Any serving combat soldier or veteran would find this entire film an exercise in Hollywood nonsense. The portrayal of an American Army platoon, stranded behind enemy lines, wrings drama from every stereotype in the genre. The unflinching leader, an unnerved noncom, a naive, slow witted youth are joined by an insubordinate sergeant and his nonverbal, concussed commanding officer. Taken as a whole, a troop of Cub Scouts would display more discipline and combat savvy than this group. Eventually face to face with the enemy, a carefully devised plan of attack is thwarted by the same silliness that marks every aspect of this film. Redemption is found, at least in this script, by piling trope on trope. Revenge is the order of the day. Heroism and American manhood are salvaged through self sacrifice and a handy flame thrower. Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray p!ay Robert Ryan and Aldo Ray, set to a decent Elmer Bernstein score. Any assertion that this movie is some kind of classic is sophistry at its worst. Before its release, the US Army, withdrew support for this film, claiming that it portrayed officers and noncoms in an unfavorable light. They were being kind in their criticism as the incompetent stumblebums representing American soldiers, are an insult to everyone who has ever served their country.
Reviews
7 Reviews
Grand Tour: Disaster in Time
(1991)
Very Suspenseful
1 May 2024
A lot of movie with a limited budget, it gets every cent worth from a tight script and a stellar performance from Jeff Daniels. An updated story based on a scifi fanzine tale from the 1940s, this one rips right along, belying the bucolic, small town setting. The direction and performances, do credit to the brilliant script which goes from zero to sixty for our hero (Daniels), while those around him are held in purposeful ignorance of impending danger. If I have any problem with this film, it's with whichever producer's nephew, that decided to incorporate a spoiler in the film's title. If I only I could go back in time...
The Eagle Has Landed
(1976)
Like It or Nazi
27 April 2024
A muddled little adventure that attempts to generate suspense with every, lazy trope in the war genre. Besides the obvious use of convenient inattention, (a captured, British patrol boat manned by leather-clad Germans that slowly travels up meandering, English rivers without notice), this movie is a monument to miscasting. Brilliant actor, Robert Duvall, plays an out of favor, Nazi officer, without any pretense of an accent but with all the grim resignation of a doomed Teuton. As a matter of fact, British actors, Donald Plesense and Michael Caine, among others, carry on, unburdened by adopted inflections. The only cast member who attempts a speech characterization is Donald Sutherland, whose Irish lilt comes and goes like dandelions in a May tornado. Caine brings all the earnest bearing of an upper class Lord at a manor house tea party, as a likewise, disgraced SS flunky. Duvall and Caine are given an unlikely path to redemption by accomplishing a hare-brained plan to kidnap Winston Churchill, aided by disgruntled Irish Rebel Sutherland. The most entertaining bit in this pot boiler, is Plesence's demented portrayal of Heimlich Himmler. As most cloak and dagger films go, this is far from the worst. The biggest problem here, is the convoluted plot, thrown at the audience like so much cold, cabbage soup. At first startling, it soon becomes just a big mess.
Experiment Perilous
(1944)
Masterful Suspense
15 March 2024
The most important element of this film is never seen or mentioned. Jacques Tourneur exercises his full repertoire of suspense building direction by interlacing the mundane with the extraordinary. Brent is perfectly cast as the level headed doctor who is inextricably drawn into a gothic tale of suspicion, death and madness. Paul Lukas brings a somewhat, off-kilter approach to the role of the concerned husband. Initially evoking sympathy but glib to the point of calculation, his motives are murky. Heddy Lamar graces the screen with her beauty but doesn't distinguish her character, which could have been played by a dozen other actresses just as ably. This, perhaps is Tourneur's only shortcoming. Comparisons to 'Gaslight' will be inevitable, but the introduction of so many moving pieces qualifies it as a classic whodunnit. The cast is rounded out by fine character actors Albert Dekker and Margaret Wycherly. The gathering gloom of the social decline of the Bedereaux family leading to their deepening isolation is drawn to a keen edge by Warren Duff's deft screenplay. Tourneur, as he often does, leads us into a miasma and rewards us with a gem.
Living on Velvet
(1935)
Relic
15 March 2024
At it's core, this is just a typical parlor drama of the thirties. All of the voyeuristic fantasy of the wealthy classes is on display for the masses. Largesse and a total lack of want or fear of it, pervades the film from start to finish. Even the disasters revolve around the objects of the very rich; personal airplanes, big automobiles, etc. George Brent plays George Brent and does it well. Kaye Francis emotes all over the place but does manage to come off as self deprecating with a wink, wink scene in which she makes fun of her famous speech impediment. Warren Williams spends much of the film, wearing a hang dog expression as the unrequited beau of Francis and Brent's noble pal. Combined with an illogical plot and eye rolling dialogue 'Velvet' is another great depression, studio artifact notable for only the curious, era psychology of it's target audience.
From the Depths
(2020)
Gawdawful
13 March 2024
A preposterous mash up of Incident at Owl Creek Bridge, An American Werewolf in London and a classic SNL skit. Amateur acting is no match when pitted against a sophomoric script that features a therapist who seems more enthralled than alarmed by her patient having auditory and visual hallucinations. Bargain basement special effects, combined with somewhat better than it deserves makeup application does nothing to forgive the, "I saw this coming from the opening credits" ending. Pedestrian, or rather tricycle, direction completes this sorry mess and you have background noise while you do jigsaw puzzles.
World War 2: Day by Day
(2017– )
A good effort ruined.
14 September 2021
One has to admire the labor that went into the compilation, research and editing of this documentary. Unfortunately, to anyone familiar with the history of WWII, it is rendered almost unwatchable by the amateur narration. The precious and deliberate pronunciation of every syllable creates an effect not unlike a robo-call while the uniformed speaker mispronounces character and place names like Vichy, Jodl, and, get ready, Potomac. I say Po-toh-mek and you say Pot-oh-mac. Let's call the whole thing off!
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