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kennymacdonald
Reviews
Kaijû daisensô (1965)
Godzilla Breaks Into Riverdance
[Possible Spoilers] This was the very first Godzilla flim that i seen as a kid i liked then and still do.Know that i'm older i see this a fun movie and some of it's silliness.First thing is that after Godzilla and Rodan beat King Ghidra, Godzilla does a victory dance also when Glen and Terry are in there cell Glen pulls out the note that his girl friend Namikawa he says to Terry "Listen to this" and they both just stare at the note as Namikawa's voice is heard.Last is how the aliens from Planet X escape into the future not a good idea to me.I will also point out that when action picks up you see Nick Adams,who plays Glen pulling up his pants!!!A fun movie.
Gojira tai Megaro (1973)
Tag-Team Wrestling Saved This Film
When you compare all of the Godzilla films to see witch one is the best this one is mostly at the bottom.That's not saying that Godzilla vs Megalon is the worst(that"honor" go's to Godzilla's Revenge)yet this film is pretty poor.The main problem is that Godzilla is not in the film much,also Megalon looks like a silly cock-roach and they use a lot stock footage from other films.What saves the movie is at the big battle with Godzilla and Jet Jaguar on one side and Megalon and Gigan on the other.It reminds me of a old Grand-Pix Wrestling main event only with super-sized brawlers.It's loads of fun,just turn your brain off and give it a go.
Gamera tai daiakuju Giron (1969)
Very Strange
I watched this film for the first time and it surprised me.The version that i watched was from the mst3k t.v. show and i can tell you that you don't need Joel and his robot pals to laugh at this film.I don't know who dubbed this film but it was pretty bad,also what was Akio's concern about traffic accidents anyway? You would think he be more worried about what the two alien girls were going to do to him and his friend.The monster Guiron was different,having a knife-like head that could cut up just about anything. This was the first Gamera film i ever saw and if the other films are like this i hope to see them.
Canada Vignettes: Captain Cook (1978)
Can You Smell What The Captain Is Cooking
Captain Cook is a very good short from the Canada Vignettes series.Captain James Cook,like others before him was looking for the so-called northwest passage so he could get to China as soon as possible.He and his crew stopped at Vancouver Island to stock up on supplies and trade with the natives.They traded everything from knives to brass buttons for sea otter pelts.The pelts were a hit in China and this started the fur trade on the west coast-good short.
Canada Vignettes: The Horse (1978)
A way of life that ended forever
This short,The Horse ranks as one of the best of the Canada Vignettes series from the late 70's and early 80's.The short is about the two kinds of horses that came to the west.The short explains that horses were brought to this side of the world by the Spainish and with strays that got away.The indians of the plains soon seen how the horse could give a freedom they never had.With it's animation it shows how easier it was to hunt the buffalo-riding up and shoot them with arrows then the old way of sneaking up on foot.This way of life lasted the short says about a hundred years before the new horse came,this i'll leave for others to see-great short.
Canada Vignettes: The Performer (1978)
This Brings Back Memories
This short made by the National Flim Board is one i remember but for different reasons.[Possible Spoiler]It is realy a short biography of Roger Doucet and even though he done a lot of things in his life, he will be remembered for singing the national anthem at the old Form in Montreal.At the time the flim was made, the Montreal Canadiens were a powerhouse team and a season without the Stanley Cup was considered a failure.This used to bug me because i am a Toronto Maple Leafs fan.But now as i write this the Leafs are considered a contender for the cup and the Canadiens are trying to get a playoff spot.Times sure changed.
Canada Vignettes: The Maple Leaf (1978)
faces times two
[ Spoiler] This Canada Vignette is one of many that the National Film Board produced for t.v. It's a lot like the vignette faces where different faces change into something else. The major difference with this short is that you have two faces at the same time,or a person with a pet looking at each other. Also instead of a flute solo for music they have a snappy jazz number.It runs for a minute yet it's not bad, worth a look.
Canada Vignettes: Headdress (1979)
bad example of the canada vignettes shorts
this vignette,from the national film board is one of there bad ones.the reason is that it does not tell you anything about the headdress that is shown.the short doesn't have a narater to tell you where the headdress comes from,what type of person would use it or how old it was.to me a bad example of the canada vignettes shorts.
Canada Vignettes: Dance (1979)
do a little dance,write a short review,get down tonight
before i make a comment i will put out a spoiler here.this short from the national film board is, to me one of there better animated shorts.it shows a map of Canada that breaks up and each province and the two terriories[two at the time it was made,now there are three]are represented by a dancer.they show what goes on across the land in a very nifty dance.i hope people get to see this i give a 6 out of 10.
The Wackiest Wagon Train in the West (1976)
More Silly Than Wacky
I can barely remember the t.v. show Dusty's Trail that this film was based on, yet i do remember seeing this flim promoted on t.v. I can also recall the voice over guy bragging that"Gilligan was never this funny"[Then seeing Bob Denver tossed off a horse into a tub of water}.I always thought that this was a film that was based on the show,but all they did was put four shows together and made a movie. People have already said that the show and this film was ripping off Gilligan's Island yet with Sherwood Schwartz and Bob Denver both taking part it's more like there were just trying what worked before.The film copy that i have is very faded yet the old gags and bad jokes are here,some work,some don't but thats what happened on Gilligan's Island.I give this film a 3 but just think that Dusty is Gilligan's great,great grandfather and you will find it a little better.
Canada Vignettes: Woolly Mammoth (1979)
a woolly and thats no bully
this short called woolly mammoth was another one minute film that the national flim board produced for t.v.honesty there not much to say about this little film-it's about a mother and her child eating grass with a narrater telling us about the mammoths and how they know what they looked like.they add some drama then it ends.i recommend it for it's use of stop motion animation, it's great.
Canada Vignettes: Voyageurs (1978)
they lead a tough life
this vignette called voyageurs is one of the national film board's very best.can you picture yourself traveling 1600 km's in one month by canoe?carrying a pack on your back that weighs more than you do?if that is not enough how about going day to day in the back of your mind knowning that if your carefull you or someone else could get killed.not a pleasent thought but this is what the voyageurs did and then some.i hope that this short is seen by many people-plus it's got a chatchy little song.
Canada Vignettes: Ice (1982)
ice,ice baby
this is another in the many canada vignettes that the national film board produced for t.v. [possible spoiler]this short tells of the company of lamplough and campbell of montreal and there there ice storage business in the 1860's..the short plays like a commercial telling people if you need ice for large or small there the ones you think of.execlent short, i like it.
Canada Vignettes: Sodbusters (1978)
who you gonna call?
another in the canada vignettes series that the national film board produced for t.v. it is a charming little story of settlers who try to make there living on the praires in the late 1800's.the animation is simple,yet this adds to the flims charm.i like it and i hope people will see it.
Canada Vignettes: McIntosh (1979)
what a visionary
this canada vignettes short in some ways i think were unintentionally funny. the film setting is in dundella ontario in 1811 an apple falls and hits John McIntosh on the foot. he picks it up then it dawns on him what he could do with all those apples. not only that he can see what a open air market would look like in 1979![nostradmus must of been his middle name]the actor who plays mcintosh [ i wish i knew his name]is funny. he go ga-ga over this apple when he starts to think about the future. this is a short i strongly recommend
Canada Vignettes: Faces (1978)
about faces
this was the very first canada vignettes short that the national film board produced for t.v. what is it about? do you remember the m. jackson video black or white,the last part or another video called cry? the two had actors faces change into someone else, well this short is the same yet they use animation.this short predates those videos by at least ten years.it's not one of my favorite nfb shorts but you can try it out for yourself.p.s. watch the baby's eyes they follow you.
Canada Vignettes: Delta Plane (1979)
about delta plane
im not sure how to write about this short so i'll put out a spoiler here.this short is only two minutes long but it seems longer.it starts off with animation of a man setting up a hang glider then it turns into live action when he jumps off a cliff.the only good thing to say is the footage from the glider is incredible but besides that i found it dull.
Canada Vignettes: Logger (1978)
this guy was sure was stumped!
logger, one of the nfb's canada vingettes is entertaining and funny. this short shows one logger useing many different ways to bring down a tree that had other ideas.it teaches the successes and failers of these devices and also shows this guy beening just plain stubborn.i think it's funny and worth to watch.
Canada Vignettes: Klondike Gold (1980)
the nfb struck gold with this one
this is one of the canada vignettes that the national film board produced in the early 80's.let me tell you that i realy like this short and the way it's story is told. it's story is told by one of the prospecters and his adventure's in the north during the gold rush in 1898.he had hard times, he had good times and had the time of his life. i hope people will see this short,it's good and as i said before i realy like it.
Canada Vignettes: Lady Frances Simpson (1978)
she must of had a baby grand time
one of three canada vignettes about events that happened in manitoba's[fort prince of wales and spence's republic]history.why would lady simpson want to take a piano across the counrty in a canoe?oh well for the rest of us this short is funny and worth the time to watch.
Canada Vignettes: Spence's Republic (1978)
were up to your rotten trick
that old thomas spence thought he could pull a fast one on the people. he tried to start his own country in manitoba with himself as the president. a shoemaker named macpherson clamed that spence was using the tax money buy booze for him and his friends. so spence had him arrested and put him on trial.the rest, well you have to see for yourself it's a hoot
Canada Vignettes: Fort Prince of Wales (1978)
42 sir
a short film that talks about a fort that was built in northern manitoba near hudson's bay in the 1700's.this cartoon tells the forty year story of the fort in a funny way that you will wonder how they got anything done.to anybody who nevered seen this short i hope you look for it especialy those who live in other country's. you can learn a little about my home and native land.
Canada Vignettes: The Egg (1979)
different
don't know what i can say about this flim but i'll give it a shot. it's a claymation flim about a egg that uses different ways to stop from hatching .arms pop out of the shell to fix the cracks and uses everything but the kitchen sink. when you get to the end you be wondering what it's about but give it a shot.
Canada Vignettes: Bill Miner (1978)
hands up said the reviewer...
bill miner has been the subject of biography show called the canadians, a movie called the grey fox and this vignette that i remember being on t.v. all the time. narratered by the late joe austin it tells the story of how bill's train robbing plan in 1906 went wrong. he didn't get money or gold he got a bottle of liver pills [a large one].if anyone out there that has not seen this i hope you look for it. short,funny and to the point and it is a part of history that will leave you with your hands up,hands up.
Canada Vignettes: Log Driver's Waltz (1979)
what a great song
a very short flim about a girl and her boyfriend the log driver.after you see and hear this nfb treasure you will be humming the song for a bit yet that is allright. so if you can find this little flim anywhere do yourself a favour and watch it.you will glad you did.