This is an awful adaptation, nay a distortion, of Agatha Christie's novel which I have read many times. Characters that are not in the book are found in this movie. Or minor characters have been given a more prominent role. As a nod to political correctness, the French dancer Mireille of the book is now Mireille, a black woman. The middle of this movie just drags on and is almost unwatchable though the pace picks up closer to the end. The famous Blue Train of France is shown as being hauled by a British locomotive, specifically a Class 5 4-6-0, which never was used in France! In an earlier installment of Poirot, a French train is hauled by a French locomotive, a Chapelon super-Pacific no less. Such a locomotive would have been used in 1930s France as the motive power on Le Train Bleu, at least part of the way from Calais to Nice. Therefore, the producers already had the footage that could have been used in The Mystery of the Blue Train. Both the script writer and the director are evidently incompetent.
Reviews
33 Reviews
The Phantom
(1996)
Great adaptation!
12 June 2021
I grew up reading The Phantom comics when they were being published in India during the 1970s. So, I loved this movie. Of course, I am biased. I love period piece films where the past is recreated. Movies can do that better than books can. The recreation of the 1930s in this film is wonderful. A lot of effort seems to have been expended on this. For this reason alone, this movie deserves a better rating on IMDB. Reviewers who call The Phantom an imitation of Batman have it backwards. The Phantom actually predates Batman by a few years. In an interview, Lee Falk, the creator of The Phantom, expressed his opinion that Batman was a copy of The Phantom.
Bad adaptation
27 May 2021
Unlike most of the reviewers, I actually have read 'Hickory Dickory Dock' which Agatha Christie wrote in the 1950s and is set in post-war England. For some inexplicable reason, the producers moved the story to the 1930s. They also got rid of all the non-white characters from the book and needlessly brought in a left-wing British politician who is not there in the book.
I burst out laughing when Poirot asks Sally Finch, the American student, if she was in England on a Fulbright scholarship. The Fulbright program started in 1946 but this adaptation of Christie's tale is set in the 1930s! Anthony Horowitz, the writer, is responsible for this anachronism. Evidently, he knew nothing about American history.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the mouse gets too much screen-time and the poor attempts at humor involving Poirot's and Japp's cooking are not funny.
I love 'Poirot' and David Suchet, but this episode is simply awful.
I burst out laughing when Poirot asks Sally Finch, the American student, if she was in England on a Fulbright scholarship. The Fulbright program started in 1946 but this adaptation of Christie's tale is set in the 1930s! Anthony Horowitz, the writer, is responsible for this anachronism. Evidently, he knew nothing about American history.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the mouse gets too much screen-time and the poor attempts at humor involving Poirot's and Japp's cooking are not funny.
I love 'Poirot' and David Suchet, but this episode is simply awful.
Frasier's imaginary girlfriend is real
3 March 2021
I just finished watching this installment during a Frasier re-run. Frasier manages to bed a supermodel-zoologist (Sela Ward) not once but twice, but nobody believes him when he flaunts their affair together. I am a Sela Ward fan, but she was 41 when this episode was filmed - too mature to play a supermodel who is breaking up with a young NFL player. The writers should have made her a professor of zoology who used to be a supermodel.
The Party
(1968)
Somewhat overlong film
20 August 2020
I just finished watching 'The Party'. The movie dragged a bit in places, especially near the end of the party. Peter Sellers is Chaplinesque as Hrundi V. Bakshi. Most of the time, he seems more wistful than funny.
Even though I am originally from India where 'The Party' was banned on its release for its supposed mocking of Indians, I disagree with those who say that this film is racist or that Peter Sellers' Indian accent sounds phony. Indians speak English with many different accents. Sellers actually worked in India entertaining the British troops stationed there, so he would have had several opportunities to listen to Indians. I have known Indians who talk exactly like he does, in this film. I even knew one Indian person who looked vaguely like Peter Sellers does in 'The Party'. Indian physiognomies are as diverse as Indian accents.
This year, i.e., 2020, has seen many white voice actors who are the voices of non-white television characters get replaced by more 'authentic' actors - more political correctness in the aftermath of the recent anti-police riots, or window-dressing on the part of Hollywood. An actor, if he is any good, should be able to play nearly any role if the make-up man can make him look the part. Until the 1990s, Indian movies had Indians donning European roles, due to the paucity of western actors in India. Back in 1968, there were no Indian actors in Hollywood - none as good as Peter Sellers anyway. To hell with political correctness.
Even though I am originally from India where 'The Party' was banned on its release for its supposed mocking of Indians, I disagree with those who say that this film is racist or that Peter Sellers' Indian accent sounds phony. Indians speak English with many different accents. Sellers actually worked in India entertaining the British troops stationed there, so he would have had several opportunities to listen to Indians. I have known Indians who talk exactly like he does, in this film. I even knew one Indian person who looked vaguely like Peter Sellers does in 'The Party'. Indian physiognomies are as diverse as Indian accents.
This year, i.e., 2020, has seen many white voice actors who are the voices of non-white television characters get replaced by more 'authentic' actors - more political correctness in the aftermath of the recent anti-police riots, or window-dressing on the part of Hollywood. An actor, if he is any good, should be able to play nearly any role if the make-up man can make him look the part. Until the 1990s, Indian movies had Indians donning European roles, due to the paucity of western actors in India. Back in 1968, there were no Indian actors in Hollywood - none as good as Peter Sellers anyway. To hell with political correctness.
The Silver Streak
(1934)
Will appeal only to railroad buffs
27 February 2020
I just watched this movie because I am a railroad buff. The Zephyr train (now preserved in Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry) is the true star of this flick, especially because the other actors in the movie were little-known even in the 1930s.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the acting is poor, the film is too rushed, the characters are not developed enough and the storyline is quite predictable and lacks any dramatic tension.
Even those who do not care for political correctness will be sickened by the stereotypical portrayal of an African-American -- Sam, the train's chef played by Ray Turner. This was the only type of role that he could get in 1930s Hollywood.
As other reviewers have pointed out, the acting is poor, the film is too rushed, the characters are not developed enough and the storyline is quite predictable and lacks any dramatic tension.
Even those who do not care for political correctness will be sickened by the stereotypical portrayal of an African-American -- Sam, the train's chef played by Ray Turner. This was the only type of role that he could get in 1930s Hollywood.
King of the Khyber Rifles
(1953)
Could have been better
12 August 2019
I just finished watching 'King of the Khyber Rifles'. It is only loosely based on Talbot Mundy's book which I enjoyed reading many years ago. Mundy, an Englishman, wrote sympathetically about India and its people. But in the book, Captain King was not an Anglo-Indian, but in this movie, he is and often gets called a chi-chi or a half-caste. Not politically correct, but this movie is set in 1857. This is the one of the 2 movies in which Irish-American Tyrone Power plays a likeable Indian or half-Indian character! The other movie is 'Rains of Ranchipur', which portrays a love affair between an Englishwoman and an Indian doctor.
The first half of the film is rather slow-moving. Tyrone Power and Terry Moore lack any chemistry together. Ty looks rather stiff and bored. But in the second half of the movie, he is more animated as a dashing officer who leads a charge against the lawless frontier tribes whose lands are now in Pakistan, but were part of British India till 1947. The so-called Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 forms the backdrop of this film which shows only one fictional battle in a remote part of what was north-western India, far removed from north and central India where most of the battles took place.
Michael Rennie is quite good as the upright British officer, but Terry Moore, later to be Mrs. Howard Hughes, is quite unimpressive in her role and is not all that good-looking.
The first half of the film is rather slow-moving. Tyrone Power and Terry Moore lack any chemistry together. Ty looks rather stiff and bored. But in the second half of the movie, he is more animated as a dashing officer who leads a charge against the lawless frontier tribes whose lands are now in Pakistan, but were part of British India till 1947. The so-called Sepoy Mutiny of 1857 forms the backdrop of this film which shows only one fictional battle in a remote part of what was north-western India, far removed from north and central India where most of the battles took place.
Michael Rennie is quite good as the upright British officer, but Terry Moore, later to be Mrs. Howard Hughes, is quite unimpressive in her role and is not all that good-looking.
Airwolf
(1987)
Not as bad as people say
9 February 2014
This edition of 'Airwolf' i.e., the fourth season of 'Airwolf' is hated by reviewers for the following 2 reasons: 1] The first three seasons starred Jan Michael Vincent in the lead role instead of Barry van Dyke who took over from the former. Naturally fans felt betrayed and were not inclined to like the new series lead.
2] The fourth season is indeed low budget compared to the first three seasons and all the footage of the Airwolf super-helicopter used in the fourth season is borrowed from the first three seasons.
Yet, Airwolf, Season 4, is not as bad as reviewers would have you believe. I started watching Season 4 recently with low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the little-known Canadian actors who play the other lead roles in this series. Even the much-maligned reuse of helicopter footage from the previous seasons has been fairly well done by this show's editing department, considering that video-editing software did not exist in the 1980s.
A few episodes in Season 4 are actually fairly good. I suspect that if one watched Season 4 first and the first 3 Seasons later, the former would not seem so bad at all. Barry van Dyke's St.John (Sinjin) Hawke is actually more likable than Jan Michael Vincent's brooding performance as Stringfellow Hawke. Of course, one would expect that St.John, after his many years of captivity and ill-treatment in Vietnam, would be the one who is moody and morose. Not his younger brother Stringfellow who managed to avoid capture.
Another point that other reviewers have missed is that the tall, square-jawed Barry van Dyke seems more believable as an action hero than the short, slightly-built Jan Michael Vincent who somehow manages to beat up the bad guys during three seasons of this show. Yet, it is true that both actors give rather middling performances in their respective roles.
2] The fourth season is indeed low budget compared to the first three seasons and all the footage of the Airwolf super-helicopter used in the fourth season is borrowed from the first three seasons.
Yet, Airwolf, Season 4, is not as bad as reviewers would have you believe. I started watching Season 4 recently with low expectations and I was pleasantly surprised by the performance of the little-known Canadian actors who play the other lead roles in this series. Even the much-maligned reuse of helicopter footage from the previous seasons has been fairly well done by this show's editing department, considering that video-editing software did not exist in the 1980s.
A few episodes in Season 4 are actually fairly good. I suspect that if one watched Season 4 first and the first 3 Seasons later, the former would not seem so bad at all. Barry van Dyke's St.John (Sinjin) Hawke is actually more likable than Jan Michael Vincent's brooding performance as Stringfellow Hawke. Of course, one would expect that St.John, after his many years of captivity and ill-treatment in Vietnam, would be the one who is moody and morose. Not his younger brother Stringfellow who managed to avoid capture.
Another point that other reviewers have missed is that the tall, square-jawed Barry van Dyke seems more believable as an action hero than the short, slightly-built Jan Michael Vincent who somehow manages to beat up the bad guys during three seasons of this show. Yet, it is true that both actors give rather middling performances in their respective roles.
24 Hours to Kill
(1965)
Lacks much drama
29 January 2014
"Twenty four hours to kill" is set in 1965 Beirut at a time when that city perhaps deserved its soubriquet 'The Playground of the Middle East'. Needless to say, today's Beirut has a quite a different international reputation. It is interesting to see the Beirut of nearly 50 years ago in this movie when the French influence on the city was still evident. Other than that, there is little in this film that will hold the interest of the viewer. Lex Barker is somewhat impressive in the lead role and delivers his lines well, but Mickey Rooney adds nothing to this film. Austria-born Walter Slezak plays the villain, but it is not clear whether he is a Fez-cap wearing Turk living in Beirut, or an Arab who was bestowed with a Fez cap by the film's director who thought that every Arab wore one. Of course, in the 1960s, westerners thought Turks and Arabs to be equally exotic and interchangeable. Despite its Middle Eastern setting, local Lebanese are not much in evidence, in this flick. Instead, we have transplanted Westerners dealing with Walter's Slezak's Malouf. Yet, that is not enough to hold the viewer's interest.
Deewaar
(1975)
Too many characters, some poorly drawn.
7 January 2014
I just watched 'Deewaar' on a plane flight from India to Canada. I wondered why the Anand Verma character who sacrifices his reputation to save his family, would simply abandon his wife and 2 sons to become a perpetual traveler on Indian railway trains.
The movie makes only a feeble attempt to explain why Vijay Verma (Amitabh Bacchan) gets drawn to a life of crime. Both Ravi Verma (Vijay's younger brother played by Shashi Kapoor) and his mother seem like idealized caricatures than like real people. In spite of that, I somehow prefer Shashi Kapoor's performance over Amitabh's. The former seems to have more screen-time and lines than Amitabh does, yet 'Deewaar' is remembered as an Amitabh Bacchan vehicle.
Ravi Verma's romance with Leena Narang (Neetu Singh) is a distraction and does not add anything to the movie. Poor Neetu Singh. She is absent during much of this movie. It would have been better to get rid of her character altogether. The 2 songs in this flick are so unmemorable that the movie would have been better without them. And unique too, since song sequences are considered de rigueur in Indian cinema. Not having any songs in this movie would have made 'Deewaar' a high watermark in Indian film history. Vijay Verma's love interest Anita (played by Parveen Babi) is a far more interesting character than Leena Narang. She should have been given more screen time.
The film's premise that a police officer would be ready to kill his own brother for the sake of justice is highly unrealistic. But then, this is one plot hole that the viewer should be expected to overlook.
However it must be admitted that 'Deewaar' is worth watching by fans of Hindi cinema, if only because of its reputation. I am happy that I was finally able to view this film.
The movie makes only a feeble attempt to explain why Vijay Verma (Amitabh Bacchan) gets drawn to a life of crime. Both Ravi Verma (Vijay's younger brother played by Shashi Kapoor) and his mother seem like idealized caricatures than like real people. In spite of that, I somehow prefer Shashi Kapoor's performance over Amitabh's. The former seems to have more screen-time and lines than Amitabh does, yet 'Deewaar' is remembered as an Amitabh Bacchan vehicle.
Ravi Verma's romance with Leena Narang (Neetu Singh) is a distraction and does not add anything to the movie. Poor Neetu Singh. She is absent during much of this movie. It would have been better to get rid of her character altogether. The 2 songs in this flick are so unmemorable that the movie would have been better without them. And unique too, since song sequences are considered de rigueur in Indian cinema. Not having any songs in this movie would have made 'Deewaar' a high watermark in Indian film history. Vijay Verma's love interest Anita (played by Parveen Babi) is a far more interesting character than Leena Narang. She should have been given more screen time.
The film's premise that a police officer would be ready to kill his own brother for the sake of justice is highly unrealistic. But then, this is one plot hole that the viewer should be expected to overlook.
However it must be admitted that 'Deewaar' is worth watching by fans of Hindi cinema, if only because of its reputation. I am happy that I was finally able to view this film.
The Baron
(1966–1967)
'The Baron' is quite good
30 June 2013
Recently, I have been watching 'The Baron' episodes on DVD. 'The Baron' is actually better than I had expected. Many of the episodes were written by the same writers who wrote for 'The Saint', starring Roger Moore. Think of 'The Baron' as 'The Saint' with Steve Forrest playing 'The Saint' who has somehow acquired an American background and accent. So it is not surprising that this series appeals to Saint fans such as myself. Steve Forrest, the brother of famous American actor Dana Andrews, is quite good in this old British television series. He has a good screen presence and looks rugged and strong, despite being middle-aged when this series was made. The only criticism that I can make is that this show has no attractive female characters. In contrast, other British TV series such as 'The Saint', 'The Avengers' and 'Dangerman' regularly featured attractive actresses from that era.
Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam
(1987 TV Movie)
Unexciting
13 October 2002
Yet another of the numerous TV movies starring television's original Perry Mason Raymond Burr and his secretary Della Street played by Barbara Hale. Both of them look their age in this telefilm which tries to explain away Raymond Burr's weight-encumbered locomotion as due to his character's knee surgery. Nobody would be fooled, however.
"Murdered Madam" has a good plot. Unfortunately, the script-writers make no good use of it. One expects some startling revelation would actually come out of the recording equipment which Suzanne Domenico, played adequately by Ann Gillian, installs in her house. But nothing does. Suzanne's colorful past is never explored even briefly in this film. It is just touched upon, making her character one-dimensional. The bankers' reason for their rendezvous at Suzanne's house, when revealed by Perry's cross-examination at the end of the movie, may have sounded high-tech when this movie was made, but is now well-known to people who are interested in such things.
Once again, Paul Drake is shown to be an inept detective who lets his quarry slip away from him more than once. In contrast, the Paul Drake of Erle Stanley Gardner's books was even more adroit than Perry Mason himself.
"Murdered Madam" will appeal to an older audience who grew up watching Perry Mason. I do not want to sound politically correct but such folks may not mind the stereotyped portrayals of the black maid, gay hairdressers with long pink hair and the general bowdlerizing of the madam character. However, those who grew up reading Gardner's books as opposed to watching his creation on TV will not be impressed by this telefilm or its over-the-hill stars.
"Murdered Madam" has a good plot. Unfortunately, the script-writers make no good use of it. One expects some startling revelation would actually come out of the recording equipment which Suzanne Domenico, played adequately by Ann Gillian, installs in her house. But nothing does. Suzanne's colorful past is never explored even briefly in this film. It is just touched upon, making her character one-dimensional. The bankers' reason for their rendezvous at Suzanne's house, when revealed by Perry's cross-examination at the end of the movie, may have sounded high-tech when this movie was made, but is now well-known to people who are interested in such things.
Once again, Paul Drake is shown to be an inept detective who lets his quarry slip away from him more than once. In contrast, the Paul Drake of Erle Stanley Gardner's books was even more adroit than Perry Mason himself.
"Murdered Madam" will appeal to an older audience who grew up watching Perry Mason. I do not want to sound politically correct but such folks may not mind the stereotyped portrayals of the black maid, gay hairdressers with long pink hair and the general bowdlerizing of the madam character. However, those who grew up reading Gardner's books as opposed to watching his creation on TV will not be impressed by this telefilm or its over-the-hill stars.
Hart to Hart: Harts in High Season
(1996 TV Movie)
Quite bad
6 September 2001
The only attraction of "Harts in High Season" is Robert Wagner and Stephanie Powers. Despite having aged a good 20 years since their hit TV series "Hart to Hart", they look the same. Their on-screen chemistry is good as ever. Otherwise, this movie is quite bad. Jonathan Hart (Robert Wagner) has to clear his name after being framed in Australia for what seems to be a murder. But he and his wife do not seem to be perturbed by this circumstance as they go about trying to resolve it. Both Wagner and Powers don't seem to be taking their roles seriously. While trying to prove Jonathan's innocence, the couple get into several sticky situations. Yet there is no suspense in this flick. The film's end is cliched. And unnecessary, as the Harts' troubles are essentially over 30 minutes before the film ends. I suppose the director had to stretch the film's length by half an hour with a "filler". There is also a 7 foot, 400 pound black villain named Tonga who seems to be there solely to be a racial stereotype.
This telefilm could have been an enjoyable light-hearted adventure. It had the right ingredients, namely the actors, the exotic Australian locale and a good though hackneyed plot.
This telefilm could have been an enjoyable light-hearted adventure. It had the right ingredients, namely the actors, the exotic Australian locale and a good though hackneyed plot.
Bloodstone
(1988)
Interesting to Indians
25 August 2001
"Bloodstone" may be unknown to North American film buffs, but it was released with some fanfare in India, because the main character's sidekick is played by Rajnikanth, a South Indian mega star. Compared to the aplomb with which he plays his Tamil film roles, Rajnikanth is rather subdued as an autorickshaw driver in "Bloodstone". His fans will be disappointed as he takes a backseat to the lead character.
To non-Indian watchers, "Bloodstone" will come across as a run-of-the-mill adventure movie, albeit set in an exotic location. The title refers to a gem once owned by a Maharaja who put a curse on its future owners.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
To non-Indian watchers, "Bloodstone" will come across as a run-of-the-mill adventure movie, albeit set in an exotic location. The title refers to a gem once owned by a Maharaja who put a curse on its future owners.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
Mayflower Madam
(1987 TV Movie)
Dull
25 August 2001
"Mayflower Madam" is a dull, insipid film about Sidney Biddle Barrows who ran a high-class call-girl ring in 1980s New York. The book by Barrows, on which this movie is based, is far more interesting because it tells the tale of how a well-bred WASP got into the escort service business. The book is prurient and titillating without being offensive. The movie is merely boring. Candice Bergen is miscast as the Mayflower Madam.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
The Brain
(1962)
Science fiction meets Film Noir
25 August 2001
If the science fiction elements were absent from this film, it would have been a good film noir movie. A remake of "Donovan's Brain", "Ein Toter sucht seinen Morder" (American title: The Brain), falls between two stools. In it, a scientist keeps alive the brain of a dead colleague while keeping the fact a secret from dead man's relatives who he suspects of murdering him; he turns detective and investigates.
The brain is kept alive in what looks a formalin-filled tank with wires sticking out of it - amateurish, but in keeping with the low budget science fiction films of that era. The film noir camera work is excellent as are the other film noir elements in this flick. The movie has a fast pace most of the time. Peter van Eych's acting is wooden at best and he looks too old for the part.
Worth watching if you are into old science fiction films of that era.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
The brain is kept alive in what looks a formalin-filled tank with wires sticking out of it - amateurish, but in keeping with the low budget science fiction films of that era. The film noir camera work is excellent as are the other film noir elements in this flick. The movie has a fast pace most of the time. Peter van Eych's acting is wooden at best and he looks too old for the part.
Worth watching if you are into old science fiction films of that era.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
Challenger
(1990 TV Movie)
Liked it
4 August 2001
I was waiting for a bus in southern India when I noticed the headlines in a Tamil newspaper banner announcing the Challenger disaster. Being interested in Space, I was saddened. In the following days, the Soviet Union callously spread a disinformation story in some Indian newspapers charging that the Challenger was secretly carrying explosives as part of a clandestine plot to militarize Space. Therefore, I watched "Challenger" with interest when it was first shown on television in 1990. I liked it then. I am not sure I'll think so now. Here are the impressions this film made on me at that time.
I identified with Julie Fulton as Dr.Judy Resnick, because of the character's feminism, an ideology in which I believed - at that time. I was a little annoyed by Christa McAuliffe because as a Social Studies teacher she proclaims (in the movie) that there are too many scientists in the Space Program and not enough ordinary people. The film only hints at the role of Roger Boisjoly, an engineer who urged NASA to cancel the Challenger flight because of faulty O-ring seals. Like all engineers, he was overruled (you guessed it; I am an engineer). The film follows the lives of the doomed astronauts during their final days - I was rather moved by that. Strangely, the film never shows the famous Challenger disaster footage. Maybe, it was too well-known.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
I identified with Julie Fulton as Dr.Judy Resnick, because of the character's feminism, an ideology in which I believed - at that time. I was a little annoyed by Christa McAuliffe because as a Social Studies teacher she proclaims (in the movie) that there are too many scientists in the Space Program and not enough ordinary people. The film only hints at the role of Roger Boisjoly, an engineer who urged NASA to cancel the Challenger flight because of faulty O-ring seals. Like all engineers, he was overruled (you guessed it; I am an engineer). The film follows the lives of the doomed astronauts during their final days - I was rather moved by that. Strangely, the film never shows the famous Challenger disaster footage. Maybe, it was too well-known.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
Rubdown
(1993 TV Movie)
Not bad
24 June 2001
Though it features unknown actors, "Rubdown" turned out to be a pretty watchable movie when I decided to view it one night. Michelle Phillips, of The Mamas and the Papas fame, is quite sexy in this film, despite her age. She has been somewhat successful in her transition from Rock and Roll to the small screen. "Rubdown" has a surprisingly strong storyline tightly fitted into a short running time,which makes for a fairly thrilling flick. Michelle Phillips is very attractive during the massage scene. In it she is shown only from her chest up, leaving the rest to the viewers' imagination. I found this understated photography rather erotic.
Though you may have never heard of it, "Rubdown" is a dramatic tension-filled film.
Though you may have never heard of it, "Rubdown" is a dramatic tension-filled film.
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake
(1988 TV Movie)
Routine but pleasant
10 June 2001
"The Lady in the Lake" starts out well. In the beginning, it records the gentle romance between newly-married Billy (David Hasselhof) and Sara Wingate (Doran Clark) and introduces the other main characters who have reasons for being malicious towards the young couple. When Billy is accused of murdering Sara, Perry Mason steps in to defend him. After that this tele-film becomes quite routine. During the courtroom scenes, Perry is not challenged much by the D.A. Even the judge is indulgent towards Perry. Because they are not hostile enough, the dramatic value of "The Lady in the Lake" is lessened. Paul Drake, Jr., is shown to be a rather inept private eye who lets his suspects slip away from his clutches. His incompetence has the effect of lengthening the film by another 30 minutes.
Raymond Burr may have been a great Perry Mason in the late 1950s. However, in these tele-films of the 1980s, he is difficult to admire - the reason being his portly Falstaffian frame which impedes even his gait. It is rather painful to see his leisurely locomotion with the aid of a cane. Why didn't the producers insist that he lose some weight? Similar comments apply to Barbara Hale. But then the purpose of these made-for-TV movies is to stir up memories of the good old days. Therefore, I cannot imagine any other actors playing Perry Mason or Della Street. A young and softer-looking David Hasselhof (in his pre-Baywatch days) and the two main female characters are pleasing to the eye, unlike Burr or Hale.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
Raymond Burr may have been a great Perry Mason in the late 1950s. However, in these tele-films of the 1980s, he is difficult to admire - the reason being his portly Falstaffian frame which impedes even his gait. It is rather painful to see his leisurely locomotion with the aid of a cane. Why didn't the producers insist that he lose some weight? Similar comments apply to Barbara Hale. But then the purpose of these made-for-TV movies is to stir up memories of the good old days. Therefore, I cannot imagine any other actors playing Perry Mason or Della Street. A young and softer-looking David Hasselhof (in his pre-Baywatch days) and the two main female characters are pleasing to the eye, unlike Burr or Hale.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
Edison: The Wizard of Light
(1998 TV Movie)
Disappointing, meandering film
12 May 2001
Being a fan of Edison, I put this tape into my VCR expecting a lot. The movie starts out well. Jack escapes from his orphanage and takes refuge in Edison's Invention Factory where the inventor sort of adopts him. He starts to work as Edison's office boy and witnesses how the great inventor and his assistants invent the movie camera. Edison's eccentricities are well-portrayed. Edison's Invention Factory as shown in the film looks authentic. Then the movie takes off on a tangent and loses its audience. Edison is dumped from the film which then turns its spotlights on Jack's career as a silent movie director in the early days of Hollywood. The movie explores his dissatisfaction with such a career. In other words, the flick becomes boring! Evidently, it cannot make up its mind as to whether it wants to be a bio-pic of Edison or something else the viewer cannot relate to. The film tries to pack two storylines into 53 minutes running time, so it fails.
Poor Little Rich Girl: The Barbara Hutton Story
(1987 TV Movie)
Absorbing bio-pic
5 May 2001
It is fashionable to look down on made-for-TV movies. But this one is one of the best examples of such flicks. Despite its length, I watched it fully, because the title character was an interesting person. Farrah Fawcett does a good job playing Barbara Hutton, the much-married Woolworth heiress. Cary Grant, who was, at one time, wedded to her is portrayed as a nice guy, who divorces her because of her partying. Hutton was also married to a sadistic Danish count who tries to steal her fortune. She even renounced her American citizenship in order to live with him. Another of her husbands was Count von Kramm, the Nazi-trained tennis player who failed to win at Wimbledon and suffered consequences in Germany. Hutton discovered that he was bisexual, so she divorced him. Barbara Hutton was an ardent socialite, so she neglected her only son. The movie has her telling him that she could not live with him in Arizona because she was not that kind of mother. Later, when someone calls him a "son of a bitch", he simply says "Exactly"! Probably, the most memorable dialogue in the film!
The film follows Hutton around the world. It is interesting to see the film's depiction of exotic countries in the middle part of the twentieth century.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
The film follows Hutton around the world. It is interesting to see the film's depiction of exotic countries in the middle part of the twentieth century.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
Don't Look Back: The Story of Leroy 'Satchel' Paige
(1981 TV Movie)
Another great performance by Louis Gossett, Jr
5 May 2001
In the bad old days, white baseball players demanded and got a ban on African-Americans which lasted till the 1940s. Hence, many black players were denied the rewards justly due to them. Satchel Paige was one of these unfortunates. But he was no victim; he enjoyed life and lived it well. He found ways to play baseball in the Dominican Republic, a Third World country which, ironically, was more tolerant than the United States. He also played in the Negro League.
Louis Gossett, Jr., is one of the world's great actors, as anyone who saw him in "An Officer and a Gentleman" would testify. Few similar opportunities have come his way since then. Probably, because he is black. Shades (no pun intended) of Satchel Paige! Louis Gossett, Jr., is wonderful as Satchel Paige. Hence, this poignant movie is worth watching.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayar)
Louis Gossett, Jr., is one of the world's great actors, as anyone who saw him in "An Officer and a Gentleman" would testify. Few similar opportunities have come his way since then. Probably, because he is black. Shades (no pun intended) of Satchel Paige! Louis Gossett, Jr., is wonderful as Satchel Paige. Hence, this poignant movie is worth watching.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayar)
Shadow of Evil
(1964)
Unexciting adventure movie
22 April 2001
Jean Bruce's Hubert Bonnisseur le Bath was France's answer to James Bond. Like Ian Fleming, Jean Bruce became rich thanks to his best-selling novels featuring OSS 117, i.e., Hubert Bath. Despite the French name inherited from his Gallic ancestors, Hubert Bath is an American who is a secret agent for the OSS, the predecessor of the CIA. Jean Bruce's books were turned into movies. Apparently popular in France at that time, they never found an international audience. Watching "Banco a Bangkok pour OSS 117" (English title: Panic in Bangkok), one understands why. The production values are quite bad. OSS 117 seems to be a carbon copy of James Bond. He is irresistible to women; he is good at fisticuffs, etc, etc. Kerwin Mathews who plays the lead role tries to be suave. Of course, he does not have Sean Connery's charisma or presence. The story is formulaic though it anticipates Moonraker, the James Bond flick. An evil Indian doctor, Dr.Guna Sinn (the name does not sound Indian) working in Thailand has developed a biological weapon that will reduce the world's population in accordance with his eugenicist beliefs. OSS 117 has to stop him with the help of a Thai sidekick and seduce the Indian doctor's sister Lila while he is at it.
I watched this movie as a boy many years ago. At that time, it seemed that the acting was adequate. I am sure that I won't think so now. Jean Bruce's books which have been translated into English were far superior to the OSS 117 flicks. Quite the opposite of Ian Fleming, whose books can't hold a candle to the films they engendered. Indeed Jean Bruce was a better writer than Ian Fleming. Read the OSS 117 books. Avoid the movies.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
I watched this movie as a boy many years ago. At that time, it seemed that the acting was adequate. I am sure that I won't think so now. Jean Bruce's books which have been translated into English were far superior to the OSS 117 flicks. Quite the opposite of Ian Fleming, whose books can't hold a candle to the films they engendered. Indeed Jean Bruce was a better writer than Ian Fleming. Read the OSS 117 books. Avoid the movies.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
Kennedy
(1983)
Jackie Kennedy was moved by it
22 April 2001
Jackie Kennedy was at the lobby of the Golden Beach Resort in southern India when an episode from this mini-series was being shown on the television set there. She watched it for several minutes before retiring to her room with tears in her eyes. She did not leave her room for a couple of days and denied interviews to Indian journalists. I know about this incident because I read a brief report on it in a Tamil language magazine. Like Mrs.Kennedy, I watched this mini-series when India's state-run Doordarshan showed it. Though it has been many years, I still remember some scenes from several episodes. I particularly recall the Cuban Missile Crisis episode. Martin Sheen's Kennedy came across as an abrupt, impatient and unlikeable fellow. However, I think he was a good choice to play Kennedy given his physical resemblance to the slain president; even his voice sounded like Kennedy's. Evidently, he had a speech coach.
To summarize, this was a watchable mini-series.
To summarize, this was a watchable mini-series.
Omar Khayyam
(1957)
Typical "Arabian Nights" film of the 1950s
22 April 2001
The 11th century mathematician-poet Omar Khayyam who lived in Baghdad wrote quatrains in Persian which are still quoted. The exact details of his life are unknown, so Hollywood wrote a biography on the tabula rasa of his life. Cornel Wilde plays the often-drunk Omar Khayyam who longs for his sweetheart who the Sultan keeps in his harem as his third wife. Omar Khayyam works in the Sultan's court as a mathematician who is drawing up a new calendar. When the Sultan dies, Omar Khayyam stumbles upon a plot to kill off the Sultan's successor. The poet then goes off to foil the plot. He crosses swords with the Assassin sect whose members are deluded by their leader into thinking that they are in paradise when they actually are in a hashish-induced zombie-like state. In fact, the word "assassin" means "hashish-eaters".
Cornel Wilde who plays Omar Khayyam is unable to be a debonair swashbuckler because he has to play a tortured poet. Michael Rennie as the sinister Hasani is wonderful. His aquiline features suit his Arab role. The rest of the cast is unremarkable. "Omar Khayyam" has all the Arabian Nights cliches - harems, slaves, sultans, thieves and intrigues. It is a type of movie which will not be made again because, these days, the Middle East brings up visions of fanatical terrorists, not innocuous fables of highly intellectual Arabs amidst the magnificence of ancient Baghdad.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
Cornel Wilde who plays Omar Khayyam is unable to be a debonair swashbuckler because he has to play a tortured poet. Michael Rennie as the sinister Hasani is wonderful. His aquiline features suit his Arab role. The rest of the cast is unremarkable. "Omar Khayyam" has all the Arabian Nights cliches - harems, slaves, sultans, thieves and intrigues. It is a type of movie which will not be made again because, these days, the Middle East brings up visions of fanatical terrorists, not innocuous fables of highly intellectual Arabs amidst the magnificence of ancient Baghdad.
(Reviewed by Sundar Narayan)
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