jimjamjonny39 Reviews

Mildred Pierce (1945)

I would do anything for you

[8/10 · 18 May 2024]

You ever watch a movie and think hmm that wasn't great or even why did I go through that. Well Mildred Pierce (to me) was more appreciatied this time around and I'm glad I watched again. Well worth watching at least twice because sometimes you're absently minded critiquing on how you're feeling at the time. This woman wants to be the best mother ever, but it doesn't matter what she does there is something that is not cooperating with her ideals. But if anyone wanted to persevere as much as she did they would find that it doesn't matter how hard you try to be the perfect parent it's just the flip of a coin on how things will turn out.

Return of the Fly (1959)

Musca domestica

[6/10 · 10 March 2024]

The common house fly only turns up when it's time to make an experiment.

This takes place about 15 years later when the friend yet bad guy (criminal) from the UK decides that he wants to steal the plans and formula as he believes that it'll make him a very wealthy man.

Philippes' uncle tries to dissuade him from continuing where his father bowed out as the same thing could occur again and he fears for his nephew's life who is so insistent on finding out how the original experiment failed and to see if venturing into this transportation has any future.

Just imagine if it works!

Not as good as the first but it's ok.

Their First Mistake (1932)

And baby makes three

[8/10 · 10 March 2024]

The boys are at it again. Ollie's married to a domineering wife who doesn't want her husband hanging around with Stan because he's always encouraging him to do things with him.

Stan's read that having a baby in the house would cure her concerns. Ollie thinks it's a great idea and Stan replies "I'm not as dumb as you look." Ollie agrees and then realises what was said and... well the decision is made and a baby is introduced. Will this appease her? It's just one disaster after another especially with Ollie who has so many tumbles you'd think he might have broken a bone here and there.

I never heard that he did. It's always great to watch over and over. What a great team they were.

The Bohemian Girl (1936)

Stan & Ollie at their best

[8/10 · 8 March 2024]

Every time I watch a Laurel & Hardy short every so often I'm in fits of laughter. I'm glad to say that I've been watching them since I was about five years old and they still are as funny as ever. I'm not really a big fan of their longer episodes because I always feel that it's just padding, not necessarily needed but I suppose the writers needed to give the viewer a breather from the laughter. I have to say that this was quite good, the singing wasn't really what I wanted to hear but they weren't bad. I have never tired of Stans' bottling or Ollie's inability to dominate his wife, so in turn he picks on his best friend.

Hammer House of Horror: The Mark of Satan (1980) Season 1, Episode 13

The devil inside

[7/10 · 2 March 2024]

I'm a bit of a Hammer fan, well anything macabre. I watched this series over a number of weeks and as much as some of them weren't great, most of them imho made the grade. This final episode was about a man who has started to have mental problems whilst working in a hospital. He's seeing the number nine or numbers that add up to nine which apparently relate to the devil. I empathised with how he was affected and the way he was losing his mind. It does get a bit weird and he's finally broken when he thinks that he recalls/realises what he has done, just when he thought that he was on the mend. Is it too late?

The Last Gangster (1937)

My Boy

[7/10 · 14 October 2023]

Biggest and best gangster in the movies. Edward G Robinson played his part so convincingly that I believed that he was the character.

Hoodlums from the start of the early 1920s were considered ruthless and were only interested in beating the system and doing exactly what they wanted regardless.

This movie is not just about the callousness of the anti-hero it's about his belief, his love for his son, because the most important thing to him is the son that he sired.

It's a human story of what a man would do to eventually care and protect a son that he could never be part of by destroying the man who WOULD try to destroy him.

Crossfire (1947)

Ill informed

[8/10 · 6 August 2023]

This is a movie that shows all the bigotry that you could think of. A man is murdered because this ignorant man who hates others through ignorance, whether it was through nurture or his imagination that he was superior is irrelevant, though thinking about it, it probably was. I've never really liked Robert Ryan, maybe it's because he was mostly (from what I've seen) the bad guy.

This is one movie where he was so convincing, that I couldn't stop watching. I disliked him the minute I heard him speak & he was only playing his part. I hope that it was me that was ill informed about this man, otherwise he played me and that's probably why I didn't like him.

Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970)

Omg what have they done

[6/10 · 2 August 2023]

This is not as good as the original but it does have some good parts in it that'll keep interested parties to continue watching. James Franciscus pretty much plays Charlton Hestons' role just to slightly alter the return to ape city or you may think you were watching takes from the first movie. I love Kim Hunter's role as the rebellious, opinionated psychologist ape who detests what the gorillas stand for & has to be coerced by her husband to not to show it.

I didn't get what was going on with this part of the franchise, with the bomb as a god to the other race but it came in handy when it was activated.

Naked Fear (2007)

Killing for sport

[7/10 · 1 July 2023]

A young girl/woman has foolishly put herself into debt and has left her town in Texas to see if she can make some money, she doesn't realize what she has let herself in for.

The main character is very good in this and comes of as believable (most of the time).

This was much better than some reviews others gave. It reminds me of the true story of the "Butcher Baker," who left a trail of women's bodies in Alaska.

I was delightfully surprised in some parts of the movie as it kept me on the edge.

If you want to see a bit of suspense then I think you're going to enjoy this as there's quite a bit.

West of Zanzibar (1954)

Ivory traders

[7/10 · 6 February 2023]

You can understand why certain illegal ivory hunters do this job. They're poor and need to survive. Only problem is that the people paying them to murder the elephants are giving them a pittance and are making huge profits for themselves. It's amazing to think that Africa's elephant population from 26 million elephants in 1800 to fewer than one million today. Elephant tusks from Africa average about 2 metres in length and weigh over 20 kg.

The buyers of ivory express genuine concerns about cruelty towards animals, however, less than one-third of them believe that elephants are very endangered.

Sorry! (1981–1988)

Language Timothy!

[9/10 · 4 February 2023]

This was one of my favourite sitcoms during the 1980s.

Timothy Lumsden is played by the irrefutible Ronnie Corbett. Is a man in his early 40s living at home with his parents.

I know it's hard to believe but poor old Tim can't leave the qualities of home his inescapable mind isconstantly under the influence of his mother, played by Barbara Lott who plays the part so brilliantly. She was made for the part. I Loved her character immenseley.

William Moore plays the father, who is also under her spell. He's number three in the show and often helps the hilarity of the show.

As the series progressed I always rooted for Timothy to find true love as he did try but somehow couldn't get away.

The Third Alibi (1961)

You can't have your cake and eat it

[7/10 · 19 January 2023]

I realised about 20 minutes into the movie that I had seen this before, well it was on in the background and I was only watching parts that caught my interest. Anyway I'm glad I got to see it in full this time as it was a really good movie. The plot is to murder his wife (as he is having an affair with her sister). He has asked for a divorce from her and even offers a reasonable settlement but she will not divorce him even when he informs her that it's her sister that he has been having a relationship with.

"The best laid plans schemes of mice and men". Never seem to follow the design created.

Gangs of London (2020– )

A Joint Left in the Oven too long

[6/10 · 18 January 2023]

This is not that good. Shoot em up joe. If this was a video game it would sell to the people who think it's good. Nothing else goes on but the fact that a criminal organisation boss (played by Colm Meaney Star Trek & DS9 fame) was shot and killed and now his son is the new mr big. He won't allow any drugs to be distributed until his father has been avenged. Lots of other gangs involved and they have all got their guns so that they can have shoot out with their rivals and try and become the overlord.

Some are shot a ridiculous amount of times before they are killed.

Perfect for kids who don't want to play on their game station.

Bond of Fear (1956)

Desperate criminal

[7/10 · 14 January 2023]

Well done.

A young family named Sewell are planning to take a holiday abroad and with all the mod-cons of the day i.e a caravan they can go anywhere and have decided to travel abroad.

They are making their way to Dover from Birmingham, (no motorways or sat nav, just simple map directions.) Unfortunately, they find some criminal in their caravan, named Dewar.

This man is a bad piece of work and he's just killed a night watchman so he's desperate to get away from the police who want to speak to him. The police are making stop and search road checks to find him. He has found a way of avoiding them.

Call the Midwife (2012– )

Nonnatus House neighbourhood

[9/10 · 11 January 2023]

Superb drama that will make you love every main character and it will sometimes make you cry. Life is never like this but if it was I would want it to be like it with these. Kindness, laughter, consideration, empathy, love and joy to name a few but this shows us it's more than just that. It teaches us that we should love and care for each other because that's what makes our hearts fonder, stronger and more amenable to the imperfections that only in ourselves we see. It took me a season or two but I am so pleased that I continued absorbing this. Reminds me of the Waltons. Nobody is perfect but these come close.

The Young Lions (1958)

War, what is it good for?

[8/10 · 15 December 2022]

I'm sure you know the answer. Quite an emotional story about three men and what they experience during ww2. A young German captain, believing that Hitlers' Nazism will make the world a better place who becomes disillusioned when he sees things that he could never imagine. Two Americans, one a musician who has a show that needs to be put together and just because he's enlisted, he doesn't want to but feels that people will call him a coward, which is how he feels anyway. And the second man who happens to be a Jew signs up. However his war has begun in the army barracks on home soil where some of his compatriots, especially his commanding officer are making it difficult.

The Scarlet Web (1954)

Murder for profit

[7/10 · 3 December 2022]

I was a bit unsure about watching this because I didn't want it to be just another 50s lamo. I'm glad to see that it was a well made B-movie. An insurance guy is released from prison after serving a short sentence. A hot blonde is looking for a fall guy so that she & (not) her married man can get away with murder and claim on the insurance. It's a good plot and they will only fall short if the man they're going to set up gets caught by the police. There's a lot going on here and it's well worth the investment in the hour it takes to see the conclusion. Griffith Jones Hazel Court & Zena Marshall head the cast in this wonderful short thriller.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: Far Beyond the Stars (1998) Season 6, Episode 13

It could be possible

[9/10 · 25 October 2022]

Loved this episode. When Captain Sisko has strange occurrences, he's brought in to see Dr Bashir, whilst in his care he ends up (dreaming) in USA 1940s. He's a futuristic magazine writer, as are his crew members. Unfortunately, it's a time where a black man, still, has little appreciation for his intellect and equal respect. Sisko is inspired by a drawImg of what we know as DS9 and he can almost see himself in the future. However, writings are only accepted by the editor as long as it's not a black hero because then 'it's not believable' even though his colleagues are against it.

One of Avery Brooks best episodes.

The Black Abbot (1934)

Abbot without Costello

[5/10 · 20 October 2022]

This is a comedy of its day that isn't what I'd call as funny today. It's got its gags that would have caused a titter or two but it's mainly the individual characters that help it along, not that it really did move along. I don't want to criticise it as there were a few things that were uttered that made me laugh. For one, I like the maid in it; there's one scene she's telling her fella about her last master who came to the kitchen & offered to 'butter me parsnips!' It made me laugh.

There's a very pretty lady, Judy Kelly, her eyebrows are so thin, I thought that she must've painted them on. I don't see women today, with similar brows although the shapes have changed in nearly a hundred years.

Temptation (1946)

Looking for excitement

[7/10 · 25 September 2022]

I was a little bit put off watching this movie, because I read a few reviews that didn't give it justice however, I'm glad I decided to go over it with my own eyes because it turned out to be a good quality story of lust and greed and murder. Ms Oberon played the part of the wife and femme fatale to perfection. After visiting the Harley street doctor who encouraged her first husband to divorce her due to her infidelities she finds another unsuspecting wealthy man. (She first learns about his passion) Her interest in him & beauty captures his weak & gullible heart into marrying her which from then shows us what she's all about. The ending was also surprising.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Ascent (1996) Season 5, Episode 9

Make 'em laugh, make 'em laugh

[9/10 · 1 September 2022]

Two of my favourite (married couple) characters. This love hate relationship that Quark & Odo is priceless. This episode is no exception. They are stranded on a planet & have to get to the top of this mountain to set up a signal & every time they have to communicate with each other it's a complaint or a derogative comment. You just know that these two reluctantly adimire each other but would never admit it. Odo just doing his job fairly & Quark always trying out a harmless little scheme and hoping to avoid being caught by the constable. Jake & Nog have their own little spat too. Now that the latter has joined starfleet he & Captain Cisco's son decide to share their quarters but Jake is not very tidy whilst Nog is a bit of a complainer.

The Time Machine (2002)

Cappuccino?

[7/10 · 15 August 2022]

This is a good version of HG Well's Time Machine. Very similar to the 1960 Rod Taylor movie of the same name but it would have to follow the path that the writer created otherwise it wouldn't have been an homage to him. I loved the original movie I have watched a few times & after watching this one a few I love it too.

It's easy to criticise a remake because when we watched the original we were a lot younger and much more easily impressed, we'd never imagined time travel, so we got drawn into a well made movie. This one was also well made & with its fx it looks even more impressive 40 years later.

Upstairs, Downstairs: Miss Forrest (1973) Season 3, Episode 1

Hudsons' point of view

[7/10 · 31 December 2021]

I watched Upstairs downstairs as a young boy and thought that Hudson was old fashioned and even a bit of a snob. Well, years later, I realise he had a point and he was right to voice his opinion to James Bellamy. Loved it and glad I understood his point of view.

Went the Day Well? (1942)

We shall fight on the beaches...

[8/10 · 16 October 2021]

British soldiers arrive in a village in England. It's not what it seems. Such brevity, such resilience in the midst of an attempted German invasion.

Ok, not exactly. Though it was a great propaganda film at the time that would have lifted the hearts & dispel the fears of the proud Bulldog spirited people pulling together whilst living during WWII.

It reminded me of Sir Winston Churchills' famous speech.

The Killing (2011–2014)

You have the right to remain silent

[8/10 · 10 October 2021]

It only took a couple of episodes to get into this & it made compulsive viewing.

Not only is it about dramatic police murder investigations but the messed up lives of both detectives especially Linden.

Great ending too.