tonyglad Reviews

The Woman on the Beach (1947)

Why can't I forget this? Renoir, let me go!

[7/10 · 16 June 1999]

Although the screenplay is pretty dreadful, though based on an interesting idea, and the dialogue mostly either flat or silly, this film still shows Renoir's mastery, particularly in the purely visual field. It still stays with me in flashes, from nearly a lifetime ago. In addition to the director, that fine actor Robert Ryan, with almost nothing to work with, creates a strong impression. Definitely worth seeing with a fair amount of tolerance.

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb (1971)

Disturbing version of Stoker's very disturbing "mummy" novel.

[7/10 · 24 March 1999]

This is by a long way the best of the three adaptations so far of Bram Stoker's complex and disturbing novel of an Egyptologist's obsessive desire to revive an evil ancient Egyptian queen. (The novel was so worrying in 1903 that the ending was changed for the second edition: this movie keeps mainly to the original ending.) The cast ranges from competent to quite good, with the Queen/daughter suitably seductive but unreadable. The appearance is handsomely and oppressively Edwardian - the ancient Egyptian is rather silly - and the direction firm. Try this as a better taste of Stoker's obsessive psychological horror than any of the versions of "Dracula" except the long British TV adaptation.

The Last Outlaw (1980)

Dramatic and involving story of a romantic villain/hero.

[8/10 · 15 March 1999]

This is a careful, engaging and dramatically convincing biography of Australia's favourite bushranger, that is, outlaw, Ned Kelly, his defiance of the law, robberies, murders, courage, capture and death by hanging. It is slightly fictionalized and certainly romantic, as is his legend, but the writer has tried to keep close to the facts and probable motivation. The acting is good, with John Jarratt a convincing Ned and Sigrid Thorton as his feisty sister, Kate. The series does justice to the myth of Kelly, the semi-literate robber who could write inspiring dreams of an Irish-Australian republic and face heavily armed police wearing rustic armour made from farm implements. The supporting cast is very fine, the most memorable (and possibly true) line being that of Ned's mother before his execution: "Be sure you die like a Kelly!"

Days of Hope (1975– )

A compassionate study of hopes and hopes deceived.

[10/10 · 27 February 1999]

Kenneth Loach's story of three people living through the period between the world wars covers the recovery from the slaughter after 1918, the conflict in Ireland, the Depression and the general strike. Though the overall outcome is a betrayal of the hopes of ordinary people, it is not depressing or preachy. The director's point of view is always overt, but the great impressions are of compassion and of complete truthfulness in the representation of characters. After seeing and hearing one of the group scenes, of conversations in a pub, for example, you realise that every similar scene you've experienced before in film or on television was quite artificial. The rather drawn face of the (then young) Paul Copley in the leading role is unforgettable. This is at the top of my great experiences on television.

Cemetery Man (1994)

A graveyard full of fun and style.

[9/10 · 6 January 1999]

This is a thoroughly enjoyable film for those with a taste for macabre black comedy. It is also very stylish as a piece of cinematography. Some of the professional reviewers seem not to have noticed that it is a very tasty mixed dish of parodies of just about every graveyard/zombie/necrophilia film ever made, but has a distinctive style of its own. Everett's performance is very smooth and professional. What a good comedy actor he is!The writer even outshines "The Shining" (this is a much better film) when he reveals the significance of the snowstorm paper-weight at the end.

Hercules, Samson & Ulysses (1963)

Sword and Sandal with a Sense of Humour.

[7/10 · 26 December 1998]

This must have been towards the end of the Italian musclemen "epics". As the title shows, the list of characters includes just about everyone. The Hercules and Samson are the blockheads you would expect, but Ulysses, true to his origin in Homer, is a wily and engaging character, who makes fun of the others while solving their problems. I remember this example of the "sword & sandal" school with affection because the script and the acting do show a really entertaining sense of humour.

Matango (1963)

Dark, powerful, yes, and unforgettable.

[10 December 1998]

This is one of only two movies that have ever given me nightmares and for some time at that. I wasn't really small, either. The original story by Hodgson is admittedly simple, but it is very powerful. The concept, original as far as I know, of people becoming the fungi they eat is disgustingly powerful. As a side remark, I was told at the time of its showing here that the Japanese adaptation for the movie was meant to be a symbolic warning against the use of drugs. (Mushrooms, ho hum.) If so, I'd rather not believe it, since it trivializes the movie.

Little White Lies (1998 TV Movie)

For God's sake, take care of little Rosie!

[7/10 · 26 November 1998]

This two-part television play looked very promising. After all, it starred Tara Fitzgerald and Cherie Lunghi. Sadly, although they were both good, as was Peter Bowles, the whole did not live up to its promise. This must be the fault of the original novel. The "mystery" is simply too obvious. Crazy women should have gone out with Mrs Rochester. The production has several impressive features, especially the main titles, with the voracious, almost bursting house. This could have graced a better play, perhaps a Barbara Vine adaptation. To go back to the principals, Cherie Lunghi is forced to claw the air far too much, when her forte is seductive menace, while poor Tara Fitzgerald is forced to be dreary, though she manages to get a certain amount of steel into the character. Would the producers please allow members of the audience to drown little Rosie?

Trollsyn (1994)

A grim but deeply moving glimpse of medieval Norway.

[10/10 · 15 November 1998]

It distresses me to have to disagree with Shane Burridge, whose reviews are always well informed and intelligent. In this case I must, lest any viewers who would appreciate this film are deterred. I have to confess to a particular interest, since I used to teach medieval literature. Even reasonably decent movie recreations of medieval life are very few, while cosmetic fantasies are legion. The plot of this film is admittedly limited in scope, but the detail and atmosphere of Norway at the time of the "Black Death" which, as Mr Burridge points out, killed two-thirds of the population, are completely engrossing and terrifying. A village wedding feast can lead virtually to the end of the world and this is experienced by a small girl, spared only because she was away on the mountain side minding the sheep! Perhaps the ending is a little too contrived, but without it the film would be unendurably sad, as indeed must have been so for so many millions at the time. The picture is bleak but beautiful to watch, the actors are completely believable and the leading child is so engaging (but not in any way cute) that the experience is one that I shall never forget. The bonus is that the dialogue is in Norwegian. (Not medieval, but then the home audience had to understand it.) This will never, I admit, appeal to a wide audience, at least outside Norway, but for those who know what they are looking for, it is a small treasure.

Threads (1984 TV Movie)

Death in life after nuclear war.

[10/10 · 10 November 1998]

This seems to me by far the best, if such a word can be used, of the nuclear war movies, though I still vividly remember "The War Game", dated though it now may seem. Much of the effectiveness of this TV movie comes from its being so matter-of-fact. The ending is truly shocking, almost literally nauseating, but the appropriate conclusion to a chronicle of increasing hopelessness and horror. The whole thing is very well acted (the actor who gives birth at end is awe-inspiring) and is carefully confined in scope, though it is, of course, about the end of our species. Horror stories about nuclear threat are , thank God, out of fashion now, but they may still have an important purpose in keeping us aware of our dark capacities. For that purpose, this must have a high recommendation.

Displaced Persons (1985 TV Movie)

An excellent and disturbing play which seems to have been lost.

[10/10 · 9 November 1998]

This TV play by the distinguished playwright Louis Nowra made a great impression, at least in Australia, when it was first shown, though it was probably rather too intense and disturbing for a wide audience. Since then, it seems to have been overlooked. Set just after the second world war, it is the story of a group of refugees from several European countries who are brought to a new "land of hope" only to succumb, one by one, to a deadly viral disease. Quarantined at South Head, with only the dedicated doctor and small staff, they can see the city of Sydney in the distance. The play is not, however, one of those disease extravangzas common now. It is about the interactions of these isolated and seemingly doomed people, who cannot even speak each other's languages. (The actors speak in their own tongues, subtitled.) A very disturbed and disturbing girl, survivor of a concentration camp, pretends to be a translator for three of the languages, but we know that she is not translating; rather, she is filling the hapless "displaced persons" with the distrust and loathing of all human beings she has learnt. There is a solution to the situation, of a kind, but not one to negate the power of the general tragic truth of the play. If there's any way of getting hold of this, I recommend it highly.

12:01 (1993 TV Movie)

An entertaining and unthreatening sci-fi adventure.

[8/10 · 4 November 1998]

This is very enjoyable and neither paranoid nor overladen with effects. The cast is better than adequate and personable. Martin Landau seems to enjoy being the mad scientist. In some ways, of course, this is a parody, though not explicitly so. The "science" is pretty leaky and the car chase is unnecessary and unlikely: how could the generally useless Barry have turned into a stunt driver? Still, it is a pleasant and surprisingly thoughtful movie experience. As a contribution to the trivia, the time Barry falls asleep is surely one minute past midnight, that is, 12:01 a.m., not p.m., or 00:01 on the 24 hour clock.

The Lift (1983)

An engrossing urban thriller in one environment we can't avoid.

[8/10 · 3 November 1998]

I agree with John Hartl's review about the quality of this movie. It could easily have been silly, but it definitely is not. The last part, with Felix lit only by his industrial hand lamp in the enemy's own domain, is completely engrossing. The - quite sparse - music is eerily effective and the photography very good, as are the performances. In the version I saw, the dubbing is well done and convincing. Another winner from the Netherlands. About time we high risers took the lift seriously!

The Long Day Closes (1992)

A beautiful film of family life.

[10/10 · 28 October 1998]

This is among the ten best films I have seen of childhood and of life in a family. Admittedly, the father is missing - one might say, mercifully - but this film shows the tenderness and humanity among the mother and children tenderly and, surprisingly, joyfully. The mother is the centre of the piece and superbly portrayed. For those who want a vision of childhood, not romanticized, this is as good as it can get.

Morte in Vaticano (1982)

Very unsatisfactory story of the murder of a Pope, badly dubbed.

[3/10 · 21 October 1998]

This is a fictionalized version of the alleged "murder" of Pope John Paul I, which the author has mixed with a totally implausible story of an idealistic young priest who goes to India and Nepal and becomes an ecclesiastical Fascist. There's a seductive female terrorist too. It's hard to take this farrago of nonsense seriously, except that Terence Stamp is dignified as the Pope and everyone else, especially the young priest, is dreadful. The English dubbing is appalling: it sounds like low grade amateur theatricals. Naturally it's sad that the writer/director is dead, but this is very poor.

The Innocents (1961)

A beautiful adaptation of James's very disturbing story.

[10/10 · 14 October 1998]

"The Turn of the Screw" is a great story, but frustratingly oblique. This movie takes one line, but leaves plenty of ambiguity in visual and acting terms. It may be Deborah Kerr's best performance. The "seduction" of the governess by young Miles is very frightening and unforgettable.