Danger Man "The Key" #1.11 (1960) (TV)

Drake goes to Vienna, 25 September 2014

John Drake's Mission: Drake heads to Vienna to stop a leak of top secret government information.

After a couple of below average episodes (they're good, just not up to the usual Danger Man standard), The Key is a winner. The episode features some plot twists and turns that had me (incorrectly) guessing until the very end. There is a small moment at the beginning in the back of a limo that put me on the wrong track. Nice! I don't know if they meant it that way or not, but they tricked me.

While the plots and stories are good in these Danger Man episodes, it's often the cast that makes or breaks it. In this case, the supporting cast is good. James Bond fans will immediately recognize a very young, dark-haired Charles Gray. I believe he's supposed to be Hungarian, so while his accent may not work, he is especially creepy. Also, I was most impressed with Robert Flemyng. For whatever reason, he reminded me of a poor man's (not as flamboyant) Clifton Webb. He gives an outstanding performance.

This one gets a very strong 8/10.

8/10

Danger Man "An Affair of State" #1.10 (1960) (TV)

Another below average episode, 24 September 2014

John Drake's Mission: Drake is sent to the nation of San Pablo to investigate the reported suicide of a U.S. Treasury agent.

As with The Sanctuary, An Affair of State is just good, not great. The problem here is the predictability of the plot. Once the vault filled with gold is mentioned, it's not hard to tell where things are headed. Most of the really good Danger Man episodes have a twist or two to throw you off. That's not the case here.

While not the best episode, there were still moments I really enjoyed. First, Drake's cat and mouse with the head of the San Pablo police was well done. Second, the supporting cast was good. I always enjoy seeing John Le Mesurier. And, third, this is probably the first episode where Drake actually seems to care about someone. The final scene at the airport is very un-Drake like. It's an interesting touch.

Overall, this one gets a 6/10.

6/10

Danger Man "The Sanctuary" #1.9 (1960) (TV)

Not as good as most of the other episodes, 24 September 2014

John Drake's Mission: Drake takes the place of an Irish rebel upon release from prison whom the government feels is being recruited by a terrorist organization.

The Sanctuary is just good, not great. The problem I had with it was the lack of believability in the finale. As is often the case, Drake gets himself into a jam. Are we supposed to go along with the notion that a woman whom Drake has just met decides to help him out of his predicament rather than siding with her husband? I didn't buy it. It felt a bit too contrived and convenient for my liking.

Despite this issue I have with The Sanctuary, fans will certainly find something to enjoy. One particularly good moment filled with tension involves Drake's meeting an old friend of the rebel he's impersonating. Drake's handling of the situation and plan to get out of it are very entertaining.

I'll give this one a 6/10.

6/10

Danger Man "The Lonely Chair" #1.8 (1960) (TV)

McGoohan really impresses in this one, 23 September 2014

John Drake's Mission: When the daughter of a wheelchair-bound industrialist with government secrets is kidnapped, Drake is called in to get her back.

What started out has a ho-hum kidnapping turns into an incredible episode thanks to McGoohan. He gives his best performance so far in the series. In The Lonely Chair, he is afforded the opportunity to really chew the scenery - and he does it quite well. He's really a lot of fun in this one. He's joined by another nice cast featuring Sam Wanamaker and the always delightful Hazel Court. I get a real kick out of some of the actors who appear in each episode.

One thing I especially enjoyed is the humor in The Lonely Chair. Most of the other episodes have been played so seriously, this was a nice change of pace.

An 8/10 from me.

8/10

Danger Man "Position of Trust" #1.7 (1960) (TV)

An interesting cast, 22 September 2014

John Drake's Mission: After a friend's daughter gets hooked on heroin, Drake agrees to go to a foreign country selling opium directly to drug dealers to put a stop to their activities.

Another great episode. This one's really got a lot going for it, beginning with a fantastic cast. In addition to McGoohan, Position of Trust features Donald Pleasence as an English ex-pat named Captain Aldrich that Drake uses to gain information. And when I say "uses", I mean Drake employs some real questionable methods to trick Aldrich into violating his conscience to divulge secrets. The scenes with McGoohan and Pleasence together are a highlight of the series so far. Also featured in the cast is Lois Maxwell of James Bond fame. She also gives a solid performance.

Other things to like about this episode include: Aldrich's reaction to losing at the gambling table, Drake's elaborate plane to trick Aldrich, and Drake's elaborate plane to trick the corrupt government officials. The trick with the camera was very nicely pulled off.

A rock solid 8/10 from me.

8/10

Danger Man "The Girl in Pink Pajamas" #1.6 (1960) (TV)

Another solid effort, 21 September 2014

John Drake's Mission: Discover how a young woman wandering the countryside with amnesia has secret information about a second plot to assassinate the president of the friendly country.

These Danger Man episodes are like crack - the more I see the more I want to see. This one is another real winner. While the amnesia plot device may, at first, seem tired, The Girl in Pink Pajamas doesn't drag it out and allow it to overstay its welcome. There is the some real suspense in this episode with Drake playing a bluff hoping for the desired outcome. Will the bluff work or not? Drake also gets one of his better chances to show his fighting skills as he takes on three baddies at once without a gun (Drake doesn't have a gun, the baddies do). My only complaint is that there are so many characters and so much going on, I would have liked a longer runtime than the 25 minutes Danger Man allowed for. It's not that things are too rushed, I would have just preferred to see things drawn out more to add to the enjoyment.

A solid 8/10 from me.

8/10

Danger Man "The Lovers" #1.5 (1960) (TV)

Nice Ending, 20 September 2014

John Drake's Mission: Stop an assassination attempt on a the Bavarian President during his visit to London.

If I were to put the Danger Man episodes in order of preference so far, this would be my second favorite. I would rank it higher, but I feel a bit too much time was spent on Drake's conversation with a bomb maker. Highlights include: an unexpected murder, good supporting cast (especially Maxine Audley), and a really dramatic conclusion. Like Drake, I thought I knew how things would turn out, but the ending could have gone either way. Very nicely done.

Finally, it was a treat to see Michael Ripper in this episode. I've seen him in dozens of Hammer films and his presence is always welcome.

8/10

Danger Man "The Blue Veil" #1.4 (1960) (TV)

The Desert Rat, 19 September 2014

John Drake's Mission: Undercover as a drunken desert rat, Drake is asked to find proof that slavery is alive and well in a Middle Eastern country.

Another solid episode in the series, The Blue Veil has a lot going for it. First, McGoohan gets the chance to do some real acting. His disguise lets him play someone other than John Drake. Second, I really enjoyed some of the sets in this episode. I was especially impressed with what I'll describe as the flea-ridden hotel where Drake gets a room. Third, a couple of the supporting performances were really impressive in The Blue Veil. Laurence Naismith plays Spooner to perfection. This is one case where I wish the episodes were longer just to see him get his in the end. Also, I was impressed with Lisa Gastoni as Clare Nichols - the woman looking for help. I'm not sure what it was about her, but she's awfully good.

Overall, I'll give this episode a 7/10.

7/10

The Loves of Hercules (1960)

Even Peter Lupus makes a better Hercules than Hargitay, 19 September 2014

I've seen dozens of Hercules (or Maciste or Atlas or whatever you want to call him) movies over the years, but The Loves of Hercules just might be the worst of the bunch. It's got so many problems, there's no way I can innumerate all of them. A few I'll mention:

1. Mickey Hargitay doesn't fit my image of Hercules at all. Guys like Steve Reeves, Reg Park, Alan Steel, Lou Ferrigno, and even (I can't believe I'm saying this) Peter Lupus are more suited to the role and better look the part. You know it's a bad sign when Herc's love interest physically dominates him. His acting is as stiff and unnatural as the Hydra he battles. And Hargitay wasn't helped by the dubbing choices made for the movie. The Shakespearian wannabe who voiced Hercules in this movie got it all wrong.

2. I just can't take Jayne Mansfield seriously. She has less believability in her role than Hargitay in his. She doesn't do drama very well.

3. The Loves of Hercules is also known as Hercules vs the Hydra. As I've already alluded to, the Hydra is horrible. It doesn't move! A boat anchor has more dexterity than this thing. To kill it, Hercules calmly walks underneath it, hits it with a few very weak and awkward looking ax blows, and the middle head just sort of falls off. End of the Hydra.

4. As the movie went on, I became frustrated with Hercules' motivations. At the beginning of the movie, he sets out to avenge the death of his wife (I think she was his wife). However, his motivation changes completely the moment he meets Deianira – his new one true love. The dead wife is all but forgotten. Next, the moment he meets the Deianira look-alike Hippolyta, he falls madly in love with her. Herc apparently falls for any woman with two legs in his immediate vicinity. What happened to being a good, upstanding guy with some sort of moral compass?

5. Herc's fight with the bull – nothing else needs to be said.

6. The big finale, the storming of the palace/castle, is about as lame as you'll see. Herc's big contribution is to carry a wooden wagon wheel over his head so he can presumably block the archers' arrows. Why not shoot around him? The wheel's not that big. Or, why not go low and shoot Herc's legs? He carries the thing so high that his head is about the only thing truly protected. Like I said, lame.

Other than Massimo Serato as the evil Licos, I can't think of anything else positive to say. I'm going to be very generous and give The Loves of Hercules a 3/10 for curiosity value if nothing else.

3/10

Danger Man "Josetta" #1.3 (1960) (TV)

Great Episode, 18 September 2014

John Drake's mission: Catch a killer by tricking him into thinking the blind witness actually "saw" what happened.

I know I've only seen three episodes so far, but this is probably my favorite. The plot, acting, and action are all very good. The trick Drake pulls on the assassin is cleverly handled. Julia Arnall is believable as a the blind witness. And the pacing in this episode is easily the best of the first three. The story nicely fits the less than 30 minute time-slot without feeling the slightest bit rushed. There was even some time for a bit of enjoyable banter between Drake and Colonel Segur.

One thing I'm really impressed with so far in the entire Danger Man series is the quality of these episodes given what I'm assuming was a limited budget. These things look great. Quality acting, good looking sets, real location shots, nice cinematography, and cool music - not what I usually expect from a 30 minute B&W British television show from the early 60s.

8/10

Danger Man "Time to Kill" #1.2 (1960) (TV)

Is she or isn't she?, 17 September 2014

To go along with the rather short episode lengths, I've decided to make my plot synopsis just as short. For Time to Kill: John Drake sets out to kidnap a hit-man, but ends up dodging bullets while handcuffed to a woman who may or may not be a foreign government operative.

While not as good as the first episode, Time to Kill is still enjoyable enough. These episodes are fast-paced with no filler. McGoohan gives another nice performance. Watching his frustration grow as he is trying to put together his smuggled gun is a nice moment. The highlight of this episode is the mystery surrounding Lisa Orin - the woman handcuffed to Drake. Is she a government operative out to get Drake or is she, as she claims, a teacher on holiday whose dumb luck as put her in danger? I've read complaints about the voice-over narration at the end that puts to rest the mystery of Ms. Orin. Personally, I liked it. I thought it fit nicely into the show as a way to wrap things up.

6/10

Danger Man "View from the Villa" #1.1 (1960) (TV)

Who is the mysterious "G"?, 16 September 2014

Frank Delroy, an American banker is murdered in Rome. The $5 million in gold bullion he embezzled is missing. John Drake (Patrick McGoohan) is called in to find the killer and the missing gold. But first, he'll have to find the mysterious woman who may have been a witness.

View from the Villa is a wonderful way to kick off the Danger Man series. McGoohan plays Drake cool, quick, and incredibly intelligent. He's a no nonsense kind of guy who knows how to handle himself in any situation. The plot has enough intrigue, action, and mystery to fill a show with twice it's runtime – yet it oddly never feels rushed. The supporting cast is solid. I could watch Barbara Shelley in just about anything. Her Italian accent is surprisingly convincing. Finally, I was really impressed with all of the sets. Unlike a lot of shows from this era, the pilot episode of Danger Man never feels "stagey". I was especially impressed with the location shots, that were apparently filmed in Wales – not Italy. Still, they're a very nice touch.

Looking forward to checking out the rest of the series.

7/10

Charlie Chan in Panama (1940)

"Bad alibi like dead fish - cannot stand test of time.", 16 September 2014

As the U.S. fleet prepares to move through the Panama Canal, a foreign agent known only as Ryner plans to blow-up part of the canal. However, Charlie Chan and #2 Son are on hand to stop Ryner's plot (and solve a murder or two in the process).

Charlie Chan in Panama is a rock solid entry in the Chan catalogue. This was Sidney Toler's fifth outing as Chan, Victor Sen Yung's fourth appearance as Jimmy Chan, and Norman Foster's third directorial credit in the Chan series. These guys knew what they were doing. Throw in an excellent supporting cast (featuring the always enjoyable Lionel Atwill), excellent looking sets, suspicious characters, red herrings around every corner, and some decent comedy bits from #2 Son and you've got the makings for an enjoyable movie experience. I'm not usually a fan of Chan films that are spy centered, preferring the murder based plots instead. But here, it works. As others have pointed out, I appreciate that the mystery's resolve actually makes sense. It always makes things more enjoyable when you as the viewer can follow along with what Chan is saying. And, finally, I appreciate that for once Jimmy Chan actually serves a real purpose. In this one, he is directly responsible for saving Pop's life.

Overall, an 8/10 from me. Charlie Chan in Panama is a must for fans of the series.

8/10

Golden Goddess of Rio Beni (1964)

Not a great film, but fun enough, 15 September 2014

Jim (Pierre Brice), an oil company pilot working in Brazil, puts together a rag-tag bunch to help him in his search for a fellow pilot and friend who has presumably crashed somewhere in the Amazon. The group he's put together includes an alcoholic who happens to be an expert on native languages, a couple of crooks/thugs, and a less than honest boat captain. He uses a tale of native gold (the titular Golden Goddess) as bait for the journey. Along the way, the un-merry band encounters snakes, traps, friendly natives, unfriendly natives, and each other. Will Jim find his friend? Will anyone find the Golden Goddess? Will anyone be left alive at the end?

Golden Goddess of Rio Beni is not a great film, but it is fun enough if you're a fan of Euro-genre films from the 60s/70s. Not knowing much about the movie before I started watching, I had hoped for an Italian film. I could tell almost instantly I was watching a German movie instead. No offense intended and I realize this is a terribly broad generalization, but I usually find German films cheaper, darker, and less "fun" (for lack of a better word) than their Italian counterparts. And that's the case here. It's not as good as it might have been. Pierre Brice is good, but I could name a dozen Italian actors working in the 60s who would have been better. Still, Brice does an admirable job of holding the group and the film together. His fight scene with the boat captain (his name escapes me) was especially well done.

The film really picks up when the group encounters the headhunters in the final act. They are very well portrayed and convincing. I was immediately reminded of any number of 70s era cannibal films I've seen. While nowhere near as shocking as anything you'll see in a movie like Cannibal Holocaust, there is a similar vibe to the headhunter scenes in Golden Goddess of Rio Beni. Really good stuff.

5/10

Princess of the Nile (1954)

"Stretch him on the rack till his tongue loosens.", 14 September 2014

Basic plot: Set in 13th Century Egypt, Princess Shalimar (Debra Paget) wishes to see the band of Bedouin conquerors, led by the ruthless Rama Kahn (Michael Rennie), ousted from her city. While disguised as dancing girl Taura, Shalimar sees an opportunity when Prince Haidi (Jeffrey Hunter), son of the Caliph of Bagdad, pays a visit. Shalimar, Haidi, and a band of thieves form an alliance to fight back against the tyranny of Rama Kahn.

Princess of the Nile is 100% Grade-A Saturday matinée popcorn fun. If you're looking for a serious drama or high art, pass on by. Instead, you'll find sword fights, secret passages, dancing girls, intrigue, a young Jack Elam, a young Lee Van Cleef, and a lot of other hokum that all add up to a good time. At 71 minutes, the movie is quick-paced and never drags. And to top it all off, Princess of the Nile is in glorious Technicolor. What's not to love?

One of the biggest draws for me is the cast. Rennie is so deliciously over-the-top evil as Rama Kahn. He's easy to root against. Hunter is equally good as Prince Haidi. Paired with Paget, there's not a more beautiful couple. And, then there's Debra Paget. She is the star of every scene in which she appears. Her dance numbers as Taura are . . . WOW! Just . . . WOW!

Overall, Princess of the Nile is a winner with me. I've got not problems giving it a 7/10.

7/10

A Trip to the Moon (1902)

Interesting, 12 September 2014

Rating A Trip to the Moon or doing one of these user comments is difficult. I can't really compare this to anything else I've ever seen - and I'm not sure doing so would even be fair given A Trip to the Moon is over 100 years old. I'll just say that it's a remarkable piece of film. Imaginative doesn't do it justice. Set design, special effects, costuming, editing, lighting - all are very well done. Georges Méliès was a man well ahead of his time. I suppose my favorite bit had to be the moon-men. The costuming and actions were very nice. Overall, anyone who considers themselves a fan of movies or cinema should be required to watch A Trip to the Moon. If nothing else, it's an interesting piece of history that established a solid foundation for the 100 years of film to follow.

8/10

The Creature Wasn't Nice (1983)

"Amazed, incredulous, mind-boggled... any of those words would be appropriate.", 12 September 2014

Over the years, I've seen a lot of bad movies. And I can state without hesitation that The Creature Wasn't Nice (or Naked Space - the title I saw it under) is easily one of the very worst. It fits quite comfortably with cinematic disasters like Prime Evil, The Creeping Terror, and Curse of the Swamp Creature. I don't know how you set out to make a comedy and come up with something this unfunny. This piece of monkey excrement fails on every level. Everyone involved - writers, director, set designers, actors, key grips, caterers - should be embarrassed. What a disaster!

Most of the reviews I've read discuss what a disappointment it is to see Leslie Nielsen in something this bad. I have the same feeling for Patrick Macnee. I've always enjoyed his work, but in this hunk of garbage, he's just as bad as everything else. This thing is as far away away from Steed and The Avengers as you can get.

1/10

It Lives By Night (1974)

- The Bat People

"That's me: Jack-of-all-thoughts and master of none.", 11 September 2014

After being bitten by a bat, people near Dr John Beck begin dying in weird and horrible ways. Dr Beck believes he may be going through some sort of weird bat-like transformation and may be responsible for the murders. The local police sergeant is convinced he has something to do with the deaths. Dr Beck's wife is just confused, but believes her husband can't be responsible. What's going on?

It looks like I'm a bigger fan of It Lives By Night than most of the other IMDb users. It's undoubtedly got its problems, but I find it fairly effective. I enjoy real life husband and wife Stewart Moss and Marianne McAndrew. As you might expect, they're believable together. I was especially impressed with Moss. He does a good job of showing the fear and panic of a person in his situation. Michael Pataki as Sgt Ward is also good. He's annoyingly dogged in his pursuit of Beck. While there are plenty of scenes of fluff or filler, there still a feeling of unease about most of the movie that creates an effective atmosphere. The special effects are, while not the greatest, certainly memorable. I love the scene where Beck's hand changes from human to something more bat-like. And, finally, I really like the ending. I'm not going to give it away, but it's not what I was expecting.

Not only do I like It Lives By Night on its own, but it makes for a terrific episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000. MST3K does a great job of highlighting the movies weaknesses. For example, if Dr Beck is an expert on caves, why is he even on a cave tour led by a minimum wage park ranger? Very funny stuff!

5/10

Haunted House (1940)

Haunted House???, 11 September 2014

By any standard I can think of, I cannot call Haunted House much more than a below average movie. First, there is no haunted house in Haunted House. Instead, there is a fairly normal house where a murder took place. Jimmie Atkins (Jackie Moran) and Millie Henshaw (Marcia Mae Jones) are convinced the wrong man has been convicted of the murder. The pair begin investigating, only to come up with a couple of false leads. Thanks to dumb luck, they conveniently find themselves in the right place at the right time and solve the crime.

As a rule, I'm not a fan of calling a movie "outdated". I'd rather try to look at a film in the context of the time it was made. With Haunted House, it was probably outdated when it was made. Other movies made in 1940 like Rebecca, Foreign Correspondent, and His Girl Friday make Haunted House feel "old" in comparison. I usually go for these older mystery movies, but there's not a lot of mystery in this one. With only three or four characters, it's not hard to spot the one that did it. I much prefer the mystery in something like Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum - also made in 1940. The acting in Haunted House also leaves a lot to be desired. Jackie Moran overacts and overreacts in almost every scene he appears. The rest of the cast is just there and not really memorable - with Marcia Mae Jones being the one exception. And the comedy in Haunted House is anything but funny. The repeated jokes involving Moran's old beater of a car have all the subtlety of a Three Stooges poke in the eye.

Overall, Haunted House may be harmless enough, but there are better ways to spend 67 minutes of your life. This one is almost instantly forgettable.

3/10

King Solomon's Mines (1985)

"My gramophone; save my gramophone.", 9 September 2014

Allan Quatermain (Richard Chamberlain), renowned adventurer, agrees to take a young woman (Sharon Stone) across Africa in search of her father. The search changes from the girl's father to a search for the legendary King Solomon's Mine. Along the way, they encounter wild animals, hostile natives, a ruthless Turkish fortune hunter, and an even more ruthless German fortune hunter.

Given its inherent limitations, King Solomon's Mines almost works perfectly. Yeah, it's got the low budget you would expect from an 80s era Cannon/Golan-Globus Production. Special effects, while fun in a cheesy sort of way, really highlight the budget limitations. The plot feels little more than a shameless rip of Indiana Jones, but is still enjoyable enough. Most of the acting is at least acceptable. Sharon Stone's constant whining didn't bother me as much as some other reviews I've read. Overall, King Solomon's Mines is pretty good for what it is.

Notice I said the movie worked "almost" perfectly. My main complaint and the reason I cannot rate it any higher is Richard Chamberlain's Quatermain. Whether it was Chamberlain or the way the character was written, he comes off as a phony. I'm not buying him as a rugged adventurer. He's too well quaffed and too well dressed to be taken seriously. He's too obviously an actor trying to play a rugged adventurer. And that hat - the leopard band looks ridiculous. A better character or better actor might have made King Solomon's Mines a better experience.

My favorite part of the film has to be scene-stealing Herbert Lom. His Colonel Bockner is so over-the-top, it's often laugh-out-loud funny. The instances where he is on screen with John Rhys-Davis are a real treat, with each trying to outdo the other. Really good stuff.

5/10

Gor (1987)

Where's Jack?, 8 September 2014

I really can't imagine anyone watching Gor and thinking, "What a great movie." It's got problems galore - bad acting, ridiculous dialogue, poor special effects, a horrible plot . . . you name it, it's probably bad.

With all that in mind, I understand I've most likely overrated Gor. But it's just too much fun! Three things I enjoy - 1. The Cheese - I really hate the expression, but for me, Gor is the definition of so bad it's good. Fortunately, the movie never seems to take itself too seriously. 2. Oliver Reed - I doubt Reed could have passed a sobriety test while filming, but he's got so much presence, he's always worth watching - even with the ridiculous dialogue. 3. Rebecca Ferratti - What's not to like - WOW! And that hair - puts most 80s hair bands to shame.

Even with the many obvious problems, the thing that bugs me the most is the ending. The last 5 minutes is tacked on to setup the sequel. Jack Palance is also featured in the ending. You'll be forgiven if you forget he's supposed to be in the movie. He's only there to plug the followup.

5/10

Halloween (2007)

Good, but far from perfect, 5 September 2014

I originally wrote this back in 2007 after seeing 
the movie in the theater. For whatever reason, 
I never posted the review. Here it is:

Unlike some other fan comments I read on the internet, as soon as I heard the news that Rob Zombie was going to remake Halloween, I was ecstatic. Halloween has always been a favorite of mine. In fact, I've probably seen it more times over the years than any other horror movie. As for Zombie, I loved both his first two movies (yes, I loved what I consider to be the very underrated House of 1000 Corpses). The whole project seemed like a sure fire winner to me.

Overall, I enjoyed Zombie's reinterpretation of John Carpenter's classic quite a bit. It's not perfect, but it's a damn good effort. While I appreciate the fact that Zombie followed the basic storyline of the original, he threw in enough of his own ideas and scenes to keep it original and keep the audience guessing. One thing that makes me laugh are the comments I've read that complain the movie has too much foul language, too much violence, and too much nudity. What were these people expecting? It's a Rob Zombie movie! The final chase scene is for the most part expertly handled. The old Myers house becomes more of a focus and I enjoyed the chase going through every conceivable room and level. And just when it seemed the chase was over, Zombie's inclusion of false endings really caught me off guard. I was very impressed with the direction of this portion of the film.

Other highlights for me included some of the acting. Daeg Faerch is surprisingly good as the young Michael Myers. He has an innocence about him that he plays to his advantage. I'm also surprised at how effective Sherri Moon Zombie was at playing Michael's mother. After her husband's first two movies, I thought of her as little more than a one note actor. While she will never get near an acting award, she did show a little range with her performance in Halloween. And Malcolm McDowell is . . . well, he's Malcolm McDowell – a wonderful actor. I don't think there's much more that need be said. The music was a real asset in the movie. Zombie used Carpenter's original score to great effect and mixed in some nice period pieces. I've seen some on the internet complain about the inclusion of the song "Love Hurts" at a particularly key moment in the movie. Well, I loved it and thought it fit perfectly. Finally, I've just got to say I loved some of the casting decisions, particularly the cameos. Some seemed quite natural – Danny Trejo as an institution worker, Clint Howard as a doctor, and Sybil Danning as a nurse. But Micky Dolenz from the Monkees as a gun store owner? How cool is that? Freakin' Micky Dolenz!

Okay, enough of the good. As I said in the opening, the movie's not perfect. But I'm not going to sit here and pick the movie apart, so I'll limit this to three of the most obvious faults I saw in the movie. First, the opening 30 minutes that detail Michael's childhood before the killings start goes on far too long and takes away from the mystery of Michael. Too many movies try to explain away everything. Zombie, unfortunately, falls into this trap. Next, I've got a real problem with the way Zombie chose to present Laurie Strode and her friends. There's no real attempt to make them more than one dimensional characters. Who are they? Why do they do the things they do? Why should I care about them at all? Finally, and this is a biggie, I have a problem with (and though I've tried to limit the comparisons with Carpenter's movie, this one has to be mentioned) the lack of atmosphere and subtlety in this version of Halloween. Zombie seemed to be rushing the last half of the movie and missed out on what made the original a classic. How many times did Michael materialize out of the shadows in the 1978 movie? Man, was that ever creepy or what? Zombie seems content to let the audience know exactly where Michael is at all times. And if you do lose sight of him, be patient – he's bound to come crashing through a wall at any minute. It really lessens the mystery and suspense.


5/10

Space Probe Taurus (1965)

"I think it's some species of crab," 5 September 2014

In their search for an inhabitable world named Taurus, the crew of Hope 1 is sent millions of miles off course – only to discover another inhabitable world. That's really about it. Not much to see here. "Dull" would be my one word synopsis. A more competent movie might have done more with the alien space craft, flaming meteor showers, or the giant crabs, but not Space Probe Taurus. Instead, the movie is more concerned with the sexist commander and the (gasp) female scientist. You can probably guess how this goes – they fight and fuss until that inexplicable moment when they fall in love. Please! It's been done a million times – and usually in a more effective manner. The commander is played by James B Brown. He looks old enough to be the grandfather of love interest and lone female, Dr Lisa Wayne. Ewww. Francine York plays Dr Wayne and is the movie's loan bright spot. The other two cast members are just plain annoying – one, for being a stereotypical greasy money-hungry playboy and the other for being completely worthless.

I realize the movie was made by the notoriously low-budget AIP television division, but it's horrible by those standards. The movie was made in 1965, but looks and feels like it was made in 1955. You can find any number of sci-fi movies from the 50s with far better and more effective special effects. 2001: A Space Odyssey, with its amazing effects, was made only a couple of years later. And the incredibly tired sexist plot I've already mentioned feels more at home in something like Rocketship X-M from 1950 than a movie made in the more liberal thinking 60s.

Overall, not a good movie viewing experience.

2/10