eospaulding Reviews

Pony Soldier (1952)

A colorful, surprisingly good film

[8/10 · 25 August 2022]

I'll second what one (several) reviewers said about the location of the filming being ludicrous . . . But I found this more than interesting, almost intriguing, and the leads of Power and Gomez are excellent.

I suspect the story line is largely, if not totally, fictional. Didn't matter to me: It was entertaining, focused on finding a peaceful solution, and the action and crowd scenes are impressive for what had many trappings of a B-movie.

Seen today, Gomez's style and performance come close to making me cringe. Viewed from the perspective of 70 years ago, it's an outstanding performance with some clever words and effective acting.

Liked it, didn't love it, definitely worth seeing if your style runs to action and thought and bright colors.

A Remarkable Life (2016)

Terrific slice of life with a long list of memorable characters

[9/10 · 6 July 2022]

This must be a true indy . . . I doubt it got much, if any, theater run. I stumbled into it on Freevee, a streaming service.

Many positive aspects -- a film that touches on many of today's relevant issues -- family, blended family, a special needs child, a couple that cares but cannot stay together, a strong dose of faith and, best of all, seven or eight characters you care about.

Hard to select one cast member above the others, but I was most strongly struck by three older men. Mark Margolis and Eric Roberts play the fathers to two of the lead characters. John O'Hurley is a Roman Catholic priest who provides much of the conscience and direction to sheep who have wandered from the flock.

Extreme change of pace from most of what's getting to theaters these days. Smoothly shot (Denver) with an excellent score. Has some feel of a Hallmark offering; thankfully, this is without the too-polished gloss and smiley faces of most Hallmarks.

Definite plus; worth 95 minutes of your time. Family fare with some parental guidance suggested. Too few like this as we push two decades into the millennium.

Living in a Big Way (1947)

Fun romp with some heart and soul

[8/10 · 30 May 2022]

Cute film. Lots of plusses, a comfortable way to fill 100 minutes.

Some of the directorial touches could have been stronger. The biggest issue with box office failure 75 years ago, I suspect, is that viewers probably expected Anchors Aweigh or The Pirate.

Living in a Big Way is not that. It offers a ,mix of post-WW II reality, romance (not especially well handled), humor, dance numbers, and family fare.

Gene Kelly's dancing and choreography (done by the star and Stanley Donnen) are first-class. The children are excellent. I'd never seen Jean Adair before: Her turn as the female star's grandmother is first-rate. An early-30s Barbara Billingsley (Leave It To Beaver) looks like Lucille Ball's separated-at-birth twin.

I don't often, after 10,000 movies, find a new, fresh offering. This one qualifies. High quality? No . . . Sometimes, escapist fun is plenty.

His Greatest Gamble (1934)

Dix as father of this and many years

[9/10 · 2 May 2022]

Up front confession: I don't know how many reviewers fall into the Postwar Baby Boom period . . . And how many are decades younger (wish I was).

I sense some of the negatives on HIS GREATEST GAMBLE are from younger viewers. Because . . . While there are some plot flaws, I find this a terrific film.

I've seen maybe 25 films with Richard Dix -- I doubt he was ever better than he is here. Credible, firm, dedicated, delivers the goofy "world traveler" dialogue brilliantly.

In reviewing more than 10,000 movies over 30 years, I occasionally use the notation "hidden gem". This generally refers to lesser-known films that have been semi-forgotten or that have been rated so-so by sources like Maltin, VideoHound, this one.

Great as in great depiction of a caring father!

Given it's nearly 90 years old, HGG gets a definite hidden gem designation.

Two Smart People (1946)

Don't expect laughs; that's not what it is

[9/10 · 3 November 2021]

Some of the reviewers -- and the esteemed Leonard Maltin -- totally miss the point here. This was not, and was not intended to be, a funny flick. It's a caper, a light drama, a romance, a bit of a road movie . . . And the Lucille Ball-John Hodiak pairing is terrific. Ball, at 35, is stunning. The Mardi Gras crowd scenes are wonderfully choreographed. Lloyd Nolan provides just the right amount of tough guy with a twinkle in his eye. White-collar criminal that he is, Hodiak's Ace is fun, commendable, and has created a past that makes the many contacts on the road warm to him. Nothing brilliant here, just a fast-paced film with terse, effective, direction and three A1 performances. Well worth your 90 minutes.

Cry of the Hunted (1953)

Script writing, three leads make this worth your time

[20 January 2021]

This is a dark film, visually, and the heavy Cajun dialect inhibits communication. The leads are very good: Best I've seen from the underrated Barry Sullivan, and a very good turn by Vittorio Gassman.

Williams Conrad's character isn't likeable -- but he's terrific with it; best performance among the three male leads.

Strongest point is the dialogue, especially Sullivan-Gassman in the latter minutes of the show when they're camping near the bayou. Ending was somewhat predictable, almost too pat but understandable given Hollywood's needs via the production code and the idea of sending patrons (I gather there weren't many) home uplifted.

The parallel to The Fugitive TV series couldn't escape me, and it had nothing to do with Conrad narrating that terrific series.

The Jayhawkers! (1959)

Hidden gem, well worth your time

[9/10 · 7 July 2020]

Tightly acted and directed Western with outstanding performances from Jeff Chandler and Fess Parker.

The latter is the conscience, and Parker is terrific as the guiding force who proves effective at carrying out a difficult task while maintaining his humanity in a war-scarred environment. He lifts his screen game from the aw-shucks, King of the Wild Frontier character to legit leading man.

This is the best I've seen from Chandler, always a capable and gifted performer. Here, he holds firm to the ruthless power-monger of his Darcy character while speaking about, and occasionally showing, his human side.

So many Westerns are black versus white, good v. evil. This one gets into the gray areas, actually spends most of its 1:40 run time in the gray. I expected a B-movie, instead saw a solid A effort with a special nod to Melvin Frank, who directed and was part of the writing team.

It's a Western that shakes off the dust and sets down the six-guns, if you dig deep and think about it.

Strange Fascination (1952)

Good characters, good performances

[7/10 · 22 April 2020]

I won't belabor you with plot details -- other reviewers have done that just fine.

I do disagree with most of the ratings that precede mine. Greatness here? No. But definitely watchable with two very real characters (that's scripting) and two solid performances.

I have no idea what the cost of making Strange Fascination was. It seemed low-cost but not corner-cutting. I'm no high-brow musically, I never heard of Hugo Haas and barely knew of Cleo Moore. I didn't enter with great expectations. I came away pleasantly surprised. I found a good mix of on-screen chemistry, despite the characters' wide variance in background and age.

Directors who act in their own films would probably want to be their own lawyers. (This means you, Heywood Allen.) Here, Haas comes out OK both in front of and behind the camera. Moore is appropriately attractive, as well as being effective.

Good, tight, well executed B-plus film. Worth your while. Mine, anyway.

Outlaw: Life, Death and Texas Football (2015)

Outlaw was his name, not his description

[9/10 · 11 April 2020]

Sports-themed, real story of a unique coach who touched lives in ways beyond athletics at three coaching stops in Arkansas and Texas. If you're a football fan in the South or Southwest, you'll see some familiar faces and a terrifically well presented and edited presentation of Lufkin High School's John Outlaw.

I worked in the sports field for 35 years . . .too many of the stories and films that reach the public are phony or hokey or simplistic. This dodges all those negatives with a fast-paced slice of life.

Sports fan or not, worth your time.

The Weekend Sailor (2016)

The best documentary no one has seen!

[10/10 · 18 September 2019]

Not to give away the story (it's at the top of this review) . . . this is 73 minutes of excitement and unexpected entertainment.

The inaugural round the world yacht race out of Portsmouth, U.K., was held 46 years ago. It was, and remains, a test of will, seamanship, and luck, as boats sail (at that time) to three locations (Cape Town, South Africa; Sydney, Australia; and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, before returning to Portsmouth).

The film's producers interview 12 members of a crew thrown together by an inexperienced sailor/Mexican businessman that piloted a yacht none of them was familiar with on the five-month voyage that included the horrific seas of the Southern Ocean, and snow and ice off Cape Horn.

This is a fabulous mix of the sea, history, sport and thrills, and a visual treat.

Nona (2017)

A quietly told, sad-but-real story

[8/10 · 13 September 2019]

So much to wrap your head around in this presentation of a poor Honduran girl who finds a way to leave home and seek her mother in the U.S. Terrifically shot in Central America and Mexico, as Sulem Calderon (the title character) seeks a new home.

The first half of the film plays like a travelogue, then events turn dark. And the viewer gets a hard-hitting message about life at, and across, the border. Politicians playing wordsmanship with the current border crisis should be required to see this before talking about, or spending our tax dollars, on, walls and resettlement camps.

The Great Buster (2018)

I notice mixed reviews on The Great Buster

[9/10 · 22 August 2019]

Unfortunate. This is an excellent piece of history,and combines two elements key in documentaries: (1) It allows a novice to get up to speed, while (2) Informing and entertaining those already familiar with the one of the giants of early film-making.

The biography comes first, followed by the high point -- the second half of the film dwells on Keaton's 10 or so feature length films.

Other than the unneeded inclusion of several younger comedians who could not have had any contact with Buster or his contemporaries, this is top notch.

Moonlight in Vermont (2017 TV Movie)

Some good elements, not nearly enough

[5/10 · 10 July 2017]

Moonlight in Vermont has some charming moments, but too often the cast simply walks through scenes and delivers dialogue we've seen and heard 100 times before.

Nice backdrop for the story. No performances that stand out. Lacey Chabert has some talent: It's allowed to shine through in maybe three of her dozen or so scenes. This is a poorly written/directed part for an actress capable of much more.

The biggest negative is the so totally predictable story line. As soon as we're introduced to her character, and that of chef Carlo Marks, we know how the final scene will end.

The overall plot had a chance: Better writing and direction might have gotten it there.

Trumped: Inside the Greatest Political Upset of All Time (2017)

Some good, some bad

[7/10 · 7 February 2017]

It's an insult to Fox, CBS, CNN, etc., to call the material in "Trumped" unprecedented. And the slant is clearly anti-Trump. Virulently so.

Still, there's a lot of good news footage and some excellent interview material here. Nice piece of history, once we reach the point where the 2016 election isn't a just-gone-by current event.

Too bad no effort was put into the reason the election came out the way it did. The obvious bias of the hosts/moderators is another drawback. There didn't seem to be even an attempt to explain the why of the outcome, just the disbelief of the non-winners.

The Guilt of Janet Ames (1947)

The impact of war, and people helping people

[8/10 · 3 July 2008]

A surprising little gem of a movie. Articulate dialog, a realistic view of the impact of war, the best performance I have seen from Melvyn Douglas, good (and awfully tough) role filled by Roz Russell. Some of the fantasy went a bit too far and I'd love to know why one of the five surviving soldiers was not shown (his wife was). I always wondered about the buddies I lost and whether I've been a good representative for their sacrifice. This show was creative and touching, some hints of film noir and an occasional light moment. I've seen over 4,000 films, probably two-thirds of which I cannot remember even with prompting. This one stands out for being different and effective. Too few like this.