ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND (1972) - 5

This is the big, all-star British adaptation of Carroll's books with Michael Crawford, Peter Sellers, Dudley Moore, Spike Milligan and a young Fiona Fullerton as Alice. Sadly, this is a bland, bloated movie with a tedious John Barry score that stalls out anytime one of his awful songs, written with Don Black, come on the screen. Even the main theme isn't very enchanting, and there's a LOT of it in the film -- very repetitive and overly "mannered." I actually think this is one of the most sluggish and least satisfying Barry scores I've ever heard.

Though shot in scope there are no really good DVDs of this film. The UK DVD is at least letterboxed in 2.35, but it's not enhanced for 16:9 and isn't a very good transfer either. The US DVDs are even worse, mostly public domain affairs and all panned and scanned.

AndyDursin wrote:Sadly, this is a bland, bloated movie with a tedious John Barry score that stalls out anytime one of his awful songs, written with Don Black, come on the screen.

I've never been a fan of musicals so this isn't really my kind of thing in the first place, and I do agree that some of the music is "sluggish".

But I do think Barry's contribution has its moments. I highly recommend the "Alice" suite Barry arranged for his "Concert John Barry" album (due for CD reissue within a matter of weeks).

The Man Who Would Be King (1975): 8/10

Sean Connery and Michael Caine in their robust 70's prime? The pairing of these two is hard to resist...and the movie's pretty entertaining, too. I couldn't hear much of Jarre's score (and why is the movie on a double-sided DVD when it runs only a few minutes over two hours? ), but the movie is certainly fun, and clearly heavilly referenced in the Dreamworks animated feature The Road To El Dorado.

Battlestar Galactica-Premiere Episode (1978) (9 of 10)
-Okay it's not a theatrical movie though it did in a cut-down version have a theatrical release but as far as Sci-Fi television goes, I'm still impressed by how well it holds up compared to its contemporaries of the day and what had preceded it in the 60s.

-I will not engage in the futile task of comparing it to what is expected in modern sci-fi TV or movies. Of course standards have changed over the years, but just as original Trek's template was timeless enough to handle a trnsition to the big screen and a later generational standard of sci-fi TV, so too should it have been the case with original Galactica.

I couldn't hear much of Jarre's score (and why is the movie on a double-sided DVD when it runs only a few minutes over two hours? Confused), but the movie is certainly fun, and clearly heavilly referenced in the Dreamworks animated feature The Road To El Dorado.

Jarre's score was not one of his best, which was surprising given the type of film it is. Funny enough Paul and I were talking about that last night. It sold out on CD fast but it's not that great of a score.

I think the movie is on two sides because it was one of those really, really early format releases from Warner. Could stand a re-issue.

I like the movie, I don't love it -- and the ending is definitely a downer. But Connery and Caine are great together.

Monterey Jack wrote:The Man Who Would Be King (1975): 8/10

Sean Connery and Michael Caine in their robust 70's prime? The pairing of these two is hard to resist...and the movie's pretty entertaining, too. I couldn't hear much of Jarre's score (and why is the movie on a double-sided DVD when it runs only a few minutes over two hours? ), but the movie is certainly fun, and clearly heavilly referenced in the Dreamworks animated feature The Road To El Dorado.

The film is being reissued on Region 2 17th May, although the version released in 2007 is still available as well.

John Johnson wrote:

Monterey Jack wrote:The Man Who Would Be King (1975): 8/10

Sean Connery and Michael Caine in their robust 70's prime? The pairing of these two is hard to resist...and the movie's pretty entertaining, too. I couldn't hear much of Jarre's score (and why is the movie on a double-sided DVD when it runs only a few minutes over two hours? ), but the movie is certainly fun, and clearly heavilly referenced in the Dreamworks animated feature The Road To El Dorado.

The film is being reissued on Region 2 17th May, although the version released in 2007 is still available as well.

I have that disc -- the transfer is terrible. Worse than the Region 1 release.

Is the re-issue remastered?

MOON (2009) - 8/10. I found the film moving and entertaining. Sam Rockwell's acting was pretty good, and the story was a bit unsettling. The ending was okay, though the "horror" or inhumanity of the secret didn't really pack a huge punch for me. Interesting film.

Dolan's Cadillac: 4/10

Great Stephen King short story becomes a direct-to-Redbox cheesefest with Wes Bentley and Christian Slater. Would have made a great Nightmares & Dreamscapes episode, but even at 88 minutes, the movie seems padded like crazy. Cheapie, Canadian production values don't help. I remember when the movie was supposed to star Kevin Bacon and Slyvester Stallone(!), and I wish that movie had gotten made instead.

The Swarm (1978): 2.5/10


"OH NO, NOT THE BEES...!"

Monterey Jack wrote:The Swarm (1978): 2.5/10


"OH NO, NOT THE BEES...!"

See, you might give that a 2.5, but I'd rather watch it again over 3/4 of the movies I've seen in the last year. Easy.

UP IN THE AIR -- I didn't get a chance to see this as it opened and closed pretty fast (or was relegated to one, late night show it seemed), and since Paramount is no longer sending review product my way, I had to Netflix it. Turns out it was worth the wait. Jason Reitman really confirms with this film, more so than "Juno," that he has a distinctive voice and a really nice, natural, low-key approach that manages to be real and humanistic without resorting to Coen "quirkiness" or sarcastic asides like every other film we see today. In another pair of hands this movie might've been either melodramatic or forced-funny, but instead it's an adult movie with real issues and identifiable characters who actually behave like real people. After sitting through the likes of "Avatar" and other mind-numbing effects movies -- as well as under-nourished narratives like "The Hurt Locker" -- I felt this was basically the best movie of last year. Clooney is terrific and Anna Kendrick -- just superb in a deservedly acclaimed, Oscar nominated (and worthy) performance. Believable and heartfelt without being cloying, the film hit all the right notes for me at least.

A 9, belatedly, from the Aisle Seat.

AndyDursin wrote:

Monterey Jack wrote:The Swarm (1978): 2.5/10


"OH NO, NOT THE BEES...!"

See, you might give that a 2.5, but I'd rather watch it again over 3/4 of the movies I've seen in the last year. Easy.

At least it was never boring, I'll give it that.

This review of "The Swarm" is a must-read because it finally makes it clear that a writer as brilliant as Stirling Silliphant was, wasn't going mad when he did the script for this film. It points out rather brilliantly that *a lot* of what ended up in the script and in the film was stolen straight out of several 50s "B" movies so that Silliphant was doing a send-up right from the get-go, but Allen with his stilted direction style that was never good anywhere likely didn't get the joke and was taking it seriously from the start!

http://jabootu.com/acolytes/brandiweed/swarm.htm

This review of "The Swarm" is a must-read because it finally makes it clear that a writer as brilliant as Stirling Silliphant was, wasn't going mad when he did the script for this film. It points out rather brilliantly that *a lot* of what ended up in the script and in the film was stolen straight out of several 50s "B" movies so that Silliphant was doing a send-up right from the get-go, but Allen with his stilted direction style that was never good anywhere likely didn't get the joke and was taking it seriously from the start!

http://jabootu.com/acolytes/brandiweed/swarm.htm