Slob with a blog. Vicariously join me on my movie viewing adventures! Visit my blog here: http://jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com
297 posts
THE SON OF KONG (Dir: Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933).
THE SON OF KONG (Dir: Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933).
How would the makers of Son of Kong manage to top the groundbreaking, blockbuster original King Kong (Merian C Cooper & Ernest Schoedsack, 1933)? Short answer: they wouldn’t. But neither did they try. Ernest Schoedsack returns as producer/director but Merian C Cooper, his collaborator on the first movie, bowed out when RKO slashed the budget. Scriptwriter Ruth Rose also returns, as do cast members Robert Armstrong as Denham and Victor Wong as Charlie the Cook.
A month after the disastrous events of the first movie, beleaguered showman and moviemaker Carl Denham escapes his creditors by chartering a ship to Kong's Skull Island, in search of mythical hidden treasure. Joined by an animal trainer cum singer (Helen Mack) and shady ships' captain (Frank Reicher) and faithful cook Charlie, the gang are cast overboard by a mutinous crew and arrive on the island via rowboat. After a hostile encounter with the native islanders they encounter the ape sinking into quicksand. Denham and the singer rescue pint-sized Kong who then befriends the pair as they battle a cave bear and brave a massive earthquake in their search for riches.
Although this movie lacks the grandiose special effects set pieces of the original King Kong, Kong Jr is still an impressive beast. Smaller than his pa at 12 foot, as opposed to Kong’s 20ish foot, Kong Jr is also more anthropomorphised than his father. The stop motion ape is, once again, beautifully animated by special effects genius Willis O’Brien. Yet with more human like expressions he is less menacing than his dad, but likewise less sympathetic.
Son of Kong adopts a much lighter, more comic tone than its predecessor and a result the movie is, sadly, less impressive, less poignant and less engaging than the original King Kong. But it is by no means the disaster it was initially perceived to be. Its special effects are still superlative; the performances are strong and at barely 70 minutes it doesn’t outstay its welcome. Lower your expectations (slightly) and you will find The Son of Kong a highly entertaining time waster.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of Son of Kong! Link below.
-
sighinastorm liked this · 11 months ago -
handjobsrobertchicago reblogged this · 5 years ago -
handjobsrobertchicago liked this · 5 years ago
More Posts from Jingle-bones
Happy 91st birthday to my favourite movie star, Mickey Mouse!
100+ movie reviews now available on my blog Jingle Bones Movie Time! Link below:
Spooky Movie Time!
THE GHOSTS OF BUXLEY HALL (Dir: Bruce Bilson, 1980).
Originally screened in two parts on the long running Disney anthology series, at this point in its history broadcast on NBC under the Disney’s Wonderful World banner; The Ghosts of Buxley Hall is a throwback to Disney fantasy comedies such as Blackbeard’s Ghost (Robert Stevenson, 1968) and Charley and the Angel (Vincent McEveety, 1973). Failing military academy Buxley Hall is forced to merge with a cash strapped girls school, enraging the ghosts of founder General Eulace C Buxton, cohort Sergeant Major Chester B Sweet and wife Betina Buxley (played by Dick O’Neill, Victor French and Louise Latham respectively). Their focus soon shifts to aiding new student Jeremy (Red Daly) whose scheming aunt and uncle threaten both the future of the school and more importantly the well being of their nephew.
Although very much a product of its time The Ghosts of Buxley Hall is undemanding formulaic fun. It has a welcome, albeit slight, feminist message, although some may find gags involving smoking and alcoholism and some mild risqué humour involving a sex education class a little out of place in a family movie. With regards to modern audiences, I imagine this film is more likely to appeal to grownup children of the 1970s/80s than by actual children.
Is The Ghosts of Buxley Hall a good movie? Not particularly. Did I enjoy it? Yes, I kinda did. It felt nostalgic, raised the odd smile and kept me out of mischief for 90 odd minutes.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for more reviews of classic and vintage Disney movies! Link below.
THE LION KING (Dir: Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff).
The 1990s Disney Animation renaissance continued with The Lion King, their biggest hit (when adjusted for inflation) to date.
The movie tells the story of young lion and future king Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a juvenile and Matthew Broderick as an adult). Simba’s father Mufasa (James Earl Jones) is killed by his brother and Simba’s uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons). Scar leads Simba to be believe he is responsible for Mufasa’s death and goes into hiding. Believing Simba has been killed by Hyenas, Scar takes his place as king of the Pride Lands. However, Simba is rescued by comic relief duo meerkat Timon (Nathan Lane) and warthog Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella). When adult Simba learns of his uncle’s despotic machinations he returns to fight Scar, reclaim his crown and restore order to the Pride Lands.
Majestic seems a fitting word for The Lion King. Recalling earlier classic The Jungle Book (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1967) with its animal cast, particularly in the characterisation of Scar, a upper-crust Disney villain in the Sheer Khan mode. The movie feels both fresh, in its break from the fairytale genre, yet classic Disney with its anthropomorphised animal antics.
It is easily one of the Studio’s most visually appealing features of the 1990s. It’s beautiful backgrounds of African landscapes is the match of the superior character animation. This is highlighted particularly in the opening scene as the African animal populous gathers to welcome the newly born Simba to the Pride Lands. So impressed were the Disney execs by this scene, that it was used wholesale as the movie’s trailer. Happily the rest of the film has no problem in living up to this breathtaking beginning.
With outstanding animation, excellent voice work and a handful of hit songs by Tim Rice and Elton John, The Lion King reigns as one of Disney’s greatest post-Walt animated feature films.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of The Lion King. Link in bio.
THE INFORMERS aka UNDERWORLD INFORMERS (Dir: Ken Annakin, 1963).
Based upon Douglas Warner's novel Death of a Snout. The Informers, released in the US as Underworld Informers is a police procedural drama shot in a quasi-realist style.
Chief Inspector 'Johnno' (Nigel Patrick) investigates the murder of an underworld informer or 'snout' (John Cowley) linked to a series of bank robberies masterminded by gangsters Bertie Hoyle (Derren Nesbitt) and Leon Sale (Frank Finlay). Hot on the their trail, the hoods set 'Johnno' up so as to appear to have accepted a bribe. On suspension, he takes the law into his own hands and with the help of Ruskin's brother sets to bring the gang to justice.
Ken Annakin was a talented filmmaker, prolific in his time but vastly underrated today. With The Informers he delivers a crime drama which, 56 years after release, still feels uncompromisingly gritty.
Standouts among the cast are the distinctively voiced Nigel Patrick as the wronged 'Johnno' and Harry Andrews as his tough superintendent. Derren Nesbitt makes for a thoroughly unpleasant bad guy, while impressing further down the cast is Colin Blakely as the brother of the murdered snout.
The movie can be seen as something of a ‘missing link’ between the depiction of the friendly copper of TVs Dixon of Dock Green (1955 -76) and the more complex characterisation of the police force in The Sweeney (1974-78). Indeed, it seems ahead of its time in its depiction of the police and their relationship with the criminal underworld. It benefits from use of London locations from the banks of the Thames to backstreet Soho dives, shot in crisp black and white by cinematographer Reginald Wyer.
Some of the characters in Alun Falconer and Paul Durst's screenplay do border on stereotypes, while the climatic big punch up between good(ish) guys and the bad guys verges on the comic, but overall this is still fairly hard-hitting stuff.
With some stylish direction from Annakin and a quality cast The Informers is a solidly entertaining, if occasionally nasty, gangland thriller.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of The Informers. Link below.
FATHER BROWN aka THE DETECTIVE (Dir: Robert Hamer, 1954).
The second big screen outing for G K Chesterton's fictional detective Father Brown, adapted from his 1910 short story The Blue Cross.
Roman Catholic priest and amateur detective Father Brown (Alec Guinness) pits his wits against elusive master criminal Flambeau (Peter Finch), intent on stealing a priceless cross from the clergyman.
Originally exhibited in the UK as Father Brown, the movie is now more widely available in prints bearing its US title The Detective. A glance at Father Brown’ s cast and crew and one would be forgiven for thinking this Columbia Pictures release was an Ealing Studios production. Director Hamer is reunited with his Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949) stars Alec Guinness and Joan Greenwood, whilst Ealing alumni Peter Finch, Bernard Lee, Sidney James and Cecil Parker all feature. However, any similarity between this lightly humorous detective story and an Ealing comedy ends here.
Languishing part way between comedy and mystery, the movie straddles both genres without a firm footing in either. Never reaching the witty heights of Kind Hearts and Coronets and not quite exciting enough to convince as a thriller. It ambles along nicely enough but lacks the narrative twists and turns that would have elevated the story above the mundane. Thelma Schnee and Hamer's screenplay never quite manages to over come the source material's inherent quaintness and at times threatens to become unbearably twee.
Alec Guinness is excellent as ever here, once again immersing himself chameleon like in the role of Brown. He is matched by the equally impressive Finch in a rare comedic performance for the actor, albeit not one especially played for big laughs. The rest of cast are, unfortunately, somewhat underused in what is largely a two-hander between Guinness and Finch.
Father Brown is good movie, but can't help but feel a little bit of a disappointment considering the talent involved. It is still worth a watch, if only for the excellent performances from its leading men. Not quite a classic, but a high quality time passer nonetheless.
Check out my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer review of Father Brown. Link below.