pmicocci-18908 Reviews

Lady in Cement (1968)

Typical mid-1960s homophobia and male chauvisn

[1/10 · 22 March 2023]

Well, Frank was butt hurt that Ava Gardner was finding her own career, because a good Catholic man could never consent that his woman could have her own career. So let's find superhuman antagonists (Dan Blocker) a number of "sexy broads" that Frank could interact with, to show that he was an Alph male, because, he couldn't be anything less!

Frank gave two good performances: The Man With the Golden Arm, and The Manchurian Candidate. Or three, although he ended up the dead victim in From Here to Eternity.

So, I need to add 600 characters to satisfy IMDB.

Gangster-connected assholes apparently have some pull, even when decades dead

Frank Sinatra was perhaps not an unbridled homophobe, but he definitely played into the gay panic of the late 1960s.

Car 54, Where Are You?: Love Finds Muldoon (1961) Season 1, Episode 8

Who could resist a Bonita?

[9/10 · 15 February 2023]

In a show I find generally very funny, Alice Ghostley really shines. Somewhat less pitiable than her Esmeralda role on Bewitched, she still unfortunately suffers from low self-esteem, but she turns out to have quite a bit of allure. Francis' sisters are crazy about her! And when you catch her playing piano and singing, followed by violin, trumpet, trombone, and musical saw, how could you not be as well?! Not to mention her weight-lifting skills as well!

Being an early '60s sitcom, it of course suffers from gendered stereotypes, but the writers were intelligent enough to poke fun at many of those conventions. And Alice Ghostley was positively enchanting as Bonita, unlike her disenchanted Esmeralda character.

Death in Paradise (2011– )

Black people are, apparently, incompetent

[2/10 · 3 February 2023]

Every series so far is predicated on the premise that the local police force *read Black people* are incapable of solving crimes without the dominating guidance of a White British man. Even the brilliant undercover agent Camille Bordey, who started out as an undercover investigator, was subsumed in a sidekick role, and subsequently never seemed to cop on to the brilliant reasoning, first of Richard Poole, then of Humphrey whatshisname, and Sara Martins wisely fled the role.

Then Josephine Jobert was subjected to the role of wide-eyed and wide-mouthed sidekick to Humphrey Goodman. Then, somehow, they wrangled another few Black actresses into subordinate roles. The nadir was Shyko Amos, who presents as a completely idiotic, incompetent, and dangerously incompetent moron.

What is this series trying to present? In the first two seasons, Richard Poole as a fish out of water was amusing and led to some interesting conclusions... But was Camille Bordey incapable of leading the team?

I feel like the whole premise of this series is racist, on the face of it - how many competent black officers have been blown off? Can only white Anglo-Saxon officers analyze crimes? Even during the better days, with Richard Poole, all the Black members of the cast acted as though he were an idiot - could none of the local people have sussed out a similar conclusion? Camille Bordey was allegedly chosen for her abilities, and, based on the pilot, before her beneficent contact with the Great English Detective.

That Night in Rio (1941)

Crap

[1/10 · 24 December 2022]

On a stomach -pumping level, a spectacular piece of racist, nationalistic neon BS. The only participant having anything to do with Brazil is Carmen Miranda, who was actually born in Portugal... Everything else about this technicolor turd is lamentable, if not forgettable - praise god if you can forget this codswallop of dreck... I still have 250 characters to tell you how god-awfully bad this turd is. There is actually a character-counter on the upper right corner of this screen, as I type... I still... stagger on... Gasp...gasp help me out, people I still 38 characters to fill before you all understand how insightful my bs has been.

There. God Bless America!

The Keys of the Kingdom (1944)

No one else noticed?

[2/10 · 5 December 2021]

Apparently, no other reviewer here had any qualms about the blatant racism and religious bigotry portrayed in this film. I have not read the novel, and at least one reviewer has highlighted significant differences with the source material, but I sensed an overall sentiment that those heathen Asians needed to be instructed in the CORRECT religious believe, that only white missionaries could achieve.

The scene where one of the nuns writes that she is ministering to "surely God's lowest creations", or something to that effect, is certainly telling: non-white people with different beliefs are benighted heathens that need salvation in the form of good, white people of European extraction.

The whole premise of this film is loathsome.

Penny Serenade (1941)

Sexism was never so sweetly portrayed!

[2/10 · 28 November 2021]

Oh, we love our little daughter so much! Oh, dear judge, our love will provide where income fauls us! Oh, dear judge, god bless you for seeing how our love will provide for our darling daughter!!!

Oh, our poppsie's dead! Boo-hoo. But wait - there is now a BOY (Free Upgrade!) available for adoption, ripe for the plucking - why did they even waste time and money on that inferior female hand-me-down?!

Never has the story of Job had a more fitting (or telling) retelling.

That '70s Show: Good Company (2006) Season 8, Episode 8

No matter what the modern generations think...

[7/10 · 25 November 2021]

It was absolutely a thing that people engaged in intergenerational affairs, even between adults and minors. I know that this is unacceptable by today's standards, but people in the 1970s did not live by today's standards ( very far from it!), and each side of such intergenerational pairs would be both proud and boastful of their relationship.

Sorry if it upsets your present-day worldview, but that was absolutely the zeitgeist of the 1970s, as creepy as some of it seems now (and deservedly so).

For a good film of (some of) things were back then, view Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm" - it really is representative of middle and upper-middle-class surbaban USA in the 1970s.

Hawaii Five-O: The Singapore File (1969) Season 2, Episode 9

This is what psychology defines as "projection"

[2/10 · 25 November 2021]

BS like this episode, which portrays Singapore as a shadowy, sinister hellhole, when it is actually one of the cleanest and safest cities in the world, and had been for several years beforehand, or the prior episodes about hypnotism or Latino revolutionaries, are making it very hard for me to enjoy a series I grew up watching.

That's aside from all the rampant sexism, which was very certainly a commonplace in the USA until recent decades, as much as the ubiquitous smoking. And if any younger folks believe that such things are exaggerated, I can assure that they are not.

This series was pioneering in some senses (even when it occasionally lapsed), such as the ethnic diversity of the major players, but, in other senses, it still remains indicative of some nearly-universal prejudices of those days.

The French Connection (1971)

An action film? A police procedural?

[9/10 · 14 November 2021]

It is both, an among the greatest of all time.

There are a couple of great, incidental lines: when Irv says, " Look, I pulled everything out of there except the rocker panels!" (The duh! Moment of the movie). Better yet is when the desk cop tells Devereaux and his flunkie, "This is a non-smoking area; you'll have to extinguish your cigarettes." That was a very novel concept in 1971, and took more than 20 years to catch on in the rest of the USA.

But the fact that the troops have been told to delay the release of the "dirty" car makes it both funny and quizical; did the desk cop tell Devereaux and his flunky that they had to extinguish their cigarettes as a delaying tactic, or out of a perfunctory sense of duty?

And this comes after the possibly greatest chase scene in cinematic history, with Popeye chasing an elevated train in a commandeered car.

I think this is Friedkin's best film, and one of the best Hollywood films of all time.

Alfred Hitchcock Presents: An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge (1959) Season 5, Episode 13

Needless and worthless

[1/10 · 29 October 2021]

The 1962 French version., La rivière du hibou, which bought and aired on The Twilight Zone, is much the superior, and far more faithful to Bierce's story. This version is a ham-handed butchery, and is excruciating to watch.

The Tattooed Stranger (1950)

Pure corndoggery

[2/10 · 29 October 2021]

Cops shoving their badge and their weight around, and then the putative hero goes chasing a guy with a shotgun, without waiting for backup... Pure 1950s crapola. Truly made for the generation of conformism.

Macabre (1958)

Just plain stupid all around

[2/10 · 28 October 2021]

There's not much more worth saying about this turkey it's not deserving even of Thanksgiving, let alone Halloween.

Of course, since the American public has a long-lived adversity to things like knowledge and science, it might have seemed a shocking thriller, rather than schlocky filler, when it was released. Everything about it is supremely stupid.

It's only interesting quality is Castle's paltry attempt to be a latter-day Barnum.

Hawaii Five-O: I'll Kill 'Em Again (1974) Season 7, Episode 3

Hollywood wet dream

[4/10 · 22 October 2021]

Copycat killers are largely an invention of yellow journalism and Hollywood. Any article you find on the subject is likely to mention the same five or six cases, dating back to sensationalist yellow rags in the early 20th Century. The others will refer to the last several decades of the same century, based on a handful of Hollywood movies.

Why would a serial killer be motivated to copy someone else? There have been a handful of murders where the perpetrator claimed to have been influenced by this or that movie, by they were as likely to have been claiming so in view of a defense.

And who would actually believe that the skinny little antagonist of this episode would be capable of strangling an adult woman? Perhaps if had garrotted her by surprise from behind, but not face to face. It's not that easy to do, it takes at least several minutes to do, and the guy weighs about 97 pounds; an adult woman would stand a very good chance of fighting him off, but of beating the crap out of him in the process.

Hawaii Five-O: A Hawaiian Nightmare (1974) Season 7, Episode 2

I generally like the series

[4/10 · 21 October 2021]

But, frankly, the premise of this episode just seems siñly. The idea that 15 or 20 tons of dynamite could provoke a catastrophic volcanic eruption rings completely false. A volcano can contain a great many megatons of explosive force, and the amount of explosives proposed wouldn't even be a minor fart by comparison. Also, the idea that a crew of seven or eight could fix 15 or 20 tons of dynamite in such a short time seems unrealistic as well.

The whole plot seems very weak and farcical.

Bedlam (1946)

Far better than could be expected

[9/10 · 18 October 2021]

This movie is so much better than might be expected from the sum of its parts. The parts themselves promise much - Lewton and Karloff, for instance... But the story is actually very good, the acting is good, every aspect is far better than the zeitgeist could have been expected to deliver.

This is very much a drama and very little a horror show. It's a real shame thatVal Lewton died so young, because - just look at the heritage of productions he helmed in his short life!

The writing also deserves praise; it is far superior to any other similar vehicle of its age in dealing with issues of mental illness.

Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea (1961)

An absolute of idiotic pseudoscience

[1/10 · 16 October 2021]

We're gonna blast that Van Allen Belt, cause it's killin' us! Then we're gonna kill all the wolves and coyotes so's they don't eat all our liddle dogies. Then we'll make more improvements, show that mother Nature who's boss!

This film is hilariously stupid, as befits a cold war relict.

The only scene really worth watching is Barbara Eden dancing.

Death in Paradise: A Dash of Sunshine (2013) Season 2, Episode 6

If Poole acted like a real British copper

[7/10 · 15 October 2021]

He should have started out by putting the boot in, then declaring that the noticably intoxicated suspect had run into the table. It would have gotten the scumbag's attention and shortened the investigation.

I also agree with the other reviewer who criticized Camille's attitude in light of her rapid conclusions in other cases; if she's just trying to get back at Richard by such behavior, she is a very poor team member.

Also, the "Strangers on a Train" ripoff has been done way too many times.

That '70s Show: Love of My Life (2006) Season 8, Episode 21

Shark fin jumped and all

[5/10 · 3 October 2021]

Certainly, this series had jumped several sharks by this point, and it had outlived its purported timeframe by several years, although not to the grotesque bloating of MASH... But, as inarguably stupid as this show was, and should have been, given the subject matter, it still came up with some great comic lines, and often not from the youngsters who were the supposed protagonists. There were so many times when the adults had great lines, which I appreciate; for as many faults as this show had, a number of which I've elaborated on here, it also has had some great comic moments... at least if you are of a somewhat cynical attitude. The writers, if not always accurate in certain aspects of 1970s culture, were always ready to push buttons. There have been many expositions of human foibles on all sides.

If you want some laughs, some of which you may not understand if you were born after the 1970s, watch this show, for a start. If you want a balder, more incisive look at late '70s mores, watch Ang Lee's "The Ice Storm". I can attest from personal experience that most everything portrayed is accurate; the electrocution scene, I couldn't comment on.

The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

One of the few Ford films I like

[10/10 · 22 September 2021]

The Grapes of Wrath and The Informer are about the only two John Ford films I can stand, in large part because neither features the execrable John Wayne.

Of all the parts I like, I especially love the scene where the waitress deliberately lies about the price of some candy, downpricing it to the eager Joad kids. When she's chided about it by one of a pair of truckers having their lunch, she responds, "What's it to ya?" Upon leaving, the driver who teased her about giving the underpriced candy to the kids overpays her; when she informs him of it, he replies, "What's it to ya?"

That scene was a brilliantly-played display of humanity from a couple of incidental characters in a story so fraught with inhumanity.

New York, New York (1977)

I have a problem reviewing this film

[6/10 · 21 September 2021]

Robert De Niro, as Jmy Doyle, is such a disgusting creep that I can't understand how Francine could ever evince any ínterest in him.

This is perhaps the film that I have the most problem in Scorsese's ouvre, even though I like certain aspects of the film. De Niro's character is so disgusting that I can never feel any empathy with him.

I'm not sure what Scorsese was trying for in this film. It bears watching, ar least once, but don't try to find protagonists or antigonists in this film. Jimmy Doyle is absolutely detestable; Francine Evans is not much better.

So don't search for a moral in this film. Perhaps Scorsese simply wanted to make a film about an extremely disfunctional couple with a background of mid-century jazz. It works on that level, but not on any level of morality.

An afterthought: I absolutely did not remember Mary Kay Place, one of my favorite actresses, having a part in this film, which just adds to my respect for her imense talent.

Father Brown: The Shadow of the Scaffold (2014) Season 2, Episode 4

The most shocking thing!

[6/10 · 17 September 2021]

The most shocking aspect of this episode is seeing Father Brown viciously clubbing pigs with his umbrella; it seems wholly out of character.

The Twilight Zone: Young Man's Fancy (1962) Season 3, Episode 34

What I can't figure out is...

[7/10 · 16 September 2021]

Why would a woman like Virginia be fighting for such a non-entity as Alex? Does she really think she can "fix" him, as she indicates to the ghostly apparition of her mother-in-law?

I've always enjoyed watching Thaxter but, really, her character is as much to blame as the other two for her unsatisfactory marriage, and her attempt to force her husband to sell the house smacks of resentment and jealousy. If she was aware that Alex was tied to his mother's apron strings, why even marry him?

Lawman (1971)

One key player in a different key than usual

[8/10 · 13 September 2021]

Of course we've seen Lancaster a number of times as a resolute seeker of justice, and we've seen Duvalle, Cobb, Emhardt, Jordan, even J. D. Cannon play on either side of righteousness vs villainy... But this is the only example I can think of of Ryan (also adept at playing heroes or villains) as a timorous character; and, considering his physical size and demeanor, Robert Ryan would be the last guy you would think of as being a pushover. Age might have been a factor because, as I can personally attest, a man's level of bravado diminishes rapidly after a certain age.

There's also the ambiguity of Cobb's character: he realizes that some of his men have behaved barbarously, but he would like to make good, within his limited calculous; he needs a number of ruffians to do the sweaty work of his enterprise, and he hopes that a payoff to the survivors of the victim of rambunctious homicide will suffice - to his mercantile mind, it makes perfect sense.

But Burt is the implacable face of Justice, and financial recompense to the survivor(s) is not the measure of legal justice in his eyes.

This movie is interesting on many grounds, far more complex than a superficial perusal of the plot would indicate. There is really quite a bit to think about in this film.

I highly recommend a close viewing of it. It was, apparently, Lancaster's baby, but he might not even really be the most interesting character in the film. Perhaps the most attention-grabbing could have been Albert Salmi, the widely-recognized character actor, who is believed to have killed his wife in a murder/suicide.

The Twilight Zone: Hocus-Pocus and Frisby (1962) Season 3, Episode 30

Hocus pocus and shaggy dog

[5/10 · 11 September 2021]

Really, the only amusing part of this is that ETs would take the blowhardiness of such a gasbag seriously- or the only potentially terrifying part.

Just imagine if Douglas Adams' ETs who are looking to demolish Earth on behalf of some civil engineering project were to encounter some pathologically-lying, narcissistic moron like Frisby, or even one who claimed to be the most beloved leader of the greatest nation his world had ever seen... except that he hadn't even the talent or skill to play the harmonica... That's where terror enters the picture.

Solar Impact (2019)

Incredibly ignorant

[1/10 · 7 September 2021]

No, people, don't do any research, just crap out unbelievably stupid BS, because some ignorant SOB is sure to pounce on it, and probably create some conspiracy theory about how government agency XYZ is covering up the catastrophic collision of solar "debris" with Earth. Big chunks of sun, that will unleash solar radiation all over the Earth (otherwise known as "light" and "heat"). Heaven forfend!