Really, what's up with Blogger? It's taken me forever to post anything in a format a normal human can read. After bashing my head against the wall a few times, I finally got sentences to line-up and paragraphs to stay where I wanted them. Had to change the settings to the new editor. It was a pain because I had edited a previous post before I knew what was going on - which explains why Blood Bease from Outer Space is out-of-order. Oh well, hope the "fix" I found will stick.
Anyway, I finally finished moving all my old comments from IMDb over to this blog. YES - ABOUT TIME!!! And I actually posted something new - my thoughts on the Poirot episode "Mrs. McGinty's Dead". I've watched a couple other movies recently that I may post something on - The Day of the Wolves (1973) - 7/10 and The Stranglers of Bombay (1959) - 7/10. Also, I recently finished watching the entire 10 season run of Stargate SG-1 and the five year run of Stargate: Atlantis. I might go back and re-watch a favorite episode or two and write a few comments.
B2
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Blood Beast from Outer Space (1965)
- Night Caller from Outer Space
A talky, but enjoyable little B&W sci-fi thriller, 6 December 2008
A strange orb is found in the outskirts of London. The orb is soon determined to be a matter transference device sent to Earth from one of Jupiter's moons. It seems this alien civilization is bent on sending one of their own to Earth, but for what purpose? When a string of 20+ young women goes missing, the orbs monstrous purpose becomes much clearer.
A talky, but enjoyable little B&W sci-fi thriller, 6 December 2008
A strange orb is found in the outskirts of London. The orb is soon determined to be a matter transference device sent to Earth from one of Jupiter's moons. It seems this alien civilization is bent on sending one of their own to Earth, but for what purpose? When a string of 20+ young women goes missing, the orbs monstrous purpose becomes much clearer. Night Caller from Outer Space is a rather talky, but enjoyable little B&W sci-fi thriller. Highlights for me include the mystery elements of the story from the first ¾ of the film's runtime, seeing John Saxon in such a decidedly British production, the unknown creature lurking in the shadows, and some outstanding cinematography (in fact, the film looks far better than it has any right to given it's obviously modest budget). The biggest weakness, unfortunately, comes in the final moments of the movie. The ending of Night Caller from Outer Space is such a let-down and non-event that it really takes away from everything that came before. As the movie ended, I sat in amazement and said to myself, "That's it? You've got to be kidding." It's a very lame payoff. Night Caller from Outer Space deserved better than that. Finally, Night Caller from Outer Space includes some really cool period shots of London at night from the mid-60s. I always get a kick out of that sort of thing.
6/10
Poirot "Mrs. McGinty's Dead" #11.1 (2008) (TV)
"But I am afraid, Madame, that your female intuition; it has taken the day off.", 6 April 2011
James Bentley has been arrested, charged, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to hang for the bludgeoning death of Mrs. McGinty, a charwoman from whom James rented rooms. Almost immediately, however, the Superintendent in charge of the case starts to have doubts. He contacts his old friend, Hercule Poirot, to look into the matter. Poirot discovers that a crime committed long ago may have played a part in Mrs. McGinty's death. Has someone from the past come forward to commit murder? A couple of old photographs may hold the key.
It's hardly surprising I enjoyed this version of Mrs. McGinty's Dead so much. I've always enjoyed the book and I almost equally enjoyed this dramatization. It makes for a solid mystery plot. While it may not be entirely faithful to Agatha Christie's work, enough of the good stuff is still here. And really, what Christie adaptation could ever hope to be 100% faithful? The writing, the attention to detail, the cinematography, the lighting - all are what I've come to expect from the better episodes of the Poirot series. I've run out of superlatives to use when describing David Suchet. He's about as perfect for the role of Poirot as anyone could hope to be. Some of the other actors, including Zoe Wanamaker as the apple-eating Adrian Oliver and Mary Stockley as the uber-secretive Eve Carpenter also made significant impressions. Other than the botched and confusing handling of the pair of murderous backstories, Mrs. McGinty's Dead is about as good as I've seen in the entire series.
8/10
James Bentley has been arrested, charged, tried, found guilty, and sentenced to hang for the bludgeoning death of Mrs. McGinty, a charwoman from whom James rented rooms. Almost immediately, however, the Superintendent in charge of the case starts to have doubts. He contacts his old friend, Hercule Poirot, to look into the matter. Poirot discovers that a crime committed long ago may have played a part in Mrs. McGinty's death. Has someone from the past come forward to commit murder? A couple of old photographs may hold the key.It's hardly surprising I enjoyed this version of Mrs. McGinty's Dead so much. I've always enjoyed the book and I almost equally enjoyed this dramatization. It makes for a solid mystery plot. While it may not be entirely faithful to Agatha Christie's work, enough of the good stuff is still here. And really, what Christie adaptation could ever hope to be 100% faithful? The writing, the attention to detail, the cinematography, the lighting - all are what I've come to expect from the better episodes of the Poirot series. I've run out of superlatives to use when describing David Suchet. He's about as perfect for the role of Poirot as anyone could hope to be. Some of the other actors, including Zoe Wanamaker as the apple-eating Adrian Oliver and Mary Stockley as the uber-secretive Eve Carpenter also made significant impressions. Other than the botched and confusing handling of the pair of murderous backstories, Mrs. McGinty's Dead is about as good as I've seen in the entire series.
8/10
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Jonny Quest "Terror Island" #1.24 (1965) (TV)
Giant bugs run amuck, 12 March 2010
Jonny, Hadji, and Race are desperate to find Dr. Quest after he's been kidnapped. Dr. Quest has been taken to the secret lab of Dr. Chu Sing Ling – a scientist working on a secret formula that turns insects into giants. Dr. Ling wants Quest's assistance. Naturally, Dr. Quest refuses and faces the prospect of being fed to one of Dr. Ling's creations. Will the rest of the gang arrive in time to save Dr. Quest?
While Terror Island is reasonably fun and feels something like an homage to the 1950s era giant bug movies I love so much, for whatever reason, I don't care for this episode as much as some others. Sure, I enjoyed the rampaging giant bug action, but I have a couple of problems with Terror Island. First, this may sound silly when talking about Jonny Quest, but Terror Island lacks the "real" feeling I enjoy in other episodes. This one is sci-fi all the way - with an emphasis on the fi part. I can go along with all the spy stuff, the robots, and even the prehistoric creatures you usually find in Jonny Quest, but this episode pushes credibility too far. (Please remember, when I use words like "real" or "credibility", I'm using them in the context of the Jonny Quest world – not the world you and I live in.)
My second problem is with Dr. Ling's rather sketchy plan. I'm not sure he ever says why he's trying to create an army of giant insects – he just is. Even the most deranged of the Jonny Quest baddies has some sort of explanation for what they're up to. Again, it takes away from the realism (relatively speaking once again).
In the end, despite the problems I have with the episode, this is still Jonny Quest and its still fun. I'll give Terror Island a 6/10.
6/10
Jonny, Hadji, and Race are desperate to find Dr. Quest after he's been kidnapped. Dr. Quest has been taken to the secret lab of Dr. Chu Sing Ling – a scientist working on a secret formula that turns insects into giants. Dr. Ling wants Quest's assistance. Naturally, Dr. Quest refuses and faces the prospect of being fed to one of Dr. Ling's creations. Will the rest of the gang arrive in time to save Dr. Quest?While Terror Island is reasonably fun and feels something like an homage to the 1950s era giant bug movies I love so much, for whatever reason, I don't care for this episode as much as some others. Sure, I enjoyed the rampaging giant bug action, but I have a couple of problems with Terror Island. First, this may sound silly when talking about Jonny Quest, but Terror Island lacks the "real" feeling I enjoy in other episodes. This one is sci-fi all the way - with an emphasis on the fi part. I can go along with all the spy stuff, the robots, and even the prehistoric creatures you usually find in Jonny Quest, but this episode pushes credibility too far. (Please remember, when I use words like "real" or "credibility", I'm using them in the context of the Jonny Quest world – not the world you and I live in.)
My second problem is with Dr. Ling's rather sketchy plan. I'm not sure he ever says why he's trying to create an army of giant insects – he just is. Even the most deranged of the Jonny Quest baddies has some sort of explanation for what they're up to. Again, it takes away from the realism (relatively speaking once again).
In the end, despite the problems I have with the episode, this is still Jonny Quest and its still fun. I'll give Terror Island a 6/10.
6/10
Jonny Quest "The House of Seven Gargoyles" #1.23 (1965) (TV)
What an episode!, 11 March 2010
The Quest Team heads to the fjords of Norway to pay a visit to one of Dr. Quest's old friends, Dr. Ericson. Dr. Ericson has invented an anti-gravity device that may have drawn some unwanted attention. Even though no one will believe him, Jonny is sure he spotted a submarine in the nearby fjord. Next, once at Dr. Ericson's, Jonny is certain he's seen one of the stone gargoyles that guard the castle move. Again, no one believes him. Opinions on Jonny's eyesight change, however, when Dr. Ericson's discovery is stolen from the castle by foreign agents.
Based mostly on recollections from my childhood, there are what I would consider to be three iconic Jonny Quest episodes. These three episodes represent not only what I call the best of Jonny Quest, but they're filled with moments and images I'll never forget. The three episodes in question – The Curse of Anubis, The Robot Spy, and The House of Seven Gargoyles. I've already written about the first two, so now I'm on to third. To begin with, what a name – The House of Seven Gargoyles! How cool is that? It just evokes mystery and suspense. And what about the human gargoyle? I'll never forget the first time I saw this episode – it gave me chills for days. The image of the gargoyle coming to life and creeping through the castle corridors is the stuff of nightmares. Add to that clandestine meetings in a graveyard, spies in a submarine, and a stolen anti-gravity device and you've got one rock solid Jonny Quest episode. With no hesitation, I rate The House of Seven Gargoyles a 9/10.
Another thing that always creeps me out about this episode is the gargoyle Jonny is given in the final scene. Looking at the statue sitting between Jonny and Hadji in the backseat of the car, I'm always waiting for its eyes to open. Creepy stuff!
9/10
The Quest Team heads to the fjords of Norway to pay a visit to one of Dr. Quest's old friends, Dr. Ericson. Dr. Ericson has invented an anti-gravity device that may have drawn some unwanted attention. Even though no one will believe him, Jonny is sure he spotted a submarine in the nearby fjord. Next, once at Dr. Ericson's, Jonny is certain he's seen one of the stone gargoyles that guard the castle move. Again, no one believes him. Opinions on Jonny's eyesight change, however, when Dr. Ericson's discovery is stolen from the castle by foreign agents.Based mostly on recollections from my childhood, there are what I would consider to be three iconic Jonny Quest episodes. These three episodes represent not only what I call the best of Jonny Quest, but they're filled with moments and images I'll never forget. The three episodes in question – The Curse of Anubis, The Robot Spy, and The House of Seven Gargoyles. I've already written about the first two, so now I'm on to third. To begin with, what a name – The House of Seven Gargoyles! How cool is that? It just evokes mystery and suspense. And what about the human gargoyle? I'll never forget the first time I saw this episode – it gave me chills for days. The image of the gargoyle coming to life and creeping through the castle corridors is the stuff of nightmares. Add to that clandestine meetings in a graveyard, spies in a submarine, and a stolen anti-gravity device and you've got one rock solid Jonny Quest episode. With no hesitation, I rate The House of Seven Gargoyles a 9/10.
Another thing that always creeps me out about this episode is the gargoyle Jonny is given in the final scene. Looking at the statue sitting between Jonny and Hadji in the backseat of the car, I'm always waiting for its eyes to open. Creepy stuff!
9/10
Swing Parade of 1946 (1946)
Worse than I could have imagined, 10 March 2010
Fearing his father will have his nightclub closed down, club owner and singer Danny Warren (Phil Regan) goes to extremes to ensure no one is able to serve papers on him. In an effort to have the papers served, Papa Warren hires an attractive young woman named Carol Lawrence (Gale Storm) who might have more luck getting close to Danny. But Carol's more interested in pursuing her music – and love – than any old papers.
Deathly dull, Swing Parade of 1946 isn't so much a movie as it is a series of set-pieces and musical numbers held together by the most minimal plot thread imaginable. What little plot there is wouldn't fill 10 minutes of the movie's runtime. Instead, the film goes something like this – a little plot followed a bit from the Three Stooges followed by an excruciating, painfully long music number. Just repeat this pattern for 74 minutes. The Stooges are wasted and out-of-place repeating bits most fans will have seen a number of times previous. Regan and Storm are both too uninteresting to carry the film themselves. I know that, at least in the case of Gale Storm, she would go on to have a long career in entertainment, but it's difficult to imagine that after watching this movie. I never thought I would say this, but Edward Brophy actually comes out of Swing Parade of 1946 looking better than anyone else – well, anyone other than Louis Jordan. Jordan and his band are the film's real highlight. As for the rest, it's all 'lowlights". Unless you're just a fan of really bad musicals from the mid-1940s, I'd say skip this one altogether.
3/10
Fearing his father will have his nightclub closed down, club owner and singer Danny Warren (Phil Regan) goes to extremes to ensure no one is able to serve papers on him. In an effort to have the papers served, Papa Warren hires an attractive young woman named Carol Lawrence (Gale Storm) who might have more luck getting close to Danny. But Carol's more interested in pursuing her music – and love – than any old papers.Deathly dull, Swing Parade of 1946 isn't so much a movie as it is a series of set-pieces and musical numbers held together by the most minimal plot thread imaginable. What little plot there is wouldn't fill 10 minutes of the movie's runtime. Instead, the film goes something like this – a little plot followed a bit from the Three Stooges followed by an excruciating, painfully long music number. Just repeat this pattern for 74 minutes. The Stooges are wasted and out-of-place repeating bits most fans will have seen a number of times previous. Regan and Storm are both too uninteresting to carry the film themselves. I know that, at least in the case of Gale Storm, she would go on to have a long career in entertainment, but it's difficult to imagine that after watching this movie. I never thought I would say this, but Edward Brophy actually comes out of Swing Parade of 1946 looking better than anyone else – well, anyone other than Louis Jordan. Jordan and his band are the film's real highlight. As for the rest, it's all 'lowlights". Unless you're just a fan of really bad musicals from the mid-1940s, I'd say skip this one altogether.
3/10
Jonny Quest "The Quetong Missile Mystery" #1.22 (1965) (TV)
I can't believe it - an episode I've never seen!, 5 March 2010
While visiting some unnamed Southeast Asian country, Dr. Quest is asked by the local authorities to look into the strange happenings in the nearby Swamp Lake. None of the police patrols that have gone into the swamp have returned. What lurks in these murky waters? How about a band of ninja types guarding a secret missile installation. Things could get quite tricky for the Quest Team.
A few random things about The Quetong Missile Mystery:
- To my utter surprise and delight, I realized almost immediately that I had never seen The Quetong Missile Mystery. I'm not sure how I missed it either when I was younger or when I went through the episodes when I bought the DVDs. But how cool – a new episode!
- The bad guys in The Quetong Missile Mystery are great. The black clad ninja-types in the trees, the traitor Lt. Singh, and the head baddie General Fong are an impressive cast of villains. One of my favorite bits comes near the end when Gen. Fong barks the orders to catch and kill the Quest Team. You wouldn't see anything like that in today's overly PC cartoons. Fong is just awesome.
- I knew I recognized the voice of Commissioner Wah and was delighted to discover Keye Luke's name in the credits. How cool is it that Keye Luke provides some of the voices for this episode? To me, it's just about the coolest thing I've run across in a Jonny Quest episode. I know he did a lot of things, but as a huge fan of Charlie Chan, Keye Luke will always be #1 son Lee.
Overall, The Quetong Missile Mystery is another great installment in the Jonny Quest series. I'll give it an 8/10.
8/10
While visiting some unnamed Southeast Asian country, Dr. Quest is asked by the local authorities to look into the strange happenings in the nearby Swamp Lake. None of the police patrols that have gone into the swamp have returned. What lurks in these murky waters? How about a band of ninja types guarding a secret missile installation. Things could get quite tricky for the Quest Team.A few random things about The Quetong Missile Mystery:
- To my utter surprise and delight, I realized almost immediately that I had never seen The Quetong Missile Mystery. I'm not sure how I missed it either when I was younger or when I went through the episodes when I bought the DVDs. But how cool – a new episode!
- The bad guys in The Quetong Missile Mystery are great. The black clad ninja-types in the trees, the traitor Lt. Singh, and the head baddie General Fong are an impressive cast of villains. One of my favorite bits comes near the end when Gen. Fong barks the orders to catch and kill the Quest Team. You wouldn't see anything like that in today's overly PC cartoons. Fong is just awesome.
- I knew I recognized the voice of Commissioner Wah and was delighted to discover Keye Luke's name in the credits. How cool is it that Keye Luke provides some of the voices for this episode? To me, it's just about the coolest thing I've run across in a Jonny Quest episode. I know he did a lot of things, but as a huge fan of Charlie Chan, Keye Luke will always be #1 son Lee.
Overall, The Quetong Missile Mystery is another great installment in the Jonny Quest series. I'll give it an 8/10.
8/10
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