elcutach Reviews

Castaway (1986)

A very Boring Peepshow

[3/10 · 12 May 2006]

This is based on a true story of a couple who were left on one of the Great Barrier Reef Islands east of Australia. I don't think this was filmed on location for the whole story, such as itis, revolves around the couple's efforts to survive in an unfriendly environment. There is good reason that natives do not live there. If you want to see half-naked people in tropical environments then watch the Survivor TV series. There is good reason for there not being a Survivor-Greenland or Antarctica. As to the north woods, the flies and mosquitoes would eat up the contestants, clothed or not along with having to endure long cold winters. The only reason to watch this is to study Amanda Donohoe's epidermis. But even that gets old after a while. Edit out Reed and the scenes set elsewhere and you might have a half hour stroke film. Otherwise forget it. The premise is because the couple cannot forage enough sustenance, she and Reed are gradually are gradually starving to death. In fact, neither appear to have lost any weight so the director keeps flashing a shot of the upper torso of some emaciated woman to make the point. But it is always the same shot. Though AD is nude most of the time , there is never any full frontal so this is rated B for boring and R for ridiculous.

The Lair of the White Worm (1988)

Too Weird to be Scary.

[7/10 · 12 May 2006]

My review is probably skewed because I was drunk when I watched it on cable TV, so this is not a review of a bowdlerized broadcast version interrupted by commercials. This film is a hoot! For all its plot twists about ancient cults and caves it simply does not sustain a consistent mood of suspense and scariness. The low budget first Jason film did that better. The main thing here is Amanda Donohoe in her prime and often naked though discretely so. This is R rated after all.) Her part is not ambiguous as to her sexuality either. She is definitely bisexual, and very much the Black Widow, killing her partner after mating. The gratuitous sequence with the Boy Scout in the bathing pool certainly proves this. Most of the killings occur off screen and Hugh Grant never seems to have a clue. If he is intended to be a typical; member of the inbred aristocracy, then it was historically fortunate that they were not French and lost their power gradually and gently. Another memorable player is Catherine Oxenberg, who played many ingénues in this period on TV. She does her best to imitate a virgin but common knowledge of her activities in real life keeps getting in the way. Since the plot's climax turns on virgin sacrifice with her having been strung up in her undies in the cavern as AD prepares for feeding the worm. Whether the term white worm was meant to be a phallic double entendre I will leave to your judgment. Since the film is so uneven in tone, it does not carry you along in a constant state of impending dread. The original version of the SCIFI classic Invasion of the Body Snatchers, or the 1951 version of The Thing with Kenneth Tobey did that much better. So don't expect chills and thrills, rather come prepared to belly laugh and best be drunk as well.

Otherworld (1985)

Interesting but Not Outstanding

[6/10 · 5 May 2006]

This series combines elements of Lost in Space, assorted time traveler shows and The Fugitive. The cast is competent but none of them ever became stars. The two whom I remember are Gretchen Corbett, who was a regular for awhile on The Rockford Files, and Johnathan Banks, who is still active and makes his living with guest spots as various menacing types-gangsters and other unpleasant persons. Herein he appears as a Zone Trooper in pursuit of the hapless family.

In each episode they change provinces. The gimmick is that each province is of an entirely different socio-economic system in which the family of fugitives must attempt to conceal themselves. The major premise being that the fugitives are on an alternate earth: all the provinces vary in time periods based on earth history, which means there are no elaborate special effects, space ship sets, etc.

Chep enough to make, this series still did not get high enough ratings to warrant renewal; this was a hole filler until something better came along. Still worth watching for the clever bits, but it will never even rival the erstwhile Buck Rogers seres which hung on for two seasons..

As Good as It Gets (1997)

Jolly Good Film

[8/10 · 25 March 2006]

There is no need to go into excessive or extensive detail here. Previous commentators have done that. I shall simply give my overall impression of this film. I was soon hooked, though. Once into it I began to care about these people, even the essentially bland character played by Greg Kinnear. Neither can disappear into the part as others can. I was always conscious that Nichlson and Hunt are Nicholson and Hunt.

With his gruff visage and patented grumpiness and her quirky unconventional beauty, one always is aware of their identity. They play well against each other and well deserved their Academy Awards.

Though I did not see this in a theatre, that is hardly necessary. (This is not Lawrence of Arabia.) I watched the edited for TV version, which doesn not diminish it in the intimate and close locations in which it is set, of which most are interior shots. Though set in New York, in this case, the setting is immaterial; unlike some other films (Barefoot in the Park, Klute, nd others), the New York sensibility is not needed.

Though the language is somewhat explicit and coarse, it is milder than what can be heard on The Shield and in recent years on Law and Order. In Jakc Nicholson's case it is right in character.

So enjoy.

Deep Sea Detectives (2003– )

Highly Interesting and Excellent Production

[25 March 2006]

This is one of my favorite shows. I always try to see it when it is on and frequently watch repeatedly.

The danger of the diving world is referred to repeatedly throughout the episodes but is not sensationalized. The danger was made quite clear when one of the cameramen was killed during a dive in the Pacific a few years ago. These brave personnel are never shown but are credited. Did you think that the principals hatterton and Kohler film themselves? This week's broadcast by the History Channel of a two hour special following the 2005 expedition to determine definitively the cause of the sinking of the Titanic, is is a splendid example and one of the finest documentaries I have seen.

The film makes abundantly clear that diving is only a small part of the precess of discovery. The expedition was searching for confirmation of observations made during a previous expedition of some years before.

The Titanic lies at such a depth to make it necessary to use submersibles (mini-aubs) for the dives. In this instance the vessel and its crew were of Russian origin.

The final portion of the show emphasizes the subsequent tedious and exacting analysis of the data and imagery collected; it sets forth a theorem as to what happened, that though not perfectly definitive, does bring the mystery of the Titanic closer to solution.

The film itself is excellently edited, and includes interviews with survivors, descendent's of survivors, those who have spent years studying the sinking, former participants in preceding expeditions, plus a summary of the ship's history and known events. Much expertly well done animated drawings and explanations of the construction of the ship and its breakup are also included.

I cannot praise rhia work too highly. The hour long regular programs are just as finely done.

Without a Trace: Check Your Head (2006) Season 4, Episode 17

Rather Jolly Over All . "Dear Abby" Comes Out of the Closet. ;)

[13 March 2006]

The main problem I have with this episode is a persistent one which recurs time and again. Incomplete guest credits. Spot an interesting player and never can find out who they are. La and Order is notorious for these mystery guests.

So often some of the more interesting character actors such as Johnathan Banks who this time played the missing woman's mobster father. I have spotted him often since he first came to view in the seventies, mostly in various villainous roles; he has been around since the seventies. Recently he even played a US Army general in several episodes of E-Ring. Another recent appearance in The 4400 was in a more typical role as an international criminal operator and gun runner,

An even more important problem is omission of credit for the two female guest stars-- the missing woman and her assistant, who is secretly in love with her employer. At the end the columnist reconciles with her mobster father (Banks) and she decides to wear a lesbian coat from thenceforth. But who are they, the credit list above does not identify them. Did they come from soap operas, regional theatre, or where? In any case, flashing the guests' names at the beginning doesn't do much when the cable networks and stations persist in running coming attraction lines and teasers over them.

I much prefer the old custom in the fifties and sixties of showing the principal guests at the end with mug shots. And those swing and squeeze promo inserts at the end thatquinch up all the minor gsts' credit doesn't help either. Well, that is my favorite broad casting beef.

In rhw wvent though, concerning this episode, it is good to have an episode in which no one croaks with a happy ending to boot.

Beyond Victory (1931)

A WWI AEF Tale

[6/10 · 9 March 2005]

This film is not the greatest war film ever made but is an intriguing tale of soldiers and the ones they left behind. It stars William Boyd near the beginning of his career before he became famous as the B Western Star Hopalong Cassidy.

It was filmed close enough to the original times so that there are few inaccuracies in procedures or equipment. The combat scenes are realistically done in the context of the times without excessive blood and gore as was the Search for Private Ryan.

I saw this many years ago in late night TV so cannot remember much detail, however, it is worth the watching.

Out to Sea (1997)

Cliché Filled Mostly Waste of Time

[3/10 · 1 January 2005]

I never heard of this film when it first came out. It must have sunk immediately. :o) I saw it on cable while sick in hospital so I hardly had enough energy to watch it, let alone turn the channel. Better choice than the Style Channel. ;0(. Filmed on location, this travelogue should have been on the Travel Channel. The plot is recycled from ship board farces of the thirties and forties. The cast seems to have been recycled from the fifties. Donald O'Connor, star of musicals and Edward Mulhare as a card shark. As to the main cast, Walter Matthau is still playing the same part as he did in Guys and Dolls or was it the one about the orphan girl? Wiseacre irresponsible gambler and rounder. But it just doesn't take with a man of his age. As to Jack Lemmon, he plays his part so straight, he can hardly dip and glide when dancing. And as mentioned, Dyan Cannon is outstandingly attractive as another swindler sailing with her mother who thinks Walter is rich, while he thinks she is rich. Elaine Stritch plays Dyan's mother, another retread from the fifties. The most fun is the running feud between Brent Spiner as the domineering and snotty cruise director who immediately spots Walter as a poor dancer, and spends his time trying to get him dismissed so he will have to pay for his free passage. In the end, though he receives his comeuppances. Meanwhile Jack mopes about, meets an attractive woman, with mutual attraction, but their affair is broken up by Walter's lies that Jack is a doctor, when he was actually a retired department store buyer. But finally, the two men take to the sea in a rubber boat to intercept her seaplane and all is well. There does not seem to be any principal player under the age of fifty.

His Kind of Woman (1951)

More Twists Than A Mesquite Bush

[8/10 · 18 December 2004]

I never saw this when I was a kid or I would have remembered something of it. It is much longer than the typical film noir B picture of the time at almost two hours. This leaves much time to develop the secondary story concerning Jane Russell's affair with Vincent Price as a fading swashbuckler star. (Who seems to be based on Errol Flynn.) Other stalwarts of the time Raymond Burr, Charles McGraw, and Richard Conte are featured. Jim Backus does a turn as a gambler preying on innocent tourists. Though set in a resort in Baja California Sur, Mexico, the location appears to have been taken on a sound stage somewhere. Though Burr and his henchmen are appropriately menacing, and Mitchum does his usual sleepy eyed bit, Vincent Price is outstanding as a Shakespeare quoting actor and game hunter who leads the motley expedition of geriatric guests and Mexican Federales, armed by himself, to rescue Mitchum from Burr's yacht. Welcome comedic bits and not too much of perpetually shooting firearms so common in oaters of the time. Jane Russell proves that she can act, and impressively fills out her garments though none are as low cut as those she wore in The Outlay.

Strategic Air Command (1955)

Highly Detailed Slice of Military Life in the Cold War

[8/10 · 6 November 2000]

This is not to echo the previous review but to emphasize that the best way to see this film is to use your fast forward and run past all the whiny scenes with June Allyson. Though I probably had a crush on her at the time, her performance now grates on me. The main reason to watch this is for the details of the B-36s, the B-47s, and the on location scenes of long ago air bases, including the one in Morocco which has long been abandoned. These "real time" films are what we historians of military life and culture now study for details that cannot be found in any other source. Even the crudest comedies such as when Abbott and Costello get drafted and the army antics of Martin and Lewis are useful in this regard if in no other. So rent it or buy it and enjoy the great flying scenes. And in this film especially enjoy Frank Lovejoy's scenery chewing and cigar chewing. From the rear he even looks like Curtis LeMay.

Take the High Ground! (1953)

Authentic Real Time Period Piece

[24 November 1999]

While this may not be the movie that made me want to join the Army in 1956, it may have helped. The plot is a formulaic coming of age in basic training story, turning boys into men. The personal interactions and love affairs of Widmark and Malden, the veterans of Korea who are now leading a trainng platoon at Fort Bliss, Texas, next to El Paso are also formulaic.

The real value of this picture is as a time capsule. Nothing herein is BS, dreamed up, or recreated such as are Platoon, or Full Metal Jacket or Apocalypse Now, to mention some more modern highly praised but highly fictionalized films. Nor is it an anachronistic mish mash such or a low budget BW cheapie such as many of that period were.

Everything shown here is as it was at the time of filming and the background extras and other military individuals were actually going through infantry training with the real possibility of going to combat in Korea when it was being made. (An amusing aspect is that the opening scene of the newly arrived trainees and the disciplined troops entraining for their new assignments were filmed on the same day with the same Southern Pacific locomotive and equipment. Yet supposedly took place three months apart.)

Other time capsule films of the time are Bombers B-57, and Strategic Air Command, which prove that officially approved films can be entertaining and informative both.

Police Story (1973–1980)

One of the finest police shows of all time

[28 May 1999]

I remember this series well. I tried to make sure that I watched it every week. Of course, my social life came first. What I liked most about this show, in contrast to its daughter Police Woman and so many others, it did not have a recurring main cast that you knew would always return the next week, thus there was really no cause for alarm when the main cast came in jeopardy. Most of the regulars were background players such as Profaci on Law and Order is now.

Instead, Police Story was an ensemble series more akin to later shows such as St. Elsewhere and Hill Street Blues that deliberately sometimes knocked off likeable leads and there were so many recurring leads that one did not get sick of them every week. The show was unpredictable, not Mission Impossible or other gimmick shows such as McGyver where you always knew the good guys would win.

The most similar current shows are Deep Space Nine and Law and Order, which are not afraid to knock off a major character for the sake of the story.

There were so many Police Stories, and I have forgotten most of them; if they ever were rerun, I did not see them again. Two of the most memorable ones were, one where the hero was undercover and went to Tijuana to track down a drug shipment but the buy went wrong.

The other memorable one starred Claude Akins, a well-known character player, as a detective, who with his partner, was tracking down violent felons and bail jumpers.

Of all the thousands of movies and TV shows I've seen since the late 1940s, it takes a real powerful one to stick in my mind as those episodes did. The whole series was full of powerful episodes of equal impact. I just don't have room here for all them.

The Anderson Tapes (1971)

One of the best caper pictures ever.

[8/10 · 28 May 1999]

How could one miss with a cast and director like this one? I think the previous raters were unkind.

Not much to be said about the plot. The previous commentator summarized it well. The beauty of this is in the seamless weaving of the details. And the final scene is a classic twist.

This is not a dozer. Watch this one while you're awake, with or without company, but keep your "gee whizzer" in gear, you'll need it.

Once Upon a Horse... (1958)

Ludicrous Laugh Riot

[8/10 · 28 May 1999]

I only saw this flick once under not the worst circumstances, but remember most of the plot. I was in the dayroom of a NIKE air defense site watching a 16mm Armed Forces Motion Picture Service print with my battery buddies, half bombed on PX beer and in a jolly mood.

The plot is very simple, the two perpetrators, Rowan and Martin, of later TV fame, play two hapless rustlers who steal a big herd, drive it into town, and then can't sell it because the bottom has dropped out of the market. Everytime they try to abandon the herd,and take a powder out of town, they keep being brought back and charged more and more for cattle feed and care.

This is ten steps above a Three Stooges movie and just as riotous, but I don't remember any great lines, after all this time, but the flick has stuck with me all these years. You can be assured that there are some good cracks. Those fellows were witty.

This is well worth a rental. Best viewed in raucous company on a weekend afternoon. And bring lots of beer and popcorn; they well enhance the effect.