sweet, animated short (25 minutes) from 1975, has our young, pumpkin-headed protagonist, Charlie Brown, going in for such all-American, pastime activities as tennis, baseball, football, and, yes, even dirt-biking.

Of course, being good, ol' Charlie Brown (the ultimate blockhead) failure just seems to be his destiny in any sports arena. But whatever he tackles, you can always be sure that Charlie Brown can be counted on to plunge into any given activity with the winning spirit of a real loser.

This particular short was an Emmy Award winner. Its creator, Charles M. Shulz, is considered to be one of the most influential cartoonist of all time.

Sad to say - On Feb. 12. 2000, Charles M. Shulz, 77 at the time, died of cancer.

Favorite movie quote - "Remember you're a drag queen."

Hey! Are you ready for a 1980's movie about a woman pretending to be a man pretending to be a woman?? Well, kiddies, here's Victor/Victoria for you in all of its gender-deception glory.

Containing plenty of bitchy remarks, sarcastic banter, and some very choice moments of zany, slapstick comedy, Victor/Victoria is a sexual charade of sorts that, for the most part, held up fairly well considering its subject matter.

Set in Gay Paree (Paris) in 1934, a couple of this film's absolute highlights were - (1) Watching Lesley Ann Warren chew up the scenery as the gold-digging, blond bimbo, Norma Cassady - and - (2) Julie Andrews, as the gay deceiver, Victoria Grant, really belting it out in the "Le Jazz Hot!" musical number.

On the down side - This Comedy/Farce ran on for far too long at 2 hours and 13 minutes. And the unwelcome, cornball romance that got inserted into the story was basically all fizzle and no spark.

OK. Let's talk about dogs (aka. man's, and woman's, best friend).

When it comes to big dogs, little dogs, good dogs, bad dogs - If you love your dog, then this informative, and often amusing, documentary from A&E tells you, in a nutshell, everything you've ever wanted to know about the celebrated world of "canine culture" and what the barking is all about.

Dogs are, of course, considered to be the ultimate domesticated animal. Through their endless capacity for unconditional love and devotion, dogs, today, have become the #1 pet the world over.

From war heroes, to Frisbee champs, to Hollywood celebrities, dogs come in all shapes and sizes, whose warm (and sometimes wacky) personalities have won the hearts and the respect of men and women for many-many centuries.

Ancestors of the wolf, it is estimated that dogs have been living amongst man for approximately 14,000 years.

Listen to historians and trainers, alike, who openly discuss this beast's sometimes peculiar habits as they give their insights into what your dog is "really" thinking.

Arf! Arf! It's not all just barking up the wrong tree, you know.

Favorite movie quote - "He may not know how to fly this plane, but he's sure got guts!"

When discussing any movie, we all know the old, familiar saying that goes - "It was so bad that it was so good." - Right? - Well, believe me, when it comes to 1957's Zero Hour!, this well-known expression, pretty much, sums up its story in a literal nutshell.

On top of some brilliantly-timed, unintentional humour (just wait till you see what the scriptwriters have character Ted Stryker doing in order to save his dysfunctional marriage), Zero Hour!, surprisingly enough, was an oddly entertaining "Disaster-In-The-Air" drama whose absurd story is played out with such straight-faced seriousness that the viewer can't help but get a kick out of its comical irony.

What makes this particular low-budget production even more appealing, to someone like myself, is that this perilous flight across the skies starts out in Winnipeg and ends up in Vancouver. (Yes, Vancouver!!) Zero Hour! has got to be one of the very few Hollywood productions to ever base its entire story in Canadian territory, be it either on land, or in the air.

All-in-all - If one doesn't take Zero Hour's story at all seriously, then they're bound to enjoy it for all that its high-flying nuttiness is worth.

1946's The Jolson Story (in all of its lush, Technicolor glory) may not have been an accurate depiction of entertainer Al Jolson's life, per se, but, in the long run, it was still quite an engaging production (in a kitsch sort of way).

Corny, nostalgic and very sentimental, The Jolson Story is a film that is certainly true to form when it comes to the likes of being your typical 1940's Bio-picture.

With its $3 million budget (which was obviously well-spent on its numerous, lavishly-staged musical numbers, and such), I give a lot of credit to actor Larry Parks who played Jolson (as an adult) in the story. Parks' exuberant and likable portrayal, along with his seamless lip-syncing of Jolson's songs, were, to me, what clearly helped carry The Jolson Story successfully along to its unbelievable "happy ending" nonsense.

*Note* - Back in his heyday, Al Jolson was dubbed "The World's Greatest Entertainer". At the peak of his career he was America's most famous and highest-paid entertainers, bar none.

In 1950, at the age of 64, Al Jolson died from a massive heart attack.

Favorite Movie Quote: "The kindest thing that I ever did was not bumping you off right away, Miss Lois Lane."

This classic Superman flick from 1950 contains some of the most hilarious, unintentional humour that I've ever come across.

In this flick things get blown up, real good, especially trucks and cars. And with the added bonus of super-cheap special effects, it all serves to heighten every minute of the B-Grade Fun.

In Atom Man Vs. Superman we find Lex Luthor (secretly Atom Man) once again blackmailing the city of Metropolis. This time Luthor threatens to destroy the entire community by carefully aiming his powerful Thermo Gun (with its suction ray) on the city's skyscrapers.

Perry White, editor of The Daily Planet Newspaper, assigns Lois Lane, Jimmy Olsen and Clark Kent to cover the story. Naturally, it's our hero Superman who ends up saving the day.

In this classic, 3 Stooges, comedy-short from 1940, Curly, Larry & Moe, of Minute Menders Inc., offer the public, from the convenience of their vehicle, cut-rate repair work while-u-wait.

In an attempt to dodge the wrath of angry construction workers whose lunch-pails they deliberately punctured with holes (for the sake of business), our 3 crazy guys get themselves hired on by Apex Construction, claiming to be "the best riveters who ever riveted".

Hoisted up to the 97th floor of a building still only a shell, The Three Stooges waste no time fouling things up as only they could possibly foul things up (with, the usual, guaranteed hilarious results).

Featuring all of their trademark shenanigans (face-slaps, eye-pokes, belly-wallops, and all), How High Is Up? is yet another first-rate example of Three Stooges' slapstick-comedy at its laughable best.

3.... 2.... 1!

Yes. I'll admit that these Colonel Bleep cartoons from 1956 are far from being great, but, all the same, their sometimes-educational stories of interplanetary adventure did have a cute charm all of their own.

These decidedly low-budget, limited-animation cartoons contained almost no dialogue at all between its characters. With the aid of sound effects, most of the stories were told through voice-over narration from actor Noah Tyler.

Colonel Bleep is a futuristic E.T. life-form from the planet Futura. Bleep has set up headquarters here on Earth on Zero-Zero Island, which is positioned on this planet's equator.

Bleep's 2 sidekicks in the show are his loyal space deputies, Squeek, the mute puppet-boy, and Scratch, a caveman recently awakened after several thousand years of deep sleep.

Together this brave trio battle intergalactic villains who pose a serious and immediate threat to the peace & safety of the universe.

It's quite clear that these full-colour cartoons are definitely geared to children, but I still liked them enough to give them a 6-star rating for their nostalgic value.