MICHAEL WINNER DIRECTS OLIVER REED IN 'HANNIBAL BROOKS'

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOp0MSjHb0QcrIj9pIpQdMlDxOzx46ZSDOp34n_LHmXbjmuHNkg2UCDFccQwgbeeaYgLgNLsv0FEX9pFPL3xTF43OIx9tl3pneSSqky39CDTljNbgduUN2lx9MFvW9VFBNm4vSev6d7QmbjlATrIUxEpuuK8WQoIs1o1YJWBypo_xCwjIEWZuXeuQCNsO/s1936/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-15%20at%205.22.12%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1106" data-original-width="1936" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNOp0MSjHb0QcrIj9pIpQdMlDxOzx46ZSDOp34n_LHmXbjmuHNkg2UCDFccQwgbeeaYgLgNLsv0FEX9pFPL3xTF43OIx9tl3pneSSqky39CDTljNbgduUN2lx9MFvW9VFBNm4vSev6d7QmbjlATrIUxEpuuK8WQoIs1o1YJWBypo_xCwjIEWZuXeuQCNsO/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-01-15%20at%205.22.12%20PM.png"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Oliver Reed in HANNIBAL BROOKS Year: 1969 Rating: ***</u><u>*</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Short, quirky, extremely offbeat Michael J. Pollard is like a novelty song of an actor, with BONNIE AND CLYDE his one big hit while in other movies — like <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/search/label/michael%20winner">Michael Winner's</a> fourth collaboration with <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2020/10/system.html">THE SYSTEM</a> star <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/search/label/oliver%20reed">Oliver Reed</a> titled HANNIBAL BROOKS — Pollard doesn't really fit at all... </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Although he's almost deliberately cast against type as a gung-ho explosives-expert leading partisans around to kill Germans, and since Reed himself hardly seems part of World War II, both work together comfortably enough in a hybrid of road movie, physical comedy and action/adventure where Reed, a POW in Germany... after conveniently working in a German zoo... takes a prized elephant across enemy lines to their long-shot goal of Switzerland... </p><p><span></span></p>

action, adventure, comedy, helmuth lohner, james donald, john alderton, michael j. pollard, michael winner, nazi, oliver reed, pow, road movie, sixties, terence sewards, wolfgang preiss, world war II

MICHAEL WINNER DIRECTS OLIVER REED IN 'HANNIBAL BROOKS'

Oliver Reed in HANNIBAL BROOKS Year: 1969 Rating: *** * Short, quirky, extremely offbeat Michael J. Pollard is like a novelty song of an act...

STEVE MCQUEEN AND JAMES GARNER MAKE 'THE GREAT ESCAPE'

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oyNg-8zJuTkddWXiGvHty-UhhMSusP9Ql93nfeMymLAmBCLp0pwflQUmBUuzTS7oaW40S4HzxE_4QluqDK-4W4VFo6l88FSSxW-FUgwErG_Oj8fgSfau-DfliGWCtsIuUOiWBRaq3HMybtlSyMwFns6ZsB2m-1GRrFVi3XoVvG2bwf1UWtNBuCG_DA/s1921/0.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1189" data-original-width="1921" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8oyNg-8zJuTkddWXiGvHty-UhhMSusP9Ql93nfeMymLAmBCLp0pwflQUmBUuzTS7oaW40S4HzxE_4QluqDK-4W4VFo6l88FSSxW-FUgwErG_Oj8fgSfau-DfliGWCtsIuUOiWBRaq3HMybtlSyMwFns6ZsB2m-1GRrFVi3XoVvG2bwf1UWtNBuCG_DA/s16000/0.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Title: THE GREAT ESCAPE Year: 1963 Rating: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>While the World War II German-set Prison-of-War movie THE GREAT ESCAPE was being filmed, and would eventually make Steve McQueen a superstar, he was doing everything possible to ruin that potential since he wanted as many lines as other cast members, and would often storm off the set and at one point nearly flew back home... </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Being especially envious of James Garner as Scrounger, the token sneaky resilient fella who can get anything, and — teamed with Donald Pleasance as a completely vulnerable Forger slowly going blind — he's the most interesting and overall entertaining character, with the right combination of affable humor and focused determination... <br></p><p><span></span></p>

charles bronson, david mccallum, donald pleasence, ensemble, escape, james coburn, james donald, james garner, john leyton, prison, richard attenborough, sixties, steve mcqueen, world war II

STEVE MCQUEEN AND JAMES GARNER MAKE 'THE GREAT ESCAPE'

Title: THE GREAT ESCAPE Year: 1963 Rating: ***1/2 While the World War II German-set Prison-of-War movie THE GREAT ESCAPE was being filmed, a...

MICHAEL WINNER DIRECTS OLIVER REED IN 'THE JOKERS'

<p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOpEuHScMYbPYDu-NDmfou_apt7Q3D0bkRjcr3dkSPmNn8vrY0YeuYK7oEtzlIkkhusQTH9kCc6asqOE7VXD82PR_1aDd9TmfWei0KWQv4_8ewqg8fG0u-XpGT-4FXbAi1Y-7GsL1fMFiUvqiokvRugQo8Ra86JR5gAHWnSb657M08ru1J6CFak27YA/s1352/1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrOpEuHScMYbPYDu-NDmfou_apt7Q3D0bkRjcr3dkSPmNn8vrY0YeuYK7oEtzlIkkhusQTH9kCc6asqOE7VXD82PR_1aDd9TmfWei0KWQv4_8ewqg8fG0u-XpGT-4FXbAi1Y-7GsL1fMFiUvqiokvRugQo8Ra86JR5gAHWnSb657M08ru1J6CFak27YA/s16000/1.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Title: THE JOKERS Year: 1967 Rating: **</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The most disappointing of director Michael Winner and actor Oliver Reed's 1960's collaborations following their first and best, <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2020/10/system.html">THE SYSTEM</a> and before (the same year as)<a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2022/05/reedwelles.html"> I'LL NEVER FORGET WHAT'S'ISNAME</a> and then <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2022/05/olliephant.html">HANNIBAL BROOKS</a>, the crime comedy THE JOKERS is too broad for a caper and not humorous enough for a comedy...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Two brothers, one an ex-military man played by 12-year-old-voiced <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2022/02/bakerwinner.html">Michael Crawford</a>, horribly miscast, and his far more potentially-intriguing, womanizing brother <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/search/label/oliver%20reed">Oliver Reed</a>, attempt a media-frenzied heist on the Crown Jewels while playing cat-and-mouse with a trio of Royal keystone-like cops and there's so much running around not much lands in the form of the characters being developed beyond their gimmicky circumstance that, from beginning to end, this duo seems far too protected from the audience hoping they don't fail: which is the most important element of any heist film, comedic or otherwise.</p><p><span></span></p>

caper, comedy, counter-culture, crime, james donald, michael crawford, michael winner, oliver reed, sixties

MICHAEL WINNER DIRECTS OLIVER REED IN 'THE JOKERS'

Title: THE JOKERS Year: 1967 Rating: ** The most disappointing of director Michael Winner and actor Oliver Reed's 1960's collaborati...

KIRK DOUGLAS & TONY CURTIS PILLAGE THROUGH 'THE VIKINGS'

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRuaEAKuNz4Z_pbWmA3tFbDrP7OPraM2FqG1KzZHTzQDnveXRRbMG5VMgtmMarUDNL3_N76xMHoVSPtbt4qMFk8u8LpeaYtxJrhOTNP6r7mZM1lwlqBcvAZyr2-pTx6seaTQAGAehl_wL/s1600/1-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1389" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwRuaEAKuNz4Z_pbWmA3tFbDrP7OPraM2FqG1KzZHTzQDnveXRRbMG5VMgtmMarUDNL3_N76xMHoVSPtbt4qMFk8u8LpeaYtxJrhOTNP6r7mZM1lwlqBcvAZyr2-pTx6seaTQAGAehl_wL/s1600/1-1.jpeg"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Mountain waterfall with James Donald and Ernest Borgnine in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS Year: 1958</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Can you have a bonafide epic with only three Viking ships? Well Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS at least plays like one thanks to a booming opening narration by Orson Welles and especially Kirk Douglas's usual spirited acting style, neatly curbed by a much more subtle Tony Curtis as his unaware half brother....<br> <br> The latter an assertive, resilient Viking slave who, we learn from the prologue, is related to Douglas from an England-set pillaging rape by their Viking king father, Ernest Borgnine, full of hearty laughs and a brawling beard, gulping gallons of grog during various scenes in a noisy tavern where the Vikings party like it's 1099.<br>

almut berg, ernest borgnine, fifties, james donald, janet leigh, kirk douglas, orson welles, richard fleischer, tony curtis

KIRK DOUGLAS & TONY CURTIS PILLAGE THROUGH 'THE VIKINGS'

Mountain waterfall with James Donald and Ernest Borgnine in Richard Fleischer's THE VIKINGS Year: 1958 Can you have a bonafide epic ...