kelsci Reviews

Rovin' Tumbleweeds (1939)

What a nifty Gene Autry Western

[10/10 · 8 February 2009]

There is a very good reason for this. The crew who worked on this western is the same crew who were doing the THREE MESQUITEERS series. As such, this movie seemed almost like a "MESQUITEERS" western, but with Gene Autry in it. That's what makes this one so darn good. The action and dialog is brisk, fast and sharp. The music cannot be beat. I must say that Republic Pictures is the true AMERICANA studio of music IMHO. Republic pictures in most cases tried to entertain you and they did and IMHO they still do even in the 21st century. I am glad that there has been an effort to preserve their films such as the Autry series that he made for them during the 30s and 40s. Just think if they had invited THE THREE MESQUITEERS over to assist Gene in this one; what a crossover western this one would have made; but I bet nobody though about it.

The Incident (1967)

As close to an authentic NYC subway ride film from the 1960s as one would get.

[8/10 · 1 April 2007]

I never watched this film before. I am originally from Queens,N.Y. so it did bring back memories,subway memories that is. I believe that NYC transit cops were riding the trains at that time. I noted the fare was 20 cents which had risen from 15 cents perhaps not too long before this film was produced. These were the last years that these particular kinds of subway cars were used on the subway lines of NYC. There were so many breakdowns that the city had to buy new cars not long after this film was made. I loved those old cars though. They had such a nice smell to them. On top of that, I loved the sound that they made. The sound people for this film captured that to a tee. I felt like I was riding in one of these cars again for just the moments that the movie was on. I got the feeling of an art film here as well. The black and white photography gave perfect atmosphere to this movie. Here it is 2007, and one cannot deny that Sheen and Bridges look good for their age and continue working in the industry. I never rode on the 3rd Ave. El but I remember it being in existence at that time. A good film of multi-characters;perhaps a good alternative title is "strangers on a New York subway train".

Red River Range (1938)

Pure Americana ala Republic Pictures

[10/10 · 14 January 2007]

AMC just premiered this film on their network. One can see that it came from a well cared for 35mm print. It appears the picture and sound were digitally mastered. It looked great in all its sweeping black and white glory. It is the best print I have ever seen of this film and compares very favorable to the other prints of this series shown on AMC.

Personally, I like John Wayne as an actor in this series of films as Stony Brook then the A pictures he would soon start to make. Who cannot like that corny dummy Elmer. There is a kind of humor in these movies made by Republic that I have never seen from any other studio. My gut feeling is that it is a Americana feeling, and I like that. As in PALS OF THE SADDLE, Wayne's character as Killer Madigan is right on target while being slightly offbeat and wonderful at the same time.

Great music, sound effects,humor and a rousing adventure make this a nifty film.

Born to Defense (1988)

A martial arts movie that has something more.

[10/10 · 14 May 2006]

I stumbled onto this film being shown 5/14/2006 on Spike TV. The stunning production work caught my eye in the opening battle scene. The color photography throughout this film is first rate. The film is entertaining from beginning to end. According to IMDb, this is the only film Jet Li has directed. His direction is first rate. This is a Chinese version of a film of soldiers fighting and coming home from the war, in this case World War 2. The film primarily focuses on the exploits of one soldier returning to a town where his buddy, a lieutenant in the marines, lives. He becomes involved in the life of his friend, the friend's daughter and the goings on in their town. The town is occupied by some American sailors who like to run roughshod over the Chinese occupants. Conflicks take hold. There is a style in this movie of words that I cannot find, but it is entertaining and at a very high level than the few pictures that I have seen out of China. There is a wonderful "gritiness" throughout the movie. Two scenes that demonstrate this is the group of Chinese soldiers playing their little wind instruments marching down the street and the fight scene in the driving rainstorm in the bar. Great movie!(added 05/15/2006-The style of this film for some reason reminds me of GUNGA DIN).

Lone Hero (2002)

Diverting "drive in" type action film with a good plot

[7/10 · 1 June 2002]

This film was recently shown in the spring of 2002 on HBO. The twist to this film involves one of the participants in a local town's wild west show given to tourist. A criminalistic motorcycle gang invades the town. It is that participant mentioned above who cleverly fights off this gang, one with the help of a friend who apparently is well versed in weapondry and by getting a few of the towns participants to assist him when the gang makes its final assault to seize the town with their ultimate goal of perhaps killing innocents and pillaging the town for whatever they can use on their travels. Lou Diamond Phillips is ideal as the head of the biker gang with a mean wise guy attitude. Sean Patrick Flannery is perfect as the mild mannered participant that wards off the gang. Robert Forster is good support as the friend of Flannery and the weapons expert.

There is a style to this action film that although makes it a sort of "B" film that makes it a cut above similar type films. I would say that the plot-story line is the key that is carried out very well.

The Boy Who Could Fly (1986)

On target.

[10/10 · 6 July 2000]

Unusual, very moody fantasy. Great music score. The LOVE SCENE in the sky above the hospital between Eric and Milly with the fireworks display with a great musical score playing during this scene makes it one of the most romantic scenes I have witnessed in any film.

Soldier (I) (1998)

An interesting observation of the future.

[29 September 1999]

I watched "Soldier" on HBO ON 9/25/99. I found it to be an interesting film with an interesting story line. I thought Kurt Russell was outstanding giving what might be a truly stoic performance of someone taken from the cradle and trained to do one type of job after 27 years without emotion; in fact almost robotic. Also interesting was how earth solved their waste problems over the years by dumping everything and the kitchen sink on a planet. The movie reminds me of an "Outer Limits" type episode for that series at times was "gritty" like this film. In fact, I believe in the 1960s, there is an episode "Soldier" that resembles this movie to a small degree. In a sense too Kurt Russell's character seems "Ramboistic" but I would not call "Soldier" a knockoff of the first two "Rambo" films. This film stands on its own. It is a good production.

The Mysterians (1957)

an important update to credit one point of this film

[10/10 · 24 August 1999]

In my first review, I failed to mention a magnificent credit to Akira Ifukube. His film score to this film is magnificent, following the action of the film as it moves to its conclusion. Mr. Ifukube's score on this film lends a fabulous mood of suspense and excitement. The "Mysterians" has one of the finest film scores you can find in a science fiction film. I wish there was a CD of this film score.

Battle in Outer Space (1959)

A special effects extravaganza for its time.

[8/10 · 15 July 1999]

I saw this film in 1960 playing with "The Time Machine" as a double feature. Though not as rich in story line as "The Mysterians" this film really takes off when the two Speep earthships go to the moon to battle a base set up by the planet Matal who also fly "Mysterian" style flying saucers. On the moon the action really starts with marvelous raygun battles between the enemy and earth forces. The earth forces possess a marvelous heat ray cannon as well as smaller but potent raygun rifles. Later in the film, the earth forces battle invading flying saucers and a mother ship with X-15 styled fighter craft equipped with heat ray guns. The finale with the mother ship's ray gun destroying Toyko is done quite well.

For the time this film was made, the special effects are quite good. Considering my nickname is ray-gun 3, this is a ten star IMDb vote scale film in that department. I think the best scene in the film is on the moon where one of the crew stays behind with his ray rifle destroying flying saucers so the earth force can get away in their Speep spaceship. This scene is one of the best piece of special effects I have scene in this type of movie. A thought to remember is the film was made 17 to 18 years before "Star Wars". An outstanding accomplishment by Toho studios.

The Mysterians (1957)

A rousing science fiction film.

[10/10 · 12 July 1999]

I saw this film in Tohoscope in 1958 or 1959 in Jamaica,N.Y. The "star" of the movie is its excellent storyline. You might say that this film is a Japanese version of "War of the Worlds". The film with its technological weapons and style has a resemblance to the James Bond films that would come a few years later. My nickname above is actually a tribute to those films that featured such fabulous superweapons. The battle between the mysterians' Helicons and the Earth's Marcolights are first rate. Also quite neat are the two flying airships deployed against the Mysterians by the Earth forces.

I believe this was Toho's studios' best film made. Those who may think this film is too antiquated by the standards of special effects that have developed since "200l" and Lucasfilms should still try to view this film if they have never seen it.

Zorro Rides Again (1937)

one of the best '30s serials from republic pictures

[10/10 · 9 May 1999]

I first saw this serial on TV in the 1950s in New York. It was my first exposure to the "anachronistic westerns" that republic pictures produced at that time. Six Guns, railroads, airplanes horses,gunfights,a machine gun and automobiles; what a combination in a western serial. One would probably have thought seeing this and other republic features made along these lines that people walked around with six guns like the old west in modern times living in California. This formula however in my opinion worked very well. Republic's music scores of that time were wonderful with basically the same themes used in this and other films of 1937. The casting was fine for this serial. John Caroll made a wonder modern Zorro. In a change of pace, Richard Alexander, the unselfish prince Barin of Flash Gordon,1936, makes a marvelous villain as the character, El Lobo (Brad Dace). Kudos to the rest of the cast especially Duncan Renaldo. There is no question that the production company knew how to put together a rousing actioneer of all the components I mentioned above. The closest of films that we see today that even approach the mood and mystique of this serial would probably be the Star Wars epics. This is one of my favorite serials because it has "entertainment value"; one to pop on a vcr to enjoy and relax more than "once a year".