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MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (Dir: Ernest B Schoedsack, 1949).
MIGHTY JOE YOUNG (Dir: Ernest B Schoedsack, 1949).
16 years after scoring a massive hit with fantasy epic King Kong (Merian C Cooper & Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933), RKO Radio Pictures resurrected the mega-ape genre with Mighty Joe Young. Returning are Kong producers and directors Ernest B Schoedsack and Merian C Cooper and star Robert Armstrong. However, this is not a sequel to King Kong and its follow-up Son of Kong (Ernest B Schoedsack, 1933).
Joe is a massive gorilla (not as big as Kong, but still pretty hefty) raised by young Jill Young (Terry Moore) in his African home since a baby. Persuaded by showman Max O’Hara (Robert Armstrong) and his buddy Gregg (Ben Johnson) to accompany them to the US, Max employs Jill and Joe as star attraction at his California nightclub. As is often the case with exhibiting giant gorillas (or, indeed, dinosaurs), things do not go to plan. Otherwise gentle Joe is taunted by drunks to the point where he wrecks the joint. With Joe subsequently imprisoned, Jill, Gregg and Max plot a daring rescue attempt to free the gorilla and return him to Africa.
Shot in black and white with dramatic use of colour filters, Mighty Joe Young is a visual treat. King Kong’s Willis O’Brien and assistant Ray Harryhausen handle the outstanding special effects which elaborate upon the techniques perfected in Kong. Joe is brought to life by beautiful stop motion animation and the interaction between him and his human counterparts is astonishing! A scene where Joe wrestles live action/animated lions is particularly impressive as is the dramatic climax in which Joe rescues children from a burning orphanage.
While it did not have the same impact as the original King Kong, Mighty Joe Young is an impressive movie in its own right with much to recommend it. It is undoubtedly more sentimental than Kong but it is still a thoroughly entertaining feature; well paced, with plenty of humour amidst the thrills and some of the most spectacular visual effects committed to celluloid. Fans of King Kong not familiar with Mighty Joe Young would do well to check out this fantasy classic!
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME to read a longer, more in-depth review of Mighty Joe Young! Link below.
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TURKEY HOLLOW (Dir: Kirk R Thatcher, 2015).
Jim Henson’s Turkey Hollow, to give the movie its full on-screen title, is based upon a Henson project unrealised during the Muppet master’s lifetime.
Originally co-written by Henson and Jerry Juhl, Turkey Hollow is a feature length TV movie combining puppets and humans, produced by The Jim Henson Company for the Lifetime Network.
Following their parents divorce, teenagers Tim (Graham Verchere) and Annie (Genevieve Buechner) are forced to spend the Thanksgiving holiday with their Aunt Cly (Mary Steenburgen) in the rustic town of Turkey Hollow. Learning of a local 10 foot mythical monster The Howling Hoodoo, Tim sets out to find the beast. Instead he encounter the friendly forest monsters Squonk, Zorp, Burble and Thring as well as uncovering the illegal activities of a neighbouring turkey farmer, who poses a threat to his Aunt's farm.
Turkey Hollow is not the Muppet-fest you may have hoped for. The puppets are used fairly sporadically and serve the otherwise human led story. However, when they do appear, the puppets, as you would expect, are excellent. The undoubted highlight of the low key movie, the foursome are as appealing as any other monsters to emerge from the Henson stable. The humans almost take a backseat whenever the puppets appear, although performances are solid throughout, especially the always dependable Mary Steenburgen.
The plot of Turkey Hollow is simple and not particularly original; the movie equivalent of a light snack rather than a Thanksgiving feast. A romantic subplot between Aunt Cly and local Sheriff Grover (Reese Alexander) feels both under developed and slightly out of place and the one dimensional bad guys will only seem like a genuine threat to the youngest audience members. Otherwise the movie is a mostly endearing tale which, while not approaching the genius high standards of his best work, does nothing to tarnish the legacy of Mr Henson.
Turkey Hollow may not quite rank as a holiday classic, but it is a sweetly old fashioned treat and one you should find merits re-visiting during the festive season.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of Turkey Hollow! Link below.
BEYOND TOMORROW aka BEYOND CHRISTMAS (Dir: A Edward Sutherland, 1940).
My quest for obscure vintage Christmas movies has arrived at Beyond Tomorrow, a curious little movie with a somewhat convoluted plot.
A trio of wealthy businessmen (Harry Carey, C Aubrey Smith and Charles Winninger) play matchmaker to a teacher (Jean Parker) and a misplaced cowboy (Richard Carlson). When the three are tragically killed in a plane crash they return as ghosts to watch over the couple whom they have left a significant inheritance.
Beyond Tomorrow is one of a handful of Hollywood movies of the era to deal with themes of spirituality and guardian angels; notable examples include Here Comes Mr Jordan (Alexander Hall, 1941) and It's a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946). Unfortunately this movie is nowhere near the caliber of those classics.
Although relatively short, at roughly 80 minutes, I found it a chore to watch. It's early scenes, centered around the holiday season are easily its best. However the film soon descends into hollow sentimentality and mawkishness, with Adele Comandini's screenplay lacking the dramatic strength to overcome the corny and frankly odd premise. The 'B' movie is also lacking star talent, although Richard Carlson later would make an impression in Universal's late period monster flick Creature from the Black Lagoon (Jack Arnold, 1954). A bigger name would certainly have lent the movie a little more cache but, to be honest, I think it would do little to help either the pedestrian script or A Edward Sutherland's workmanlike direction.
I also feel this movie was slightly miss sold, as only its first third is festive. In a shameless yuletide cash grab the movie has latterly been marketed as Beyond Christmas. Cynical though this may be, the title is actually more accurate as much of the feature does, indeed, take place after Christmas!
I am a sucker for a decent Christmas film and Golden Age Hollywood is my favourite era of filmmaking, but this turkey of a movie did nothing for me. By all means worth a watch for the curious. Just don't expect it to fill you with Christmas joy.
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TERMINATOR: DARK FATE (Dir: Tim Miller, 2019).
Terminator: Dark Fate does its best to refresh a tired franchise after the last 3 series' entries were met with disappointment. As such we are advised to forget those, as this 6th movie reboots the series continuing where Terminator 2: Judgment Day (James Cameron, 1991) left off.
Taking place 25 years after the events of Terminator 2, Dark Fate sees the return of original movie's hero Sarah Conner (Linda Hamilton). Teaming up with time travelling augmented human Grace (Mackenzie Davis), the pair are tasked with protecting Dani (Natalia Reyes) a young woman who is the target of REV-9 (Gabriel Luna), a Terminator sent from the future to kill her. The threesome eventually team up with Conner's old foe the T-800 model Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger), now 'living' in a secluded woodland retreat. Reality kinda takes a back seat as the four battle the seemingly indestructible Rev-9, intent on succeeding in its mission.
Based on a story by series creator James Cameron, fans of The Terminator franchise are on pretty safe ground with this latest movie, which sees the series finally back on track. Spectacular special effects and high octane action sequences are present and correct. The pace barely waivers and an early car chase is so impressive that the remainder of the movie has a hard time topping it.
Performances are strong throughout; serious minded female centred action movies are still a rarity and the three-hander between its leads lends this a welcome and distinctly different flavour to most action flicks.
Despite its good points Dark Fate has been greeted with a lukewarm box office. Possibly the decision to market it a sequel to Terminator 2 has alienated younger audiences or, more likely, sequel/re-make/re-boot fatigue has set in. If this is the last we see of Terminator then at least the series has gone out on a high. I suspect this movie might find more appreciation in the home market and could well mean the series will "be back" at some point in the future.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME to read a longer, more in-depth review of Terminator: Dark Fate! Link below.
THE CHRISTMAS COAL MINE MIRACLE (Dir: Jud Taylor, 1977).
A festive family drama made for US TV.
Set in the mining town of Caufield in 1951, The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle tells the story of coal miners trapped underground on Christmas Eve following an explosion. Centered largely around Matthew Sullivan (Mitchell Ryan), his wife Rachel (Barbara Babcock), their two daughters and prospective son-in-law Johnny (Kurt Russell).
Although claimed by some sources to be based upon a true story, the closing credits read: “The events depicted in this motion picture are fictitious although suggested by the history of mine disasters”. Which particular mine disasters are unclear. I think the movie would have more impact were it based on actual events. Instead what we have with The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle is an intriguing story, although not particularly dynamically told.
Surprisingly, considering it was made in the era when disaster movies were vogue, the focus of the film is not the explosion in the mine, but the relationships of those affected by it, particularly the women. As a result the movie suffers from being overly reliant on dialogue and a little short on action. Originally broadcast on the NBC network, it has the distinct feel of a Movie of the Week, albeit distinguished by a better than average cast. Top billing is afforded to Mitchell Ryan, but further down the cast are the more familiar names of Kurt Russell, John Carradine and Melissa Gilbert.
As earnest young man Johnny, Kurt Russell is, well, earnest. In fairness to Russell the role is not especially well fleshed out. Which is kind of an issue with every character; none are particularly well delineated and the audience never gets to know any of them well enough to be as affected by their plight as they should.
The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle is no Christmas classic. Were it a true story in the traditional sense, rather than vaguely inspired by historic mining accidents, I feel as if I would have warmed to the story a little more and have more investment in the characters. That said, if you stumble across this movie on daytime TV it is worth a look for the decent performances from its likeable cast.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME to read a longer, more in-depth review of The Christmas Coal Mine Miracle! Link below.
BUSH CHRISTMAS (Dir: Ralph Smart, 1947).
Set during the Christmas holidays in the small valley community of Mara Mara, Bush Christmas follows the adventures of five children: brothers John (Morris Unicomb) and Snow (Nicky Yardley), their big sister Helen (Helen Grieve), English evacuee Michael (Michael Yardley) and friend Nesa (Nesa Saunders). After some horses are stolen from their ranch home, the kids decide to take the law into their own hands and set out into the Australian bush in order to track down the thieves and rescue the precious animals.
Bush Christmas was one of the first feature films from Rank Organisation's Children's Entertainment Film unit; a department which would eventually evolve into the Children's Film Foundation (CFF).
Although low budget, it feels significantly more polished than the usual, appealingly amateur, CFF output. Director Ralph Smart keeps the action moving at a steady pace while cinematographer George Heath captures the locations beautifully. Filmed in the Blue Mountains of New South Wales, the location photography is a definite plus and lends an atmosphere unique in family movies of the era.
Chips Rafferty, then Australia's biggest homegrown movie star, hams it up nicely as Long Bill, the leader of the horse thieves. John Fernside and Stan Tolhurst are his cohorts, alternating some broad comedy with the required menace, as they are outwitted every step of the way by the kids.
Performances from the youngsters, none of whom had significant acting careers as adults, are appealing and natural. Nesa, the only indigenous lad, is slightly stereotyped, perhaps to be expected considering the era in which the movie was made. However, I feel the stereotyping is more naive than negative; with his knowledge of bush crafts he is shown to be the most intelligent and resourceful of the gang.
Set during the Australian summer, Bush Christmas is not especially festive for western audiences and is suitable viewing all year round. It is a modest little movie, but an engaging one at that. Perhaps a mite dated, but with enough comedy and action as to make it a worthwhile watch, especially for those looking for an alternative to modern family fare.
For a longer, more in-depth review of BUSH CHRISTMAS visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below.
