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Reviews
Cone of Silence (1960)
good British Heavy metal
Unlike lots of other films shown on the recently opened 'Moving Pictures' T.V. channel I had never heard of this film so it was fresh to me. The connection to the Comet Airliner trouble was apparent so this film made so soon after the events must have had some impact.
The cast was typical British 50/60's regulars and Bernard lee played the main character with restraint. I was surprised when Peter Cushing popped up sometime later as a unsympathetic character.
The plot Basically revolved around the stitch up of senior Pilot, Capt. Gort played by Mr Lee for a fatal crash in a new Jet airliner, with the airline and plane makers unwilling to admit a fault with either the aircraft or its correct operation. Despite being found responsible for the crash and calls for only young hotshot pilots to be let loose on the new jet, Gort defies the ageism and passes all flight tests he's asked to perform. These tests are carried out by the much younger Capt. Dallas played by Micheal Craig, who initially is doubtful of Gort's ability but is soon persuaded of Gort's Skill.
Dallas also takes an immediate shine to Gorts young and attractive daughter played by Elizabeth Seal. All goes well until Gort crashes another jet this time killing himself, in similar conditions to the first crash. Miss Gort and Capt. Dallas then team up to exonerate the late Capt. Gort,and reveal other near misses by other crews. Armed this with this they persuade the designer to modify the operating instructions and narrowly prevent another disaster. Having established the real cause Capt. Gort is absolved of blame, albeit too late for him.
It was good to see an almost unknown aircraft the Avro Ashton in some detail. I had only ever seen the 4 engine version on old newsreel, but was unaware it had been used as a test bed for an engine manufacturer having 2 extra Bristol Olympus fitted. Its ironic that the Aircraft in the film plot suffered from lack of power but would actually have had vast amounts of power with 4 RR Nene and 2 Bristol Olympus and should have gone like a rocket!
Mach 2 (2000)
Wow
I enjoyed watching this film as it gave me great pleasure in righteously ripping it to shreds with my fellow viewers. This movie doesn't need a spoiler alert as it is already spoiled.
The plot is simplistic in that a US senator travels to Balkans on a Concorde aeroplane and he possesses a computer disk implicating the vice-president in a plot to expand the war the senator is trying to mediate in so that that the US can sell arms to both side and thus keep the USA economy going. The bad ole secret service hijack the plane under the pretence of being a Balkan splinter group, steal the disks, kill the crew and radio the authorities it has a nuclear bomb on board then shoot the radio so that when they parachute to safety (But are then suddenly chased and killed by unknown attackers)the US navy without even asking the French send up fighters to try shoot it down over the French Alps.
Enter the hero who's name I cannot be bothered to recall. He and his pretty companions go about trying to get the plane back down, and one pretty thing having been given a radio kit as a present when a teenager promptly repairs the complex communication system on the Concorde with a Swiss army knife. Then the US navy F-14s take off with empty missile racks, but damage with missiles the Concorde fuel tanks located in its extreme tail. At this point communications are restored and the F-14 pilot who probably had never even seen a concord cockpit gives the hero a switch by switch briefing on how to control remaining fuel and engines. All this time the Concorde has been visible on the radar at both Dulles and Le Bourget simultaneously whilst it was mid Atlantic. The French and American Air Traffic can both seem to talk to the aircraft at the same time.
Enter the stereotype French disheveled Gaulloies smoking ex navy pilot controller who then talks the hero to land, lever by lever, even telling how much flap to lower which is strange as Concorde doesn't use flaps, but the hero manages to lower the wheels and the droop nose unaided on finals but mysteriously raises it before ploughing into the crash barrier. US registered ambulance then take away the injured whilst several US registered light aircraft sit on the apron, the backdrop view enhanced by the famous snow capped mountains that surround Paris. There is more.............Watch for WowII!
Submarine X-1 (1968)
Another American showing us Brits how to do it.
For some reason i.e. a patronizing view that US cinema audiences would never watch a film unless it had an American star in it, several British film studios in the 50's and 60's billed American actors in the leading role of what were essentially British War Movies. These include such as 'Bridge on the River Kwai' -William Holden ', 'Sailor of the King' -Jeff Hunter '633 Squadron' – Cliff Robertson, 'Cockle shell heroes'- Jose Ferrer, The Great Escape' -McQueen, Bronson, Coburn etc. all top Billed. Most Played Canadians. Submarine X-1 does the same.
It is essentially a navalised version of '633 Squadron'. The parallel is startling. A Canadian Officer leads a diverse group of heroes on a suicide mission, to Norway in both cases, to destroy a strategic target. This entails hazardous and relentless training in Northern Scotland with the new weapons, against a increasingly tighter deadline and unsympathetic top brass.
The Germans do their best to stop the mission by sending respectively air raids and a commando raid to the bases concerned. The missions go ahead nevertheless with the unit adjutant getting to go on the mission at the last moment when a trained member drops out. After many tense (?)setbacks the mission is competed but only with the destruction of majority of the attacking force.
Both films suffered from very poor special effects but at least 633 had footage of real Mosquito's possibly its only redeeming feature. Submarine X-1 does not have this. There is no humour or even a romantic interlude and very little tension. As stated elsewhere what tension there is, was contrived i.e. the mutinous attitude of some of the men which not developed and in the minefield sequence. It is ironic that production values were good enough to provide a realistic sub interior and authentic German Paratrooper uniforms and weaponry. Stock footage was of the correct type of aircraft, even if they would have never been able to reach their supposed targets. So I think the potential was there to make a half decent film but no one bothered.
The commando raid scene was confused and filmed too dark The final mission with frogmen hopping in and out of subs like they were buses was incoherent.
The Previous film depicting this true mission ' Above us the waves' with John Mills is far better.
Star Trek: Court Martial (1967)
A New take on old tale
I couldn't help noticing the similarities between this story and the Sherlock Holmes story "The Norwood Builder" in which a man attempts revenge on the son of the lady who spurned him as a youth (and starting a new debt free life). He fakes his own murder and secrets himself away in a small chamber he had built in his house until the heat had died down. In Conan-Doyle's tale however a charred body, that of a tramp (hobo) dressed in the builders old clothes is used to incriminate the victim.
In both case guilt by the victim is hard to refute but as ever total logical thought by the two hero's, Holmes and latterly Spock saved the day.
Using heartbeats to trace the hidden perpetrator was a bit contrived given the sensors on the Enterprise - Holmes burned wet straw to smoke the bad guy out.
Its always intriguing watching the technology in Star Trek. The switches and displays and computers so outmoded today. Even our computers sound human these days, mind you I'd guess a transporter is a long way off yet....
Haunted (1995)
Not the book I read
I Loved the book and found it very scary and atmospheric. The description of the gradual dilapidation of the house and the increasingly disturbing events was paced very well as was the the shocking ending.
However in the film many crucial bits are missing or have been totally altered. The vital precursor to the main plot, regarding Ash's sister was changed completely, as she was portrayed in the film as kind and benevolent whereas in the book she was viciously cruel to Ash whilst alive and dead. The whole point being that his dead sister and the ghostly family gang up on Ash to a prove him wrong and drive him mad. This aspect is mainly omitted.
I can't see why the the film was reset to the twenties. Again in the book Ash is a flawed character - seedy, alcoholic and guilt ridden not a dashing professional. As eluded to elsewhere the incest angle between brother and sister was quite an invention of the film and may have been included as an excuse to portray much female nudity both real and canvas born. Many of the details of the book that show Ash's increasing horror that the family are phantoms, such as a one sided conversation on a tape recorder and the bed he shared with Christina obviously having been slept in by only him are brushed over.
A whole episode in the book where Ash does debunk some hoaxers in a supposedly haunted church is missed out too.
Admittedly as a stand alone ghost movie it is not bad but it cannot be called a close adaption of the book.
Quella dannata pattuglia (1969)
A movies for men special
Previous comments praise the producer for accurate realism but within seconds of turning this film on I spotted that the one of the 'jeeps' was a post war British Landrover. The US commandos were armed with Garrands and Thompsons but also with a British Bren gun not the BAR you'd expect. The German Aircrew were flying a Canadian Post war DH Chipmunk unarmed trainer and the flying suits were decidedly not tropical issue. Many other films have portrayed the battle between the men, the enemy and the desert much better. 'Ice cold in Alex' being the benchmark and 'Sea of sand' aka 'desert patrol' being a superior example.