arthurtafero Reviews

They Came to Blow Up America (1943)

Fun Sanders Film - They Came to Blow Up America

[6/10 · 16 June 2022]

No need for George Sanders (one of my favorite actors of all time) to blow up America; we are doing a fine enough job to ourselves at present. This is an entertaining, though thinly disguised spy film that features George as a NAZI (That'll be the Day, would John Wayne say). We figure out in the first ten minutes or so we are being broadly set up by the not to subtle direction and writing of the film. Still, it is George Sanders, and still, the film is fun to watch, even though we know how it will turn out. Landing on the nude beach in Long Island; better to do so in the daytime.

David and Bathsheba (1951)

WAY too Talky Biblical Tale - David and Bathsheba

[5/10 · 16 June 2022]

I first saw this film in the Totawa Drive-In in the 1950s with my parents. I was a big fan of Biblical dramas, but this one put me to sleep after 20 minutes. When I woke up near the end of the film, I asked my parents what happened, and they told me I didn't miss a thing. I viewed the film a second time recently, and found out that my film instincts at 11 were just as good as they are now. The film put me to sleep in only 15 minutes. Gregory Peck looks ill in the second half of the film (or so I have been told), Susan Hayward tries to put the Bath in Bathsheba, but once she gets out of the tub, she sounds like a high school actress in her first film. Thank goodness she stopped doing period films after that turkey. Don't waste your time, unless you need a film to put you to sleep.

Ministry of Fear (1944)

Solid WW 2 Spy Film - Ministry of Fear

[7/10 · 16 June 2022]

I absolutely loved the first twenty minutes or so of this film. After the sensational start, it moves into normal Hollywood gear for the rest of the film; and that is not too bad, either. Ray Milland does a great job in the lead role, and Miller writes a great script. Lang, however, makes the film a notch above most other WW 2 spy films with his masterful direction. Yes, there is a Hollywood ending, but what studio ever defied that rule in the 1940s? Not too many.

Yellow Canary (1943)

The Best Spy Film of WW2 - Yellow Canary

[10/10 · 14 June 2022]

I have reviewed well over 10,000 films for various publications, including several thousand for IMDB. In that time, I have only given 10 stars to less than 100 or 1% of the films I have reviewed. Actually, the number is less than 50. In my opinion, this film is the best film of 1943, and the best WW 2 spy film ever made. It is diabolical in its plot and development. The acting is first-rate, and no one who views the film will be able to figure out all of the subplots and surprises. It has more twists than a large German pretzel, and more suprises than a complex video game you are playing for the first time. The direction is perfect by Herbert Wilcox, and Anne Neagle gives the best performance of her under-appreciated career. The supporting cast is letter-perfect, and the cinematography is perfect for the time period. It is the equal of Casablanca in every way, except for the A cast, of course. Do not miss this gem of a WW 2 spy fim.

So Proudly We Hail! (1943)

A Cut Above Most WW2 Films - So Proudly We Hail

[8/10 · 13 June 2022]

Some would say this is a two-hankey woman's movie about WW 2. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are more dramatic sequences in this film than in the much more well-known films, Bataan, and Corregidor. All three of these films capture the realistic atmosphere found only in early 40s films about WW2. But this one, albeit a bit non-PC, captures the pure chaos that was the Bataan and Corregidor campaigns. Every scene appears to be over the top, and yet every scene appears to be very realistic. The plight of these nurses, played by Claudette Colbert, Paulette Goddard, and Veronica Lake is both tragic and heroic at the same time. We see doomed romances and relationships, and at the same time, hope for the furute. This film was released in 1943, but made in 1942. It captures the dark, early days of the war quire well. A film not to be missed if you want to understand why we bombed Japan with nuclear weapons.

Journey Into Fear (1943)

Nicely Done WW 2 Intrigue - Journey Into Fear

[7/10 · 11 June 2022]

Orson Welles was good at several things. He made a few brilliant films, and he also made a few clunkers. This is one of his better efforts. Both as a director and actor, he is at the height of his considerable talent. The offbeat plot concerns Turkey (a relatively unknown ally of the US in WW 2) and its waterways. The protagonist in this film is Joseph Cotton (a charter member of Welles' crew) as an American weapon's salesman. The antagonist is almost as good without saying a word (Jack Moss). Welles plays a believable Turk official, and the game is afoot. Be sure to catch this one late at night.

The Seventh Victim (1943)

When Horror Was More Than Special Effects - The Seventh VIctim

[7/10 · 11 June 2022]

From the opening scene, we know this film is going to be a bit different from most other Hollywood productions. The lighting is intentionally dark, in order to convey the dark theme of the film. Our heroine is as pure as Ivory Soap (99 and 44/100) pure). Her older sister, however, is not quite as pure. What better setting for a horror film than 14th Street in NYC? Only one stop above the vaunted capital of world hedonism in Greenwich Village. Roman Polanski understood this principle well when he wrote, and then directed Rosemary's Baby, a logical evolution of the late 60s horror to this mid-WW2 horror film. WW 2 was horror enough for most people. This startling debut by Kim Hunter is all the more startling for film majors. Many of whom thought Alfred Hitchcock was totally original in his bathroom shower scene in Psycho, when obviously, he was influenced by the Kim Hunter shower scene (and made it even better). Devil worship is nothing new; it has been going on for millennia. They even worship the Devils in New Jersey (the hockey team). In this film it is benigh and non-violent, but Hollywood quickly trashed that approach and went for the gorier and more sensationalistic approach in later films. At least it is far more interesting than the boring zombie and vampire productions that were made by the hundreds in years to follow. Excellent filmmaking.

Avatar (2009)

Dances With Wolves in Space - Avatar

[8/10 · 8 June 2022]

This is the ultimate teen movie. It has the best special effects of all time, the best sets of all time, and one of th best heavies since Darth Vader. But as an original screenplay, although it is very creative in characterizations and nature vs man scenarios, it is pretty much a copy of Dances With Wolves, but with lots of bells and whistles. Let's see, a military man weary of life ,moves to the farthest limits of civilization and becomes enamored with the local Indians. He learns all there is to know about them, and eventually becomes one of them, trying to fend off the inevitable encroachment of "civilization". Sound familiar? It should. That is the plot of Dances With Wolves and this fine film as well. Not that there is anything wrong with that, since it is done so well. The acting and direction are first rate. The sequel will be inevitable, and I am sure it will be very good as well. Lots of fun, and a bit too violent, but a fine film.

Gomorrah (2008)

Spanish Version of Mean Streets - OK Imitation

[6/10 · 6 June 2022]

Gamorra is a nuts and bolts tale of living and dying by the gun. It follows two small-time hoods through the streets of crime, violence, exploitation, and gangster mentality, and then achieves its predictable ending; quite similar to the plot and ending of Mean Streets. See Mean Streets; it's a better film.

The Imposter (2012)

Triple Tragedy - The Imposter

[7/10 · 28 May 2022]

Frederic Boudin supposedly has a wife and three kids in France. I really feel sorry for the wife and kids, because this woman's husband is a lowlife, and the kids probably believe their father is a good person, which is obviously is not. He is one of the lowest forms of humans on the planet. First, this family suffers a missing person. Then after three years, this lowlife pretends to be the missing boy. The third tragedy is the kind of life that Boudin had to make him into this kind of unfeeling, cold, individual, who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. I will stop short of hoping one of his kids gets kidnapped so he can know how it feels. A very compelling documentary.

Transcendence (I) (2014)

Good Try, No Cigar - Transcendence

[5/10 · 25 May 2022]

Transcendence is a film that promises a great deal, but delivers very little. A good or great idea is fine, but it must be executed properly for it to have any value. This idea was not executed properly. Depp and the supporting cast do a good job with what they have, but the scriptwriters here dropped the ball. There were enough holes in the plot to create an on-screen swiss cheese festival. The wild-eyed militants were just so banal and common-place, while the role of the FBI head was absolutely superfluous. Depp's character was well-defined as was his wife, but after that the motivations and characters all go downhill, as does the story. Too bad, it could have been a very good film.

Jackie (V) (2016)

Good, Not Great Biopic - Jackie

[6/10 · 24 May 2022]

Natalie Portman is a very gifted actress, and this role would have been very difficult for any actress to play. But she pulled it off without a hitch. For most of us who lived through these events, it was quite a painful experience to watch the first hour of this film. However, it could never match the excruciating pain that Jackie must have gone through. Portman conveys that well. The direction is crisp, and with just one shot Larrain captures the disdain that Robert Kennedy and LBJ felt for each other. My only bone I had to pick with the film was squeezing in such an extraordinary life into just a week or so of Jackie's life. She was much more than just that horrible week. I would have liked to have seen her life after the tragedy; including her life with Onassis. How did the Kennedys accept or reject Onassis? We would never know from this film. A more complete bio would have been much more satisfying.

Point Break (2015)

Keeps Your Attention

[6/10 · 17 December 2015]

I am really surprised by the vitriolic nature of several of the reviews for this film. I am in agreement with one of the reviewers, however. I went to the film in China with absolutely no expectations or knowledge of the film this one is based on. I was not bored. That automatically makes this film at least a five for me.

There are so many boring comic book films with special effects, as well as too many zombie and Dracula rip-offs that put me to sleep in fifteen minutes. This film did not bore me in the least. It was fast-paced, beautifully photographed, and had an excellent sound track. If based on those variables, the film would have been a ten.

But, the actors, dialogue, and plot, unfortunately, did not measure up to the technical aspects of the film. I found the Utah character interesting, because we know a little about his background, but we know nothing about the background of any of the thrill-seeking gang. I am giving this film a 6 because it is the ultimate in eye candy without special effects. I go to the movies to relax and I enjoy a good adventure on the big screen (among other venues). This film fits the bill for that and I would recommend it (even if it is a little preachy).

Arthur H Tafero Senior Reviewer AskMrMovies

Atlas Shrugged: Who Is John Galt? (2014)

Read The Book; You Will Be Much Better Off

[1/10 · 11 October 2015]

This entire series is awful. It is as bland as baloney on white bread without any mayo. The actors are like zombies, the director doesn't have a clue, the storyline is convoluted, and the capitalist philosophy borders on the hilarious. The film also grossly exaggerates the possible impact of socialism in the United States as well. Hello! Bullet Trains in China travel at 300 MPH, why would anyone get excited over trains that travel over 100 MPH?

The new engine idea comes from a GM prototype invented in 1974 by Frank Guida, a super-cleaned coal dust which reduced harmful emissions by 600% and increased fuel efficiency by over 400%, but was never used by the company (one of the reasons they are always lagging behind the competition).

But this is about the three TV episodes; I really wouldn't classify them as movies. They are box office poison, as evidenced by the minute sales of their showings. The production values are about the only thing to praise in the film, but that is not nearly enough to rescue this string of turkeys. Save your time and money and take out the book from the library.

Arthur H Tafero AskMrMovies.com

PS This trilogy is going straight into my Turkey Farm on the site

In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale (2007)

Great Film After Pizza and a LOT of Beer.

[1/10 · 17 June 2014]

Where do we begin? I saw this film on DVD with a few friends after some terrible Chinese pizza and a lot of good Chinese beer. We have seldom laughed harder or longer for most good comedies we have seen together. Why?

The script and casting is to die for. I mean every actor uttering every word in this film dies on screen; in an a mass suicide of actors uttering ridiculous dialog. Talk about being all over the place:

There is a Viking funeral, Ninja warriors, Merlinesque English magicians, a touch of Saturday Night Fever and Goodfellas with Ray Liotta,(absolutely hilarious casting here),a Lord of the Rings quest, a borrowed plot line from The 13th Warrior (men dressed up as Orcs),another hilarious idea to cast Burt Reynolds as an ancient king,(I was waiting to see Sally Field as the Queen and it would have been perfect), forest choreography similar to Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and a bad imitation of Dennis Hopper by some second-rate actor.

Other than that, the film was completely believable.

The action sequences and production values were quite good; and fine for a video game. But this was supposed to be a movie with actors, direction, a plot, a script and a logical sequence. None of these are apparent in this turkey. But my friends and I had a grand old time lampooning just about every actor in every scene of this debacle. Just make sure you drink plenty of beer before you watch it.

Arthur H Tafero AskMrMovies.com Senior Reviewer

Three Bad Men (2005)

I concur; Worst Western Ever Made

[1/10 · 20 October 2013]

This is the worst Western ever made in the history of cinema. That is quite a feat, as it was up against numerous horrendous Westerns with bad production values, hammy acting, poor direction and more. But this film was special. Watching this film is like watching a 100 car collision on a foggy day on a superhighway. You can't take your eyes off it even though you know it is horrible.

It appeared as if it were directed by a dropout from a community college film school course. This is the worst film, by far, that Kennedy has ever appeared in. It looks like he was kidnapped from the old age home in the middle of the night, and put in front of a camera. His over 70 love scene with an aged actress forced me to postpone my lunch. The three men in the lead roles give their best efforts to imitate Brokeback Mountain. They wore clean clothes, had nice shiny teeth and looked nothing like real cowboys.

Each of them were unbelievably bad actors. There were more unintentional laughs from the script than in many comedies. The production values and script were horrendous. I have seen home movies with better direction and scripts. Ed Wood looked like Hitchcock compared to this director. This is the kind of property that Zero Mostel should have chosen for his play. This is easily the worst Western (out of over hundreds) ever made I have ever seen.

Arthur H Tafero Senior Critic, AskMrMovies.com

Since You Went Away (1944)

A Solid World War Two Film

[7/10 · 25 April 2013]

Since You Went Away, written and produced by David Selznik, and starring Claudette Colbert in an Oscar-nominated role, Jennifer Jones in a brilliant performance, and a solid cast of supporting actors that give the film great authenticity. This film was shot during WW 2 itself, and as such, has a greater feel of reality that most WW2 films made after the end of the war.

Although a bit overly-sentimental in a few scenes, and a bit too long, the film still manages to hit our emotional cores with an array of issues that were prevalent during WW2. The telegram scenes, the phone calls and the work with disabled veterans all cannot fail to move the viewer. Selznik used almost his complete core of actors from Gone With the Wind to make this film, and for the most part, they clicked together again very well. The cinematography is first-rate and the dance scenes at the GI canteen are extremely impressive. The film highlights the struggles of American women and children who had to cope with long absences of their loved ones during the war. The music by Max Steiner won the Oscar for best music that year and it was well-deserved. Better bring at least two hankies for the ladies.

Alien Uprising (2012)

UFO Worst Sci-Fi FIlm Since Attack of Killer Tomatoes

[1/10 · 23 April 2013]

Where do we begin? This British version of Manchester United Meets War of the Worlds (the original, not the remake)is a complete disaster from the first reel. At first, I thought this was a film project done by a first-year film student, but I soon realized it was much worse than anything a film student has done. The director of this waste of 100 minutes of film, Dominic Burns, has no sense of direction. The actors have no idea how to act, the cinematographer looks like it was his first attempt at filming the prom, Claude Van Dam makes Arnold Schwartzeneggar look like Laurence Olivier, his daughter is even more dreadful than he is as an aspiring actress (must be the genes), and the music is overbearing. Other than that, the film is a huge success.

A bunch of nightclub types pose as protagonists in the film, but after interminable meaningless scenes about them, you begin to root for the aliens to kill them. There is gratuitous sex, mindless violence and gibberish for dialogue. There is no plot per se. Please save your time and money for something a bit more enjoyable; like an hour and a half in the dentist's chair without anesthetics. Plan 9 From Outer Space is a blockbuster compared to this joke. I have seen over 12,000 films and this one easily qualifies for one of the bottom TEN.

Arthur H Tafero Askmrmovies.com