Hi all, this tumblr mainly exists as a way of tracking all the movies I've been watching and some of the initial thoughts, and general feelings, I've had about them.
5/5 - Fantastic movies; movies which need to be seen and enjoyed by everyone.
4/5 - Movies which are very good but don’t have that spark which compels you to make others watch them as well.
3/5 - Average movies; watchable and enjoyable, but nothing which elevates them higher. The baseline all movies are given before watching.
2/5 - Can be watched but really bland and forgettable.
1/5 - Minimal to no reason to watch these films. It may have some redeeming factors e.g. it’s so bad it’s good or there’s one character that’s awesome enough to make it not a total waste of time.
0/5- Total waste of time. Nothing redeemable about these films.
As with every review blog/site, this is all my own personal opinion so feel free to take everything with a grain of salt.
Also I'm Scottish so all reviews will be in UK English. Get used to theatre, colour and words ending in -ised.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
#501/#52 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
In 1868, a mysterious sea monster has been apparently sinking ships all across the Pacific Ocean. Attempting to study the creature, French Professor Pierre Aronnax (Paul Lukas) and his assistant Conseil (Peter Lorre) join an American naval vessel charged with looking into the matter. When the creature attacks however, they are amazed to find it is actually a technologically advanced submarine helmed by the strong-willed Captain Nemo (James Mason). Along with the naval ships only remaining crewman, Ned Land (Kirk Douglas), the pair are invited aboard to marvel at life beneath the waves but it quickly becomes apparent they are more prisoner than guest.
Having never read the book I can’t comment on how well they keep to the story, but Disney’s live action version is a fairly enjoyable watch. It’s quite slow in a number of places, which does really drag down the whole feel of the film, but the locations and set pieces are grandiose and impressive. The look of Nemo’s ship, the Nautilus, and the battle with the giant squid during a thunderstorm are truly iconic and particularly well done. The underwater elements, while really dragged out, must also have been notable to a 1950’s audience.
From the cast, Lukas was probably the least interesting, having to work as the audience surrogate, but he does well enough as the go between for Nemo and his fellow captives. Lorre gives a good comedic performance as the loyal but put upon assistant and works particularly well when interacting with Douglas’ character Ned. Douglas himself however, is what keeps the longer boring sections from becoming unbearable. He just brings a lust for life to the character and it’s hard not to smile along with him as he gets from one antic to the next.
Nemo is also enjoyable but in a totally different way. He has some depth to him, which is revealed as the story progresses and Mason portrays perfectly, but he’s at his best when he’s acting like a James Bond villain. He genuinely doesn’t give a damn about anyone on land and it really comes across when he’s interacting with Ned. They hate each other and it’s fun to see them spar. Mason allows you to see glimpses of the good man that was once beneath the veneer but now he has clearly gone off the deep end.
There are certainly a great deal of other live action Disney movies which are a lot lower than this early contribution to the genre but at the same time I don’t think I’d be rushing to rewatch it any time soon. Pleasant, with a good cast, but nothing special nowadays. 3/5
#130 Arsenic and Old Lace
A newly married theatre critic (Cary Grant) stops by his aunt’s house before heading off on his honeymoon. There he discovers his aunts (Josephine Hull and Jean Adair) have killed a man with poisoned wine, and that this is not the first time they’ve done so. Can he blame the crimes on his insane old uncle who thinks he’s President Theodore Roosevelt (John Alexander)? Will he be able to convince them what they are doing is wrong? and what of his criminal brother (Raymond Massey) and partner (Peter Lorre) who have now come back to hide in the house after killing a man themselves?
This is one of the funnier black comedies from the 1940’s. It’s full of mistaken intents, surprise twist and near discoveries which makes it all very entertaining.
This was right in the middle of Grant’s more comedic roles before joining up with Hitchcock. His actions and expressions, while a little cartoonish and extreme, mirror quite well how a person would reaction in all the crazy scenarios he’s thrust into.
Hull and Adair provide great comedy as the two aged aunts committing all the murders. They truly believe what they are doing is an act of charity for lonely old men with nothing left in the world. There insistence that Grant’s character is just being fussy as they play their parts completely straight makes it all the more funny. Alexander as Teddy Roosevelt is just hilarious. Every time he goes up the stairs yelling “CHARGE!!” just gets funnier and funnier as the film progresses.
It goes on a little long and has a couple of rather pointless side characters/plots but overall it’s a great older comedy you could watch if your just looking for some simpler entertainment. 4/5
