Asgardian Reviews

Hunting Hitler (2015–2020)

There's two fatal flaws in the logic

[4/10 · 6 March 2016]

Okay, yes I believe lots Nazis escaped Europe to all points on the compass. Again yes the links in Spain sound logical as does the wool merchant in Argentina. A further yes is that I accept many Nazis used submarines as the logical conveyance to get to their individual destinations.

But if all the escape avenues were available from the Bunker, why did Bormann, Weidling, Mohnke and plenty of others not use the underground escape routes? Some may say as a ruse to convince the Soviets that Hitler was in fact dead. However that just does not ring true.

The biggest problem the program has is if Hitler did escape to South America and was well funded and supplied, why would a megalomaniac like him just sit out his remaining years hidden away eating Argentinian fruit? Would not that particular lunatic want to again seek to crush the world under his steel caps? Would that maniac be satisfied not doing any world bashing and murdering for another 20 to 40 years? The simple and logical answer is no.

If Hitler escaped the Bunker he would have tried to rise again funded by all that fabulous stolen wealth. However there is not a scrap of evidence that he tried to be a phoenix. There is no suggestion anywhere that the free world rose up again to squash that inhuman thug.

No, Hitler died in the Bunker ... thankfully.

Apache Fury (1964)

Familiar Cowboys & Indians story that doesn't work as well as its predecessors

[4/10 · 25 February 2016]

Way back in 1939 a short story, Stage Station, was written by legendary western writer, Ernest Haycox, of Union Pacific & Stagecoach fame. This story was used at least twice by Hollywood, Apache Trail (1942) & Apache War Smoke (1952).

Now I know very little about Eduardo Guzmán, (aka Edward Goodman) who is credited with writing the novel that this movie is supposedly based on, but I can sure as hell spot the same story when it is used frequently.

Apache Trail & Apache War Smoke both credit the writing honours to Ernest Haycox, Apache Fury makes no mention of him, which I find very strange as the story used is practically a carbon copy.

A wagon train station is used as a sanctuary by a wagon that has come under Indian attack. The station master is known by some of the passengers and hanger-ons. The wagon is also carrying a large sum of money, which becomes the sole focus of a couple of no-goods. All the while the Indians have a very real reason for wanting one of the passengers, he mistakenly killed a chief of some friendly Indians.

There are some minor differences from the Haycox story, but not many nor are they important parts of the plot.

The genesis of this movie is very disappointing in my opinion.

Passing Time (2012)

Relationships, try to mend, never give up.

[6/10 · 15 November 2012]

How can 4 minutes of film encapsulate a lifetime of missed opportunities and lost loved ones?

Well, a picture is worth a thousand words, so watch this with the idea that every moment is information. Take from this, use it as a template. What did you sacrifice because of the sacrifices you previously felt were necessary? A simple tale using a lost doll as a metaphor for a lost relationship between a father and his daughter.

The lost love blinds the father, he has become single-minded, irrational, rude and desperate.

However while they live it is not too late, love can win through, relationships need not be discarded.

That is what I took from this 4 minutes.

Red China (1964)

What you are expecting is what you get

[7/10 · 18 June 2011]

A 100% anti communist China documentary, what you'd expect from that era, is exactly what you get.

There is zero pretense of any objectivity, nor any attempt to search for for a balanced view of what communist China may offer the world.

It is even demeaning to other countries that may seek out normal diplomatic relations with China. Great delight is taken in pointing out that any industrial revolution occurring can only happen there with the aid and assistance of China's communist neighbour, Russia.

No acknowledgment of China's association with America during World War 2 is made, this is just poorly crafted propaganda.

Richard Hillary: A Fighter Pilot's Story (2000 TV Movie)

Not a tale of an individual

[8/10 · 1 June 2011]

Richard Hillary: A Fighter Pilot's Story is a somewhat misleading title.

For the brave Australian who was part of England's fighter command during the Battle of Britain was not just an individual, he was part of 1,000's of young men, for whom the ideals of freedom were more than just a group of inspiration words.

They were willing to risk their lives and well being to keep the all-conquering Nazi war machine at bay.

Many of them paid dearly for their stand, Richard Hillary was one of them. His exploits are better known due to his ability to author his story, as an individual representative of so many.

Remember them all, for they all gave so much.

Watch this film to take in the spirit of the prevailing times, they were important moments in history.

The Scorched Earth (1942)

Propaganda piece produced to create negative feelings for Japan in WW2

[6/10 · 1 June 2011]

Propaganda documentary about the repression of the Chinese by the Japanese before and during world war 2, highlighting how evil the Japanese militarists were and the lengths they were prepared to go to.

Not a film for the faint hearted, nor for those looking for any sort of objectivity. It is 100% jingoistic in presentation and designed to further the American war effort against the Japanese in World War 2.

Aimed at the American public in a blatant effort to push it's citizens to even greater commitments in war production and money invested. Preying on the fears that without the public desire to push the war against Japan, they themselves may feel the cruelness of life under the Japanese militarists.

Lang ist der Weg (1948)

Heart and soul went into this production

[9/10 · 1 August 2009]

This movie was obviously a labour of love for its relatively unknown creators, crew and cast. There were no compromises taken in an attempt to make it more commercially acceptable. At that time, 1948, the movie going audience was not looking for anything outside of its collective comfort zone. Hence a movie without any English, a cast without a draw-card, plus a subject matter that did no favours for the victorious Allies, this was made for only select few.

Luckily this movie has not disappeared totally, despite its limitations.

The story and portrayals are earnest to the point of overly intense, but these people were all about making a statement, and this they did. The use of a sledge hammer could have been avoided, but I do not believe that they wanted to soften their message in any way whatsoever.

So if you can find it, watch this movie, experience the little talked about post WW2 frustrations from a different point of view.

Prison Ship (1945)

World War 2: The Dirty Tricks Department

[7/10 · 1 August 2009]

For a very short movie, "Prison Ship", is surprisingly entertaining and tragically oh so believable.

The premise of the movie is based on fact. Japanese ships transporting prisoners-of-war during World War 2 did indeed offer themselves up as decoy targets, hoping to draw the US submarines away from their desired cargo ships and warships.

From that point the movie becomes a feel good exercise for an American audience, that by 1945 had cultivated a deep loathing for their enemy, and wished to see their own servicemen triumph against any and all impossible odds.

By 1945 Richard Loo was able to play his role blindfolded. Between late 1941 through to 1945 he was in 34 movies, invariably as the bad guy. In this movie Loo was the standout, the rest of the cast were merely competent.

If you have a spare hour, have a look, it's worthwhile for a fan of the genre.

Television Spy (1939)

Inventors doing their stuff for their country

[6/10 · 13 August 2008]

Interesting, if not entirely factual, early hi-jinks with the production of the television.

The inventors in this case are going forward with the purpose of producing a finished article suitable for use by the USA military, with the intention to donate it to their government, an understandable theme for the movie considering it was made in 1939.

Naturally an assortment of very interested characters are portrayed, ranging from the bitter scientific rival, his slightly ditsy daughter, all the way to the surprise Nazi agents and their costly thugs.

Anthony Quinn makes the most of his part as one of those thugs, whose motto may well be that no task is too dirty if there is money involved, the more money, the more he'll enjoy the task.

Watch it for a bit of casual entertainment, lasting just under an hour, it's perfect for that time inside out of the weather, but don't expect too much, you'll be pleasantly surprised.

The Magic Face (1951)

Not your average actor or fuhrer

[7/10 · 14 April 2007]

A fanciful & fictional account of an actor assassinating Hitler, assuming his identity and running war time Germany to ensure an Allied victory over the Third Reich.

A dry clinical approach to this production, interspersed with documentary style narrative, with added archival footage of the major moments in WW2, tends to aid in the attempt to pass this off as something more than just another war story.

Luther Adler's performance is the lynchpin binding a rather curious effort to create a different style of storytelling, all the while still entertaining in a way that the viewing audience was not accustomed.

Another old WW2 movie that is hard to find, but well worth the effort.

Good Luck, Mr. Yates (1943)

Never tell a kid a lie

[6/10 · 13 April 2007]

A mild teacher at a military school for young boys is keen to elevate himself to hero status by enlisting to fight in WW2. However he is refused entry due to a perforated ear drum, a condition about which he sees an eminent doctor, who assures him that with care, and a little time, is curable.

Due to his enlistment being just postponed, in his eyes, he tells what he believes to be a small lie, telling his former students he has been accepted and is in Army training. He thinks this will be of no consequence because he will soon be accepted.

Guess again, the results of even just one harmless lie lead to chaos in his temporary job at the shipbuilding yards, the military school, his boarding house, the FBI, the military and police.

Claire Trevor's presence is a joy to watch as the love interest, while the rest of the cast are competent.

Another hard to find movie that is worth the time to search for.

Sabotage Squad (1942)

The Nazis are no match for 2 bit crims in America

[6/10 · 13 April 2007]

Neat little tale of Nazi agents in USA with the task of sabotaging major industry employed in the war effort. The Nazi commander has an identifying medallion, which he is silly enough to keep within his wallet, this he frequently flashes around showing large sums of money enclosed. Naturally no self respecting pickpocket can resist such a target, and just as naturally, in an unrelated raid, the police come across the medallion. Hence the hunt by the authorities for the man who owns the wallet is commenced.

The pickpocket and his pal, although shady, are true blue Yankee doodle dandy's, and set about to track down the dirty Nazi creep, and by doing so, help get themselves into the authorities "good books".

There is no Olivier here, just the usual bunch of B & C movie stalwarts, all putting the gasps and punches in the correct places. All in all a worthy time filler if WW2 propaganda movies are your cup of tea, that is if you manage to find a copy or showing of this nearly forgotten movie.

Ladies of Washington (1944)

A "gold digger" digs a little too deep

[6/10 · 21 February 2007]

An attractive young lady, who is bitter and selfish, plays the field with as many of the right type of men as possible, quickly discarding them when they have served a purpose, or have a bleak outlook to the future.

Due to the housing shortages in Washington during WW2, she is forced to move into a rooming house, with many happy and generous girls, who soon take a disliking to the newcomer.

She meets up with a dashing foreign man, a very young Anthony Quinn in one of his earliest roles, and finds herself in trouble too deep to cry her way out of.

A quickie production from the early days of WW2, highlighting how women in the community can help the war effort, plus how dangerous it is to talk too much, in case of foreign agents.

Underground Agent (1942)

Cliché ridden bit of wartime propaganda educating a wary public

[6/10 · 15 January 2007]

Remembering the period of history when this was made you need to make excuses for several examples of shoddy movie making. Every racial stereotype of the bad guys is represented. Whereas the the immigrants to America are highlighted with every kilogram of patriotic fervour possible.

It is a simple tale of how the government and phone company are at their wits end on how to stop Axis powers from wire tapping into the phone lines, hence gaining vital information from ammunitions plants regarding production and shipping schedules.

Thereafter telephone company employees become vigilantes to combat those nasty German, Italian & Japanese agents.

Don't expect a Hitchcock tale here, and you may enjoy it.

Two Tickets to London (1943)

Budding romance on the run from wartime authorities

[7/10 · 15 January 2007]

You know you're innocent, so what do you do when given the chance? you escape from custody, grab a girl, fall in love, that is it, the entire plot.

The two lead characters are wooden, uninteresting, but the character actors, oh what a turn around, they breathe life into an initially mundane movie.

C. Aubrey Smith, Dooley Wilson and Barry Fitzgerald are alive and animated, they carry the movie over some rocky terrain, allowing it to arrive at its very predictable conclusion.

Ignore the faults, because the positives far outweigh them.

Alaska Highway (1943)

Newsreel clips held together by standard plot themes

[3/10 · 27 August 2005]

I was looking forward to seeing this movie, and had anticipated something along the lines of "The Fighting Seebees" and "Wake Island". Unfortunately I was wrong.

The movie is basically a series of actual newsreel segments, pasted together by 2 main plot devices, a love triangle, and a comedy skit using 3 of the actors.

Interest is only maintained by wanting to see the next newsreel clip, other than that, we are less than entertained by wooden acting from cardboard characters. The "action" photography of drivers on big bulldozers is laughable, the actors looking everywhere but ahead, and bouncing around on set chairs.

Overall a very disappointing effort, and a movie that only a fanatic should contemplate buying.

Battlefield Earth (2000)

A perfect movie for the home bound masochist

[1/10 · 6 May 2005]

I have watched all of this movie, frankly I have no idea why. It is mind-numbingly bad, no-one I know has ever watched this waste of celluloid to the end. Please, please find something else to do, if you have some hours to waste, try watching paint dry, or grass grow, at least then you've avoided an assault on your sensibilities.

There have been many movies made in the name of religion, some of them try to portray a positive outlook, others wish to create controversy. This movie has none of that, it doesn't even ask questions of the viewer. This movie is Travolta's gift to society to cure the world of insomniacs.

Those of us who have watched this turkey, should take some kind of class action against the creators, for subjecting us to this visual vomit.

Webs (2003 TV Movie)

Boring

[1/10 · 26 February 2005]

There can be no worse criticism for a movie than the word BORING.

Some "bad" movies are lots of fun, some "fun" movies are really bad, but to be BORING means no-one will ever buy the DVD to watch it over and over again.

It appeared to be a movie that employed the drama class from the Antartic, they were all too busy running around to stay warm instead of acting. The lead actor, spoke is a near whisper, husky style voice, damn, it seemed that he was gonna seduce someone, and he didn't care who.

The movie can't make money if it's boring, I hope this one dies a swift, never to be seen again, death.

Breakthrough (1950)

A solid entertaining war movie, despite Agar's presence

[8/10 · 24 July 2004]

Like most of Agar's early movies, the surrounding cast were of sufficient quality to hide, and even carry, Mr. Shirley Temple.

The WW2 period featured is one that is usually skipped over, despite the importance and difficulty of that time. The Allies were under pressure from a well organised defence, taking full advantage of the local terrain, this is all well communicated by this movie.

Lovejoy, as the cagey experienced Sgt., is a marvel to watch, as his character does for his Lt., so he does for Agar, a wonderful fusion of living the role.

A worthy entry for any war movie buff

They Raid by Night (1942)

Cardboard characters played by cardboard actors

[3/10 · 10 May 2004]

I should have seen this ambush coming, from the very first office/room whose walls were constructed out of curtains. This movie, amongst others, was required pre-school for mega-talents to come, eg Edward D Wood Jr. Actors walking past painted backdrops, actors arriving through one curtain, and leaving by another, characters finding it difficult to get in & out of cars, none of this is an element of making fine films. It is however, common place for a movie made on a budget shorter than a shoe-string. A movie only for those who collect quantity, rather than quality.

Teenagers from Outer Space (1959)

A "BAAAAAD" movie that commits the worst possible sin

[1/10 · 19 March 2004]

As a general rule, I enjoy old "BAAAAAD" movies. Plan 9, Robot Monster and many many more are so stupid, badly directed, acted, filmed & edited, that it is a sort of merger of content, to create a movie that is fun to watch for all the wrong reasons.

Teenagers from Outer Space though combines all the lousy elements from any movie you care to mention, but its merger of all elements presents to the viewers a movie not only devoid of all talent, but one that is also dull & boring.

A special mention should be made about the guy who plays "Thor", I pray he became a pig farmer. That is the only way he could create more ham than what he dished up in this movie.

And Then There Were None (1945)

Old time movie storytelling

[10/10 · 18 February 2004]

The old craft of creating a movie is on display here, in all of its finery.

Setting the location Introducing the characters Announce the plot & set it in motion Build tension, creating anxiety then fear Move the characters into desperate actions, cast accusations & infusing distrust Come to a conclusion, make the answer seem obvious Twist the outcome, giving a surprise in showing off the truth Ending with a back-flip, a trick in the twist of the tale

No aliens popping out of chests here, no robots with a licence to kill, not even a light sabre drawn into a scene, this is a very good movie that is mature enough not to need gimmicks.

All done without computers, movie craftsmen showing off all of their talents, giving the public a movie worth seeing, and even more, worth thinking about.

Once Before I Die (1966)

Another "horrible" movie, so bad it's fun to watch? NO WAY.

[1/10 · 7 March 2003]

It almost defies belief that a movie can be as bad as this one, without it being fun to watch, like any number of Ed Wood films.

Put this DVD on if you have unwanted guests, and watch them exit your house, rushing to depart to save whatever sanity they have left.

A rotten, lousy waste of time.

Earth vs. the Flying Saucers (1956)

I love this movie

[7 March 2003]

Sure, it's full of faults.

sure, it has some lousy acting.

sure, it's a one idea film.

sure, some of the dialogue is too stupid for words.

None of that matters, sit in front of the TV, turn off the brain, start drinking a smooth Malt Scotch, and be entertained by a cult classic that never tries to be more than the sum of its entirety

We Dive at Dawn (1943)

Tight, taut drama, not for the movie goer who cannot think

[10/10 · 6 March 2003]

This movie is all about reality, submarine warfare in WW2 was not a clean precise science. There were no computers giving exact enemy details, there was no precise instrumentation to 100% control the sub. Not all the crew went to fight with a song in their heart, and a smile on their dial.

People with expectations of seeing a "pretty war" in this movie will be grossly disappointed, .............. GOOD, they deserve to be disappointed, they deserve to have reality shoved into their face.

War is not clean, exact, fought by people about to break into song. It is endured by scared, cold/burnt, hungry, desperate people willing to do anything to survive.

"We Dive at Dawn" is a fine example portraying a desperate situation needing desperate actions.