jmickleby Reviews

The Anonymous Venetian (1970)

The most romantic movie for hopelessly romantic individuals.

[10/10 · 15 January 2020]

Hopefully you will get the Italian version with subtitles.

Some people say this movie is about a dying musician. I disagree. This movie is all about humanity, and the errors we make in our youth.

If we could have recorded every minute when we fell in love , every gesture, every smile and every Kiss, then maybe we wouldnt have to remind ourselves why we fell so deeply in love.

In this case the musician has a terminal disease, however life in its immense sarcasm and cruelty, reminds him , and the love of his life, how small and stupid as a species we are. And how , so many small mistakes lead to desperation and sadness.

The astonishingly beautiful scenery, the most romantic music, the live drama are just perfect. Its European cinema at its best. No need for special effects or expensive sets. The city itself provides everything needed. Pure acting is all that is required, and both actors deliver superb performances.

It is the type of movies that shakes depressed souls and hopelessly romantic individuals like myself. Life can be beautiful one moment yet tremendously cruel the next. Lets not give it a chance to destroy us earlier than necessary. It is a fact of life, though , eventually we will all end up alone, miserable with just our memories.

A must for couples that want to rescue their love. And a warning for the rest of mortals so they dont fall down into the well of total and inconsolable desperation.

ps. Never visit Venice in the summer. Wait for the fall, or winter, you will fall in love with the unforgettable city like no other.

Sodom and Gomorrah (1962)

It is not faithful to the bible, but amazing otherwise.

[8/10 · 7 January 2020]

The performance of Amouk Aimee (Queen Bera) and Stanley Baker(Asthorath) is imposing and quite delightful. Evil but lovable at the same time.

Some people complain that it wasnt about naked lust , and explicit orgies were not shown at all. Really? It was filmed in 1961, a naked picture would have been a scandal!

Instead , the scenes are seductive, filled with tasteful naughtiness that leave everything to some subtle imagination. Mitsuko Takara's dance moves are right on target and she is as seductive as beautiful.

My favorite performances came from Queen Bera and Ildith (Pier Angeli). They steal the show with their stunning beauty and performances. Stewart Grange is a bit dissapointing as Lot. And yes, there are some cheesy moments in the film.

Finally, Miklos Rosza shows why he was the master of musical performances. The soundtrack is worth everything he promises.

The movie is worth every detail. However, it cant be watched with a modern perspective.

The Day After (1983 TV Movie)

A true journey into the nuclear holocaust

[9/10 · 28 July 2019]

I watched that movie in 1983, right before our Thanksgiving weekend. I think it was aired exactly to get people truly aware, scared and most importantly...to Make us talk about the problem.

It was the year of the Korean airplane destruction by the soviets, world tensions were really high and Pres. Ronald Reagan had a strong build up of US forces. It was a scary time and personally I thought that war could be delayed....but that sooner or later, it was inevitable.

The movie develops slowly but gives us a window into the lives of a few families, just everyday people , with every day hopes and tribulations. It shows us how innocence, even in rural areas, was being threatened by the irrational ambitions and attitudes of the ruling classes. Even the military guards are perplexed by the actions. And then it happens... The before and the after, the alpha and the omega.

the problem is worse today, and the world has become too complacent or ignorant. We have better technologies and faster deployment methods today. Nuclear weapons never went away, even though we had a break in tension in the 1990s.

I think we are getting closer and closer to the boiling point. Imho, this film is great and it has aged well, but we need a modern , accurate version of this film once again, to alert the new generations of the imminent problem we face. All it takes is one mistake and less than 30 minutes.... And Please, no big actors , no Brad Pitts or Clooney, no Steven Spielberg..., .or idiotic effects. A movie based on actual and scientific facts.

The Signal (2014)

A superb topic, sadly it was horribly managed!

[6/10 · 8 July 2019]

First of all, the movie subject is superb. It makes us question reality and existence. It could even be suggested that life in itself is nothing but a programmed form of existence and that each one of us is living in his/her own universe. There are many professional ways to dive into this Proposition except when.....

You use childish and immature teenagers! Quite frankly this adaptation should have been given to actors in their late twenties or early thirties with a much Better credibility factor , and less prescribed teen drama formulas.

The Twilight Zone, a pioneer series in this sort of topic , had a similar but compact episode called : "A Stopover in a Quiet Town" Sadly the moral of the story was geared towards DUI instead of true abduction revelations.

Next time, Mr Producer, go for the Gold and leave the teenagers to the repetitive Zombie thrillers.

PS Did I say that the ending was obvious and easy to predict.