SnoopyStyle Reviews

Young Dillinger (1965)

fine B-movie

[6/10 · 18 April 2024]

John Dillinger (Nick Adams) follows the suggestion of his girlfriend Elaine (Mary Ann Mobley) to rob her father. The young criminal couple gets caught. Her father begs him to take all the blame. He is surprised to be sentenced five to twenty years. He would join other criminals like "Baby Face" Nelson (John Ashley) and "Pretty Boy" Floyd (Robert Conrad).

This does not feel like the early 20's which is when this movie should take place. It's low budget and sparse. It feels like a 50's teen crime drama which may be the point. There are no bells and whistles. The movie moves. The actors do their bit. It's low-fi. It's fine.

Wild Bill Hickok Rides (1942)

B-movie western

[6/10 · 18 April 2024]

Chicago burns down in 1871. The Chicago Cattle Exchange remains untouched. Harry Farrel (Warren William) is unconcerned and plans his business takeover. Belle Andrews (Constance Bennett) loses her gambling house in the fire and takes her girls to join him in Powder River, Wyoming to open a new casino. On the train ride, they are saved from bandits by Wild Bill Hickok (Bruce Cabot).

I don't know much about Wild Bill Hickok. I definitely don't picture him looking like that and Bruce Cabot is too civilized for my idea of the man. He doesn't have the grit and neither does the movie. It is a B-movie western. There are some good old fashion stunts. Otherwise, it's nothing more than a good time waster.

Les Girls (1957)

good looking production

[6/10 · 18 April 2024]

In London, Barry Nichols (Gene Kelly), Joanne 'Joy' Henderson (Mitzi Gaynor), Sybil (Kay Kendall), and Angèle Ducros (Taina Elg) are former members of "Barry Nichols and Les Girls". Sybil is now Lady Wren and wants to publish a tell-all book. Angèle sues her for libel. Each person goes on the stand to testify on their version of the events in Paris.

This won the Oscar for costume design and there is a lot of costume design in this movie. The CinemaScope probably made everything; costumes, the sets, and the whole production really pop off the screen. Despite watching it on a TV, it still looks very good and I can imagine the cinematic values. It's the best aspect of the movie. I wish that I could say that I loved the songs. Nothing stands out. I do love Gene Kelly dancing. As for the three ladies, I don't know them and I have trouble differentiating them at times especially with the different versions. The story is almost secondary although the Rashomon story telling is intriguing.

Peter Five Eight (2024)

so that's where he's been

[4/10 · 18 April 2024]

Sam (Jet Jandreau) is a professional realty agent working under Brenda (Rebecca De Mornay). Her home life is a drunken mess with a drunken loser husband. Out of blue, Peter (Kevin Spacey) starts investigating and interfering in her life. She has a dark secret past with Lock (Jake Weber).

This is strictly a B-movie with pretentions of being a noir story. The dialogue has some clunky lines. The concept is fine but nothing too special. The filmmaking is not that good. This does have three veteran actors, but the rest are poor. I don't know anything about Jet. She's not good. Some of the minor actors are much worst. As for Spacey, he's trying to add some comedic touches and they don't always fit. I can't say that I love seeing him anyways. It all adds up to a weird B-movie viewing experience.

Phoenix (III) (2023)

bait and switch

[2/10 · 18 April 2024]

Everett Grant (Randy Couture) is private security who deals with questionable people in the Miami docklands. He has a troubled relationship with his estranged daughter Fiona 'Phoenix' Grant (Natalie Eva Marie) who is an American soldier fighting in Afghanistan under General Shackleton (Neal McDonough). Everett is murdered by mobsters although Phoenix is told that he committed suicide.

I came in wanting a movie with Randy Couture as the lead. I don't know anything about Natalie Eva Marie who is apparently a WWE wrestler. She's no great actor. She's not even as good as Randy. This becomes bait and switch when Randy gets killed right off the bat. He does have a lot of flashbacks, but it would be better to just have his story. The girl would be fine as a sidekick. The other good actor McDonough is left mostly by himself. I'm guessing that he did all his scenes in one day. On a side note, they are doing the CGI gunfire in this. I understand the safety aspect, but they do need to make it look better.

The Jetsons & WWE: Robo-WrestleMania! (2017 Video)

fine mash-up

[6/10 · 17 April 2024]

Big Show insists on getting to the big match and flies a small plane during a snow storm. He ends up crashing and freezing. It's 100 years into the future. George Jetson gets a surprise new project instead of getting fired. He accidentally discovers the frozen Big Show.

The animation looks more 90's than the original 60's. Warner Bros Animation and WWE Studios have been doing these mash-ups. This has potential for some great fish-out-of-water humor. It is not the worst idea. I do like the robot fighting idea, but this needs to built up to that. Big Show should spend more time trying to fit into the future world and failing. The movie gets less interesting when it time-travels back to present day. They could have done more especially with the robot maid during that time. They should have just kidnapped Sheamus and quickly get back to the future. I do love doing the theme music again which is still the most memorable part of The Jetsons. They really shouldn't bring so many wrestlers into the future.

Accident (1967)

interesting relationships

[7/10 · 17 April 2024]

Anna (Jacqueline Sassard) and William (Michael York) have a car accident on the way to Stephen (Dirk Bogarde)'s party. Stephen pulls Anna out of the wreck. The movie flashes back to the trio at the University of Oxford. Stephen is a married tutor with Anna and William as his two favorite students. There is sexual tension everywhere and then his colleague Charley (Stanley Baker) enters the picture.

This has some intriguing relationships. I like the mix of academia ivory tower mixed with sad animalistic sexual desperation. It can be a murky, subdued viewing experience with moments of emotional power. It's intriguing.

Knox Goes Away (2023)

great actor trying to direct

[6/10 · 17 April 2024]

John 'Aristotle' Knox (Michael Keaton) is a killer working for Xavier Crane (Al Pacino). He has dementia which is accelerating. He has weeks, not months. A job goes wrong due to his condition. His estranged son Miles Knox (James Marsden) has a dire situation. He uses what remains of himself to save Miles.

I like the concept at the start, but it's a slow decline in the story telling. Part of that has to be Michael Keaton himself who is doing a rare directing job. He does get moments of great acting from his actors especially from himself. His directing skills probably let him down. The movie should have much more tension with the pacing dragging out over its almost two hours run.

The Greatest Hits (2024)

intriguing elevator pitch

[5/10 · 16 April 2024]

Everybody has songs which bring them back to specific times in their lives. For Harriet Gibbons (Lucy Boynton), it happens literally as she travels back in time. She is trying to save her boyfriend Max Enders (David Corenswet) from a deadly crash. She meets David Park (Justin H. Min) at her self-help group.

This has an intriguing elevator pitch from filmmaker Ned Benson. He has a few good ideas in this movie, but the premise needs more work. There are basic problems stemming from the concept. First, she needs to keep going back to the death moment. It only makes sense. It also doesn't help that Max is forced by the story to dismiss her at every turn. It makes him look bad as a boyfriend. The whole movie gets dragged down by many minor issues.

Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp (2024)

don't like the design

[4/10 · 16 April 2024]

Woody gets annoyed by a brash social influencer doing a production nearby. He causes havoc and drives him away. For all the destruction, the park banishes him. He finds a new home in Camp Woo Hoo next door. He befriends young camper Maggie. Maggie's mother is camp owner Angie (Mary-Louise Parker). They get into a battle with a rival camp and escaped criminal Buzz Buzzard.

This is a sequel to the 2017 Woody Woodpecker movie. I doubt it's necessary to see the first movie. It's live action with cartoon characters. It looks cheap on the level of Netflix and it's not trying to be more than that. First I don't like the design of Woody. He reminds me of the worst of his animation. It's definitely not the classic cartoons. On the other hand, Buzz looks fine. As for the rest, it's a lot of weak kiddie movie story and forgettable characters. Even Mary-Louise Parker is struggling in this one.

Baghead (2023)

spooky

[6/10 · 16 April 2024]

Iris Lark (Freya Allan) inherits an old abandoned English pub from her long-absent father Owen Lark (Peter Mullan). She and her friend Katie encounter Neil (Jeremy Irvine) who wants a session with the creature in the basement. It is a lady with a bag over her head who comes out of the wall and brings the dead back to life for two minutes.

This is a sparse indie horror with a great idea. I really like the spooky premise. On the other hand, this movie isn't actually scary. It has a bit of Talk to Me, but that other one has superior execution. This movie is not reaching its full potential or getting scares.

Monsieur Spade (2024)

messy story and some fun with Sam

[7/10 · 15 April 2024]

It's 1955 rural France. Sam Spade (Clive Owen) is searching for Philippe Saint Andre, the father of his charge, a girl named Teresa. He's been hired by Teresa's late mother who is his former lover and had stolen a large sum of money. He faces many obstacles with the disappeared Philippe. He places Teresa with the nuns at a local orphanage. It's 8 years later and Teresa is turning 18. She is set to receive the large sum from a trust and her thieving father is rumored to have returned. One night, Sam finds the girls locked in their room, Teresa missing, and the nuns brutally murdered.

The story is a bit of a mess. It starts great but ends muddled. I don't like the McGuffin boy. He is really just an object rather than a living breathing character. The girl is a much better subject. It is almost a comedy when they get to the final sit-down and calling out all the characters. I really like Clive Owen doing his Sam Spade. It's impossible to get away from Bogie but this is a fun interpretation. Stay for Clive.

I Hate Suzie (2020– )

dark comedy

[7/10 · 15 April 2024]

At 15, Suzie Pickles (Billie Piper) is discovered in a British singing contest. It's 20 years later. She's a successful star of a zombie series. She's married to Cob and they have their deaf son Frank. Her world is turned upside down when her phone gets hacked and embarrassing photos are leaked. Worst still, the pictures are not with her husband.

Lucy Prebble and Billie Piper reunite for this dark comedy. I like Suzie's dysfunctions. It's not as compelling when the title forces the character to fit into its box. This is humiliation humor. It's often more sad than funny. The trick is to make Suzie sympathetic. Billie Piper makes that happen despite the character's self-destructive actions. It's a good satire and takedown of celebrity culture. The first season is eight episodes. I got confused with the second season which ends after only three episodes. I kept waiting for the rest of the season. With these series, it's hard to know ever if there are any more.

Fakes (2022)

a couple of interesting writing moves

[7/10 · 15 April 2024]

Zoe Christensen (Emilija Baranac) is a Vancouver bookworm high school student. She has made an university ID to study in the library. Her hard-partying best friend Rebecca Li (Jennifer Tong) needs a new fake ID. They join drug dealer Tryst (Richard Harmon) to start a fake ID business.

This is a CBC show that got picked up by Netflix. It has a couple of interesting moves like the multiple point-of-views and unreliable narrators. The opening probably shows too much. It depraves the show of some of its tension. The subject matter reminds me a little of Good Girls. As for the girls, they are pretty good despite being thirty playing teenagers. The first season ends with a promise of more although more is unlikely.

Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet (1940)

medical biopic

[7/10 · 14 April 2024]

German Dr. Paul Ehrlich (Edward G. Robinson) grows tired of the hospital red tape. He has two young daughters with his wife (Ruth Gordon). He makes various discoveries over time. After an observation in Egypt, he becomes obsessed with discovering magic bullets to cure different diseases.

It is a pretty straight forward medical biopic headed by a Hollywood legend. It is not like they could add a car chase or anything like that. The acting is solid. I guess that syphilis was unmentionable back in the day. That probably made this edgy. Otherwise, this is very solid and it is also very informative.

The Naked Prey (1965)

deadliest game

[8/10 · 14 April 2024]

In colonial Africa, an arrogant businessman is paying for a safari expedition to hunt elephants for the ivory. He's considering various trades including the slave trade. His guide tells him to give some gifts to the local chief, but he promptly ignores the advice. The natives track them down and overwhelm them. They torture the captives to death in sadistic games. The guide gets released for warriors to hunt. It's the deadliest game.

I've never heard of this movie. It's brutal. It's bloody. It's exploitative. It's almost 70's style filming. The locations are great. The brutal deaths are awesome. There is minimal dialogue and the characters don't even get names. The last part does get a bit convenient. I would prefer something else with the kid. All in all, it's terrific.

Flight of the Doves (1971)

Irish kids adventure

[7/10 · 14 April 2024]

Finn Dove and his sister Derval are orphans who escape from their abusive guardian Tobias Cromwell. They runaway to Ireland to find their grandmother. Unbeknownst to them, they are heirs to a large sum. Cromwell is a failed actor who uses various disguises to track down the kids.

This is like a 70's Disney kids movie with an Irish spin. It is fun to see the Irish locations. The kiddie adventures are somewhat fun although it is concerning that some adults are fine with a couple of wee ones wondering around on their own. The movie should stay more on the kids. There really isn't much need to follow Cromwell so closely. The adventures do get rather dark from time to time. Maybe it's too dark but that happens back in the day.

Honeymoon for Three (1941)

passable

[6/10 · 14 April 2024]

Successful author Kenneth Bixby (George Brent) is on a book tour with his wisecracking secretary Anne Rogers (Ann Sheridan). She insists that they get married sooner or sooner. He keeps getting notes and flowers from Miriam which is the title of his book. He is hounded by his many fans and acquaintances which leads to some sitcom ideas.

This starts out fine with a fun Ann Sheridan and a stiff George Brent. I can see some dagger dialogue from her being thrown at him. She's the best. He's less. Once all the other characters enter, she has less space to work. This is a bit of screwball fun. It's a passable comedy.

Tacoma FD (2019–2023)

fun group

[8/10 · 14 April 2024]

It's the same crew which created Super Troopers. This is the misadventures of a wacky firehouse in Tacoma, Washington. Chief Terry McConky (Kevin Heffernan) has to change his thinking when his daughter Lucy (Hassie Harrison) joins the crew. Her uncle Captain Eddie Penisi (Steve Lemme) leads the team. Andy Myawani (Eugene Cordero) is the Hawaiian. Granny Smith (Marcus Henderson) is the black guy. Ike Crystal (Gabriel Hogan) is the muscle head.

It's a fun, well-balanced, irreverent group. At its core, that's what is required. That's what they have. That's why this is a good show. It is a fun show.

Quantum Leap (2022–2024)

stumbling jump

[5/10 · 14 April 2024]

This is the sequel series to the the 1989 TV series of the same name with Dr. Sam Beckett (Scott Bakula) and Rear Admiral Al Calavicci (Dean Stockwell). In 1995, Beckett stepped into the Quantum Leap Accelerator and vanished. Beckett never returned and the program was abandoned. Since then, it has been restarted again. Dr. Ben Song (Raymond Lee) is planning to marry his girlfriend/work partner Addison Augustine (Caitlin Bassett). Without telling his friends, Ben steps into the machine and the journey begins again. Ian Wright (Mason Alexander Park), Jenn Chou (Nanrisa Lee), and Herbert 'Magic' Williams (Ernie Hudson) are the other members of the team. Al's daughter Janis Calavicci (Georgina Reilly) is involved.

Scott Bakula and Dean Stockwell were a fun duo in the original series. That's what's missing in this one. This is not fun. This especially misses Dean Stockwell or someone like him. The original ran into problems as the premise got more complicated in the later years. This one starts with complicated and only gets worst. I don't mind the lead, but his chemistry with Addison is rather stiff. This got two seasons which is way too much.

The Guardsman (1931)

product of the stage

[5/10 · 14 April 2024]

In Vienna, a celebrated actor (Alfred Lunt) is married to his acting partner (Lynn Fontanne). They are not doing so well. He decides to disguise himself as a Russian guardsman to test her fidelity.

Lunt and Fontanne are a real-life celebrated married Broadway stage acting team. This is their only cinematic team-up and not a particularly successful one. They do give off the airs of stage actors. That may fit the roles but not necessarily great for the screen. They do not elicit much rooting interest. I actually like him doing the switch. The duo roles playing is kind of fun. He has the flashier acting. Both actors got their own Oscar nomination and both lost. The pacing is a little slow which may also be a product of the stage. The premise is rather unlikely. She should know. It's trying to be funny without much success.

Scoop (2024)

compelling characters

[7/10 · 14 April 2024]

It's 2010 Manhattan. Reporters are stalking Prince Andrew (Rufus Sewell) who continues to hang out with Jeffrey Epstein and his cadre of young women. His private secretary Amanda Thirsk (Keeley Hawes) is struggling to stop the never-ending scandal. Emily Maitlis (Gillian Anderson) is the host of BBC's prestigious Newsnight program. Esme Wren (Romola Garai) is the executive producer. Sam McAlister (Billie Piper) is tired of producing another segment on Brexit when she makes contact with Thirsk.

This is more compelling than I expected. The actual tick tock of the situation is not the most compelling especially for a non-Royal watcher like me. Of all the characters, Prince Andrew is probably the weakest. He strikes me like a caricature. Maybe the stuffed animals are real, but the kangaroo scene can be cut. While Sam's son is unnecessary, they may as well show Thirsk's family to balance both sides. That would be a good theme for the show. It's the drama of two working mothers. I do really like the one scene with Sam and her black co-worker who berates her for wasting a day on the story. I would like Sam to say more with Emily Maitlis about letting him talk. All in all, this is an engaging watch.

Abe Lincoln in Illinois (1940)

Lincoln biopic

[6/10 · 13 April 2024]

Abe Lincoln (Raymond Massey) is a young man studying books and living with his parents in rural Kentucky. He becomes a respected leader in New Salem, Illinois and falls for Ann Rutledge. Their relationship ends tragically. He is asked to run for political office. At a high society party, he meets Mary Todd (Ruth Gordon) from a wealthy family who declares that she will marry the backwoodsman.

I don't know much about the President's life before the presidency. I certainly cannot vouch for its accuracy. It is a lot of a sincere stories of him being good. It's rather plodding. I don't mind Ann Rutledge but she's a simplistic character. Ruth Gordon adds something to this. She's a little playful which gives this just enough energy at the right time. I can see the idea of a Lincoln biopic being important during that time. I don't think that it's inventive enough to entice a big audience.

We Who Are About to Die (1936)

like the premise

[6/10 · 13 April 2024]

Johnny Thompson (John Beal) quits his job and intends to move with his girlfriend Connie Stewart (Ann Dvorak). He gets kidnapped by a robbery crew looking to steal from his former employer. The gang frames him by using his car and his clothes. The paymaster and a pedestrian boy are killed. The frame-up works and Johnny is convicted for the crime. He is sentenced to be executed. Police officer Steven Mathews (Preston Foster) continues the investigation.

I like the premise more than I thought I would. His conviction is not unreasonable especially in a time before security cameras. It is all about eye witness testimonies and those are always problematic. I'm less impressed with the second half. I don't know these criminal characters that well. It's still fine but it loses steam.

No Contest! (1934)

Ruth Etting short

[6/10 · 13 April 2024]

Ruth Etting is the star of the Albertson Travel Agency radio show. The producers are listening to a rival radio show and find them broadcasting Etting's old recordings. The producers decide to outdo the other radio show by holding a contest with an unusual Ruth Etting prize.

I like Ruth Etting's singing and she looks fine. She has fine charisma but not necessarily great acting skills. There isn't much to the story. It's twenty minutes with a few songs. That doesn't allow for much. This is not anything great. For Ruth Etting fans, this is perfectly fine with some lovely singing and not much else.