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The Blue Max (1966) Directed by John Guillermin

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 6:03 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 15 May 2009)

There aren't an awful lot of WW I movies to watch out there and there certainly are very little WW I flick that is about its aerial battles. In that regard this movie is already a quite original one that is worth watching for its concept alone already. Movies featuring aerial battles are often surprisingly great and fascinating ones and makes you wonder why so few movies got made about it.

This movie is by no means a great or flawless one but the movie still certainly has an epic feel over it, with its story, settings and battle sequences. It makes this movie still more than a great watch. It's certainly a movie that deserves to be better known.

Of course the movie deserves most praise for its battle sequences in the air, that are shot extremely well. The planes and weaponry are so terribly old fashioned all but it doesn't make it any less exciting to watch, thanks due to the professional way it is being brought to the screen. For those particular sequences they used experienced (stunt)pilots and mostly authentic planes. Besides its battles in the air, the movie also features some surprisingly big and good looking battle sequences fought on the ground.

The movie also gets its great look from its dynamic camera-work by Douglas Slocombe and the movie its musical score composed by Jerry Goldsmith uplifts the movie as well at times.

The movie begins mostly well and exciting but about halve way through it starts to drag when the movie decides to focus more on the drama aspects, also with it characters. The movie of course also decides to throw in a love-story and the movie just overall becomes a tad bit less interesting and less exciting to watch, especially its middle part. The movie is also quite long with its 156 minutes of running time. This all is of course quite suiting for an 'epic' movie and it also helps to give the movie its epic feel and look but you also have the feeling that the executing could had been better at times. This movie basically had everything in it to become and classic epic but in the end it's nothing more than simply a very good and entertaining movie to watch. Perhaps a different director could had done something more and better with its material.

The movie features George Peppard in the main lead from the days when he was still a big star. You could say that at the time of this movie he was at his prime. next to him, the movie also stars big name actors such as James Mason and Ursula Andress. Especially Andress shines in her role.

Despite its lesser parts this movie foremost really remains a god and perfectly watchable one, that also deserves to be seen and known by more people from all over the world. Seems like a real waste to me that this movie isn't any better known yet.

7/10

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Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) Directed by Jimmy T. Murakami & Roger Corman

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 3:42 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 14 December 2007)

The movie has got some of the worst storytelling I've experienced in a long while. Scene's rapidly follow each other, without often feeling an obvious connection. It's a very disjointed movie, in which some sequence, mostly the action one's, happen without no apparent reason. It makes this one of those annoying hard to watch movies, that is not because of its intelligence or well layered and constructed story. Unfortunately the movie gets only worse as it progresses.

It uses the exact same plot and characters as Akira Kurosawa's "Shichinin no samurai", which is of course fine on its own, since it's also something "The Magnificent Seven" did but it also heavily 'borrows' from other movies such as "Star Wars ", "Superman", "Alien" and the "Star Trek" franchise. In other words every other popular genre piece released before at that time and without any shame. Also especially annoying how the movie uses the same sounds effects as in those previous mentioned movies. For instance, hear Darth Vader's breathing as a door opens...ridicules. It could had worked as this movie was supposed to be a spoof, which it isn't.

Yes the movie is supposed to be comical and has humorous moments, characters and dialogs at times. It helps to give the movie a certain camp and cheesy entertaining value.

The action is a complete bore within this movie, mostly because halve of the time you don't know what is going on and who is fighting who, plus it's all done extremely formulaic and standard. Nothing spectacular or groundbreaking happens ever in this movie.

The special-effects are pretty dodgy looking in the movie (directed by James Cameron by the way). But no, perhaps not as bad as you would expect from a B-movie. Fairly much the same goes for the sets and costumes. Through some of the make-up effects and clothing are hilariously bad. There's a weird bunch of character in this movie!

Perhaps the greatest and only real good thing about this movie is the fine and rather well known musical score by James Horner. Guess this movie also was the reason why he got the "Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan" job, which is still one of his best and most appreciated works.

Pretty amazing how many well known actors agreed to be in this movie, also especially when considering producer's's Roger Corman's notorious reputation in B and some even Z-grade movies. But in that regard this one perhaps isn't even among his worst movies. Robert Vaughn, George Peppard and Sam Jaffe were no small time actors, although admittedly it's true that their careers were already declining at the time. Jaffe was almost 90 while starring in this movie!

The storytelling makes this absolutely one of the worst genre movie you'll ever see! Two big fat thumbs down for this one.

2/10

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Home from the Hill (1960) Directed by Vincente Minnelli

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 12:26 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , , ,



(Review originally written at 16 July 2007)

 This is a well made typical genre movie that features some solid emotions and characters and offers some well written plot elements.

 It's a coming of age movie but it also is a (melodramatic) family drama. These type of movies really had been popular in the past and most of them also are really great ones to watch. Too bad they just don't make movies such as these anymore. This movie might not be the best in its genre but it has more than anything other elements in it to compensate for this.

 One of them most definitely is the cast. Robert Mitchum once again gives away one fine performance. The movie also features a great and still young looking George Hamilton and George Peppard, though Mitchum on the other hand still looks the way he did 20 years before this movie.

 The movie handles all of the genre elements really well and know to bring it in a good and original way. Definitely a surprising movie from Vincente Minnelli, who got his fame for directing other type of- and less serious movies. I especially like the way George Hamilton's character gets developed and changes throughout the movie, from a mothers-child to a real adult. It was also great how they handled the Robert Mitchum character. They make him not-likable but at the same time also intriguing and interesting enough to not hate him. It's sort of too bad that they made the mistake to let his character slowly disappear out of the movie for most of the last third of the movie, while he starts off as the main character. The movie does a good job at portraying the relationships between the characters, which is an essential part for movies such as these.

 Despite the fact that the movie its story definitely has soap-opera like dramatic developments in it, you still get drawn in to it, which is I think due to the interesting characters and actors that portray them. It keeps the movie real.

 The movie is set in the South of the United States, which gives the movie that special kind of- and warm atmosphere. Its sets, costumes and props all add to this. The time period the movie is set in also definitely benefits the movie. The movie also has a surprising good and likable musical score, by Bronislau Kaper.

 Worth seeing if you get the chance to.

 8/10

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Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961) Directed by Blake Edwards

Posted by: Frank Veenstra Posted date: 1:30 PM / comment : 0 , , , , , , , , ,





(Review originally written at 21 October 2006)

This has to be one of the most charming and likable romantic movies ever made till date, with a perfectly charming, mood-setting and recognizable Henry Mancini Oscar winning musical score and theme song, that perhaps is even better known than the actual movie itself.

The movie is perhaps more of a romantic comedy than an actual romantic movie. Its fun and humor is not in its comical situations but more in its little subtle fun moments and delightful quirky characters that are all each in their own way unique.

What makes really "Breakfast at Tiffany's" such a great genre movie, even for the non-fans of the genre (like myself), are it's charming and also unusual fun characters. Audrey Hepburn is charmingly delightful in her role and she is the main reason why this movie works so great as a charming one. The rest of the movie is filled with some delicious stereotypes that are so obviously caricatures that you can't take them serious. Best example of this is of course Mickey Rooney (under lots of- and silly looking make-up) in a crazy role as the always complaining Japanese upstairs neighbor. The characters are perhaps the main reason why this movie is such a charming one and a real pleasure to watch. It makes this movie also not as heavy as other genre movies, although there of course is still plenty of drama going on.

The story is solidly written and shows also some of the great and unique elements of love. The movie shows how great love is by just doing little things. The best example of this is Holly Golightly and Paul 'Fred' Varjak doing things together they never have done before. Simple things, such as going to a library, taking a walk together through the city in the morning or stealing a small item from a shop. It shows that it mostly are the simple things that make love such a great thing. It also shows that love is about wanting to help each other and making each others life better. The dialog is also very well written and is also really one of the reasons why this movie is so much better than the average genre movie. The Truman Capote touch, of who's book of the same title this movie is based, is certainly notable in this movie with its characters, dialog and situations.

Not everything however works fully out, especially the typical 'book-story-like' subplots and some other quirky unusual moments. But it's of course also due to the fact that some elements in this movie are by todays standards terribly outdated, that some things in this movie might come across as unusual and quirky.

If I had to name one reason why you should watch this movie I would say; Audrey Hepburn. She is such a delight to watch in this movie. She is absolutely beautiful, charming and yet at the same time naive looking. She gives the movie some real class. Often just her looks and facial gestures are enough to make a sequence work and they say more than a thousand words. This is the role she will always be remembered for and for a very good reason.

The entire movie is perfectly directed by Blake Edwards, before he got real fame as the director of the Pink Panter movies. He knows how to create the right mood and atmosphere for this movie and also creates a perfect balances between the comedy and romantic elements of the movie.

One of the most charming movies ever made. A real movie to fall in love with!

9/10

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