Happy Father's Day to all you dads out there! We had a nice little family get together and barbeque last night to celebrate for a couple of us dads. It was a warm, beautiful evening (about time around here in what has been a very cool and wet late spring).
Friday night we took the kids to see Nim's Island, which they and Karie really liked. I found it rather predictable but that's just me. I'll put together my thoughts about it and some point. Karie is threatening to take me to see Iron Man sometime today. I've heard nothing but positives about this movie and am anxious to see it.
Enjoy your weekend!
cinemalover: Confessions of a Video Junkie
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cinemalover
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cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Well, Karie did take me to see Iron Man today as part of a very pleasant Father's Day. All I can say about it is "WOW!"
I went in with high expectations due to all the good word of mouth I'd heard from reliable sources, that said, the movie EXCEEDED my hopes. It was a nearly flawless superhero tale. I need a day or so to absorb and process my thoughts on it, but it was one of the best movie experiences I've had in recent memory. You won't have to like superheroes to love this film.
I went in with high expectations due to all the good word of mouth I'd heard from reliable sources, that said, the movie EXCEEDED my hopes. It was a nearly flawless superhero tale. I need a day or so to absorb and process my thoughts on it, but it was one of the best movie experiences I've had in recent memory. You won't have to like superheroes to love this film.
Chris
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
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cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Fellowship of the Frog #518
Here is a film from The Edgar Wallace Collection Volume I. (Which also includes The Mad Executioners)
Date watched: 6/9/2008
Title: The Fellowship of the Frog (Face of the Frog/Der Frosch mit der Maske) Made: 1959
Genre: Krimi Studio: Rialto Film/Preben Philipsen Productions
Format: DVD Extras—FS, Dubbed.
Number of times viewed: First
Director: Harald Reinl
Stars:
Joachim Fuchsberger—Richard Gordon
Eva Anthes—Ella Bennet
Jochen Brockmann—Harry Lime/Philo Johnson
Karl Lange—John Bennet
Dieter Eppler—Josua Broad
Eva Pflug—Lolita
Walter Wilz—Ray Bennet/Bill Carter
Fritz Rasp—Ezra Maitland
Erwin Strahl—Sgt. Barclay aka Number 7
Eddi Arent—James
Ulrich Beiger—Everett
Siegfried Lowitz—Inspector Elk
And The Frog
Music—Willy Mattes
Tagline: Es ist unmoglich von Edgar Wallace nicht gefesselt zu sein.
Based on the novel of the same name by Edgar Wallace.
After absolutely loving the uncharacteristic approach of the first film of this double feature (The Mad Executioners) I had high hopes for this one. While it is still very entertaining, it never reaches the unique levels of the first film. This was the first of a series of movies based on the novels of Edgar Wallace which proceeded to get more bizarre and racy which each output.
The film opens with a wealthy home in the process of being burgled by the masked villain the Frog (who wears a hideous frog-head mask which must have been truly uncomfortable) and his gang. They are using a torch to cut into the wall safe to empty its contents. The Frog then leaves the symbol of the frog right on the safe door to tell authorities that he was there and flaunt it in their faces.
The Frog isn’t some petty ante crook, he runs a professional crime organization and his minions number more than 300. They are actively recruiting more members into their crooked organization. K297 is the number assigned to the most recent recruit after he is scarred with the mark of the Frog on his forearm. K297 is getting his orientation and details of his first assignment from the head toad himself when his mood takes a distinct swing. He pulls out a gun that was hidden under his shirt and announces, “Hands up! I’m Inspector Higgins of Scotland Yard! The jig is up!”
The Frog doesn’t panic nor seem even slightly startled. He calmly flips a switch on the wall which activates jets of poisonous gas to shoot up in the Inspector’s face. He falls instantly to the ground, dead.
Scotland Yard finds Inspector Higgin’s body in a barren field on the outskirts of London. While the police have the area roped off to secure the investigation an American, Richard Gordon (Fuchsberger), pulls right up to the scene in his little sports car. He apparently has some pull with Scotland Yard because they allow his access to the crime scene. Apparently his powers of observation are keener than the officers present as he spots a set of footprints that lead away from the body. Gordon follows the footprints and they lead him to the Bennet residence. There he meets the family daughter, Ella (Anthes), whom he walks through the yard with while carrying on a conversation. A man emerges from the woods , launching a knife at Gordon’s head. It whizzes past his face, lodging in a nearby tree. Gordon chases the man down, having dodged another knife before tackling him and taking him into custody. The man has the sign of the Frog on his forearm and doesn’t seem to be concerned when he’s locked in a jail cell. He brags that “Number 7” will soon set him free. No one has any idea who or what he’s talking about.
That night Ella Bennet receives an unwanted visit from the Frog in her bedroom. The Frog warns her that he will be coming for her soon and that she will ask him to. Very creepy and Ella is rightly terrified. In the morning she thinks she may have dreamed the entire incident, but then sees the mark of the Frog on her dresser.
Gordon is wealthy and is served by his gentleman’s gentleman James (Arent). Gordon is one of those idle rich who like to turn their attention to amateur sleuthing for a little excitement in their lives. He has determined to solve the identity of the Frog and help bring about the downfall of his organization. His investigations lead him to the name of Harry Lime (Brockmann), an ace criminal who is supposedly dead. His skill-set would match up nicely with the Frog’s known attributes. Gordon wonders if Harry Lime is still among the living and under a new guise, one with a reptilian disposition.
The Bennet clan, which includes the father, John Bennet (Lange), daughter Ella and son Ray (Wilz) is somehow mixed in the middle of this mystery, but Gordon can’t figure how. Young Ray accepts an invitation to the Lolita Club to meet Lolita (Pflug), the beautiful singer at the club. After she performs Ray is invited backstage to her dressing room. We see her posing in preparation of his visit and it’s obvious that she’s up to something. She flashes enough leg at him to get his hormones racing and affect his judgment. She offers him a job helping her out, which he quickly accepts without really knowing what it will involve.
While Ray is backstage, Inspector Elk (Lowitz) from Scotland Yard has appeared in the club. He is snooping around following some of his own leads in the case. It’s obvious that this club is connected to some illegal activities but Inspector Elk finds nothing specifically. Neither the Inspector’s work or Gordon’s investigations have had any impact on slowing down the Frog and his activities. When one of the Frog’s men is arrested during a burglary the Frog arranges an “accident” while he is in the back of a paddy wagon, headed to jail. The accident injures an officer but it kills the Frog’s employee, which was the Frog’s intent.
With a complete lack of progress towards catching the Frog the police settle on inserting one of their men, disguised as a prisoner, in the same cell as the knife thrower. They hope to get him to slip up and give them a clue to catch the Frog. The Frog’s men seem to realize that their lives are at stake if they rat on the Frog and this attempt bears no fruit. Skulking around the exterior of everything that is happening is a man dressed as a blind peddler. He often lifts up his shades revealing fully functioning eyes. It is not apparent what his connection is to the proceedings.
Back at the Lolita Club John Bennet has gone to fetch his son from this disreputable establishment. Mr. Bennet insists that Ray leaves the club and comes home. The two Bennets struggle but Ray sends his father on his way. Ray is so entranced with Lolita that he can’t see straight. Lolita has Ray securely wrapped around her pinky, and she is going to set him up for her employer, the Frog. Ray is the patsy who the frog has blamed for the murder of one of his own men. The Frog plans on having Ray sitting on death row so that he can use that to leverage Ella to willingly come to him for his help with her brother.
This seems like an awful lot of trouble for a super criminal to go to just because he’s got the hots for the beautiful Ella. Gordon is still chasing clues with the help of James. One of the trails he follows gets him too close to the Frog and he and James end up as the bound guests of the Frogster. Ella doesn’t concede to the Frog’s wishes and Ray is headed to the gallows. When he is walked up to the noose he discovers the reason why his father was always so mysterious about his profession. John Bennet is London’s official hangman, known affectionately as “Old Ben”. Can this father follow through and hang his own son? Will Gordon and James survive3 to feast on frog’ legs? Will anyone really figure out what this extremely convoluted plot is about?
There are so many suspicious characters and so few linear clues. Fuchsberger and Arent as Gordon and James make for quite the dynamic duo, but logic gets lost in the shuffle. Why is the Frog so desperate to possess Ella, and especially why does it have to be “of her own free will”? The Frog is a fascinating and absolutely ruthless as a villain. There is enough intriguing stuff going on all the time that I never got bored, I just felt like I was missing a few vital clues along the way.
The plot is not always comprehensive-friendly, but one of the faults in that may lay in a lack of translation. At one point a series of newspaper headlines are flashed on screen to advance the plot, but they are in German and are not sub-titled (a really dumb choice, the rest of the film is dubbed into English so why would that audience be expected to read German?).
The score is often very pronounce, overriding the action on screen. At times it can be very distracting, at others it seems to fit the mood perfectly. The print was fullscreen and suffered some minor print damage, this made for a less than perfect experience, but didn’t interrupt the journey.
5* (out of 10) Unique story with a fantastic villain and interesting hero, the dots just don’t always seem to connect.
Date watched: 6/9/2008
Title: The Fellowship of the Frog (Face of the Frog/Der Frosch mit der Maske) Made: 1959
Genre: Krimi Studio: Rialto Film/Preben Philipsen Productions
Format: DVD Extras—FS, Dubbed.
Number of times viewed: First
Director: Harald Reinl
Stars:
Joachim Fuchsberger—Richard Gordon
Eva Anthes—Ella Bennet
Jochen Brockmann—Harry Lime/Philo Johnson
Karl Lange—John Bennet
Dieter Eppler—Josua Broad
Eva Pflug—Lolita
Walter Wilz—Ray Bennet/Bill Carter
Fritz Rasp—Ezra Maitland
Erwin Strahl—Sgt. Barclay aka Number 7
Eddi Arent—James
Ulrich Beiger—Everett
Siegfried Lowitz—Inspector Elk
And The Frog
Music—Willy Mattes
Tagline: Es ist unmoglich von Edgar Wallace nicht gefesselt zu sein.
Based on the novel of the same name by Edgar Wallace.
After absolutely loving the uncharacteristic approach of the first film of this double feature (The Mad Executioners) I had high hopes for this one. While it is still very entertaining, it never reaches the unique levels of the first film. This was the first of a series of movies based on the novels of Edgar Wallace which proceeded to get more bizarre and racy which each output.
The film opens with a wealthy home in the process of being burgled by the masked villain the Frog (who wears a hideous frog-head mask which must have been truly uncomfortable) and his gang. They are using a torch to cut into the wall safe to empty its contents. The Frog then leaves the symbol of the frog right on the safe door to tell authorities that he was there and flaunt it in their faces.
The Frog isn’t some petty ante crook, he runs a professional crime organization and his minions number more than 300. They are actively recruiting more members into their crooked organization. K297 is the number assigned to the most recent recruit after he is scarred with the mark of the Frog on his forearm. K297 is getting his orientation and details of his first assignment from the head toad himself when his mood takes a distinct swing. He pulls out a gun that was hidden under his shirt and announces, “Hands up! I’m Inspector Higgins of Scotland Yard! The jig is up!”
The Frog doesn’t panic nor seem even slightly startled. He calmly flips a switch on the wall which activates jets of poisonous gas to shoot up in the Inspector’s face. He falls instantly to the ground, dead.
Scotland Yard finds Inspector Higgin’s body in a barren field on the outskirts of London. While the police have the area roped off to secure the investigation an American, Richard Gordon (Fuchsberger), pulls right up to the scene in his little sports car. He apparently has some pull with Scotland Yard because they allow his access to the crime scene. Apparently his powers of observation are keener than the officers present as he spots a set of footprints that lead away from the body. Gordon follows the footprints and they lead him to the Bennet residence. There he meets the family daughter, Ella (Anthes), whom he walks through the yard with while carrying on a conversation. A man emerges from the woods , launching a knife at Gordon’s head. It whizzes past his face, lodging in a nearby tree. Gordon chases the man down, having dodged another knife before tackling him and taking him into custody. The man has the sign of the Frog on his forearm and doesn’t seem to be concerned when he’s locked in a jail cell. He brags that “Number 7” will soon set him free. No one has any idea who or what he’s talking about.
That night Ella Bennet receives an unwanted visit from the Frog in her bedroom. The Frog warns her that he will be coming for her soon and that she will ask him to. Very creepy and Ella is rightly terrified. In the morning she thinks she may have dreamed the entire incident, but then sees the mark of the Frog on her dresser.
Gordon is wealthy and is served by his gentleman’s gentleman James (Arent). Gordon is one of those idle rich who like to turn their attention to amateur sleuthing for a little excitement in their lives. He has determined to solve the identity of the Frog and help bring about the downfall of his organization. His investigations lead him to the name of Harry Lime (Brockmann), an ace criminal who is supposedly dead. His skill-set would match up nicely with the Frog’s known attributes. Gordon wonders if Harry Lime is still among the living and under a new guise, one with a reptilian disposition.
The Bennet clan, which includes the father, John Bennet (Lange), daughter Ella and son Ray (Wilz) is somehow mixed in the middle of this mystery, but Gordon can’t figure how. Young Ray accepts an invitation to the Lolita Club to meet Lolita (Pflug), the beautiful singer at the club. After she performs Ray is invited backstage to her dressing room. We see her posing in preparation of his visit and it’s obvious that she’s up to something. She flashes enough leg at him to get his hormones racing and affect his judgment. She offers him a job helping her out, which he quickly accepts without really knowing what it will involve.
While Ray is backstage, Inspector Elk (Lowitz) from Scotland Yard has appeared in the club. He is snooping around following some of his own leads in the case. It’s obvious that this club is connected to some illegal activities but Inspector Elk finds nothing specifically. Neither the Inspector’s work or Gordon’s investigations have had any impact on slowing down the Frog and his activities. When one of the Frog’s men is arrested during a burglary the Frog arranges an “accident” while he is in the back of a paddy wagon, headed to jail. The accident injures an officer but it kills the Frog’s employee, which was the Frog’s intent.
With a complete lack of progress towards catching the Frog the police settle on inserting one of their men, disguised as a prisoner, in the same cell as the knife thrower. They hope to get him to slip up and give them a clue to catch the Frog. The Frog’s men seem to realize that their lives are at stake if they rat on the Frog and this attempt bears no fruit. Skulking around the exterior of everything that is happening is a man dressed as a blind peddler. He often lifts up his shades revealing fully functioning eyes. It is not apparent what his connection is to the proceedings.
Back at the Lolita Club John Bennet has gone to fetch his son from this disreputable establishment. Mr. Bennet insists that Ray leaves the club and comes home. The two Bennets struggle but Ray sends his father on his way. Ray is so entranced with Lolita that he can’t see straight. Lolita has Ray securely wrapped around her pinky, and she is going to set him up for her employer, the Frog. Ray is the patsy who the frog has blamed for the murder of one of his own men. The Frog plans on having Ray sitting on death row so that he can use that to leverage Ella to willingly come to him for his help with her brother.
This seems like an awful lot of trouble for a super criminal to go to just because he’s got the hots for the beautiful Ella. Gordon is still chasing clues with the help of James. One of the trails he follows gets him too close to the Frog and he and James end up as the bound guests of the Frogster. Ella doesn’t concede to the Frog’s wishes and Ray is headed to the gallows. When he is walked up to the noose he discovers the reason why his father was always so mysterious about his profession. John Bennet is London’s official hangman, known affectionately as “Old Ben”. Can this father follow through and hang his own son? Will Gordon and James survive3 to feast on frog’ legs? Will anyone really figure out what this extremely convoluted plot is about?
There are so many suspicious characters and so few linear clues. Fuchsberger and Arent as Gordon and James make for quite the dynamic duo, but logic gets lost in the shuffle. Why is the Frog so desperate to possess Ella, and especially why does it have to be “of her own free will”? The Frog is a fascinating and absolutely ruthless as a villain. There is enough intriguing stuff going on all the time that I never got bored, I just felt like I was missing a few vital clues along the way.
The plot is not always comprehensive-friendly, but one of the faults in that may lay in a lack of translation. At one point a series of newspaper headlines are flashed on screen to advance the plot, but they are in German and are not sub-titled (a really dumb choice, the rest of the film is dubbed into English so why would that audience be expected to read German?).
The score is often very pronounce, overriding the action on screen. At times it can be very distracting, at others it seems to fit the mood perfectly. The print was fullscreen and suffered some minor print damage, this made for a less than perfect experience, but didn’t interrupt the journey.
5* (out of 10) Unique story with a fantastic villain and interesting hero, the dots just don’t always seem to connect.
Chris
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
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cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Iron Man #519
A Father’s Day gift for me, a trip to see Iron Man….
Date watched: 6/15/2008
Title: Iron Man Made: 2008
Genre: Superhero Action Studio: Marvel Studios/ Paramount Pictures
Format: Big Screen Extras—Popcorn and Junior Mints w/ a Diet Coke (oink oink)
Number of times viewed: First
Director: Joe Roth
Stars:
Robert Downey Jr.—Tony Stark/Iron Man
Terrence Howard—Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes
Jeff Bridges—Jebidiah Stane/ Iron Monger
Gwyneth Paltrow—Pepper Potts
Leslie Bibb—Christine Everhart
Shaun Toub—Yinsen
Faran Tahir—Raza
Sayad Badreya—Abu Bakaar
Bill Smitrovich—General Gabriel
Clark Gregg—Agent Phil Coulson
Tim Guinee—Major Allen
Jon Favreau—Hogan
Stan Lee—a Hugh Hefner lookalike
Score Ramin Djawadi—A dynamic, heroic score that perfectly compliments the action.
Taglines:
Fully Charged!
This summer, heroes aren’t born they’re built.
Iron Man has always been a second, or even third, tier character in the Marvel Comic Universe that is dominated by the likes of Spiderman, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men and many, many more. That fact, combined with Jon Favreau as the director of choice, whose resume (Made, Elf, Zathura) in no way suggested that he was prepared to produce a break out hit in the well traveled superhero genre, led my to having zero initial enthusiasm about this film. It wasn’t even a blip on my movie radar. Since its release I have heard nothing but positives about this film from voices that I trust, some of which are very skeptical and hesitant to give a film a big thumbs up. So I went into the theatre with very high expectations, just ripe for a let-down. Not only was I not disappointed, but the film EXCEEDED my wildest hopes. This is a fantastic film that is virtually flawless in what it attempts to do.
The film’s success is closely hinged to the lead personality, Robert Downey Jr. I have always enjoyed his work, and it seems that his personal demons were the only thing holding down his rising star. Very few movies have been so dependent on one personality to set the tone and mood of the character as this one does, and Downey hits a home run. His flippant, smart-alecky playboy persona is hilarious and when he has his personal epiphany he is able to maintain the humor (while mostly interacting with machine voices as opposed to live actors) while believably transforming into a heroic entity, willing to sacrifice himself, if necessary.
The story begins with a bang when we are immediately thrown into the action without explanation. Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) is being transported by U.S. soldiers in a Hum Vee caravan somewhere in Afghanistan. At first it seems he is a prisoner, than it becomes apparent that the soldiers are just intimidated by the world famous playboy and weapons designer. He breaks the ice with a few quick jokes and then the soldiers are asking if they can take pictures with him. Boom! One of the Hum Vee’s is hit by a missile and all hell breaks out as they are under attack. Most of the soldiers are dead and Tony is taken prisoner by Afghan terrorists. Apparently Tony was the target of the attack as the group wants him to develop weapons for them. His chest absorbed shrapnel for the explosions which threaten to circulate towards his heart and kill him within days. An electromagnet connected to a car battery is rigged by a fellow engineer/designer who is also a prisoner to keep him alive.
Instead of constructing the missiles that his captors desire Tony secret builds a metal battle suit with a built in arsenal to help him and his new friend escape. It’s not perfect, but considering what he had to work with it does the trick and he manages to get out alive before being found in the desert by U.S. troops. He had been in captivity for three months and is ecstatic to land back on U.S. soil, even though physically he’s still damaged goods. He has learned that these terrorists have possession of multiple Stark Industries weaponry. Someone has obviously been selling his products under the table to the terrorists that are using them against the U.S. forces that they were designed to protect. When he lands he is greeted by his personal assistant Pepper Potts (Paltrow).
Once in his familiar limo (Jon Favreau, the director, has a small part as Hogan, the chauffeur) Pepper begins her mother act.
Pepper, “Tony, you have to go to the hospital. The doctor has to look at you!”
Tony, “I don’t have to do anything. I’ve been in captivity for three months . There are two things I want to do. One, I want an American cheeseburger. And the other…” (Eyeing the curvaceous Pepper’s body)
Pepper, “That’s not going to happen.”
Tony, “…is not what you think. I want to call a press conference.”
Tony, without consulting with Obadiah Stane (Bridges) his business partner, announces that he has seen the abuse of his weapons and that Stark Industries is no longer going to participate in the weapons business. Stane tries to downplay Tony’s statement, inferring that his captivity has worn him down. But the damage is down as Stark stock plummets. This sets up the tension between the partners that have obvious different priorities and this will lead to an epic clash.
Tony, while is own company is attempting to have him barred from the decision making process, chooses to concentrate on his own project. The creation of a new “Iron Man” suit of armor to be used to correct the wrongs that his weapons in the wrong hands have done. In the past his attitude was best represented by his speech to the military upon delivering a new missile system, “Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both?” As the demo is exploding behind him. Now, he is a changed man as he fights for righting the wrongs he has unintentionally participated in.
The series of him building and testing various pieces of his armor is fabulous. It’s just him and his computer generated personality, Jarvis, to help him and supply exposition as they prepare for the future. He also has a robotic arm that helps build the units. Tony continually tests the jets and repulsor rays of the suit, usually to disastrous results as he is pummeled into the cement walls and ceilings multiple times. Then Tony has to scold the robotic help for “extinguishing” him even though he’s not on fire.
This will all lead up to a huge fight between Iron Man and a rival armored warrior made more suspenseful by Iron Man’s power cell failing. Great action and special effects doled out in just the right proportions. On more than one occasion the audience was raucously cheering on the action.
Then, just to complicate matters, in a press conference to explain the sudden appearance of these metallic warriors Tony decides to share, “The truth is…I AM Iron Man.”
The film runs 126 minutes, but it flew by so quickly that I never would have guessed the length. It felt like you were watching a great trailer, because every scene was prime, and it left you hungry for more. There is no dead time in this film. The editor should be nominated for several awards for his (or her) ability to cut the film so that it maintains a flawless flow that forces the audience to fear to reach for the popcorn because they might miss something special. Huge accolades should be heaped upon this under-appreciated position.
The film manages to achieve a perfect balance of character development, humor and action. In a flashback we see Tony’s sarcasm in peak form after he has gotten in a disagreement with his military liaison, James “Rhodey” Rhodes, who tends to be too serious for Tony’s “play first” personality. When Rhodey attempts to jump into Tony’s Hum Vee as is his norm Tony redirects him, “I’m sorry. This is the Fun Vee. The Hum-Drum Vee is back there!”
The character of Iron Man was created in 1963 in the midst of the Cold War to keep Communists at bay. The motif has been smoothly updated to fighting terrorists in Afghanistan and those who arm them on our shores. The update perfectly captures the ambiance and feel of the comic books and the minor liberties that have been taken with the source material in adapting to the big screen only seem to improve the overall scheme.
One decision that was made that really helps the film was the inclusion of the Jarvis computer personality within the Iron Man armor. This allows the director to continually show Downey’s face and voice as he’s talking to Jarvis to make the various armor supplements come to life. This means that when Iron man goes into action we are not just watching CG animatons, we are seeing the real actor in action. This gives the film a more personal feeling and further brands the film as Downey’s shining moment.
The clues are all in place to set up the sequels (all the stars are signed for two sequels, the first of which is planned for an April 30, 2010 release). Rhodey is seen eyeing the spare Iron Man suit saying “next time”, referring to the fact that he will become the second Iron Man. The secret organization of S.H.I.E.L.D. is introduced to play a larger part in the future. Interestingly, the letters have been reassigned from their comic book origins. In the comics S.H.I.E.L.D. stood for Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division, in its current incarnation it stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention and Logistics Division. I had read that Samuel L. Jackson had one quick line in the film as Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., but I must have blinked at the wrong time, because I sure didn’t see him. The score was also just right throughout the film. Filled with sweeping, heroic moments.
This was also Marvel’s first self-financed film as they have decided to take more control of their character’s movie ventures. If future films are even a fraction this good than this will be a treat for fans. They will be producing an Iron Man sequel, a Wolverine spin-off from the X-Men series, a Thor adaptation, an Avengers film (which would include Iron Man and the Hulk) and even Captain America. I’ve always wanted to see a Captain America film set in WWII when he was created as a super soldier to fight the Nazis. In that setting, with “Saving Private Ryan” realism, I think it would make a spectacular film.
Karie-meter 9* (out of 10) Robert Downey Jr. was incredible!
9* (out of 10) I can’t say enough about this film. Karie and I were talking about it for the rest of the day. Outstanding!
Date watched: 6/15/2008
Title: Iron Man Made: 2008
Genre: Superhero Action Studio: Marvel Studios/ Paramount Pictures
Format: Big Screen Extras—Popcorn and Junior Mints w/ a Diet Coke (oink oink)
Number of times viewed: First
Director: Joe Roth
Stars:
Robert Downey Jr.—Tony Stark/Iron Man
Terrence Howard—Col. James “Rhodey” Rhodes
Jeff Bridges—Jebidiah Stane/ Iron Monger
Gwyneth Paltrow—Pepper Potts
Leslie Bibb—Christine Everhart
Shaun Toub—Yinsen
Faran Tahir—Raza
Sayad Badreya—Abu Bakaar
Bill Smitrovich—General Gabriel
Clark Gregg—Agent Phil Coulson
Tim Guinee—Major Allen
Jon Favreau—Hogan
Stan Lee—a Hugh Hefner lookalike
Score Ramin Djawadi—A dynamic, heroic score that perfectly compliments the action.
Taglines:
Fully Charged!
This summer, heroes aren’t born they’re built.
Iron Man has always been a second, or even third, tier character in the Marvel Comic Universe that is dominated by the likes of Spiderman, The Fantastic Four, The X-Men and many, many more. That fact, combined with Jon Favreau as the director of choice, whose resume (Made, Elf, Zathura) in no way suggested that he was prepared to produce a break out hit in the well traveled superhero genre, led my to having zero initial enthusiasm about this film. It wasn’t even a blip on my movie radar. Since its release I have heard nothing but positives about this film from voices that I trust, some of which are very skeptical and hesitant to give a film a big thumbs up. So I went into the theatre with very high expectations, just ripe for a let-down. Not only was I not disappointed, but the film EXCEEDED my wildest hopes. This is a fantastic film that is virtually flawless in what it attempts to do.
The film’s success is closely hinged to the lead personality, Robert Downey Jr. I have always enjoyed his work, and it seems that his personal demons were the only thing holding down his rising star. Very few movies have been so dependent on one personality to set the tone and mood of the character as this one does, and Downey hits a home run. His flippant, smart-alecky playboy persona is hilarious and when he has his personal epiphany he is able to maintain the humor (while mostly interacting with machine voices as opposed to live actors) while believably transforming into a heroic entity, willing to sacrifice himself, if necessary.
The story begins with a bang when we are immediately thrown into the action without explanation. Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) is being transported by U.S. soldiers in a Hum Vee caravan somewhere in Afghanistan. At first it seems he is a prisoner, than it becomes apparent that the soldiers are just intimidated by the world famous playboy and weapons designer. He breaks the ice with a few quick jokes and then the soldiers are asking if they can take pictures with him. Boom! One of the Hum Vee’s is hit by a missile and all hell breaks out as they are under attack. Most of the soldiers are dead and Tony is taken prisoner by Afghan terrorists. Apparently Tony was the target of the attack as the group wants him to develop weapons for them. His chest absorbed shrapnel for the explosions which threaten to circulate towards his heart and kill him within days. An electromagnet connected to a car battery is rigged by a fellow engineer/designer who is also a prisoner to keep him alive.
Instead of constructing the missiles that his captors desire Tony secret builds a metal battle suit with a built in arsenal to help him and his new friend escape. It’s not perfect, but considering what he had to work with it does the trick and he manages to get out alive before being found in the desert by U.S. troops. He had been in captivity for three months and is ecstatic to land back on U.S. soil, even though physically he’s still damaged goods. He has learned that these terrorists have possession of multiple Stark Industries weaponry. Someone has obviously been selling his products under the table to the terrorists that are using them against the U.S. forces that they were designed to protect. When he lands he is greeted by his personal assistant Pepper Potts (Paltrow).
Once in his familiar limo (Jon Favreau, the director, has a small part as Hogan, the chauffeur) Pepper begins her mother act.
Pepper, “Tony, you have to go to the hospital. The doctor has to look at you!”
Tony, “I don’t have to do anything. I’ve been in captivity for three months . There are two things I want to do. One, I want an American cheeseburger. And the other…” (Eyeing the curvaceous Pepper’s body)
Pepper, “That’s not going to happen.”
Tony, “…is not what you think. I want to call a press conference.”
Tony, without consulting with Obadiah Stane (Bridges) his business partner, announces that he has seen the abuse of his weapons and that Stark Industries is no longer going to participate in the weapons business. Stane tries to downplay Tony’s statement, inferring that his captivity has worn him down. But the damage is down as Stark stock plummets. This sets up the tension between the partners that have obvious different priorities and this will lead to an epic clash.
Tony, while is own company is attempting to have him barred from the decision making process, chooses to concentrate on his own project. The creation of a new “Iron Man” suit of armor to be used to correct the wrongs that his weapons in the wrong hands have done. In the past his attitude was best represented by his speech to the military upon delivering a new missile system, “Is it better to be feared or respected? I say, is it too much to ask for both?” As the demo is exploding behind him. Now, he is a changed man as he fights for righting the wrongs he has unintentionally participated in.
The series of him building and testing various pieces of his armor is fabulous. It’s just him and his computer generated personality, Jarvis, to help him and supply exposition as they prepare for the future. He also has a robotic arm that helps build the units. Tony continually tests the jets and repulsor rays of the suit, usually to disastrous results as he is pummeled into the cement walls and ceilings multiple times. Then Tony has to scold the robotic help for “extinguishing” him even though he’s not on fire.
This will all lead up to a huge fight between Iron Man and a rival armored warrior made more suspenseful by Iron Man’s power cell failing. Great action and special effects doled out in just the right proportions. On more than one occasion the audience was raucously cheering on the action.
Then, just to complicate matters, in a press conference to explain the sudden appearance of these metallic warriors Tony decides to share, “The truth is…I AM Iron Man.”
The film runs 126 minutes, but it flew by so quickly that I never would have guessed the length. It felt like you were watching a great trailer, because every scene was prime, and it left you hungry for more. There is no dead time in this film. The editor should be nominated for several awards for his (or her) ability to cut the film so that it maintains a flawless flow that forces the audience to fear to reach for the popcorn because they might miss something special. Huge accolades should be heaped upon this under-appreciated position.
The film manages to achieve a perfect balance of character development, humor and action. In a flashback we see Tony’s sarcasm in peak form after he has gotten in a disagreement with his military liaison, James “Rhodey” Rhodes, who tends to be too serious for Tony’s “play first” personality. When Rhodey attempts to jump into Tony’s Hum Vee as is his norm Tony redirects him, “I’m sorry. This is the Fun Vee. The Hum-Drum Vee is back there!”
The character of Iron Man was created in 1963 in the midst of the Cold War to keep Communists at bay. The motif has been smoothly updated to fighting terrorists in Afghanistan and those who arm them on our shores. The update perfectly captures the ambiance and feel of the comic books and the minor liberties that have been taken with the source material in adapting to the big screen only seem to improve the overall scheme.
One decision that was made that really helps the film was the inclusion of the Jarvis computer personality within the Iron Man armor. This allows the director to continually show Downey’s face and voice as he’s talking to Jarvis to make the various armor supplements come to life. This means that when Iron man goes into action we are not just watching CG animatons, we are seeing the real actor in action. This gives the film a more personal feeling and further brands the film as Downey’s shining moment.
The clues are all in place to set up the sequels (all the stars are signed for two sequels, the first of which is planned for an April 30, 2010 release). Rhodey is seen eyeing the spare Iron Man suit saying “next time”, referring to the fact that he will become the second Iron Man. The secret organization of S.H.I.E.L.D. is introduced to play a larger part in the future. Interestingly, the letters have been reassigned from their comic book origins. In the comics S.H.I.E.L.D. stood for Supreme Headquarters International Espionage Law-enforcement Division, in its current incarnation it stands for Strategic Homeland Intervention and Logistics Division. I had read that Samuel L. Jackson had one quick line in the film as Nick Fury, Director of S.H.I.E.L.D., but I must have blinked at the wrong time, because I sure didn’t see him. The score was also just right throughout the film. Filled with sweeping, heroic moments.
This was also Marvel’s first self-financed film as they have decided to take more control of their character’s movie ventures. If future films are even a fraction this good than this will be a treat for fans. They will be producing an Iron Man sequel, a Wolverine spin-off from the X-Men series, a Thor adaptation, an Avengers film (which would include Iron Man and the Hulk) and even Captain America. I’ve always wanted to see a Captain America film set in WWII when he was created as a super soldier to fight the Nazis. In that setting, with “Saving Private Ryan” realism, I think it would make a spectacular film.
Karie-meter 9* (out of 10) Robert Downey Jr. was incredible!
9* (out of 10) I can’t say enough about this film. Karie and I were talking about it for the rest of the day. Outstanding!
Last edited by cinemalover on June 17th, 2008, 9:08 am, edited 2 times in total.
Chris
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
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cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
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cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Tarzan the Tiger #520
The latest in my serial parade is one the of the last films to be released as a silent. Here are the first five of fifteen chapters…
Date watched: 6/9/2008
Title: Tarzan the Tiger Made: 1929
Genre: Serial Studio: Adventure Pictures/Universal
Format: DVD Extras—15 Chapters/None
Number of times viewed: First
Director: Henry MacRae
Stars:
Frank Merrill—Tarzan/Lord Greystoke
Natalie Kingston—Jane
Al Ferguson—Albert Werper
Sheldon Lewis—Achmet Zek
Mademoiselle Kithnou—Queen La of Opar
Paul Panzer—Mohammed By
Clive Morgan—Philip Annersley
From the story “Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar” by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Premise: The story starts right out in Tarzan’s career without stopping to set up his back-story. Presumably he was such a popular character from earlier films, books, pulps and comic strips that they didn’t need to educate their audience as to who he was or how he got to that point. Tarzan and Jane are married and living on the elegant Greystoke Estate in Africa, on the outskirts of the jungle. That’s where the action picks up….
Chapter 1: Call of the Jungle
We see a man in elegant evening attire, sitting in a finely furnished room. The title card introduces our hero, “The Lord of the Manor—known in London as the Earl of Greystoke---and to the jungle as Tarzan the Tiger!”
Lord Greystoke (Merrill) and his beautiful wife, the Lady Jane (Kingston) are entertaining a guest in their expansive home. The guest was previously unknown to them but came to visit introducing himself as Albert Werper (Ferguson), a scientist looking to do some jungle research. He is hoping to impose upon the Greystoke hospitality to help him make some connections on the Dark Continent, to which he is a stranger. Werper isn’t what he pretends to be though. He is really a soldier of fortune with bad intentions in his heart, as will soon be revealed.
The three sit around the hearth in plush leather chairs, discussing some of Tarzan’s legendary past. Tarzan tells the tale of how he crossed paths with Queen La of Opar (Kithnou). In a flashback we are introduced to her highness. The title card tells us, “The High Priestess of the Sun Worhippers---La, who has sworn she will have no other mate than Tarzan!”
Queen La apparently suffered from a bout of uncontrollable lust at first sight when she first spied the manly man, Tarzan. But , when she’s not fantasizing about all the delicious wicked things she’d like to do to Tarzan’s muscular physique, she must attend to the daily duties of a High Priestess, mainly watching her followers tirelessly dance around the campfire and sacrifice the occasional virgin to the Sun Gods. An act which we are about to witness.
La, “Prepare the sacrifice! The Flaming God hath spoken----and his wrath must be appeased!”
A girl is dragged to the alter, protesting all the way while trying to wriggle free. Just as La is about to plunge a knife through the poor girl’s heart Tarzan swings in to break up the party. La, while being upset that her sacrifice schedule has hit a snag, is always glad to see the man-meat called Tarzan.
La, “Tarzan! Thou art mine—and I will follow to the ends of the earth and claim thee!”
This sounds like a jungle stalker to me.
Back to the present Werper excuses him self to bed down for the night but really waits just around the corner to eavesdrop on Tarzan and Jane’s conversation. Tarzan is planning a return trip to Opar but Jane is scared for his safety. She asks him to forego his trip but he insists that he must go.
Jane, “You must give up your search for the Opar gold! It is not worth the dangers that threaten!”
Tarzan, “You forget, dear, that gold is our only means to prevent the sale of our estates in England!"
Jane, “I feel you won’t return! I’m afraid, afraid of La’s threats, afraid for you…alone….amongst your enemies!”
Tarzan, “My duty to my people outweighs all that! I shall leave at nightfall----tomorrow!”
But he also throws in a little reassurance for Jane’s peace of mind, “If I have my enemies, I also have my jungle friends who will welcome me as Tarzan….and fight for me if need be!”
The next morning our attention is directed towards a nearby open market where beautiful slave girls are being auctioned off to a band of less than honorable looking men. The camera zooms in on a hooded man whom a title card introduces.
“Achmet Zek, a nomad chief, against whose traffic in slaves Tarzan has waged relentless war.”
Albert Werper arrives at the market to meet with Achmet. The two are obviously in co-hoots, plotting evil against the Lord of the Jungle.
Achmet, “Tarzan will regret his interference in my raids….when his wife is in my power!”
Achmet is staring at one of the slave girls on the auction block, visualizing her as Jane being sold for his pleasure. The plan calls for Werper to trail Tarzan into the jungle to the gold of Opar while Achmet will lead his mnen against the Greystoke Estate while the master is gone, looting and capturing the Lady Jane.
Tarzan sets out on his journey that evening dressed in his baggy leopard skin and moccasins (which look like house slippers). His head is crowned with a delightful leopard skin headband that nattily compliments his outfit. Werper is lurking in the shadows behind him, staying far enough away so as not to be detected.
Achmet barely waits for Tarzan’s shadow to be gone as he and his men attack the estate, killing servants in the process. Achmet grabs a terrified Jane to do with as he pleases…
Simultaneously Jane’s husband is encountering problems of his own as Numa, the lion, has chosen this moment to attack Tarzan and see who is truly the King of the Jungle. Tarzan fights for his life as Werper spies from afar….
Chapter 2 The Road to Opar
Jane is a captive of the slimy Achmet and she warns him that he’ll be sorry, he’ll have to face the wrath of Tarzan!
Achmet, “I waited to strike until he was beyond recall, deep in the jungle, on the road to Opar!”
Jane, “When he returns he will destroy you, as he would destroy a jungle beast!”
Achmet, "For you there is no escape! You will be one of my wives…”
Or she’ll be sold into slavery. Not much of a choice for poor Jane.
Tarzan is approaching the caves outside of Opar with Werner still sneaking around behind him. Tarzan opens a secret passage that leads into a secret part of the temple where the gold is stashed. As Tarzan is loading stacks of gold bars onto his back to lug back to his estate a terrible simoon (storm) hits the area hard enough to shake the mountain itself. La is outside when the storm hits and calls for a sacrifice to appease the gods and sooth the storm. She spots Werner traipsing around the interior of the temple (while staying out of Tarzan’s view) and orders her warriors to grab him. He’ll make a fine sacrifice.
Back at the open market the storm threatens all the residents, including Jane. Those tents don’t offer much protection as they fly like sails through the sand.
Tarzan is trying to get back to the secret entrance with his gold intact when the ceiling starts to collapse on him. He stumbles on but is then buried as the cove completely fills with debris….
Chapter 3: The Altar of the Flaming God
Tarzan wakes up in the rubble of the cave with his memory completely erased by a blow to his head. He wanders around the caves until he happens upon a chest containing the valuable jewels of Opar. To the clouded mind of Tarzan these are merely “pretty baubles” that he takes a handful of for his own pleasure. His aimless wandering takes him to the corridor leading to La’s altar where Werner is preparing to meet his maker. Tarzan doesn’t remember who Werner is but his presence disrupts the ceremony, saving Werner’s life. Having Tarzan show up out of the blue with his memory impaired is like a dream come true for the love-struck La. She’ll try to manipulate him into believing she is his woman. Tarzan isn’t ready to listen to her right now, and embarks into the jungle with Werner and his “pretty baubles”. Werner catches a glance of the jewels and will be looking for an opportunity to possess them.
Back at the slave market the confusion caused by the storm has allowed Jane the chance to escape as she slips, unarmed, into the dangerous jungle. But taking a chance in the wild is preferable to Achmet’s company.
Werner and Tarzan are making camp while Tarzan scouts ahead. When he returns he finds Taglat (a man in a poor ape suit), Tarzan’s ancient enemy from his pre-Jane days, attacking Werner. Tarzan jumps Taglat and betas him down like a bad habit. Taglat scoots away into the jungle, unhappy about his lot in life.
Tarzan, “Begone Taglat! You are no match for Tarzan the Tiger!” Then Tarzan tells Werner, “I have robbed Taglat of his prey, and he will not rest till he has repaid me in full!”
It’s not long before Taglat has that chance when he sees Jane struggling through the dense jungle. He grabs Jane in his powerful arms, taking her off into the dark jungle.
At Tarzan’s camp he and Werner are preparing to “bed down” for the night. As soon as the Lord of the Jungle is resting in slumberland Werner goes to work. He wants those jewels and knows that he needs Tarzan out of the way to get them. He pulls out his hunting knife and is poised above Tarzan’s sleeping body ready to plunge the knife into it….
Chapter 4: The Vengeance of La!
Tarzan hears a woman’s scream for help and rushes to find Jane in the paws of the aroused Taglat. Tarzan is again victorious against his simian foe. Jane runs to him and throws her arms around him and calling his name. She attempts to kiss him.
Tarzan, “How do you know my name when I never saw you before?!”
Jane (startled), “Don’t look at me so, Tarzan! Surely you know me!”
La, the High Priestess of Opar, has been following Tarzan from her temple since he once again rejected her feelings. La doesn’t deal well with rejection. She sees that Tarzan does not recognize Jane and is elated. She orders her warriors to attack them. The men capture and bind Tarzan while La smiles with glee as she takes Jane herself as captive.
Werner did manage to dig up the jewels that Tarzan had buried to keep them safe, and Tarzan doesn’t know it. Werner has journeyed back to the Greystoke estate to meet with his partner in crime, Achmet. Werner doesn’t share with Achmet the fact that he has the jewels, but he does tell him about the stash of gold in the Opar caves. Werner agrees to lead Achmet to the gold after Achmet recaptures Jane, which is his priority. Werner says he’ll stay at the estate to recuperate and meet up with Achmet shortly. Achmet doesn’t trust him so he sends his men to find Jane while he stays behind to spy on Werner.
La uses the time she has Tarzan as a captive audience to try to sway his heart. She attempts to get him to commit to either her or Jane, preferably her.
Tarzan, “Tarzan the Tiger knows no wife…and wants no mate!”
La has been spurned for the last time. She orders her followers to prepare for a double sacrifice! Tarzan is bound to a stake and the warriors prepare to ventilate him with sharp spears…
Chapter 5: Condemned to Death!
Achmet knows that Werner has been lying to him and is prepared to make him pay for that deed with his life. Werner manages to steal a horse and escape into the foliage of the surrounding jungle.
Tarzan goes to retrieve his buried treasure. When he finds it missing he knows that Werner must have stolen it. Werner’s got a lot of people on his tail now. He goes to the slave market to seek help from one of the other traders. He agrees to sell Jane for their mutual profit if Werner is able to lure her into a trap. She has no reason to suspect that Werner is not the man he pretended to be when she met him at her home.
Once he has Jane at one of the huts at the market another one of the local leaders finds her and assaults her. Werner walks in and kills him to defend Jane. If the other men in the market learn that Werner killed their leader they will flay him alive. When Tarzan shows up to kill Werner he crashes in through the roof of the hut to confront him. Just then a group of men from the market come looking for their leader and Werner tells them that Tarzan killed him. The men attack Tarzan….
Frank Merrill, a championship gymnast according to the serial’s notes, is physically suited to playing the Jungle Man. His large biceps and back muscles are often put to use as he climbs ropes and swings around. In terms of acting his motions are fairly stilted, but fortunately the part is more about the physical action so he gets by.
You wouldn’t think that you could feel claustrophobic in the jungle but many of the shots are cropped very tightly, with close-ups on Tarzan’s face or body. It seems to be framed so tightly that it could have been filmed inside a greenhouse and no one would have noticed.
The film is very interesting if not spectacular. I’ve enjoyed the first five chapters but they do drag at times.
The film is silent with a few sound effects added to the score, including the first recorded Tarzan yell, or perhaps “yelp” would be more accurate. The picture is mostly in sepia tones as opposed to standard black and white which adds a nice effect. The picture quality was decent and perfectly watchable.
5* (out of 10) Good not great. Merrill was a one and done version of Tarzan.
Date watched: 6/9/2008
Title: Tarzan the Tiger Made: 1929
Genre: Serial Studio: Adventure Pictures/Universal
Format: DVD Extras—15 Chapters/None
Number of times viewed: First
Director: Henry MacRae
Stars:
Frank Merrill—Tarzan/Lord Greystoke
Natalie Kingston—Jane
Al Ferguson—Albert Werper
Sheldon Lewis—Achmet Zek
Mademoiselle Kithnou—Queen La of Opar
Paul Panzer—Mohammed By
Clive Morgan—Philip Annersley
From the story “Tarzan and the Jewels of Opar” by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
Premise: The story starts right out in Tarzan’s career without stopping to set up his back-story. Presumably he was such a popular character from earlier films, books, pulps and comic strips that they didn’t need to educate their audience as to who he was or how he got to that point. Tarzan and Jane are married and living on the elegant Greystoke Estate in Africa, on the outskirts of the jungle. That’s where the action picks up….
Chapter 1: Call of the Jungle
We see a man in elegant evening attire, sitting in a finely furnished room. The title card introduces our hero, “The Lord of the Manor—known in London as the Earl of Greystoke---and to the jungle as Tarzan the Tiger!”
Lord Greystoke (Merrill) and his beautiful wife, the Lady Jane (Kingston) are entertaining a guest in their expansive home. The guest was previously unknown to them but came to visit introducing himself as Albert Werper (Ferguson), a scientist looking to do some jungle research. He is hoping to impose upon the Greystoke hospitality to help him make some connections on the Dark Continent, to which he is a stranger. Werper isn’t what he pretends to be though. He is really a soldier of fortune with bad intentions in his heart, as will soon be revealed.
The three sit around the hearth in plush leather chairs, discussing some of Tarzan’s legendary past. Tarzan tells the tale of how he crossed paths with Queen La of Opar (Kithnou). In a flashback we are introduced to her highness. The title card tells us, “The High Priestess of the Sun Worhippers---La, who has sworn she will have no other mate than Tarzan!”
Queen La apparently suffered from a bout of uncontrollable lust at first sight when she first spied the manly man, Tarzan. But , when she’s not fantasizing about all the delicious wicked things she’d like to do to Tarzan’s muscular physique, she must attend to the daily duties of a High Priestess, mainly watching her followers tirelessly dance around the campfire and sacrifice the occasional virgin to the Sun Gods. An act which we are about to witness.
La, “Prepare the sacrifice! The Flaming God hath spoken----and his wrath must be appeased!”
A girl is dragged to the alter, protesting all the way while trying to wriggle free. Just as La is about to plunge a knife through the poor girl’s heart Tarzan swings in to break up the party. La, while being upset that her sacrifice schedule has hit a snag, is always glad to see the man-meat called Tarzan.
La, “Tarzan! Thou art mine—and I will follow to the ends of the earth and claim thee!”
This sounds like a jungle stalker to me.
Back to the present Werper excuses him self to bed down for the night but really waits just around the corner to eavesdrop on Tarzan and Jane’s conversation. Tarzan is planning a return trip to Opar but Jane is scared for his safety. She asks him to forego his trip but he insists that he must go.
Jane, “You must give up your search for the Opar gold! It is not worth the dangers that threaten!”
Tarzan, “You forget, dear, that gold is our only means to prevent the sale of our estates in England!"
Jane, “I feel you won’t return! I’m afraid, afraid of La’s threats, afraid for you…alone….amongst your enemies!”
Tarzan, “My duty to my people outweighs all that! I shall leave at nightfall----tomorrow!”
But he also throws in a little reassurance for Jane’s peace of mind, “If I have my enemies, I also have my jungle friends who will welcome me as Tarzan….and fight for me if need be!”
The next morning our attention is directed towards a nearby open market where beautiful slave girls are being auctioned off to a band of less than honorable looking men. The camera zooms in on a hooded man whom a title card introduces.
“Achmet Zek, a nomad chief, against whose traffic in slaves Tarzan has waged relentless war.”
Albert Werper arrives at the market to meet with Achmet. The two are obviously in co-hoots, plotting evil against the Lord of the Jungle.
Achmet, “Tarzan will regret his interference in my raids….when his wife is in my power!”
Achmet is staring at one of the slave girls on the auction block, visualizing her as Jane being sold for his pleasure. The plan calls for Werper to trail Tarzan into the jungle to the gold of Opar while Achmet will lead his mnen against the Greystoke Estate while the master is gone, looting and capturing the Lady Jane.
Tarzan sets out on his journey that evening dressed in his baggy leopard skin and moccasins (which look like house slippers). His head is crowned with a delightful leopard skin headband that nattily compliments his outfit. Werper is lurking in the shadows behind him, staying far enough away so as not to be detected.
Achmet barely waits for Tarzan’s shadow to be gone as he and his men attack the estate, killing servants in the process. Achmet grabs a terrified Jane to do with as he pleases…
Simultaneously Jane’s husband is encountering problems of his own as Numa, the lion, has chosen this moment to attack Tarzan and see who is truly the King of the Jungle. Tarzan fights for his life as Werper spies from afar….
Chapter 2 The Road to Opar
Jane is a captive of the slimy Achmet and she warns him that he’ll be sorry, he’ll have to face the wrath of Tarzan!
Achmet, “I waited to strike until he was beyond recall, deep in the jungle, on the road to Opar!”
Jane, “When he returns he will destroy you, as he would destroy a jungle beast!”
Achmet, "For you there is no escape! You will be one of my wives…”
Or she’ll be sold into slavery. Not much of a choice for poor Jane.
Tarzan is approaching the caves outside of Opar with Werner still sneaking around behind him. Tarzan opens a secret passage that leads into a secret part of the temple where the gold is stashed. As Tarzan is loading stacks of gold bars onto his back to lug back to his estate a terrible simoon (storm) hits the area hard enough to shake the mountain itself. La is outside when the storm hits and calls for a sacrifice to appease the gods and sooth the storm. She spots Werner traipsing around the interior of the temple (while staying out of Tarzan’s view) and orders her warriors to grab him. He’ll make a fine sacrifice.
Back at the open market the storm threatens all the residents, including Jane. Those tents don’t offer much protection as they fly like sails through the sand.
Tarzan is trying to get back to the secret entrance with his gold intact when the ceiling starts to collapse on him. He stumbles on but is then buried as the cove completely fills with debris….
Chapter 3: The Altar of the Flaming God
Tarzan wakes up in the rubble of the cave with his memory completely erased by a blow to his head. He wanders around the caves until he happens upon a chest containing the valuable jewels of Opar. To the clouded mind of Tarzan these are merely “pretty baubles” that he takes a handful of for his own pleasure. His aimless wandering takes him to the corridor leading to La’s altar where Werner is preparing to meet his maker. Tarzan doesn’t remember who Werner is but his presence disrupts the ceremony, saving Werner’s life. Having Tarzan show up out of the blue with his memory impaired is like a dream come true for the love-struck La. She’ll try to manipulate him into believing she is his woman. Tarzan isn’t ready to listen to her right now, and embarks into the jungle with Werner and his “pretty baubles”. Werner catches a glance of the jewels and will be looking for an opportunity to possess them.
Back at the slave market the confusion caused by the storm has allowed Jane the chance to escape as she slips, unarmed, into the dangerous jungle. But taking a chance in the wild is preferable to Achmet’s company.
Werner and Tarzan are making camp while Tarzan scouts ahead. When he returns he finds Taglat (a man in a poor ape suit), Tarzan’s ancient enemy from his pre-Jane days, attacking Werner. Tarzan jumps Taglat and betas him down like a bad habit. Taglat scoots away into the jungle, unhappy about his lot in life.
Tarzan, “Begone Taglat! You are no match for Tarzan the Tiger!” Then Tarzan tells Werner, “I have robbed Taglat of his prey, and he will not rest till he has repaid me in full!”
It’s not long before Taglat has that chance when he sees Jane struggling through the dense jungle. He grabs Jane in his powerful arms, taking her off into the dark jungle.
At Tarzan’s camp he and Werner are preparing to “bed down” for the night. As soon as the Lord of the Jungle is resting in slumberland Werner goes to work. He wants those jewels and knows that he needs Tarzan out of the way to get them. He pulls out his hunting knife and is poised above Tarzan’s sleeping body ready to plunge the knife into it….
Chapter 4: The Vengeance of La!
Tarzan hears a woman’s scream for help and rushes to find Jane in the paws of the aroused Taglat. Tarzan is again victorious against his simian foe. Jane runs to him and throws her arms around him and calling his name. She attempts to kiss him.
Tarzan, “How do you know my name when I never saw you before?!”
Jane (startled), “Don’t look at me so, Tarzan! Surely you know me!”
La, the High Priestess of Opar, has been following Tarzan from her temple since he once again rejected her feelings. La doesn’t deal well with rejection. She sees that Tarzan does not recognize Jane and is elated. She orders her warriors to attack them. The men capture and bind Tarzan while La smiles with glee as she takes Jane herself as captive.
Werner did manage to dig up the jewels that Tarzan had buried to keep them safe, and Tarzan doesn’t know it. Werner has journeyed back to the Greystoke estate to meet with his partner in crime, Achmet. Werner doesn’t share with Achmet the fact that he has the jewels, but he does tell him about the stash of gold in the Opar caves. Werner agrees to lead Achmet to the gold after Achmet recaptures Jane, which is his priority. Werner says he’ll stay at the estate to recuperate and meet up with Achmet shortly. Achmet doesn’t trust him so he sends his men to find Jane while he stays behind to spy on Werner.
La uses the time she has Tarzan as a captive audience to try to sway his heart. She attempts to get him to commit to either her or Jane, preferably her.
Tarzan, “Tarzan the Tiger knows no wife…and wants no mate!”
La has been spurned for the last time. She orders her followers to prepare for a double sacrifice! Tarzan is bound to a stake and the warriors prepare to ventilate him with sharp spears…
Chapter 5: Condemned to Death!
Achmet knows that Werner has been lying to him and is prepared to make him pay for that deed with his life. Werner manages to steal a horse and escape into the foliage of the surrounding jungle.
Tarzan goes to retrieve his buried treasure. When he finds it missing he knows that Werner must have stolen it. Werner’s got a lot of people on his tail now. He goes to the slave market to seek help from one of the other traders. He agrees to sell Jane for their mutual profit if Werner is able to lure her into a trap. She has no reason to suspect that Werner is not the man he pretended to be when she met him at her home.
Once he has Jane at one of the huts at the market another one of the local leaders finds her and assaults her. Werner walks in and kills him to defend Jane. If the other men in the market learn that Werner killed their leader they will flay him alive. When Tarzan shows up to kill Werner he crashes in through the roof of the hut to confront him. Just then a group of men from the market come looking for their leader and Werner tells them that Tarzan killed him. The men attack Tarzan….
Frank Merrill, a championship gymnast according to the serial’s notes, is physically suited to playing the Jungle Man. His large biceps and back muscles are often put to use as he climbs ropes and swings around. In terms of acting his motions are fairly stilted, but fortunately the part is more about the physical action so he gets by.
You wouldn’t think that you could feel claustrophobic in the jungle but many of the shots are cropped very tightly, with close-ups on Tarzan’s face or body. It seems to be framed so tightly that it could have been filmed inside a greenhouse and no one would have noticed.
The film is very interesting if not spectacular. I’ve enjoyed the first five chapters but they do drag at times.
The film is silent with a few sound effects added to the score, including the first recorded Tarzan yell, or perhaps “yelp” would be more accurate. The picture is mostly in sepia tones as opposed to standard black and white which adds a nice effect. The picture quality was decent and perfectly watchable.
5* (out of 10) Good not great. Merrill was a one and done version of Tarzan.
Chris
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
I saw "Iron Man" a couple of weeks ago, and your assessment is correct. It is a terrific movie, the best superhero film since Tim Burton's Batman movies. ("Iron Man" utterly buries "Superman Returns.") I really liked the movie, and I never was that big a fan of the Iron Man character. (I did think the movie was a bit indebted to "RoboCop".)
Samuel L. Jackson does show up as Nick Fury. It is a scene that appears AFTER the enormously long credit sequence.
By the way, there is a very nice scene in "Kung Fu Panda" which is after the enormously long credit sequence in that movie as well.
Samuel L. Jackson does show up as Nick Fury. It is a scene that appears AFTER the enormously long credit sequence.
By the way, there is a very nice scene in "Kung Fu Panda" which is after the enormously long credit sequence in that movie as well.
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cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Mike,
Thanks for clearing Nick Fury's appearance up in Iron Man. I didn't stick around for the long credits scroll and missed it. Samuel L. Jackson will make a very interesting Nick Fury. He can skip the skin tight jumpsuit though.
Bogie,
Thanks. Yes I believe The Avengers movie is slated for 2010, though I haven't seen a full roster as to which heroes would be included. I did hear a rumor about Ant-Man on the team.
Thanks for clearing Nick Fury's appearance up in Iron Man. I didn't stick around for the long credits scroll and missed it. Samuel L. Jackson will make a very interesting Nick Fury. He can skip the skin tight jumpsuit though.
Bogie,
Thanks. Yes I believe The Avengers movie is slated for 2010, though I haven't seen a full roster as to which heroes would be included. I did hear a rumor about Ant-Man on the team.
Chris
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
-
cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
The Naked Spur #521
Date watched: 6/16/2008
Title: The Naked Spur Made: 1953
Genre: Western Studio: MGM
Format: DVD Extras—Pete Smith Short, Toon, Trailer.
Number of times viewed: 4
Director: Anthony Mann
Stars:
James Stewart—Howard Kemp
Janet Leigh—Lina Patch
Robert Ryan—Ben Vandergroat
Ralph Meeker—Roy Anderson
Millard Mitchell—Jesse Tate
Taglline: Packed with Technicolor thrills!
This is the 3rd of 5 Stewart/Mann western collaborations.
Howard Kemp (Stewart) is acting as a bounty hunter, searching for Ben Vandergroat (Ryan) who is wanted for killing a marshal in Kansas. While on the trail he picks up a couple of unwanted helpers in his quest. First he crosses paths with an old prospector, Jesse Tate (Mitchell), whom ends up tagging along. Then retired Army Lieutenant Roy Anderson (Meeker) decides to join the join, hoping to share in the reward. Howard isn’t excited about their company, but circumstances make it so.
The trio manages to get the wily Ben pinned down on a mountain top and have to figure out how to get him down without getting riddled with bullets or covered by a rock slide. Roy uses a rope to scale the backside of the crest, getting the drop on the outlaw Ben.
Ben (who always has a smile on his face and a scheme in his mind), “Now ain’t that the way! A man gets set up for trouble head-on, and it sneaks up behind him every time!”
But Ben still has a trick or two up his sleeve as his “ward’, Lina Patch (Leigh), who was hidden from sight, sneaks up on Roy and bites his trigger hand. This allows Ben to jump on Roy, they roll to the edge but by that time Jesse and Howard reach the summit to overcome Ben and this feisty girl. They learn that Lina was the daughter of Ben’s best friend, who has since past away. She looks to Ben as a father figure and has faith in him despite the evidence that he may not be the nicest man on the planet.
Howard doesn’t really want Jesse and Roy’s help, but since they know about the $5,000 reward on Ben’s head, he won’t be able to shake them now. They form a rather uneasy alliance bent on getting Ben to justice. The distrust between this trio will be used by Ben to play them against each other, with Ben always looking for an opportunity to escape. Ben will be the burr in their saddle that wears over time. He tells Lina that he needs her help to buy time and delay the journey, giving him more chances to stir the pot and see what boils. Ben keeps calling Howard “Howie” which annoys him but he tries to ignore. These five start their long, hard ride towards Abilene.
While Ben is always grinning at his captives he’s constantly digging for the weak link in the group. He makes statements to plant the seeds of mutiny in their minds.
Ben to Jesse and Roy when Howard is out of hearing range, “Plain arithmetic. Money splits better two ways than three!”
Their lives and determinations are challenged when they are violently assaulted by Indians seeking to do them in and steal their belongings. Howard comes away from the confrontation with a bullet in his leg but the braves got the worst of it. The group continues on but Howard falls off his horse from the pain and loss of blood from his wound. The group stops to camp for the night and give Howard a chance to recoup his strength. During the night Howard has thunderously violent nightmares during which he shouts out “Mary” and has an imaginary conversation with her while in a delirium.
Ben apparently knows the story that haunts Howard and is not shy about sharing it with the others. Howard had signed his ranch over to his girlfriend, Mary, when he had to go off to fight in the Civil War so that she could farm it properly. While fighting he learned that she sold the farm and used the money to run off with another man. Ben also informs them that Howard desperately needs the reward money to buy back his ranch. Ben suggests that he may look to eliminate his “partners” once they get through this “rough patch” and are closer to Abilene so that he doesn’t have to split the reward money.
With this thought implanted in their minds Jesse continues to tell tales of his hard luck as a prospector. He seems to always come up just short of finding a big strike. Ben hints that he knows where a large vein of gold lies, further clouding Jesse’s judgment.
Lina is the one that has to tend to Howard’s wound and her hard edge begins to melt as she learns more about him. Howard asks Lina why she’s with a bad man like Ben and what they are gong to do with him being a wanted man.
Howard, “Do you expect to run and hide forever?”
Lina, “Ben was takin’ me to California. He was goin’ to start new.”
Howard, “Start new? At what?”
Lina, “Ranching, maybe. He knows a lot about cattle.”
Howard, “Yeah, OTHER people’s cattle!”
And: “Start new? The only thing Ben will start is trouble!”
Roy coyly suggests that the rest of them ride ahead leaving Howard behind since he’s slowing them down. Howard could catch up to them in Abilene. The idea doesn’t sit well with Howard as he’s pretty confident that the Lieutenant would disappear with the reward money given any opportunity. He insists that they all stick together. That night a storm hits and they are forced to hole up in a cave to protect themselves from Mother Nature’s fury. Ben asks Lina to play up to Howard and distract him while he’s on guard duty. She reluctantly agrees and Ben’s tries to escape. Howard manages to prevent this, in the process offering to give Ben a gun and an opportunity to draw against Howard. Howard reminds Ben that the wanted poster says “Dead or Alive”. Ben politely declines the opportunity, he knows that Howard is fairly talented with a gun.
The journey continues but all the delays have made them reach the river too late in the season. The waters are too high to safely cross. Roy isn’t a man of patience and offers to personally drag Ben across the river with a rope around his neck. Roy reminds the others not to look at Ben with any sympathy.
Roy, “He’s not a man. He’s a sack of money!”
Some of the seeds that Ben had planted earlier begin to bear fruit as the partners begin to turn on each other. The finale is tense and exciting and is where the film earns its title. As the survivors battle across the rocks above a raging river.
There is some fantastic stunt work done against the raging currents of the river. Other than the brief intrusion by the Indians there are only the five actors seen in the entire film. The movie features spectacular location shooting in the majestic Rockies. The only minor blemish on this gem are some rather obvious day for night shots spoil an otherwise perfect immersion into the setting and environment of the tale.
This is a first class psychological drama played out in the guise of a western. The story reveals the true inner workings and motivations of each character, whether it’s based on revenge, redemption, greed or just plain inherent evil.
Robert Ryan as Ben is at his wicked best as a smooth talking weasel that could sell snow to Eskimos. When his complete personality comes to light in the final reel we see that he’s an expert at escalating into full snake mode. Don’t ever turn your back on him. Jimmy Stewart fills a familiar role as the righteous man who neatly defines everything into black and white definitions, even when there are obvious grey areas. He’s been scorched by the betrayal of a woman, but still defends her against the negativity of others. He’s straight and serious throughout, which plays in perfect contrast with his companions of circumstance. His character and his behavior raises the question, how much money is your soul worth? Here is a basic good man that has justified to himself the hunting down of a human being for his personal profit to regain his farm and thus his manhood.
Anthony Mann crafts a fabulous tale of a good man lost and looking for redemption. He and Stewart are a combination that’s hard to beat as he enables Jimmy to add layers to his roles that other directors wouldn’t bother with.
8* (out of 10) A wonderful film. It’s unfortunate that they didn’t wait a few months to make this film because they could have captured this beautiful scenery and those vistas in the widescreen format if they had.
Title: The Naked Spur Made: 1953
Genre: Western Studio: MGM
Format: DVD Extras—Pete Smith Short, Toon, Trailer.
Number of times viewed: 4
Director: Anthony Mann
Stars:
James Stewart—Howard Kemp
Janet Leigh—Lina Patch
Robert Ryan—Ben Vandergroat
Ralph Meeker—Roy Anderson
Millard Mitchell—Jesse Tate
Taglline: Packed with Technicolor thrills!
This is the 3rd of 5 Stewart/Mann western collaborations.
Howard Kemp (Stewart) is acting as a bounty hunter, searching for Ben Vandergroat (Ryan) who is wanted for killing a marshal in Kansas. While on the trail he picks up a couple of unwanted helpers in his quest. First he crosses paths with an old prospector, Jesse Tate (Mitchell), whom ends up tagging along. Then retired Army Lieutenant Roy Anderson (Meeker) decides to join the join, hoping to share in the reward. Howard isn’t excited about their company, but circumstances make it so.
The trio manages to get the wily Ben pinned down on a mountain top and have to figure out how to get him down without getting riddled with bullets or covered by a rock slide. Roy uses a rope to scale the backside of the crest, getting the drop on the outlaw Ben.
Ben (who always has a smile on his face and a scheme in his mind), “Now ain’t that the way! A man gets set up for trouble head-on, and it sneaks up behind him every time!”
But Ben still has a trick or two up his sleeve as his “ward’, Lina Patch (Leigh), who was hidden from sight, sneaks up on Roy and bites his trigger hand. This allows Ben to jump on Roy, they roll to the edge but by that time Jesse and Howard reach the summit to overcome Ben and this feisty girl. They learn that Lina was the daughter of Ben’s best friend, who has since past away. She looks to Ben as a father figure and has faith in him despite the evidence that he may not be the nicest man on the planet.
Howard doesn’t really want Jesse and Roy’s help, but since they know about the $5,000 reward on Ben’s head, he won’t be able to shake them now. They form a rather uneasy alliance bent on getting Ben to justice. The distrust between this trio will be used by Ben to play them against each other, with Ben always looking for an opportunity to escape. Ben will be the burr in their saddle that wears over time. He tells Lina that he needs her help to buy time and delay the journey, giving him more chances to stir the pot and see what boils. Ben keeps calling Howard “Howie” which annoys him but he tries to ignore. These five start their long, hard ride towards Abilene.
While Ben is always grinning at his captives he’s constantly digging for the weak link in the group. He makes statements to plant the seeds of mutiny in their minds.
Ben to Jesse and Roy when Howard is out of hearing range, “Plain arithmetic. Money splits better two ways than three!”
Their lives and determinations are challenged when they are violently assaulted by Indians seeking to do them in and steal their belongings. Howard comes away from the confrontation with a bullet in his leg but the braves got the worst of it. The group continues on but Howard falls off his horse from the pain and loss of blood from his wound. The group stops to camp for the night and give Howard a chance to recoup his strength. During the night Howard has thunderously violent nightmares during which he shouts out “Mary” and has an imaginary conversation with her while in a delirium.
Ben apparently knows the story that haunts Howard and is not shy about sharing it with the others. Howard had signed his ranch over to his girlfriend, Mary, when he had to go off to fight in the Civil War so that she could farm it properly. While fighting he learned that she sold the farm and used the money to run off with another man. Ben also informs them that Howard desperately needs the reward money to buy back his ranch. Ben suggests that he may look to eliminate his “partners” once they get through this “rough patch” and are closer to Abilene so that he doesn’t have to split the reward money.
With this thought implanted in their minds Jesse continues to tell tales of his hard luck as a prospector. He seems to always come up just short of finding a big strike. Ben hints that he knows where a large vein of gold lies, further clouding Jesse’s judgment.
Lina is the one that has to tend to Howard’s wound and her hard edge begins to melt as she learns more about him. Howard asks Lina why she’s with a bad man like Ben and what they are gong to do with him being a wanted man.
Howard, “Do you expect to run and hide forever?”
Lina, “Ben was takin’ me to California. He was goin’ to start new.”
Howard, “Start new? At what?”
Lina, “Ranching, maybe. He knows a lot about cattle.”
Howard, “Yeah, OTHER people’s cattle!”
And: “Start new? The only thing Ben will start is trouble!”
Roy coyly suggests that the rest of them ride ahead leaving Howard behind since he’s slowing them down. Howard could catch up to them in Abilene. The idea doesn’t sit well with Howard as he’s pretty confident that the Lieutenant would disappear with the reward money given any opportunity. He insists that they all stick together. That night a storm hits and they are forced to hole up in a cave to protect themselves from Mother Nature’s fury. Ben asks Lina to play up to Howard and distract him while he’s on guard duty. She reluctantly agrees and Ben’s tries to escape. Howard manages to prevent this, in the process offering to give Ben a gun and an opportunity to draw against Howard. Howard reminds Ben that the wanted poster says “Dead or Alive”. Ben politely declines the opportunity, he knows that Howard is fairly talented with a gun.
The journey continues but all the delays have made them reach the river too late in the season. The waters are too high to safely cross. Roy isn’t a man of patience and offers to personally drag Ben across the river with a rope around his neck. Roy reminds the others not to look at Ben with any sympathy.
Roy, “He’s not a man. He’s a sack of money!”
Some of the seeds that Ben had planted earlier begin to bear fruit as the partners begin to turn on each other. The finale is tense and exciting and is where the film earns its title. As the survivors battle across the rocks above a raging river.
There is some fantastic stunt work done against the raging currents of the river. Other than the brief intrusion by the Indians there are only the five actors seen in the entire film. The movie features spectacular location shooting in the majestic Rockies. The only minor blemish on this gem are some rather obvious day for night shots spoil an otherwise perfect immersion into the setting and environment of the tale.
This is a first class psychological drama played out in the guise of a western. The story reveals the true inner workings and motivations of each character, whether it’s based on revenge, redemption, greed or just plain inherent evil.
Robert Ryan as Ben is at his wicked best as a smooth talking weasel that could sell snow to Eskimos. When his complete personality comes to light in the final reel we see that he’s an expert at escalating into full snake mode. Don’t ever turn your back on him. Jimmy Stewart fills a familiar role as the righteous man who neatly defines everything into black and white definitions, even when there are obvious grey areas. He’s been scorched by the betrayal of a woman, but still defends her against the negativity of others. He’s straight and serious throughout, which plays in perfect contrast with his companions of circumstance. His character and his behavior raises the question, how much money is your soul worth? Here is a basic good man that has justified to himself the hunting down of a human being for his personal profit to regain his farm and thus his manhood.
Anthony Mann crafts a fabulous tale of a good man lost and looking for redemption. He and Stewart are a combination that’s hard to beat as he enables Jimmy to add layers to his roles that other directors wouldn’t bother with.
8* (out of 10) A wonderful film. It’s unfortunate that they didn’t wait a few months to make this film because they could have captured this beautiful scenery and those vistas in the widescreen format if they had.
Chris
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
-
movieman1957
- Administrator
- Posts: 5522
- Joined: April 15th, 2007, 3:50 pm
- Location: MD
This is one really good movie. I think everyone is first rate. One of the people that caught my eye in this is Millard Mitchell. I think this, compared to other roles, shows just how wide a range he has.
If this is one's first exposure to him they are in for a treat as they learn more about him. From this to "Singin' In The Rain" to "The Gunfighter" to "12 O'Clock High" he was very good.
This was almost his last film. He was only 50 when he died in 1953.
If this is one's first exposure to him they are in for a treat as they learn more about him. From this to "Singin' In The Rain" to "The Gunfighter" to "12 O'Clock High" he was very good.
This was almost his last film. He was only 50 when he died in 1953.
Chris
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
"Time flies like an arrow, fruit flies like a banana."
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cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Chris,
Millard Mitchell is very good in this film and appears much older than he really was. He's got that gold fever buzzing around in his brain which might just force him to step out of character. The dynamic between this quintet of folks is always interesting.
Millard Mitchell is very good in this film and appears much older than he really was. He's got that gold fever buzzing around in his brain which might just force him to step out of character. The dynamic between this quintet of folks is always interesting.
Chris
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
-
cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Bryce,
Robert Downey Jr. did an incredible job of capturing the spirit of the character right from those opening scenes as he's sipping his beverage of choice in the back of the Hum Vee while riding through a war zone. Or when he's demonstarting the missiles to the military and fixing himself a drink from his very elaborate stainless steel portable bar and promising to include one of them with every military sale. Or even when he mutters the immortal line, 'Give me a scotch, I'm starving!"
As for Marvel Studios, we can only hope. What sounds great on paper so often translates poorly to the final product, but I'll remain optimistic. Do you know if the new Hulk movie was also a Marvel Studios product or was it the last outside use of the properties? I haven't seen it and am leery after the first one. Have you seen it? If so, is it any good?
Robert Downey Jr. did an incredible job of capturing the spirit of the character right from those opening scenes as he's sipping his beverage of choice in the back of the Hum Vee while riding through a war zone. Or when he's demonstarting the missiles to the military and fixing himself a drink from his very elaborate stainless steel portable bar and promising to include one of them with every military sale. Or even when he mutters the immortal line, 'Give me a scotch, I'm starving!"
As for Marvel Studios, we can only hope. What sounds great on paper so often translates poorly to the final product, but I'll remain optimistic. Do you know if the new Hulk movie was also a Marvel Studios product or was it the last outside use of the properties? I haven't seen it and am leery after the first one. Have you seen it? If so, is it any good?
Chris
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
-
cinemalover
- Posts: 1594
- Joined: April 17th, 2007, 10:57 am
- Location: Seattle, Washington
Getting back to The Naked Spur, it is an outstanding western. The team of Stewart and Mann produced five westerns:
Winchester '73 1950
Bend of the River 1952
The Naked Spur 1953
The Far Country 1954
The Man From Laramie 1955
Not a bad output for a six year period. Which of these are your favorites? Does any one stand out above the crowd for you? It is said that Mann brought a "noir sensability" to the western, would you agree?
Winchester '73 1950
Bend of the River 1952
The Naked Spur 1953
The Far Country 1954
The Man From Laramie 1955
Not a bad output for a six year period. Which of these are your favorites? Does any one stand out above the crowd for you? It is said that Mann brought a "noir sensability" to the western, would you agree?
Chris
The only bad movie is no movie at all.
The only bad movie is no movie at all.