overthetopandhappybso Reviews

Jo Brand Goes Back to Bedlam (1994– )

spooky stuff

[9/10 · 1 February 2013]

Oh how I long to see this programme again. I've always felt such admiration for Jo after watching her walk around the deserted and derelict mental hospital. My goose bumps had goose bumps! Every now and then I check to see if by any small chance it has been released on DVD, but alas, no luck yet.

Am I the only person who remembers this piece of spooky TV gold? It knocks Most Haunted and it's ilk into a cocked hat and then some. All hats off to Jo Brand, cocked and not, you're a braver lady than I :)

This stupid 10 line rule! I've seen much shorter reviews than mine and yet I am forced to write lots of irrelevant stuff yet again just to get it passed....annoying :/

The Bishop's Wife (1947)

angel delight

[10/10 · 15 January 2013]

At last! I finally own this wonderful, wonderful Christmas movie on DVD, instead of grainy VHS along with commercials as I recorded it off the TV. It's only taken more years than I care to remember and a seller in Japan to make it happen. Nevertheless, I am over the moon.

I saw this film for the first time many years ago with my mum, during a grey afternoon, while on my school holiday. It made an impression that has stayed with me ever since. It is truly a feel good movie, on a par with It's A Wonderful Life perhaps, but for me The Bishop's Wife has the edge. Maybe it's because a film with Cary Grant rarely fails to please, and also David Niven and Loretta Young are both immensely watchable. I'm not sure why this has such timeless appeal, though I often find myself a little wistful for bygone eras where love scenes ended with camera shots into crackling fires, or waves crashing onto beaches.

I keep getting away from the point so here goes, I shall control my over exuberance. miss this Christmas gem at your peril! relax in the charms of Dudley and allow him to work his 'magic' on you. For all lovers of the festive season, and those whom observe the true meaning of Christmas, this is a must! I envy anyone lucky enough to watch it for the first time, but I'm still touched deep inside whenever I view it, as I am doing this very minute.

Heartwarming, charming and poignant..... and if you don't shed a little tear for Dudley at the end, maybe It's A Wonderful Life is more your kinda movie.

Mr. Stink (2012 TV Movie)

thoroughly enjoyable

[9/10 · 23 December 2012]

I'm not usually one for contemporary children's stories....they're nothing like those told on dear old Jackanory, but this was very good. Good cast, the ever reliable Hugh Bonneville, I didn't even mind Johnny Vegas for once. The young actress playing Chloe did a fine job, and I think I should make a special mention of Duchess the dog, played by Pudsey, who turned in an Oscar winning performance, I shall look out for her in future :)

Anyway, it's a truly heart warming tale - once you get past the odd bit of moralising regarding the homeless, which although one utterly agrees with the sentiment, sometimes one just wants a story that fills one with warmth, and in the case of Mr Stink, a lovely festive glow.

A very worthy 9/10 Ho! Ho! Ho!

Spanish Flu: The Forgotten Fallen (2009 TV Movie)

brilliant and very moving

[10/10 · 25 September 2012]

As usual Bill Paterson gives a wonderful, moving performance in this all too short a drama. One sometimes needs reminding how lucky we are these days when it comes to living standards and public health. It certainly showed in graphic detail the terrible, painful death suffered by people during the epidemic that raged between October 1918 and April 1919, and the fact that many victims were young men, returning from the horrors of World War 1, made it all the more poignant and tragic. In spite of the bleak subject matter, this is definitely an hour well spent and I thoroughly recommend it.

BBC4 should be applauded for showing such drama documentaries, and the fact there were no adverts to burst onto the screen at moments of particular emotion, thus spoiling the mood, made it so much better.

The Last of Sheila (1973)

good fun

[8/10 · 20 May 2012]

I saw this film many years ago and have waited so long for it to be repeated, but last night was my lucky night, and I am watching as I type. Wonderful seventies nostalgia and a great little thriller to boot!

It would be great if I couldn't remember the twist and the ending, but who wouldn't enjoy watching James Coburn, James Mason and ummm... Ian McShane in the same movie. Mr Coburn definitely carries off white flares with panache, and for the men, there is Raquel Welch looking equally as splendid in her bikini. Apparently Dyan Cannon put on 30lbs to make this film. Two questions, why and where was she hiding the extra poundage?? Not that it matters to the story.

This is a good little 'whodunnit', with enjoyable scenery, good actors hamming it up somewhat, and a surprise ending. All the ingredients for 2 hours of enjoyable TV in my opinion, and don't forget the popcorn - with a big pinch of salt of course :)

Bones: The Girl in the Gator (2007) Season 2, Episode 13

a soupçon of Britishness

[8/10 · 13 May 2012]

I'm talking about the wonderful Stephen Fry, to whom we are introduced in this episode.

I so enjoy the interaction between Agent Booth and Dr Wyatt, and the rather clever way the doctor gets Booth to open up (and build his BBQ in the process). The ongoing case of the body in the crocodile is nowhere near as interesting as listening to Stephen Fry playing the archetypal, public school educated toff, (i say that in the nicest possible way), but it is still very good of course. Mind you, if I'm being truthful I could listen to Mr Fry babble on for hours, I adore his intellectual, upper class tones. Anyway, that's enough British trumpet blowing for one review....after all, I am little biased where our floppy haired wordsmith is concerned :) Just watch and enjoy!

A Christmas Visitor (2002 TV Movie)

Christmas warmth

[10/10 · 12 May 2012]

I love this film, I love the sentiment, and I love the feeling it leaves me with, have faith, and all will be well.

Now I know that's not always true, but who wants to watch a Christmas film that tells us life can just go on getting worse and worse no matter what. I find William Devane's portrayal as the father of the family very touching, and near the end, where he and Matthew part company, I find myself welling up with tears every time.

I know it's a little sugary in places, especially when the townspeople are handing out free postage stamps and Christmas lights etc., but I'm genuinely warmed by the demonstration of kindness, and I admit to wishing life imitated art more often.

Anyway, if you're looking to be gently lulled into the true spirit of Christmas, then this film is for you. Maybe there's a little message for us all somewhere in there.

This Happy Breed (1944)

wonderful film

[10/10 · 17 March 2012]

i love This Happy Breed for so many reasons, not least of them being curling up on the sofa on a drizzly afternoon to watch it with my dear mum. along with brief encounter this is one of my all time favourite films. John Mills, Kay Walsh, Celia Johnson, Stanley Holloway and Robert Newton are brilliant, and by the time the credits roll, i feel as though i've been through their ups and downs, their laughter and tears with them. the interaction between the spinster sister and the old girl always makes me smile, as does the Christmas scene with the family gathered round the piano, watch the son in particular. in my humble opinion this is definitely another David Lean classic, and not to be missed if like me you enjoy glimpses into a bygone era. oh, and a little mention should be made of Percy, he had his paws buttered like the true professional he very clearly was.

Crimetime (1996)

hmmmm.......

[4/10 · 15 March 2012]

i'm not totally sure what to make of this film, it has a weird mix of actors, some classy and some not so. the good actors were unable to lift crimetime out of utter mediocrity, and in my humble opinion it was over long, and bordering on painfully tedious in some places. i stuck with it simply out of curiosity, having read the other reviews, but in all honesty i just feel cheated out of 2 hours of my life that will never come back. i think it is to be avoided at all costs, except for those wanting to enjoy looking at the oil slick that is stephen baldwin's hair, or the grotesque mask like appearance of karen black's face. 4/10 is the best i can do, and those points are probably all pete postlethwaite's, whom one can say, did his best in the face of adversity.

The Holly and the Ivy (1952)

a Christmas gem of bygone days

[10/10 · 12 March 2012]

i came across this film one rainy November afternoon in the days when an afternoon matinée was standard practice. sadly those afternoons are lost to TV movies, often Canadian and often mind numbingly bad. however, i digress, the holly and the ivy is a rarely seen British film from the days when a woman was considered middle aged at 30, and men never set foot in the confines of a kitchen. it is a slice of kitchen sink drama that takes place amid a cosy rectory, with real coal fires burning and lots of snow falling outside. although the individual stories of the characters are now outdated, i can't help but get a warm, nostalgic feeling when the film starts. it is with a little sadness, in the sure knowledge that we can never return to those days, that i watch this seasonal gem of the fifties.

celia johnson gives her usual, beautifully spoken performance, and margaret leighton is wonderful as her prickly sister. denholm elliott is rather good as the younger brother whom by today's standards would be considered saintly, but back then he managed to achieve the disdain of nearly all his relatives for making rather merry, even tho it was Christmas. ralph richardson was a little too young, and his part should have gone to an older actor in my opinion, but that said, he didn't detract from my enjoyment of the film.

for managing to transport me back to a Christmas of long, long ago, and for giving me 83 minutes of sheer joy, i give it 10/10. if you're lucky enough to lay your hands on a copy of the DVD, i urge you to buy it, take it home, put your feet up, and sit back and enjoy - preferably with a crackling log fire, as snow falls silently outside