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Arnie (1970)
This must be a "lost" TV show
I am convinced that this TV series has been completely lost or has been destroyed in a fire or something. I do not ever remember seeing this show in syndicated reruns since it first aired. It does not appear to be available in any format. This was a very funny and popular show and now is completely forgotten except by a few of us. I watched this show every single week when it aired. Admittedly part of the reason being I was totally infatuated with Sue Ann Langdon who played Arnies wife. If you look the word "perky" up in the dictionary chances are that Sue Ann's picture will be displayed. Where was I? Oh yes, Arnie. Anyways, it was a funny show with good characters. If the show has not been lost or destroyed then the good folks at TVland should start airing this immediately. This is a lost treasure that needs to be dug up.
Buzzin' Around (1933)
Arbuckle still had it
Thankfully Hollywood forgave Arbuckle in time that he was able to make 6 talking shorts before passing away. I gave this short a 9. It is not hilariously funny for a modern audience but probably as good or better than any other shorts of it's day and does have it's moments. You can tell his ordeals have taken their toll on him as a man, but Arbuckle still had the knack of being funny. The scene where the doctor examines him after swallowing a bee is very funny indeed. One reviewer here mentioned that Arbuckle was a long time heroin addict by the time this film was released. I have read about everything there is on Arbuckle and have never heard that from any other source and do not believe it for a second. Arbuckles alcoholism was well known but that hardly made him a heroin addict. I would like to know where the reviewer got that info.
Grandma's Boy (2006)
Possibly one of the worst movies I ever saw
If you are a horny 13 year old whose hobby is downloading porn, then you will probably like this film. The humor is about as unsophisticated as it comes. They tried hard to make this one into an American Pie or Something about Mary, but someone forgot to tell the filmmaker that gross does not necessarily equal funny. That seems to be the current trend in Hollywood these days. Among the atrocities that we have to endure in this film is several scenes with some fat ugly guy's mouth attached to a woman's breast. I think this was the same fat ugly guy who wanted to buy the platform shoes in the ebay store in "the 40 year old virgin". This must have been a friend of the director who was given this role so he could actually get his mouth on a breast as it probably never happened in real life. Whatever the reason, it never elicits a laugh and seems pointless. Then there is Shirley Jones, now a senior citizen, who is constantly talking about all the old Hollywood stars that she had relations with. Again, it seems like the director must have been a fan of the Partridge Family when he was a kid and had some fantasy of hearing Shirley Jones talking foul. Maybe it is humorous to the 13 year old I mentioned in my opening line, but it wasn't to me. There was one or two mildly amusing lines in this film, but that is not enough to come anywhere near recommending this garbage. The filmmaker needs to go out and rent a copy of "Duck Soup" and see what real comedy is all about.
Every Day's a Holiday (1964)
The Fabulous Baker Girls
This is not a great film and is badly dated. I gave it a 10 anyways based solely on seeing Jennifer and Susan Baker sing the song "Romeo Jones". I had not seen this film since the 60s yet this scene popped into my head recently as I recalled having a huge crush on these twin sisters when I was a kid. I had not thought of this in years and tracked down a copy of the film on eBay. The performance was as wonderful as I remembered and I still have a crush on these girls. They only were in a handful of films but they are completely adorable. I find it hard to believe that they were not in more films or offered a record contract. There is not much info on the web on the twins so I have no idea what paths their lives took after they quit making films. The rest of the cast is more than capable with John Leyton (the Great Escape), Ron Moody (Oliver) and Michael Ripper (Every Hammer film ever made), and do the best they can with a substandard script. There is a couple of bizarre performances by Freddie and the Dreamers and a busty Liz Fraser to liven things up, but the real attraction for me is the Baker Twins. Their performance so impressed me when I was 10 years old that it remained in my head for over 40 years. I am just glad that it worked it's way out of my subconscious mind so I could enjoy it all over again.
Zombies on Broadway (1945)
Titillating title
Brown and Carney were not too bad. They were better than some of the comments make them out to be. They couldn't touch Abbott and Costello, but I have seen far worse from more famous duos. I would have liked to have seen them with better writers. Just a note that Brown and Carney were reunited briefly in the 1961 film "the Absent Minded Professor". This is an OK comedy for those who like old fashioned comedy like I do. The thing that disappoints is that the title itself gives rise to images of zombies invading a Busby Berkley type musical or an army of zombies pursuing fleeing New Yorkers through the theater district. I was imagining the scene from Golddiggers of 1933 with Ginger Rogers singing "We're in the money" being invaded not by the cops but by zombies. Sadly, we get none of that. If you can get past the title then you will find an amusing little film. I would like to see George Romero remake it.
Two Weeks to Live (1943)
Amusing minor effort
I got this out of the 88 cent bin at Wal-Mart. As Lum and Abner peaked in popularity about 15 years before I was born, I didn't know much about them. I wasn't expecting much but this was an amusing B movie. Lum and Abner are a couple of country bumpkins who go to the big city. We have all seen this type of thing many times before, and they do some humor based on a hick's unfamiliarity with the big city, but it never regresses to Beverly Hillbillies type humor. There was no big laughs but I did get some chuckles. I am sure some jokes passed me by that those familiar with the characters would have caught. The movie does have some interesting characters like the window washer and his invisible dog, the guy who invents a Jekyll and Hyde type formula and the always amusing Franklin Pangborn. It is a zany comedy that feels just a bit restrained from making it an anarchy type comedy like the Marxes. If you like old comedy and see this in the 88 cent bin at Wal-Mart, it is worth picking up.
Wolfblood (1925)
Interesting yarn of the 20s
Possible spoilers. This is an unusual story set in a lumber camp in Canada. It concerns rival lumber camps at war. When the head foreman of the one camp is beaten and left for dead, a surgeon is forced to use the blood of a wolf for a transfusion. Like many movies of the 20s this one is filled with long boring stretches and a couple of intriguing scenes. One chilling scene has the man who has been transfused with the wolf blood following after a pack of phantom wolves towards the edge of a cliff where the wolves jump off one by one. There is also a scene of a Roaring 20s party in full swing that has little to do with the rest of the movie but is of interest to fans of flappers and the culture of the 20s. One thing that always cracks me up watching silent films is the actors in them. Many of them are so ordinary looking that they could not possibly star in a Hollywood film today. The star here, George Chesebro, looks like a mechanic at a gas station but turns in a good performance nonetheless. Considered a forerunner of the Wolfman movies of the 40s, but the Wolfman is only hinted at in this one.
Jay Leno and the American Dream (1986)
Funny Leno Vehicle
Years before he was made host of "the Tonight Show", Leno was star of this made for cable special. It's been almost 20 years since I've seen it so I can't remember most of the specifics but I remember laughing through most of it. I think Jay went around and examined various aspects of the American Dream with bits of his stand-up routine thrown in. One line that I still laugh about and have remembered all this time was when Jay was talking about the old huge cars from the 50s and being in an accident in one of them. The Cops would arrive at the scene and one would say "You can turn off the siren Bob, he was driving a Buick". Probably would make more sense if you had seen this. At any rate, if you find Leno funny like I do, you would probably enjoy this.
The Librarian: Quest for the Spear (2004)
Possible series?
For a made for TV film, this was a good one. I have to agree with another post that said the conclusion felt rushed. It did. There were a lot of possibilities that could have been explored in more depth. That being said, there was more right with the film than wrong. The casting of Bob Newhart and Jane Curtin was great. Seasoned vetran talent can bring so much to a project, yet they are too often overlooked. Newhart shined in an odd role for him. I had not heard about this film until the ads ran last week. It looks like it might be a pilot for a TV series. I hope so. Earlier Indiana Jones-like TV series like "Tales of the Gold Monkey" were never given time to find their audience. Kudos to TNT for continuing to make the kind of quality films that they do not make for theaters anymore.
Le roi de coeur (1966)
They don't make them like this anymore
As I was reading through the comments here for "King of Hearts" I noticed two different schools of thought on the film. Many, like myself, have fond memories of seeing this film in the 60s and 70s and were delighted by it. The other comments come from younger viewers who see this film as being "dated" and not that funny, yet worthwhile viewing. At first I was a little miffed at this generations comments about a gem of my generation, until it dawned on me that they were somewhat correct. The film is a bit dated because they just do not make films like this anymore. It was never meant to be knee slapping funny. The humor was a non-intrusive "gentle" humor that seems to be a foreign concept in this day and age. Another reason many younger viewers do not "get" this film is because one of the themes here is non-conformity. This was a crucial concern of those growing up in the 60s. We wanted our individuality to show and not be just a number. Society has did a 180 since then. Today people are more concerned with fitting in than standing out. So yes, this film possibly is a bit dated. It is a bit of movie magic from a far simpler time and I have a feeling that there are a lot of people under 30 who would not see this as dated at all. King of Hearts is one of a small handful of films that celebrates the simple magic of being alive. Come and experience it.
The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (1910)
Historically interesting
This film is included in the "More Treasures of the American Film Archive" DVD. The running time is listed at 13 minutes. It kind of looks like a junior high school production of "the Wizard of Oz" with people dressed up in costumes to portray Toto, the Cowardly Lion, Imogene the Cow and what appears to be a donkey. The latter two accompany Dorthy to the Emerald City with the all the rest. The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodsman are not too bad, and not that far removed from the 1939 Classic. The Wizard himself looks like the 19th century Medicine Show man that the Wizard was supposed to be. It is interesting that they basically told the whole story in such a short time frame. This film is actually interesting to watch in a historical sense. For that reason I gave it a 9.
Saved! (2004)
A lame attack on Christianity
Where movies like this fail is when the filmmaker cannot separate the Christian Faith from the culture that has grown up around it. This culture deserves to be lampooned and was done so brilliantly several years ago in the Steve Martin film, "Leap of Faith". Martin was insightful enough to realize that though Christians can be pretty naive, they are basically good people, and sometimes God answers their prayers. Not so this film. I suppose the filmmakers thought that they were making an important statement with this piece of fluff. Their point seems to be, you are only truly liberated when you ditch your Christian beliefs. That is absurd. This could have been a seriously worthwhile film. Someone getting their life screwed up and questioning their Faith because they thought God had told them to do some insane thing is a reality. Sadly God gets the blame for their stupidity, something this film does not try to correct. The idea that you only start to understand spirituality is when you reject Jesus is also nonsense. The filmmaker seems to be saying that Christianity turns you into a buffoon and you cannot begin to know God until you reject it. You notice that no alternatives are explored. People are just expected to look up into the sky to some unknown God and have him help us live dysfunctionally and happily ever after. Utter nonsense. Maybe the filmmaker prayed to God one time for a girl that he never got, so he built up a grudge against Christians because of it and decided to make this film. At any rate, it is utter nonsense.
The Gospel Blimp (1967)
Bizarre film but kind of funny
It is too bad that this film is forgotten. It was possibly the best Christian film that I ever saw. Kind of bizarre storyline with a group of Christians wanting to spread the Gospel so for some reason they buy a blimp to spread the Word. They upset the whole Mayberry type town as their radio signals messes up peoples TV reception and the Gospel tracts that they throw out of the blimp covers freshly raked lawns. Kind of funny to see angry townspeople shaking their fist at the Blimp. Then things get really weird. The guy who pilots the Blimp starts dressing up in some Commodore outfit for some reason and starts on a delusion of grandeur trip. I had a friend once who thought that this film should be turned into a Christian "Rocky Horror Picture Show" with people in the pews dressing up as their favorite characters and reacting to lines in the film. It would have been fun. This is a very hard movie to get ahold of.
Bad Santa (2003)
Sorry excuse for a movie
What is sad is that the premise of this film had potential. I like dark humor and that is why I rented it. The thought of a Bad Santa, perhaps like the Santa in "A Christmas Story" is a funny idea. What we get instead is Billy Bob Thornton playing an foul mouthed alcoholic sex pervert, which is the same role we have seen him play in dozens of other films. According to his ex-wife, he is not acting! He makes no attempt to be a Santa, just sitting there in a drunken stupor with his beard off saying vulgar things to children while wetting his pants. The idea that he could be hired to be a Mall Santa is absurd. I think the "F" word was said more times in this film than in "Serpico" and "Scarface" put together. Yet the idea of all these dysfunctional people finding redemption is a timeless one, and in other hands could have become a Holiday Classic. The little boy in the film in particular impressed me. You do not see kids this naive today and he very well could have been right at home in the "Our Gang" comedies of 70 years ago, which the director had hoped to find as he sent them looking for a "Joe Cobb" type. I can only hope the kid was not damaged for life at all the vulgarity that he was exposed to.
The question remains "just who did they make this film for?" It is certainly not a film you would want your kids to see, yet, the themes of a broken man just needing love is the stuff of family films. Really I do not believe that much thought went into making this film. I think someone thought the idea of a drunken Santa talking vulgar was funny, so they made a script around that. If that is your idea of humor, then this is your film.
Freaks (1932)
The most bizarre movie ever made
At the beginning of the film we read that there will never be a film like this made again. That was no idle boast. An unforgettable and haunting movie. It surpasses both "Eraserhead" and "Shanks" as the most bizarre film ever made. Rarely does a film from years ago still pack a punch, but this one delivers. A couple of truly shocking scenes that are hard to forget. I watched with a friend who said he was scarred for life. I laughed but a week later he said he was still trying to shake this one off. Hard to believe that Browning found someone to finance this. Todd once again proves himself to be the strangest filmmaker of all time. If you like the grotesque in David Lynch films, you will love "Freaks".
Bamboozled (2000)
Uneven but interesting
This could have been a brilliant film. The problem I had with this film is that Spike Lee had too many ideas he was trying to pursue, and should have kept to the single focus. Yet, there were some brilliant scenes. We see a black gangsta group of hip-hoppers and one scene shows a member drinking out of a bottle shaped like a rocket. Later on we see a commercial for this product. Subtle and interesting. The film clips from old films and the display of of toys during the endtitles, were fascinating and could have made an interesting documentary.
One thing I didn't like, besides the stereotypical white bigots, was Lee's focusing upon 40s black comedian Mantan Moreland as the epitome of black humiliation. Moreland was a brilliant comic who stole the show from the white actors of the day. Whites and Blacks turned against Moreland during the civil rights movement and the man could hardly make ends meet. Before he died in the early 70s, opinion changed again and he was seen as a pioneer. He once again managed to get some work in films and tv before his death. A better target for Lee should have been Stepin Fletchit, who made a career out of playing a lazy black freeloader.
I have to agree with Lee on hip-hop as a minstrel show. The gold chains, oversized sport jerseys, and baseball caps worn sideways are clownish and not far removed from the olden days when blacks played buffoons to entertain white people. The show is still going on....
Captain Clegg (1962)
Hammer at their very best
This is one spooky film, yet there are no horror or supernatural elements per se, even though it feels like there are. Probably my favorite film from my childhood along with Disney's "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh". It was years later before I discovered that they had the same source material and they were released the same year. Disney sued Hammer over rights to the character of Dr. Syn, so Hammer changed the main characters name to Dr. Blyss, and the Scarecrow became a supporting character instead of the lead.
I have to disagree with the reviewer who called this a confusing mess, as the storyline is pretty basic and quite clear cut. The movie is filled with such atmosphere that you can practically get a cough from the constant fog. The highlight of the film is the Marsh Phantoms, a group of smugglers who dress up as skeleton and ride skeleton horses. It is a very eerie sight to see.
Special mention should be made of the incredibly beautiful Yvonne Romaine. She only made a handful of films yet she may possibly be the most beautiful woman who ever appeared on screen.
I have heard that the reason this film is not available is that Universal (I think) has the rights to it and refuses to do anything with it. Sad for all of us.
The Kid from Borneo (1933)
Possibly the funniest Little Rascals film
This one is as un-PC as they come, but it is quite possibly the funniest Little Rascals short ever made. The kids mistake "the Wild Man from Borneo" for "Uncle George" and some of the lines and actions that follow are priceless. Spanky is the main Rascal in this one, but Stymie has the funniest bits. This would never be made today and I am surprised that it was made back then. A black man chasing white kids with a large knife seems odd for the time even though it was a comedy setting and we are told up front that the wild man wouldn't hurt a fly. What is so refreshing about this and other Little Rascal shorts is how innocent the kids seem. A far cry from the wise cracking kids today who always outsmart the adults. Do not miss this one.
The Passion of the Christ (2004)
An important film
Reading the positive and negative reviews here reminded me of the crowd scenes in the Passion where some people yelled out curses at Jesus and some showed love and sympathy.
This is a very violent and brutal film that was not easy to watch. I personally kind of think that part of the reason Mel Gibson made the first film on Jesus that focuses almost exclusively on His suffering is to appeal to the small minds who think Tarantino films are "deep". You know the type. Ask them their favorite films and they will list Pulp Fiction, Fight Club, Memento, American History X and Se7en. So predictable.
This is an important film. There is nothing more that I can add to previous comments except that if you go looking for something to like or dislike in the film, you will probably find it. If you go looking for anti-semitism, you will probably find it whether it is there or not. I do not think that it is "there". What I found was a repentant feeling that the things I gripe about are insignificant in comparison to what Our Lord suffered. I am grateful for His sacrifice.
Abbott and Costello Go to Mars (1953)
I think this is one of their best
I cannot understand the negative reviews of this film. To me it was hilarious and ranks right next to "A & C meet Frankenstein" as the duo's best work. The scenes at Mardi Gras are a scream. I highly recommend this one.
The Last Days of Disco (1998)
Clubs were not as loud then as they are now
Several people have commented that the conversations in the club would have been impossible due to the loud disco music. I was a regular bar goer in the 1970s and 80s and though some rock and roll bars were deafening, most dance clubs were not as "loud" as they are today. Conversation was a possibility back then believe it or not. I think that is one retro idea that should be revived.
As for the rest of the film, I liked it. I did not think all of the elements worked however. For example, I would have liked to have seen more proof that disco was on its way out. Having guys walk around in shirts that proclaimed "Disco Sucks" and footage of a "death to disco" rally at a baseball game between the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox were both evident in 1979 when that game was played. I watched that game. Incidentally, the Tigers won by forfeit as the Chicago field became a disaster area. I would have liked to have heard more of the change in music. We did hear some Blondie, but this film was supposed to take place in the early 80s. I think the song "Bette Davis Eyes" would have been a good choice.
If you are looking for a celebration of Disco, this film isn't it. It does have some realistic portrayals of people who might have been involved in the scene. I watched the film because I disliked the whole disco scene and thought that a film showing it dying may be interesting and it did not disappoint me. If you are looking for a plot, this film doesn't have it. Not all of it worked and I was scratching my head a few times, but I think this film may become more enjoyable with a second viewing. I gave it a 7.
Wild Horse Phantom (1944)
Kind of like an Abbott and Costello Horror Comedy
This is a great "B" film. It reminds me of one of the Abbott and Costello films where they encounter horror situations. Al (Fuzzy) St. John provides comic relief as Buster Crabbe plays a dashing Billy Carson complete with one-liners. Worth seeking out.
The Stöned Age (1994)
American Graffiti for the 70s
This movie is to the 70s what American Graffiti or Hollywood Knights is to the early 60s. It's absurd to listen to someone born in 1985 put this movie down as not being accurate as "Dazed and Confused". I graduated in the 70s and this movie captures the era better than any that I have seen.
American Experience: Coney Island (1991)
A True Wonder in a not so Wonderful World
This film is by far the best documentary that I have ever seen. Coney Island is like something out of a fantasy novel. If the filmmakers had not dug up the archival footage, you might doubt that such a place could have existed. If Walt Disney had hired the residents of an insane asylum to design Disneyland, then Luna Park and Steeplechase would have been the result.
Coney Island is still there of course, but the Coney depicted in this film ceased to exist long ago. The 20th Century was born at Coney Island and my guess is that pop culture was as well. My only complaint with this film is that it wasn't twice as long. It only whetted my appetite and sent me in search of books on the place. I would have gave this film a 12 if I would have had the option.
Save the Last Dance (2001)
Enough to make you vomit
Let me get this straight. A Classically trained white girl who has a promising career in ballet ahead of her, decides to chuck it all for a black criminal boyfriend and a hip-hop lifestyle. What is scary is that this is probably closer to a real life situation than we care to admit.