merrywater Reviews

Home for the Holidays (1972 TV Movie)

A Feel Good Drama for the Holidays

[8/10 · 17 August 2017]

I remember seeing this movie once as a kid. Three items present made an impression on me: the yellow slicker or rain coat, the gloves, and the dark blue Mercedes Benz 300 SEL. I was positively surprised to see this movie online and the sentimental journey of seeing it anew was quite a charge to me!

HFTH is perhaps not too original, being a kind of family murder mystery, but childhood nostalgia is childhood nostalgia, and the musical score is actually breathtaking - almost as if composed by some neoclassical master. Very well suited for this rather 'gothic' melodrama. The composer was George Aliceson(!) Tipton - a prolific creator of soundtracks back then.

Two household names of the 70s appear in this ABC movie of the week: Sally Field and Jessica Walter. Having been somewhat type-cast as a neurotic, Walter plays an alcoholic here, and she does not survive to the final credits.

A feel good drama for the frequently boring Christmas/New Year's Holidays, I dare say.

Fox Mystery Theater: Black Carrion (1984) Season 1, Episode 7

Surprisingly Cheesy

[3/10 · 15 August 2017]

The HAMMER HOUSE of MYSTERY and SUSPENSE series lasted for only one season. If all episodes would have turned out as offbeat as "Black Carrion", the reason for the cancellation of the show would have been self explanatory. However, most of its episodes do keep up a good standard within the British suspense tradition.

What makes this episode fail is the uninspired direction of a particularly nonsensical plot.

The plot deals with a journalist and his female sidekick getting assigned by a music magazine, or something, to unravel a "mysterious disappearance": What happened to a short-lived (one season!) rock duo of the 60s? A truly corny assignment, indeed. There are a number of obvious influences from various sources, among which the movies "All You Need Is Cash" and "The Duel" might be mentioned. (Though supposedly being filmed in 1963, the retained footage of the duo appears in a most unconvincingly crisp clear color . Compare this to the corresponding footage of the Rutles in "All You Need Is Cash" which actually appears vintage.) On top of that, the sidekick seems to have a distressing personal relation to the duo, shown in flashbacks, that she surprisingly did not inform her companion of as they set out for the story.

The rest of the plot is, besides being a bummer, overacted and taking itself too seriously.

A badly aged product of the 80s.

One of My Wives Is Missing (1976 TV Movie)

Highly Improbable and Overly Complicated

[5/10 · 3 March 2017]

I'll rate this flick 5 out of 10 just due to the atmosphere of sleazy 70s TV pictures.

The plot is drug it out beyond credibility, and the main protagonist is acting like an utter fool, even considering the bewildering twist in the end.

Not to spoil things, in case you get to see this picture on youtube (as I did, otherwise it'd perhaps be rather hard, not being available on VHS or DVD, etc.) the major idea is a plot within a plot within a plot.

Beck: Pojken i glaskulan (2002) Season 2, Episode 7

Young Rainman in Trouble

[8/10 · 27 September 2015]

A very good episode of the Beck series.

The plot is complicated with certain surprising twists. I would, however, say that the motive here is rather far-fetched: a psychiatrist molests his patient who is a guy of thirteen years suffering from autism. This is supposed to be unraveled by the boy's sudden and persistent drawings of penises.

The mother who is deeply engaged, to the point of prostituting herself to pay the fee to the institution that keeps the guy, at once understands what's going on and invites the psychiatrist to accuse him. The psychiatrist then hits the mother in the head to give her son the blame. Thus the case will be settled: the boy is to young and to ill to be persecuted for killing his mom.

Now, as the boy is completely unable to tell anything except making enigmatic drawings, wouldn't the psychiatrist have had another, simpler choice, by explaining other possible meanings the drawings? For instance, the age of thirteen is the average age for boys to start developing sexual interests. It's not unlikely that this could explain the reason for his eccentric doodling. The alternative of killing the mother is very, so to speak, drastic in comparison.

Otherwise the casting is better than that of the previous Beck movies when Gösta Ekman played Martin Beck. Although Ekman perhaps was the natural choice in the beginning of the 90s, his portrayal of the inspector was, to say the least, too absent minded. Peter Haber interprets the character as a thoughtful, partly introvert person, but still believable. The co-character Gunvald Larsson is also more credible in Mikael Persbrant's interpretation, than in that of the neurotic Rolf Lassgård.

I once attended a live interview of the criminal author Leif G W Persson at a lager book store i Stockholm. He commented on the borderline type of policemen displayed in various contemporary police dramas, with a not so subtle reference to Lassgård: "If a real policeman would get outbursts regularly of this kind, someone would certainly take him in the hand and lead him to the company doctor!"

Rush (I) (2013)

Feels like a TV show

[2/10 · 17 September 2015]

I was highly recommended to watch this. Unfortunately I found Rush to be rather unintriguing which is sad as especially the Niki Lauda story is rather touching. I remember it well from childhood, being interested in cars and racing at the time.

Rush lacks depth. The acting is shallow and underdeveloped.

The seventies setting is also rather unconvincing.

Perhaps it is that I don't dig the direction of today, and unfamiliar with the current stars.

Rush feels to me more as a soap opera or something.

Quite surprising that it is rated 8,2 as an average here at IMDb.

Columbo: Lady in Waiting (1971) Season 1, Episode 5

Interesting Female Murderer

[8/10 · 10 September 2015]

This episode is one of my favourites. It's psychologically challenging as the murderer (or murderess?) may react in two widely different ways once the crime is committed: either she will regret it and admit to her being guilty, or she may carry on, strengthened by it. In the first instance, there wouldn't have been a Columbo case at all so it has to turn out according to the latter prospect. The murderer gets hubris and starts to act erratically, making people suspect her after being acquitted.

I believe that Susan Clark makes a terribly good job in keeping with the role's character even when it's out of it! A repressed, spinster kind of girl turns a barracuda type of a woman, but it's all along the lines of someone that is, for instance, a borderline personality.

Great episode, although a bit slow paced.

There's a certain Hitchcock quality about the crucial sequence when she's staring at the drapes, imagining and anticipating the murder.

This episode also has a nice musical score.

Never Say Never Again (1983)

Underrated

[9/10 · 8 September 2015]

This is actually, all-in-all, one of the better Bond productions. As the original "Thunderball" picture wasn't, perhaps, the best in the 60s' row of Bond movies, this remake is certainly worth viewing.

Yes, does appear aged, but he was the best James Bond in my opinion. "Never Say Never Again" has good action, a bit dated plot, but not a dull moment.

I don't care much for the music (Is there any particular score here at all?), the 90s fashion, and definitely not the cars. There's, however, a grand car and MC chase that's worth remembering. Maybe the peculiar Ford Mustang speeding scene in "Thunderball" where Bond is picked up by Luciana Paluzzi's "Fiona" was more original. ("Some men doesn't want to be taken for a ride.")

The setting is not the Caribbean Islands but France which is enjoyable enough, in my opinion.

The movie is especially to be considered underrated due to its killer cast: Klaus Maria Brandauer, Kim Basinger, Rowan Atkinson, Max von Sydow...

A nice finishing touch for Connery's contribution to the Bond series.

Casino Royale (1967)

If This Is Funny Why Am I Not Laughing?

[3/10 · 7 September 2015]

I dig the 60s spy movies. Yes, I truly love the era; it had a lot of class and sheer elegance. I love psychedelic music, and I love Peter Sellers, Burt Bacharach and Dusty Springfield too, but this is a completely inscrutable meltdown. Too many flavors and no recipe.

Allegedly a spoof. Did people dig this back then? According to Wikipedia, Time labeled it "incoherent and vulgar vaudeville". It certainly doesn't work today.

There are a number of similarities to the excellent "Deadlier than the male" of the same year which, on the contrary,is both stylish and amusing.

A crackpot product, in the junkiest sense...

Poirot: Five Little Pigs (2003) Season 9, Episode 1

Better than the novel!

[10/10 · 31 July 2015]

Simply the best adaptation of any of Agatha Christie's novels.

The best novel is in my opinion "Ten Little N*****s" aka "Ten Little Indians" aka "And then there were none". Unfortunately, it has never been successfully adapted to the screen. The most celebrated version, and I refuse to understand why, is René Claire's of 1945, which is completely out of the realms of the original atmosphere, though superficially partly true to the plot.

"Five Little Pigs" - another novel with a numeral in the title - is not one of Christie's best. A rather amusing trifle, that's all. This adaptation manage, not only to stick to the original story, but to amplify it. I think that what the director did to a great effect, was to shoot the historical sequences in an individual fashion, compared to the rest of the picture. The light becomes yellowish, the zooming is almost as if in a news transmission. On top of this the haunting musical score, mostly Satie, and you have a delicious meal out of yesterday's left overs. Or am I bit harsh on the original novel?

What differs slightly from the novel is the depiction of the murderer, whom, I seem to recall, was not threatened by persecution. Elsa Greer was, perhaps, a bit unrelentingly depicted in the picture. The addition of the gay themed relation between the first victim and his childhood friend, is quite moving, and as expected not even inferred to in the novel. "Five Little Pigs" is a very erotic adaptation of a Christie, one might add.

Good acting. Especially in comparison with the accomplishments of the cast of "Murder in Mesopotamia"...

Poirot: Sad Cypress (2003) Season 9, Episode 2

Exquisite!

[9/10 · 31 July 2015]

This is a very good adaptation of one of Christie's novels about Hercule Poirot.

The pace is great, and the village setting is quite believable. I've never been to an English village, but this is the image I receive of one when reading Christie.

The plot is perhaps a little weak as for the motive, and the criminal. Sad Cypress is not one of her best novels. The title is apparently from Shakespeare.

There are naturally some divergences from the original story: Mary Gerrard received only 2000 pounds, and not 7000. Elinor Clarlisle actually sold the estate after the death of her aunt.

Special praise for the ingenious dream sequence where Poirot sees Mary Gerard's pretty face dissolve into that of an ugly corpse. It is actually one of the best, and scariest, of the kind that I've seen in a long time. I do, however, believe that this was not in the novel.

Poirot: Murder in Mesopotamia (2001) Season 8, Episode 2

Totally lack of atmosphere

[4/10 · 31 July 2015]

OK, at least the plot and the setting are fairly true to the book. Otherwise, I wouldn't count this episode to the better half of the television adaptations of Christie's Poirot stories.

Murder in Mesopotamia happened to be the first Christie that I ever read. I believe I was 14 years old at the time. The atmosphere of it made a certain impact on me. The original story is told in the first person, by the nurse, and Poirot enters just about halfway through the novel. Despite the presence of the buffoonish character Bill Coleman, the rest of the characters appear to be on verge of nervous breakdown. The atmosphere is thus extraordinary tense.

Now, of course the TV adaptation ignores all of this, and instead lightens up the events, even throwing in Hastings, who wasn't meant to be a part of the plot at all.

The main protagonist of the story is the first victim, Mrs Leidner. Her personality is rather well outlined in the novel: an extremely attractive, alluring, scheming, paranoid, yet thoughtful woman. A complex nature, one might say. In this adaptation, on the other hand, a masculine, palpably not attractive and rather everyday woman plays the part. This omits the prerequisite of the plot quite effectively. Why would any man really become such a jealous fanatic over such a woman?

To fill in all sorts of gaps created by the producer and the director, drivel like Poirot hunting a mosquito in his room, and a sub-plot of him having a vain love interest in a Russian lady, are added.

Only one actor made a relatively decent effort, viz. the guy who played the murderer. He could have been the right choice for a serious adaptation of this, somewhat forgotten, but still great Christie novel.

I Still Know What You Did Last Summer (1998)

Piece of Junk

[1/10 · 27 July 2015]

As much as I did enjoy "I know what...", I resented this sequel: it's a screaming bore. Actually, it may boast a record of screaming time on screen. If there weren't any screams, we would perhaps not have realized that this was supposed to be a scary picture...

With the exception of the remainders of the original cast - who probably did their best - the acting spanned from Bad as in B Movie to ludicrous. Several characters helped to create the die-cast idiocy of this rock bottom gem, especially the black couple whose presence probably served as a vain attempt to attract a wider audience. A Meat Loaf look alike moron with dreads provided a failed comic relief. The plot was located at a hotel whose staff, consisting of merely three persons, seemingly did one appearance each. For some reason the three of them had to act as a parody of Basil Fawlty, being ridiculously discourteous towards the protagonists.

The most memorable thing about this junk sequel is that the picture was shot in Mexico with the intention of depicting the Bahamas. A similar I-don't-have-a-clue-about-geography device was the stupid twist regarding whether Rio de Janeiro is or is not the capital of Brazil.

R.I.P.

Inception (2010)

Very Overrated

[1/10 · 15 July 2015]

I have to give this movie a very low rating because I do find the story ludicrous, and by a mere stretch of fancy: a rip-off of its quintessential predecessor Matrix.

I was absolutely astonished how utterly naive the response to Inception was when it was released.

Firsty, the story induces the idea of people actually living inside their dreams, when it displays nothing of the surreal effects of real dreaming. Now, I happen to adore a good adaption of dream sequences. The best to date include Polanski's depiction of the crucial scene in Rosemary's Baby where she suddenly shouts: "This is not a dream! It's really happening!".

Inception is a real charge for technocrats, in my opinion,

Stora skälvan (1972– )

Lame and awkward

[3/10 · 9 July 2015]

This TV show is probably the least memorable of the hit delivering director Leif Krantz's efforts. Several of the child actors participating in the previous - and rather formidable - shows "Kullamannen" ("The Man from Kullen" 1967) and "Kråkguldet" ("Crow's Gold" 1969) reappear as teenagers.

To begin with, the title "Stora skälvan", "The Willies", is totally misleading as it is nothing like a scary movie. Awkward, dull and repetitious.

There is no straightforward story or plot. Each episode is presented as a sort of bonfire tale told by a member of a crowd of teenage buddies. With the exception of the very last episode, which according to the other reviewer here was not aired due to censorship, the stories are absolutely pointless, badly acted, and badly shot. Even the direction displays surprisingly obvious shortcomings. Krantz cannot have been wholeheartedly committed to this enterprise. The reason for canceling episode ¤6 is not clear to me, but the theme here is somewhat reminiscent of "Lord of the Flies", and that might have disturbed the political double standards of the day. I wish to salute Krantz for not yielding to the pressure of the left-wing establishment of the era.

I seem to discern a chord of sexual frustration: half a dozen handsome fifteen-year-olds who hang out together at a seaside summer location, partly semi nude too, and none of them shows any kind of tendresse or erotic interest towards another member of the group. That's bloody odd. Especially when considering how open-minded Sweden of the 70s was.

A series definitely best remembered as a trifle, and best preserved inside the vaults of the Govenmnet Television fortress at Oxenstiernsgatan in Stockholm.

Ärliga blå ögon (1977)

One of the Highlights of the 70s

[7/10 · 5 June 2015]

This show, a mini-series of six episodes, was one of the highlights of Swedish Television productions in the mid-70s. The prolific protagonist was played spot-on by Anna Godenius whom we otherwise saw sparsely of. She made a magnificent appearance in this show as the sociopathic female con artist who possesses an amazing capability of altering her looks, speech and demeanour.

Leif Krantz, who previously directed two epic teen dramas (Kullamannen and Kråkguldet, both of them reviewed by me at IMDb) failed somewhat in this production by not introducing the main character properly; we never get to know who she is, what her real name is, etc. She seems to have an accomplice, an air-stewardess with whom she's confident, but that doesn't make much sense to the viewer as the nature of their relationship isn't displayed further. On the other hand, two men trying to reveal her identity (one of them being a cop) makes for a subplot.

There are lots of depressing studio based sequences that bring along the stereotypical cabined feeling of 70s TV.

All in all rather good entertainment, however, especially for nostalgists.

Huset Silfvercronas gåta (1974)

TV Show of the Revolutionary 70s

[5/10 · 30 May 2015]

"The Enigma of the House of Silfvercrona" is an enticing historical teen drama seasoned with socialist propaganda.

Approximately twenty years post 1968 the Swedish media was heavily influenced by far-leftish views; this is a good sample of this era. The series is based on a British novel for children - The House of Arden - published in 1908. As the novel is referenced several times in the first episode of the series, one can hardly blame the production for being a blatant rip-off.

The main plot deals with two cousins that are brought to an old-fashioned 'castle' (actually more of a manor) together with the father of the male cousin and an architect. The matron of the 'castle' is a rather pungent old lady that conveniently points out certain 'forbidden' parts of the building that the kids start exploring before long. She also tells them a story about a lost treasure.

Although not a proper mystery show, it lends you an exciting atmosphere, partly due to the soundtrack. The setting is rather brilliant too as these old 'castles' appear quite spooky by their nature and almost ecclesiastical design.

The show was re-run several times by the Swedish Government Television before private TV Corporations were admitted to operate.

Entertaining and well produced as the show might be, it does suffer from the far from politically subtle, and frequently inaccurate, relating of Swedish history. The framework is purely socialist, not to say communist, and one soon becomes exhausted by the persistent comments with respect to "the wealth of the Lords and the poverty of the peasantry". The series is solidly in lack of information of other aspects of history, culture, literature, art, music etc.

The suspenseful device of time traveling, borrowed from the British novel mentioned above, and the MacGuffinish treasure hunt somehow cleverly disguise the negative effects of its political message.

I would be surprised to hear that this teen drama was not broadcast by Soviet Television back when!

Torn Curtain (1966)

The Hermann Revenge?

[27 May 2015]

Did Hitchcock choose to name the bad guy 'Hermann' as a pun towards Bernard Hermann whom he sacked during the shooting? Hermann Gromek is one of the most memorable Hitchcock crooks that I spontaneously can think of, a sleazy, shrewd and intimidating type of a guy.

Otherwise the movie is some kind of a travel brochure with all its locations and swift changes of means of transport.

Newman's acting wasn't bad but I find it hard to accept that he didn't bother to learn German before 'defecting', being an academic and so on. Being an academic myself, I expect - out of experience - other academics to know at least three languages with reasonable command.

Andrews. Terrible woman. I have true difficulties in watching anything where she's cast as she is completely in lack of sex appeal and annoying British accent. (I find Grace Kelly's accent annoying too, but that girl had IT, so to speak.) I don't believe that Hermann's score would have done anything to improve this!

The sequences where Newman and the East German scholar doodle formulas on a blackboard, are those formulas authentic or random inventions?

Besides Gromek, the ballerina was great.

Family Plot (1976)

Not a thick soup but tasty enough

[7/10 · 27 May 2015]

The best part of Hitchcock's final production is probably Barbara Harris's borderline character whose seemingly fruitless endeavors get entangled with a much less believable subplot without which the story, however, wouldn't have been the least suspenseful.

The direction is overall decent with certain typical Hitchcock scenes such as a car race reminiscent of those in Suspicion and North by Northwest.

Enjoyable if one disregards a number of rather apparent plot holes.

And as usual with respect to the Master's pictures, I stop to wonder for a while whether there's a MacGuffin present or not...

Columbo: Last Salute to the Commodore (1976) Season 5, Episode 6

The Shipwrecked Episode

[1/10 · 6 May 2015]

Being Swedish and thus used to the Bergman touch, I believe that the director had something similar in mind when accomplishing LSTTC. It can be viewed as an artsy episode, or as a flimsy one.

The introduction is very similar to a student take on Bergman, complete with a drunken, hollering woman and bad lighting. Reminds me of the Bergman directed series from this era named Scenes from a Marriage. The main differences is that LSTTC was not dealing with sex.

For some reason Columbo didn't hit it off at sea: two other weak episodes were also at maritime locations viz Dead Weight and Troubled Waters. (Poor Robert Vaughn to be cast in two of them.) Falk must have suffered from sea sickness, and here it's as if he has digested a whole bottle of sedatives, moving around and talking in the fashion he is.

I bought the first five DVD boxes of the Columbo series and LSTTC was the final episode. It made me decide not buy any more. A positive thing, however, was that this DVD advertised a bonus: the first of the Mrs. Columbo shows. Strangely, it was not on the disc at all. Given that it allegedly was a very bad spin-off, I didn't miss it...

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Lament to a by-gone era

[7/10 · 2 May 2015]

Before I ever saw this movie I had happen to see Grease, which I did not like. I never got this 50s nostalgia, and the story was corny. Now, Saturday Night Fever, which isn't related to Saturday Night Live in any way, has as an engaging story enhanced by great disco music without being a musical. It's actually rather similar to Fame, the movie, having a similar message: the entertainment business as a vehicle out of the ghetto. Perhaps not very ingenious or innovative. The picture deals with other themes too, such as racial issues, religion and sex, but only subordinately. Over-all good acting and dancing.

Interesting this 70s disco music phenomenon: it developed out of soul/funk, and Barry White was crucial to its genesis as his Love's Theme was the first hit to be referred to as 'disco'. The new genre was endorsed by artists that were not predominantly Afro-American, adding an international flavour and popularity. 'Disco' was not prone to develop much further than White's sound of 1973, though, and in 1979 there was even an anti-disco movement called 'Disco Sucks!' that culminated in mass burning of disco records at a stadium in Chicago.

Saturday Night Fever did capture the essence of the era with regard to the clubbing side of it. One thing that does surprise me is that the fashion they wore didn't match the class and ever-greenness of the music: polyester...

Columbo (1971–2003)

Best of 1970s television

[9/10 · 30 April 2015]

'Columbo' is aloof of most of the other similar shows. The character is quite unbelievable but a great protagonist. The part of the show that usually fails is when he's successfully forcing the offender to confess on lacking evidence.

Some episodes stand out further: the Spielberg directed Murder by the Book is one of them. The plot is terrible: the passive part of a prosperous writer duo kills his companion rather than letting him carry one writing on his own. The reasons for the murder are not very clear, and the hard boiled murder gives up after Columbo's demonstrating that the murder was executed along the lines of one of the writers' plot ideas. There is of course no evidence. Anyhow, Spielberg's direction really makes for a visual feast.

My personal favourite is the scene where a fan of the author/murderer approaches him with an invitation that the murderer senses could be an extortion attempt. Spielberg then changes camera angles and lightning in order to project the fear and the menace of the characters' faces.

The Persuaders! (1971–1972)

Classy nostalgia, albeit dated

[8/10 · 30 April 2015]

I remember as a kid I used to run home every time I heard the theme of The Persuaders. Strangely, I do not recall much of the content. I guess not being that familiar with English at the time, or the plot devices, made me watch it only out of fascination of car chases and such.

Being an adult, and having improved my English, I can enjoy the sparkling dialogue which does add considerably to my appreciation of this TV show.

It's rather lightweight entertainment though, and the episodes are full of logic gaps and all kinds of flaws, sometimes to the point of getting ridiculous, but the chemistry between Curtis and Moore is what's it all about for me. I find it difficult to understand that the two of them didn't hit it off, if that's indeed true. Maybe it isn't.

Besides the nostalgia, the theme music, the dialogue and the timing of the protagonists, it's the suave outdoor settings, in particular those shot in France and Italy, that make this series unforgettable. I don't believe there ever was another show that could compete with The Persuaders with respect to this.

The often far-fetched plots, the overly cheesy pre-disco music and the abundance of rear projection all cause me to feel more or less indifferent about the episodes. Two things that really annoy me are the slightly claustrophobic indoor scenes (often recycling details and furnishing) i.e. studio shots, and some of the female actors, such as the Maria girl in the Overture Episode who was portrayed as some kind of bomb shell, but actually came along as a plain looking hag.

Being Swedish, I won't bother to comment on the inaccuracies of the episode allegedly partly filmed in Sweden...

The Dark Corner (1946)

A Sequel to 'Laura'

[7/10 · 23 April 2015]

Clifton Webb made a late, but unforgettable, debut in Laura. This flick is a sequel, complete with a big painted picture of Laura's successor.

All in all, this isn't a bad movie. However, if you have seen the original, so to speak, well, then it doesn't match it. Webb is still the murderer, although by means of hired help, and it's a pity that he got only but a few scenes. Instead the attention is fixed on another Bogart/Bacall, Ladd/Lake couple: Lucille Ball and Mark Stevens who do a fine job though.

There is some suspense: a cab chase for instance.

The motive for Webb's pinning a murder on the P.I./protagonist is not entirely clear to me, but clear enough as this is not a masterpiece by any kind. At least the plot is more intelligible than in The Big Sleep...

The Third Man (1949)

A Classic Beyond Doubt

[10/10 · 22 April 2015]

There are some movies that simply are so captivating and well-crafted that you might, for a moment, doubt their very existence: This is such a movie.

Based on a great novel, there were still lots that could have gone wrong when adapting the story for the screen.

(1) Casting: I have practically no complaints. Even the animals (a cat and a parrot) were great. If there would have been one remark, it would consider the janitor at Lime's place and his shifting knowledge of the English language.

(2) Directing: so solid that it has to be reckoned as one of the pillars of golden age cinematography. Welles apparently wanted to take credits from Carol Reed. That says quite a lot.

(3) Setting: Brilliant! Wienna as a lugubrious and damp ghost town filled with odd people, mostly viewed in close-ups - silent, tormented faces.

(4) Plot: Believable enough. Actually a bit of a MacGuffin; the emotional drama is the true story, but it wouldn't have worked without the detective hyperplot. The title itself could be given almost a double entendre with respect to the famous final scene: the female protagonist has lost the first man, ignored the second, and eventually walks towards the third. Well, a bit over analytical, but...

5) Soundtrack: Very unusual. A Hungarian zither player got international reputation merely out of this movie. The producer thought about everything, as it seems...

The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946)

Pne Peculiar Pelicula

[6/10 · 21 April 2015]

A classic, and a well directed one too, but one that always puzzles me when watching it.

A more than tolerable naïve and stupid guy once stops by at a roadside hamburger parlour where a stunningly pretty, neurotic and stupid girl lives and works. The girl is married to the owner, a babbling old fool. That makes three of them.

What's wrong with this picture?

Firstly, why would a girl like that be married to an old drunkard? Secondly, why would these two nervous people get the idea that they can carry out a murder? Thirdly, why would they find the outcome - inheriting a hamburger restaurant - even worthwhile? Fourthly, the younger guy claims that he's got "itching feet" i.e. he's the roaming type, and he can't stay for very long at a place. Why would he linger there? The answer is that he's infatuated with a girl, who by all likeliness wouldn't have been there in the first place.

The intellectual relief is the zealous D.A. who suspects them from the start. I would have too.

In the final scene we get an explanation of the monstruous title of the film, as the young fool realizes in death row that life works in mysterious ways, or something. It's not a good explanation.

Despite the decent direction, there are a number of meaningless twists, such as the blond leaving to see a dying relative, while the guy dashes of with another random blonde that doesn't appear again, or the unbelievably flat-footed extortion attempt by an ex-employee of the couple's lawyer (after the killing of the old guy).

Lana Turner was not a very good actress in my opinion, and it might even be that the remake is overall better than the original, which is a rare phenomenon.