SteveCrook Reviews

The Man Who Haunted Himself (1970)

A chance for Roger Moore to act

[8/10 · 1 June 2020]

This film gave Roger Moore a chance to really act properly (albeit mainly against himself).

American Pickers (2010– )

100 miles or 100 years

[9/10 · 18 April 2020]

The British often think that 100 miles is a long way. Americans usually think that 100 years is a long time ago.

Mike and Frank seem to think nothing of driving a few hundred miles and often pick items that are a hundred or more years old.

This series is very popular with many of my friends here in the UK.

The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)

The greatest mystery

[3/10 · 11 April 2020]

The greatest mystery Is how Jesus and the disciples manage to keep their white robes so white despite travelling through the dusty ground of the Middle East

The Repair Shop (2017– )

A great team, led by Jay

[10/10 · 6 May 2019]

Various people writing user reviews here seem to have difficulties understanding the role of Jay Blades in The Repair Shop (2017) despite his being introduced as "Furniture restorer Jay Blades" In every episode. He also manages the team of experts.

Waco: Madman or Messiah (2018)

Sympathy for David Koresh

[8/10 · 23 November 2018]

This two part documentary has the effect of making me feel sympathetic for David Koresh and the Branch Davidians. Yes, Kotesh seems to be a religious extremist, but so many Americans are. The ATF and the FBI are showing themselves to be totally incompetent, and heavily armed incompetents are always dangerous. Everything they did was exceptionally foolish

Catch a Fire (2006)

How to make a terrorist

[8/10 · 12 April 2014]

How to make a terrorist in 8 simple steps.

1. Take an innocent person living under an oppressive regime.

2. Arrest them, torture them.

3. For good measure, torture their spouse as well.

4. Blackmail friends to spy on their family.

5. Kill people while they are under arrest.

6. Keep on oppressing the people.

7. Claim that God is on your side and that you have a divine right to oppress them.

8. Then sit back and wonder why people are fighting against you.

Eventually the people you are oppressing will rise up against you.

If you are lucky they will let you live when they take power.

102 Minutes That Changed America (2008 TV Movie)

All the worst bits

[2/10 · 22 July 2012]

They said in the opening credits that this was made from previously unseen footage. There's good reason that it was previously unseen - most of it is of extremely poor quality, even the parts shot by professional crews. I presume that all the better quality parts were used in the many other documentaries. Lots of shots of not being able to see very much.

It was interspersed with extracts from radio & TV commentators uttering the usual inanities and not really not what was going on. Many reports of "panic on the streets" - following by shots of people trying to get away as quickly as possible, but no sign of any panic. Lots of news crews disregarding the advice to clear the roads or leave the area, getting in the way of people trying to help other people.

911 operators telling people in the twin towers to stay where they were, the firemen were on the way. But they couldn't be expected to have known that the towers would collapse. I doubt if even the attackers expected that.

Avatar (2009)

3 weeks to write the plot?

[1/10 · 25 March 2012]

I heard that Cameron took 3 weeks to write the plot. Really? That long? It's a shame that after spending all that money on the very pretty CGI they didn't have anything left to spend on a plot or a proper story or any characters that were anything more than cartoon cut-outs.

So the Americans (yes, you know they are) go to another strange land to rob it of its mineral wealth and they first have to get the natives to move out of the way. The natives use bows and arrows, paint their faces and have great respect for the forces of nature. It's another modern "Western" straight out of the "Dances With Wolves" school.

The hero is straight out of "John Carter of Mars" (the books, not the terrible film), the heroine is Pocahontas, but with more flesh exposed - even if it is blue - to keep the adult males happy. The baddies are all super-evil psychotics without a single redeeming feature.

What a waste of time and talent

Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Tarantino tries his hand at a comedy

[2/10 · 5 March 2012]

I was watching this last night and waiting for a plot, and I was waiting, and waiting. Then I realised that it was meant to be a comedy. Or I hope it was, that's the only excuse I can think of why someone like Tarantino might have made a film like this.

It doesn't really have a plot, instead it has a series of pastiches and comic characters that can't be taken seriously.

As is usual with any Tarantino film there are loads of references to other films throughout this one. That's how I stopped myself nodding off to sleep, by trying to spot as many as I could.

From the comic cameos of people playing Hitler and Churchill, to the comic version of the Dirty Dozen where everything they try goes wrong. Or was that because they were part of the OSS, the precursor to the CIA? To the ridiculous Mexican stand-off in the cellar bar and thence on to the even more ridiculous denouement.

Brighton Rock (2010)

Dire, dire, dire

[2/10 · 4 February 2012]

There was nothing on telly and BBC2 were showing it. It was snowing outside so I wrapped up warm and snuggled down to see if it was as bad as I feared - it was.

I have a great idea for a film, they must have said to each other. We'll take a classic film like Brighton Rock (1947) and mix it up a bit with Quadrophenia so that people will think we've done some original work. If anyone asks we'll tell them that we're re-making the story from the original novel, but of course we won't bother with that really. We'll make a packet without having to do any work.

We'll pull in some decent actors like Helen Mirren, John Hurt and Phil Davis, they can help us sell any film. We'll kill Phil off fairly early but he hasn't been given a decent part anyway. Helen Mirren can play the sexy older woman, played by Hermione Baddeley in the original. She can't help giving a decent performance, people would pay to see her read the phone book. John Hurt hovers in the background and doesn't really add anything to the film but we'll put his name high up on the posters.

It's a shame that we can't afford any decent young actors like the young Dickie Attenborough, but as long as he looks fairly pretty and can run and shout a bit, it doesn't matter who we get to play the "lead".

How can they claim they did anything original for this or went back to the original novel? There was nothing of significance that wasn't in the 1947 film. They even "borrowed" the cop-out ending with the record. Pinkie's house was definitely modelled on the 1940s rather than the 1960s.

Dire, dire, dire.

Flame & Citron (2008)

A very poor effort

[2/10 · 30 January 2012]

Reputedly based on a true story. I want to take nothing from any resistance worker but I query a lot about what was in this particular film.

Was Denmark the only country in occupied Europe where assassinations weren't followed by swift and brutal reprisals? There is no mention of them until a small example later in the film. The strange example of throwing a grenade into a tram sounds very untypical as an act of reprisal.

Was Denmark the only country in occupied Europe where there weren't regular identity checks from the police and Gestapo? We only see two. The rest of the time these two people are allowed to travel around the city wherever they like. Even when the police arrive at the café where they've just had a gun battle and drive off in sight of the arriving police, but nobody stops them or follows them So they went around assassinating whoever they liked, even though most of them turned out to be innocent, and they still got rewarded with medals? Citron seemed to be surviving on pills, Flame refused to dye his trade-mark red hair. Did they want to be caught? With some decent direction and a story that made us care about, or even be interested in a few more of the characters, this could have been a good film - but sadly, it isn't

Cameraman: The Life and Work of Jack Cardiff (2010)

Explore Jack Cardiff's wonderful life

[10/10 · 11 December 2011]

Jack Cardiff was an amazing man who had a wonderful life. He started in show-business as a child actor in a touring show working with his parents. He was still working right up until the last of his 94 years. In that time he had worked with most of the great names in the business and earned their respect and admiration.

This documentary covers most of his working life with lots of examples from clips or stills and interviews with the great man himself as well as many of those whose lives he touched. The documentary was many years in the making and was fortunate enough to interview a lot of the people that Jack worked with who are no longer with us.

It's not often that a feature length documentary leaves you wanting more, but this one does.

When Jack discovered the world of movies as a child actor in some early silent films he decided that being a cameraman was the best job going because they got to travel to such exotic locations. He was mainly self-educated because the life of a touring theatrical didn't allow much time at any one school. But that self-education included study of the old masters in art galleries wherever he went. So when he started working as a cameraman he was able to bring his knowledge of lighting and composition.

The Story of Film: An Odyssey (2011)

An Education

[9/10 · 11 December 2011]

An excellent education in the history of cinema. It is of course just the view of one person, Mark Cousins, other people might have a different opinion as to the most significant films in the history of cinema. But that doesn't invalidate Mark's view with his wide breadth of knowledge. See the connections between previously unrelated films and film-makers.

This series concentrates on the films and film-makers that have shown a passion for the medium and which advance new techniques. There aren't many run-of-the-mill films included in this series and when they are included it's just by way of comparison with the real subject of that particular lesson.

The series also takes a truly global view, looking at films and film-makers from around the world. It doesn't just focus on American and European films and film-makers like so many other series do.

Shooter (I) (2007)

Very poor

[1/10 · 10 December 2011]

I can't believe they spent $61m on this. What did they spend it on? Certainly not on the screenplay which is dire when it isn't being predictable or ludicrous.

The "hero" is not only an expert sniper but also happens to be the best special forces soldier short of being a member of the Fantastic Four. There's nothing he can't do. He can make napalm bombs from a few ingredients that he picks up in a hardware store.

He can hit any target he aims at but whenever anyone fires at him they never manage to hit him. I especially liked the way that the gunmen on the helicopter insisted on firing directly at him so that the bullets all hit the ground behind him. Of course nobody else in the film had ever thought of leading a moving target.

I think that there was a hint of a story buried somewhere under the special effects, explosions and other distractions. But I stopped caring about it very quickly.

World Trade Center (2006)

A surprisingly bad film

[3/10 · 6 September 2009]

Directed by Oliver Stone and starring Nic Cage? How could it go wrong - but it did, in many ways.

First, it didn't really show much heroism. It's not particularly heroic to be caught up in events outside your control. There was some bravery shown by the rescuers at the end but they were really just doing the job they had been trained to do and are paid to do.

The main group of rescuers had given up. They had called off the search for the night. It was the two marines who found the cops and called the rescuers back in.

It followed the effect on the families of the survivors. But what about the effect on the families of those who went in with Sgt McLoughlin but didn't come out? They must have gone through the same period of uncertainty - but with a less happy outcome.

Generally, a disappointment

Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)

A wasted opportunity

[3/10 · 25 January 2009]

Are they going to make another film to show the rest of the story? Considering that it was made in 2005, how many people in the audience would be expected to know who Ed Murrow was? There was no background to Murrow or to the See it Now show. There was also no real background given to McCarthy, HUAC or the witch-hunts. There is a brief mention of Murrow's broadcasts from London during the blitz. But how many people remember them? And how many remember how damaging McCarthy and the witch-hunts were?

And what about the rest of Murrow's career and his life after McCarthy? I found this film to be barely adequate and most disappointing. Certainly not worthy of all the Oscar & BAFTA nominations it got. Stick to the 1986 TV movie with Daniel J. Travanti - Murrow (1986) (TV)

Mysterious Creatures (2006 TV Movie)

Drama of despair

[9/10 · 4 November 2006]

Individually, Timothy Spall and Brenda Blethyn are usually worth watching. Put them together and as long as the script doesn't let them down, they should be tremendous. It doesn't and they are. This is a drama based on a true story. But it is the drama of despair, there's no feel-good factor or happy ending. This is the tale of a severely dysfunctional family that love each other, but are destroying each other. It's not quite about Asberger's syndrome, nor about mental illness, Lisa's condition remains undiagnosed. It's more about how a family with problems can fall through the cracks between the different agencies set up to care for just such a situation. Bill and Wendy have been coping with their daughter for years. But her demands drive them to attempting suicide. It's only then that the mental health and social services agencies realise that there's a problem. But the reason for Lisa's behaviour appears to be partly due to the way her parents are treating her. Rebekah Staton is definitely one to watch.

Paratrooper (1953)

The story of John Frost

[8/10 · 5 May 2005]

This is the thinly disguised story of real life hero John Frost. Portrayed in this film by Leo Genn and called Maj. Snow (I said the disguise was thin).

Lt Col John Frost led the small group of paratroopers who actually got to the bridge in A Bridge Too Far (1977) (where he was played by Anthony Hopkins). Despite only having a few hundred men instead of the whole brigade that they expected to get there, they still held out for four days against an S.S. Panzer group. John Frost got his knees damaged by a mortar bomb so spent the rest of the war in a P.O.W. camp. In this film Maj. Snow gets wounded in the legs by a grenade but is carried to safety by his men.

But Arnhem was just the final move in an amazing wartime career. Frost was one of the earliest volunteers in the newly formed parachute regiment at the start of the war. As a Major, he led the successful raid on the German radar station at Bruneval where radar specialist Sgt Cox (Sgt Box in this film) dismantled the German unit and brought it back to Britain along with some of the operators so that the British could understand the limits of the German radar system. This happened in a very similar way to the raid portrayed in the first part of the film.

The next raid Frost led was on an airfield in Tunisia, just like the second raid in the film. In real life, as in the film, the raid on the airfield was a success but they had some problems getting back to their own lines.

Frost then led the parachute drop on Sicily and a further raid in Italy before his wartime career finished at Arnhem.

This film is quite well made and adapts the story well to fit Alan Ladd in without making it too obvious that he's only there to attract an American audience. The real heroes of this story are John Frost and the men of the Parachute Regiment.

ITV Saturday Night Theatre: Another Sunday and Sweet F.A (1972) Season 4, Episode 12

Brilliantly observed and written

[8/10 · 22 July 2004]

Brilliantly observed and written "slice of life" drama with comic elements. The players and the ref all take themselves so seriously and imagine themselves to be much better and worthy of more than they actually are. The players come onto the pitch sharing a last cigarette between them. Both coaches send their assistants to try to influence the ref - but he's having none of it.

Both teams think that "fair play" means that the ref should always give them the advantage. But he's determined that he'll be equally fair - or equally harsh - to both teams.

But at the end of the match the ref has the last word.

Honeymoon (1959)

Much better now that it's restored

[9/10 · 28 June 2003]

Before the restoration it was like a travelogue with a few dance sequences.

Now that it's been restored (by Charles Doble) it is like a totally different film. Much better balanced than in previously seen versions where much of the story & the ballets were cut leaving it as little more than a travelogue. The flamenco between Antonio (I) and Carmen Rojas is the sexiest dancing I've ever seen on screen.

However, it does still show the lack of Emeric Pressburger. There are plot holes here & there and nobody can work out why Anthony Steel is there.

But do try to see it, preferably on the big screen (CinemaScope) that it was made for and makes good use of.

The Thief of Bagdad (1940)

Great fantasy

[9/10 · 23 June 2002]

Despite having 6 different directors, this fantasy hangs together remarkably well.

It was filmed in England (nowhere near Morocco) in studios and on a few beaches. At the outbreak of war, everything was moved to America and some scenes were filmed in the Grand Canyon.

Notable for having one of the corniest lyrics in a song - "I want to be a bandit, can't you understand it". It remains a favourite of many people.

The Tales of Hoffmann (1951)

A magnificent filmic version of the Offenbach opera

[10/10 · 8 February 1999]

A magnificent spectacle. A truly filmic version of a classic opera. Often mentioned as a favourite movie and constant inspiration for young Martin Scorsese.

With the audacity that Powell & Pressburger were famous for we are presented with a wonderful performance of a truly "composed" film. All the soundtrack was recorded by Sir Thomas Beecham and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and then the filming was all done on the open stage (it didn't need a sound stage) at Shepperton.

With choreography by Sir Frederick Ashton and performances by ballet luminaries such as Moira Shearer, Ludmilla Tchérina, Robert Helpmann, Léonide Massine and Sir Frederick Ashton himself. Assisted by opera stars such as Robert Rounseville and Anne Ayars and the Sadler's Wells Chorus. All this backed by the designs of Hein Heckroth and the experienced team of technicians that worked regularly under the banner of The Archers leads to a treat to behold.

The plot - from a 1951 (year of release) programme.

The Prologue : The Opera House in Nurnberg (Nüemburg). Hoffmann sits in the auditorium watching a performance of the Dragonfly ballet. He is in love with Stella, the prima ballerina, who seems the embodiment of all his past loves. In the interval Hoffmann goes to Luther's Tavern. Here young students greet him. He sings them the ballad of Kleinzack. But the sight of Stella has reopened old wounds. "Would YOU hear the three tales of my folly of love?" lie asks. The students gather round the punch bowl, with Hoffmann's companion, Nicklaus, who has accompanied him throughout his adventures, and his enemy Lindorf.

The Tale Of Olympia : As an inexperienced student in Paris, Hoffmann was tricked by two puppet-makers, Spalanzani and Coppelius, into falling in love with their latest creation, the doll Olympia. Spalanzani passes Olympia off as his daughter and hopes by this means to get some money from Hoffmann. At a ball given for her, Olympia sings the "Doll Song" and dances a ballet. Hoffmann is entranced. Only when Spalanzani and Coppelius fall out, and Coppelius destroys the doll in revenge does Hoffmann realise how he was fooled.

The Tale Of Giulietta : As a young man of the world, he was enslaved by a beautiful Venetian courtesan, Giulietta. Acting under the influence of the magician Dapertutto, Giulietta captures his reflection and so gains possession of his soul. Hoffmann kills her former lover Schlemil in a duel, to get the key to her room. He hurries back to her, but finds she has left with Dapertutto. Mad with rage, he flings the key against her mirror. It cracks, and his reflection reappears. He has regained his soul.

The Tale Of Antonia : As a mature artist and poet, Hoffmann falls in love with Antonia. Her mother, a singer, has already died of consumption (Tuberculosis). Crespel, her father, through grief at his wife's death, is now the half-mad wreck of a formerly great conductor. Crespel keeps his daughter in seclusion on an island in the Greek Archipelago and forbids her to aggravate her own weakness by singing. He also forbids his deaf servant Franz to admit either Hoffmann or the quack Dr. Miracle who killed his wife. Franz misunderstands, and in turn shows them in. Hoffmann realises Antonia is ill, and she promises him not to sing again. Dr. Miracle persuades her it is her mother's wish she should disobey. She does so, and dies in his arms.

The Epilogue : On the stage of the Opera House, it is the finale of the Stella Ballet. In the tavern Hoffmann's audience is spellbound. Hoffmann's tales are told and with the telling Hoffmann finds his true destiny as a poet. Stella appears at the door of the tavern and looks down at him. But Lindorf, who has also understood the meaning of the Tales goes to meet her and together they pass out into the town.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

See the wartime film that Churchill banned.

[10/10 · 9 November 1998]

The extraordinary partnership of Powell and Pressburger brought this affectionate look at the British Military at the height of WWII. Telling the tale of an old warrior who had fought with vigour and honour all his life but must now face the evils of Nazism.

Churchill illegally tried to ban it despite never having seen it. He thought it portrayed the Army high command as old fashioned, Blimpish types. In fact it tells how they had overcome past attitudes to fight a modern war.

Livesey ably portrays the gradual transformation from 1890's firebrand to 1940's general. Kerr is a joy as she plays the three women he is fascinated by. Walbrook splendidly remains the constant friend and voice of common sense in a changing world.

The Slipper and the Rose: The Story of Cinderella (1976)

A sheer delight.

[9/10 · 15 October 1998]

A sheer delight. One of the best tellings of the Cinderella story I know.

Carve Her Name with Pride (1958)

This wonderful film is based quite closely on the...

[10/10 · 6 August 1998]

This wonderful film is based quite closely on the real life exploits of a young girl born in London to an English father and a French mother.

Called upon at a time of national peril, she "did her duty".

The code-poem used in the film was the real code poem used by Violette Szabo while she was sending messages back from occupied France. The poem was written by 'Leo Marks' (qv) who was a cryptographer for SOE and often used poems like this for agents to use.

The life that I have is all that I have, The life that I have is yours.

The love that I have of the life that I have Is yours and yours and yours.

A sleep I shall have, A rest I shall have Yet death will be but a pause.

For the peace of my years In the long green grass Will be yours and yours and yours