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Sound of Freedom (2023)
Very difficult movie to watch -10/10
Decided to finally watch this after seeing the writer /director ( Mexican actor Monteverde) talking about the issues surrounding the film so passionately in an interview - and am a fan of James Cav. - But it is a very difficult film to watch- and even though they hint at the actual child rapes involved , it is really too horrible for a rational mind to even contemplate - how a subset / subspecies actually , of human beings can consciously do these things to children is just too much and with a whole network of soulless operators that feed the needs of these sickos for the big money involved . Watching the fake "talent scout" woman lure the poor kids in was like watching the pied piper from hell . Just wants you to make sure you are ever vigilant watching over your younger/vulnerable charges . It is something that a lot of people will feel is too nasty to even think about, so avoid unpleasant subjects - but that exactly was Monteverde's point , to show that is something that should be addressed .
Decoy (1957)
Generally good 28 minute scripts with amazing number of future stars starting out and Beverly Garland very good
Stumbled across this on YouTube and ended up watching all 39 episodes - some better than others , most kept interest and some very good indeed - I remember having seen Beverly Garland in guest roles in many other tv shows back in the day - Westerns etc - she was very good - had great expressive eyes that did get the acting - The NYC locales were good and her voice overs added to the intimacy of the scripts - The Amazing thing was the number of later very familiar stars and character actors that appeared in this small syndicated show - if look up show on Wiki it lists them, over 35 listed - Peter Falk , Suzanne Pleshette , Simon Oakley and Barbara Barrie and on and on - almost a time capsule for fans actually . All from back in the day.
Presumed Innocent (2024)
You knew it was coming- a low5 -dragged out and weird
Ok, you knew there was going to be a curve ball from left field- I called it in episode 4 - they dragged it out as usual - But ending was the weirdest - and left the bad taste - Spoiler - the Big reveal at the end - ~As I said expected That - but the reaction of the family was totally sociopathic/ psychopathic considering it was the murder of the woman Rusty Nail Rusty was infatuated with and was going to have his child - so it was a double murder so to speak and the Family oh hum reaction to all that was NOT believable - something out of a Stephen King weirdo story -only thing nice was seeing that pathetic prosecutor, Tommy, seemed to be doing afterward , living happily with his cat .
Cleanskin (2012)
I didn't like it 5.0
Thought it would be better - Sean Bean role seriously underwritten / and the amateur terrorist character running rings around British secret service -was way overwritten - way too much back story on him - that actor , nothing special , was actually the main character - uninteresting and over detailed narrative about his gradual radicalization to become home grown jihadist - and sadly having to give up his hot English girlfriend - plus every action scene when a guy covered with a gun somehow turns into an MMA fight as somehow the gun is Always knocked aside - happened in EVERY action confrontation scene - - plus the big reveal at the end took the poor dim sad sack Bean character ( I like Bean ) too long to figure out and do some justice finally -
First Blood (1982)
Great still
Watched it when first came out in theatre 2 or 3 times and several times since - a compact , excellent action movie with heart - Great credit to Sly Stallone for reworking the sourced book and making Rambo the sympathetic human underdog that the audience empathizes with and cutting down the causalities to one accidental /self caused death and all others wounded /incapacitated .. action and 93 minutes perfect pacing and camera work outdoors all great and music excellent
One thing I finally noticed that you overlook in Sky 's powerful physicality of his performance - from the time he is brought into the Police Station ( 10 minutes into the movie ) until the last 5 minutes of the movie - Rambo has only 4 lines of dialogue - 3 very short sentences and the 4th, the longest, being his radio com. With Col . Trautman '"they drew first blood not me ..." It is Sly's physical emotions that keep you riveted to the action - Such an underrated performance.
Il grande silenzio (1968)
Saw it ok , liked alternative ending
Ok saw this other day after watched Director's other film -DeathRides a Horse - always liked. Lee Van Cleef - even seeing him in early TV shows in minor roles and John Phillip Law good too - Ironic I noticed villain actor (lesser role here ) Pistolli , in both movies...Here reminds me a bit of Breakheart Pass /Bronson movie setting in winter ( liked that better - better source material ) This was OK , but basis pretty thin - the people hiding in mountains and being the "outlaws" with evil bounty hunters after them - they were total nonentities / kind of a ridiculous premise to hang hat on- what did they do to have bounties on them - pretty weak tea. Silence character ok / Kinski not so totally wierd , but bad dubbing as usual - Marricone'd music very good - reminiscent of Good Bad and Ugly - masterful -BUT ending terrible- a copout - watched alternative on YouTube with subtitles 2 minutes long - better ending than the original with its Vietnam era nihilism /pesimissem .
No habrá paz para los malvados (2011)
Actually very good - If Dirty Harry had gone to the Dark side
Thought was very good - easy subtitles to follow - This actor, very good , was playing the really amoral dark side of a Dirty Harry character , builds to very intense story - very straightforward and ironic - Spoiler - he commits crime in synopsis and tries to find the one witness that escaped - The straight arrow other police in movie fully concentrating on the murder crime looking for the shooter -while he lone wolfs it looking for that witness of his crime to finish the coverup , the witness , it turns out is leader of jihadist terror cell planning big terror bombing in Madrid at the malls / train stations /dept stores etc - very scary and intense .....and he is only one that can stop it by chance -will he be a hero for the wrong reason , but still a hero ?.
Escort West (1959)
A good movie
Victor Mature was very good and believably honest when dealing with Children as part of the story - Here he is the loving , protective , worried widowed Father ( as a confederate civil war veteran ) to his young daughter going West to Oregon through hostile Modic Indian country - He was also good with his kids in Kiss of Death and Violent Saturday as well . The other character actors are well done , including his daughter , the injured teamster , the women , and the recognized cavalry soldiers -some good , some bad - The threatening Indians are not overdone and realistically portrayed for that brutal era . Good locations and interesting story line as it develops and well done believable action scenes -Funny part - Spoiler -wonder if it was ad lib from Victor Mature - at end he comes back to worried daughter and others after saving the day and with daughter's beloved missing mule , Gus , she thought was lost - she is overjoyed to see them and says "Daddy , you found Gus !" and happily hugs and kisses Gus , the mule , and then hugs and kisses her safe/hero Father and Mature says with a smile " Did you have to kiss the mule first ? " a funny throwaway line .
Two Lost Worlds (1951)
You're kidding right ?So Glad James A went onto bigger things -Them , Hondovand Gunsmoke
This was terrible , borrowed shots from Victor Mature 1000 BC movie with the lizard dinosaurs - even the girl getting washed over by Lava from volcano - quick clip so couldn't see she was wearing a black prehistoric bear skin instead of that character's ripped black dress - sorry pathetic freebie - narration like From 6th grade history book from 1950's - a- sorry.very - bad , terrible - James A most have kept his copy to show at parties too see how bad his acting was back then- all ship battles lifted from other movies too - I loved the guy - WW2 hero as well -badly wounded by German machine gun bullets at Anzio in foot - thus that Western limp /gait of his -RIP a great man ..
Lupin (2021)
Too Typical / One Clever Guy everyone else dummies
Ok watched 21/2 episodes -Spoiler Alert - Pellegrino stole his own necklace for the insurance and blamed Lupin's father 25 years ago - Duh - Ok Lupin would have figured that out in one episode for Pete's sake and skipped all the clever tricks on them middlemen - Plus so much Swiss cheese - Spoiler - in his fake hanging for jail escape the dumb French medics just put him in a body bag presto without further checking or trying first aid , like ripping or turning up his Tshirt to try EKG or resuscitation duh - but if they did they would have easily seen his web set gear to fake it. Plus the bad inspector is at least 60 plus years old now and has like little tykes as kids . Basically see clever guy out wit the dumb 'bigoted French , Pink Panther caliber police - These series d r a g it out too much - A Luc Basson fan , this isn't it ....
Under Suspicion (1991)
Sorry MAJOR Spoilers- movie all over the place
Ok early Liam movie - he is not bad but still growing as an actor - watched it and hee is MAJOR spoiler - After a lot of convoluted moves and an over the top almost execution scene ( that was absurd ) They convict the artists young mistress Giacomo , for the double murder on one piece of planted evidence and that fingers her ( it was the artist's cut off right thumb that he used to authentic his art work ). Ok we are supposed to believe this mini ninja woman - not really - - she earlier broke into Liam's PI office and stole his pistol - the murder weapon -Somehow Found out what hotel room the artist was in at a hotel under an assumed name , discovered that you could go out on roof and access the room through a window , she does that in the dark , kills him and Liam's wife , cuts off the thumb , climbs back down steep roof in dark and out through adjacent room and out of hotel - and nobody sees her in hotel and drives home - a total Ninja - impossible and how they could convict her and give her a life sentence for committing th murders is absurd piece of to the surprise ending- just impossible - But possible for the real killer -- a man with experience - hint hint - btw a simple parrafin wax test would have solved the murder in 80seconds and ended the movie 100 minutes early ... but maybe not available or .invented yet in 1955 or so when movie takes place ...
Summoned (2013)
Bad movie
This is a really bad movie , it is really Ashley Scott's movie - she is almost every scene and very often alone ! Looking worried - Cuba hardly in it all , a third lead ... doesn't do much till a scene or two at end - trued to be supernatural- little 6th sense a bit / but the natural explanation pretty weak and didn't hold up - if a natural killer how Duke he do that or this ? And ending an oh hum no tension . A slow waste of time , and not very invested in Ashley Scott walk around and closing her 6 window curtains 2 or 3 times in the movie - Bailey pretty weak in it as well. Thought it would be better - I liked murder of crows , but this was a stinker ...
Westbound (1958)
Weakbound -
Thought it was a weak effort - the next 3 following films of Randolph Scott ( his last 3 before he retired ) , were all very good and he was so much better- much better scripts to work with perhaps, I guess - he seems kind of dry here more like acting/feeling his age in this movie - he was 60 years old - and thought it was all pretty average fare - a lot of talk , not a lot of dramatic tension - and he goes from being a father figure to Karen Steele and her husband , to a romantic interest at the end - he's 60 and she's 27 and newly widowed in the film - that made him seem even older - Not a lot of tension with main bad guy here as in other better Scott /Budd Boetticher (and those written by Burt Kennedy ) efforts like where had Richard Boone , Claude Akins , Lee Marvin or Lee Van Cleef being the menacingly 'smiling villains facing him .
The Two-Headed Spy (1958)
Starts good until Hawkins becomes 007 and Batman in 2nd half
Was pretty good , believable espionage in start then got more and more outlandish as movie progressed - as Fake German General ( good guy deep cover spy ) Jack Hawkins seems to practically win WW2 (in the West at least) by himself - giving vital info to Allies , undermining and casting suspicion on others , and directly frustrating German plans- by the end - he has turned into a combination 007 James Bond and Batman rolled into one, his one failure , gamely trying but failing to warn Allies of pending German attack in Battle of the bulge , but he saves the chestnuts by making sure the German spearhead would run out of fuel and fail by personally convincing Hitler at a meeting of a bad plan B idea - yea right - This is pure fiction and screenwriter hokum - also not very nice his contacts get eliminated and he uses his rank to shoot some unsuspecting low ranking soldiers in the back - And he makes it to back to England and Moneypenny safe and sound . Way overdone , doesn't hold up . Plus the so tender romance between a young lovely Gia Scala , her actual age then was 23/24 and the old General Jack who was actually an old looking 48 years old at the time -he was old enough to be her father - "didn't hold water" at all - a quote from Cousin Vince movie - a good movie.
Le passager de la pluie (1970)
Watched till end , not that good- Mild Spoiler
Catching up on older Charles Bronson movies and saw the good reviews - thought it would be a different treatment - Sort of interesting at start but then turns out to be so typical French style / intentional misunderstanding drives the whole plot and they stretch that out till it snaps - didn't buy it - cat and mouse game grows tiresome and Bronson more like the cat that swallowed the canary - intentionally and unnecessarily confusing his French costar character ( at least his wife, Jill Ireland , wasn't the main character - she had only small part ). -Spoiler , I guess , And the quick trip from South of France to Paris by the confused Female costar and then interacting with some gangsters she somehow found in like 2 hours and being saved by Charles made Absolutely No Sense .. just added for mild action - Anyway Bronson in later Breakheart Pass movie was So much better ..
Death to Smoochy (2002)
Ed Norton can act
I missed this movie when it came out and just caught it other night on my streaming service - very good - clever - some over the top /overacting by some characters , but overall pretty funny / enjoyable movie
what struck me most was how good Edward Norton was , he can do comedy and made it look easy - Had first seen him in that creepy Richard Gere courtroom drama when a young Norton accused of murdering a Catholic Bishop - fooled everyone with a dual personality right to the end .. A creepy young sociopath and he was very good - And here he does goofy funny comedy bit as Smoochy the Rino , kids show character , and sells that 100% - How time flies, that picture was over 20 years ago - Now Norton over 50 years old .
Blowing Wild (1953)
Miscasting - average movie-
Interesting locale , But Anthony Quinn so enamored by wife Barbara Stanwyck - really ? Don't see that at all - Actually I think Barbra Stanwyck was always Miscast when they tried to make her the femme fatale of any movie she was in . Here no different. Always the same hairdo , always the same cold fish type performance . Anthony Quinn is usual gregarious character - little too over acting here and Gary Cooper tries but nothing special here. The banditos with no badges and a few other derivative comparisons - Ruth Roman good as usual .. Like her in whatever role she has But overall kind of boring exercise .
Appointment in London (1953)
Dated ' Much better stories out there than this 'sorry
I like Dirk Bogarde and checking out his movies - This was very weak effort / post war movie -Interesting in first 15 minutes watching Lancaster bombers taking off - don't often see that - usually B17 footage - but gets repetitive like watching a home movie -too much footage of same thing - landing and takeoffs
But story much better told in movies like Johnny in the Clouds ( odd titile ) with John Mills and others or in Dambusters movie . This was a bit of 12 O'clock High with the British stiff upper lip - As I said the drama of Bomber command done much better in other movies - His next movie Linel was very , very good and going to rewatch that.
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Starts well , then drops off the cliff -6 at start /4 at finish
I'm a Nick fan , and enjoyed start of movie - inside Hollywood / insecure Nick with humorous observations and spot on self deprecating humor / jokes from or at Nick ( Neil Patrick Harris funny 'good in small role as Nick's agent ) -thought it would play that way - then goes all quasi improv with other lead in the movie's self described 2nd act - too much talk , like a movie table script conference , not that funny . Added CIA plot not very good,, very amateurish and 3rd act action - now a different movie and generic thriller with real Nick supposedly being a real action hero - Too much of a mulligan stew and writers didn't know where to go after first few clever opening scenes with good jokes and then fell back on tired cliche's ...
The Dark Tower (1943)
Herbert Lom created his character
Been randomly watching some British B type movies - this kept my interest because of Herbert Lom , an early role , interesting , his character with his staring eyes became his trademark for many years. Some other actors pretty stagey weak. But real circus acts from circus they filmed with were fillers and took up a lot of time and didn't match with supposed broken down circus they were trying to show . Also the supposed headline act with female star really wasn't that great when compared to real circus acts they were showing . Also very abrupt weak ending - an updated ending would have him trying to mind meld the lady sharpshooter and ....
To Hell and Back (1955)
Hard to appreciate its uniqueness
I originally saw this movie as a kid when it came out - an exciting war /action movie - in later years watched Audie Murphy's movies and even his TV show Whispering Smith . I enjoyed his Westerns , usually pretty good and interesting and he was consistently modestly very good - caught his hard to find Destry the other day and it was very good . I read later of his struggles with combat PTSD which you never saw in his appearances ( Even on that that What's My Line Clip as the mystery guest , he was so modest) .
But only now can I appreciate what an unusual/ unique film To Hell and Back is - with him reliving his actual war experiences- I read about the death of his good friend Lattie by his side in combat and how that affected him deeply . How he could relive and shoot that exact scene where the actor Drake playing that role is killed in the same manner is just unbelievable. In that action Audie got the Distiguished Service Cross ( 2nd Highest medal ) when he attacked and wiped out the enemy machine gun nests after Lattie is killed . And then, as in the film , he goes back down the hill and it shows him crying over Drake's dead body , just as he did in real life over Lattie's body after the action ended (as described by other's there that day ) Remarkable - RIP an American hero .
Bad Boy (1949)
Young Audie Murphy
Just caught this movie after watching virtually all his other movies - the most amazing part is he was just out of the service and had received the MOH , it must have been strange for these adult actors , Loyld Nolan , Jane Wyatt etc to treat him as a teenager in the movie story after all he had been through and done in WW2 . It was an early effort and the 25 year old Murphy gamely played the troubled teenage delinquent. At he end the rehabilitated "Danny" is marching with Texas AM military candidates, touch of irony there , Audie Murphy made many good and enjoyable westerns to follow , A genuine hero who we now know suffered the effects of his combat experiences and loss of good friends . RIP.
Tulsa King: Stable (2022)
Very good show / episode 10
Not sure if first try went through - very good episode - Stallone is so good in whatever mode he is in and to whomever he is talking to - the scene with the Irish motorcycle chief in their summit - Dwight wasn't buying his leprechaun act , very good . With his daughter in the Flower shop , with Delaney at the ranch, Stacey and Bohdi and others at the bar. It is Stallone's dialogue and delivery that keeps you guessing , interested , and satisfied - a real vindication of "Rocky" Stallone. Interesting too the old godfather mafia code 'we leave the families alone " and his hot headed son - something Dwight will have to deal with sooner rather than later - A very good show .
Tulsa King: Token Joe (2022)
Episode 5 Spoilers response to Panag - 10
That is why I rewatch with Subtitles a second time, had trouble following it first time - Big Spoiler Alert -
In the Flower shop scene the daughter tells Dwight that Nico "the Package " delivered money from the Mob/Mafia Family to the ex wife from time to time when Dwight was in prison - " the Package ' nickname was apparently for his sexual talents and when she was alone as a teenager , her mother working , and Nico delivered the money , she learned how he "got his nickname ". He sexually assaulted her or attempted to - you needed subtitles to get the full impact because she was so reluctant to say it explicitly and sort of talking in code , but Dwight knew - the next Hospital scene with the sick "godfather" character was pivotal- where Dwight talks about how Father's duty is to protect the ones they love , that is their job and he wasn't there to do that - that drama makes this series special -
Tulsa King (2022)
Very very good / very strong-10 --
Have been a Sylvester Stallone fan since Rocky , through all of them and Rambo as well , but haven't watched his recent work which were understandably necessary money makers for him . But Tulsa King very , very good , he is excellent in it . Watched all episodes twice , once with subtitles not to miss anything . Episode 5 very strong /Tony Soprano territory/ the Father dynamic is very well done . I think a great watch , good supporting characters as well . The Tulsa location angle is unique.
That is all I have to say , but need more characters to have it submitted - Bottomline have enjoyed this thoughtful series very much .