Change Your Image
dfoofnik
Reviews
Wax On, Fuck Off (2010)
Well, if it were longer it would be tedious
Effectively funny "trailer" for a movie that couldn't work. The concept is the reverse of the typical sad reality. Unfortunately, the concept played for humor here was occasionally tragic (River Phoenix). Ralph Macchio somehow avoided hitting bottom on the way to a comfortable middle age life -- probably because he was still doing the "teen roles" well into his twenties. If he *was* seriously looking for acting work, not having a scandal or two might indeed make him less known and therefore less "bankable." He seems to have settled for occasional roles, so maybe he will pull a Scott Baio and pop up on a Nickelodeon series.
The Fighting Devil Dogs (1938)
Geography Students Avoid! (may be a spoiler herein)
This serial was first syndicated in the 1950's when I viewed it on 3 consecutive Saturdays. The hero is Lee Powell, but Herman "Bruce Bennett" Brix was familiar from the Tarzan serial made later. These Marines get a real workout on land, sea, and air, mainly because the entire USMC seems to consist of about two dozen lightly-armed extras. Stock footage of every imaginable type is the major drawback, plus the inconsistency in WHEN the heroes or bad guys have GUNS or not.(This makes for frequent lengthy fistfights.) Also, viewing it as an adult, they really understated the distance between California and Hawaii : three or four hours by SEAPLANE? The only major plot hole is the stereotypical revelation of the villain. He surely knew that his secret was out, as it's unlikely the girl wouldn't have already told her rescuers. But he tries to kill her anyway? As my long-time favorite punchline goes, "The Lightning's REAL NAME is..." (ZZZZTTT!) How do you spell 'Zzzt'?
Invasion, U.S.A. (1952)
Crummy or a Cold War Classic
I saw this movie twice on late night TV between 1965 and 1980. As a jingoistic "message" film, its anachronistic views are almost solely of an 'historic' interest. But they are quite accurate. As a grade-school student in the 1950's, I can attest to the very real concerns of the time : air raid drills, military brinkmanship, and uncertainty about the very future of civilization. This movie was the "Dr. Strangelove" of it's time and shows what 'might' have happened if Russians heated up the Cold War!
Of course, the 'invaders' are never actually called Russkies - that's just obvious. And their overwhelming superiority lets them succeed, hence the message of the movie. We all know the Reds never got that kind of edge.
The story and characters are often compelling even if not brilliantly acted. The romantic interlude, however, is too 'Hollywood' -- it was years until war movies treated the subject with more realism. Likewise the special effects and military footage are mostly the standard stock of the era. The movie does have one casting coup : both Lois Lanes from TV's Superman!
I enjoy the movie as a whole, probably because it shows what we avoided in the Fifties. It's a relief that this particular fear is no longer a threat. But perhaps we need a better update than the Chuck Norris film : a film that shows us how we can act as citizens TODAY to ward off the very real current threats to our country's future. If Gerald Mohr did it, so can we!
Addendum : I made sure that the version I bought had some bonus short features from the Red Scare era, one by Jack Webb. They are funny in a way...*now*...