5 comments about The Living Daylights.

1. The Living Daylights is directed by John Glen. The first stars Timothy Dalton, and co-stars Jeroen Krabbe, Maryam d'Abo, Joe Don Baker, John Rhys-Davies, Art Malik, Robert Brown, Desmond Llewelyn, Caroline Bliss, John Terry, Geoffrey Keen, Walter Gotell, Andreas Wisniewski, and Thomas Wheatley. John Barry contributes the musical score, and A-HA performs the title song. The Pretenders also contribute two songs.
   
   Following a mission with some fellow double-O agents to test the level of security at the Rock of Gibraltar, James Bond is sent on another new mission. A Soviet leader has decided to defect, and Bond is sent to cover his escape. During his getaway, Bond crosses paths with a cellist from an orchestra playing in the area. However, upon learning that the Soviet leader defecting and the cellist were romantically involved, begins to suspect there may be a sinister scheme about to go down. Bond chases him across the globe, aiming to foil whatever evil plot may be in motion.
   
   This isn't a great Bond film, but it's certainly far from bad. I would have to call this one of the "middle of the road" entries in the series. Timothy Dalton's portrayal of Bond is terrific, there are some excellent scenes throughout the movie, and from start to finish, this film doesn't reek of the campy feel that polluted the latter two Moore-era films. A step in the right direction for the series, but not the masterpiece I had hoped for.
   
   Timothy Dalton deserves serious praise for his take on the role of James Bond. With just the right look to portray the character, as well as a no-nonsense attitude more akin to the Bond of the Ian Fleming novels, he plays Bond like no one else. While certainly not my favorte Bond actor (Sean Connery will always hold that position in my mind,) Dalton certainly gives the performance of Bond closest to Ian Fleming's original vision of the character.
   
   Once again we get a hit-and-miss supporting cast. Maryam d'Abo is good as Kara Milovy, the former lover of the so-called defecting Soviet general, whom almost immediately falls under Bond's protection when an evil scheme is realized. There's an interesting variety of characters here, but most of them are forgettable and you won't remember them after you've watched the film. Not that the acting here is bad, by any means, it's just that there are other Bond films that do it better.
   
   The film does have its share of exciting scenes, most notable a scene near the end where Bond pursues a villain, while hanging from cargo netting on the back of an airplane - with a bomb set to detonate all the while. Another one of my personal favorites is a scene where Bond and Milovy are forced to escape down a snowy hill - riding on the latter's cello case. Downhill snow-ski scenes had been done to death in the Bond series at this point, but this film certainly puts a new twist on it.
   
   This was the final Bond film to have its score composed by series regular John Barry. With this film, to fit in with the eighties time frame, Barry used more synths, pianos, drum machines, and other instrumentation usually not used extensively in a Bond film. The result is one of his more unique scores - definitely a nice way to end his over two decades of work on the series. A-HA, the European pop act best known for its classic hit Take On Me, performs the title song to the film. It's distinctly eighties as well and feels dated, but it's still one of my personal favorite Bond film themes. The Pretenders, another popular rock-pop act of the day, also contribute some music to the film, and it too is great. A good film, and good music to go along with it.
   
   Ultimately, The Living Daylights isn't one of the best James Bond films, but it's not a weak entry by any means. Dalton brought a portrayal of Bond truer to the Fleming novels than any actor before him, and this is one of the film's true strengths. If you're a fan of the series, this is an underrated entry you might want to check out. I had reservations, but I am giving it a marginal recommendation.
   
   Thumbs up
   
   As always, the version of the film you should buy is the 2006 remastered one. The frame-by-frame restoration of the picture looks incredible. It's definitely the best looking DVD release on the market.



2. Dalton is fantastic! I can't say enough how much I wish Dalton had been given more films to play Bond in. He is hands down my favorite pre-Brosnan Bond, bringing a humanity and an intelligence to the role that was unparralled up to that point.
   If you enjoy your Bond with brains, tons of action and great emotional depth, you need to see this film, (and License to Kill, Dalton's other Bond film.)



3. "The Living Daylights" is a disappointment for several reasons. The biggest reason is the surprisingly unengaging plot. The second reason is that Timothy Dalton doesn't seem comfortable playing James Bond. He's not a bad actor but instead of making his own interpretation of the character (like he did in the next movie, "Licence To Kill") he seems to be imitating Roger Moore. The reason is most likely that the script was written with Moore in mind. Lois Maxwell was replaced by Caroline Bliss as Miss Moneypenny and she didn't seem right for the part at all.
   
   "The Living Daylights" was not a good start for Dalton. Luckily the series did improve.



4. Dalton is the third best Bond IMO (Connery & Craig coming first). This one movie is better than the entire Roger Moore run. It's much closer to the books & Ian Fleming's original vision. The downside - it is slow moving & unnecessarily sprawling. The movie runs 2 hours 11 minutes - it could have been a tight 1 hour 45 minutes, IMO.
   
   Small quibble. Good script, great cast, excellent score, fun action. With a more mature tone than the Moore series. Recommended, especially if you loved Casino Royale.



5. Fun movie to watch a lot of action silly at times, but I really enjoyed it, if you not a Bond fan, you will still like this movie, much better than the other Bond move that Dalton was in.

5 comments about Toy.

1. In the early 80's, controversial African American comedian Richard Pryor (See No Evil Hear No Evil) was in top form. He was the most influential and electrifying stand-up comic, and one of the highest paid black actors in Hollywood (Pryor was reportedly paid $4,000,000 to appear in 1983's Superman III).
   
   In 1982, Pryor agreed to star opposite the legendary Honeymooners star Jackie Gleason (Smokey And The Bandit), in a remake of a 1976 French film titled Le Jouet, which literally means The Toy in english. The outcome was a classic comedy, although hated by many critics, that is still enjoyed and quoted by people today.
   
   The Toy is directed by Richard Donner (Superman), and also stars Ned Beatty (Superman), Wilfrid Hyde-White (My Fair Lady), Teresa Ganzel (Monsters Inc), and child actor Scott Schwartz (Kidco).
   
   Pryor plays Jack Brown, a struggling and unemployed black writer who will lose his house if he fails to pay $10,000 to pay off his mortgage. Jack finds himself stooping down the social ladder trying to get any job he can get in order to save himself from getting thrown into the street. He finds a job as a cleaning lady for the Bates firm and is hired by Mr. Morehouse, played by Beatty. When local millionaire US Bates, played by Gleason, finds out that one of his cleaning ladies has a moustache, he fires him. To make matters worse, Bates's spoiled little bratty son 'master' Eric Bates, played by Schwartz, arrives in town for a week with his dad, goes to his dad's toy store, and picks out Jack as his toy because he made him laugh. Eric's insistence on keeping Jack and his dad's pampering reults in US negotiating a deal with Jack on the basis that he stays for a week at his mansion to keep his son company. US and Jack go on a collision course over different issues: the amount that Jack needs, US's degrading and racist new wife Fancy Bates, played by Ganzel, and most of all, what the film really focuses on, is how to approach and win over his son.
   
   The Toy is a delightful movie despite what many regard it as being Pryor's and Gleason's low points. In fact, The Toy is one of the funniest films and an excellent pairing for both actors.
   
   Recommended
   
   A



2. Let me count the ways.
   
   1. They actually make a movie where a rich white kid buys a black man for a toy.
   2. They call the kid Master Bates.
   3. The kid now does adult films.
   
   This is one of the greatest comedies of all time. All that separates this from being one of the top three movies of all time is if they added a scene with Richard Pryor eating a bucket of chicken while the kid has intercourse with an adult film star while wearing a KKK outfit.



3. One of Richard Pryors' funniest movies, I really like "The Toy". The quality of the movie is great. Thank You.



4. Well, this is suppose to be silly because it is a comedy. But come on. Alright ,maybe there are some funny parts to this film. But basically what we have here is, a black man is paid to play with a young boy. They end up bathing together. groovy



5. When I was a kid I loved the movie The Toy. In this movie Richard Pryor is a toy for a rich man's (Jackie Gleason) son. I think what I enjoyed best as a child is seeing all the toys the kid had, and I thought it would be awesome to hand out with the guy from Superman 2. Out of Richard Pryor movies that I enjoy as an adult this isn't at the top of my list. Don't get me wrong I still enjoy it, but I prefer Brewster's Millions more.
   
   I can say that this is a movie you should share with your pre-teen child. If they enjoy it as much as I did it would be a nice change of pace for viewing with them. You can watch along with them, they might not get all of the humor, but that's for you to enjoy. It's a movie that is actually takes a teenager to fully understand, but once again an enjoyment for a pre-teen to watch

5 comments about Them (1954).

1. I remember seeing this movie as a little kid and it scared the devil out of me, especially because it was partially filmed in Victorville, CA and I lived in nearby Palmdale at the time. This movie was a turning point for me as I used to be scared to death of monster movies but after being initially scared, this became one of my all time favorites.
   
   I don't know if they've ever colorized it, but I don't think it needs to be in color and would probably ruin my experience with it. This film should stay black and white. After all, that's part of the charm.
   
   For the technology of the time, the ants are very well done and especially for a little kid, totally believable. No strings, and no puppeteer's hand flashing on camera. The story is classic too, just the way I like my icky bug. The pseudo-chauvinist pig comments are typical for the era and don't detract from the story. In fact, I believe the director didn't want any romance and the actress playing the woman scientist was kind of disappointed there was no substantial love sub-plot.
   
   The plot is typical atomic-mutation-creates-monster-bugs, but it is also one of the first, and surely the best done. The anti-nuke message is clear.
   
   This movie hit home in so many ways, especially because of the Joshua trees. It also hit home because of the scenes in the flood control channels in downtown LA, some of which I used to play in when I was a littler kid living in Lakewood and Playa Del Rey before we moved to Palmdale.
   
   This is the ultimate in great icky bug. Highly recommended.



2. 
   I am very surprised about the many positive reviews here.
   
   Of course: the movie itself is a classic, and should not be missed in any "best of" ranking.
   
   But we should rather assess, what the buyer of the product - the DVD - get's for their money. And this is from my point of view extremely disappointing. We are withheld a mere 24 % of the cinema movie - with no explanation or apology at all!
   
   According to IMBD the original cinema film format was 1.75 : 1. This is quite the same as a modern TV-screen with it's 16:9 format.
   
   On the DVD however the film comes in good old 4:3 format. That means, they have cut on each side 12 % of the original picture, leaving us just three quarters of what was shown in the cinemas!
   
   Thus the judgment can only be: one star for Warner Home Video!



3. Films of this quality should never die, and I hope they will always be available. I only wish I could see this film in a theater, although the DVD provides many extras the theater can't. Even though many viewers may consider it a B movie, it was and still is a great Sci Fi story with good solid acting. The sound effects are definitely chilling. I've only ever had a problem with the artwork in the "movie poster" used on the cover. The scenes depicted by the artist actually never happen. There isn't any scantily clad woman snatched up by any of the ants.



4. I make the comparison to Charlie Wilson's War (Widescreen) only conceptually. The Gov. experiments with the A-bomb have led to giant radiation mutated ants and now they have to fix a problem they created. This isn't The Blob - Criterion Collection or The Thing from Another World that is threatening man kind but man. It's our bad basically.
   Them is a horror film that's basic premise could have been the influence for countless others in the genre, for example Wes Craven's The Hills Have Eyes (2-Disc Edition).
   Ranking 72nd on Bravo's Scariest Movie Moments list (good special, the 30 scarier movie moments not so much) and mentioned in Stephen King's Stephen King's Danse Macabre as one of the best horror films between 1950-1980. Them is a must see for Sci-Fi horror fans. Besides searching for deeper meanings and making a mountain out of an ant hill Them is an all around fun time which doesn't hesitate to push the limits for it's time. Also worth mentioning is Edmund Gwenn who won an Oscar for his role as Kris Kringle in Miracle on 34th Street (Special Edition). Gwenn provides the Sci Fi angle and some humor as Dr. Harold Medford while stealing the scenes he is in.
   [4.5]
   
   DVD FEATURES:
   Has a great old school horror/ comic dvd menu worth noting.
   Behind the scenes archive footage montage on the design and operation of giant ants
   Interactive menus - case film highlights - theatrical trailer - scene access



5. This is a classic for all ages. Yes it is old, yes it is in black and white, but yes it holds up fairly well.
   
   People start coming up missing and the police are there to investigate. Shortly after they find bodies and bags of sugar along with an occasional vibrating shrill sound that everyone swears is just the wind. Soon scientists are brought in to examine tracks they find in the sand and they soon deduct it is ant tracks of a very large scale. The reason... nuclear fallout of course.(the reason for ever mutation) Soon a group is formed to invade the nest and exterminate the giant ants.(You will see a trend with my reviews I give the cliff notes synopsis. Why tell you the whole story, then you won't have to watch the movie)
   
   Other then the same ol' reasoning behind the mutation this film is very well done. In fact it was the largest grossing movie the year it came out. My twelve year old son loved it so it tells you even with all the video games, MP3, DVDs, CGI and the like this film can still captivate your attention.
   
   Out of all the movies that fall into this genre I have to rank this movie #1. My suggestion though is to get the two movie set of THEM/THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS, it is 3 bucks cheaper and great picture quality. Highly recommended for anyone that wants to watch the best of this genre of film.

5 comments about Picnic (Widescreen).

1. Picnic is one of the best films to come out of mid '50's Hollywood. Taken from William Inge's play, it is unique in that the entire film takes place in exactly 24 hours. Yet, by the end, you KNOW each and every character. William Holden heads a stellar cast. Excellent summer viewing.



2. Having seen Picnic on television years ago and then having it disappear not to be shown again I wanted to find a copy of it. I was happy to see that it had been reissued! Even though the film is not in widescreen format(a big disappointment)it is a trip through some very simple and nostalgic times. Loaded with wonderful character acters and soon to be big stars it almost makes you want to relive the 50's. I could relate to many of the characters as being people that I had grown up around. Verna Felton was wonderful, but then so was William Holden and Rosalind Russell. If you want to escape from our complicated world and have a few hours of nostalgia I highly recommend Picnic.



3. I love this movie, it's one of my favorites. I am a fan of William Holden. He was handsome, charismatic, a great actor. Known for his popular films, such as World of Suzie Wong, Love is a many splendored thing, Sabrina, Bridge on the river kwai, and others. I loved him in this movie as Hal the drifter, who catches a freight to Kansas to see an old college friend of his, whose father owns the grain mill in town. Hal ends up falling in love with Madge, his college friend's girlfriend, which breaks up the friendship. I think the best part of the movie is when Hal and Madge dance to "Moonglow" at the picnic, and it seems like that is the moment when they first fall in love. Hal has to run out of town and catch a freight train again, because his ex-friend is furious, because he suspects that Madge and Hal have fallen for each other. Madge's mom who doesn't believe in marrying for love, since the man she loved, Madge's father, left them after she had Madge's sister. She wants Madge to marry Hal's friend, because the friend is a rich boy, and member of the country club. She wants Madge to be treated like a queen, and live the good life. She wants Madge to always be adored by everyone for her looks. Madge is the prettiest girl at the picnic and wins the beauty contest there. Madge just wants to be loved for who she is, not for the way she looks, and of course Hal is attracted to her looks at first, but loves her for who she is. In reality though, it isn't realistic usually for people to fall deeply in love instantly. But if you love romance, Bill Holden, a beautifully made film, good acting, and a good cast, you will love "Picnic." And if you love the song "Moonglow", you will definitely enjoy watching William Holden and Kim Novak dancing together to it. The only question is will Hal and Madge end up together? Will she marry Hal's rich ex-friend? Will she go with Hal or follow him out of town to be with him, "the man she loves", or will she stay and make her mother happy? You will find the answer of course, if you buy "Picnic." I think this is a movie one will not regret purchasing, as long as you love old romantic films, William Holden, and of course, "Moonglow." This truly is one of my very favorite films. Also I wrote a review on Marie Antoinette, which I also love. I love most of William Holden's films, such as Love is a many splendored thing, World of Suzie Wong, and Sabrina. So check out these other films, if you haven't seen them already, I don't think you will be disappointed. I believe you will love them as I do, and they will be your top favorite films too!



4. I like the movie so well on TCM I'm going to order a copy to watch again. This is a rarity for me.



5. Brought back many pleasant memories to my wife and I from our high school days. This has always been a favorite movie of ours.

2 comments about Crooked (Widescreen Edition).

1. This is the best movie anyone has ever made. Gary Busey is at his insane best. I won't ruin the plot for you because I've never seen the movie, but I know it's good because I can feel it. My extra senses are seldom wrong, and after the nurse comes in to clip my toe nails and give me my medicine, I'll write another review.



2. I hate to disagree with the other esteemed reviewer of this cinematic nightmare, but it is my duty to inform the innocent viewing audience that this was a completely AWFUL movie.
   
   The dialog was ridiculous, the "action" scenes were right out of a Keystone Cops cartoon, the acting was beneath contempt (including some fairly well-known actors who definitely should have known better), and at no time does it rise above the level of a mid-60's soft-core porn movie, which coincidentally it actually becomes once the characters seek refuge at (cliche alert) a "flight attendant's" house.
   
   Beware of any movie in which one of the characters has a middle name of "The Dragon", especially when he appears to be about 60 years old with martial arts skills that are on par with one of the zombies in Dawn of the Dead. Beware any movie in which Gary Busey utters the following immortal lines while consoling a guy whose father committed suicide: "Just look at this as an....(forgetting the script)....an.....what's the word?....(someone says it from off camera) an evolution....of your....your....what's the word? (again from off camera)....your destiny." I kid you not. Everyone involved in this wretched production must have been over-medicated or delusional, including the poor devils who put up the money to produce it.
   
   In conclusion. It is so awful as to be laughable, therefore, if you do rent or buy it, do so for its (unintentional) comedy content, definitely not for its drama. It is as Gary Busey would say....uh.....uh....what's the word?.....AWFUL !!!

5 comments about Enforcer (1951).

1. "The Enforcer" stars Humphrey Bogart as a prosecutor Martin Ferguson, who tried for 4 years without success to build a case against gangster Albert Mendoza (Everett Sloan) until one of Mendoza's underlings, Joseph Rico (Ted de Corsia), agreed to testify against him. The night before he is to take the witness stand, and in spite of every effort to protect him, Rico dies. Now, without a star witness, Ferguson is determined to find something on Mendoza before the case is dismissed. He and Police Captain Nelson (Roy Roberts) spend the night sifting through volumes of case files they have collected on Mendoza. The film flashes back to the beginning of the investigation into the many murders committed by Mendoza and his "troupe", and works its way forward, eventually bringing us back to the present.
   
   "The Enforcer" was inspired by the real-life Murder, Inc., the arm of the organized crime syndicate that did contract killing in the early 1930s through mid-1940s. In fact, the film was released under the title "Murder, Inc." outside of the United States. Murder, Inc. was founded by the infamous Bugsy Siegal and Meyer Lansky as an efficient way of eliminating problems in the syndicate, in particular police informants. At its height, the organization employed hundreds of hit men recruited from Brooklyn neighborhoods. Good pay and excellent benefits, including legal representation, made the men loyal. Murder Inc.'s success depended on the murderers having no connection to the victims and no apparent motive, which made it nearly impossible for authorities to find the killers, let alone convict them. Murder Inc.'s downfall began when Abe "Kid Twist" Reles decided to squeal to King's County District Attorney William O'Dwyer in return for a light sentence. The character of Joseph Rico seems to be based loosely on Reles, who fell to his death from a Coney Island hotel window in 1941. Martin Ferguson seems to have been inspired by William O'Dwyer, whose successful prosecution of organized crime made him a celebrity and then Mayor of New York 1946-1950.
   
   Often categorized as film noir, "The Enforcer" does start out that way, but quickly becomes a more straightforward crime thriller, only hinting at cynicism and devoid of introversion. Joseph Rico is the most noir of the characters, on the run from his past, but caged and in more danger from his own impulses than anything else. Martin Ferguson is stoic, single-minded, and strikingly cruel when he wants to be. His methods of getting information allude to the extortion that O'Dwyer and others used to break Murder, Inc. "The Enforcer" is famous for being the first film to use the words "contract" and "hit" and to address the subject of "murder for profit". Bretaigne Windust is credited as the film's director, but he fell ill during the shoot and was replaced by Raoul Walsh, who is believed to have directed some key scenes, including the ending. The film's only real fault is some temporal confusion after the first act. I found it difficult to tell whether some scenes were flashbacks or in present time. But "The Enforcer" is an intense thriller inspired by intriguing events that were in recent memory when the film was made.
   
   The DVD (Republic 2003): Picture and sound quality are good on this print. The only bonus feature is a theatrical trailer (2 1/2 minutes). No subtitles.



2. This is my favorite Bogie film with our hero playing a tough Brooklyn District Attorney who has to find how and why witnesses are being killed. It is not a romantic film like "Casablanca", a cult-classic like "The Maltese Falcon," a social commentary like "Knock on Any Door." It is simply the most suspensful of all Bogie flicks. The depiction of Mendoza, the man who invented murder for profit, is terrifying. This is spine tingling film noir with a documentary nuance. Get scared...don't miss it.



3. Warner Bros.Pictures present "THE ENFORCER" (1951) (87 mins/B&W) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- Starring Humphrey Bogart, Zero Mostel, Ted Corsia, Everett Sloane & Roy Roberts --- Directed by Bretaigne Windust and released in February 24, 1951, our story line and film, After years of pursuit, Assistant D.A. Martin Ferguson has a good case against Murder, Inc. boss Albert Mendoza. Mendoza is in jail and his lieutenant Joseph Rico is going to testify. But Rico falls to his death and Ferguson must work through the night going over everything to build the case anew --- Fabulous Bogie crime flick with a winning role from Zero Mostel as Babe Lazick, a two-bit hood who begins weaving a tale of a murder-by-contract ring and its head operator, Joe Rico --- take note this film has a hyper classic devise of a flashbacks inside of a flashbacks, there are three of them ... Humphrey Bogart and Capt. Roy Roberts reviewing their notes for a case against a murder for hire racket, during the review they recall the arrest Zero Mostel who tells a story about joining the gang of killers, next they listen to a dying man who tells a story of a failed hit ... in another flashback a man who we already know to be dead tells a story of the organizations first hit ... "THE ENFORCER" heads the list of noirs with flashbacks within flashbacks.
   
   Under Bretaigne Windust (Director), Milton Sperling (Producer), Martin Rackin (Screenwriter), Robert Burks (Cinematographer), David Buttolph (Composer (Music Score), Fred Allen (Editor), Charles H. Clarke (Art Director), William L. Kuehl (Set Designer), Dolph Thomas (Sound/Sound Designer) - - - - the cast includes Humphrey Bogart (Martin Ferguson), Zero Mostel (Big Babe Lazich), Ted de Corsia (Joseph Rico), Everett Sloane (Albert Mendoza), Roy Roberts (Captain Frank Nelson), King Donovan (Sgt. Whitlow), Lawrence Tolan (Duke Malloy), Patricia Joiner (Teresa Davis/Angela Vetto), Don Beddoe (Thomas O'Hara), Tito Vuolo (Tony Vetto), John Kellogg (Vince), Jack Lambert (Philadelphia Tom Zaca), Adelaide Klein (Olga Kirshen), Susan Cabot (Nina Lombardo), Bud Wolfe (Fireman), Bob Steele (Herman) - - - - - Film noir is a cinematic term used primarily to describe Hollywood crime dramas that set their protagonists in a world perceived as inherently corrupt and unsympathetic...Hollywood's classic film noir period is generally regarded as stretching from the early 1940s to the late 1950s...Film noir of this era is associated with a low-key black-and-white visual style that has roots in German Expressionist cinematography, while many of the prototypical stories and much of the attitude of classic noir derive from the hard-boiled school of crime fiction that emerged in the United States during the Depression...the term film noir (French for "black film"), first applied to Hollywood movies by French critic Nino Frank in 1946, was unknown to most of the American filmmakers and actors while they were creating the classic film noirs..the canon of film noir was defined in retrospect by film historians and critics; many of those involved in the making of film noir later professed to be unaware at the time of having created a distinctive type of film ... featuring top performances from the '40s and '50s with outstanding drama and screenplays, along with a wonderful cast and supporting actors to bring it all together ... another winner from the vaults of almost forgotten film noir gems
   
   SPECIAL FEATURES BIOS:
   1. Humphrey Bogart
   Date of Birth: 25 December 1899 - New York, New York
   Date of Death: 14 January 1957 - Los Angeles, California (throat cancer)
   
   2. Zero Mostel
   Date of Birth: 28 February 1915 - Brooklyn, New York
   Date of Death: 8 September 1977 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
   
   3. Bretaigne Windust (Director)
   Date of Birth: 20 January 1906 - Paris, France
   Date of Death: 18 March 1960 - New York, New York
   
   Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author of "Trail Talk"), Rhonda Lemons (Empire Publishing Inc), Bob Nareau (author of "The Real Bob Steele") and Trevor Scott (Down Under Com) as they have rekindled my interest once again for Film Noir, B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been cowboys!
   
   Total Time: 87 min on DVD ~ Republic Pictures Video ~ (12/16/2003)



4. After viewing Casablanca or Key Largo, this flick lets the audience down slowly. If Bogie never made a bad movie, and he probably didn't, the acting doesn't come up short, but the plot does. Ifthe viewer just wants to view as many of Bogies movies as possible, then this film is worth a look-see, but don't epect the classic Humprey Bogart here ?



5. Elsewhere in this space I have noted my love for film noir. The black and white photography, the story lines, the sparse and functional language. However, not all film noir is created equal and that is the case here. Humphrey Bogart was a classic match for the genre-tough, rugged, resolute, resourceful and always loyal to a pal come what may. Here he plays a little against type as the do good but hard-headed assistant district attorney sworn to break up what at the time was called Murder, Incorporated, a seemingly motiveless murder for profit operation. I suppose if one wanted to stretch the point it might seem a metaphor for the capitalist system. But even as metaphor it is rather ham-handed. The only thing that saves this one is that as the plot unfolds in a flashback you get a look at how all the pieces fit together about how the bad guys did it and how justice was done in the case. But mainly put this one on the back burner.

5 comments about Film Noir Double Feature, Vol. 2: The Chase/Bury Me Dead.

1. Of the two films on this DVD, "The Chase" is the one really worth watching. It boasts a great cast (boyish Robert Cummings, French star Michele Morgan, and the unique Peter Lorre) and an interesting, dreamlike narrative adapted from a Cornell Woolrich novel.
   "Bury Me Dead" starts off well, with a woman attending her own funeral, but, despite cinematography by the great John Alton, the film then becomes a rather conventional whodunit with a surprising amount of wisecracks thrown in and no star appeal.
   As for the DVD, the sound and image are terrible in both cases. I almost gave up when I first tried to watch them, but "The Chase" was interesting enough to make me glad I purchased this, especially since it seems unlikely either film will merit a "Criterion Collection"-style release. The DVD also includes numerous extras, but be warned that the image and sound are downright awful.



2. VCI's offering of The Chase is, as I understand, a superior transfer of this little known title. They have remastered the copy from the best surviving prints. There is a notice at the outset of the movie describing the techniques, materials, and film stock used for the restoration. It is well packaged, and includes a nicely printed liner booklet. All of this attention to detail begs just one question. Why bother?
   
   Although initially excited about seeing a movie that had escaped my orbit, the enthusiasm quickly waned by the end of the first reel. The characters in this movie are not simply "underdeveloped," they're non-existant. We know or learn very little about these people until the very end, and consequently care nothing about them. Bob Cummings, a fine actor whose career and accomplishments are widely unknown and vastly underrated, portrays the WWII veteran, Chuck Scott. Clearly uncomfortable with the material, Cummings acts as though he's having a tooth pulled throughout the movie. Peter Lorre's character, Gino, is constructed with all the acumen of taking a Bentley to the McDonalds drive-thru, so poorly developed and written are his scenes and dialogue. Steve Cochran's Eddie Roman is acceptable only in that he actually has fewer lines than his hench-man, Lorre does. Michele Morgan's Lorna Roman, is unappealing and unbelievable as the thick-tongued French-immigrant gangster's moll.
   
   The story, or lack thereof is a hodge-podge so randomly executed we must simply accept a new set of circumstances and rules with each scene. Speaking of rules, as in the "rules of filmmaking and storytelling", this movie breaks far too many to be taken seriously. Our suspension of disbelief is violated instantly, and throughout the entire film. The plot leads us from one point to another as though we are in posession of the the shooting script. During the final reel, the filmmakers try to convince us that everything we have witnessed has been a dream or hallucination. Chuck's delusion, or the explanation of said event, is a perfect example of a broken rule. His experiences within this delusion are taking place parallel to, and concurrent with actions, characters, and events apart from his own. It is presented as though the screenwriter and director didn't want to bother with annoying trivialities like continuity. We are deprived of an ultimate confrontation and conclusion to the affairs, with the gangster's demise played out in a contrived fate that would be more appropriate in a hackneyed weekly serial...which is apparently all the time that was required to explain the actual plot of this movie.
   
   In keeping with the tone of the film, the liner notes and synopsis are a collection of uninformative vacuous thoughts and platitudes as nebulous and poorly conceived as the movie itself. The "author" reminds us that Michele Morgan received the Best Actress award for Symphonie Pastorale, at the 1946 Cannes Film Festival, as though the two performances had some relationship. However, he fails to mention that Ms Morgan had washed her hands of Hollywood after filming The Chase, returning to Paris for good. He also claims, "one way to suggest a dream-like atmosphere is to soften the glow or exaggerate the contrast and color, like the often ambiguous and dreamy paintings of Maxwell Parrish." Huh...???!!! I don't know who Maxwell Parrish is, but famed American Illustrator, Maxfield Parrish painted colorful fantasy art, and nursery rhymes. He also informs us that throughout cinematic history, filmmakers have been unable to successfully produce dream-like movies. Apparently, somebody forgot to mention this to Val Lewton and Jacques Tournneur. Obviously, the author is as confused about film history as he is about art history.
   
   There are a few dark shots and set-ups in The Chase, with the most effective lighting, photography, and settings taking place inside Roman's estate. However, this is not some "little gem" of a film-noir classic. It is a disjointed, poorly written and badly told story on all levels. The only surprise here is seeing Cummings, Lorre, and Morgan, agreeing to act in this amateurish effort. Who knows, maybe the best stuff was left on the cutting room floor. It had all of the elements "on paper"... Likeable WWII veteran, mobster and beautiful unhappy wife, Peter Lorre as a heavy...
   
   Now imagine Edward D. Wood Jr. writing and directing it, and you have, The Chase.



3. It has a convoluted plot which leaves a number of questions unanswered but if you don't mind dreamy, impressionistic films The Chase may be for you. I found it an outstanding (though atypical) example of the noir style and hard to forget. As explained in the DVD notes, this VCI edition is probably the best quality possible given the flawed source print. The 2nd film on this double feature disc, Bury Me Dead, is a so-so "comedy noir" featuring June Lockhart and Hugh Beaumont. My rating applies only to The Chase with no deduction for the substandard video/audio which apparently can't be helped.



4. I have long supported the B category film noirs. Often they are as entertaining or more so than the A product. The stories are straight forward without having to stop for star turns. VCI and other companies releasing these films should be applauded for the efforts made. Having said that, I feel bad about having to give a downward thumb to "Bury Me Dead." It's the first title I've collected which I feel is a letdown. The acting is terrible as well as the pacing. I am a big fan of Hugh Beaumont, who was a very fine actor, with a highly likable aspect to his personality. He always turned in professional efforts as an actor. Here he is as flat as the rest of the film. I have to say that the film's final 10 minutes are really quite good as is the fade-out moment involving three of the characters. "The Chase," on the other hand, made the purchase worth while. It is a very well made film noir. Robert Cummings was a light comedienne who could do the job in turning in a solid sober performance. What worked against him was a softness in his delivery. But he was another very likable type and gives a good account of himself in "The Chase." Steve Cochran is always good especially in the number of films where he was teamed with Virginia Mayo. Who could forget the smoldering sexuality between the two in WB's "White Heat?"
   I highly recommend this film noir set for "The Chase."



5. I found both of these to be rather dull & boring, it seems like any Noir outside of the major studies & is a public domain/VCI or Alpha noir are kinda flat..
   I cant recommend either unless you are a noir completest and must own them. This is the VCI print and its good, but the movies werent

5 comments about Bloodfist II.

1. I feel this film is a rare sequel to ver pass it's original, it has twice the action of the original film and features many more Martial Arts cahmpions. The story has Don "The Dragon" playing a karate champ who is kidnapped along with half a dozen other fighters. All enter (against their will) a tournament which gambler Mr. Su (Joe Mari Avelana) has rigged by pitting them all against steroid freaks with their own fighting skills. Wilson's climatic showdown with Maurice Smith is by far the best of the entire movie, and this flick stands out (as do all the other BLOODFIST titles) as a particularly fun Martial Arts saga.



2. Bloodfist 2 was a pretty good low budget sequel. The plot was a little shaky but the martial arts was pretty good. Art Camacho provided the action sequences on most of Don's films which were most behalf on the mediocre side. The good thing about the films is the martial art champions that were brought. There were shoot fighting champions, tae kwon do, hapkido, judo, and shotokan. The last fight scenes in the ring were pretty good. Don Wilson displaying some great continueous single kicks. Overall a average martial arts film with some good fight sequences.



3. THIS TIME AROUND, JAKE RAE [DON ''THE DRAGON'' WILSON] GIVES UP HIS WORLD TITLE AFTER KILLING AN OPPONENT IN THE RING. BUT, THAT'S NOT THE LAST TIME HE'LL BE COMPETING. SHORTLY THEREAFTER, HE'S CAPTURED AND ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER MARTIAL ARTS CHAMPIONS, HE'S BOUGHT TO AN ISLAND FORTRESS TO TAKE ON SOME DRUGGED-UP FIGHTERS. NOT AS GOOD AS ITS PREDECESSOR. WHAT SAVES IT IS THE VERY GOOD FIGHT SEQUENCES THAT OCCUR NEAR THE END. THE STORYLINE FOR THIS MOVIE SEEMS TO BE VERY SIMILAR TO THAT OF ''ENTER THE DRAGON''. BUT MOST MARTIAL ARTS FANS WILL LIKE IT ANYWAY.



4. For those of you that don't know, the Bloodfist films are the "Friday the 13th" series of kickboxing/karate flick as the shear number of these (their are 8!) outnumber any other series in the genre. I'm still in the process of viewing them all and of what I've seen, Bloodfist II is one of the best of the series and I even found it to be better than the original. The first film ripped off Bloodsport and this sequel rips off Enter the Dragon as Don "The Dragon" Wilson is kidnapped along with other champion fighters and taken to a remote island where they are forced to fight in gladiator style matches. The fighting scenes wer staged better than the first film and they were also more brutal. Though apparently Wilson plays the same character from the first film, his character doesn't appear to be the same as he is more tough, stern, and overall more likeable as an action character. Overall I found this be a highly entertaining B-Grade action flick that is sure to please fans.



5. Bloodfist 2 again stars Don "The Dragon" Wilson, along with an array of real-life martial arts world champions. Compared to the first Bloodfist (which was made only a year before this one), there is not much of a story, but the amount of action makes up for it greatly.
   
   Jake Ray, now retired from fighting, goes to the Philippines to help his friend Vinny who has been captured by a man named Su. It becomes nothing more than a trap for Jake and a group of world class fighters, brought to fight in Su's own private tournament for his audience of guests. Su owns a group of his own fighters, including Vinny, who are on a special steroid and can't feel any pain when fighting.
   
   Bloodifst 2 is packed with action (mostly fight scenes) from beginning to end. Unlike the 1st Bloodfist, the scenes are much better choregraphed and more realistic. The tournament is a lot better in this film too, lasting a good 20 minutes straight with fighters of a variety of styles and abilities. Some of the fights even get a little dirty - smashing heads into walls, using pipes, and a few bone-breakers.
   
   Again, don't expect a story with this one and there is no suprise ending or any kind of twist of fate. Fortunately, it ends well on the action note. If you want an easy going movie with lots of well-choreographed fights, Bloodfist 2 is right up there.

5 comments about Shakiest Gun in the West.

1. I think this is a great Don Knotts film. He acts so utterly stupid and pathetic in this film but it's done in a way that's so utterly hillarious. I had lots of laughs all through the movie. Barbara Rhoades is the straight one in the pair and she does a great job as well. The looks on her face during the times she has to deal with Knotts are funny in themselves.

   If you like silly slap stick humor I think you'll enjoy this movie.




2. Re-makes are not always good, this one is great! First Bob Hope did this in Paleface, now Don Knotts takes over the roll with his own slant on the character.

   Unless you own the Laserdisc or saw it at the theaters, this will be your first experience of the full impact of this WIDESCREEN movie. Pans and cuts seen on television, or the previous VHS tape, will be replaced with single shots that include everything from side to side.

   THE GHOST AND MR.CHICKEN was Don's only other WIDESCREEN movie for Universal.




3. If you liked Don Knotts in The Incredible Mr. Limpet (1964), The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966), The Reluctant Astronaut (1967), you might like him in this silly western-comedy. A Philadelphia man graduates from denistry and tries to head out to California. He ends up in the wild west, in Big Spring.
   The idea in this town is how are the Indians getting the guns. barbara Rhodes (NBC past serial, Generations) is just a scamp who tries to make the goodies on Don Knotts. He's on his way west and she intends to go along with him to get there as well. Even if it means forcing the man to marry her.
   Not the best of Don Knotts films, but might be better than taking a sleeping pill.
   Also in the cast: Ruth McDevitt, Pat Morita and William Christopher.



4. The Shakiest Gun in the West is yet another classic Don Knotts comedy from the late 1960s. This time around, Knotts plays a newly certified dentist who decides to spread oral hygiene throughout the wild, wild West; after all, Philadelphia is already covered up with dentists - there are at least seven already plying their trade there. Jesse Heywood is a little wiry guy, of course, and his courage is just as shaky as his gun-wielding hands, but he manages to make a great big splash out on the frontier. Right after being bamboozled by a merchant and his Chinese assistant (played by Pat Morita, although I didn't realize it was him until I saw the credits), a fiery little redheaded filly comes to him with a toothache, and before he knows what is happening he's a married man. He doesn't know that Penelope "Bad Penny" Cushings (played by the vivacious Barbara Rhoades) is only marrying him because it's her only way to hitch a ride on the wagon train leaving town, nor does he know that his new beloved is a wanted cattle rustler and thief who agreed to help the government find out who is smuggling guns to the Indians in exchange for a pardon. Events play out in such a way that Jesse becomes BMOF (that's Big Man on the Frontier), famous for his shooting and Indian-killing skills. That whole wedding night thing doesn't really work out the way he planned, though.
   
   Naturally, our supposed hero has to rise to the challenge and prove himself in the end, and then we learn how the West was really won - dentistry, of course. I should note the fact that Don Knotts is forced to don women's clothing at one point, and you know that is bound to be funny. There's also a great scene featuring Heywood drunkenly lamenting his long list of failures in life. Knotts is joined by some other familiar faces: along with Pat Morita, look for William Christopher (M*A*S*H's Father Mulcahy) in a small role, while Uncle Festus himself (Jackie Coogan) stars as one of the gun-smuggling desperadoes.
   
   The Shakiest Gun in the West isn't my favorite Don Knotts movie, but there is a lot of Barney Fife in this shaky gunfighter, and the film is consistently funny from start to finish. It is also, needless to say, true family entertainment which can be safely enjoyed by the young as well as the old. Don Knotts is truly a national treasure.



5. It's easy to overlook the societal importance of "Shakiest". Most academics consider it a vapid re-make of a "superior" Bob Hope film. However my consensus is that Hope's movie simply Overemphasized the comedic aspects of the story and downplayed the sociological importance and mythical underpinnings of it. I don't fault Hope since his comedic talents are such that only his fully grasping of the genre and paradigm in its epistomological sense would allow him the proper frame/reference to "dim" his comedic talents enough to let the nuances of the story's deeper meanings emerge. Not so with Don Knotts. His performance is neo-subtle in the sense that he draws attention to the pre-Scorsesian templates of story entwined with yet seperated from, meaning, by overexagerating Hope's performance to a Vonnegutian level. Example; his performance as Painless Jesse in the film's opening sequences underscore the relationship of Man the Creator with Man the Destroyer and Man the Dentist. In Barb Rhoades we see an equal but lesser voice representing tenets of Post-modern imperialism as well as Proto-Schwarzeneggerian grandiosity. Yet, it is Knotts, initially passive who redeems himself in the end, triumphing over Rhoades and all she symbolizes as well as echoing the pan-universal theme of the hero transformed by "plumbing" his own depths. This is shown particularily in the mine scene, where we read "mine" as "Subconscious Id". Simply put, not sense "The Incredible Mr. Limpett" has Knotts blended Transformational Mythology with Wellesian Cinematography and Jerrylewisian slapstick. BRAVO!
   EDIT; This review is just for fun,guys. No need to take it seriously.

5 comments about Bloodfist.

1. WKA world Kickboxing Champ Don "The Dragon" Wilson didn't exactly start out his carrer as a thespian, but he makes a really cool action star. The plot is basically just another of those revenge stories, in which Wilson enters a karate tournament in manila to track down the punk that destroyed his brother. There is fantastic fighting here, and Karate cahamp/Tae Bo founder Billy Blanks makes a particularly fearsome opponent for the tiny Wilson. The story follows the standard revenge formula, but the action is very well done, and Don "The Dragon" Wilson makes the whole damn thing work.



2. IN THE MOLD OF ''KICKBOXER'' AND ''BLOODSPORT'', THIS KICKBOXING MOVIE IS ABOUT A YOUNG RETIRED KICKBOXER [DON ''THE DRAGON'' WILSON] WHO DECIDES TO GET BACK INTO THE SPORT TO FIND OUT WHO KILLED HIS BROTHER. THE ACTING IS SUB-PAR AND THE STORY IS VERY CLICHED, BUT THE FIGHTS JUST HAPPEN TO BE FUN TO WATCH. FEATURES A LOT OF MARTIAL ARTS CHAMPIONS FROM BACK IN THE 80S, INCLUDING A YOUNGER BILLY BLANKS. HOWEVER, THE ENDING IS QUITE SHOCKING AND I DIDN'T REALLY SEE IT COMING. AS FAR AS HIS ACTING GOES, DON ''THE DRAGON'' WILSON WAS A VERY BLAND CHOICE FOR A LEADING MAN. AND HE STILL IS TODAY. FOLLOWED BY SEVEN SEQUELS, ALL OF THEM STARRING DON ''THE DRAGON'' WILSON.



3. Going into to this film knowing it was a Roger Corman production, I really didn't expect much in the realm of really high quality film making. I expected a no brain action flick with a cheesy plot and and some good fights. That is exactly what I got. Bloodfist actually turned out even a better than I expected. We get Don "The Dragon" Wilson, who obviously can't act, entering a tournament to find his brothers killer. The fights are good and entertaining and Wilson shows off his kickboxing skills. If you like cheesy action films such as the American Ninja, Kickboxer, and Bloodsport series, then give Bloodfist a whirl as you will probably like it. I am still working on watching its 7 sequels!



4. This movie had me laughing so hard that my side, head, stomach, and cheeks hurt. If you are looking for a cheesy good time or just love watching B movies with some buddies, Bloodfist is made for you. But if you are looking for a credible action flick, don't even go there with this movie. Don "The Dragon" Wilson stars in this "action packed" movie, with absolutely nil acting ability whatsoever. It is really pretty comical to watch. Not to mention that this movie has "legendary" Billy Blanks in it. What more could you ask for?? (For all you lame brains out there, Billy Blanks created the Tai Bo work out system.) The plot to this movie doens't really make any sense at all, but that is part of what makes it so awesome! Like for example: In the beginning it explains that Don's brother only had one kidney and therefor couldn't fight. So Don gave him one of his kidneys so that he could fight again. However, that would only give Don one kidney, and therefor he wouldn't be able to fight either, and yet he does anyway. There are a crap load of plot holes in this movie like that. But overall, it is just a fun B movie.
   What I learned from Bloodfist: You do NOT have to be even remotely attractive to play the main "seductress" in low budget movies.
   If you liked Bloodfist, I recommend: Go watch the American Ninja series, Blood Sport, and Street Fighter...talk about a bad movie.



5. There is nothing special about Bloodfist, other than the fact that Don "The Dragon" Wilson likes to use real-life martial art champions in his movies. It makes little impact though, since most of the fight scenes are filled with punches and kicks that don't even make contact with the opponent. The story to Bloodfist is the typical avenge, this time, somone killed Don Wilson's character's (Jake Raye) brother. Jake sets out on a quest to find the killer, with the help of a man named Kwan. Kwan leads Jake to a gambling tournament in Manilla, where the killer is supposedly one of the fighters. The tournament is where most of the action takes place, but most of the fights are short and not too impressive. The ending of the movie has a nice little twist, when Jake does discover who the killer is. I don't want to give it away, but this has been done before in many movies before I'm sure. Overall, Bloodfist is just average. The biggest plus is that Don Wilson is actually one of the more decent martial art movie actors. Check out Bloodfist II, it has a simple story too, but a lot of action and a lot of much better fighting.