As the director of a mental hospital prepares for departure upon being told he is being replaced, a young man arrives to take the position. This man claims to be Doctor Anthony Edwardes. He is immediately fond of Doctor Constance Petersen, a seemingly cold-hearted woman who is solely focused on her work As the two get to know each other, Edwardes reveals that he is convinced that he killed a man. He is also suffering from amnesia after an accident. Doctor Petersen is convinced otherwise, and the two jump through various hoops in order to not only prove that Edwardes is innocent, but to convince Edwardes that he didn't commit a murder As Constance seeks to help him, , the two discover that Edwardes is not Edwardes, but is actually named John Ballantine. Aside from discovering his identity, they also prove Constance's theory correct when it is discovered that Ballantine is innocent while curing his amnesia,
The movie started off a little boring but as the story continued it got a lot more interesting. I found myself wanting to know John's story almost as much as he did himself, and I was trying a bit of my own psychoanalysis on his character as I watched the movie. I thought that John had an interesting story and I enjoyed watching as it developed and he figured out who he was. The movie was also really cute at moments, and I liked the ending. I also enjoyed all of the plot twists and the movie kept my attention. I especially enjoyed how dreams and dream analysis played such an important role in figuring out the story. I enjoyed this movie overall and would recommend it.
1 Comment
Four different stories are combined to pay tribute to the Twilight Zone television series. It opens with the story of a racist man who is transported to Nazi Germany, a Ku Klux Klan gathering, and taken back to his days in war. The next story is about a man who travels to retirement homes giving the residents a chance to become children again. In the third story, a woman drives a young boy home after backing into him with her car. She later finds out that he has the ability to wish anything he wants into existence and has been abusing that power. The final story is about a man who is incredibly anxious about the flight he is on,. As the plane flies through a storm, he sees a mysterious being out on the wing destroying the engines. He later comes face to face with the monster in an attempt to kill it.
While the movie isn't fantastic, the events that took place on the set forever changed the film industry. While filming a Vietnam battle scene, a helicopter crashed, killing Victor Morrow as well as child actors Renee Shinn Chen and Myca Dinh Le. Four men, including John Landis, the special effects coordinator, and the helicopter pilot were charged with involuntary manslaugher. This was reportedly the first time a film director had faced such charges for an on set accident that occured during filming, Lawsuits were also filed against Warner Brothers and Steven Spielberg. Landis violated mutliple child labor laws. Violations of of safety laws were taken more seriously and major studios began issuing the Injury and Illness Prevention Program to all employees. There was also an increase in the amount of risk- management specialists on movie sets. I honestly didn't think the movie was that great. I really like the Twilight Zone television series, and I was hoping that the movie would do well in paying tribute to the show. I was really disappointed. I felt like they could've done more with the story about Anthony using his powers. I wanted it to be creepier. I also didn't like how that story had a happy ending. Out of all of the stories, I think that one was my least favorite. I liked the "Kick the Can" scene, but I felt that it was kind of out of place in the movie. I know they couldn't completely re-make some of the episodes they drew inspiration from, but the movie definitely didn't feel like I was watching anything related to the Twilight Zone. The creepiest part was the monster on the plane, and that wasn't even really suspenseful or surprising. I wouldn't recommend the movie, but the history behind it is interesting. Five years after the Ghostbusters were put out of business by the judicial system of New York City, they make an important discovery. This leads to the re-formation of the Ghostbusters company as they investigate a mysterious pink slime flowing beneath the city. As the paranormal overtakes the city for. the second time, the help of the Ghostbusters is enlisted. Peter Venkman (Bill Murray) tries to rekindle a past romance as the Ghostbusters help his ex-girlfriend and try to figure out why the slime is trying to steal her son. As they yet again try to save the city, they are faced with more lawsuits and obstacles. The movie is distinctly 80's, which is not necessarily a bad thing. The graphics and props contribute to the 80's film aesthetic. This is especially true for the scene featuring the slime and the Statue of Liberty. It is also displayed through the character called Slimer. On top of the visuals, the soundtrack is pretty good, of course including the Ghostbusters theme. It is filled with songs featuring the classic 80's synthesizer style (well, all except Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher" which was released in 1967). I enjoyed this movie. I liked the first Ghostbusters film, and I figured I would enjoy this one as well. I actually liked this movie better than the first one. While I enjoy both storylines, I liked the plot of this film a bit more. I thought the concept of the slime absorbing the emotions of New Yorkers and feeding off of the positive energy was really interesting. I also really liked the props and visuals even though they aren't amazing. I feel kind of bad for Dana, she can't catch a break when it comes to creepy guys being attracted to her. On top of that her son is kidnapped and nearly inhabited by an evil spirit. I was glad that she got a happy ending. I love the characters in both movies and I liked how this movie showed their lives beyond the Ghostbusters as well as continuing to showcase their skills. Overall . I thought it was a good movie and I would watch it again. Jeff (James Stewart), a photographer confined to his apartment due to a broken leg, discovers a dark secret one day as watches his neighbors. Jeff thinks one of his neighbors, Lars Thorwald, has murdered his wife. He keeps a close eye on Lars as he makes mysterious calls and packs his belongings to leave. Meanwhile, Jeff's girlfriend Lisa Freemont (Grace Kelly) is roped into Jeff's quest to prove that Lars murdered his wife. As the two watch Lars' mysterious behavior, they try to convince Jeff's friend, detective Thomas Doyle, that Lars is guilty despite Doyle's "evidence" proving his innocence. The truth is finally revealed after Lisa sneaks into his apartment and takes a key piece of evidence. The story is very interesting and keeps you engaged. Every time I expected something bad to happen, it didn't, which was surprising. The storyline was easy to follow and the characters were interesting. The sets were very pretty and the setting overall was different from most films. This film only has one setting, Jeff's apartment, as opposed to multiple sets like other films. The background sound was also a bit different, as it featured both music from the pianist in the story as well as the noise from the street and the noise from the neighbors. Each neighbor had their own sort of subplot, but it didn't take away from the main plot as there was just enough focus placed on each one. I loved this movie. I enjoyed how one story was so heavily developed out of one setting. I also loved the sets, especially the architectural design of each of the apartments. I especially loved the pianist's studio apartment. I think the design of each apartment helped tell the story of the character inhabiting it. I really enjoyed the story and that it kept surprising me. I was most shocked at the fact that it ended the way I wanted it to. I was expecting a different ending and more death as it is a Hitchcock film. I was shocked that it had a happy ending, although I'm not complaining. I liked how each neighbor had their own story that was developed but did not shift focus away from the main story. I also loved Grace Kelly's costumes and her character's story. Jimmy Stewart is one of my favorite Old Hollywood actors, and I thought his performance was great. Everytime I thought someone was going to die or something bad was about to happen, it didn't which was interesting. It wasn't completely what I expected, but that is definitely not a bad thing. Overall, I thought it was a great movie and I would recommend it. |
AuthorHello fellow film lovers! Just a little bit about me: I love movies from the Old Hollywood era, especially musicals. In general, my movie taste is a bit all over the place. I don't really stick to one genre, as I just watch whatever looks interesting! I look forward to broadening my horizons in terms of film and reviewing them to the best of my ability in an honest way. Reading another passion of mine, and I'm frequently told I have an old soul, so expect to see a lot of older films being reviewed. I hope you can find what you need here! Archives
May 2019
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