Reviews by GeorgeChabot

GeorgeChabot says "They kill you and eat you, too! Night of the Living Dead" about Night of the Living Dead - Millenium Edition Super Review

GeorgeChabot — Sun, 30 Aug 2009 16:11:55 GMT

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

This is one of the seminal films in the horror genre that has spawned a whole passel of imitators but very few equals.

Filmed on a shoestring budget (reportedly $114,000) by first time independent film maker George Romero, Night of the Living Dead became a cult hit, spawned countless imitators, and became a staple of late night monsterfests for over thirty years.

The first time I saw this landmark film was on television, back in the late ‘60s or early ‘70s, before the days of videotape. As a black and white movie in the early days of color TV it is a wonder I stayed tuned. As it turned out, I’m glad I did! It was the most original and frightening horror film I had ever seen. Viewers today may not recognize its originality due to the dozens of copycats that have followed its lead, but it was the first and arguably the best.

The story concerns a handful of people who find themselves under attack by an army of zombies – corpses who have risen from...

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GeorgeChabot says "Bogus as a Three Hundred dollar bill: 300" about 300

GeorgeChabot — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 23:25:10 GMT

300 (2006)

This movie is a version of the 300 Spartans story that comes from a comic book by Frank Miller. Now why Frank Miller had to deviate from the historical story which is interesting enough itself is a question that occurred to me. If he were going to tell a different story, why didn't he just make it up. Any ten year old boy who liked playing war would know enough about the 300 Spartans to know the Persians were not Africans, yet that's what Xerxes was. He also was festooned with enough strings of gold chain, piercings, and face makeup that his sexual orientation was questionable. This was also the case with several other Persians yet the Spartans were all butch and looked like they were recruited from Gold's Gym.

I have to say that the action was pretty good but it was all Computer Generated with fake backgrounds making it look almost like panels from a comic book. When you are doing a moving picture it seems like movement would be desirable yet they often used the comic......

GeorgeChabot says "Ride em, Cowboy! 2009 Harley Road King Classic" about Harley-Davidson Road King Classic - 2009 Motorcycle

GeorgeChabot — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 06:22:17 GMT

2009 Harley Davidson Road King Classic

The Touring line of Harley-Davidsons have been totally re-engineered for 2009 yet they have very little difference in appearance from last year's models maintaining excellent continuity with the gorgeous good looks of the Harley full dressers.

One of the main changes has been a complete redesign of the frame geometry making the bike handle better than the older big Hogs. The materials and manufacturing processes are upgraded also, making it better quality than before.

The 2009 Road King Classic is an old familar model very similar in appearance to a 1960s police bike, yet the power and handling has it all over the old Harley cruiser. In addition to the redesigned frame the bike has bigger tires including a massive 180 mm on the rear and a 130 mm on the front, both wide whitewalls in keeping with the traditional look of the big Harley Road King.

Power is generated by a 96 cubic inch fuel injected V-Twin with a Cruise Drive six-speed transmission......

GeorgeChabot says "WWII Drama showing Czech Resistance: Hangmen Also Die! " about Hangmen Also Die

GeorgeChabot — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 15:48:25 GMT

Hangmen Also Die! (1943)

This seldom seen movie is brought to us by Kino Video, a public domain publisher who brings good quality pressings of old black and white movies.

A part of their Film Noir collection, Hangmen Also Die! tells the story of the assassination of Reichsprotektor Reinhard Heydrich, the Butcher of Prague, also called The Hangman, as the title indicates.

Heydrich was one of Adolf Hitler's top followers who was known for his excessive brutality. Hitler had appointed Heydrich in 1941 to govern Bohemia and Moravia, the parts of Czechoslovakia that had been annexed by Nazi Germany in 1939. Heydrich was so well thought of that Hitler considered him a likely successor and Heydrich helped plan the extermination camps advanced as Hitler's final solution.

Fritz Lang directed the movie and as an expatriate German and ardent anti-Nazi he made a good attempt at the project but was saddled with a fictionalized story of the assassination and a supporting actor, Brian Donlevy, as his......

GeorgeChabot says "A real dream come true: Harley Ultra Classic Screamin Eagle" about Harley-Davidson FLHTCUSE Screamin' Eagle Ultra Classic Electra Glide - 2006 Motorcycle

GeorgeChabot — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 19:14:34 GMT

2006 Harley Davidson Screamin Eagle Ultra Classic

This motorcycle is another bike from the performance custom shop of Harley-Davidson called Custom Vehicle Operations, or CVO for short.

The CVO bikes are a few models, chosen each year to get factory custom treatment. Knowing the usual Harley customer adds a lot of personal chrome and other custom touches, H-D decided to offer a factory custom bike for the descriminating buyer. Nearly every custom chrome part available from the extensive Harley parts catalog - and a few that are not - are lavished on the CVO motorcycles. The riding position is also lavish with a custom seat that has separate heaters for the rider and passenger and heated hand grips for the rider.

Powering the 2006 CVO Ultra Classic is a built 103 cubic inch Twin Cam V-Twin with performance cams and fuel injection adding quite a bit of performance to the legendary Harley low end torque.

The Screaming Eagle package also includes a custom paint job on all parts of the......

GeorgeChabot says "Gerber E-Z Out Folding Knife" about Gerber 06551 E Z Out Jr Serrated Edge Knife

GeorgeChabot — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 01:57:06 GMT

Gerber E-Z Out Folding Knife

The Gerber E-Z Out is an easy opening folding knife with a partially serrated blade for getting cuts started fast. It is particularly good for cutting rope or seat belt material so think of a serrated blade if you ever have to cut such things as it really cuts through it in a hurry.

The E-Z Out opens with either hand; the blade has an elongated hole in it that will work the same for either hand. You just stick the side of your thumb tip up in the hole and flip the knife open. It's pretty easy with a little practice. This eliminates the little studs most knife makers leave protruding from the side of their blades for the one hand opening feature.

The blade is stainless steel and is about 3 1/2" long with a large pivot holding it into the fiberglas handle. The knife appears very durable and has a pair of hard rubber inserts in the handle to give you a good grip if the knife should get wet or slippery. There is a lock that holds the blade open accessible......

GeorgeChabot says "C'mon and hear, C'mon and hear, Alexander's Ragtime Band!" about Alexander's Ragtime Band

GeorgeChabot — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 00:54:10 GMT

Alexander's Ragtime Band (1938)

This is a musical of Irving Berlin's music by 20th Century Fox starring their number one box office talent Tyrone Power, Alice Faye, and Don Ameche. The story is fictional and is just an excuse to showcase Irving Berlin's music, which is some of the best in America.

Tyrone Power is an orchestra leader who wants to switch from long hair music to popular. He gets a combo of his orchestra members and goes to audition at a club on the Barbary Coast of San Francisco but forgets their music. Luckily the bartender has a new song that another performer brought in for their audition. When she hears them playing through the number she is really steamed but they play it together, Irving Berlin's Alexander's Ragtime Band. They are a big hit but like all boy meets girl movies they are in and out of love and back in by the end. Don Ameche plays one of the band members who also sings a few numbers and Ethel Merman also sings a few numbers with her inimitable voice.......

GeorgeChabot says "Dark doings in the mental asylum: Behind Locked Doors" about Behind Locked Doors

GeorgeChabot — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 16:08:10 GMT

Behind Locked Doors (1948)

This is a DVD published by Kino Video, a public domain publisher that resurrects public domain videos that would otherwise be lost from circulation.

Behind Locked Doors takes us behind the walls of a mental asylum when the protagonist (Richard Carlson), a private eye, gets himself committed to find out if that’s where a missing judge is holed up. The judge is a fugitive and has a $50,000 bounty so Carlson is happy to play crazy to have a chance at that sort of money.

First Carlson and his cohort, a newspaper reporter played by Lucille Bremer, research the symptoms of mental illness to build him a cover. Carlson decides on manic-depression which he feigns in an interview with the state psychiatrist who wants to commit him to the state hospital for observation. The newspaper gal, masquerading as Carlson’s wife, gets the state doctor to give her a letter allowing Carlson to be checked into a private sanitarium – which they take to the exact...

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GeorgeChabot says "A guy trying to get something for nothing: The Scar" about The Scar

GeorgeChabot — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 09:53:04 GMT

The Scar (1948)

The Scar is a film that has slipped into the public domain. It is reasonably well preserved for a movie that is over a half century old.

The Scar is a real classic, starring Paul Henreid (Casablanca). After Casablanca, he realized he had seen his best days in the major studios so he began making his own films as producer and star.

In The Scar, he is a brilliant man who is lazy and would rather steal money than work for it. As the film opens, we are given a voice-over that lists his impressive accomplishments, medical school, etc., then we realize it is a parole officer reading and Henreid is being considered for parole from prison.

He is released and given a job to report to, but once on his own he immediately seeks his old crowd and reestablishes himself as the leader. After a short time he announces a new caper - they will rob an illegal gambling joint he knows, and the plan sounds workable, except like most capers, things do not go according to plan.

The robbery......

GeorgeChabot says "Exciting bit of Farm Noir: The Red House" about The Red House

GeorgeChabot — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 16:46:26 GMT

The Red House (1947)

Edward G Robinson made a strong part of his career making these low budget black and white crime movies during the 40s and 50s. He first made his name in Warner Bros gangster movies and many people still remember him as only that, due to parodies and cartoon characters based on his Rico performance. But Robinson made far more movies than just those old gangster films and is one of the best actors ever, in my opinion.

The Red House is a low budget poverty row production in black and white directed by Delmer Daves (3:10 to Yuma).

The movie starts out with kids going home on the school bus in a rural district. A boy (Lon McCallister) is flirting with a girl (Julie London) planning to go skinny dipping on the weekend. The girl gets off the bus and another girl (Allene Roberts) starts talking to Nat. She is offering a job at her farm working for her father. It is the Depression and the boy's mother is barely able to keep in business at her store so the boy is......

GeorgeChabot says "Chick flick masquerading as film noir: The Second Woman" about The Second Woman

GeorgeChabot — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:46:54 GMT

The Second Woman (1951)

The story, while classified as film noir, is actually more of a mystery, however the dramatic cinematography does give it a nice dark edge with views of the unbelievably beautiful California scenery before it got subdivided and built up.

Jeff Cohalan (Robert Young) is an architect with a unique house, probably costing about $5 million in todays dollars. The house is set among the twisted cypresses on the rocky California coast with its pounding surf - very striking indeed.

As the story unfolds we learn that Young is accident prone or unlucky, or maybe being hounded by an unseen enemy - which provides the mystery aspect. It all started a year ago, when on the eve of his wedding his fiancee was killed in a freak automobile accident. At present, crucial building plans disappear, artwork is destroyed, his pets die, and his house burns down.

Through it all, next door visitor Ellen Foster (Betsy Drake) is sticking by Young, even though he seems to be doing the damage...

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GeorgeChabot says "Closing the Door on Film Noir: Touch of Evil" about Touch of Evil 1958

GeorgeChabot — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:38:12 GMT

Touch of Evil (1958)

Orson Welles was certainly one of Hollywood's bad boys with a flair for filmmaking. He had made Citizen Kane as his first film and had full creative control - the last time he would ever get that consideration from a major studio. Charlton Heston, who had made his name in some of the DeMille epics, insisted on having Orson Welles as director and got it, due to his box office clout. One thing Hollywood never argues with is money. ;>

Touch of Evil was Orson Welles gift to the film noir oeuvre. Made towards the end of the era, it could be thought of as closing the door on one era and opening a new door to the next.

The newest Universal DVD is titled Touch of Evil: Recut to Orson Welles’ Vision. This is significant because like most of Orson’s work after Citizen Kane, the studio hacked his work up to suit their idea of what it should be, rather than leaving the director’s work to speak for itself. The earlier DVDs and videos had the hacked up Touch of...

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GeorgeChabot says "D.O.A: Murder in San Francisco " about DOA

GeorgeChabot — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:37:26 GMT

DOA (1950)

One of Hollywood’s most gifted character actors, Edmond O‘Brien, played the lead in Rudolph Mate’s DOA.

DOA means Dead On Arrival, and the movie begins as O’Brien arrives at the police station and announces his murder to the detective. He begins his tale and the story flashes back to a few days before.

Small town accountant Frank Bigelow (O’Brien) is going alone on a vacation to San Francisco. He gets an earful from fiancée Paula Gibson (Pamela Britton) who is also his secretary; you can't help thinking perhaps it’s because of her he is going alone.

Once in San Francisco, he goes to a waterfront jazz club where someone slips him a mickey. The next morning he wakes up at his hotel with the jazz still pounding in his head and is sick to his stomach. A stop at a doctor’s office and he is quickly going elsewhere to get a second opinion, which he does. Nope, he has been poisoned and has no idea why. The doctors want to keep him in the hospital because...

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GeorgeChabot says "A highly entertaining film noir: Scarlet Street" about Scarlet Street

GeorgeChabot — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 22:39:44 GMT

Scarlet Street (1945)

Edward G Robinson was one of the greatest actors during the Hollywood golden years. His ability to play many different types of roles would surprise someone who only thought he played gangsters.

Scarlet Street is an excellent film noir movie that has somehow been allowed to slip into the public domain. It is therefore available from public domain publishers like Alpha or Kino, who specialize in preserving these old classics for a new generation of motion picture fans.

Film noir generally refers to movies that take a fatal view of life. They generally focus on criminal activity or somebody seeking something for nothing and usually have fate as an active participant.

Film noir also introduced the femme fatale as a character – a woman who lures the protagonist on to his destruction seeming to offer herself as the prize but really she is only out for herself and gives nothing except scorn.

Scarlet Street has a very involved story that gets you interested...

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GeorgeChabot says "Money - that little green stuff you never have enough of: Detour" about Detour

GeorgeChabot — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 18:33:11 GMT

Detour (1945)

This is one of the best little crime movies that has ever been made - and also one of the lesser known. The movie is perfect in its depiction of fate stalking a personable young man who is traveling to the West Coast to see his girl.

The movie starts out in NYC and Tom Neal is the piano player in a lounge combo with a beautiful blond singer (Claudia Drake). The two are planning on being something big, but Drake decides to move first and leaves for LA. Later on, Neal decides to go and join her but the only way he can get there is by hitchhiking.

The movie has a short running time yet the screenplay is ambitious and hints at many possibilities, having nightclub scenes that are very well made and worthy of an expensive film. The cast is unknown and there are only a handful of people. The other character is a 1941 Lincoln Continental - a classic car that Neal is transported in by a huckster named Haskell. When Haskell ends up dying, Neal assumes his identity and keeps......

GeorgeChabot says "Andy Hardy woos the Dragon Lady: Quicksand" about Quicksand

GeorgeChabot — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 20:34:58 GMT

Quicksand (1950)

Mickey Rooney had made his name playing kids and was one of the biggest stars in Hollywood. As he grew out of childhood, he tried an adult part on for size.

Quicksand made Rooney a lover with a beautiful chick on a string. But he was looking for new conquests so when a new girl (Jeanne Cagney) crossed his line of sight, he had to try taking her out. Jeanne Cagney (Jimmy's sister), the new girl, was a little too much for Mickey and she got him into trouble way beyond his depth.

It started with just a small thing, a sin, really, and led to crime after crime like fate itself was stalking our hero. Rooney realized he was out of money and despite everything he tried he couldn't get any dough to show the new girl a good time. Rather than putting the date off, he tapped the auto dealer's till for $20, intending to replace it the next day when his buddy gives him the twenty he owes him. This is the little thing off which the story builds with one bad thing coming after......

GeorgeChabot says "2008 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic" about Harley-Davidson Road King Classic - 2008 Motorcycle

GeorgeChabot — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 13:01:07 GMT

2008 Harley-Davidson Road King Classic

For traditional tastes you can't beat the Harley-Davidson Road King Classic motorcycle.

A member of the Touring line of Harley-Davidsons, the Road King Classic harkens back to the classic lines of the old motorcycles from the 1960s forward. For 2008, the Road King Classic has many standard features that would make the older bikes pale by comparison, though.

Besides the 96 cubic inch (1600 cc) fuel-injected V-twin motor with 6-speed cruise drive transmission rated at 54 mpg highway, the 2008 motorcycle has many refinements including a rubber isolated drive system to remove engine pulses from the feel of the motorcycle. This lack of pulse vibration makes the motorcycle easier and more comfortable to ride as the day goes on. Brembo disk brakes front and rear add stopping power and anti lock brakes (ABS) are also available. The touring gas tank is stretched and holds 6 gallons instead of last year's 5, extending the cruising range. The chrome console......

GeorgeChabot says "Where the Sidewalk Ends" about Where the Sidewalk Ends

GeorgeChabot — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 01:16:18 GMT

Where the Sidewalk Ends (1950)

Where the Sidewalk Ends is an extremely well made movie that only loses its impact when a production code ending is imposed by Fox studios on what otherwise is an impeccably told noir tale.

Directed by Otto Preminger, from a story by Frank Rosenberg and adapted for the screen by Ben Hecht. Otto Preminger is most notable for smooth camera moves and fewer cuts than other directors specializing in protracted tracking shots that wind their way through a set from room to room capturing long action sequences without a cut. He had one of the best cinematographers in Joseph LaShelle, doing the camera and lighting work for Where the Sidewalk Ends.

Film noir gives a sort of left-handed view of life, usually focusing on the negative aspects of human activity. This one shows a rogue cop who uses the same methods as the thugs he is up against.

The protagonist is detective Mark Dixon (Dana Andrews), one of the natural film noir actors. Dixon’s prey is local gangland...

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GeorgeChabot says "Elevate Me! Young Frankenstein" about Young Frankenstein

GeorgeChabot — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 00:40:14 GMT

Young Frankenstein (1974)

Mel Brooks has made some good movies and some not so good but when he makes a winner it comes out like Young Frankenstein, probably the best of all his hits and just in time for Halloween.

Brooks started out in TV writing for comedy shows and several of his movies suffer from the episodic skit flaw where it is like a television comedy show with several skits in sequence but without a lot of continuity.

In Young Frankenstein, however, he wisely followed the script of the old Hollywood movies Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, spicing them up with plenty of jokes, to be sure, but sticking to the familiar story progression so viewers would feel they were viewing a real movie instead of a TV variety special.

Brooks worked with comedian Gene Wilder on the script and Gene Wilder also starred as Viktor Fronk-en-shteen - how he pronounced Frankenstein. He also cast bug eyed Marty Feldman as the hump shifting dwarf lab assistant Igor (pronounced Eye-gor) and both...

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GeorgeChabot says "I love my gun! Railroaded" about Railroaded

GeorgeChabot — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:24:04 GMT

Railroaded (1947)

Anthony Mann directed several films during the late 40s making his name as a film director. Before he made the trio of films that made his name, he apparently directed Railroaded, getting full screen credit as director.

This is a release from Kino Video, a publisher of old films that have fallen into the public domain. Railroaded is part of their film noir collection that can be purchased separately or as part of a five disk set.

Railroaded is generally a slang term that means run into jail or run out of town by a conspiracy and that is the basic idea here. A pair of thugs rob an illegal gambling operation fronted by a beauty shop run by Jane Randolph. A policeman shoots one of the thugs and is killed when a shop employee screams and he peeks in to see the fracas. The thugs take their stolen delivery van and one drops the other, who has been shot, off at a doctor's house.

The strength of Railroaded is the casting of a pair of recognizable faces in the main roles......