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The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug

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The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug, by Peter Jackson

 I saw The Hobbit – The Desolation of Smaug last Saturday with my wife, and I really wanted to love this movie–but I didn’t. If I hadn’t read the book, I would have thought it a typical adventure fantasy movie – not terrible, but not great, either.

The Story of Mankind

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The Story of Mankind (1957) starring Vincent Price, Ronald Colman, Cedric Hardwicke, the Marx Brothers (Groucho, Chico, Harpo), and many more

 In a nutshell,  The Story of Mankind has humanity on trial for its’ very existence.   The Devil himself (played delightfully by Vincent Price) is the prosecutor.  The Spirit of Mankind (Ronald Colman) is the advocate.  Cedric Hardwicke as the Celestial Judge. Evidence is presented as a series of vignettes of various stars presenting famous historical moments.  Some moments are serious, and others more silly.  The Marx Brothers appear in their final film.  However, they never show up together.  Each brother has their own distinct scene.

Panama Hattie

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Panama Hattie (1942) starring Red Skelton, Ann Sothern, Rags Ragland, Virginia O’Brien

Synopsis

In Panama Hattie, the brassy but gold-hearted proprietress of a Canal Zone hotel, where she performs, is used to a rough-and-tumble crowd of sailors.  But she falls for a wealthy socialite soldier, and doesn’t know how to handle herself.

The Three Musketeers

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The Three Musketeers (1939), starring Don Ameche and the Ritz Brothers

I’ve known of the Ritz Brothers for some time, although I’ve not seen many of their movies.  Previously, the only one of their movies that I saw  was  The Gorilla (with Bela Lugosi).  And I wasn’t impressed with their comedy.  The Three Musketeers, however, has totally changed my opinion of the Ritz Brothers.

Prehistoric Women

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Prehistoric Women (1967) – Hammer Films

Hammer Films, having made  One Million B.C., had all of these leftover sets — what to do with them? Make a very campy, rather silly, “Cavegirls in trouble” film, of course. It’s campy in the style of the 1960’s  Batman TV series, only with lots of girls in skimpy fur bikinis. Seriously.

The Evil of Frankenstein

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Synopsis of The Evil of Frankenstein (1963) starring Peter Cushing, Kiwi Kingston

Penniless, Baron Frankenstein returns to his hometown to retrieve whatever items he can to sell … Only to find that they’ve already been taken by the corrupt mayor. The baron and his assistant seek refuge in a cave.  With the help of a deaf girl, the Baron and his assistant find the original monster frozen in ice. They revive the creature but need the services of a hypnotist to control it … a hypnotist with ulterior motives.

White Zombie

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White Zombie  (1932)  by: The Masked Reviewer, starring Bela Lugosi, Madge Bellamy, John Harron, Robert Frazer

White Zombie begins with Madeleine Short (Madge Bellamy) arriving in Haiti. She’s there to reunite with her fiancee Neil Parker (John Harron). They are to be married at Charles Beaumont’s plantation. But Charles (Robert Frazer) also loves Madeleine. He goes to ‘œMurder’ Legendre (Bela Lugosi). He’s an infamous Haitian voodoo master for a potion. To make her choose Neil over him.

Godzilla 2000

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Godzilla 2000 (1999)

In a very real sense,  Godzilla 2000  is the movie that the American  Godzilla movie (starring Matthew Broderick) should have been.   The movie begins with a semi-independent researcher taking a reporter (along with his young daughter) to a  potential Godzilla sighting. Where they get more than they bargained for. They soon see Godzilla face to face, giving them (and the audience) an  appreciation for just how truly large, and imposing, Godzilla is compared to relatively puny human beings.   The reporter panics and takes several flash photographs of Godzilla. These annoy him and he pursues them through the small tunnel that they’re driving through …. With his massive feet breaking through the ground shortly behind him.

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