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Cicerosaurus
Reviews
Between Two Worlds (1944)
Thought Provoking Obscurity
Several people are killed on their way to board a liner for America during WW II. They are joined by another couple and the steward of the ship, and the movie centres around these people as they gradually come to the realisation that they are indeed no longer alive. This happens to them at various times, with one couple aware very early on, due to the circumstances of their death. The acting is very good- Sydney Greenstreet is suitably overbearing as The Examiner. However, I did find John Garfield grating, and his character totally unlikeable. Edmund Gwenn was his normal gnome like self and Elenoar Parker (she with the lovely voice) suitably noble.
Ein Toter hing im Netz (1960)
Surely One Of The Worst Of All Time
It's not only the lack of a coherent plot, the awful acting, or the dreadful dubbing that makes this thing a dog. The viewer needs to force themselves to watch it (although the official IMDb says it goes for 89 minutes, the version I saw lasted for 74 extremely long minutes). I found it difficult feel anything much about anyone in the movie- the characters don't exist in my world. What happens in the movie? A dance troupe gets selected for some stint in Singapore by a very cool guy (always a bad sign). What they will actually do is not explained. They seem to fly to Singapore (aerial shots of New York) and then you see their plane plunging into the ocean head first in flames. Naturally all the troupe (and cool guy) survive without a scratch but all else are killed. They land on a deserted island - well not deserted as they find a hammer. Cool guy "A long handled hammer- usually used for exploring for minerals, probably uranium." Hmmm- how did you deduce that? Anyway the prospector is found in a big cobweb, there is a very unrealistic spider (just one), the cool guy gets bitten and turns into a werewolf or something (why didn't he end up in a cobweb like the prospector). For 28 days he disappears and two guys come to help the prospector. And themselves to the beauties from the dancing troupe. Cool guy turned werewolf turns up, kills a few and is then chased into quicksand.
Citizen Kane it is not.
She Gods of Shark Reef (1958)
Absolutely Incomprehensible
This is a movie that defies description. I bought it as a pack of 50 sci fi movies but it is clearly not that. It is a poorly scripted, badly acted, outdated anachronism. Should you watch it? Of course! - It is so bad that you need to include it in "have seen" movies.
Some basic rules that you need to understand . The so called actors can't act. There is no explanation to the title, nor to why there is an island of women only. There is no explanation to what is happening in the opening scene, although you could be charitable and say it was setting up the rest of the movie. I am still trying to work out how the actors scampered around on coral reef barefoot and didn't cut their feet to ribbons.
Mystery Liner (1934)
No beer allowed for this one
It is totally incomprehensible at best. The wooden acting, the cardboard figures along with the poor setting make this a movie to be viewed only if you revel in C grade movies (as I do). There is a semblance of a plot- I have seen this 70 years after it was made and the technology aspect can be discounted. The rubbish backgrounds can't. It is difficult enough following the plot when due to the black and white colour, and similarity of dress, the characters tend to blend. When you combine that with blackouts and seemingly Nazi characters it becomes really unbalanced.
I can't see one actor in the film who would look back on this and be happy.
Delayed Action (1954)
Strangely Interesting
If you can get over the rather ridiculous plot line, the film holds interest quite well. That said, it only runs for an hour- which is probably just as well. Of the main players, Ayers is very stiff and (I found) to be an unappealing character. It is difficult to generate much sympathy when you wander through the movie in a perpetual bad mood Bruce Seaton and Alan Wheatley give professional performances and there is the lovely June Thorburn to add gloomier. Thorburn only appears half way through (more the pity) and her character is hardly developed at all. For all the faults of the movie, it is a pleasant enough time filler. Of particular interest is the background of how things were in the 50s(I imagine it was shot in London somewhere).
A Woman's Secret (1949)
A Poor Mans 'All About Eve'
Maureen O'Hara loses her voice to one of those strange diseases that abound in movies, and drives a young woman (Gloria Grahame) as an understudy. That is where the fun begins. The story is told in flashback, and is reminiscent of All About Eve, although as if told in reverse. Melvyn Douglas is a forerunner of Addison de Witt and the viewer can see resemblances in the other characters. This is probably one of Gloria Grahames' best performances, with Melvyn Douglas giving a polished display and Jay C Flippen as the Police Inspector a delight. The end is a trifle weak, and slightly confusing, but this sleeper is a great little time filler. Don't expect it ever to appear in any list of greatest movies of all time however.
Maisie (1939)
Amaisieing!
Our heroine, Ann Sothern as Maisie Ravier, is left stranded in a small Wyoming town with the rather unfortunate name of Big Horn. With only 15 cents to her name, she takes a carnival job and through a chance comment, meets Robert Young ('Slim' Martin). For some unexplained reason Maisie stows away on Martins truck and ensconces herself at the farm run by Martin for rich Ian Hunter (Cliff Ames), who turns up with his cheap wife played by Ruth Hussey. A series of misadventures follows with romance for Maisie and tragedy for the Ames. In the end Maisie comes shining through.
The first in a series, Sothern plays Maisie as a brassy, worldwise, blonde with a heart of gold. Her role is reminiscent of Jean Harlow in 'Red Dust': I have heard that Harlow was in line for the role but have no confirmation of that.
The movie itself is quite amusing, if dated, but not helped by poor production values and obvious in studio scenes. There is one shot where Robert Young is driving a truck and a calf pokes it's head into the front part of the truck. Although meant to be real, it is so obviously fake it is laughable. Young walks around in ramrod fashion and Hunter is strangely wooden. Overall, enjoyable nonsense. Not to be taken too seriously.
Desperate Journey (1942)
A Boys Only Adventure
Overall, this is a pretty mediocre movie. Even allowing for the propaganda intentions, it has so many desperate adventures interwoven that it is never credible. Raymond Massey is suitably evil as a Nazi, Flynn dashing (and wooden) in a heroic role, and Reagan displays why he was not considered much of an actor. Alan Hale (senior) plays his normal comic role along with a chance to be very brave and noble. There are intrepid, and largely unbelievable, antics, characters learning of the value obeying orders, and enough dead Nazis to satisfy everyone. It's quite easy to see why the allies were successful when all servicemen were capable of the derring-do displayed in the film. More a curiosity than anything.
Third Time Lucky (1931)
Dashing country Vicar comes good
A country vicar (Bobby Howes) in rural England, has to protect his ward (Dorothy Boyd) from blackmail. In doing so he becomes involved in crime a little more sinister than he imagines. Dated comedy, viewable mainly for its curiosity value. However, it does retain a certain charm. The performances are stilted by todays standards, although I doubt whether it was ever intended to be taken too seriously.
Come and Get It (1936)
An unsatisfying film
One of the few chances that you will get to see Frances Farmer, who comes across as a very decorative actress. She gets to play two roles in the film; both the mother and the daughter. However the film itself suffers from studio bound sets and a rather unconvincing story. The ubiquitous Walter Brennan appears playing a Swedish logger!!!
War of the Colossal Beast (1958)
Amazingly bad.
A film that has to be seen to realise how bad it is. Cheesy make up, cardboard characters, and a "beast" that appears far larger than his 60 feet. The colossal man doesn't talk, he grunts, and hides behind make up in an attempt to disguise that he is a different colossal man to the actor in the original. This movie is a must for those who love really bad movies.