North by Northwest (1959)

"How does a girl like you get to be a girl like you?", 2 December 2015

I'd like to kick myself in the seat of the pants for just now getting around to watching North By Northwest. I've been meaning to sit down with it for years and finally got around to it this week. It's a case of too many movies and too little time. Anyway, what a treat! It's Alfred Hitchcock and Carey Grant doing what they do best and treating us to one of the most entertaining pieces of film I've ever seen. I don't throw 10/10 ratings around like candy. Over the years, I've taken the time to rate 2,575 entries on IMDb. Of those, I've only given 52 (well, now 53) 10/10 ratings. To me, a movie has to be really special to deserve a 10. And North By Northwest is a very special movie.

I've read more than a few of the North By Northwest reviews on IMDb and many cover the positive aspects of the movie much better and more intelligently than I ever could. Instead of trying to write a real review, I'm just gong to make a few comments on the film:

1. I've read a few reviews that complain about the unrealistic aspects and situations in the movie. I hope no one thinks that Hitchcock was ever going for a realistic look at crime. In an interview I read, he calls the movie, "A fantasy of the absurd". I'd call it a PERFECT fantasy of the absurd. The movie flawlessly mixes action, suspense, and comedy to create a wonderfully entertaining experience. And as I've said any number of times, I watch movies to be entertained. 

2. Apparently, Hitchcock selected Grant in the lead over James Stewart. No offense meant to Stewart, but I cannot imagine anyone in the Thornhill role other than Grant. His comedic touch, mixed with his good looks, his acting ability, and his ability to play a put-upon wrong man type role make him ideal. He may not have been the "everyman" Stewart was, but there's still something in his character that makes him eminently relatable. 

3. Like any movie fan, I was aware of the crop duster scene. It's an iconic movie moment that has transcended the movie. And it's just as good as I could have hoped. But I wasn't aware of the auction scene. That has to be one of the best moments I've experienced in a movie. It's just so perfect. 

4. As much as I enjoyed North By Northwest, there are a few moments that, if they could be changed, the movie would have been even better. Chief among these is the scene fairly early on in the movie where The Professor and his cronies are sitting around a table, discussing the Thronhill situation. I feel they give away too much of the plot's twists too soon. I would have preferred to have discovered George Kaplan's secret when Thornhill does. Playing along with the character might have made a fantastic movie even better.

I'll stop. I could literally write pages. I'll sum it all up by saying that if you've never seen North By Northwest, do yourself a favor and check it out. It's not to be missed.

10/10

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (2015) (TV)

The Positive: My 4 year-old likes it. The Negative: Everything else., 30 November 2015

The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar tells the story of Kion, Simba's son. Simba commissions Kion to put together a new Lion Guard to protect the Pride Lands and preserve the Circle of Life. However, Kion's idea of a Lion Guard (consisting of a cheetah, bird, hippo, and honey badger) isn't quite what Simba had in mind. 

Oh my, how can you take something like The Lion King and come up with this mess? I was going to go through a long list of negatives, including: the lame hyenas and their treatment by the superior lions; the ridiculous fur patches (I agree with the other reviewer - it's like something out of The Power Rangers); kids able to take on tasks they couldn't realistically handle; Rob Lowe's voice work; the complete change in Simba's character; farts as weapons; and on and on. But, ultimately, why bother? I'm not in the target audience for this Disney offering. The key thing here is that as much as I may dislike The Lion Guard: Return of the Roar, my 4 year- old likes it and won't stop talking about it. I think he's watched it at least a dozen times since it originally aired. And he's constantly singing one of the songs from the show - Zuka Zama. So, I may think it's a mess with a twisted message, but it brings him so much joy that I have to rate it at least a 6/10 for doing what it was intended to do - entertain kids.

6/10

The Champions "The Fanatics" #1.12 (1968) (TV)

Richard goes undercover as an assassin, 28 November 2015

In The Fanatics, a string of assassinations brings Nemesis in to investigate. Richard goes undercover as an assassin, hoping to gain entry into the secretive group behind the killings. Richard discovers the name of the group's next intended target - Tremayne. Can The Champions act quickly enough to save the head of Nemesis?

As my rating would indicate, while I enjoyed The Fanatics, I don't consider it one of the better episodes. It has too many problems that I can't overlook. Still, it's an enjoyable enough experience.

A couple of things I liked: 1. Gerald Harper's Croft makes a perfect leader of the assassins. He's smart enough not get his hands dirty. Unlike those who work for him, he's in it for the money. 2. Richard gets a real chance to shine in The Fanatics. Whether its opening a booby-trapped safe, absorbing extreme punishment, or outsmarting Croft, Richard is the star of this episode. 3. The final showdown with Tremayne's life on the line is exciting. I wasn't sure how it would turn out.

A couple of things I didn't like: 1. For a secretive group like The Fanatics, they're awfully easy to find and infiltrate. And they don't have much in the way of security. Sharron and Craig just walk in after Richard incapacitates the only two people in the building. 2. While the group is called The Fanatics and a big deal is made in the pre- credit sequence, the whole "Fanatic" thing is never explained and just kind of drops. They seem more like your garden variety assassins.

In the end, I'm rating The Fanatics a 6/10.

6/10

Buying Food (1950)

Not sure it was meant to be this funny, 28 November 2015

Don't be fooled by my rating - Buying Food really isn't all that good, but it is unintentionally hilarious. Simple concepts like selecting the right amount of food for your family, buying fresh food when it's in season, or understanding that something labeled "Grade A" may have more favorable qualities than something labeled "Grade C" are presented as if they're as complicated as nuclear physics. And the narrator only adds to the fun with his ridiculously serious tone when going over the simplest of concepts. Very funny stuff.

Buying Food would be funny even without the Rifftrax commentary, but with it, I found myself actually laughing out loud on more than one occasion. Catch it if you can!

7/10

Remember Me (1981)

Effective in getting message across, 27 November 2015

I'm rating Remember Me a 6/10 primarily because of its effectiveness. The makers of this short set out to get across the importance of quality customer service - and they succeed. Filmed in 1981, the message still resonates. The Customer (played nicely by Will Gerard) faces the same poor customer service scenarios that we all face in our day-to-day lives. And he responds just as most of us would - he accepts it quietly and moves on. But the point the short makes is that while we may not complain or anything like that, we do have the last word. We tell our friends about or poor customer service experiences. And word-of-mouth is an awfully powerful form of negative advertising. Very nicely done.

Of all the Rifftrax and MST3K shorts I've seen, Remember Me is probably one of the best and most effective of its kind. The riffing is good, but the short is actually good on its own (though probably not overly entertaining).

6/10

The Deadly Companions (1961)

"You don't know me well enough to hate me that much.", 27 November 2015

The Deadly Companions was Sam Peckinpah's first non-TV directorial effort. Overall, I wasn't overly impressed. Peckinpah would go on to make some of my personal favorites, including The Wild Bunch and Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia. But, unfortunately, I can't even call his first film "good".

The plot centers on an ailing ex-Army officer, called Yellowleg (Brian Keith), who accidentally shots and kills a young boy. The boy's mother, Kit Tildan (Maureen O'Hara), insists on traveling through dangerous Indian country so her son can be buried beside his father. To try to make-up for his mistake, Yellowleg travels with her despite her insistence that she doesn't need help.

The Deadly Companions has a number of problems I could cite (cheap sets, poor score, etc.), but I think I'll limit this to the biggest issue I have - the movie has a horribly uneven feel to the whole thing. For example, character motivation is all over the place. The ups and downs of Yellowleg and Kit's relationship feels so forced that it's more awkward than enjoyable. From one second to the next, you have no idea how they'll react to one another. It has a random feel to it like the script was being written and re-written daily (which I think was the case). The actors aren't helped by the ridiculous dialogue they're forced to spout. It's often embarrassing. And to make matters worse, I never felt any real chemistry between Keith and O'Hara. Being a pro, O'Hara is generally quite good, but it's not hard to see she would rather be anywhere else than on Peckinpah's set. Overall, it's a poor effort. If I have to come up one positive it would be Chill Wills in a supporting role. He's quite good.

4/10

The Champions "The Dark Island" #1.11 (1968) (TV)

Stopping WWIII, 27 November 2015

The Dark Island is an excellent episode with a plot and a band of bad guys worthy of The Champions' talents. I've complained in the past that The Champions abilities weren't necessarily needed in some of their missions. But here, they face an enemy with a plan to start World War III - sounds like a pretty worthy mission, huh? As for the baddies, The Champions are only up against a small army controlled by China - not too shabby. With lots of action, some spy type stuff, and a realistic threat, The Dark Island is a winner.

The plot sees Nemesis send The Champions to a remote Pacific island where other agents and aircraft have gone missing. Once there, The Champions find forces from the Chinese government bent on launching a nuclear missile at the United States. The US will blame the Russians and retaliate in kind - thus setting off WWIII.

Overall, a very strong 8/10 from me.

8/10