The Trouble With Harry

MOVIE REVIEW OF The Trouble with Harry (1955) PG

Cast
Director:	alfred hitchcock	Runtime: 1hrs 39min ( 99min)
captain albert wiles	.....	edmund gwenn
sam marlowe	.....	john forsythe
miss ivy gravely	.....	mildred natwick
mrs. wiggs	.....	mildred dunnock
arnie roger	.....	jerry mathers
deputy sheriff calvin wiggs	.....	royal dano
millionaire	.....	parker fennelly
tramp	.....	barry macollum
dr. greenbow	.....	dwight marfield
jennifer rogers	.....	shirley macLaine
ellis	.....	ernest curt bach
man walking past sam's outdoor exhibition	.....	alfred hitchcock
harry worp	.....	philip truex
art critic from the modern museum	.....	leslie woolf

WHAT I KNOW

Little Arnie Rogers (Jerry Mathers) opens this tale as a three-foot kid running through the woods with his toy gun. He hears a shot...he goes a little further with a concerned, frightened look on his face, only to come across none other than a dead body (Philip Truex). He stared at it for a moment...then runs away.

Next we meet Captain Albert Wiles (Edmund Gwenn), who is out shooting rabbits (which is not allowed). On his way through that same forest, headed home after bagging exactly no dinner, finds the same body, stone dead, and naturally assumes that he himself shot and caused this young man's demise.

The Captain is terribly distraught, as he does not know who this dead man is lying on the ground before him.

As he is standing there, up the hill walks Miss Ivy Gravely (Mildred Natwick). She stands beside the Captain, obviously unsure of exactly what to say concerning this situation. So, naturally, the two (Ivy and the Captain) decide to have coffee and blueberry muffins that afternoon. They also decide that some Elderberry wine would go nicely with the repast. Miss Gravely walks away from Albert and the dead man, delighted.

Albert ducks out of sight as he sees little Arnie returning with his mother, Jennifer Rogers (Shirley MacLaine). We learn here that she knows the dead man, that his name is Harry, and that she is not upset that he is dead.

Albert stays hidden, for as soon as Jennifer and Arnie leave the scene, another person arrives. This time, it's Dr. Greenbow (Dwight Marfield). He, however, is so engrossed in a book, that he trips over the body (literally), losing his glasses on the ground. When he retrieves them, he again picks up his book and continues on his way.

Finally (we think), a tramp (Barry Macollum) wanders up the hill. By now, the Captain is thinking he aught to be selling tickets [author's commentary]. The tramp sees Harry, sits down, and takes the shoes for himself. [author's note: see John Grisham's novel "Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer" for an interesting connection to this part of the story.]

The Captain leaves, and a little later on, other townspeople discover Harry. Sam Marlowe (John Forsythe), starving artist, is strolling along and stops to sketch the scenery. He approaches Harry to ask him to kindly remove himself from the area. Obviously, being dead and all, this proves impossible. So, Sam sits down and sketches Harry.

Finally (for real this time), Dr. Greenbow walks by again; again reading a book; again, tripping over Harry, losing his glasses; again, retrieving them and going on his way. Note that this is the town physician -- the one person in whom the townspeople trust their lives!

Once most people of the town are all aware of Harry (it looks as if Dr. Greenbow isn't really aware of much of anything), it becomes apparent that nobody is quite certain as to why he is dead. Or, more accurately, who is responsible for his death.

Captain Wiles is sure he shot Harry, by accident, while hunting for rabbits. Jennifer thinks Harry must have died after staggering away from her house. You see, she had just hit him over the head with a milk bottle (in those days, milk bottles were glass, not plastic)! However, Miss Gravely is convinced she is to blame for killing Harry with the leater heel of her hiking boot -- the one with the metal cleat on the end of it.

In the midst of all this, a wandering millionaire (Parker Fennelly) wants to buy all of Sam's paintings. Sam doesn't ask for money. Instead, he asks each of the aforementioned conspirators what they want the most. The millionaire writes down their wishes, and promises to grant the requests in exchange for the paintings. But what does Sam ask for? That is a request that is only whispered in the millionaire's ear.

By the way, all this is occurring under the nose of Mrs. Wiggs' (Mildred Dunnock) son, Calvin (Royal Dano), who also happens to be the Deputy Sheriff, and about the only person who does not know about Harry.

Oh, yeah…did I mention that Harry has been buried and exhumed a few or more times since this ordeal began? The people of this town are very indecisive.

Even when the gig seems to be up, the surprising quick wit of the townsfolk, along with convenient circumstance, prove useful in postponing what seems to be inevitable. Or is it? But wait…there's more…I think…

Out of respect for the famed director (by the way, did you find Alfred? He once again makes his trademark cameo appearance somewhere in the film), I won't reveal what happens to Harry in the end. You'll just have to see the movie. Don't worry…you'll find out.

WHAT I THINK

Twists and turns at every corner. Of course, what else should you expect from Alfred Hitchcock. And all with the whimsical comedic style we come to expect from the famed director. Dead bodies are darned funny, wouldn't you say? And who else would you expect to see making a film with such a storyline as…wait a minute…something's just not right there. There are just too many unknowns about and in this movie. Who really killed Harry? Should Harry be buried or not? Who really directed the movie? Was it The Alfred Hitchcock, or just someone with a really fortunate name?

I can pretty much guarantee that before this movie is over, you will have had a quizzical expression on your face at least three times…if you were paying attention.

This story, written by Jack Trevor Story (screenplay by John Michael Hayes), in itself is meant to be confusing. Beyond that, clever wordplay and thoughtful paradoxical situations are executed as only Alfred Hitchcock could. The audience is confused, the characters are confused, but everyone knows exactly what is happening at any given moment…but only for said given moment.

Of course, you will see some great stars helping out the movie. John Forsythe (unseen voice in Charlie's Angels), Shirley MacLaine (Steel Magnolias), Edmund Gwenn (Miracle on 34^th Street), and, of course, Jerry Mathers as The Beaver (ha!). Not that this story needs any help, it would have done just fine by itself. But don't take my word for it.

For those of you who are yearning for (or just planning) a Hitchcock marathon with the family, I would suggest an order of Hitchcock movies such as follows: Psycho, The Birds, Rope. The Trouble with Harry…then you can go to bed peacefully…

QUOTES
Finally, a short list of quotes I think are worth repeating. You may recognize some, but these are my own picks, not ones that are particularly famous:

• Mrs. Wiggs : I only brought your name up once when we were talking about strange people.
• Sam : Would you like to say a few words, Captain?
  Albert : That I would. Harry Worp, don't you ever show your face around here again.
• Albert : Coming home from Madagascar once we had a fireman on board who hit his head on a brick wall and died two days later.
  Sam : Where would he find a brick wall on board a ship?
  Albert : That's what we always wondered.
• Jennifer : Did you see his mustache and his wavy hair?
  Sam : When I saw him, he was dead.
  Jennifer : He looked exactly the same when he was alive, only he was vertical.
• Sam : Who's the man up on the path?
  Jennifer : What man?
  Sam : You know, Harry. The dead man.
  Jennifer : Oh, him. That's my husband.
  Sam : Your husband's dead, then?
  Jennifer : [nods] Is your lemonade sweet enough?
  Sam : Seems to be.
  Jennifer : I like it tart.
  Sam : Harry is Arnie's father, then?
  Jennifer : Nah. Arnie's father's dead.
  Sam : So's Harry.
• Sam : Perhaps I'll come back tomorrow.
  Arnie : When's that?
  Sam : Day after today.
  Arnie : That's yesterday. Today's tomorrow.
  Sam : It was.
  Arnie : When was tomorrow yesterday, Mr. Marlow?
  Sam : Today.
  Arnie : Oh, sure. Yesterday.
  Jennifer : You'll never make sense out of Arnie. He's got his own timing.

RATING

Here is my personal rating of this movie. This rating is out of ten meows.
¹⁰ /₁₀

---

Thanks for Visiting!!!

Please comment below

You Can't Take It With You

MOVIE REVIEW OF You Can't Take It With You (1938) Not Rated

Cast
Director:	Frank Capra	Runtime: 2hrs 6min ( 126min)
Alice Sycamore	.....	Jean Arthur
Martin Vanderhof	.....	Lionel Barrymore
Tony Kirby	.....	James Stewart
Anthony P. Kirby	.....	Edward Arnold
Kolenkhov	.....	Mischa Auer
Essie Carmichael	.....	Ann Miller
Penny Sycamore	.....	Spring Byington
Paul Sycamore	.....	Samuel S. Hinds
mr. poppins	.....	donald meek
mr. ramsey	.....	h. b. warner
mr. dePinna	.....	halliwell hobbes
ed carmichael	.....	dub taylor
mrs. anthony kirby	.....	mary forbes
rheba	.....	lillian yarbo
donald	.....	eddie anderson
john blakely	.....	clarence wilson
professor	.....	josef swickard
maggie o' neill	.....	ann doran
mr. schmidt	.....	christian rub
mrs. schmidt	.....	bodil rosing
wilbur g. henderson	.....	charles lane
judge	.....	harry davenport
mike the detective	.....	ward bond
police guard at courtroom entrance	.....	pat flaherty
inmate	.....	pert kelton
attorney to kirby	.....	edwin maxwell
restaurant patron	.....	frank mcClure
kirby's secretary	.....	ian wolfe
child dancer	.....	billy wolfstone

PLOT SUMMARY

Meet Mr. Martin Vanderhof's household. (Be careful...you might not come back...you might never want to.) There's Grandpa (Lionel Barrymore), he collects stamps and enjoys life; Penny Sycamore (Spring Byington), she is Grandpa's daughter who writes plays on a typewriter that was delivered to the house by accident; Penny's husband Paul (Samuel S. Hinds), he builds fireworks in the basement; Penny and Paul's daughter Essie (Ann Miller), who makes homemade candies, but really wants to be a dancer (regardless of her teacher's (Mischa Auer) constant, but confidential, opinion that she steenks!); Essie's husband Ed (Dub Taylor), who spends almost every waking hour (when he isn't delivering Essie's candies) playing the xylophone; Alice (Jean Arthur), the Marilyn Munster of the family, working as a stenographer for Anthony P. Kirby (Edward Arnold), a frustrated and seemingly ruthless banker whose son Tony (James Stewart) wants to marry the aforementioned Alice; Mr. DePinna (Halliwell Hobbs), he delivered ice to the house one day and never left...he now helps Paul build his fireworks; Mr. Poppins (Donald Meek), he makes up things and then builds them; and there's Rheba (Lillian Yarbo) and Donald (Eddie Anderson...remember Rochester from The Jack Benny Program?...Remember Jack Benny?...No?...Shame on you), they are the housekeepers, then known as the help, and they enjoy their life as much as the rest of the family.

Now meet the Kirbys. Arthur P. Kirby is a stuffy banking mogul who is trying unsuccessfully to buy Grandpa's house in order to secure an enormous business deal; his wife, Mrs. Kirby...duh (Mary Forbes) who is nothing more than aristocratic high-society personified; and Tony, their son, who is, and wants, none of that. Tony just wants to marry Alice. You can only imagine the sort of story that ensues from this situation. (Or, of course, you could watch the movie!)

TECH INSPECTION

You Can't Take It With You says it all. Although I would not call this a feel good movie, it certainly does make you feel good. EDITOR'S NOTE: I consider most feel good movies to be mostly objet fromage.

There is so much common sense proposed that I find it sickening to realize the novelty of the ideas. The family portrayed in this story is the epitome of, while not the perfect life, at least the best life. I will argue that there is a difference (but that's another post).

This is the sort of movie that gets you thinking once again about everything in your own life. It will make you pause to ask yourself, "Why not?" Or in some cases, "Why?...No, really...Why?" And I'm going to guess you'll be hard-pressed to find an answer you don't have to rationalize.

Taxes, relationships, power, money, social image; all are fair game for ridicule and debate. After watching this movie, I challenge you to log on to Facebook. Scroll down and peruse your newsfeed. Count how many important notifications you see. Contemplate for more than three seconds just how much better the world is now that everyone is aware (for the thirteen-zillionth time) that Johnny Hellifeyeknoe needs yet another brain transplant (because apparently the first one didn't take). Of course, Johnny's drivers-license-quality stock photo as a bald waif with fish tank hoses coming out of every orifice is enough to convince you to wire your entire yearly grocery budget to his North Korean Trust Company.

I wouldn't be surprised to learn that many people define their life as the quest for knowledge as delivered via Twitter®. On the other end of the spectrum, there are those who believe (and I admit, some rightly so) that if their credit score dips below 760 (i.e. excellent), they might as well apply for a permanent cot at the homeless shelter.

This movie puts both those schools of thought to shame. Perhaps the greatest example is the tax man scene (see below). The popular aphorism suggests that death and taxes are the only two things in life which are unavoidable. Mr. Vanderhof puts that one to disagreement; a conversation worth transcribing and carrying with you to your next IRS audit.

With a multiple-star cast including Jean Arthur, James Stewart, Edward Arnold, and the legendary Lionel Barrymore, giving them an already highly successful stage script, and putting it all under the direction of none other than Frank Capra, you've got a movie that blows the socks off of Citizen Kane.

WILBUR G. HENDERSON, IRS

• Henderson : Mr. Vanderhof, the government wants to talk to you about a matter of income tax.
  Vanderhof : Income tax?
  Henderson : Mr. Vanderhof, we've written many letters about this, but we've received no reply.
  Vanderhof : That's what those letters were. Did you hear that, Penny? This is the party that's been writing to me.
  Henderson : Well, it's not me, Mr. Vanderhof. You see, the Internal Revenue Office [Henderson is interrupted by various forms of chaos around the room…then when the interruptions subside…] Mr. Vanderhof, I've got to be going.
  Vanderhof : Oh, too bad. I'm sorry you can't stay to dinner. Drop in again.
  Henderson : If you don't mind, I'd like to settle my business before I go.
  Penny : [To Tony, who has dropped in to see Alice] He's selling something for the government.
  Vanderhof : What can I do for you?
  Henderson : Mr. Vanderhof, our records show that you have never paid any income tax.
  Vanderhof : That's right.
  Henderson : Why not?
  Vanderhof : I don't believe in it.
  Henderson : You don't believe in it?! [Another interruption, then…] Now, see here, Mr. Vanderhof, whether you believe in it or not, you owe the government 22 years of back income taxes.
  Ed : Hey, wait a minute. That's too far back. That's outlawed, ain't it?
  Henderson : What's your name?
  Ed : What difference does that make?
  Henderson : Did you ever file an income tax return?
  Ed : No, sir.
  Henderson : What was your income last year?
  Ed : I don't know...'bout 85 dollars wasn't it, Essie?
  Essie : I don't know. [Henderson gives an annoyed expression and returns to Vanderhof]
  Henderson : Now, Mr. Vanderhof, that's a serious thing, not filing an income tax return.
  Vanderhof : Now, just suppose I do pay you this money. Mind you, I don't say that I'm going to, but just for the sake of argument, what's the government going to do with it?
  Henderson : What do you mean?
  Vanderhof : What do I get for my money? For instance, if I go into a department store and buy something, why, there it is, I can see it. Well, what are they going to give me?
  Henderson : The government gives you everything. It protects you.
  Vanderhof : From what?
  Henderson : Well, invasion. How do you think the government's going to keep up the Army and Navy, with all those battleships?
  Vanderhof : Battleships? Last time we used battleships was in the Spanish-American War [EDITOR'S NOTE: Battleships had actually been used one more time in WWII] and what did we get out of that? Cuba. And we gave that back. I wouldn't mind paying for something sensible.
  Henderson : Something sensible! What about Congress and the Supreme Court and the President? We've got to pay them, don't we?
  Vanderhof : Not with my money, no, sir.
  Henderson : Now, wait a minute. I didn't come here to argue with you. Mr. Vanderhof, all I know is you haven't paid any income tax, and you've got to pay it.
  Vanderhof : [Becoming disinterested and gazing about the room...] What was that?
  Henderson : I said you've got to pay it.
  Vanderhof : Well, you've got to show me.
  Henderson : We don't have to show you. I just told you. Who's going to pay for all those buildings in Washington and interstate commerce? And the Constitution?
  Vanderhof : The Constitution has been paid for years ago. And as for interstate commerce…What is interstate commerce, anyway?
  Henderson : There are 48 states, see? [EDITOR'S NOTE: This was 1938.] And if it weren't for interstate commerce, nothing could go from one state to another, see?
  Vanderhof : Well, why not? Have they got fences?
  Henderson : No, they haven't got fences. They've got laws. Holy smokes! I never ran across anything like this before.
  Vanderhof : Well, I might pay about 75 dollars, but it isn't worth a cent more.
  Henderson : You'll pay every cent just like anybody else. Now listen to me. You'll go to jail if you don't pay. That's law. If you think you're bigger than that, you've got another thing coming. You're just the same as everyone else [Ed begins to play the xylophone as Essie starts dancing around the room] and the sooner you get that through your head, the better [Paul's fireworks start exploding from the basement] Holy smokes! [Henderson races out the door.]

QUOTES
In no way does the previous scene take place of my favorite quotes. That said...You may recognize some, but these are my own picks, not ones that are particularly famous:

• Kirby : With the world going crazy, the next big move is munitions…do you realize there won't be a bullet, gun, or cannon made in this country without us?
  Tony : Now, Dad, don't tell me you've forgotten the slingshot market?
• Blakely : What are they, a bunch of nuts?
  Bill : Fascinating ones!
• Vanderhof : Mrs. Penny, why don't you write a play about 'ism' mania?
  Penny : 'ism' mania?
  Vanderhof : Yeah, sure. You know, communism, fascism, voodooism. Everybody's got an 'ism' these days…when things get a little bad nowadays, you go out and get yourself an 'ism' and you're in business.
• Vanderhof : Lincoln said, 'With malice toward none, with charity for all.' Nowadays they say, 'Think the way I do, or I'll bomb the daylights out of you.'
• Essie : Ed made up a beautiful song today by Chopin.
• Vanderhof : Essie making any progress, Kolenkhov?
  Kolenkhov : Confidentially, she stinks.
  Vanderhof : As long as she's having fun.
• Vanderhof : …with the right handling, I think we can even thaw out Mrs. Kirby in time.

RATING

Here is my personal rating of this movie. This rating is out of ten meows.
¹⁰ /₁₀

---

Thanks for Visiting!!!

Please comment below

Night of the Lepus

MOVIE REVIEW OF Night of the Lepus (1972) PG

Cast
Director:	william f. claxton	Runtime: 1hrs 28min ( 88min)
roy bennett	.....	stuart whitman
gerry bennett	.....	janet leigh
cole hillman	.....	rory calhoun
elgin clark	.....	deForest kelly
sheriff cody	.....	paul fix
amanda bennett	.....	melanie fullerton
jackie hillman	.....	chris morrell
jud	.....	chuck hayward
frank	.....	henry wills
mildred	.....	francesca jarvis
dr. leopold	.....	william elliot
professor dirkson	.....	robert hardy
deputy jason	.....	richard jacome
housekeeper	.....	inez perez
walker	.....	g. leroy gainter
major white	.....	evans thornton
dispatcher	.....	i. stanford jolley
leslie	.....	robert gooden
truck driver	.....	walter kelley
doctor	.....	frank kennedy
cutler	.....	don starr
arlen	.....	peter o' crotty
officer lopez	.....	phillip avenetti
priest	.....	russell morrell
wife in car	.....	donna gelgur
husband in car	.....	stephen deFrance
child #1 in car	.....	sherry hummer
child #2 in car	.....	rick hummer
television newscaster	.....	jerry dunphy

PLOT SUMMARY

We start with news broadcast from real-life legendary news reporter Jerry Dunphy. This report is not terrifying, but it is warning that there has been an explosion in population among rabbits. News footage includes black-and-white archive film from Australia of rabbits storming and stampeding the land. Then, color footage is shown of Arizona land owners trying to battle a similar problem. The newscaster goes on to explain that this introduction of rabbits, known scientifically as Lepus, (and also making for a better movie title than Night of the Rabbits) was initially meant to supplement the food supply in Australia, but has gotten out of hand. It is now threatening nature's balance. Attempts to control this influx, however, have been called barbarous.

The movie focuses on a particular instance in the U.S. where a scientific, and significantly more humane method is being tried to control this invasion.

One rabbit escapes the control group, and for no apparent reason, becomes enormous and, naturally, evil. As rabbits do, this one, if able to speak, would never utter procreation and procrastination in the same sentence.

For the remainder of the movie, the rabbits terrorize the little (in human population...not land size) Arizona town, churning out mutilated bodies now, until a solution is hopefully found to rid the invasive mutants. The only question is, Will the humans find a solution before the rabbits kill the entire human race?! ⋘SPOILER ALERT!⋙ Yeah. they will…

TECH INSPECTION

Right from the first scene (after the pseudo-news report) this film lost 5 meows from this animal lover...watch to see why.

For some unknown reason, when things get bigger than normal, they become evil. Ironically, when other things become smaller, they too become evil (e.g. cell phones, televisions, intimate parts of the human anatomy…). Anyway, this apparently has been a common belief throughout movie history. From King Kong (1933), Godzilla (1954), and Mothra (1961), to Eight Legged Freaks (2002) and Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus (2009), the bigger they are, the meaner they get. And, according to this film, inherent cuteness doesn't discriminate. Lizards and insects are one thing, but cute little bunnies?…Never…except when you attach an ominous-sounding Latin classification such as Lepus.

Despite well-known personalities such as Stuart Whitman (Murder, Inc.), Janet Leigh (Psycho), and Bones…I mean Dr. McCoy…I mean DeForest Kelly (Star Trek), this movie was in no way a launching pad for great talent. Probably more like a source of ridicule for The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

In all fairness, I don't think this movie is much worse than any of the other movies of this genre, but it's really no better, either. There is the expected, and apparently mandated, special effects such as extreme close-ups and miniature props to give the illusion of hugeness, and slow-motion footage. As is common knowledge, when things grow bigger, they, and everything around them, moves through space at a slower rate…including the breeze, which also blows dirt and leaves slower.

If you are a big fan of these types of movies (you know what I'm talkin' 'bout, Willis…and you know who you are), then knock yourself out and buy the DVD (chances are you already have it on VHS). Otherwise, you can thank me for watching it for you so you don't have to.

I will say, to this movie's credit(?), I have seen truly worse movies (e.g. Troll 2…see post for March 26, 2012 below), but that doesn't legitimatize using up time watching this one. You've got to admit, though, they are rather fun.

If you are looking for a bad movie to which I have actually given more than two meows, check out Rubber (Saturday, March 24, 2012 below).

QUOTES
Finally, a short list of quotes I think are worth repeating. There are only two this time, but this movie was not exactly brimming with witty or even intelligent dialogue:

• Gerry : We were trying to make Jack a little more like Jill, and Jill a little more like Jack…
• Amanda : A real gold mine?
  Jackie : Well, he hasn't found much yet…but he says he's going to…Come on!

RATING

Here is my personal rating of this movie. This rating is out of ten meows.
² /₁₀

---

Thanks for Visiting!!!

Please comment below

Intensity

MOVIE REVIEW OF Intensity (1997) TV Movie

Cast
Director:	yves simoneau	Runtime: 3 hrs 6 min ( 186 min)
edgler foreman vess	.....	john c. mcGinley
chyna shepherd	.....	molley parker
ethan trevaine	.....	blu mankuma
lori	.....	lori triolu
jim woltz	.....	brent stait
young chyna shepherd	.....	katie stuart
laura templeton	.....	deanna milligan
jack templeton	.....	kavan smith
miriam braynard	.....	piper laurie
ariel delane	.....	tori paul
mr. john q. citizen	.....	alex diakun
mrs. john q. citizen	.....	babz chula
george jespersen	.....	alfred e. humphreys
tom	.....	edmond kato wong
sarah templeton	.....	meredith bain woodward
peter templeton	.....	wally dalton
carmen trevain	.....	b. j. harrison
tight shoes	.....	merrilyn gann
chairperson	.....	gillian barber
head of the hospital	.....	jerry wasserman

PLOT SUMMARY

In this film adaptation of Dean Koontz's novel of the same name, Chyna Shepherd (Molly Parker) is a damaged young woman on her own. It is seen (mostly through flashback) that her parents were frighteningly abusive. Drugs and liquor were constantly present and openly displayed and consumed. Her father was a sociopath and murderer. Her mother loved her, but was just as much a, for lack of a better term, loser, as her father. Chyna remembers, as an adult, ways, rhymes, and chants her mother told her to recite to herself when she is frightened or is feeling threatened. These come in very handy throughout the movie.

Chyna is invited to Thanksgiving dinner at the house of her best (and perhaps only) friend. This is where the terror begins.

The friend's family is murdered by an unknown person in the middle of the night. Chyna hides from the killer, but secretly hitches a ride with him so he won't "get away." When the killer (John C. McGinley) stops for gas, Chyna learns that he has kidnapped a little girl named Ariel (Tori Paul), and is keeping her in his basement. At this point, the killer, Edglar (yes, Edglar...not Edgar, as is elaborated upon later in the story), explains the twisted reason why he kills, while also revealing the justification behind the title of the movie/book.

Chyna hitches all the way to Edglar's secluded house in the woods. where he company only with three attack dogs.

Eventually, when Chyna is discovered, he holds her captive as well. A conversation ensued which reveals the psychology of why each of them is where they are at this moment, physically, mentally, and emotionally.

When Edglar goes to work, Chyna finds Ariel in the basement. Chyna is then determined that she will get herself and Ariel out and away to safety before Edglar gets back from work, and somehow bring him to justice.

Finally, prepare yourself for a shocking, and I don't just throw that term around lightly, twist that intensifies the story tremendously.

TECH INSPECTION

I have not read the novel from which this movie was adapted. Nor have I read any of the novels from the mind of Dean Koontz. If this movie is any indication of his overall collection, I certainly have a new set of books to be explored.

Intensity is the perfect title for this story. From the moment you first see the killer's shadow in the bushes, you only need four inches of your chair, because that's where you'll be...provided you don't fall off completely.

John C. McGinley actually doesn't stray far from his snide character of Dr. Cox on Scrubs. Difference being that the sarcasm displayed with Dr. Cox is now portrayed with all seriousness with Edglar.

Casting in this movei is spot-on, and I felt I was in the midst of all the terror being experienced by Chyna, et. al. Whether that is good or bad, I can't say for sure.

Finally, if you take away nothing else from this film (and I'm confident that will not be the case), it will be the wanting of your breath back from the unexpected twist near the end. I cannot remember a more shocking development, especially in a movie, as is presented here.

Keep an eye out for symbolism and inconspicuous literary suggestions throughout the movie. In particular, the white coyotes versus Edglar's black guard dogs.

This was a made-for-TV movie, so good luck finding it on DVD (Amazon.com manufactures it on-demand on DVD-R, and has some unusual specifications and restrictions regarding successful playback). However, I strongly recommend you make every effort to secure a (legal) download online. It is worth the trouble. At the very least, pick up a copy of the book at your local library. If the precedent holds true, it will be even better than the movie. My name is already on the reserve list at the digital library here in Ohio. I'm number 3

QUOTES
Finally, a short list of quotes I think are worth repeating. You may recognize some, but these are my own picks, not ones that are particularly famous:

• Chyna : This idea you have that I am good 'friend' material is all in your head.
• Sarah : So, you have three choices, rinse, baste, or chop.
  Chyna : Chop.
• Edglar : Are you ready for your closeup, Ms. Desmond?
• Chyna : GO TO HELL!
  Edglar : Your mother never taught you to talk like that, did she?
  Chyna : You don't know my mother!
• Ethan : Whole world stops for a bunch of damn fool turkeys.

RATING

Here is my personal rating of this movie. This rating is out of ten meows.
¹⁰ /₁₀

---

Thanks for Visiting!!!

Please comment below

Conquest of the Planet of the Apes

MOVIE REVIEW OF Conquest of the Planet of the Apes (1972) PG

Cast
Director:	j. lee thompson	Runtime: 1hrs 28min ( 88min)
caesar	.....	roddy mcDowall
breck	.....	don murray
lisa	.....	natalie trundy
macDonald	.....	hari rhodes
inspector kolp	.....	severn darden
busboy	.....	lou wagner
commission chairman	.....	john randolph
mrs. riley	.....	asa maynor
hoskyns	.....	h. m. wynant
aldo	.....	david chow
frank	.....	buck kartalian
policeman #1	.....	john dennis
policeman #2	.....	paul comi
auctioneer	.....	gordon jump
announcer	.....	dick spangler
zelda	.....	joyce haber
ape with chain	.....	hector soucy
armando	.....	ricardo montalban

PLOT SUMMARY

It is North America in the year 1991, twenty years after Cornelius and Zira traveled back from the future and were killed for being talking apes. Apparently, their son Milo, later to be called Caesar, was not shot and killed as was indicated at the end of the previous movie.

Instead, the circus owner Armando (Ricardo Montalban) has been harboring him all these years and keeping him safe in his circus.

In the meantime, the world has turned ugly. A plague was introduced to Earth from space in the early 1980s. This plague wiped out the entire population of dogs and cats. Humans were immune, but this left them with no housepets (what about gerbils?). Discovering the learning capabilities of apes, the humans adopted them as the new housepet. However, they also adopted them as slaves. So far as to start using them for tasks that took over jobs such as waiters and deliverymen.

Ape Management was the term used to describe the tortuous means by which apes were trained to become the slaves of the people.

Armando sneaks Caesar into the city on a field trip to distribute flyers about his circus. Through a turn of events, Caesar is lost, and Armando is held by the governer on suspicion of owning the missing talking ape (apparently illegal).

Caesar sees proof of the direction in which the human captors have taken ape labor, and leads a revolution to have apes take over in an ironic switch of power and dominance.

TECH INSPECTION

Although I found Conquest to be one of the better Planet of the Apes movies (and I would expect nothing less from an associate producer such as Frank Capra, Jr.), as it does make a bold political statement, I do have my share of criticisms...

Among the most obvious is the use of awkward dialogue. This is first and most apparent in Armando's character. The writers left it to this character to bear the burden of relaying backstory for viewers who may have missed Escape from the Planet of the Apes and for the events since then. These parts were written as though we were taking a break from the movie for Storytime with Armando.

However, Ricardo Montalban pulled it as much out of the gutter as he could have possibly been expected to. Good job there.

Also, as shipments of apes are brought from other countries, they are announced with banners such as 507 I for Indonesia. You would think an alpha-numeric code would be something that would not have to be expanded in order to be explained or understood. Shipment 507 I should be self-explanatory.

I have a feeling that this sequel was not planned ahead of time. It felt as though the resurfacing of Caesar (Milo) was a struggle to conceive for this movie. We all saw the wrapped up child shot several times in the last movie. And the explanation is rather weak in this one.

Ricardo Montalban and Roddy McDowall both return in this movie (although McDowall plays his former character's son), which does nothing but enhance the quality of the picture. And that's probably what added another meow to my personal rating.

Ironically, Caesar's final soliloquy is a forshadowing of the last Planet of the Apes movie and of the events of the original film (which chronologically have not yet happened).

Important: Note the signs of and allusions to Nazi Germany that are interjected in this movie.

QUOTES
Finally, a short list of quotes I think are worth repeating. You may recognize some, but these are my own picks, not ones that are particularly famous:

• Caesar: I understand, Mr. MacDonald. Yes, I am the one they are looking for.
• MacDonald But we don't do that...to humans.
• Breck: Don't plead with them, you idiot!
• Breck: This will be the end of human civilization, and the world will belong to a planet of apes!
• Breck: When we hate you, we're hating the dark side of ourselves.

Here is my personal rating of this movie. This rating is out of ten meows.
⁸/₁₀

---

Thanks for Visiting!!!

Mrs. Santa Claus

MOVIE REVIEW OF Mrs. Santa Claus (1996) G

Cast
Director:	terry hughes	Runtime: 1 hr 30 min ( 90 min)
mrs. santa claus	.....	angela lansbury
arvo	.....	michael jeter
augustus p. tavish	.....	terrence mann
nora kilkenny	.....	lynsey bartilson
officer doyle	.....	bryan murray
marcello damaroco	.....	david noroña
sadie lowenstein	.....	debra wiseman
santa claus	.....	charles durning
mrs. lowenstein	.....	rosalind harris
mrs. brandenheim	.....	grace keagy
mrs. shaughnessy	.....	linda kerns
izzy	.....	chachi pittman
fritzie	.....	sabrina bryan
emilio	.....	bret easterling
henry	.....	mitchah williams
elf #1	.....	kristi lynes
elf #2	.....	jamie torcellini
michael kilkenny	.....	mick murray
stage doorman	.....	ken kerman
man in the santa suit	.....	john wheeler
italian neighbor	.....	tony perrotta
jewish neighbor	.....	jean kaufman
miss macGonnigle	.....	stacy sullivan
piano player	.....	jerry herman
elf #4	.....	courtney pakiz
elf #5	.....	marilyn rising

PLOT SUMMARY

It's 1910, and production at the North Pole is ahead of schedule. All the toys are finished and the elves are going home early. Santa (Charles Durning), however, still has a ton of work to do before the big night. Mrs. Claus (Angela Lansbury) has some ideas of her own to share. But Santa is too busy to hear them on this night, so she has Arvo (Michael Jeter), the supervisor elf, rig up the reindeer for a quick trip around the world as a test run for Santa.

As they start out their journey, a bit of inclement weather causes the sleigh to make an unexpected pit stop in New York City.

Welcome to the world of Avenue A! Where you'll hear ¿Cómo estás?, Bless my soul!, and Oy Vey!

And as a result of a harsh touchdown, Cupid has injured his leg and will be grounded for a week...right up until Christmas Eve!

Mrs. Claus presents herself as Mrs. North and secures lodging at a boarding house run by Mrs. Lowenstein (Rosalind Harris), a Jewish immigrant who always keeps a bag packed in the closet for fear of being deported. Her unwarranted fear stems from the actions of her boisterous daughter, Sadie (Debra Wiseman). Sadie is this story's version of Sarah Brown (Guys & Dolls). She is a soapbox crusader for women's suffrage, and as with the pledge from Sky Masterson to bring a dozen sinners to the mission, Sadie is trying to get a group of women to march with her for a rally at Union Square.

Meanwhile, another resident at Mrs. Lowenstein's is Nora Kilkenny (Lindsey Bartilson), an Irish girl living with her father. This little hooligan is longing for the day when they can bring her mother and baby brother over from Ireland.

There is also a romantic storyline between Sadie and Marcello (David Noroña), the stable boy who is looking after the reindeer.

But the main conflict in the story comes from the sweat shop toy company, Tavish Toys. Augustus P. Tavish (Terrence Mann) is the Grinch in this story. He is out to ruin everyone's Christmas by making all the toys inferior so they will fall apart the day after Christmas. His motto is It only has to last 'til Christmas!

As it happens, Nora works at Tavish's factory, and gets Mrs. Claus a job as a supervisor. Mrs. Claus sees the horrible conditions under which the children are working, and sets out to change them. In the course of her actions, a secret is revealed about Augustus Tavish that explain why he wants to ruin Christmas.

And speaking of secrets, if you pay close attention to the end of the movie, we learn Mrs. Claus's first name (at least for this movie).

TECH INSPECTION

What a terrific Christmas movie! This is the first one in my VCR (yes, it's on VHS) every year, before It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story.

Here we see a Disney® musical featuring Angela Lansbury...a perfect trifecta, as we saw in Beauty and the Beast. This one, however, adds the magic of live-action! Of course, as with most Disney® movies of this nature, the music will be coming out of your mouth for days after you hear it.

Multiple religions and cultures are combined on this one street in New York City. The actors and actresses are cast perfectly. Outstanding performances form another trifecta with Angela Lansbury (as if she's ever done anything less), Charles Durning (R.I.P.), and Michael Jeter as Arvo, Elf Supervisor.

If you are paying close attention, and have also seen this movie for the eighty-seventh time, you will see the parallels to other movies you should have seen (watch them if you haven't).

Guys & Dolls: Sadie is the Sarah Brown of this story. Sans band, Sadie stands upon her soapbox (literally), shouting for women's suffrage. Sadie also parallels Sky Masterson by pledging to bring a huge group of followers to Union Square to take part in a rally for equal rights. (Watch the movie or see the show if you don't make the connections.)

An American Tail:Santa and Mrs. Claus have the North Star as their special star; the icon they both look to when he is out on his journey. It brings them together when they are apart. Mrs. Claus also shares this wisdom with Nora when she is missing her family, and when she learns that Mrs. Claus must leave too.

Even 4 weeks after Christmas, and even if you don't celebrate it, put this movie into whatever player will accept it, and experience a joyful, cheery day!

QUOTES
Finally, a short list of quotes I think are worth repeating. You may recognize some, but these are my own picks, not ones that are particularly famous:

• Santa Claus : Is it me, or are there more children in the world every year?
  Mrs. Claus : Well, as it happens, there are.
• Sadie : No, mama. This is a free country.
  Mrs. Lowenstein : For free, they'll throw us out of it!
• Nora : I don't suppose you know anything about makin' toys.
  Mrs. Claus : Oh....
• Mrs. Claus : There are some problems, Mr. Tavish. I mean, the heat, for instance...
  Tavish : Heat? I don't feel any heat. Do you?
• Sadie : ♫ A girl with a drive and a fellow with a dream...are like pickled herring, with vanilla ice cream. ♫

RATING

Here is my personal rating of this movie. This rating is out of ten meows.
¹⁰ /₁₀

---

Thanks for Visiting!!!

Please comment below