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Reviews
Manos: The Hands of Fate (1966)
What a stinker-roo!!
This movie... Oh man, this has to be the worst movie I've ever seen, and I've seen a lot of bad movies (being a "Mystery Science Theater 3000" junkie). And why, of all things, did THIS have to be filmed in my home-town (El Paso, TX)?! Oh well, it's not the end of the world. Anyway, if you ever happen to visit El Paso and want to see some authentic "Manos..." filming locations (HA!), drive down this road called Scenic Drive. That's where they filmed the first scene, on that mountain viewpoint. Like I said before, "Manos: The Hands of Fate" stunk to high Heaven. The twisted ending was big surprise, though...
Innocent Bystanders (1972)
A pretty good spy movie
This one came in kind of late in that period of all the 007-imitation movies. Some of them were terrible, like "Operation Kid Brother" (which starred Sean Connery's brother Neil!). And some were pretty good, like "Innocent Bystanders". It is well-directed and its cinematography is excellent. Its rapid editing is really neat at first, but it gets kind of annoying after a while. Baker is excellent as a cold-blooded agent who has been double-crossed by his own people. I was amused by the constant bickering of Baker's two rival agents. "Innocent Bystanders" also has a couple alumni from the 007 movies: Donald Pleasence from "You Only Live Twice" (the original Dr. Evil!) and Vladek Sheybal from "From Russia With Love". If you in the mood for a dark spy adventure, "Innocent Bystanders" is for you.
Condorman (1981)
Good, dopey fun
This is a great movie to watch if you want to let your brain rest awhile. "Phantom of the Opera" alumnus Michael Crawford plays a carefree comic-book writer who inadvertantly ends up helping a Russian spy (played by Barbara Carrera, the definitive 007 femme fatale from "Never Say Never Again") defect to the West. The film is helped by beautiful location photography in Paris, Monaco, and Istanbul and two awesome chases (one is a car chase in Yugoslavia and the other is a boat chase in Monte Carlo. But there are some parts that try to be humorous but fall flat. Overall, though, "Condorman" is a pretty cool movie.
Hell Is for Heroes (1962)
One of the greatest war films, EVER.
This, along with "Saving Private Ryan" and "Bridge On the River Kwai", is probably my favorite war film. Steve McQueen was outstanding in his role as a disillusioned soldier. You'll notice in some of these movies that the plot centers around an undercover plot that could turn the tide of the entire war, like "Where Eagles Dare" or "The Dirty Dozen". Not here. All that the soldiers are trying to do here is take a German machine gun nest and keep themselves from being slaughtered in the process. This film has several unforgettable moments, but you'll have to see the film to understand them. The film's last scene always make me shed a tear. Recent Oscar-winner James Coburn has a small but memorable role here. Nick Adams and Bob Newhart are also very good.