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A Night at the Opera (1935)
Fast Forward
"A Night at the Opera" is one of those old Hollywood movies that has to have everything, for better or worse. The opening scene with Groucho Marx is hilarious, and full of one-liners. And a few other scenes with him can generate some laughs. But "A Night" is not just a comedy. It's also a musical. That means we have to sit through several long, boring musical scenes, as well as Harpo Marx on the harp, naturally, as well as Kitty Carlisle and Allan Jones singing several forgettable songs. The rest is just a basic situation comedy, nothing special. So keep the remote handy and fast forward through the boring parts, and there are lots of boring parts.
Back to Bataan (1945)
Did Not Age Well
This is a typical 1945-era Hollywood war movie. That means John Wayne in the lead, an unnecessary romance story built into the plot, actors who are not age-appropriate for their roles, laughably bad military tactics, and American tanks substituting for Japanese tanks.
The movie begins with the rescue raid on the Cabanatuan prisoner of war camp. The raid was a true event, but don't look here for historical accuracy. "The Great Raid" was much more accurate than this film, even though "The Great Raid" had it's own errors and boring parts.
Maybe this film is worth watching once for Wayne fans, but I can't say much else positive about it.
Planet of the Apes (1968)
Did Not Age Well
First off, I should say that if you have never seen this movie at all, it is worth watching once.
But that's it. I saw it when it premiered way back when. I was younger, and very impressed. Tonight I tried to watch it again and, quite simply, I couldn't. Even by 1968 standards, the special effects are abysmal. Remember, 2001 A Space Odyssey came out the same year, and has gained a reputation of scientific realism. The science in Planet of the Apes is pitiful in comparison. Additionally, the film shows a total lack of biological evolution. There is no way that humans and apes could evolve into the forms shown in the movie in just a few thousand years. At the same time, where did the apes who live in caves get the technology to produce paper, rifles, ammunition, and fire hoses?
Watching Planet of the Apes once is interesting. But today, it is no better than some 1930s Buck Rogers serials, and less entertaining.
The Glenn Miller Story (1954)
The Glenn Miller's Wife Story
I was in the mood to watch a movie biopic about Glenn Miller. But in typical Hollywood fashion, the studio felt it had to pad the script with parts for June Allyson, who played Glenn's wife. So I started fast-fowarding through those boring scenes to get to the swing music. And hit fast forward again, and again. Before I knew it, I had heard maybe three songs but had skipped through over three-quarters of the movie (plus multiple scenes of Miller hocking his trombone and then retrieving it from the pawnbroker). Jimmy Stewart played in his typical laconic, slow-speaking mode, and I don't know how true to life that was for Miller. But if you want Glenn Miller's music, you're probably better off listening to an album.
Fall (2022)
Great View of the Grand Tetons
No, the movie does not take place in the Grand Tetons, but read on.
"Fall" is a scary guilty pleasure worth watching once. On the positive side, watching Shiloh (Virginia Gardner) was a real pleasure, and in the second half Becky (Grace Currey) was also fun to watch. These two young ladies made for a very pleasurable viewing evening.
I'm glad I watched this movie at home. Heights bother me, and watching on a tv was scary enough; it must have been downright frightening to see this on a big screen. And it was all done with camera tricks, not CGI.
Having said that, this movie probably breaks every rule in the book on rock climbing. Wearing sneakers instead of climbing shoes, no climbing gloves, not enough rope, not enough water, failure to inspect the tower, failure to have an alternate route down. You get the picture.
Watch "Fall" at least once, you won't be disappointed.
The Thin Red Line (1998)
War Film by Non-Veteran
The Thin Red Line is a beautiful example of cinematography. And it features some great actors. That is all I will say positive about it.
The Thin Red Line is a major example of why people who have never served in the military should not be allowed to make films about the military. Quite simply, the history, organization, and tactics are wrong. Right from the beginning, the unit lands on Guadalcanal, moves through various terrain, and then is suddenly on a road with trucks. Why not ride the trucks in the first place. As for the battle, I'm not sure if I am watching a battalion or regiment. And we see a commander (of what?), a company commander, and a first sergeant (who should be in the rear). Where are the XOs, platoon leaders, platoon sergeants, and squad leaders? As for tactics, too many are unrealistic, unhistorical, or both.
A pretty movie, but don't look for much history here.
The Twilight Zone: Black Leather Jackets (1964)
Better Without Lobsters
In contrast to many other reviewers, I found the story line to Black Leather Jackets quite good, and in a frightening way. Basically, this was a much better version of the movie "Teenagers From Outer Space." But instead of ridiculous lobster monsters and multichannel multiplexers, these teens had much more believable equipment as well as a plan that predated "Battlefield Earth." The acting was good, the plot believable, and fortunately it was not a documentary. One reviewer pointed out that this was a CBS show, which would explain the eye on the communications set, something I didn't catch on my own.
The Twilight Zone: The Changing of the Guard (1962)
Darker Mr. Chips
"The Changing of the Guard" appears to be Rod Serling's version of "Goodbye Mr. Chips," the award-winning 1939 movie. Both the movie and the show center around an elderly teacher at a private school who wonders if he has made any impact on the world or his students. Of course, the movie had much more time to develop Chips, while CotG only gives us a brief glimpse of Fowler. Also, the movie has a warm feel to it, while CotG is much darker as Fowler contemplates suicide. But in the end both Chips and Fowler come to realize that yes, indeed, they had a positive impact on their students, many of whom died in combat over the years.
The Last Starfighter (1984)
Aged Better Than Star Wars
A long time ago, I saw Star Wars on opening day. Recently I watched The Last Starfighter again for the first time in many years. And I found that TLSF has held up better over time.
TLSF's characters are more believable and three-dimensional, so I cared about them. The SW characters are too cartoonish. TLSF has plenty of appropriate humor and sarcasm, which is totally lacking in SW. TLSF has aliens, but they are not silly like those in SW. Also, the TLSF story line was far more original, especially given how SW stole from Hidden Fortress, 633 Squadron, Dambusters, and so many other films. Special effects were about the same for both, and thankfully both films were made before CGI appeared so they don't overwhelm the story.
I'm sure others will disagree, but to me SW after all these years is just boring while TLSF feels fresh even now.
The Lost World (1960)
From Sci-Fi to Schlock
The 1950s produced many memorable sci-fi movies. Not so much the 1960s, and The Lost World is an example of why.
A great '50s sci-fi was in black & white, with moody lighting, excellent cast, a riveting script, and a tight story. This flick, by contrast, is in brilliant color even for the night scenes, a script full of unnecessary side stories, silly characters, and a simply unbelievable story. The special effects in the '50s sci-fi films were often not the best, but The Lost Worlds descended several steps lower when they glued props onto living lizards. Even the dinosaurs in The Land Unknown were better, believe it or not.
I saw this movie as a kid when it came out. It did not age well.
Cassette: A Documentary Mixtape (2016)
How Not to Make a Documentary
I sat through the documentary "Helvetica" about a typeface, and it was fascinating. Unfortunately, "Cassette" was not. I suppose the first rule of a doc is to explain how and why your subject came into being, but this doc failed that step. The rest was just a boring collection of people collecting mix tapes. I used to make them myself, so that was nothing new.
Blast of Silence (1961)
Could have been good
Oh, if only the director had a bigger budget.
The characters were great, the photography great, the locations fantastic. The voice-over reminded me of the other great noir set in NYC, "The Naked City." Even the basic plot was great.
But the director didn't have a decent budget. So a few shots to set the mood became far too many and far too long. Then they throw in a love angle that really doesn't move the plot along at all. And I am still confused about the ending.
Oh, if only they had enough money to hire an additional writer and a better editor. At least I had a fast-forward button.
Journey to Royal: A WWII Rescue Mission (2021)
Worth watching once
The re-enactments and visuals were top notch. But far too many talking heads for my tastes. Worth checking out, but keep the remote handy to fast forward the boring parts.
War Hunt (1962)
Is This Realistic?
I watched about the first third of this movie before I gave up. I could not accept that the Endore character was at all realistic, nor most anything else I watched. It's set toward the end of the Korean War, when the armies on both sides knew their business. Yet Endore leaves the friendly compound without alerting any guards, travels five miles over mountainous terrain, locates several enemy troops who are alone, kills them, and returns -- all at night, in a heavily contested combat zone. I'm supposed to believe this?
Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
Stage Play With Stock Footage
The script would have made a great stage play. Unfortunately, I expected a motion picture, not a stage play. Throwing in a few stock footage scenes of bombers did not help the matter much. OK, it's a good story about a tough new commanding officer and the stress of wartime command, with an excellent cast. But this is not a great motion picture about bombers over WW II Europe.
Back from Eternity (1956)
Mostly Good
But keep the remote handy. Most of Back from Eternity is a gripping airplane survival movie. Cast and script move things along believably for the most part. But, and here is the unfortunate aspect, there are too many long talking scenes that for the era constitute "character development." To my mind, they add nothing to the story, disrupt the plot, and just make the film longer. Fast-forward through these and enjoy an otherwise excellent film.
The Twilight Zone: Two (1961)
Great
One of my favorite TZ episodes. Typical 1950's - early '60s story about survival after a major war. This episode featured two great actors, a believable script, and no strange fantasy effects to ruin the plot. One of those examples where less is more.
The Twilight Zone: The Little People (1962)
Worth Watching
It's nice when Twilight Zone takes a science fiction route. This episode was ok. But one aspect that bothered me was: in the future, won't they screen astronauts for antisocial behavior? And while I watched, I kept thinking about the Outer Limits story "The Sandkings" which would follow two decades later. All in all, a half-hour well spent but I won't watch it again.
The Steel Fist (1952)
Interesting spycraft
Yes, this is an old movie filmed on a minimal budget. But The Steel Fist also shows how a good script can make up for that. Especially in this case. I was intrigued with how many people who opposed the communists were involved in the underground escape effort. And they were not always the people who you first thought would be involved. Plus the ever-present tension and danger that any one of them might be caught and captured in their efforts. Thank you, TCM, for finding and showing this interesting little film.
200 Motels (1971)
At Least I Watched It
Two songs worth listening to, two topless young ladies, two famous British drummers, and two hours of otherwise unwatchable junk. Frank Zappa wrote some great music, but clearly he is not a good movie maker.
Nochnye lastochki (2013)
Just Not Believable
I've seen many post-Soviet series. From a technical point of view, Night Swallows was quite good: excellent cast, mostly believable characters, authentic equipment, good sound and photography, etc. But as the series went on, the plots just became more and more unbelievable. When they got to their version of "The Dirty Dozen" I had enough and stopped watching. I wish they had stuck to the basic story of the female pilots.
The Outer Limits: Soldier (1964)
The Cat Knew
Sometimes when my cat looks at me, it's as if he already knows how to think-speak. Great SF has little touches to make it come alive, and Macbeth in "Soldier" was a great example. Cats are usually wary of strangers, but Macbeth did not shy away from Quarlo. Maybe in the future humans will evolve enough to catch up to the secret ways cats communicate. And Macbeth knew of the enemy's approach before anyone else and alerted the humans. Another touch was how Kagan's son picked up on Quarlo's slang. But to my mind Macbeth made this episode stand out.
Turn It Up! (2014)
Great for Guitar Players
As an amateur guitar player, I found this documentary fascinating. Great history of the guitar, and interviews with numerous players both famous and not. I really enjoyed hearing the non-professionals relating why they still loved to pick up their guitars and play, knowing full well they would never be on stage. Two downsides to my mind were virtually no mention of surf guitar or the Rickenbacker 12-string. And this doc was about the guitars, so nothing about the amps that make the electric guitar happen. The best came at the end, listening to guitarists all give their views on the word "tone". I came away agreeing that tone is what all players are seeking.
Task Force Faith (2013)
Interesting Doc About Chosin
Everyone knows about the Marines at the Chosin Reservoir and how they battled their way back to the coast outnumbered in brutal winter condition. The Marines were on the west side of the Chosin. This doc tells the story of the Army's 31st RCT, who were stuck on the east side, also badly outnumbered and ill-equipped, holding out against the Chinese. Contrary to other Army units, the 31st didn't cut-and-run. The doc itself is mostly stock footage (including Chinese), talking heads, and some very good maps that help explain the situation. Maybe next, someone will make a movie about them.
Tarzan's Desert Mystery (1943)
Did Tolkien See This Movie?
I agree with the other reviewers that this is not one of the better Tarzan movies. But about three quarters of the way through, I began to ask myself "where have I seen this before?" Then it struck me. This movie introduces three creatures that later appeared in Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings." TDM first presents a wild-spirited horse that cannot be tamed but will allow a person to ride it if asked. And Tarzan can summon this wild horse by whistling. Sounds a lot like Shadowfax. Then we have a dangerous multi-tentacled creature at the entrance to the jungle which later entraps Tarzan. This seems quite similar to the Watcher in the Water by the gates of Moria. Finally there is the huge cave-dwelling spider. As soon as I saw Boy caught in the spider's web, I remembered the image of Frodo caught by Shelob. Now, one coincidence I can dismiss. But three imaginary creatures in one movie that later appear in a different book? TDM came out in 1943, and according to Wiki Tolkien resumed writing LOTR in 1944. Coincidence? Watch TDM and decide.