authorwriting Reviews

Carry on Cowboy (1965)

Carry on in the saddle

[8/10 · 12 April 2006]

I have a weakness for western movies and maybe that's the reason why I enjoy this one so much when I find so many others in the series to be bland and boring. It predates Blazing Saddles and, to my mind, makes better use of genre clichés.

Sid James is superb as the Rumpo Kid. As are the rest of the regulars though Kenneth Williqams' accent takes some getting used to. The studio sets look suitably like the American frontier and the plot involves all the western conventions from cowardly sheriffs, Indians and the obligatory bar room brawl.

Carry on laughing indeed.

Blackadder (1982–1983)

The first series included a lot of location filming

[12 April 2006]

The characters of Edmund and Baldrick were not yet fully realised and the scripts unlike those in all later seasons, were co-written by Rowan Atkinson. And it is very much Rowan's show where the later seasons featured more of an ensemble feel.

Another point that sets this first season apart from its later episodes is that there is a large amount of location filming which proved expensive for the BBC to produce and they initially balked at the idea of a second series until they were assured that it would if recommissioned be stage bound and filmed before a studio audience. The best episodes are The Queen of Spain's Beard and The Black Seal but each are minor classics in their own right.

Excellently acted and written and a great introduction to the chronicles of the Blackadder dynasty.

The Virgin Queen (1955)

historically inaccurate but a lavish production and great acting

[7/10 · 11 April 2006]

Basically a soap opera of it's day with Queen Liz and Elexis Carrington fighting over the handsome, young cad, Sir Walter Raleigh who among other things introduced cigarettes to the world. The movie won an academy award for its costumes which unlike the events depicted in the film are spot on in their historical detail.

Bettie Davies is brilliant as The Queen (the template for Miranda Richardson's version in Blackadder II) and Richard Todd looks the part as the dashing Sir Walter Raleigh. The DVD cut of this film, issued as part of the Studio Classics series, is pristine with the digital format bringing out the sheer spectacle of colour in the scenes in the royal court.

A great old fashioned drama.

The Searchers (1956)

Pure celluloid magic

[10/10 · 11 April 2006]

A totally superb western - definitely among the top ten of all time, maybe even the top five. And the one which many claim contains John Wayne's best performance. I'm not sure of that - Red River probably holds that distinction but at the same time this film certainly proves wrong those that say The Duke couldn't act.

John Ford has never made better use of the Monument Valley locations either and the story zings along with just the right amounts of thrills, humour and suspense. And of course we have Wayne's powerhouse performance and he is ably backed by Jeffrey Hunter (original captain of the Starship Enterprise) and the beautiful Natalie Wood.

If you've never seen this film then do so now. One of the Best films ever made.