Change Your Image
dmraci
Reviews
Bombers B-52 (1957)
Might have been decent Airforce movie of 50s except for weird dating
Seriously Jim Herlihy Air force colonel, who would be what at 22 years in the service for than rank, 40 ish in age and starts to court Air Force Sgt. Chuck Brenna pretty young daughter, just out of high school?
And this clown of a Colonel thinks there is nothing wrong with fraternizing down the ranks?
Seriously, no one finds this weird? The writers were OK with this nonsense?
The scenes of the tarmac, the B52, the bit of 50s lifestyle is interesting, but that love story is just a little too much.
I just can't rewatch this thing because of the 20 plus age different, I'm surprised of the lack of reviews on this major plot point.
Too much rob the cradle for me.
Midway (2019)
Unbelievable bad
Absolutely the worst WW II film ever.
So much bad CGI, it seems like a cartoon. This is a little acting wrapped around CGI,
too much CGI .
The script, it's just a bunch of pieced together crap, tired rehashed one liners, no real continuity in the flow of the characters, lives, action.
There is no feeling here these are real conversations going on here, no normal conversation, it's just piece meal Law in Order moments, right before those chimes sound, their light bulb moment of what to do next, cut to commercial, here it's CGI.
You don't care a damn about these cardboard characters, they are lifeless, and they have no personality, or I should say they all have the same deliverance.
It reminds me of watching a bunch of Woodrow Tiberius Boyd's, especially the voices of the officers, put in uniform, with every conversation some Clinton Eastwood whispers, throat delivery by all.
Just so bad a script, badly directed, CGI that is laughable, acting one trick pony for all. The dull script, the Disney like Pirate's of the Caribbean's repetitive GCI battle sequences, remember those endless skeleton fights that just keep coming, makes you root for the Japanese.
Tracy Spencer once told Burt Reynolds after asking him what he did for a living, answer acting, he told Burt don't let anyone catch him at it. Same with CGI,when you can tell the gunners are firing at a green screen, because that carrier, planes of CGI added after is clearly not real, well, it's not a movie anymore.
The Longest Night (1936)
Good late night mystery
It reminds me of a radio play, where voice, the dialogue carries it. It moves at a fair chip.
The department store, for those of us that remember individually owned ones, the vibe, where you were waited on, just a wonderful background, like a crime in a museum.
Seeing Sidney Tolar is an added bonus.
Captain Kronos: Vampire Hunter (1974)
What a sleeper.
Reminds me of movies like Hammer "Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell". Where Hammer studio was trying to extend these old great movie themes.
That title will keep you from probably watching, I thought, great, yet another unbearable vampire movie, but surprise, it's an old school Hammer Film.
If you want that endless CGI crap, Van Helsing Director: Stephen Sommers, some road warrior crap, or Disney Pirates of the Caribbean with skeletons that just keep coming and coming nothing kills them, until it's mind numbing, this isn't your movie.
It's well acted, well directed, music typical of its breed, aka era it mimics, it's plot is a fresh vampire take, doesn't fall back to either Universal studios, or an old Hammer plot, it's fun, for us Hammer fans, highly recommended if you are old school horror.
The leads are not quite as flamboyant the great Peter Wilton Cushing, who is, Crushing to me was the rare character actor lead, like Basil Rathbone, Peter Lorre, just seeing them you fell into the campy schtick.
I think this type of movie plays to the adult-child in us, an adult Goose Bump. You just turn off reality and enjoy the comic book romp.
The people never mentioned, the supporting actors are great, and they are usually the glue to this kind of movie, these people make or break a film like this, they all play it straight, it's worthy of a 50-60 late Friday night 11 PM or midnight TV feature show.
I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
Well it's pure Film Noir, major spoiler from me.
It's got all the markings of a great Film Noir, including the unfortunate, the all to real police, less then admirable trying to convict the wrong guy by that always "gets results" cop.
I'm not going to review this movie, there is a lot to like about it, just from a technical point, the black and white lighting is classic, the director, the editing, the story moves along, now here is where I will spoil it, it's the soundtrack.
Gee, "Somewhere over the Rainbow, over and over and over in some slightly morphed fashion,peppered throughout, I just can't stand to rewatch this thing. Other music outside of this over played tune seems an awkward fit, more like in a Three Stooges or Laurel and Hardy skit.
It's worth watching, it's just pure Noir, mostly films at night, it's just that soundtrack.
The Swarm (1978)
Reminds me of the poor movies, TV, Hallmark movies of the 70s
Awful, seems just to have been made to showcase old movie stars, it's just a patchwork of unrealistic skits put together, to showcase this star studded bonanza. Great old movie actors like Fred MacMurray
aka Clarence, his contrived bit, that love finds Clarence, gee, to set up the, bet you didn't see it coming, train wreck.
Since when do passenger cars burst into flames when crashing ? Sadly, I think this was Fred MacMurray's last film.
Even in Hogans Heroes, the train scenes blowing them up looked more integrated, The Thunderbirds are Go are freshly superior to this film.
It is just as bad as for Slim Pickens, who when giving a decent script is an excellent actor, look no further then Dr. Strangelove, 1942. But here shows up demanding to be let into the army base or he'll turn the water off.
Your army base is basically being directed by the President, you got basically a national emergency, you have armed guards, and you going to, you are a general, going to let this guy dictate to you?
Yes invite him and put him in irons, thrown into a holding area. But oh, no, no false drama with that, so let's go with this crazy crap 10 minute subplot.
No, not this general who seems completely impotent, with this civilian yet but going against Michael Caine's character has this idiotic arcane cartoon military standard of control freak until he is ordered otherwise.
Henry Fonda, oh my, you know how they make a Master take tape, then react everything for close ups? Cut aways?
You ever hear the story of Burt Reynolds meeting Spencer Tracy? Tracy was doing a movie on an adjacent set and Burt would purposely head over there at 5 o'clock when Tracy always quit work. Tracy finally spotted him called him over and ask what was it that he did, even though Burt was dressed up in a little boatman outfit. Burt said he was trying to be an actor, Tracy told him, well don't let anyone ever catch you at it..
And that's the problem here, you don't believe for one minute Henry Fonda, is working on anything, you see, feel the editing, acting, you feel that Fonda is just a scene acted out somewhere and just pieced in, it feels like you need Henry Fonda, so you find an old movie outtake with the scene you want, splice it in.
Now for the kid, kids in this movie, do you know why everybody loved Leave it to Beaver, Wally and the Beaver acted like real kids, this kid, and kids, well, it's Little House on the Prairie meets The Hallmark Channel circa 1970s Murder She Wrote, throw in some Partridge Family.
I guess how they got Fred McMurray, Henry Fonda, Slim Pickens in this movie is they were only sent the part of the script they were in, they never read the whole thing, that is how this movie comes off as, it is piecemeal crap.
My suggestion for making a movie like this? Write it like a radio script, air, product it once as such, write that script up into an old school comic book form, then write the movie script from those two things.
Want to see how a movie like this should be made, watch The Day of the Triffids, circa 1951. Even though those plants move at the speed of a snail, I believe that more so than over Fonda's cure work, that movie works.
The Night of the Comet, is another movie that works, look at the kids in that one, compared to this half baked turkey.
Peyton Place (1957)
I avoided this movie because I remember the TV series, thanks, but no thanks.
A nasty, sex laden, nasty gossiping version of Our Town with scenery, or Mayberry NC.
I am shocked this was made in the 1950s, now did it get by censors?
I'm not usually into this kind of melodrama, but, if you can forget the stuff you see today, allow yourself to view it from a 1940s audience coming forward, this is a remarkable film.
Lovely Norm Rockwell like film with people with major issues and flaws.
Even Lorne Greene, may he RIP, is a nasty in this thing, and that is saying something.
You can see this is a turning point in Hollywood film marking. I recommend viewing it as the classic it is, I can only imagine what the book is like.
It's beautiful filmed, old school well acted, it doesn't get any better, it's just not a nice place to live.
The Haunting (1999)
This is unwatchable
The dialogue in this movie is just awful, the contrived situations; and the creepiness is gone out of this thing, the pace of this is too fast, just rushing through it, like page flipping, it has the feel of film a scene, then piece in the next, you can almost hear Action, Cut.
It's just a collective collection of bad writing, with the actors doing the best they can, I blame the writers and the director.
The original told a story precisely, meticulously, feeling the main character slowly becoming absorbed in the house, it stuck to the book rather well, it left out the trip to the creek, some greenhouse stuff, my guess to fit the time run for a movie, and as I say, changed about midway, but still it worked, this doesn't tell much of a story, it's not even Scooby Doo worthy.
The original was like Carnival of Souls (1962), slow, methodical, no huge special effects, I can't believe they had Bruce MacLeish Dern in this thing.
The original is an excellent movie although I dislike the second half when compared to the book, at the point the wife shows up it's like a total rewrite, still if you haven't read the book it would not both you.
So, do yourself a favor, get the book, it's one of the best horror stories ever written, well in the same league as Something Wicked this Way Comes, I had put off reading it, big mistake, you will enjoy the totally different personality of the doctor's wife.she keeps the story rolling.
The Fastest Guitar Alive (1967)
What was someone thinking?
Man, it pains me but this is a bad Elvis movie, even by the Colonel's standards, it's the whole single premise of the story, of the fastest guitar alive. No it's not a spoiler it's in the movie title.
The music is so so but still, it's worth a watch to see a young Roy Orbison, that wonderful unappreciated voice is there.
RIP County boy........
The world misses that three-octave glass-shattering falsetto range.
Mercy.....
Hot Rod Gang (1958)
I fnd this movie insufferable
OK, was this a spoof, documentary, parody, comedy?
I don't care, it's like some person 2 generations removed from the era used it for an excuse to write up every cliché for some subculture. It's just too hip, let's rumble, to cool Daddy O, to be cool, the moments of Father Knows Best revelations thrown in and you get vomit in the back of the throat.
There is really no character development other then moron, senseless, self absorption. More then likely this what the movie was meant to be, I just don't find in interesting, humorous, nor entertaining, the music isn't that good.
If you like the Beach Party movies you will like these series of movies, as for me, I kept watching my watch, wondering the run time.
MythBusters: The Search (2017)
Unbelievable bad and not in a good way
I agree with another posted review, these people are trying too hard, the fake enthusiasm, trying to mimic the old cast is just hard to stomach. Rewatching the same old myths is boring and judging them like Survivor with your vote, voting them off for some silly judgmental reason just doesn't cut it.
Find someone who is reluctant to be in front of the camera, experience in the special effects business and a sidekick wing man with some TV experience, like the old cast and just go with it, instead of this faux talent show.
What was it that SpencerTracy said to a young actor when he asked him what he did, the guy replied I'm an actor ", Tracy said "Well, don't let anyone catch you at it".
That's the problem here. You catch them constantly acting.
Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)
Spoiler, Watchable but that's about it.
Man, just too much be my pal, my daddy left me at an early age, feel sorry for me, come together as a family bit, overly sugar coating. Oh, here is a song to make your leg feel better.
Was this thing supposed to be in 3D? I have only seen it on TV, but it definitely has staged awkward shots. That stupid throw the berries at my pulsating Pecs, "feed them", comes to mind, looks like it's just here for some nonexistent 3D, it comes off as just creepy, disturbing, too. This is totally pointless.
The story line isn't Jules Verne worthy. I take issue with fire melting rocks surrounding you in water and you are not boiled like a lobster. An island that breaks apart on a cycle and reappears with a stone city enacted? What Hogwarts magic is this? This isn't even a good comic book story.
My guess, preteens would enjoy it, adults could sit through it, this movie is just too much broken dysfunction family and it's all fixed by this yawn, it's too heavy handed, in your face with this, with a fantasy movie barely intruding on that.
"So, who's up for an adventure ", not me with this franchise. I rated as a 5, that is generous, the acting is not bad given the material. your kids could be watching worse.
Garfield in Disguise (1985)
One of the best Halloween cartoons
This one I remember back, way back. It's a well written, well animated, excellently voiced Halloween special. Adults can actually watch it for the plot. It has a wonderful mood to it.
Not like the junk we see today, like the stuff that gets computer cranked out.
Unfortunately it never seems to get back on TV. This and Spongebob's Halloween where he dresses up like the Flying Dutchman and Patrick tries to make him scary are classics.
Im not sure if it might scare very young children, it is just good fun. Some kids just more sensitive to these things. In that case you might want to seek out the book, Garfield's Halloween Adventure (Formerly Titled Garfield in Disguise) and read it to them first.
This is one case where the movie is better then the book.
Vacation (2015)
Awful
Man, this isn't clever, nor funny.
It seems to be used as a vehicle to say the F word, then the MF word at the end, for no reason. This doesn't even stand up to a high school project in terms of writing.
You keep watching and you hope it will get better, it doesn't. The pond scene had potential but somehow lost being truly funny. The fight scene at Wally World, yawn.
Nothing in this movie measures up to the worst SNL skits.
If you like the F word you will be entertained, but it is totally forgettable not worthy of even a str8 to DVD release.
The insult to injury is using Holiday Road song in this movie.
Oh, they add the M word to the F word song as the credits roll, in case you didn't get enough of the F word in the movie, a real class act.
This seems to have been written by someone, or some people with a very limited thought.