rdbqpaul
Joined Dec 2011
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rdbqpaul's rating
I've read countless books on the major studios, poverty row,, serials etc, so I was anxious to see this series. I although amused ar times, I awash mostly disappointed.
The close up of Zokor as narrator became annoying. But nothing bothered me more than the listless acting of the principals who seemed to substitute lighting cigarettes and blowing smoke for displaying any emotion beyond a poker face.
The archival footage was interesting. But it doesn't make up for the script, and disappointing acting.
It could and should have been great. But it failed.
The close up of Zokor as narrator became annoying. But nothing bothered me more than the listless acting of the principals who seemed to substitute lighting cigarettes and blowing smoke for displaying any emotion beyond a poker face.
The archival footage was interesting. But it doesn't make up for the script, and disappointing acting.
It could and should have been great. But it failed.
When The Walking Dead appeared on the Saturday morning bill on TCM it caught my eye. As a Karloff fan since my teens, I don't know why this minor masterpiece has escaped me. With Michael Curtiz directing, how could it be bad? The man who gave us Adventures of Robin Hood, Casablanca, and countless other classics can handle the horror genre with equal skill. Yes, the plot is a bit of a stretch, but a talented cast pulls it off within a fast paced 1:08 runtime. With eyes alone Karloff demonstrates the skill that made his name synonymous with horror. While not in the class of Frankenstein, the atmospheric direction and excellent photography gave me chills of a different sort. If you've not seen this one, watch for it. You won't be disappointed.
A Night to Remember should be retitled A Night So Bad it's Hard to forget. Loretta Young must have been hard up for cash to involve herself in this pathetic attempt at the mystery/comedy genre. I've watched some very lame poverty row comedies that put A Night to Remember in the "they couldn't be serious" category.
I spotted on the Classic Reel streaming channel, checked the cast and decided it would be great fun. Columbia assembled a group of dependable B stars including Don McBride, Sidney Toler, William "Billy" Benedict, Lee Patrick, the usually creepy Gale Sondergard and James Burke. Any B fan would rejoice in seeing these characters together. But not here.
Brian Ahern's attempts at comedy are inane. And, the musical score would be great as underscore on an episode of Ozzie & Harriet or Life of Riley.
In short, I wasted 90 minutes.
I spotted on the Classic Reel streaming channel, checked the cast and decided it would be great fun. Columbia assembled a group of dependable B stars including Don McBride, Sidney Toler, William "Billy" Benedict, Lee Patrick, the usually creepy Gale Sondergard and James Burke. Any B fan would rejoice in seeing these characters together. But not here.
Brian Ahern's attempts at comedy are inane. And, the musical score would be great as underscore on an episode of Ozzie & Harriet or Life of Riley.
In short, I wasted 90 minutes.