Citizen Rules...Cinemaesque Chat-n-Review

Director: James Neilson
Cast: James Stewart, Audie Murphy, Dan Duryea
Genre: Western
Length: 1hour 30minutes

Synopsis: An ex-railroad man (James Stewart) who's been fired under suspicion of having ties to a train robbing gang...is rehired and given the task of delivering a $10,000 payroll. The task is a dangerous one as a gang of outlaws have been stealing the payrolls.

Review: This is a pretty darn good western and I don't know why it's not more popular. It's shot in glorious 3-strip technicolor and shot on location in Colorado, it looks great and looks authentic!

There's three big stars in this film, who turn in memorable performances. James Stewart is likeable of course, as always. He's the ex railroad man who was once wrongly accused of helping in a train robbery. I love the opening scene with all the settlers waiting for the train to deliver them their much needed payroll. James Stewart is one of them, and this first scene is a doozy.

Audie Murphy also stars, he started out as a real life WWII war hero and was then brought to Hollywood to make movies, he's surprisingly good as the Utica Kid. He did go on to make more movies too.

And perennially movie bad guy Dan Duryea, best known for his work in film noir and in the western Winchester '73 (1950) has to be seen to believe. He's crazier than ever and turns in one heck of a characterization, so much so that I almost rooted for him!

The scenes where James Stewart and a young boy ride on top of the train through the winding mountain pass were outright amazing, and looked very real...I believe they were actually on the moving train, perhaps they were?

The plot twist that becomes apparent in the last scene aids an emotional depth to the visual and action excitement. This is a well made, rounded western.

Night Passage is exciting and beautiful filmed, so why don't more people watch it.

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Glad to see you enjoyed Written on the Wind!

I've tried to watch Written on the Wind three times recently, but I keep getting interrupted by life.

There's nothing wrong with the movie. Just other stuff keeps coming up within 10-15 minutes after I start the movie. It's like something or someone doesn't want me to see that movie. (Is there a scene with a big spider in it, or something like that? )

I loved Magnificent Obsession, so I have high hopes for Written on the Wind if I ever get a chance to watch it.

What other Douglas Sirk films have you guys seen?

That's been it for me so far

Thanks Cricket, I was wondering if you would like Written on the Wind and I see that you did

I just looked up Douglas Sirk, and I saw a Has Anybody Seen My Gal years ago, but I didn't know that it was one of his movies. The only ones that I saw recently were Imitation of Life, Magnificent Obsession and All That Heaven Allows.

I never seen Has Anybody Seen My Gal, but oh my gosh, it has Piper Laurie and I thinks she's tops. I'm adding that to my watch list right this secondWas the movie any good?

It's been a while since I saw it, so I don't remember it very well, (plus I watched it mainly for Rock Hudson when I was watching a marathon of his movies), but as I recall, it was a good movie. It's on my watchlist to rewatch it for the 1950s movies, so I'm planning to rewatch it soon.

Rock Hudson made a LOT of films with Douglas Sirk. In fact if he's not staring in a Doris Day film, then he's probably in a Sirk film.

I'm glad you mentioned that film. Netflix had it in a 2 pack with another Rock Hudson film so I should be watching them soon.

I watched A Very Special Favor a while back. Here's a link to my review:

http://www.movieforums.com/community...84#post1241484

Director: Hall Bartlett
Cast: Dana Andrews, Linda Darnell, Sterling Hayden
Genre: Thriller, Drama

An airline flight runs into heavy fog as the passengers become sick with food poisoning. Even the flight crew succumbs to the effects of a bad fish dinner. Is there a doctor on board? Why yes there is!

But if the plane doesn't land soon the passengers will die! Is there a pilot on board? Yes!...well, sort of...Dana Andrews was a WWII pilot who 10 years earlier made a mistake in thick fog which killed six of his men. He feels bad, really bad! Since then he has been afraid of responsibility, which threatens his marriage to Linda Darnell because he can't keep a job.

His wife is on board too, as well as his young son, who's eaten the tainted fish. Does this sound like the movie Airplane? It should, this was the movie that inspired Airplane, along with the Airport movies.


What strikes me like a plate of bad halibut, is the deadpan dialogue that the film puts forth. At the time, this was intended to be a serious nail biter...but after the release of the comedy Airplane, it's hard to take this movie seriously. Which actually make the film a hoot!

Dana Andrews is really good and serious in this, but it's Sterling Hayden that cracks me up. Hayden gives the same deadpan serious delivery that he did in Dr Strangelove. And Linda Darnell is so bad that she's actually funny as the wife who serves as a make shift co-pilot.

This is a must see for fans of Airplane!

+

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Director: Frank Oz
Cast: Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene, Vincent Gardenia, Steve Martin
Genre: Musical Comedy Horror

What's it about: An uptight, nervous man (Rick Moranis) is working in a skid row florist shop and dreaming of romance with the pretty girl who also works there (Ellen Greene). Just as the shop is about to go out of business, he buys a bizarre plant that turns out to be a man eater.

A Little Background: Little Shop of Horrors is based on the popular off Broadway play that in turn was based on the original 1960 B-budget Sci Fi movie of the same name. Ellen Greene is the only member of the original off Broadway cast to appear in the film.

Cast: This 1986 movie has a lot of popular 80s actors. Rick Moranis who started on Canada's SCTV has the lead and is one of the high lights of the film. Steve Martin reprises his insane doctor role from Sergent Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band movie. It's too bad he has such little screen time as the sadistic bad boy, leather wearing, motorcycle riding boyfriend of Ellen Greene is riotously funny. He does have one song in the movie which I liked. Veteran SCTV actor John Candy has a small cameo role and is funny, but his time is all too short. SCTV alumni, Martin Short does not appear in the film.

The Music: This is a musical and there's a lot of musical numbers! 15 counting the end credit track. The sad thing is most of these songs are throw aways, that are hastily written with uninspired melodies. The real musical high light belongs to the Greek Chorus girls, who effectively narrate the movie with song.

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I saw that at the movies when I was 15 and was somewhat amused.

Wow, Rules! Such a low rating for Little Shop?
I have fond memories of it (as usual that may have more to do with my circumstances in 1986 and the fact that I saw this with my then girlfriend).
I also own the soundtrack and most of the musical numbers are based on a 1950's theme - in fact the whole movie is an homage to 1950's "B" sci-fi movies.
Have you seen the original movie? I believe even that is something of a spoof of sci-fi movies, so we're looking at a spoof of a spoof of a spoof. Anyway, the musical version is slick by comparison to the original.

I thought his rating was too high.

I bet I know what caught your eye...


I did see the original movie, loved that one. I remember when the 1986 version came out and I wanted to see it, but, it took 30 years to do so! And in all that time I thought a young Meg Tilly was the girl in the film, image my surprise when she's not in it. The 50s motif was pretty cool, I just didn't like the rest of the film.

I wonder what Gideon thinks of this movie?

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Loved your review of this film...never really had a desire to see it even though it seems like something I would love, but your review has definitely shoved it down on my watchlist.