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Reviews
Flying Leathernecks (1951)
Well typically bad vs good guy movie of the era past.
Just like the western good vs evil, it's the same format Hollywood used for decades, another patriotic war movie of the old, the love story for the female audience, then action for males, Wayne made not really hinged in reality.
I'm not sure it's a complaint basically Star Wars is an old Western.
But, it's enjoyable if one turns off the mind, going to watch these old movies, realizing the target audience, back where a least going to the movies once a week was a standard.
Just understand it's not a documentary.
And maybe that was what was needed, a detachment from reality? You can not judge without factoring the time period. WW Ii was still in the collective minds, ending just a few years earlier, Korea coming up, etc.
Basically this is still an old school movie of the 40s, and at the end of an era, as the 50s would be the start of change, heading into the 60s.
It's typical 1930-1940 Dime Store novel, comic book, material, on film.
Robert Ryan is always good to see, a fine actor, Wayne playing John Wayne.
I do find it disturbing that a Marine Major would give his young son a capture Japanese sword which are razor sharp, you will cringe each time that kid pulls it out.
As I say Dime store, comic book, leave your brain behind.
It's a good movie of it's ilk, and one of the last in it's old style, where the reality of war is romantic, noble without much thinking.
The Old Dark House (1963)
No it's not the 1932 version, remake, get over it.
People who dislike this movie, it seems to be caused by, it isn't the 1932 movie of the same name.
Just get over it.
No, it's no remake.
This movie is just a fun romp, a Disney like movie, if William Castle ran Disney.
It's the "Ghost and Mr Chicken meets", "And then there were None".
The characters for the most part seem like character actors of the 40s, with Tom Poston being outside of the joke. All the acting is great, it's what makes it a joy to watch, each oddball mannerisms.
The action moves quickly concerning about 3/4s of the movie taking place in the mansion where no one can leave? Sounding familiar?
This is Murder by Death, 1976 vibe movie.
If you are expecting true horror you will be disappointed. It's murder in that Mayberry haunted old house Opie lost his baseball in, with Barney, Gomer getting the ball back, with the same seriousness.
It's light hearted murder, fun.
Everest (2015)
Pretty to look at, that's about it.
Moral of story?
Basically if you have enough money you can buy a short trip into space, call yourself an astronaut. Buy a first class ticket on the Titanic, tell people you traversed the open Atlantic with your skill set. Get in a car drive that Alaska interstate in winter, your are an explorer.
The Shepas seem to be the only true blueblood mountain climbers here, setting up ladders, safety ropes, carrying supplies to camps in advance of the start of the summer climbing season.
Ridiculous story about people with too much money, huge hubris, their 15 minutes of frame, tux bragging rights while at that cocktail party for special people.
If you like stories like captain of a boat, gets the bait, equipment, finds you that fish, get it hooked, you get to crank it in, then kick back at the bar at your accomplishment, man over fish, then you will enjoy the story line.
Otherwise just enjoy the spectacular images, pity the Shepas for the high risk they take, because of a poor national economy that drives them to it, and a government that exploits it because of the money.
This should be the Shepas story, not this ilk of mountain climbers, that is packaged as much as the bus, climbing season, will allow.
It reminds me of cheese TV, movies jack asses gravitate to star in, they get 15 minutes of frame, bad examples, get away with things, survive through no fault of their own?
Pop Gear (1965)
Wow, lips sync central
Man, barely unwatchable.
As staged as you can get, lipped synced the whole way, except for a few of the Beatles numbers, which was filmed for other reasons but includied here for a perk that 3 other groups appear in the film that the Beatles's manager had under contract.
The backdrops scenery, spoiler, they spared no expense thru most of this, a painted bed sheet would have been better.
About the only bright spot was Matt Monro, a guy with a wonderful voice. A couple of typical The Animals songs we have seen before and synced, would have been nice to see a live performance.
Most of the rest pretty MEH, especially the music.
This looks just like what it was a cheesy cashing in on things like Hard Days Night. Maybe it's a British thing to like this?
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1939)
Decent movie that the original critics dismissed
Yeah it is hard not to notice Mickey Rooney and a bit of Andy Hardy leaks through. I don't know any movie that can capture Mark Twain total wit, The only ilk of that type are a few Shakespeare movies. This later complaint coming from stuff shirts 1939 critics.
What this movie makes you want to do is read the book, which is a good thing. This movie was about 100 pages of script, the book 400. If Twain could have written it in 100 pages he would have.
Why anyone thinks you can do a verbatim reproduction of a book is beyond me. Look at Gone with the Wind, or the modern book The Shining. The Shining totally fails as a movie, both releases, as the book is a more richer story. Slight spoiler for the Shining follows. The first Shining move especially because of the ending and ignoring the hotel's furnace problem which is an important thread in the book.
Rex Ingram as Jim should have at least been nominated for a best supporting actor. He was the glue in the film.
This is just a good classic golden age movie.