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AKB48Fan rated The Bridge at Remagen

 The Bridge at Remagen 6/10

5 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

Fatigued by the long combat in Europe, Lt. Phil Hartman and his men are ordered to advance on Remagen, a possible toehold into enemy territory. Meanwhile, Maj. Paul Kreuger of the German armed forces is ordered to defend the town and the nearby bridge across the Rhine. As a desperate battle commences, Hartman and Kreuger both find themselves pawns of larger forces and witness how war can turn each side against itself. This movie carefully tells the story of a crucial battle from both sides, although I found the German characters to be better written and more realistic than their American counterparts. Of the US troops, George Segal is saddled with a dullish character, although Bradford Dillman is better as the prissy major. The Nazi characters are well drawn and the best of the bunch is Robert Vaughn. He's not the first actor I would have chosen to play a Nazi officer but he does surprisingly well cast against type and brings plenty to this multi-layered character. The action is realistic and sufficiently thrilling to make this movie worth a watch.

5 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

A deadly virus from a secret Umbrella Corporation laboratory underneath Raccoon City is exposed to the world. Umbrella seals off the city to contain the virus, creating a ghost town where everyone trapped inside turns into a mutant zombie. Alice, a survivor from Umbrella's secret lab, meets former Umbrella security officer Jill Valentine and mercenary Carlos Oliviera. Together, they search for a scientist who might be able to help. The first sequel to Resident Evil is action packed but flawed from director Alexander Witt who is admirable in making this sequel but the lack of character development, too many characters, real suspense, and a poor central villain weigh it down. The cast for the most part are good in their roles which includes Milla Jovovich, Sienna Guillory, Oded Fehr, Thomas Kretchman, Jared Harris, and Mike Epps. The rest of the cast are okay in their small roles of characters from the games who only make brief extended appearances before being written out out of the movie too soon for the audience to care about them. The action is pretty much non stop and impressive but after a while it gets to be a bit repetitive. The special effects and the make up artists have done a great job of creating the creatures that roam Raccoon City. Despite it's flaws, this sequel isn't that bad. It's a decent sci-fi thriller with plenty of action, great special effects, some suspense, humour, and good performances by the cast who make this second movie in the series worth watching but it could've been better.

5 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Jamaica Inn

 Jamaica Inn 6/10

5 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

After the death of her mother, young Mary travels to the Cornish coast seeking her Aunt Patience. Stranded on a windswept, isolated road, Mary meets Humphrey Pengallan, who kindly escorts her to the Jamaica Inn. There, Mary meets her aunt and bullying uncle, Merlyn Joss, who secretly leads a band of pirates that pilfers the goods from wrecked ships. Suspicious, Mary turns to Pengallan for help, only to discover another dark secret. While Jamaica Inn might be a disappointment to viewers only familiar with Alfred Hitchcock's later Hollywood work, this is not that out of line with his earlier British films. That said, if you didn't know this was a Hitchcock movie, most people would not guess it from the directing. The story in the novel by Daphne Du Maurier has the classic Hitchcock elements of deception, suspicion and paranoia; however, the movie does not. They are not brought out clearly, and the viewer is not left in the cold sweat of terror or in much suspense. What is left is the bare telling of a story and some action. The acting, judged apart from the famous names, is really just b- movie fare. But Charles Laughton's performance, while not great, is still pretty good. The bottom line is that Jamaica Inn is worth watching because it is reasonably entertaining. And it is of some academic interest because of its place in Alfred Hitchcock's works.

5 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

A man wakes up bruised and unsteady in an old WWII London bomb site. Seeing the time he hurries home where he apologises to his wife for being three hours late. What he doesn't realise is that he's actually three weeks late and his wife has been worried sick. Over the next couple of days he attempts to piece together what happened to him and in the process finds he's being followed by strange men. Even though the title sounds like a Hammer horror movie production, it's actually another decent British b-movie by the prominent Butchers Film Service. This is one of those movies where everything just gels together quite nicely. It's certainly not the best of its kind but it's also hard to fault. The lead has to play detective to find out what took place in the weeks since his disappearance. William Franklyn is a dependable lead but the supporting cast is even better. Nigel Green is a doctor and a youthful Anthony Booth is a spiv type. Nanette Newman makes an impact as a woman caught up in the plot. The climactic scenes in particular are quite exciting and overall this movie is sure to be enjoyed by fans of this genre.

5 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Pit of Darkness

 Pit of Darkness 6/10

5 years, 5 months ago

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5 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

Jim Stephens is a deckchair attendant working in the flagging seaside resort town of Gormleigh. Jim enjoys his easy life in the town with his girlfriend, Judy, a young reporter on the local paper. Things are soon turned upside down when Judy writes an article at Jim's suggestion calling for a film festival featuring Brigitte Bardot to revitalise the town and bring in tourists. This is an atrocious comedy movie in what was Ken Russell's directing debut. It starts feebly then gets worse. It's a one-joke movie whose one joke isn't funny! It totally fails as an old-fashioned seaside romp and the cast is left floundering with a terrible script. James Booth who was somewhat popular at the time is too chirpy for my liking and poor Roy Kinnear as the council employee who always seems to mess up tries too hard to generate laughs. Marisa Mell is nice to look at as the French babe but I preferred the American girl Alita Naughton as the pretty reporter who made one more movie then disappeared. The only good thing about this movie is the lovely views of Herne Bay.

5 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection

5 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

The movie debut for Benny Hill finds him quitting his job as a sweeper in an ice rink after winning £100 and a bloodhound dog in a detective magazine. He opens a private detective agency and gets involved with a bunch of murderous Russians and a machine that can control the weather! This movie came out as Ealing Sudios was entering its last furlong, the great studio's wonderful comedies behind them, this very much feels like a last throw of the dice whilst giving Benny Hill's career a timely push. Fans of Benny will quite quickly see the emerging comic talents of him at the early stage of his career. While this movie is obviously a low budget production, the slapstick gags and rapid-fire quips will keep any Benny Hill fan in stitches. The love interest in the movie comes via the gorgeous Belinda Lee, sadly to lose her life in a road accident five years later. There's a blink or you'll miss it cameo by Carry On star Charles Hawtrey. The number of chaotic scenes involving chases and destruction of events and property etc are well played out, with the obligatory speed framing technique showing its face as well, and it builds to a frenetic last quarter of movie that culminates at the old West Ham Stadium (not the football ground Upton Park). All in all, a fun and enjoyable movie that will not disappoint Benny Hill fans.

5 years, 5 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

This documentary which exposes the horrific truths of the animal agriculture industry in Australia shows that cruelty knows no bounds in human beings. Narrated by Joaquin Phoenix, Rooney Mara, Sia, Sadie Sink, Katherine von Drachenberg and the director himself Chris Delforce - it's a powerful movie that will shock and anger you. Delforce and his crew use drones, and handheld cameras (including many hidden ones) to capture the horrors of the modern animal agriculture industry. He explores how different animals are used for food, entertainment, research and clothing, while also posing questions of the morality of using animals in these ways. The movie also details how many different types of animals are abused in their own different unique ways. For those who know very little about animal agriculture, this documentary should blow them away. It's extremely hard to watch and emotionally shocking but people need to be educated about how the meat industry works. A real-life horror story. Any ignorance or denial you may have before watching this will be quickly diminished. It's a painful wake-up call that the whole world needs to see.

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 2 items to their collection

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

Cellmates Fletch and Godber find themselves on the wrong side of the bars when they're inadvertently bungled out of Slade Prison during someone else's escape. Somehow they've got to break back in before warder Mackay notices their absence. This is probably the best movie adaptation of any of the 1970's BBC/ITV sitcoms and stays true to the TV series. Porridge was simply one of the greatest comedy shows Britain ever produced. The majority of the cast are in the movie apart from Christopher Biggins. The set-up of the story is wonderful and makes for some very funny comedy, executed with aplomb by Ronnie Barker, Fulton Mackay and company. It's true that taking the characters out of the confines of the prison strips away much of what made the TV series so special, but the characters are so strong, the actors' chemistry is so evident so the movie stands tall enough to not sully the reputation of the show. It's a delightful way to spend an hour and half with your feet up and as a stand alone movie it entertains those not familiar with the TV show. Although the movie is no masterpiece in itself, it should be treasured keenly by all who value British comedy at its best.

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Boys in Brown

 Boys in Brown 6/10

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

Teenager Jackie Knowles drives a getaway car in a robbery. He is captured and sentenced to serve three years in a borstal institution run by a sympathetic governor. Back in the day, this movie of borstal life for young criminals was hard hitting but it's very dated now compared to Scum from the 1970's which was much more violent and gritty. It's still is an engaging little tale of borstal life with a brilliant cast and a great script allowing each character to develop and stand out from the crowd. The story weaves together various little subplots in order to stay interesting but particularly excels during a latter stage jailbreak sequence from the boys. Richard Attenborough is the leading man as Mickey with Michael Medwin, Dirk Bogarde and Jimmy Hanley all giving good performances as well. Barbara Murray is simply stunning as Mickey's girlfriend on the outside. Overall, this is a reasonably well made and entertaining movie which emphasises humane treatment and reform.

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Operation Amsterdam

 Operation Amsterdam 7/10

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

A British army officer leads a dangerous mission to Amsterdam in 1940 to prevent valuable industrial diamonds falling into the hands of the invading Germans. This is one of those movies that deserves to be better known because it's really quite good. The location photography of an eerily near-deserted Amsterdam is effective, and the tension is ramped up quite nicely until the whole thing seems to run out of steam in the final reel as our heroes make their getaway. The problem is that nobody is really aware that they are in fact getting away because their exploits haven't yet been uncovered. Anyway, when the movie isn't testing our heroes, it's commenting on the unenvious position in which the city's diamond merchants – many of whom are Jewish and only too aware of the treatment meted out to their creed by the Nazis. The cast are all very good with Peter Finch, Eva Bartok and Tony Britton excelling in their roles. There's a small appearance for future It Ain't Half Hot Mum star Melvyn Hayes as well. While not a movie with lots of action, there is considerable suspense and intrigue in this movie to keep viewers on the edge of our seats. Well worth seeking out.

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated The Driver (1978)

 The Driver (1978) 8/10

5 years, 6 months ago

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An enigmatic man of fast cars and few words, the Driver excels at maneuvering getaway vehicles through the tightest of spots, making him quite in demand in criminal circles. His skill and notoriety, however, infuriate the Detective, who becomes obsessed with taking the Driver down. Luckily for the speed-loving anti-hero, the Player, a gorgeous and resourceful woman, is around to help him elude the Detective. Before Walter Hill hit the big time with The Warriors and Southern Comfort, he made what still stands today as one of the great 'car chase' movies. Not only is it an excuse to show off some skillful stunt driving, but it is an enticing blend of crime, noir, and action with a bleak tone and some excellent dialogue. It's definitely a forgotten cult classic and has great performances from Ryan O'Neal and Bruce Dern. This has some of the best shot, most exciting and raw car-chases ever filmed. O'Neal is perfect in the role, speaking only when necessary and everything he says sounds cool. Dern is also strong as the Detective who grows increasingly frantic and abuses his power. Isabelle Adjani as The Player is effectively distant adding to the tone of detachment and coldness. If you love your car chases, don't miss out on this cracking movie.

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Arabian Adventure

 Arabian Adventure 4/10

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

An evil caliph offers his daughter’s hand in marriage to a prince if he can complete a perilous quest for a magical rose. Helped by a young boy and a magic carpet, Prince Hasan, has to overcome genies, fire breathing monsters and treacherous swamps to reach his prize and claim the hand of the Princess Zuleira. A fair reworking of some of the elements from The Thief of Baghdad that's largely aimed at kids. Sometimes to moderately enjoy a movie of this type, you just got to take yourself back to a time when simple children's adventure movies were made with simple film making techniques. This obviously doesn't hold up well these days as the special effects are poor. It's not a great or very good movie, it's heavy on talk, the effects are indeed a little crude, acting and accents are borderline dire, and it seems to take an age to get going. The only good thing about it is Christopher Lee as the Caliph who is at his menacing best. Emma Samms is also gorgeous as the Princess. This is a movie you'll quickly forget about once it's over.

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Those People Next Door

 Those People Next Door 5/10

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

During WWII, working-class Sam Twigg and his wife Mary are raising their family in the shadow of the Blitz. Their next door neighbours Joe and Emma practically live in the Twigg's house, borrowing cups of sugar or using their Anderson shelter. Controversy arises when Sam's pretty daughter Anne becomes romantically involved with RAF officer Victor Stevens. There is disapproval from Victor's wealthy parents, Sir Andrew and Lady Stevens, who object to the match on grounds of class. Another vehicle for Jack Warner as the head of a household. It is similar to The Huggetts movie series he did except this is far less funnier. Basically this is a movie about a clash of class but with a message that upper and working classes can each still respect the other's dignity and common human feelings. The so-called comedy was supposed to centre around the Twiggs' neighbours with the husband being a big socialist who complains loudly about capitalism and his wife in and out of the Twigg's house borrowing everything under the sun but unfortunately the couple appear more annoying than anything else. The cast all perform admirably but there should have been more laughs. I would only recommend this if you're interested in the cast.

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Stations of the Cross

 Stations of the Cross 8/10

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

Maria, a devout 14-year-old German Roman Catholic, goes through all 14 stations of the cross to become a saint and go to heaven. The concept of the movie centres on Maria's attempts to make sacrifices to appease God. She forgoes basic necessities like food and warmth from her jacket much to her also strictly religious mother's chagrin. Maria is in pursuit of sainthood, and intends to save her baby brother who is 4 years old and still cannot talk. The movie moves at a satisfying quaint pace and scale for the first hour, but then it takes the perfect fateful trail to its bitter end and it's equally devastating and thought-provoking. Lea van Acken is extraordinary, giving a vulnerable and mature performance far beyond her years as the 14 year old Maria. It's easy to marvel at her endurance for those long takes. In the end, this is a wonderful movie about the dangers of religious extremism, especially when exposed to at the sensitive teenager age.

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Henry VIII and His Six Wives

 Henry VIII and His Six Wives 7/10

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

On his deathbed, King Henry VIII recalls how he wooed and wed his six wives - and disposed of five of them - in a bid to secure the succession to the throne with a male heir. This is the movie version of the acclaimed BBC 6-part drama series The Six Wives of Henry VIII that aired in 1970. The only person present in both the drama and the movie is that of Keith Mitchell as Henry VIII. It's difficult to compress a 6 hour drama into that of a 2 hour movie as some events are rushed by. For example Henry's relationship with Thomas More is barely established (it comes down to one 30 second conversation) before Thomas is executed. Apart from Mitchell's fantastic performance as King Henry, there's Charlotte Rampling's witchy Anne Boleyn and Lynne Frederick's captivating innocent Catherine Howard. Filling the supporting cast with familiar, entertaining figures like Michael Gough, Donald Pleasence and Brian Blessed is another plus. In conclusion, a very good movie though rather compressed of King Henry VIII's colourful life.

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan rated Folly to Be Wise

 Folly to Be Wise 4/10

5 years, 6 months ago

AKB48Fan added 1 item to Hit Or Miss? Good Or Bad? 2019 Movies Watched list

Army chaplain Captain William Paris, who is head of entertainment at a base, is trying to figure out how to entertain the troops. Unsure of what will rouse the crowd, Paris creates a "brain trust" featuring local experts including a professor, a painter, and the painter's wife to go on stage and answer questions posed by the soldiers. But when the topic turns to matrimony, problems in the artist's marriage become apparent to all. Alistair Sim was one of Britain's finest comedy character actors, however even his talent could not raise this poor piece of cinema above the level of boring and tedious. There were some great British movies made in the post war years, unfortunately this was not one of them, the story line is flimsy and predictable, the acting is wooden and the characters are stereotypes of middle class 1950's middle England. Only worth watching for Alistair Sim fans.

5 years, 6 months ago