rohosmit Reviews

Number One (1984 TV Movie)

AN INSULT TO SNOOKER

[4/10 · 16 December 2022]

I saw this film on its cinema release in the UK and thought it was pretty dreadful. I remember a ridiculous scene in which a snooker player is chasing the other player around the table in a rage, with the legendary commentor Ted Lowe saying "The crowd are loving this". 'Whispering' Ted Lowe demeaned himself by taking part in this travesty and must have just done it for the money. The story strongly implies that there's widespread fixing of matches in snooker which is most certainly not the case in real life apart from a few isolated cases. It's a truly bad film in so many ways but I give it 4 stars because I wasn't bored by it.

Lawrence: After Arabia (2021)

Over-ambitious low budget filmmaking

[2/10 · 27 September 2022]

I had high expectations for this film but unfortunately I found it disappointing. The story itself was interesting and held my attention, but the sound, continuity and photography were all inadequate, not to mention the tedious, incessant and inappropriate music score. The acting, with a few exceptions, was weak, and to bill Brian Cox as the star in the opening credits showed some nerve - what a con! He never even appeared on screen, just providing brief narration. I sat through the whole film wondering how on earth it could have won any kinds of awards or indeed how it was even selected for various film festivals. Clearly this film was made on too small a budget, making it look like an over-stretched amateur production.

Therapy (2017)

INTERESTING PREMISE

[6/10 · 17 August 2022]

This low budget film, available to view on Plex, held my attention throughout. The actors were pretty good (one of them being a personal friend of mine, Robert Woodhall, who plays Ruffalo). A couple of things let it down slightly for me, one being the rather monotonous music score and the other being some rather odd framing when actors are almost disappearing off the edge of the screen. I recommend it to fans of psychological mysteries, with reservations.

The Nest (I) (2020)

ENGROSSING

[9/10 · 4 January 2022]

You can never tell what a film is like until you see it for yourself. Thank goodness I wasn't deterred by the many bad reviews this film has received. I loved everything about it, especially the fantastic acting from everyone which really brought the characters to life. It reminded me a little of the films of Joanna Hogg such as the brilliant 'Archipelago'. Highly recommended.

The Colour Room (2021)

JUST WONDERFUL

[10/10 · 30 December 2021]

This film is an absolute delight from start to finish. It's all so very well done in every respect and highly entertaining. I just loved it. I note that someone has given this film just 1 star which is quite ridiculous - even if the true story has been slightly fictionalised, to my mind this doesn't matter. It's an entertainment not a documentary. Hugely recommended.

Vivaldi, the Red Priest (2009)

HILARIOUSLY INEPT

[2/10 · 28 December 2021]

I found this film on YouTube as it seems to be unavailable elsewhere. How on earth has it achieved an IMDb rating of 6.8? As the star himself (Steven Cree) has gone on record as saying, it is one of the worst films ever made, and he's not wrong. I've given it a generous 2 star rating for the costumes, the sets, the locations, and of course the music. The main problems which sink this production are the terrible script, the amateurish acting, and above all the dreadful artless editing. Shots are edited back and forth randomly at a frenetic pace presumably in a desperate attempt to breathe some life into the film. A total misfire.

The Hidden Truth (1964)

INCOMPLETE EPISODE

[5/10 · 30 October 2021]

Talking Pictures TV have unearthed a 'lost' episode entitled 'A Question of Involvement'. It was good and interesting but the brief end credits rolled before the murder mystery was resolved. It was very frustrating that the denouement appeared to be missing.

Father'sDaze (2020)

A great independent drama

[10/10 · 11 February 2021]

This is a very well made independent film that I recommend highly. A very sad footnote to the film is that a year after the premiere, one of the actors, Simon Hawkins, who plays Liam, died aged 31. He was a fine actor who should have been destined for a great acting career but tragically it was not to be.

Twist (2021)

Reasonably entertaining

[5/10 · 30 January 2021]

I think people generally expect too much from films these days. I found this quite enjoyable for what it was. I wasn't bored. It was bright and breezy and if it takes huge liberties with the source material, so what? Lena Headey is one of my favourite actresses and gave good value here as she always does. One thing that puzzled me was why they showed an incredibly old-fashioned television in one of the final scenes - it looked like a black & white set from the 1950s but showing a colour picture. Anyway, it's obviously a film that will divide audiences. You really don't know what you'll think of a film until you see it for yourself. I say give it a chance.

Perry Mason (2020–2023)

BAD. THIS IS NOT PERRY MASON

[2/10 · 30 June 2020]

I'm a big fan of the Perry Mason novels and the original TV series starring Raymond Burr. This new 'origins' version of Perry Mason, which I'd been looking forward to, is an absolute travesty. Not one single aspect of Perry Mason's character here is true to the original. As others have pointed out, Perry Mason was an attorney who was always articulate, immaculate and intelligent. What we have here is a down-and-out drunken dishevelled foul-mouthed private detective who has NOT ONE of the traits that Erle Stanley Gardner's Perry Mason had. Frankly I was appalled by this new incarnation, and having sat through episode one I have no desire to watch any more. My two star rating is just for the technical work that's gone into the making of the show, ie. the sets, costumes, direction... some of the acting... but not for the script which is bad. Really bad. Absolutely not recommended.

The Invisible Guest (2016)

AN ABSOLUTE KNOCKOUT OF A THRILLER

[10/10 · 20 May 2020]

I more or less chose this film at random on Netflix and ... WOW ... I'm so glad I found it. The plotting is brilliantly clever. The suspense is top notch. The photography, editing, acting and music are all superb. This is a real treat for lovers of old-school suspense thrillers. I can't recommend it highly enough.

The Rhythm Section (2020)

HUGELY UNDERRATED THRILLER

[9/10 · 2 May 2020]

I really don't understand all the negative reaction to this film. I was gripped and entertained from start to finish. The acting, photography, editing and action were all first class in my opinion. I've knocked just one star off for credibility. I was particularly impressed with the car chase scene which appears to be one long take inside the main character's car. Highly recommended for people who enjoy a thoughtful thriller that isn't just non-stop action and takes its time to set up characters and situations in the first half. I understand that this was intended as the first film in a new franchise and I for one hope that there will be at least one sequel.

The Third Secret (1964)

THE MISSING PATIENT

[8/10 · 12 March 2019]

I've just watched this interesting drama again on Blu-ray disc, at least thirty years after viewing it on television. It's well worth seeing even though it's too long drawn out with too much dialogue in many scenes. What an excellent cast! I spotted something that no-one else has mentioned, which is that when Catherine (Pamela Franklin) tells Alex (Stephen Boyd) several times that her father had FOUR patients, it's easy to lip-read that she was originally saying FIVE patients. Having now read that there were scenes deleted before the film's release involving an additional patient played by Patricia Neal, the reason for the redubbing with a different number is now clear. Pamela Franklin was an outstanding child actress and it's a great pity she retired from acting so soon.

Where Has Poor Mickey Gone? (1964)

An obscure little gem

[8/10 · 7 May 2005]

This 'X' certificate short was originally shown at UK cinemas with Roman Polanski's 'Cul-de-Sac'. It's unavailable commercially but I've now had the chance to see it at last, having obtained a copy on video for private viewing. It tells a neat, effective story which holds the attention, with Warren Mitchell giving a memorable performance, and a very young John Challis (now well-known as a television and stage performer in the UK) as one of the thugs who terrorise him. The pay-off is really clever and satisfying. It's a pity this film has never turned up on television and is virtually a 'lost' movie. It's well-worth seeing.

P.J. (1967)

A rough, tough 'lost' thriller

[8/10 · 7 May 2005]

This was the first 'X' certificate film I was able to see, under the UK title 'New Face In Hell' (at 103 minutes as opposed to the original 109 minutes). I've never forgotten it and have been searching for a copy of it for years. Can anyone explain why it's disappeared and has never been available? It was an exciting, smart, brutal thriller with a great cast, very slickly put together by a respected director. Here are some of the things I remember: a slow tracking shot going up to a white-haired Raymond Burr sitting at a desk as he explains to George Peppard what he wants him to do for him; George Peppard saying there'll be a "New face in hell for breakfast" when threatening somebody; a man being killed, very messily, under an underground train - a guard shouts "Somebody get a first-aid kit", to which George Peppard replies, "You're gonna need a big one"; and a huge splatter of blood when somebody's shot dead in the final scene. Not to mention various vicious fist-fights ... and the gorgeous young Gayle Hunnicutt. This was 'sex and violence' at its best! Come on, Universal, find it in your archives and get it released!