collegeofuselessknowlege Reviews

I Love a Mystery (1945)

Jack and Doc....but where's Reggie?

[5/10 · 8 October 2010]

The "I Love A Mystery" radio series starred three heroes--Jack, played by Jim Bannon. Doc, played by Barton Yarbarough, and the British Reggie, played by an up and coming American radio voice actor named Tony Randall.

The three films that were based on the series starred the original actors who played Jack and Doc--but Reggie was nowhere to be seen. What happened? Maybe Bannon and Yarborough physical appearances resembled their radio voices, but poor Randall didn't and the radio show didn't want him in the movie because it might ruin what listeners imagined what Reggie looked like.

Whatever the cause, Tony Randall would have to wait about another ten years or say to get his movie fame,while Jim Bannon and Barton Yarborough would fade to nostalgic obscurity of what-ever-happened-to-land and answers to Trivial Pursuit Games.

BTW. in case you're wondering. I liked the movies. They're from an age of long ago when you based movies on pulp stories and radio shows. Cheese, you say? Well, I LOVE cheese! :) Class Dismissed!

The Tartars (1961)

Orson Welles would act in anything to make his own films

[1/10 · 2 May 2010]

Welles always seemed to need money to make his own movies. He'd take on a role (even if it was just lending his voice) no matter how good or bad the movie was just for the paycheck, saving up until he had enough money to make his next visionary film that was far removed from the normal type that audiences were used to.

You can tell by his acting that he really didn't care about the role--but it was the money that mattered to him--and where the money was--no matter what country he had to go to to get it, he'd take the role--even if it was a piece of crock--and this film sure is! But 1961's THE TARTARS helped finance Welles' next movie (Despite, as usual, his having to film it in another country plus having problems getting a US distributor) the following year--1962's Kafka's THE TRIAL.

As usual, Welles' small indie film made little money and he barely broke even--but he was already planning Shakespeare's CHIMES AT MIDNIGHT and going through the process once more in acting in any role given to him to get those paychecks in his savings account.

The Super Hero Squad Show (2009–2011)

Culture Shock for little kids when they pick up the real thing

[1/10 · 17 November 2009]

All right, so some folks are defending this series as an introduction for young viewers on the Marvel Universe. But what happens when the kids get interested? They'll want more of course. And they'll go down to the comics shop and buy the real thing--and do a double take! Wha? Hulk isn't funny and stupid (Mean and stupid yes)! In fact nobody's dopey and there's no toilet jokes!They don't even look like the cartoons! A very quick case of Reality and culture shock and the realization as to why they aren't allowed to see all those Marvel movies.

Would like to know who designed the characters as well. They all look like they have gland problems or are dwarfs or little kids playing grown-up.

In fact they look as if they were designed by the ghost of Jack Kirby (and only the villainous head--Marak? I can't remember-- looks exactly like a Kirby illustration) and Phil Foglio on a bender.

Face it, it's not for adults. It's for clueless kids to suck them into the Marvel world. They'll either accept the reality when they discover it or they won't.

The Sun Comes Up (1949)

Beaver's mom is in it too!

[5/10 · 13 September 2009]

Except for the fact that I feel that MacDonald quit films because being paired with a dog was pretty much the last straw, I think that.so far, everything that's needed to be said has been said--although I'm sure that someone else will come up with something new observation.Viewers and fans always do with each viewing of the film. You get more and more perspectives as time goes by.

But for me, I couldn't help but notice two things that strangely make a future connection to a future TV show which would become as much as a legend as Lassie.

One is Barbara Billingsly (Beaver's mom) playing a nurse.

The other is a kid named Mickey McGuire (Didn't Mickey Rooney use that name for a while when he was acting in the silents? Got it after playing the lead character in a series of "Toonerville Trolley" films based on the Fontaine Fox comic strip). He plays a boy named Cleaver! Somewhat odd and prophetic that the name and the actress should be in the same movie, don't you think?