No, this is not an adaptation, it is more of a 'loosely based on' approach to the novel. The rough outline of the story is there, but the characters are not the same while the tone and sentiment (very important.in the novel) are largely unrelated beyond their names. The one character that does survive from the novel is the man himself, Gatsby. While I can not rate the movie itself highly, I can say that Alan Ladd was a good Gatsby, and that you would have to watch his performance in this film, to really judge him as an actor. Elisha Cook Jr. Had a small but meaningful role here, and is a surprisingly underrated actor at present by the way. Beyond Ladd's performance, there is little of value in this film, and should be recommended only to Ladd fans, and those looking to compare and contrast the different films that the novel led to. It is really too bad, as this could have been a great movie for its day. It has been suggested that The Hays Code was a problem when adapting the novel at the time. That idea has some merit, but a poor movie is still a poor movie. Missed opportunity here.
Reviews
39 Reviews
Paint
(II) (2023)
Not that bad but . . .
5 June 2023
Yes, it was 'not that bad' but it was not good either. I seldom give such a luke warm rating, and I expected to like this movie much better, but it just seemed to coast along on the strength of the cast. Without giving them much to work with, beyond a premise with potential, the writing just ran out of steam even before the half way mark. Granted, the visuals were interesting, and I felt like it was influenced by Wes Anderson at times. The choice of music was good but tended to be underused instead of balanced through the run time. This ended up being something for Owen Wilson fans, and even then, it is more for a completist than something that will stand out in his list of films. Too bad, as it could have been one of his best, with just some more time spent on the writing.
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
(1984–1985)
The Best Yet
1 February 2023
This is the best of Sherlock Holmes for the small screen, and better than most for the big screen. It is equal for the main character and original stories, to the David Suchet version of the Poirot character and original stories. Nothing second rate. As Jeremy Brett did his Holmes a good ten years before Suchet did his Poirot, there is a different look to the production between the two decades, but that is no distraction. Mr. Brett brought both an eccentricity and a humanity to the main character, that is seldom seen, and rarely as well balanced as he achieved. The completeness of the series is much appreciated as well, this is no 'best of' album of the characters tales. Well done and well worth watching from start to finish.
White Noise
(I) (2022)
For a limited audience
9 January 2023
Most of the reviews that I have read thus far were negative, or a bit overly kind. The low rating is likely due to people going out for a light story, expecting to see a disaster action flick or end of the world comedy. This is essentially a reflection on mans fear of his own mortality, or perhaps more specifically on a certain subcultures fixation on their own impending end. If you take the movie as a series of reflections on that idea, and most of the characters as representations of certain personality types, perspectives and ideologies, then it all makes a lot of sense. And, it is pretty damn (darkly) funny as well. Enjoy.
Ran
(1985)
Long but effective
9 January 2023
Some will take this story sibling of King Lear as a cautionary tale, against indulging in the brutality of war and conquest. But, it is hard to overlook the fact that much of the problems that arose for the main character, would not have happened if he had been more thorough, in getting rid of rivals and those who may seek revenge later on. Be kind, or be thorough, but choose one, is perhaps a better lesson to take from this story.
The film is not to be entered into by the impatient. But it rewards those that get comfortable for a lengthy and varied experience. You are not likely to find a movie of the time or earlier, that is so well put together in terms of sound. The cinematography and editing are a step up from the norm prior to its release as well. Unless you are an historian, you are not likely to find fault with the physical and cultural details of this period film either.
In the end, it was a well put together film in all aspects and well worth the time for a watch today.
The film is not to be entered into by the impatient. But it rewards those that get comfortable for a lengthy and varied experience. You are not likely to find a movie of the time or earlier, that is so well put together in terms of sound. The cinematography and editing are a step up from the norm prior to its release as well. Unless you are an historian, you are not likely to find fault with the physical and cultural details of this period film either.
In the end, it was a well put together film in all aspects and well worth the time for a watch today.
Blackbird Descending
(1977)
Arthouse experiment perhaps
4 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This was not actually a documentary. Rather it was an 'arthouse' project of some sort. Perhaps they were trying to make an audio visual poem with this. My rating on one star indicates that it had nothing for me, but perhaps it would have some appeal for a different audience. You spend most of your time watching what seems like a home movie, made by someone that just received a home movie camera for the first time and wanted to try it out. Mundane chores are seen and someone writing at a desk by a big window, that looks out onto a yard. Someone does the laundry. Then the screen goes white and a woman seems to read what was being written on the typewriter earlier. That is pretty much it for the entire length of the 'project'. Not for me, but the only way to find out what the hell it was, was to watch it. Oh well, it was a change of pace at least. Enjoy.
The Loveless
(1981)
Slow ride worth taking
3 October 2022
I watched this one for 1) Dafoe 2) the bikes. Having read a review or two already, I knew that it would be a slow ride, focused more on story and character than any action. My only disappointment was the poor acting by (almost) everyone but Dafoe himself. It could be that most of the actors were uncomfortable with the 50's 'beat' slang. There was one pivotal moment very near the end, when I wondered which way the writer would go with the final tone (or point) of the movie. A bit oh nihilism every now and then is fine, if only to keep some variety in our viewing experience. The sound track is a strong point that seems to be overlooked. As is the look of the film, in terms of cast and setts, as they add a great deal without standing out (which is as it should be when done right). In the end, it was Dafoe moving through that well done set to the well done soundtrack that is what you watch. The other actors/characters are just set decorations.
Key Largo
(1948)
Players bring up the quality
19 July 2022
Based on a mediocre story by a good author, it is the players that make the movie work for the viewer. While the characters are all archetypes, they are played well enough to make them individuals and identifiable. Well worth watching.
The African Queen
(1951)
Almost
19 July 2022
Everything was there to make this movie earn a 10 in an IMDB rating, but one thing at least held it back. Katharine Hepburn is an acquired taste at best, and I have never acquired that taste. Every character that she played, seemed like the crazy lady next door who forgot to take her meds Today. She brings the movie down, but may seem funny to children watching at least.
No Point
19 July 2022
It reminded me of a cheep infomercial. The title is misleading and has almost nothing to do with the content. There were some interesting cars in the random collections of randomly mentioned autos. Not even for the enthusiast.
Der Tunnel
(1915)
Mild
12 July 2022
Not compelling, but a hopeful minded story with a look at the 'futurism' of the day. While I found it simply not compelling, I did not find it boring either. If you are interested enough to watch this, it does not run too long to sit through. The play that the film was based on was likely much more interesting.
Wonder Man
(1945)
Ouch
1 May 2022
A great movie with a terrible Danny Kaye. Danny Kaye is awesome, and has proven it numerous times through his career. But he sucked here. He went full Jerry Lewis . . . Never go full Jerry Lewis. The script and casting were great, it looked and sounded great. But . . . And I do hate to say it . . . Danny grabbed this one by the hips and did something rude. It was hard to watch. To give this one a glowing review, you would need to write the review before actually seeing the movie. Not a movie to avoid, but one to be 'braced' to sit through.
Angel Links
(1999)
Craptacular
18 April 2022
The laughs were mostly unintended. A surprising amount of melodrama and poor writing with rather poor animation. The music was pretty good though. Although the series (13 episodes) was not good, I got a good laugh out of it - but again that was not what the creators were aiming aiming at. The characters were mostly unlikeable, and why was there a space cat with bat wings for ears living in the main characters cleavage? And why did the cleavage dwelling cat turn into a rather ill designed magical sword on occasion? Questions that will haunt me to my grave no doubt. But I did laugh rather frequently. So, you are warned, enter at your own risk into this series. Also, I did rather like Outlaw Star, which this is a dubious spin off of.
Killjoys
(2015–2019)
Good start to a messy end
1 April 2022
The first season of this one is worth a 7 or 8, but it had poor concept and writing starting to show in season two that brought it down as a series. While I was looking forward to the next episode at first, with character development going well enough, though world building was spotty, they got into a central plot that they seemed to have problems stretching towards the end. They may not have planned to run so many seasons, and that could explain the feeling of padding and stretching and general clumsiness towards the end.
Dark Matter
(2015–2017)
No ending
1 April 2022
It was a fun ride while it lasted. The writing was pretty good, as it balanced action with character development, and the world building was not bad (could have easily been better though). The casting was pretty good, although the woman that played 5 could not overcome the fact that she did not look the age group of her character (no fault in her acting). The premise was novel for a TV series, and it made the multiple converging and diverging plot lines make adequate sense. Some good supporting actors, largely borrowed from other series that were ongoing at the time, worked well. The show had a good look to it, and the ship The Raza (sp?) was great. The Achilles Heel of the show would have to be the fact that the biggest and baddest villains in the galaxy make a grand entrance in the final episode (season 3) and . . . The show was cancelled. Ouch. Seriously. I watched it on TV when it first came out, and I watched it again over a few days recently. It was still entertaining. One note, is that another show called Killjoys was out at the same time, and I think that this was the better of the two shows.
Starship Invasions
(1977)
Novelty Item
1 April 2022
This one gets a 5/10 from me, due to its success as entertainment, while failing to be a viable main stream movie. You will not be turning to this movie if you are just looking for something 'impressive' to watch, but rather if you like 'that sort of thing'. A 1970s vintage B grade sci-fi drama (it leans much more towards drama than action or suspense). This one was actually from Canada and has a look and tone that are perceptibly not made-in-USA. The stars in the film are worth seeing, as they do the most with what they were given here. The same can be said for the special effects and props department; they make the most of their budget. Especially entertaining, was the use of a cake icing applicator as a medical device (icing on the B-movie cake? Yes). A movie like this is for someone that wants something different, and is willing to actually suspend disbelief for the duration and just see where it takes you.
Zone 414
(2021)
Bland
14 March 2022
There is simply nothing here to point out as a high point or redeeming feature. It seemed like a low budget film more often than not. There were hints of a good idea now and then, but nothing was done with them and they all faded into bland quickly and quietly. The 'self aware' robot idea could have been explored, but was simply used as a plot point that the viewer is expected to just accept and move along.
Final word? Skip.
Final word? Skip.
Avenue 5
(2020–2022)
Idiot Trek
27 February 2022
Ouch. I watched the first episode thinking 'this could be good. The second episode thinking 'this could get good'. But the rest? I watched thinking 'could this be so bad that it is good?' It never got good in any way.
It actually looks like they put some thought and money into the production values. Most of the cast is perfectly capable of doing a good job (I have seen many of them elsewhere). The writing, and directing seem to be the main problems.
One other problem is the lack of one key element to make comedy work, and that is a 'straight man' character. If you are going to show how shallow the gene pool (in this case the passengers and crew) are, then you need one character that could be recognized as a sort of level indicator (one seemingly sensible person). But there really are no characters aboard that are not consistently bent, broken or just defective.
They do seem to try for a sort of dry wit, but it falls flat most of the time. Having just watched the entire thing for the first time (and last), I would have to suggest that you pass by this one - unless you find watching a passenger buss crash in slow motion to be entertaining. I did not.
It actually looks like they put some thought and money into the production values. Most of the cast is perfectly capable of doing a good job (I have seen many of them elsewhere). The writing, and directing seem to be the main problems.
One other problem is the lack of one key element to make comedy work, and that is a 'straight man' character. If you are going to show how shallow the gene pool (in this case the passengers and crew) are, then you need one character that could be recognized as a sort of level indicator (one seemingly sensible person). But there really are no characters aboard that are not consistently bent, broken or just defective.
They do seem to try for a sort of dry wit, but it falls flat most of the time. Having just watched the entire thing for the first time (and last), I would have to suggest that you pass by this one - unless you find watching a passenger buss crash in slow motion to be entertaining. I did not.
I Love Maria
(1988)
A Guilty Pleasure
24 February 2022
The plot is simple at best, and the humor is often childish, and yet it works. The reason it 'works' is likely the pace. As in a movie like Airplane, you do not have much time to think about each attempt at humor, as there is another one following too close on its heals. The effects were actually quite good for the time and apparent budget. Surprisingly to me, the characters were actually not likeable for the most part. The only likeable characters would be the semi-retired gang boss and the android Maria. If you already like period HK action and comedy, then you will likely like this one. I am not a genre fan and I still liked it after watching it for the first time today.
The Beastmaster
(1982)
A chop above the pack
22 February 2022
Good fun for fans of B, swords or 80s fare. While it is not 'as good' as Conan of the same year, it is noticeably better than the norm from the period (or the sub-genre in general). Its major failing is seldom mentioned, but it is the 'world building'. Even with a B budget, it fails to give any sense that there is anything to its world, beyond the few cheep sets shown. No history, no lore, no hints of anything beyond the rather minimal and unconvincing (and if you sit down to watch this then your 'willful suspension of disbelief' is already generous) locations. It is either the writer or the director that would need to be faulted here.
But, it does still entertain. The people in the film seem to be having fun with it, and that keeps it light.
But, it does still entertain. The people in the film seem to be having fun with it, and that keeps it light.
Cosmo Warrior Zero
(2001– )
For Matsumoto fans
17 January 2022
Entertaining for fans of earlier animes from Matsumotos' works, but not good enough to stand by itself. This story (13 tv episodes) is based on a video game, and I have yet to find a reference to an actual manga that preceded it. Main characters (in Matsumotos' works) tend to be personifications of a way of thinking or of living, and their interactions tend to lead to the writers ideals on the relative merits of those ways of living. Not really saturday morning cartoons for kids here. Especially not with all of the children (and occasional house cat) getting blown up.
The music was a strong point, and the animation was a low point. They seemed to try for a neo-retro look, but it just looked low budget and even inept most of the time. The story itself proceeded along rather predictable paths, but the character development was adequate for the story.
One complaint that I have may come from the original writing, or from the sub titling and that is the Mechanized Men. They were not generic robots or androids, as they (it seems) had been humans once. Were they 'cyborgs' (android bodies with human brains inside) or androids (with human memories loaded into their CPU)? If you are going to be getting philosophical in your story, you really need to define your terms. There was a vague tie in with the earlier Galaxy Express 999 anime series, as one of the two main characters was traveling on the Express for the purpose of getting his human body replaced with a 'mechanized' body, so as to achieve practical immortality.
In the end, I did enjoy the 13 episode run. But, I would not have if it had not had the connection to the previously seen Matsumoto works. Note, they leave room for a sequel.
The music was a strong point, and the animation was a low point. They seemed to try for a neo-retro look, but it just looked low budget and even inept most of the time. The story itself proceeded along rather predictable paths, but the character development was adequate for the story.
One complaint that I have may come from the original writing, or from the sub titling and that is the Mechanized Men. They were not generic robots or androids, as they (it seems) had been humans once. Were they 'cyborgs' (android bodies with human brains inside) or androids (with human memories loaded into their CPU)? If you are going to be getting philosophical in your story, you really need to define your terms. There was a vague tie in with the earlier Galaxy Express 999 anime series, as one of the two main characters was traveling on the Express for the purpose of getting his human body replaced with a 'mechanized' body, so as to achieve practical immortality.
In the end, I did enjoy the 13 episode run. But, I would not have if it had not had the connection to the previously seen Matsumoto works. Note, they leave room for a sequel.
Beyond Therapy
(1987)
Simply off
17 January 2022
A complete flop with no redeeming points. It may have made a good play, it could even make a good satirical novel, but this effort wasted any good material that may have been there. I knew that the talent in the movie were capable, and I have seen the idea executed with some success before, so I was expecting the movie to 'come together' at some point. It never did. A brief monologue by Goldblums character near the very end was interesting, as it seemed to convey the 'point' (or intention) of the movie, for those that missed it in the preceding hour and more of film. The likely fail was in the directing I felt. Miss this one, unless you are a big fan of one of the players and a bit of a completest.
Miracle Mile
(1988)
Week start strong middle and . . .
14 October 2021
I was ready to turn the movie off after just the first three minutes, and this persisted past the first ten minutes into the movie. It is a week start, and there is nothing to engage the viewer (the writing and casting are largely to blame) early on. Having heard good things, I persisted, and being patient was rewarded. The movie picks up where it really needs to, and keeps it up to (quite close to) the end. There was a range of acting levels, and some plot holes, but it all came together. The ending itself could have been done better, and I would have ended it nearly ten minutes before the credits rolled. But it is not actually a bad ending, just not as strong as it could have been had they not tried to stretch it. Overall, it is worth watching, but not likely to merit another watch after the first.
Sol Bianca
(1990 Video)
Lacking
30 August 2021
In short, the OVA was lacking in too many needed points to be worth watching. Both OVAs appear to be teasers for a possible anime series, or movie, but neither ever appeared. It looks and sounds good for its time, but the story is poorly written - unless about one third of it simply was cut or lost. Negligible background, practically no character development.
An object of interest came to the main characters attention, they tried to get their hands on it, proved to be largely inept, but they possessed a 'unique' (and childishly over powered) ship - for no apparent reason - and were saved. End of story.
It could have been quite good, and that actually makes the finished product seem worse. You would need to be a 'completist', or willing to watch just for the titular ship - which is quite a good design - to enjoy any of the three OVAs. One of the characters is known by two of the other characters, to be a 'manufactured human' of some sort. But they do nothing with this story element. I have not seen any mention of a manga or light novel series as yet, so I still wonder why there were so many holes and undeveloped elements in the finished product. Again, I suspect that it was intended to be the start of a larger story that just never happened.
An object of interest came to the main characters attention, they tried to get their hands on it, proved to be largely inept, but they possessed a 'unique' (and childishly over powered) ship - for no apparent reason - and were saved. End of story.
It could have been quite good, and that actually makes the finished product seem worse. You would need to be a 'completist', or willing to watch just for the titular ship - which is quite a good design - to enjoy any of the three OVAs. One of the characters is known by two of the other characters, to be a 'manufactured human' of some sort. But they do nothing with this story element. I have not seen any mention of a manga or light novel series as yet, so I still wonder why there were so many holes and undeveloped elements in the finished product. Again, I suspect that it was intended to be the start of a larger story that just never happened.
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