jjwolverine Reviews

Bride of the Gorilla (1951)

No Common Sense

[2/10 · 17 April 2024]

It appeared to be a low-budget film, and that's okay, but how about some common sense? The wife (Payton) that Burr is attracted to is married to a man not old enough to be her father--old enough to be her grandfather. The wife says she's terrified of the jungle, which is literally one step outside of her house, yet she falls asleep in her room with the door wide open. Similarly, the living room has a double-door that's always open. People leave the house all the time and never close the doors. I don't think they were ever closed the entire film. Yet, the movie shows giant snakes, gorillas, big cats (pumas?) right outside the house. There is no chemistry between Payton and Burr. Right after he lets her husband die so he can be with her, he seems to lose interest in her. Some common sense would have gone a long way to make this film better (not good, but better) and more believable.

In a Lonely Place (1950)

An Unlikeable Bogart

[2/10 · 29 March 2024]

Bogart played a man of about 50, and he looks every day of it. His face is deeply lined, he has a constant scowl on his face, and does not seem youthful in any way. He's an ill-mannered, mean-spirited man with a violent temper. His new neighbor, Gloria Grahame, is about 25 and beautiful. So, why is Grahame so attracted to him when he's old enough to be her father, and is such an unlikeable person?

Bogart and Grahame are in a car and he's upset. He drives over 70 mph on a dark road with no regard for her safety or that of others. He sideswipes a car and both cars stop. The driver of the other car rushes over, angry that his new paint job was damaged by Bogart's reckless driving.

Bogart gets out and pummels the guy, and would have killed him had Grahame not intervened. Bogart was thin, a heavy smoker and drinker, and yet easily beat up the other guy. It is later revealed that the other driver was a star college football player. Really? A thin, chain-smoking 50-year-old man beats up a college football player?

And why is Bogart so mean? He assaults his elderly agent injuring his eye, he has an angry fit when he learns that Grahame is leaving him, and is generally unlikeable throughout the film.

I did not enjoy spending an hour and a half with such a person, nor did I see why other characters in the film liked him and put up with him.

Colt .45 (1950)

Enjoyable, with questions

[6/10 · 24 March 2024]

This film was good, but there are some things that I question. First off, Scott was 24 years older than Ruth Roman, making him an unlikely suitor for her. Also, the Colt .45 was introduced in 1873, so the setting could not be earlier than that as some have suggested. I wonder why Scott was kept in the local jail for four months after he was suspected of being partners with Zachary Taylor in robberies. He should have been able to prove that he was a representative of the Colt Company with a telegram to the company. Failing that, he would have been tried and sent to prison if found guilty, not sitting in the local jail for months without a trial. Lloyd Bridges seemed to be a poor excuse for a husband with his treatment of Ruth Roman. I didn't understand that relationship. Other than that, I found the film enjoyable.

Forty Guns (1957)

Worst Western I Can Recall Seeing

[2/10 · 22 March 2024]

I grew up in the '50's watching Westerns on TV and at the movies, which were abundant back then. I love Westerns, and even write Western novels. I am surprised at the high marks for Forty Guns. This is the worst Western I can recall watching. I expected much better with a cast of this caliber. The photography was bad, the storyline hard to follow, there was a lack of realism to the events, and I found little enjoyment watching it. I would have turned it off, but as a Westerns novelist I was interested in the storyline, which I found to be unique, as well as confusing. Did Stanwyck and Sullivan have a prior relationship? How did they wind up together in the middle of the film? What was Erikson's problem? Was he a psychopath? What did all those riders do for Stanwick? They weren't farmers, and she surely wasn't running a farm. If they were ranchers, I didn't see any livestock that would require forty men to handle. The best way I could put it is that the whole movie--story, photography, characters, scenery, etc.--seemed amateurish.

Johnny Concho (1956)

Just as I remembered

[8/10 · 15 December 2023]

I saw this movie in 1956 when I was eight. I liked the story a lot: the coward who relied on his brother, and then had decide to either stand on his own two feet or tuck tail and run off. I really enjoyed the ending, and at eight years old, found no flaw in the film. I've wanted to see it again, but hadn't found it anywhere. I did another search and found it on Dailymotion today and just now finished watching it again. The amazing thing is that after seeing it once 67 years ago, the film is just as I remembered it.

I suppose it is a bit hard to believe that a town would give things to Concho out of fear for his non-resident brother, but I also think it's believable that people didn't want to have the brother show up and have Frank start pointing fingers. I especially liked the way the town pitched in to help after Concho made his decision on how to deal with the William Conrad character.

I'm not a film critic, but I thought the acting very good. I consider a cast of Frank Sinatra, Phyllis Kirk, William Conrad, Willis Bouchey, Keenan Wynn, Leo Gordon, Claude Akins, and Strother Martin (bit part) pretty good for a 1956 B&W Western.

Holiday (1938)

Depression-era fantasy

[3/10 · 22 November 2023]

Like so many films of the 1930's, Holiday offers a fantasy for people to escape their economic woes. At a time when many went to bed hungry and cold every night, wore hand-me-downs or second-hand clothes, and worried about paying the rent on some simple abode, Holiday gives them a break for an hour or two. The film itself was boring. Neither neither sister was attractive, although Grant was as handsome as ever. Lew Ayres did a fine job, but why did he drink so much? That was never explained. I guess he was bored and aimless. I thought it unlikely that a poor man would get engaged and show up at the family mansion and be so well received by the father and the two siblings. Didn't they fear he might be a gold digger? That would be a concern for any suitor to someone in a super-wealthy family, but especially so for a someone who's poor, aimless, and got engaged after ten days? The Grant character looked to be about 30. By that age a man should have a handle on what he wants to do with his life, not continue to roam searching to find himself. Red lights and sirens should have gone off immediately, but the family welcomed him with open arms.

Gun Crazy (1950)

Mismatched lovers

[5/10 · 17 November 2023]

I felt no attraction to the lead, Peggy Cummins. I thought she was plain, not attractive at all, had little sex appeal, and was too short for John Dall. This made it hard for me to understand why he was so taken with a woman who had "Trouble" written all over her. Toward the end of the movie, I was wondering why she shot people when it wasn't necessary for their escape. Just then, John Dall said, "Two people dead, just so we can live without working!" That was my thought, exactly. They're a mismatched pair, and I didn't see what it was that so captivated Dall with her. Once he realized she was a psychopath, he should have got out when he had the chance.

I thought the camera work was very good, and the action scenes (robberies) were good, too. But some made no sense. They rob the meat packing plant where they work, and have to run through the entire office and factory, where many people know who they are, to get out. Who does that? I know criminals are often stupid, but still, they don't do totally dumb things.

Twelve O'Clock High (1949)

It makes me proud

[10/10 · 14 November 2023]

What a treat to see this film. It was first-rate in every way, as others have stated. The acting, writing, music, flying scenes, and base life let me see close-up what my father went through as a young man in the 8th Air Force. After seeing this film, I no longer have to imagine what it was like to be thousands of feet above ground with the roar of engines all around, and enemy fighters slashing down at you with guns blazing. Dad told me how flak would burst through the plane and take someone's arm or head off. All they could do was fly through it as the plane bounced around in the air, do their job the best they could, and leave their fate to God.

As I write this I am looking at the photo of my dad's squadron in front of a bomber. He's 19, and is standing smack dab in the middle of the back row. He was in the 486th Bomb group, 834th Bomb Squadron at Sudbury Suffolk England. He was a radio operator.

If not for this film, I would have little idea of what he went through in the war. It's amazing that these young men were able to return home and function in America after what they endured. Dad was no hero, just a teenager who showed up, went where they told him to go, and did his job. What an incredible generation of young men (and women).

Out of the Past (1947)

Confusing Film

[3/10 · 14 November 2023]

I've seen this film twice, and still don't know what it's about. So many unanswered questions. Mitchum and his girlfriend are in love, so why does he get involved with Jane Greer, who was above average in looks, but no raving beauty? The most attractive woman in the film was Rhonda Fleming, who had a minor role. People go to bed and leave the outside door to their bedroom unlocked. Who does that? Mitchum comes through the patio door into Greer's bedroom while she's sleeping. She wakes up. Is she startled? Does she scream? No, she looks at him and starts a conversation with no emotion.

Another time, Mitchum slips into a house while a party is going on and searches a room. The phone in the room rings. Does he leave or hide? No, he just shrugs and keeps searching, as if he didn't care that someone would come in to answer the phone and see him. And what's with all the non-stop smoking in every scene? Was the film sponsored by a tobacco company?

Characters did things that no one would do. Greer mentions a bar to him at their first, brief meeting. He goes to that bar everyday and sits for hours waiting for her to return. Why? Is he in love with her already? What makes him think she'll come back? Why didn't she just say when and where she'd see him again?

How come after his first meeting with Jane Greer he forgot all about the woman he was going to marry? Was there any significance to the boy being a deaf mute? How come Kirk Douglas lost his girlfriend and $40,000 but it didn't seem to bother him much? You need to watch this film with pen and paper handy so you can write down your questions. Then watch it again and see if you can find answers. That's a lot of work for something that's supposed to be an enjoyable hour and a half.

The Haunting (1963)

Boring!

[2/10 · 29 October 2023]

Someone said this was the scariest film ever made. I was prepared to have a sleepless night, but decided to risk it and watched it alone with the lights dimmed. It was a chore staying awake as I waited and waited for something to happen. Aside from the neurotic lead character (Julie Harris) there was nothing unusual about the characters. A lot of talking and creaky noises, but no scares, no action, no suspense. At the beginning, the housekeeper kept saying how dangerous it was and no one from the village came near the house after dark. I guess that was the scary part. I thought I missed the scary part at the end, so after watching it, I rewound the tape and watched the last half hour again. Nothing. I wasn't scared, but the Julie Harris character was especially annoying. Go ahead and watch it if you must, but don't say I didn't warn you.

Teacher's Pet (1958)

Great fun for two hours

[9/10 · 21 October 2023]

I saw this film many years ago and remembered only a few bits, and that I enjoyed the movie. My wife and I watched it together tonight and had a great time. The story is very good, with many humorous parts. The best scene was the nightclub act where Mamie Van Doren is "The Girl Who Invented Rock and Roll", which was hilarious. Especially funny were Gable's flinches when Van Doren bumped and grinded at him. One drawback was that Day was 35, and Gable was 57 when the film was made, which is a large age gap for a romance. Also, as others have pointed out, Day treats Gable like an aspiring journalist when, in fact, he's approaching retirement age. Put aside those inconsistencies and enjoy this movie. My wife and I saw Day and Rock Hudson in "Pillow Talk" a few days ago, but I much prefer "Teacher's Pet".

Ben-Hur (1959)

General Lew Wallace

[10/10 · 5 October 2023]

A spectacular film in every way. Written by Lew Wallace, an incredible man who was a major general in the Union Army during the Civil War, wrote Ben-Hur (published in 1880), and met Billy the Kid. Any one of those would be an amazing accomplishment, and he did all three. The film is very moving, especially to me as a Christian. I rate this as one of my favorites along with The Best Years of Our Lives, which, oddly enough, also had Cathy O'Donnell in it, although she has a minor role in Ben-Hur. The scenery, action, and story line are top-notch. I have seen this film at least three times, the first of which was in a theater when I was eleven. It has even more impact on the big screen, of course.

I Wake Up Screaming (1941)

Strange movie

[7/10 · 4 October 2023]

So many things about this film were oddities. Where's the strange title come from (I know it's from a novel, but why the title?). Two incidents of a man asleep in bed who wakes up in the dark to see someone in the bedroom. Laird Cregar is sitting in a corner chair when Victor Mature wakes up, but Mature hardly seems startled by this. Similarly, Mature shows up in Allyn Joslyn's bedroom when the sleeping Joslyn wakes with a similar bland reaction. Don't these people lock their doors? Why didn't they jump up and scream, or reach for the lamp or for a weapon? Both reactions were unbelievable. Mature takes Grable to a nightclub. Driving later, he says he knows it's late, but he likes to go swimming. I got the impression it was after midnight. The next scene shows him and Grable at the swim club, which is crowded! And what did Grable do, take her swim suit along on the date? Mature and Grable are in a movie theater killing time. Grable puts her nyloned feet up on the vacant chair in front of her. A cop walking up the aisle tells her to put her shoes on. Why? And what's a cop doing acting as an usher in a movie theater? There's a scene where Grable goes to her roof and grabs a long board about 10" wide and places across to the roof of the adjacent building. Then gets on the board wearing heels and walks across it without a single thought that a misstep would plunge her to her death. She never even looked down at the board when she walked on it. All these unbelievable occurrences were distracting and detracted from what could have been a more enjoyable film. I give it seven stars for the strong cast and fine acting, but the scenes!!

Fort Yuma (1955)

Not bad, but lacks realism

[6/10 · 11 July 2023]

This was an interesting Western with a different take on as it explored relations between whites and Apaches. The color was good and added to the film as the landscape would be lost in a B&W film. Toward the end, Peter Graves is injured, with blood on his chest near his left shoulder. When he gets in a hand-to-hand fight to the death with an uninjured Apache, he throws punches with both arms. When they fight to the ground, with Graves under the Apache, who is pushing down on him, Graves holds him off using both arms equally well. When he turns the tables and get the tomahawk from the Apache, he uses his left hand to swing it and deliver the death blow. Anyone who's been severely injured in one arm cannot use it as well as the uninjured arm, and would not unconsciously wield a weapon with his injured arm. This is a major gaffe for a professional film. That fight scene never should have happened in the first place, since there's no way Graves could win a hand-to-hand fight with one arm against a healthy Apache wielding a tomahawk. This film was a good effort, but it lacked oomph.

Rebel in Town (1956)

Quite a Surprise

[8/10 · 2 June 2023]

Usually B & W Westerns that ran after the main feature in movie houses are superficial variations on the same theme. That this film might be different is evidenced by the strong cast. John Payne, Ruth Roman, J. Carrol Naish and Ben Johnson have been in several main feature films.

This one did not disappoint. A unique storyline, strong family ties by both the Willoughbys and the Masons provided a solid story with the ending not obvious.

I enjoyed this film and was surprised by how it moved me. I was impressed by the writer who came up with this idea. Rather than routine shoot 'em ups, we got a psychological story with enough going on to hold the viewer's interest without multiple scenes of B movie Western action. RECOMMENDED.

The Rosary Murders (1987)

Why did he kill them?

[6/10 · 31 May 2023]

I grew up in Detroit, so it's surprising that I've never seen this film. I played college baseball, and one of the guys on our team went to high school at Holy Redeemer (the church in this movie), so it was interesting to me in that way, as I'd never seen this church before.

The thing that bothered me as the movie ended is why the killer was killing Catholic priests and nuns. Maybe it was there and I missed it, but the end of the movie left me thinking "why?". After watching the whole movie, I felt let down at the ending.

Father Koesler (Sutherland) seemed to me to be less than devoted to his calling. Why did he break Catholic rules and baptize a baby born out of wedlock? Whether or not that's a good rule, he is required to abide by it, not pick and choose which he'll obey and which he'll ignore. And why did he break into someone's house? Why would a priest commit a felony?

I'm considering re-watching this film to see if I missed a few things.

Overland Pacific (1954)

It seems like I've seen story this before

[5/10 · 15 May 2023]

This is an all right Western from 1954. The acting wasn't bad. I don't mind B & W films, so no problem there. One scene sticks with me. Jock Mahoney is in a gun battle with a rifleman a ways off. We see Mahoney take a bullet in the chest--right in his heart. There's not much blood on his shirt, but he deals with the injury by taking a handkerchief out of his pocket and sticking it under his shirt over the wound. The gunman approaches, and Mahoney gets into a fight with the guy and beats him using one hand after taking a bullet in the heart! Realistically, he'd have been dead after the shot. I didn't laugh, but I did find this to be the most memorable scene in the film.

The First Nudie Musical (1976)

Ending was best

[4/10 · 5 May 2023]

I didn't like this movie. I found the foul language offensive, and the storyline was so inane that I felt I was watching an X-rated high school production. I stopped watching at one point, but decided to give the movie a chance and went back and watched the remainder. The only part I liked was the ending when five beautiful, nude women came on scene. It wasn't pornographic in any way, just beautiful women doing a few short, simple dance steps. I cannot recommend this film as it was amateurish and offensive, but if you do watch it and like beautiful women, be sure to watch the ending. You can even skip ahead to it if you want.

The Card Counter (2021)

Huh?

[4/10 · 8 February 2023]

I watched this film because I like Oscar Isaac. I coiuld not figure out what this film was about, or what was happening in it. It must be me, because others were able to follow the story, but I missed what was happening, what the point of the film was, and why events in the story happened (I don't want to give spoilers). I also play poker, and have been in the military, and also worked in a civilian prison, so the film had much that interested me. You shouldn't' need Cliff's Notes to watch a movie, though. Even if I could have figured out what was happening, the film lacked a fun quotient for me. I don't like caper films, but this was at the opposite end of the spectrum.

Beast (I) (2022)

It's not real?

[7/10 · 2 February 2023]

I admit I'm obviously an unsophisticated, too old (74) movie fan. I thought the lions were real, and couldn't figure out how the director controlled them so well. The lions looked totally real to me.

A few things bothered me. When the three ran into a building late in the film, they left both doors open! I kept thinking, there's a lion chasing you. Why are you walking past the open doors and not closing them? Also, when the lion attacked the car, how come he couldn't break the glass window? It's as though the lion ran into a brick wall, not a pan of glass. And why did the girl not roll up the driver's side window?

I got so scared toward the end of the film, I watched some of it with the sound turned off (I can hear you laughing). Had I known the lions were computer-generated, I would have enjoyed the film even more, not less.

Late in the film when the lion has caught the doctor and is mauling him, the doctor pushes at him and rolls around. The lions continues the attack. The lion would have killed him, tearing him limb from limb. But the doctor emerged with a torn shirt and some scratches. Huh?

Aside from the dumb moves, I enjoyed the film. I thought the scenery was beautiful.

The Cabin in the Woods (2011)

Objectionable in every way

[1/10 · 27 January 2023]

This movie was so offensive that I don't think it missed anything: profanity, gore, confusing, ridiculous, and those were the high points. I could not figure out what this movie was about or what was happening to the characters despite rewinding several times in many places. Everything was so dark I couldn't see what was occurring most of the time. I wanted to follow the plot, but couldn't see what was happening in almost every scene.

That this film grossed $42M is an even bigger mystery than what this film was about. How anyone could find this offensive, confusing, profane mess entertaining is beyond me. (No offense to those who enjoyed this film.)

Detour (1945)

too many dumb moves

[3/10 · 25 January 2023]

Was Al Roberts brain dead? He's in love with his girl, but she goes to California to become a singer. He later hitchhikes cross country to see her, and is picked up by a friendly guy, who later asks Al to drive for awhile. Crossing the desert at night, the guy dies in the passenger seat. There's over $700 in his wallet. It's pitch black outside and there's no one around. What does Al do? Does he take most of the money, but leave some to deflect suspicion when the body is found? No, he takes all of it. Instead of hitchhiking again, he dumps the body and steals the car. Later, in town, he picks up a woman looking for a ride who happens to know the dead guy. What are the chances of that? And why pick up a stranger when you're driving a stolen car? She's a shrew who orders him around. The dumb moves continue until the end, which is also dumb. I expect characters to operate at normal intelligence unless they're supposed to be stupid. Al was supposed to be a normal guy, not a man short on brain cells.

I am baffled by the rave reviews for this movie.

The Lobster (2015)

What was this about?

[1/10 · 3 January 2023]

I'd heard the term "dystopian", but never knew it meant sick and twisted. This movie was painful to watch. It left many questions unanswered, and could have benefited from a few written pages ahead of time stating what the film was about. Who were the people in the community, and how did they get there? How did the sadistic red-haired woman get to be in charge? I didn't see anyone get turned into an animal, but there were plenty of bizarre and evil acts in the film. And the ending, what's up with that?

As a novelist, I'm always interested in stories, but this one had nothing to offer that I could see. I determined to watch it to the end, but couldn't wait to get there. One thing I did learn was that if see "dystopian" about any story or film, to stay away. How could anyone find this tangled mess entertaining?

California No (2020)

Made No Sense

[2/10 · 2 January 2023]

The main character has no job. Does he ever look for one? How come he and his wife are going to a therapist when they're broke? Why is he smoking cigarettes when he's broke? The guy dresses like a bum: unbuttoned dress shirt hanging out over his jeans. Needs a haircut. Appears to have no job skills. People come into his life and the viewer doesn't know who they are.

No backstory for any of the characters. Director likes to show main character driving around from one place to another. No character development, no back story, no idea how the characters came together or how they know each other. Abrupt ending to story.

I didn't care for the profanity, either. Maybe that's the way they talk in Southern California now. They didn't when I lived there. All the characters just seemed to be low class to me.

Remember the Night (1939)

An exceptional Christmas love story

[8/10 · 27 December 2022]

I really enjoyed this movie. It's a Christmas movie, but more than that, it's a love story. Not a sugary, superficial story, but a well-developed relationship set against a backdrop of Christmas as America was before WWII broke out. There's a lot of nostalgia and midwest down-to-earth people enjoying each other in a simple, yet sincere way. The acting in this story was exceptional, with Stanwyck and McMurray providing depth to their roles and to the relationship that develops between them.

It's not a superficial love-at-first sight affair, but a deeper love that we see develop as the movie progresses. This lends an extra sense of verisimilitude as the romance develops while the audience watches and is drawn in. This is much more a love story, richly developed, than a superficial Christmas story. I found myself thinking of the characters and how the relationship would continue after the movie ended. A stark contrast to the superficial fluff that floods the airways in recent years at Christmastime.