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Reviews
Little House on the Prairie: The Award (1974)
A subtle dig at the patriarchy?
I wonder if this was one of the episodes that had implications below the surface. I noticed that the input of the minister was the cause of the problem between Caroline and Mary, and yet there was no apology from him at the end, nor any criticism of him from anyone else. I wonder if the show had to toe the line and not be critical of church authorities? Charles was sometimes shown making mistakes in dealing with the children and owning up to them, but I wonder if the minister ever was shown in a critical light in the show. In any case, female intuition and bonding was the hero in this episode.
David and Bathsheba (1951)
I love the genre but this is the worst of the lot
Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward sleepwalk through this insipid, grindingly dull snoozefest. There is zero chemistry between the two leads and little imagination from the director except some obvious attempts to cut corners on the budget. Mostly lots of pious conversations and little action of any kind. A requisite, pompous recitation of Psalm 23 is included, as well as a silly flashback scene of the fight with Goliath tacked on at the end. Even the costumes and art direction were nothing to look at. If you want a halfway decent Biblical B-movie try The Story of Ruth or Solomon and Sheba. This is pure monotony.
Land of the Pharaohs (1955)
Alexis Carrington in Ancient Egypt
If you make it through the excruciatingly boring first 20 minutes, you can see a young Joan Collins doing her Dynasty routine with nasally declamations and campy evil grins. This is the only fun you'll get out of this turkey of a movie.
Jack Hawkins is badly miscast as Khufu; he's not attractive enough to be a romantic lead nor exotic nor subtle enough to be an ancient Egyptian god-king. The idea that a tarty princess from a conquered land could become Queen of Egypt is of course, ludicrous. Surely everyone knows about the famous Egyptian practice of would-be Pharaohs marrying their sisters to keep the royal blood pure. (In fact, it was only by marriage to a princess that a man could become Pharaoh).
The sets and costumes are fairly ugly and not terribly Egyptian-looking. The shots of the big crowds of extras look like stock-footage, and much of the movie has an air of tacky inauthenticity about it. This one is only for die-hard fans of the genre.
King of Kings (1961)
Like a (barely) moving holy card
This film is lot like one of those Sunday school movies filled with anonymous actors, but on a big budget. Mary is so HOLY that she's an inebriated zombie. John the Baptist with a Chicago "ayccent" and Barabbas right out of Brooklyn (Yo! You lookin' at me, Pilate?) are embarrassing. The portrayals of Herod Antipas and Lucius returned the movie somewhat to the land of real drama, but that's about it. Miklos Rozsa's score is high quality, and it is the best thing about the picture.
She Lives! (1973)
Low-rent "Love Story"
Set at UCLA, with much less appealing leads, hysterical script, and relentless abuse of the Jim Croce song. I didn't detect any chemistry between Arnaz and Hubley. Hollywood's campaign to make Arnaz happen was in embarrassing evidence throughout the film. Also missing were any appreciable supporting characters. The sense of doom and tragedy in "Love Story" was lost, with the emphasis on the search for a cure, and made this one seem trivial.
Shane (1953)
A glorified Gunsmoke episode under the Grand Tetons
I was taken in by the reputation of this movie and gave it a chance, and boy was I disappointed. It's badly written, poorly cast tripe clearly aimed at a middle-of-the road 1950s audience. I loved Alan Ladd in The Blue Dahlia, but here he looks like a sales clerk from Abercrombie & Fitch visiting a dude ranch. The fights are choreographed like a bad martial arts movie. The writing is worse than that in some TV Western series. The funeral scene is so corny that even the dog looks embarrassed to be part of the proceedings. The only things good about this movie are the scenery and Jack Palance. I believe the source of this movie's hype is that some Baby Boomer directors had nostalgia for it from their childhoods. If you're new to the genre, go see the Searchers, or High Noon instead.
Le roi de coeur (1966)
Twee, cliched, and excruciatingly slow
I guess this passed for charming and profound to the French masses in 1966. Despite the bad Felliniesque carnival atmosphere, the movie is grindingly tedious. The "war is insanity" message is delivered in a shallow and superficial way that must have been considered cliche even then. The sexism is palpable throughout (all the women are represented by brothel prostitutes, and a naked man exposing himself to nuns is presented as amusing and, I guess, "defiant"). It took me two attempts to sit through the whole thing. It has its moments but it's like trudging through molasses to get to them. As much as I like Alan Bates, this was just not worthwhile.
Sweet November (1968)
A Novelty that Foreshadows "Harold and Maude"
It was serendipitous that I came across this after recently re-watching Harold and Maude (1971) because I was immediately saw the similarity in themes and plot line, and even wondered if there wasn't some direct influence involved.
The philosophical, boundary-pushing romance has a pre-Boomer-era script that is literate, decent and well-crafted. It's set in a holistic, aesthetically beautiful New York which was itself on the brink of extinction, adding to the poignancy of the story and its sense of nostalgia and loss. As in Harold and Maude, the spiritual theme elevates this movie above the level of a sentimental romance and gives it some memorable power.
The Garden of Allah (1936)
Watch for the incredible Tilly Losch
Beautiful photography and costuming. The painfully bad script has Dietrich delivering unintentionally hilarious lines. However, the dance sequence by the unforgettably seductive and creative dancer and choreographer Tilly Losch (who also played Lotus Blossom in "The Good Earth") is worth the price of admission.
The Wicker Man (1973)
Lifted from 1961 "Thriller" episode "Hay-Fork and "Bill-Hook"?
This great movie is in a class by itself, but I'm not sure why there is no discussion anywhere about the fact that the story and details of scenes are clearly predated by a 1961 Thriller episode called "Hay-Fork and Bill-Hook", directed by Herschel Daugherty and written by Alan Caillou, right down to very small details.
Perhaps the episode was an early incarnation of the movie screenplay, but records seem to show it predating any written version of "Wicker Man". I'd be interested in knowing the connection with Anthony Schaffer/Robin Hardy.
Thriller: Hay-Fork and Bill-Hook (1961)
Clearly inspired Robin Hardy's "The Wicker Man" (1973)
This is one of the better entries in the series with wonderful direction, atmosphere and suspense. Elements of opening scenes (with the grafitti on the wall and some of the script) as well as the one in the Castle were clearly lifted in detail for Robin Hardy's "The Wicker Man".
Stripes (1981)
Unwatchably bad.
Hard to believe this had any remote connection with the brilliant SCTV tv series. Murray is boring, obnoxious and unfunny. Plot falls apart. Jokes are flat. Women are degraded almost to an extreme. Did adults actually write this piece of tripe? I couldn't finish it.