Thursday, February 12, 2009

More Movies

What Every Woman Knows (1934)- ***. A politician in Scotland must choose between fragile Helen Hayes or stunning Madge Evans. Some of the dialogue will make you cringe, but an enjoyable period piece. It's easy to see why Hayes returned to the stage soon after this role.

Slaughter (1972)- **1/2. AIP blaxploitation shoot-em-up with Jim Brown trying to bring some dignity to his role. Slumming Rip Torn & Stella Stevens (nude!) are a welcome presence.

Slaughter's Big Rip-Off (1973)- **1/2. Jim Brown is back but this time with Ed MacMahon instead of Stella Stevens (talk about a rip off!) Don Stroud is memorably sleazy in this mindless time killer.

Artists & Models (1937) - **1/2. Jack Benny and other radio performers deal with a lame script between specialty acts. Hillbilly Judy Canova, Blackfaced Martha Raye with Louis Armstrong, annoying Ben Blue, with famous cartoonists appearing as themselves: Peter Arno, Russell Patterson, & Rube Goldberg (described as 'the first surrealist') .

The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)- **. A very pretty film with very pretty people leads to a pretty boring two hours. Teenage girls might like it.

Cover of the Week # 92


Tuesday, February 10, 2009

Friday, February 6, 2009

Found object #1


Long before he was Commisioner Gordon on TV's Batman,
Neil Hamilton was a silent film matinee idol,
playing opposite Greta Garbo!

Cover of the Week # 108


Tuesday, February 3, 2009

Sunday, February 1, 2009

Some movies I sat through...

Reservation Road(2007)- **. The accidental hit-and-run death of a young boy sends a father over the edge. Overwrought and underwritten, this tries to cover too many bases and misses on almost all accounts. Cast works hard to make us care while leading to an abrupt, unsatisfying conclusion.

The Laughing Policeman(1973)- ***1/2. Investigation of a mass murder takes the police force into the city's seamy underbelly. The kind of tough cop movie prevalent in the 70s, where every character ('good' or 'bad') has a dark,or in this case kinky, side.

Save the Green Planet(2003)- ***. Wild, over the top, bloody fun. Misfit kidnaps businessman convinced that he's an alien. Varies in tone, especially towards the end, but definitely worth checking out.