Harold-10

Well, it LOOKS like a good movie.... but it is not. It has well-composed shots and decent lighting, which many of low-budget films do not. Unfortunately, it fails on many levels.

The initial problem of the film is the premise that kicks the movie into gear. The reason for the characters to NOT call the police is such a poor and implausible one that you cannot get past it. From here on, the actions of the characters in such a dire situation makes even less and less sense. This isn't to say that the writing is all bad, because the dialogue is decent at times. It's just that the plot involves too many people not doing the easiest and most logical thing. By the end, you just cannot wait for the credits. I know that is normal for a horror film, but this is even more askew than should be tolerated by even the most fervent followers of the genre.

As for the acting, a couple of people in this film did a fine job. The others, however... not so much.

All that being said, I do think that Thomas L. Phillips, the director, did a fine job and as he works more and more behind the camera, I think he will continue to improve. Thomas L. Phillips, the writer, however, should have given this script to someone outside his circle to read it over and give notes and suggestions... maybe even giving a re-write or co-write, before sending it to production. That could have saved the plot from being the disjointed mess it is.

You must always take historical movies with a grain of salt. A lot of times you can actually question how much is true, and how much is propaganda. Knowing very little of the actual events portrayed in this film, a lot of this is open for interpretation. Still, I was riveted, even though you know the ending. The drama and the tension was about as strong as could be for a movie with minimal action. I am a sucker for good script writing. This is one of the best-acted movies I have seen in a long time. I never for a moment doubted that Culp was Bobby Kennedy, or Greenwood was JFK. The most startling aspect of this movie was many actors' resemblance to the actual person: Strozier could have been Dean Rusk, I wouldn't have known. Even Walter Adrian, who plays a minimal speaking role as LBJ, looked like the real man. Political tension on screen usually misses, but not here. Scores 8 of 10.

As far as Linda Stirling's cliffhangers go, this is the best of the bunch. Stirling stars along with Republic staple Roy Barcroft and Richard Bailey in the search for an evil pirate from the past. Lance (Bailey) and Claire (Stirling) head to Mystery Island to search for Claire's father, a scientist being held by the evil Captain Mephisto. Mephisto is a pirate from 200 years earlier, who is transformed into a business man who owns part of the island. The mystery lies in which one of the four owners actually is Mephisto.

Claire is a spitfire of a damsel, able to hold her own against Mephisto and his henchmen. This serial is partially directed by legendary stuntman Yakima Canutt, so the chases, the fights and the explosions are all top notch. Of course, there is a level of kitsch that comes with the territory of chapterplays, but this one has its own charm, and is a example of what a cliffhanger should be.