David_Newcastle Reviews

King Kong (2005)

Classic Kong fans -- Unite!

[1/10 · 14 December 2005]

Oh Lord, somebody please tell me I wasn't the only one who sat through this three-hour insult to the original classic and was cringing in embarrassment. There are so many things wrong with this thoroughly misguided movie that I couldn't possibly list them all! To sum up the problem, everything the original film did artfully and effectively, this bloated joke did with a complete lack of same.

Just take, for example, how completely wrong the characters are: Ann Darrow is changed from a terrified girl who is carried off by monstrous beast – into a gutsy animal-rights activist who pleads with all those cruel people who want to stop the dear misunderstood beast from tossing cars and blonds over his shoulder in New York.

Jack Driscoll is transformed from a handsome, macho seaman on a tramp freighter – into a hawk-nosed nerd who sits in the ship's cargo hold and types bad movie scripts.

Carl Denham, the fearless filmmaker with the big dreams – is reduced to a lying, bad-check-passing, no-talent little weasel who is pursued by studio creditors. He walks around quoting insincere epitaphs to people who just died in the jaws of dinosaurs.

Just to make certain that everything about the original film was thoroughly slandered, Jackson even adds a new character to the story – an egotistical ham actor named Bruce Baxter who plays out a scene in front of Denham's camera on the deck of the Venture. The scene is a jokey recreation of the famous scene in which Faye Wray looks so lovely while she flirts with the handsome star of the original movie – Bruce Cabot.

Gee, thanks Peter . . .

And just when I thought the movie couldn't possible get worse, Kong's Broadway début is presented as a singing-dancing stage number – complete with Max Steiner's original music and a campy, Vegas-style recreation of the native ritual from the original.

The only thing this misguided mess did not do that would have degraded the Kong legacy even worse was to let Ann Darrow give Kong a big wet kiss atop the Empire State Building – and then have the ape magically transformed into a handsome prince by the love of Beauty.

Cheer up, folks. Maybe that scene will be in the five-hour "director's cut" on DVD.

Flight to Mars (1951)

Rockets, miniskirts, and cinecolor!

[3 January 2003]

I agree with the all the POSITIVE comments on this unique little blast-from-the-past. "Flight to Mars" is a very enjoyable movie, despite it's limitations.

Beware, however, of the new DVD of "Flight to Mars". It is NOT derived from the same print as the prerecorded videotape that came out several years ago. The DVD print is riddled with scratches, and several scenes are ruined by numerous missing pieces of film!

We can only hope that a new DVD -- transferred from a BETTER print -- is released in the next few years. Meanwhile, please take my advice and watch the videotape. You'll thank me later.

Red Planet Mars (1952)

An intelligent story that's brave enough to be different.

[15 January 2001]

Expect a real treat from one of the most intelligent sci-fi films of the 1950s -- although it gets little credit (largely because some people are uncomfortable with the overt Christian message). But first a word of warning: in this movie, nobody goes to Mars and no Martians invade the Earth. It's a moody and intense story about a research project at a mountain-top laboratory where husband and wife scientists (Peter Graves and Andrea King) succeed in making contact with intelligent beings on Mars . Neither the scientists nor the audience actually get to see the Martians. The messages exchanged by Earth and Mars are sent in the form of a complex code, displayed as flickering lines on a video monitor. Graves' transmitter was originally invented by an ex-Nazi scientist -- and unbeknownst to Graves, this same ex-Nazi scientist now occupies a secret Russian lab, located in the Andes mountains. The Russians want him to listen in on the Earth/Mars conversation, hoping to gain advanced scientific knowledge from the Martians. Oddly enough, the weird manner in which the messages are received is the film's chief strength. The eerie mood created by the blinking monitors enhances the alien nature of the unseen Martians. The scene in which the Martians send their first decoded message is electrifying. After a common language has been established, the Martians describe their highly advanced agricultural methods and energy-producing techniques. As a result, Earth's economy begins to collapse because people think the Martian super-science is going to make their jobs obsolete!

More importantly, the film's Christian message is presented boldly and clearly, through direct references to God and Christ. When the Martians send a message that suggests they are ruled directly by God, the news causes a world-wide religious upheaval. The atheistic government in Russia is overthrown and the Soviet satellite countries are released from communist rule. Several reviewers in past years have criticized the film as being naive for suggesting such possibilities. But the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1992 and the slow but steady revival of Christianity in Russia has vindicated RED PLANET MARS to some degree. Reviewers have also been confused by plot twists which lead them to believe the ex-Nazi scientist actually sent the `Martian' messages to trick the Americans. You'll have to pay careful attention to the plot to figure out who actually sent what. The laboratory set is extremely well designed, filled with intriguing gizmos reminiscent of the Krell lab in `Forbidden Planet'. The scientific terms and concepts used in the story are admirably accurate. The story is set in the `near future', so watch for technological innovations like flat screen TV's and remote controls, years ahead of their time in 1952. The climax is both unexpected and uplifting -- a triumph of good over evil. Give this one a fair chance and it will amaze and inspire you. Graves and King give dynamic performances. Herbert Berghof as the ex-Nazi scientist is excellent. Marvin Miller (voice of Robby the Robot) is a treat as the Russian KGB agent. Morris Ankrum's presence is both mandatory and welcome in any 1950s sci-fi film. Directory Harry Horner was born in Soviet Czechoslovakia, so he knows about communist suppression first hand. The prerecorded tape, available from Amazon.com is of excellent quality. If you like this film, check out `T

Unidentified Flying Objects: The True Story of Flying Saucers (1956)

A serious documentary with more punch than most 1950s

[4 January 2001]

Trivia question for sci-fi fans: name the 1956 film that featured the talents of Les Tremayne (the general in `War of the Worlds' and the opening narrator of `Forbidden Planet'), Marvin Miller (the voice of Robby the Robot in `Forbidden Planet'), Olan Soule (who had a supporting role in `The Day the Earth Stood Still' and `Captain Midnight'), and Harry Morgan (Colonel Porter of `M.A.S.H.'). Here's a hint: Harry Morgan plays an Air Force pilot whose plane is surrounded by six flying saucers above the Washington, D.C. If all this sounds too good to be true, take a peak at this drama-documentary, based on the experiences of Al Chop, a reporter who served as press liaison for the Pentagon during its investigation of UFO's from 1947 to the early 1950s. Miller, Soule, and Tremayne provide the voices for the narrated portions of the film. Although the movie contains only two brief film clips to serve as photographic evidence of UFO's, the producers build a good case based on the credibility of certain UFO witnesses (airline pilots, military personnel, radar operators, etc.). On a more subtle level, director Winston Jones pulls off a clever trick; he begins the film as a pure documentary, but he gradually modifies this approach and focuses on reporter Al Chop's personal involvement in the UFO investigation. Chop slowly changes from UFO skeptic to UFO believer (and so will you). The climax is a gripping reenactment of a true incident which occurred in 1950, when a group of UFO's cruised above Washington DC for several hours. The voice of Harry Morgan is heard over the radio as an Air Force pilot whose plane is literally surrounded by UFO's, during which Al Chop and a group of bewildered military men cluster around the radar scope, watching in wide-eyed wonder. Dramatically speaking, this scene is far superior to its counterpart in `Close Encounters of the Third Kind'. The most amazing thing about this film is the fact that it was made with the full cooperation of the United States government, and every scrap of evidence it presents was made available to any and all scientific agency who wanted to examine it. Watch it and make up your own mind about UFO's -- but you'll loose some sleep over it before you do. Note: Some reviews mistakenly identify the star of `Unidentified Flying Objects' as Tom Powers, a co-star of `Destination Moon' (1950). The star of `UFO' is actually a Los Angles newspaper reporter (not a professional actor) named Tom Powers, who portrays the real-life reporter Al Chop.

Wise Girl (1937)

Ray Milland and Mariam Hopkins in a comedy masterpiece!

[3 January 2001]

Witty, high-energy comedy with a script to die for. You'll meet more memorable characters than you can possibly remember. Ray Milland is a charming artist and free spirit who lives in Greenwich Village, taking care of his dead brother's two young daughters. Their rich, beautiful, snobbish aunt (Mariam Hopkins) goes to the Village incognito to win the little girls' affection and steal them away from Milland so they can be raised by her rich daddy. The dialogue is incredibly good, the performances are Oscar-quality, and the plot is filled with more convolutions than Einstein's gray matter. `Wise Girl' should be considered one of the great comedy classics of all time

Payment Deferred (1932)

Crime doesn't pay, even if you're Charles Laughton!

[7/10 · 3 January 2001]

A gem from the `crime doesn't pay' school of story-telling. Ray Milland has a pretty small role in this obscure but interesting crime drama. Banker Charles Laughton murders young Ray for the money he needs for an investment that will make him rich. In the first few minutes of the film, Ray ends up planted in Charles' back yard, and Charles turns into a nervous wreck, worried about who will dig up Ray. After the investment makes him rich, he sends his wife and daughter off on vacation while he has an affair. Just when you think Laughton couldn't get himself in any deep, the plot takes a surprising turn. The story will keep you guessing, and you won't be disappointed in the climax.

One little hint: the title doesn't refer to money. The `payment' is for crimes committed. As always, Laughton is a delight to watch, and Maureen O'Sullivan (his daughter) is as gorgeous as ever. `Payment Deferred' is a good example of the kind of deliciously bizarre films which the 1930's produced.

Rocketship X-M (1950)

The easiest 50s sci-fi film to misunderstand

[16 July 2000]

I low-rated this film for years -- but for all the wrong reasons. There's one key scene in the film, and if the viewer misses the point of this scene, the whole story seems ridiculous and badly done. Some sci-fi fans tend to reject stories that have a spiritual element in the plot. Don't reject this one until you've given it a fair chance. The story involves a lunar mission which suffers engine failure en route. After repairing the engines, the ship accelerates too fast, causing the crew to black out. When they regain consciousness, they discover that the ship is within a few hundred thousand miles of Mars. This is the part that used to bother me. How the heck could a ship accidentally go to Mars? The odds against this are about the same as the odds against evolution being true (oops, that different soap box. Continuing...) But the scientist in charge of the mission specifically states that the only way this could have happened was by the act of a `higher power'. Most reviews do not mention this important idea. The rocket did NOT accidentally go to Mars. You'll have to watch the movie to find out why the `higher power' brought them to Mars. Suffice it to say, the reason was good enough to have been copied by dozens of later films. Imitation is the most sincere form of flattery. And while your watching, keep your ears open for the great music by Ferde Grofe, with the very first use of a therimin in sci-fi films. During the 1970s, the rights to `Rocketship X-M' were bought by Wade Williams for $2,000 (what a deal!). He had seen the film as a child and loved it. Williams shot a series of redone special effects scenes which are now part of the prerecorded tape and DVD. He even makes an on-screen appearance as one of the characters in a long shot of the ship on the Martian surface. Consider the irony in this -- Williams saw the movie as kid, and LATER he actually appeared in it! Marty McFly, eat your heart out!

World Without End (1956)

A fun sci-fi adventure

[5 July 2000]

Twelve years before `Planet of the Apes', this nifty sci-fi adventure presented a spacecraft that travels forward in time and returns to Earth in the distant future. Four years before `The Time Machine', this film proposed a post-holocaust world in which mankind is divided into barbaric mutants and utopian `normal' people. If that isn't enough to peek your interest, consider the fact Rod Taylor (`The Time Machine'), is one of th time(space) travelers! Hugh Marlow (`The Day the Earth Stood Still') is also in the crew, and they both get to romance the lovely girls of 2508 AD. Said girls are pure knock-outs in their `futuristic' mini-skirts, designed by Playboy's premiere pin-up artist, Alberto Vargas!

The rocket ship was first designed for `Flight to Mars', and it was later used in `It! The Terror from Beyond Space', and `Queen of Outer Space' -- which means the only spacecraft in sci-fi cinema with more mileage than this ship is the Millennium Falcon! Sadly, the film's few special effects are not well done. It's strengths are the characters and the story. And the girls . . .

The climax is a rip-roaring showdown between Taylor, Marlow, and company against the hideous mutants. Director Edward Bernds never made a great sci-fi film, but he tried often enough. This one is his best effort, and not a bad one at that. Watch it with the guys -- and root for the team with the bazooka!

The Land Unknown (1957)

Skull Island at the South Pole

[27 June 2000]

A rip-roaring sci-fi adventure that has quite a lot going for it: a novel premise, a square-jawed hero, a lovely blond heroine, and several dinosaurs presented in a bizarre landscape.

Universal's ace effects artist Clifford Stine did a terrific job. The sets are also remarkable. The film's explanation for the presences of a tropical prehistoric world in the frozen Antarctic is intelligent and plausible. The character don't act like stereo-types, so the plot avoids being predictable. Be kind when you view the dinosaurs; they serve the story well, despite the fact that they're puppets, men in suits, and enlarged lizards.

If at all possible, see the wide-screen version. There's nothing worse than watching a dinosaur's mid-section attack somebody off-screen because the dino's head and tail have been cut

The Colossus of New York (1958)

Not just a Frankenstein wanna-be!

[25 June 2000]

The impressive title work is the viewer's first clue that producer William Alland and director Eugene Lourie squeezed considerable artistry and style from a shoestring budget. Look past the economic limitations; the suspenseful and imaginative story involves the death of a humanitarian genius whose father (a famous surgeon) and brother (a robotics expert) team up to keep the genius' brain alive in a robot body (well designed by ace effects artist John P. Fulton). The film's message concerns the nature of the soul and the role which physical sensations play in making humans act humane. Other affects by Fulton include one of sci-fi cinema's best death rays. All in all, a moving and intelligent movie