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Reviews
Dokfa nai meuman (2000)
Some times off topic and meandering on the myth of Dogfahr
(2000) Mysterious Object at Noon
DOCU DRAMA
Documented by Apichatpong Weerasethakul where he goes around uncovering a myth involving a student on a wheelchair and his teacher "Dogfahr". Filmed in black and white, sometimes the stories are made up while others are being told to and from other people throughout the entire city of Bangkok and Thailand. Viewers are left scratching their heads trying to figure what to make of it as a portion of the docudrama is sometimes off topic. We do not even get to see what is even written about the myth whether Dogfahr was actually dead or alive, or do we even get to visit the site that was supposed to have happened.
Zapped! (1982)
Forced cheap nude scenes; Heather was suppsoed to be a body double and unfunny
(1982) Zapped!
COMEDY DRAMA
Co-written and directed by Robert J. Rosenthal that has the school wanting to win the prestigious award leaving their best student, Barney Springboro (Scott Baio) to conducting experiments himself. The only two visits he often gets are his two best friends of Peyton Nichols (Willie Aames) who video records and school newspaper reporter, Bernadette (Felice Schachter). One day when coach, Dexter Jones (Scatman Crothers) knocks over some chemicals while he was attempting to drink out of a flask hidden behind some other chemicals on a shelf. Barney would then take that cup with the mixed chemicals feed it to Edgar the mouse, who would then use levitation to get it's cheese.
After seeing Porky's, the movie kind of made me laugh and wanted to see more like it- this movie is not it! Despite many of the women are breast implants and are unattractive, one of the main reasons I wanted to check this out was because of Heather Locklear, who played a desired student Jane was attractive after seeing her star in "The Fall Guy" and yet it says that a body double had been used.
Johnny Eager (1941)
Charismatic on screen presence of Taylor and Turner with some great dialogue
(1941) Johnny Eager
CRIME DRAMA
Co-written and directed by Mervyn LeRoy that has Johnny Eager (Robert Taylor) driving a cab and visiting his parole officer, Mr. Verne (Henry O'Neill) before he heads on out again to make a visit to the dog track races. And as it turns out, it was nothing more but a front to hide his criminal racket while his underlings of Benji (Lou Lubin), Billiken (Don Costello), Julio (Paul Stewart) and suspected outsider, Lew Rankin (Barry Nelson) while Marco (Charles Dingle) handles the books. Eager also has a best friend, Jeff Hartnett (Van Heflin) tags along with him whenever he visits other businesses who have not paid up their dues with a lady name Matilda (Robin Raymond). Meanwhile, parole officer, Verne decides to introduce Eager to a couple of college students, Lisbeth Bard (Lana Turner) and Judy Sanford (Diana Lewis) wanting to write a class essay. Complicating matters is the fact that Eager becomes infatuated with Lisbeth who is already engaged to her former peer, Jimmy (Robert Sterling) who's dad is also a politician who does not like Eager at all. And when Eager made a personal visit to a gambling joint with one of his customers regarding being short changed, he coincidentally comes across with one of the students, Lis Bard who has the option to report what she saw, but decides not to but wants to see Eager much more often that clashes with her dad's wishes..
Some of the appeal are the dialogue exchanges as Robert Taylor's screen presence also stands out that is reminiscent to a dashing charismatic Errol Flynn type of anti-hero. That although the audience should not be cheering for a racketeer, we end up doing just that.
Bastarden (2023)
Some of the scenes are predictable and it needed to spare soem of it's viewers of sitting through it
(2023) Promised Land/ Bastarden
(In Danish, Swedish, German, Norwegian with English subtitles)
HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY
Adapted from the book by Ida Jessen co-written and directed by Nikolaj Arcel that has captain, Ludvig Kahlen (Mads Mikkelsen) wanting with his superiors and king's permission to set up a potato field at the Jutland Heath, unaware that is nearby a property of wealthy chancellor, Frederik De Schinkel (Simon Bennebjerg) helping him to put up the field are, Ann Barbara (Amanda Collin) and her husband, Johannes Eriksen (Morten Hee Andersen) and young child, Anmai Mus (Hagberg Melina) who calls him Lil Pops. But because Anmai Mus is not a local (foreigner) and dark skinned, creates a hysteria and superstition.
If one ere to watch many films can sometimes able to predict specific direction of where the story was going toward. I also doubt some of it was the way that it happened as there is a reason why viewers are not even shown what he or others was supposed to look like leading to a superficial ending that it did.
Too Late for Tears (1949)
It is just feels like a tad too long
(1949) Too Late For Tears
PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
Adapted from the book and from the Saturday Evening Post serial by Roy Huggins who was also credited for the screenplay. It has Danny (Arthur Kennedy) and his wife Jane (Lizabeth Scott) Palmer driving along the highway until a passing car throws a bagful of money on the back seat of their convertible. And by the time they realize that another car was after them, Jane then takes over the wheel and flees for the intention of losing the driver chasing them. By the time he makes back to their apartment, and saw how much dough was in the bag Alan wants to bring the money to the police station, when she wants to keep it. He then let's her convince him to keep it for a week, and they do this by letting the bag checked in. And it was at this point was when sometime during the week, an underhanded guy, Danny Fuller (Dan Duryea) shows up at her apartment wanting to know where the money is since it was his. And then for the next hour or so, we then see Jane attempting to manipulate the entire situation. Involving Alan's sister, Kathy (Kristine Miller) and then a stranger claiming to be a friend of Alan, introducing himself as Don Blake (Don DeFore) with more revelations as the movie continues
The movie is just long and if one were to watch enough of them should be able to predict the many scenes that can motivate someone to speed it up.
The Bad News Bears (1976)
Timeless little league movie
(1976) The Bad News Bears
DRAMA/ COMEDY
A washed up drunk, Morris Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) is employed by a wealthy father (Ben Piazza) of a son sponsoring him to coach a kid's baseball team. It serves as a backdrop to the natural performances of it's actors. And because the children are so bad the two that stand out the most Morris's daughter, Amanda (Tatum O'Neal) and a rebellious punk, Kelly (Jackie Earle Haley) who rides an adult kids motorbike who carry the team.
And I must admit this was not the first Bad News Bears movie I see, the first one I saw was "The Bad News Bears Goes To Japan" from 78 but it is like as soon you get older, the first one is perhaps the best one as a portion of the movie has been improvised and natural.
Honey Britches (1971)
Just when you think there is more nudity there isn't
(1971) Demented Death Farm Massacre/ Honey Britches
THRILLER/ COMEDY DRAMA
Co-produced and directed by Donn Davison that has four convicts on the run from the police riding their jeep until it runs out of gas. Leading the group is Phillip Courtney (Jim Peck) and his girlfriend, Karen (Trudy Moore) and Kirk Taylor ( Mike Coolik) and his girlfriend, Suzanne (Pepper Thurston) as their jeep runs out of gas. They are then forced to walk and soon stumble onto a farm with a single hillbilly wife, Reba Sue Craven (Ashley Brooke) waiting at home for her husband, Horlon (George Ellis). Complicating matters is when one of the criminals holds them hostage and begins to seduce Horlon's wife, Reba Sue
The movie has poor acting, low budget, using an idea used a dozen times, and just when one presumes there is nudity in there, there is perhaps a breast scene and that is basically it.
Detour (1945)
Nightmare scenario
(1945) Detour
THRILLER
Pianist, Al Roberts (Tom Neal) is sitting on a coffee diner and is acting crabby with the customer and owner, and as soon as one of the customers used his change to play a familiar tune he recognizes, he then growls some more. And when the owner and his customer told him if he did not like it he could always leave, he then decides to behave himself and viewers get to see him reevaluate what happened. It all happened when he agreed to hitch a ride with a stranger, before something were to happen to him, al then presumes his identity and picks up a female hitchhiker himself, Vera (Ann Savage) who may be more psychotic.
I must admit, I did not like this movie when I first saw it as the first death was not even Al's fault, he can be charged for theft or robbery. And the other death was only manslaughter for both scenarios were 100% avoidable. He just seems to dig himself a bigger hole.
Shut In (2015)
It had a good idea but that is it
(2015) Intruders/ Shut In
PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER
Anna Rook (Beth Riesgraf) has been looking been looking after her sick brother Conrad for his last remaining days of his life, while the family friend, Danny (Rory Culkin) continues to bring her food over as she is supposed to have a mental disorder of leaving the house. A lawyer then shows up and tries to convince her to sign some documents, one presume that it involves the family's inheritance. She refuses to sign and by the time her brother finally passes away, she could not pull herself together to show up at his funeral. And when the food delivery, Dan shows up, she then tries to unload a huge amount of money onto him and he refuses. And the inevitable happens is when an intruder, JP (Jack Kesy) and two other of his cohort intruders of Vance (Joshua Mikel) and Perry (Martin Starr) bust in to her place of residence, unraveling the secrets of the house itself.
Great premise for a movie and instead of touching on that idea it decides to make some ridiculous and far out directions. I like the idea of intruders breaking into a house the intruders themselves know nothing about, leaving the question that if burglars were to break in whether the owner are able to do whatever s/he want to do with them if they were to get themselves trapped. But instead of dwelling on that question, the movie then dwells more on her sketchy and questionable past that leaves with more questions than answers.
Triangle (2009)
Groundhog Day slasher film in the predictable Twilight Zone sense
(2009) Triangular
PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE FICTION HORROR.
Written and directed by Christopher Smith that opens with a small group of young teenage passengers stranded on top of an overturn boat. A floating and supposedly what at first to be an empty cruise liner then floats towards to their direction. And as soon as they were to hop on, there appears to be a maniac on board. And it is from this point, it is through the eyes of Jess (Melissa George) in the Twilight Zone / Groundhog Day in the slasher Italian mode.
If one were to seen enough of them, one can almost predict the movie without having to watch the entire thing.
Ai no bôrei (1978)
Short storyline made into a feature film
(1978) Empire of Passion
(In Japanese with English subtitles)
DRAMA PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPERNATURAL HORROR
Adapted from the novel by Itoko Nakamura co-written and directed by Nagisa Ôshima that takes place in a small rural community village century of Japan that has a worthless bum, Toyoji (Tatsuya Fuji) coming between a rickshaw man, Gisaburo (Takahiro Tamura) his family by seducing and having an affair with his wife, Seki (Kazuko Yoshiyuki). And then after awhile, Toyoji then tries to manipulate her to conspire to murder her husband for him.
Straight up horror movie that has a similar rhythm to other horror movies that consist to possess a similar theme from "Ugetsu" and "Kwaiden". Entertaining but far from original.
Gishiki (1971)
Long, talky and boring
(1971) The Ceremony/ Gishiki
(In Japanese with English subtitles)
PSYCHOLOGICAL DRAMA
Co-written and directed by Nagisa Ôshima that has Sakurada Masuo (Kenzô Kawarasaki) and Sakurada Ritsuko (Atsuko Kaku) receiving a telegram from Tachibana Terumichi (Atsuo Nakamura). And while waiting for their boat liner, Masuo and through his narration it is during then we get to witness what his life is like from the times of 1945 and 1947 when he was just a child viewers then get to see how he meets them as well as other people from within this particular clan to which some may describe as dysfunctional.
The movie is long talky and boring to pessimistic from the stand point of a fictional and exaggerate story line.
Messenger of Death (1988)
So and so Charles Bronson movie
(1988) Messenger of Death
ACTION THRILLER/ MYSTERY
Adapted from the novel by Rex Burns that opens with a slaughter of two ladies and children. We are then introduced to a reporter, Garrett Smith (Charles Bronson) getting involve with the chief of police, who also happens to be a mayor, Chief Barney Doyle (Daniel Benzali). And as it turned out there seems to be a clash between two rival families between the Beechum family and the Zenas over properties and land with the Colorado Water Company in the middle inherited by Trudy Pike (Penny Peyser) and her husband, Cyrus Pike (Don Kennedy) who appears to be in charge of the board introduced by Homer Foxx (Laurence Luckinbill)
There is hardly any action with another one of those movies that has more innocent lives senselessly killed than there were bad guys.
Baby Doll (1956)
More like a stage play
(1956) Baby Doll
DRAMA
Adapted from a play "Twenty Seven Wagons Full of Cotton" by Tennessee Williams produced and directed by Elia Kazan that has middle age, Archie Lee Meighan (Karl Malden) living with his young 18 or 20 year old trophy wife, Baby Doll Carson McCorkle or Meighan (Carroll Baker) hence the title and her aunt, Rose Comfort (Mildred Dunnock) who does the cooking. When former rival, Silva Vacarro (Eli Wallach) finds out that his barn of cotton has been burned down, he suspects it Archie Lee may be the culprit and decides to impose his presence into his residency.
Upon watching it is reminiscent to a stage play with great performances by all with nominations for Carroll Baker for Best Actress and Mildred Dunnock for "Best Actress for a supporting Role and Tennessee Williams for best screenplay out of 4 nominations.
Ganashatru (1989)
Kinda talky but gets better when the debate and arguing within the residents
(1989) Ganashatru
(In Bengali with English subtitles)
DRAMA
Adapted from the play by Henrik Ibsen music, co-written and directed by Satyajit Ray that centers on a situation of a doctor, Ashok Gupta (Soumitra Chattopadhyay) who is waiting for test results of a water from a holy temple after it was concluded the patient of his may have died from. And while he is waiting he also calls up a newspaper friend, Haridas Bagchi (Dipankar Dey) of his to wait for him at his house. And while Ashok's wife, Maya Gupta (Ruma Guhathakurta) is entertaining her guest by serving him pastry and tea, Haridas Ashok's younger brother, Nishith Gupta (Dhritiman Chattopadhya) shows up he happens to be municipal chairman of the city of Chandipur. We then meet Ranen Haldar (Bhishma Guhathakurta) who happens to be a student as well as an inspired writer. Ranen also happens to be fiance of the Gupta's daughter, Ranu who works as a teacher. And by the time Ashok shows up , he is then informs him that the water from the holy site may be contaminated. Ashok then clashes with his younger brother over this since he is the municipal chairman before he clashes with his best friend, Haridas over the posting out the story for the residents to know about.
Upon watching it, is reminiscent of another movie also based on a play called "The Big Knife" made in 1955 and the movie "Rope" in which the entire story itself is confined to just a few areas or limited areas and space. For "The Big Knife" the entire movie is limited to just the living room of the house, in this one it is limited to the Gupta's family home the newspaper office and some of it on stage where the debate was being at. I think I fell asleep upon watching "The Big Knife" and with "Rope" not so much because it was supposed to be filmed all on one long take, this one is quite good but too much dialogue the movie gets better when the debate or arguing happens between the newspaper editor the municipal chairman butting heads with the doctor.
Runaway Train (1985)
The Runaway Train sequences were excellent I just wish there were more of it
(1985) Runaway Train
THRILLER SUSPENSE
Co-written by one of the most influential directors of all time Akira Kurosawa. When watching it, it looks like the setting was supposed to take place in Russia but instead it takes place in an Alaskan prison that centers on two rivals. One is big shot prison inmate, Manny (Jon Vight) continuing to butting heads with head prison guard, Ranken (John P. Ryan). Manny may be innocent but the sadistic prison guard Ranken wants to kill him with his bare hands anyway because he is popular among many of the inmates and as an inspiration. Ranken is jealous of that and he decides to let him out of the cold box cell just so another former inmate would take the chance to knifing him. It turns out, the inmate was swayed with a shady deal by Ranken himself. And of course, Manny knows he won't be let out because Ranken wants to get him real bad, so former prison inmates plan for his escape with another former inmate name Buck( Eric Roberts) agree to tag along and take the other person's place but unable to come because of injuries.. By the time they reach to the railway station, they would then change into some new clothes before out of all the trains onto the track Manny chooses to hop on to a bullet train. Coincidentally, it also happens to be the same train a railway conductor suffers a heart attack falling out of the train himself. And, as soon as Ranken learns or finds out that is where Manny may have have escaped on, he then hops onto a helicopter in pursuit of the train itself.
If there is any reason to give this movie a good rating it would be because of the runaway train itself as it rivals with "The Taking of Pehlham One Two and Three...." with the set up that is reminiscent to "Cool Man Luke" on a train as we learn more about both Manny and Buck. I just wish there was more sequences of the train than to see the two men working with their issues or differences. And it is like throughout the entire time I have never seen neither Manny or Buck ate a single thing throughout the entire movie.
Scared Stiff (1953)
Sight gags are just as entertaining as ever
(1953) Scared Stiff
COMEDY
The simple set up regarding night club singer and set up man, Larry Todd (Dean Martin) and Myron Mertz (Jerry Lewis) forced to escape, presuming that the police are after them as a result of mistaking identity serves nothing more but a backdrop to the comedy routines. Come along with them for the ride is Mary Carroll (Lizabeth Scott). It eventually leads them to a desolate castle involving other gangsters.
This is the eighth of sixteen movies Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis has made together, and it is also the second of third movies, George Marshall has directed them together. Some of the innoventive sight gags also includes the beginning when Myron was a waiter while Larry was trying to sing until he was interrupted and then includes him in the act, and the castle with the stilted armor knight man and secret door.
Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)
Although plenty of action the premise was boring
(2015) Mad Max: Fury Road
SCIENCE FICTION ACTION
Co-produced, co-written and directed by George Miller that has Tom Hardy as the Mad Max role who eventually meets Furiosa she's played by Charlize Theron it has Max driving away from a compound on then they would drive back.
Yes-there is plenty of action, not much else. There is also Furiosa picking up a few ladies along the way from the compound we find out she had either abducted or had saved them from with which Immortan Joe (Hugh Keays-Byrne) is chasing after many riding motorbikes and weird looking cars while using flame throwers and rocking back and forth using long poles.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (2024)
Story is much more engaging than "Mad Max Fury Road" because the story allows viewers to think
(2024) Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
ACTION SCIENCE FICTION
Co-produced, co-written and directed by George Miller that consists of Furiosa (Alyla Browne) as a little child and how she was abducted from a communion compound. And how her own mother made attempts to save her that leaves with a rather long set up that becomes better as the movie is progressing. That although the main baddie, Dementus (Chris Hemsworth) wanted to know the compound Furiosa was being abducted from, he would nickname Furiosa Little D before he crosses paths with another compound called "The Citadel" that is ruled by a less than ruthless tyrant - a radiation mutated looking man, Immortan Joe (Lachy Hulme) surrounded with other mutated looking men. It was soon revealed, the Citadel are somewhat connected to two other compounds near by - one is called Gastown and the other is called Bulletfarm. Dementus intends to take over each one of them including "The Citadel". And under some unusual circumstances, Furiosa becomes part of Immortan Joe's group as well it is there where she grew older (Anya Taylor-Joy) and acquired some of her skills landing her the name, Praetorian Furiosa with hell bent on revenge.
Perhaps the two things wrong with this movie is the way how young Furiosa was abducted in the first place and the way she was saved I had a little problem with, but it may be the result of hindsight. What is asinine was why a young Furiosa went to the bikers in the first place when she could have just contacted her compound/ dominion. The second problem I had was when Furiosa's mother went to save her, why she did not knock the last person out, so that the person would not go out and called others. Furiosa and her mother would have easily have gotten away had she knocked that other lady out. And it was at that point the movie became interesting with some obvious CGI, but it still consisted of a interesting set up that connects with the prequel "Mad Max: Fury Road". The movie is long but way more engaging than Fury Road..
The Creator (2023)
The only reason to watch this is for the special effects
(2023) The Creator
SCIENCE-FICTION ACTION
Co-written and directed by Gareth Edwards with the set that is reminiscent of other movies such as "Blade Runner", "AI" "The Phantom Menace" because of the robots, "Total Recall", "The Fifth Element" and "Elysium" among other movies. The time takes place several years into the future when AI robots are being used constantly until one of them activated a nuclear explosion, changing the perception to blanket the entire AI race to be eliminated. And to make a law to track and destroy all AI robots.
The opening then has Joshua Taylor (John David Washington) spending quality time with his love interest, Maya (Gemma Chan) who is expecting in a somewhat private island or resort until she discovers he was undercover who's main objective is to find, locate and then destroy Nirmata. She then runs away while other AI officers are shooting at other resistance fighters and AI robots to a boat while he continues to go after her and pleading his case. Nomad, a space station of some sort from the sky who scouts the area then drops a huge warhead to the ocean, knocking Joshua out. The movie then jumps 5 or 5 months later, and we find out it was a the nightmarish dream he could not shake off his head, and is still scarred with the fact that Nomad did not listen to him when he asked them to hold off firing one of their missiles. And that Sgt Joshua Taylor had not been active since presuming his love interest had been caught in the blast. He then gets a visit from General Andrews and Colonel Howell (Allison Janney) making attempts to change his mind, and they do this by showing indications that his wife, Maya may in fact still be alive. The objective is to track Nirmata so that it could it to Alpha O the weapon used to destroy Nomad. Sgt Joshua agrees but only if he left in charge. Things happen that resulted to many humans/ cyborgs and AI robots being killed we find out there's a little child who may know the whereabouts of Joshua's wife and could be the key to destroying Nomad.
Legend of the Lost (1957)
Forgetable but still watchable
(1957) Legend of the Lost
ADVENTURE/ DRAMA
Co-produced and directed by Henry Hathaway the second of six movies, John Wayne has collaborated together. The combination of several movies including "Lawrence of Arabia", "The Treasure of Sierra Madre", "King Solomon's Mines", and the stepping stone for the future movie they had done together called "True Grit". The set up has wealthy baron, Paul Bonnard (Rossano Brazzi) seeking for a professional guide in search for his dad and some supposed treasure deep in the Sahara desert. And it is not long before he crosses with a gypsy, Dita (Sophia Loren) attempting to steal his pocket watch. Because Paul has taken a liking to her, he decides not to charge her for it as well as gives her his pocket watch. She in return thanks him by the nice gesture by returning his wallet. Meanwhile the head of the foreign legion, Dukas (Kurt Kasznar) who is easily swayed by money then seeks to find a drunk, Joe January (John Wayne) attempting to sway him to be Paul's guide in exchange for the money he owes him. Although, he accepts the job, he also insists Dita does not come along with them, but of course, she eventually does because she is Sophia Loren.
My second viewing after so many years, and although forgettable some of his sarcastic persona has been echoed to his character in "True Grit" also about a young lady employing the services of a US marshal. Some of the scenes of the Sahara desert are gorgeous to look at, but 3/4 of the way is when the movie kind of lost me, that left me asking questions, some of which regards the treasure.
The Nevadan (1950)
Randolph Scot has been in better Westerns
(1950) The Nevadan
WESTERN
It has prisoner, Tom Tanner escorted by a marshal, and he manages to escape from his clutches. And after he manages to lose the posse chasing him, he then notices a greenhorn, Andrew Barclay (Randolph Scott) with no gun happen to be following him. And then after Tanner was going to send him on his way, he then changes his mind and asks him to change clothes before he invites him to come along with him. We then find out more about the prisoner and that he had just stolen more than 200,000 worth of gold and had hidden it. Meanwhile, we then see both of them in another town, and this time Tanner manages to stick up the bank manager but instead of robbing him he then asks him for a note from the safety deposit box. Another, customer, Jeff is there, and we notice he recognizes Tanner and he tries to find out what the note says by him and his brother, Bart waiting for him at the pass. And nothing happened as a result as Andrew Barclay manages to pull out his revolver without anyone noticing, and they force them back to walk back into town. At this point, Andrew Barclay's intentions are ambiguous. Is he undercover until he manages to uncover the money Tanner had hidden or does he have another objective.
Blood on the Moon (1948)
Complicated western with complex personalities
(1948) Blood on the Moon
WESTERN
Adapted by Luke Short's Saturday Evening Post serial story that has Jim Garry (Robert Mitchum) camping until a herd of rustling cattle came wrecking his spot. He is then confronted by cattle rancher, Bart (Robert Bray) who would then ride him back to his own camp where he is introduced to the owner of the cattle, John Lufton (Tom Tully) and his foreman, Cap Willis (Bud Osborne). We learn more about Jim as he is originally from Texas and not from around the area. And because none of them ever saw him before, they were not sure whether he can be trusted or not. At the same time, John said he would replace everything Jim Garry had lost as a result of his herd with a promise he would leave on the following morning. And before Jim Garry leaves, John then asks him to hand over a note to his ranch until someone was shooting at him. We find out later by the time he reaches to the John Lufton's ranch, that the lady who was shooting at him happens to be one of his two daughters, Amy (Barbara Bel Geddes) with his older daughter, Carol Lufton (Phyllis Thaxter).
Midnight Mary (1933)
Some scenes did not make much sense but still watchable
(1933) Midnight Mary
CRIME DRAMA
Adapted from the story by Anita Loos that opens with Mary (Loretta Young) waiting for prosecution and while she was waiting inside of a judge's office, upon looking at the year of the law books, viewers then get to see how it all lead up to that shown in flashbacks. From the time she was poor and unable to find a job until gangsters, Leo (Ricardo Cortez) and Angelo (Warren Hymer) pick up her and her best friend Bunny (Una Merkel) to hang out with them. Every time Mary tries to leave the gangster life, she is then pulled back in after unsuccessfully finding decent employment. It is not until she meets a successful and an already married young man, Tom Manning (Franchot Tone) is when she is geared to be attached to him. Creating a conflicted rift between Mary and the gangsters intentions.
It is just outdated with some scenes that did not make much sense that needed explanation such as when Leo handed her a 50 dollar bill, instead of using it find work and so forth, she would then give it away. Made during the pre-code era when censor boards were involve with what is allowed to shown on screen, so at times it makes sense even though it does nothing to the story.
Across to Singapore (1928)
Well made and somewhat accurate in terms of the times
(1928) Across to Singapore
SILENT
ADVENTURE/ ROMANTIC
Adapted from the book by Ben Ames Williams produced and directed by William Nigh that has Joel Shore (Ramon Novarro) is and has always been in love with Priscilla Crowninshield (Joan Crawford) for a long time since they were children. By the time the oldest and strongest brother, Capt. Mark Shore (Ernest Torrence) returns home from the sea, he is greeted by two other brothers and his youngest brother, Joel. And his dad, Jeremiah Shore (Frank Currier). Because Mark takes a liking to Priscilla as well, he asks her father, Joshua Croninshield (Edward Connelly) for his daughter's hand in marriage. It is obvious, Priscilla is in love with the youngest brother, Joel of the Shore family, but her dad already consented to his oldest brother Mark.
Made during the time when women did not have a choice who they want to marry. The movie is also reminiscent to other movies that has a similar theme.