ehman1 Reviews

I'll Never Heil Again (1941)

The Best Stooge Short Ever Made

[10/10 · 5 March 2009]

I saw "I'll Never Heil Again" before I saw "You Nazty Spy" and I feel "I'll Never Heil Again" is the better short of the two. With "I'll Never Heil Again" the Stooge's acting had matured and their characters were much more defined and refined taking the story to the next and I believe higher plane. It is simply a comedy masterpiece in every aspect, maybe the best short they ever filmed; I have it on a DVD by its self. With this short we see Moe, Larry and Curly each being the absolute best at what they individually bring to the "Stooges." They all meld together to form one cohesive maniacal unit; just a real joy to watch.

The Blair Witch Project (1999)

A good idea, maybe a noble effort, that just didn't work

[1/10 · 14 April 2005]

I will try to stay as positive as I can with this. When I watched the film, what I saw was a movie about a few kids running around in the woods with video cameras being totally spontaneous trying to make a movie. They seemed to be making a movie about trying to make a movie. It didn't come across to me as a real film.

The Blair Witch folks may have had a good idea, I honestly don't know, Maybe in their hearts and souls they thought what they had was a good idea; but they simply didn't have the skills to pull it off or to execute it well.

As with any other art form, freedom and spontaneity are all good and well, but they must be tempered with skill, control and compromise. This involves some mastery of the craft; many years of study and experience. Maybe some day they will make a film I would like to watch.

Making money, being famous and getting over on people is not what it's all about. Be damn good at what you do; that's what really matters.

The Slime People (1963)

In A Class All Its Own

[7/10 · 13 April 2005]

This yet another film I saw as a teenager in the 1960's that brings back many fond memories of my youth. I would have to agree that for all its awfulness "The Slime People" as one reviewer states, does have its charm. The excessive use of fog provides the movie with a unique atmosphere giving it just enough of an edge to make the film interesting and at times even a little scary. Every now and then one of the Slime People would sneak out of the fog and really creep us out. In some places the film is funny to the point of being ridiculous, still I think the story and the science behind it is plausible and it does have its serious moments. I have seen movies that were far worse than this one. If you love the films of this genre, just out of curiosity you should give it a look. The Slime People is very hard to find on TV, Satellite or Cable. I bought my VHS copy new a few years back. Even with the current digital re-mastering to DVD, this film will never be easy to watch.……..must be that all that fog…………….

One Body Too Many (1944)

A movie for the masses

[6/10 · 12 April 2005]

I'm working my way through the 50 Horror Classics box set that I recently purchased and "One Body too Many" is the seventh movie in the set. In the 40's, this was probably the typical movie you would take your girl to see on a Saturday night; light hearted and easy on the intellect. I figure many folks of this era saw the movie to escape for a moment from the horrors of WW II. After about the first 5 minutes, it was obvious to me what type of movie I would be viewing; a predictable, spooky, light hearted murder mystery/comedy that provided pure escapism for the masses. Jack Haley spends most of his time reviving his role as the "Tin Man" in a suit, which is fine. This was my first time seeing Bela Lugosi as something other than a monster and I think he did a good job the as the butler. Not a great movie, but as an artist myself, I can appreciate the craft, the skill of the actors of this generation. I sort of view this as a period piece and like many others have stated here, they don't make movies like this anymore and I have a certain reverence or appreciation for that.

Circle of Iron (1978)

Another one of my favorite films

[9/10 · 8 April 2005]

I really liked Circle of Iron and it is another one of my favorite movies. I also was moved by the spiritual and philosophical aspects of it and how they relate to the world in a practical way. I know next to nothing about Marshall Arts, but I thought the character portrayals in the film were quite good and very convincing. True, David Carridine is no Bruce Lee, but he is a fine actor and his portrayal of the blind sage and associated counterparts is superb.

I like Jeff Cooper's portrayal of Cord as a "no-frills-down-to-earth-average guy" trying to find his way in life; something we all can relate to. Cord is no intellectual genius, but he has a good heart and is open to learning. I found Cord's persistent curiosity and inquisitiveness about things very entertaining and engaging; Davis Carridine plays off of this perfectly. The film addresses important questions in life and it forces us to think about or at least consider them. I think this gives the film a lot of merit. To be honest, I don't think Bruce Lee could have acted in or made a film of this caliber. This is an intelligent, well-written piece. It has a good flow and is entertaining; with a little something for everybody. By today's standards, this would be a great film.

If you watch real close, you can see Tara (Cord's love interest, played by Erica Creer) performing as a dancer in the background of one of the fight scenes, long after she was crucified. I caught this while viewing the fight scene in slow motion.

The Werewolf (1956)

My Favorite Wolf Man Movie

[10/10 · 5 April 2005]

I saw this one as a teenager in the late 60's on our local Friday late night "Chiller Theatre" and it scared me pretty good. It is also my favorite "Wolf Man Movie" for the many of the reasons stated here in these posts. The conceptual aspect of his affliction deals with science as opposed to the supernatural, which in my mind, gives the movie a more humane, not to mention realistic premise, making it unique to its predecessors. The atmosphere is great; the make-up is very convincing for it's time. Steven Ritch gives an excellent performance and I wouldn't be surprised if the emotional aspect of his performance may have had something to do with the real-life combat he saw during WW II. The entire starring and supporting cast; many of them veteran leading and character actors in their own right, do an excellent job and deliver very convincing performances. This is not the "Blair Witch Project," these folks really know their craft. This is not a great Hollywood movie; it is a very fine low budget film that delivers.

I also was unable to find this movie anywhere commercially in any form and like many of the folks here, I taped my copy off of AMC (during the Halloween month of October). Just recently I dubbed my VHS copy to DVD. I agree that Columbia needs to release their catalog of Sci-Fi & Horror movies.

This film shows that even in the direst circumstances, it is possible to bring out the best in ourselves and each other. I think that is what I like about this film the most; from the get- go that they knew it was probably impossible to save Dr. Marsh, but they each in their own way and collectively, tried regardless. It was a noble effort.