FRANTIC CHARACTERIZATION OF RIDLEY SCOTT'S ORIGINAL 'ALIEN'

<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/AVvXsEhN8Wcln3hjaZ1qrZqsBg__QUkIkV5J9RMya5KvPpkOG_joqBR4WM2LiRbjY6ufNeX91q7iReCbOmvoQhR1SjvP17vr8j3OjynYreefohe23xDpVJmzi4PBNTzdZq2rZ1zbmOQRVmFST83FlIqO8Gnnsl7BUFYnf31plfgv3P3KtK1jaUy6-4ipG-GgTNpU/s2180/Screen%20Shot%202026-10-24%20at%201.05.54%20AM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1476" data-original-width="2180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN8Wcln3hjaZ1qrZqsBg__QUkIkV5J9RMya5KvPpkOG_joqBR4WM2LiRbjY6ufNeX91q7iReCbOmvoQhR1SjvP17vr8j3OjynYreefohe23xDpVJmzi4PBNTzdZq2rZ1zbmOQRVmFST83FlIqO8Gnnsl7BUFYnf31plfgv3P3KtK1jaUy6-4ipG-GgTNpU/s1600/Screen%20Shot%202026-10-24%20at%201.05.54%20AM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Yaphet Kotto, John Hurt and Tom Skerritt in ALIEN Year: 1979 Rating: ****1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>In the first act of Ridley Scott's science-fiction horror classic ALIEN, composer Jerry Goldsmith's otherwise meticulously dark score is optimistically adventurous when three of seven spaceship crew-members are investigating a planet that will lead to John Hurt getting the worst stomachache in the history of exploitation cinema... </p><p></p><p>He's even the first to awake from a cryogenic slumber, being one of two Janet Leigh PSYCHO-inspired characters — deliberately misleading the audience into thinking he'll be around much longer... </p><p><span></span></p>

harry dean anderson, horror, ian holm, john hurt, ridley scott, science-fiction, sigourney weaver, thriller, tom skerritt, veronica cartwright, yaphet kotto

FRANTIC CHARACTERIZATION OF RIDLEY SCOTT'S ORIGINAL 'ALIEN'

Yaphet Kotto, John Hurt and Tom Skerritt in ALIEN Year: 1979 Rating: ****1/2 In the first act of Ridley Scott's science-fiction horror c...

RALPH BAKSHI ANIMATED ADAPTATION 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS'

<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/AVvXsEgeu18gkyCLAnneBTQuDxyX9oXOt4Fg5Bt2eP6lON1Cr4QrWsiqBcBS_E75Dv88SjR1kD3_9Gs_9RwDX8o-39TzWbHrajppHecYbKfnxiyeqog2UGGZPtWxx9PkrpI-HZcqXV0ueujeQSFi1-iPOuPJYNBwnvn-Q4YVUlJKQVux2QHzjX39X0eAapIuZ_i2/s1970/Screen%20Shot%202024-10-10%20at%2010.07.24%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1092" data-original-width="1970" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeu18gkyCLAnneBTQuDxyX9oXOt4Fg5Bt2eP6lON1Cr4QrWsiqBcBS_E75Dv88SjR1kD3_9Gs_9RwDX8o-39TzWbHrajppHecYbKfnxiyeqog2UGGZPtWxx9PkrpI-HZcqXV0ueujeQSFi1-iPOuPJYNBwnvn-Q4YVUlJKQVux2QHzjX39X0eAapIuZ_i2/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202024-10-10%20at%2010.07.24%20PM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Ralph Bakshi's THE LORD OF THE RINGS Year: 1978 Rating: **</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>As the Hobbits' legendary adventure begins... in animator Ralph Bashki's mostly maligned albeit cult-appreciated version of J. R. R. Tolkien's iconic fantasy THE LORD OF THE RINGS... it's pretty decent, involving...<br><br>And with vibrant colors more richly deep-toned than the intentionally child-geared storybook-aesthetic of the Rankin/Bass HOBBIT from the previous year, RINGS follows pretty close to the source, in both exteriors and interiors, until those chosen little ones... suddenly without their leader Gandalf the Wizard... arrive at The Prancing Pony...<span></span></p><p></p><p></p>

action, adaptation, adventure, animated, anthony daniels, fantasy, john hurt, jrr tolkien, ralph bakshi, seventies

RALPH BAKSHI ANIMATED ADAPTATION 'THE LORD OF THE RINGS'

Ralph Bakshi's THE LORD OF THE RINGS Year: 1978 Rating: ** As the Hobbits' legendary adventure begins... in animator Ralph Bashki...

WAYNE CRAWFORD PLAYS 'JAKE SPEED' STARRING KAREN KOPINS

<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/AVvXsEjSHGzONR7OOd6ey7V_4KMaMZyF0o7Xc34uw_0MxOAw4m7ILJgH9VZfwwIcswBRpupnOybPTO7KvhOi_z7XDSXIEY0kaK4sxNSvO7AmteVx303PowH-e0X2tb0SLH6qhQfXedX9v6F32ELQf6McOvUPSZXqADFGbJxFx53ThaiBUFun46zFSAJBbKw1XWpY/s1996/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-08%20at%209.52.34%20PM%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="1996" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSHGzONR7OOd6ey7V_4KMaMZyF0o7Xc34uw_0MxOAw4m7ILJgH9VZfwwIcswBRpupnOybPTO7KvhOi_z7XDSXIEY0kaK4sxNSvO7AmteVx303PowH-e0X2tb0SLH6qhQfXedX9v6F32ELQf6McOvUPSZXqADFGbJxFx53ThaiBUFun46zFSAJBbKw1XWpY/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202023-07-08%20at%209.52.34%20PM%202.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Title: JAKE SPEED Year: 1986 Rating: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>The plot of ROMANCING THE STONE involves a mousy female harlequin-style novelist living sad and single in Manhattan who, after her pretty, footloose blond sister is kidnapped, goes on an action-packed trip with a flawed yet dashing, handsome maverick who looks like her fictional hero, but only in silhouette...<br> <br>Up close, what New Yorker Karen Kopins (Jim Carrey's girl in ONCE BITTEN) sees in supposed paperback icon JAKE SPEED, played by writer/producer Wayne Crawford (along with VALLEY GIRL partner Andrew Lane), is a scruffy con man: he and his partner, Dennis Christopher's Desmond, tricked her into thinking they could find her kidnapped blond sister: a very familiar plot-line only a year following the Michael Douglas/Kathleen Turner smash hit...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p><span></span></p>

action, adventure, comedy, dennis christopher, eighties, john hurt, karen kopins, kidnapping, wayne crawford

WAYNE CRAWFORD PLAYS 'JAKE SPEED' STARRING KAREN KOPINS

Title: JAKE SPEED Year: 1986 Rating: ***1/2 The plot of ROMANCING THE STONE involves a mousy female harlequin-style novelist living sad and...

PAUL SCOFIELD IN 'A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS' WITH ORSON WELLES

<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/AVvXsEgbWmSjpLLarm_Pf75axWeFOeqsu6qAjLh-TrU5vH9VU2HL3rmAVzviYZ_Pnnij7XHGLL5AcYYy_PhGFPZd3amj3icqFdKzwsprK3qSeNqVS8Fbz1eByQ848mAkIjD1e5C1VHjb-gdvYJYoi6D4j1sFEsrpeQcElvy9cMius32CM2C4fSD5rFMplWOVEQ/s1344/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-02%20at%204.37.01%20PM.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="1344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbWmSjpLLarm_Pf75axWeFOeqsu6qAjLh-TrU5vH9VU2HL3rmAVzviYZ_Pnnij7XHGLL5AcYYy_PhGFPZd3amj3icqFdKzwsprK3qSeNqVS8Fbz1eByQ848mAkIjD1e5C1VHjb-gdvYJYoi6D4j1sFEsrpeQcElvy9cMius32CM2C4fSD5rFMplWOVEQ/s16000/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-02%20at%204.37.01%20PM.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Orson Welles in A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS Year: 19566</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Orson Welles, years after CITIZEN KANE, said the hardest role to play was probably that of Joseph Cotten's Jeb Leland, a man so determined, honest, and stubborn, he doesn't have many rooting for him, but instead, the sympathy goes to the flawed leading man... <br> <br> Far from the lead, Welles makes an appearance here as a perplexed Cardinal in the Oscar Winning A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, kickstarting an accusation that would lead to the death of the titular priest who would not bend for anyone, not even the King of England... the infamous Henry the XIII... who, played by Robert Shaw, has a voracious laugh as rich as fool's gold... <br> </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p>

england, john hurt, leo mckern, nigel davenport, orson welles, paul scofield, religion, sixties, susannah york

PAUL SCOFIELD IN 'A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS' WITH ORSON WELLES

Orson Welles in A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS Year: 19566 Orson Welles, years after CITIZEN KANE, said the hardest role to play was probably that ...

ANN CURTHOYS & NINA THOMAS IN 'THE SWEENEY: TOMORROW MAN'

<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/AVvXsEhGrWvytP5lvt5wlXRRpQ6Kpgt6oOMoI2IMLMLPoolDpY8N6a2HpHw61D0Zyvd62uy9YWuE9B_6uUbdLF5Rldt6BFMc4xIy_NGVt0-EFDLReN313QB7_2Xzq3SU5Ev42u8tvy5DhRKJoQWhJ0AfT7et46FL7nwcIHXRTNOjhCSu4ExztI7V_DdXywYuCQ/s2019/1.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2019" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGrWvytP5lvt5wlXRRpQ6Kpgt6oOMoI2IMLMLPoolDpY8N6a2HpHw61D0Zyvd62uy9YWuE9B_6uUbdLF5Rldt6BFMc4xIy_NGVt0-EFDLReN313QB7_2Xzq3SU5Ev42u8tvy5DhRKJoQWhJ0AfT7et46FL7nwcIHXRTNOjhCSu4ExztI7V_DdXywYuCQ/s16000/1.jpeg"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Title: THE SWEENEY: TOMORROW MAN Year: 1976 Rating: ***1/2</u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Another episode with an obvious inspiration drawn from Peter Falk's COLUMBO... although it has nothing to do with John Thaw as Inspector Regan or Dennis Waterman as the younger Carter badgering a suspect...</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Instead the similarity occurs in the cold open when John Hurt as computer expert Tony Gray ignites a deliberately overboard ploy in chewing-out boss George Cole... but that results in revenge and trickery instead of murder...<br></p><p><span></span></p>

ann curthoys, british, british neo noir, con man, cop, dennis waterman, garfield morgan, george cole, john hurt, john thaw, nina thomas, revenge, sweeney

ANN CURTHOYS & NINA THOMAS IN 'THE SWEENEY: TOMORROW MAN'

Title: THE SWEENEY: TOMORROW MAN Year: 1976 Rating: ***1/2 Another episode with an obvious inspiration drawn from Peter Falk's COLUMBO.....

GENE RODDENBERRY'S BRITISH-TV SCIENCE-HORROR OF 'SPECTRE'

<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/a/AVvXsEjncDMj2GBudnneTqnuPAOq8fbEicH9TYBp6nBEDx1_vkjPsAr8kZXy3C1AGsW2RXk4C-kFwlYMYvnxPNjmv28MENBoXBznirTEJaOpskvg19poRY8_lYIWPLHFoPdgv2jX2454YHOX188X--CUI76gWzLWOZWu7G4AMv12Um0NEdRdDphZGgtvx-zD6Q=s2274" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="2274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjncDMj2GBudnneTqnuPAOq8fbEicH9TYBp6nBEDx1_vkjPsAr8kZXy3C1AGsW2RXk4C-kFwlYMYvnxPNjmv28MENBoXBznirTEJaOpskvg19poRY8_lYIWPLHFoPdgv2jX2454YHOX188X--CUI76gWzLWOZWu7G4AMv12Um0NEdRdDphZGgtvx-zD6Q=s16000"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Gene Roddenberry's SPECTRE Year: 1977 Rating: ***<br></u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Gene Roddenberry had a string of failed but always intriguing TV-pilots (from <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2017/07/ohohhhThisIsPlanetEarth.html">PLANET EARTH</a> to <a href="http://www.cultfilmfreaks.com/2017/08/Qtapes.html">THE QUESTOR TAPES</a>) in-between the STAR TREK series and movies, and SPECTRE is the most unique and downright bizarre... so much so it's a British production instead of American but with two American actors at the helm... <br></p><p></p><p>Enter Robert Culp and Gig Young as a kind of science-fiction Holmes and Watson... The first is a renowned criminologist now so heavily into Black Magic that when his former partner in faithful yet boozing Dr. Ham Hamilton reconnects, Culp's William Sebastian is sitting on his mansion floor reading Tarot Cards like a regular guy plays Solitaire...</p><p><span></span></p>

ann bell, british, british tv, gene roddenberry, gig young, james villiers, john hurt, made-for-TV, robert culp, seventies, witch

GENE RODDENBERRY'S BRITISH-TV SCIENCE-HORROR OF 'SPECTRE'

Gene Roddenberry's SPECTRE Year: 1977 Rating: *** Gene Roddenberry had a string of failed but always intriguing TV-pilots (from PLANET E...

IAN HENDRY & JUNE RITCHIE FLING THROUGH 'THIS IS MY STREET'

<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/AVvXsEiP32X0Cgfs4BvwzfTQMgE8Hz6LQ4w80gplGhhl_QYUJBhyL2YeiFnPBxWC3X-NhNr-6H-12anMOxEnAnW_UGoTVT4ZELdiNsKfL2CNAOk4TCpwBEcCZn_K-mejiMxNHFQ-3TIELqV8lKu6/s2018/0.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2018" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP32X0Cgfs4BvwzfTQMgE8Hz6LQ4w80gplGhhl_QYUJBhyL2YeiFnPBxWC3X-NhNr-6H-12anMOxEnAnW_UGoTVT4ZELdiNsKfL2CNAOk4TCpwBEcCZn_K-mejiMxNHFQ-3TIELqV8lKu6/s16000/0.png"></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>June Ritchie and Ian Hendry in THIS IS MY STREET Year: 1961 Rating: ***<br></u></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Ian Hendry in a role that would have better fit a more downright handsome Laurence Harvey, but he's got the right amount of scoundrel charm that's initially fully-loaded towards pretty married June Ritchie, who <i>definitely</i> has a daughter... In fact she and her mom's loose lodger Hendry consummate after both take bonding time to find the kid...<br></p><p>But while there are a fair number of scenes with June's bored, jobless husband (Mike Pratt), they really don't seem all that married... and either way there's zero chemistry between the actors...<br></p><span></span>

annette andre, british new wave, ian hendry, john hurt, june ritchie, melodrama, philippa gail, romance, sixties

IAN HENDRY & JUNE RITCHIE FLING THROUGH 'THIS IS MY STREET'

June Ritchie and Ian Hendry in THIS IS MY STREET Year: 1961 Rating: *** Ian Hendry in a role that would have better fit a more downright han...

TITLES 'IF DOG RABBIT' AKA 'ONE LAST SCORE' AKA 'DOWN SOUTH'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OcmJ-UItZGeV4qrlopPyxcruU4PD3hEcLKDjnG7fBkLrfuIMT8J7Lp8MVQgAQvbsOEt6_5DKBMqqA7_n6QV8YDCKmqCKvpawnVGyWxCc-5D9ZqwjvC9bckUiMlMj3FPwtrVK96SLgFGa/s1600/Golpe_A_Traicion-Caratula.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><img border="0" data-original-height="961" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0OcmJ-UItZGeV4qrlopPyxcruU4PD3hEcLKDjnG7fBkLrfuIMT8J7Lp8MVQgAQvbsOEt6_5DKBMqqA7_n6QV8YDCKmqCKvpawnVGyWxCc-5D9ZqwjvC9bckUiMlMj3FPwtrVK96SLgFGa/s400/Golpe_A_Traicion-Caratula.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Year Released: 1999</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">If a dog sees the rabbit, then there's no longer a reason to chase it. The secret's out. Or else, when he sees the rabbit, without knowing the truth, the instinct is to catch the thing at all costs...</span><br> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br></span> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Either can be the meaning behind what seems to be one of the worst titles of all time, IF... DOG... RABBIT, later changed to the more conventional, simplistic and unfitting ONE LAST SCORE, a Neo Noir heist drama written and directed by Matthew Modine, taking place DOWN SOUTH (which is another video release title), first near Mexico and then within its sun-exposed streets where our anti-hero hides away with crazy brother Kevin J. O'Connor; the latter who smashed Modine's parole officer, played by David Keith, on the head after too much snooping around (Keith's girl Lisa Blount from OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN has a role</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">)...</span><br>

crime, david keith, heist, john hurt, kevin j. o'connor, lisa blount, matthew modine, neo noir, nineties

TITLES 'IF DOG RABBIT' AKA 'ONE LAST SCORE' AKA 'DOWN SOUTH'

Year Released: 1999 If a dog sees the rabbit, then there's no longer a reason to chase it. The secret's out. Or else, when he se...

JOHN HURT & RICHARD BURTON IN GEORGE ORWELL'S 1984

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyt5jb0o1c99NUxECdeLYI3N3irJIofvT6JNdFmlwoMcUpZfhGKBJcnxnunXDLpcEPMP74NZP5GEiF5TATKBycj7laeltzB4dLvKpDxcIwcZAX9c6DaMxWd_vKoqXTRnzIcWoE5x27XEJ/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+10.36.50+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="432" data-original-width="590" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxyt5jb0o1c99NUxECdeLYI3N3irJIofvT6JNdFmlwoMcUpZfhGKBJcnxnunXDLpcEPMP74NZP5GEiF5TATKBycj7laeltzB4dLvKpDxcIwcZAX9c6DaMxWd_vKoqXTRnzIcWoE5x27XEJ/s400/Screen+Shot+2017-06-18+at+10.36.50+PM.jpg" width="400"></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>John Hurt very belated Memorial from 1984 YEAR: 1984</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Having grown up part of the original STAR WARS generation, it's impossible to <i>not</i> connect that story with even the most popular of classic futuristic novels that, in this case, proceeded the science-fiction phenom by decades. The question is: Would The Dark Side consider themselves The Dark Side? In their minds, they're right, not wrong... Right? Pure Light, not the absence of light...</span><br> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br></span> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">In the 1984 version of the George Orwell adaptation of 1984, despite being purposefully overboard to capture the essence of symbolism, it's difficult to find anything lucrative about this particular totalitarian government in which most of the people are forcefully, methodically content: The dilapidated streets resemble bombarded post-War Germany, and on giant movie screens is the image of a man that looks like Adolf Hitler, somewhat, and there's no turning off the repetitious propaganda ranging from battle front updates to how much chocolate will cost "next week." Meanwhile, the people confess their "sins" to the leader and to "Big Brother," especially those who have read a book by a man named Goldstein (no, he doesn't play basketball at Carver High): his philosophy attempts to delete this horrendous future with no value whatsoever. Hell, there's not even a cool red lightsaber.</span><br>

adaptation, eighties, john hurt, richard burton, science-fiction

JOHN HURT & RICHARD BURTON IN GEORGE ORWELL'S 1984

John Hurt very belated Memorial from 1984 YEAR: 1984 Having grown up part of the original STAR WARS generation, it's impossible to n...

PAUL SCOFIELD & ROBERT SHAW IN A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfx-jSNk5nRU0d2673zTkdYeXN1Ytb2_aNxocWD7pXQs3vnfEPHLZ4Cadwv3u7AJNB9XIIsYiIbKbWggYLEMP-UlIJYmWBW2AOivuZ8P1-fuoh4-4ybfyaiuVP9e_URRc83vWZtQbpBg/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCfx-jSNk5nRU0d2673zTkdYeXN1Ytb2_aNxocWD7pXQs3vnfEPHLZ4Cadwv3u7AJNB9XIIsYiIbKbWggYLEMP-UlIJYmWBW2AOivuZ8P1-fuoh4-4ybfyaiuVP9e_URRc83vWZtQbpBg/s400/1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Orson Welles faced by Paul Scofield YEAR: 1966</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Orson Welles, years after CITIZEN KANE, said the hardest role to play was probably that of Joseph Cotten's Jeb, a man so determined, honest, and stubborn, he doesn't have many rooting for him, but instead, the praise goes to the flawed leading man...<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZXGRYvH6Zn_F_qlejxv81mKX0wiLZ95QfJQDO9VnVPgu3RhIQPctAO5k76D7O4fy1ECYVrgMqF3XOcjoybPK0adRaSvKtpaNByzNRlRhyphenhyphenOIMEUXz1wcqgoSfq13ie7SI60bhgFPBZ1I/s1600/2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdZXGRYvH6Zn_F_qlejxv81mKX0wiLZ95QfJQDO9VnVPgu3RhIQPctAO5k76D7O4fy1ECYVrgMqF3XOcjoybPK0adRaSvKtpaNByzNRlRhyphenhyphenOIMEUXz1wcqgoSfq13ie7SI60bhgFPBZ1I/s320/2.jpg" width="144" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"God or sharkin?"</td></tr> </tbody></table> Orson Welles makes an appearance in the Oscar Winning A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS, kickstarting an accusation that would lead to the death of a priest who would not bend for anyone, not even the King of England, who, played by Robert Shaw, has a voracious laugh as rich as fool's gold. Here we see the connection of Paul Scofield's Thomas More... Without going into details, he was one of the most important priests in the Church of England, and to quickly summarize the plot-line: More was the sole person against the King divorcing his wife and marrying his dead brother's sister. Ironic that, though the King is mentioned throughout, he only (really) turns up in that one jovial scene, trying to change More's heart by simply being his friend. That's a lot what Charles Foster Kane did with Jo Cotten's Jedediah Leland...<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREPRQGLDGFrCgceMReqnBqo9tD6-8s76_jw7UXvUFXIV3mJ1fyJG70NzyA8L0DbAuhgLm4IR_LqykLTWJ0RkY1ENJUNWL2pkTCQM4pah2U3I5whe_g5hyphenhyphen-AtE_ELhJaHDlEVFCfewxB4/s1600/3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiREPRQGLDGFrCgceMReqnBqo9tD6-8s76_jw7UXvUFXIV3mJ1fyJG70NzyA8L0DbAuhgLm4IR_LqykLTWJ0RkY1ENJUNWL2pkTCQM4pah2U3I5whe_g5hyphenhyphen-AtE_ELhJaHDlEVFCfewxB4/s320/3.jpg" width="278" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Susannah York with Paul Scolfield</td></tr> </tbody></table> But SEASONS is, despite an aura of Catholic propaganda, like CHARIOTS OF FIRE could be misjudged for catering to Christians (despite the main character being Jewish) – especially to those who shy away from religious-friendly cinema – more or less a poetic, and extremely ancient-set mobster film in its backstabbing and backroom dealings; a Gothic Film Noir with eerie statues and shadowy boats stealthily skimming through night lakes to darkened castle locations; or perhaps a modernized Shakespeare, but with words that are much easier to follow, and yet still delivered by British actors who seem born to speak them. Especially Scofield, whose faithfulness to God is the reason; yet for the sake of the story, and the audience, the mellow cadence he carries throughout, with only a few words raised, is what makes his performance true and natural and not what could have been a pontificating sermon, constantly reminding everyone that The King is not above God.<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYXkuQItcNHIME7Z9TTae7e0coRyTH8SO40zRdRMGdxBzoMQvdj59mqNtev24wCtab5rMb7nIMvBn7ag-8yX6BP2RaHsXur3PQ6OOJ7tug1yhOJO2JGCbkjLsSVox_kmYVuOSdxGSNQw/s1600/4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrYXkuQItcNHIME7Z9TTae7e0coRyTH8SO40zRdRMGdxBzoMQvdj59mqNtev24wCtab5rMb7nIMvBn7ag-8yX6BP2RaHsXur3PQ6OOJ7tug1yhOJO2JGCbkjLsSVox_kmYVuOSdxGSNQw/s320/4.jpg" width="253" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Twilight Time DVD Cover</td></tr> </tbody></table> There are flaws that can be blamed on the time it was made, the mid-sixties... From the decade's beginning up until around 1967, when the Renaissance Era began and would continue throughout the 70's, the FADE OUT button was overused by editors, ultimately deleting the overall importance and intensity of certain scenes... almost like they never existed... and you're never quite sure how much time before the new scene began: could be a minute or a year, making the actors have to start all over again. And while John Hurt's terrific role as a young, selfish Richard Rich, falling in step with Leo McKern's shifty middleman instigator, begins to get edgy and intriguing, the film quickly turns from a sort of Roman Catholic espionage into a downer where... well... our MAN is imprisoned for a very long time, viewed through montage, and then executed. Not only a sad thing within the story, but way too much time's spent on the decline right when things were moving...<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvr_XnxbICP1npv45m9JP0SvAn4O_Efb3nLystkuXCDeRs-X360Jnf9tKDd7m151TX8qvh8uOS27h3sbjMr9quAF4qlyOvXN7IILUxiIxsSyMBb1bDyC-JnrpNJvxSRtoN1DcdLBY1gJg/s1600/Screen+shot+2016-05-15+at+1.35.40+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvr_XnxbICP1npv45m9JP0SvAn4O_Efb3nLystkuXCDeRs-X360Jnf9tKDd7m151TX8qvh8uOS27h3sbjMr9quAF4qlyOvXN7IILUxiIxsSyMBb1bDyC-JnrpNJvxSRtoN1DcdLBY1gJg/s1600/Screen+shot+2016-05-15+at+1.35.40+AM.png" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>SeasonScore: ****</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Words are spoken, and must be paid attention to, making this a movie to experience more than once to fully grasp the entirety. And while the superb acting exceeds the direction, which is also good, along with the fade-outs, SEASONS can be encumbered with deliberate angles striving to equal the greatness of the man it represents, or the celebrated stage play in which it's based. But overall, everything does connect. And Scofield is a MAN who, truthfully, is hard to root for completely... Like Welles had stated, anyone playing a character so "right" isn't quite relatable to we common folk with a penchant for anti-heroes, and along with his suffering family, including a gorgeous Susannah York, who understand putting God above the King but not above his life, while basically shoving his family aside. But that gives more power to Scolfield's performance. He's completely on his own. His face rarely changes. And yet, not only by words, he speaks volumes. For such a saint, he wields an often devilish expression. Making this one of those roles no one else could have played. And in the old days, the Oscars were magnetized in that direction.

john hurt, leo mckern, orson welles, paul scofield, sixties

PAUL SCOFIELD & ROBERT SHAW IN A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS

Orson Welles faced by Paul Scofield YEAR: 1966 Orson Welles, years after CITIZEN KANE, said the hardest role to play was probably that o...

JOHN GOODMAN, CAMILLE CODURI & PETER O'TOOLE IN 'KING RALPH'

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_22qN7jVe5O3dzyhS_BbLGPxWI0hb1iwVZjDL676m1W-UbsY2NEGtG6HXBEsa7IPhYAlQKNfCJ-je7Vj1C-ohZq4ieFZW64Lmjq5JGzWi4hwa_ZcH4_RwLtjqB53IgZyRDCesqvpTPA4/s1600/cr11.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_22qN7jVe5O3dzyhS_BbLGPxWI0hb1iwVZjDL676m1W-UbsY2NEGtG6HXBEsa7IPhYAlQKNfCJ-je7Vj1C-ohZq4ieFZW64Lmjq5JGzWi4hwa_ZcH4_RwLtjqB53IgZyRDCesqvpTPA4/w189-h320/cr11.jpg" width="189" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>1991 rating: ***</u></td></tr> </tbody></table>Spunky, extremely cute British actress Camille Corduri spices up what could have been a mediocre comedy film, again, set in England, only this one starts out surprisingly dark… When the entire Royal Family (no kids shown) are electrocuted during a outdoor photo session sudden a sudden rainstorm, the only heir – through a random royal tryst with a waitress – is an American wannabe musician named Ralph…<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Cdtd6Y3vn322-E9aebVxKF9kwptknsQT-YNgh3mHIfvNJV0w6yD5UbAFPXabADnbP9-JR2yIgRtoUQfREvlsAyhB8FsaK0NVnV4Dh5nHTfCKtBxlwFxiiKTrR4YxUExbQN8OdAyc89s/s1600/cr9.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Cdtd6Y3vn322-E9aebVxKF9kwptknsQT-YNgh3mHIfvNJV0w6yD5UbAFPXabADnbP9-JR2yIgRtoUQfREvlsAyhB8FsaK0NVnV4Dh5nHTfCKtBxlwFxiiKTrR4YxUExbQN8OdAyc89s/w142-h200/cr9.jpg" width="142" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Camille Coduri</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> Well he<i> is</i> a musician, and severely wants to be a good one, playing a dive lounge in Vegas: Bill Murray combined with Mark Russell and John's own future BLUES BROTHER 1999 character...<br /> <br /> Soon after the first number, he’s sought out by royal middleman Richard Griffiths, who brings the reluctant loser overseas to Peter O’Toole as Sir Cedric Charles Willingham, eventually becoming a John Gielgud to Ralph’s Arthur (including a fancy bathtub)… But fish outta water Ralph, moved to England to become, you got it, King, just can’t get into the prestigious role…<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrGnosNneF5DgW3uHCjaPwUiwfIlMNpDG_K1N2Fso7-AMtrUus22Owa0H1KRTv5XM_rc95FqaxEmtkhbo7IQxWow87M4ZW8cLKpsyZGykqHQVg2w30aOMInN5x8LNhV-_HrX_z1MMSGI/s1600/crf.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmrGnosNneF5DgW3uHCjaPwUiwfIlMNpDG_K1N2Fso7-AMtrUus22Owa0H1KRTv5XM_rc95FqaxEmtkhbo7IQxWow87M4ZW8cLKpsyZGykqHQVg2w30aOMInN5x8LNhV-_HrX_z1MMSGI/s1600/crf.jpg" width="192" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>A busty Camille</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> That’s Ralph, not Goodman, who dives into the part with zeal and often trying too hard: the actor seems a bit overwhelmed in a leading cinematic role after mostly providing support for others. John's a funny guy but doesn’t have that many good lines to shine with. This allows Peter O’Toole’s droll manner to inject sporadic humor, both defending and representing Britain’s class against the shabby American firebrand, each representing their culture…<br /> <br /> <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody> <tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagd__A1aTsPmVfQ_WhYwhlA-Vme_SI4oZSh65uPpVHhAcVaBsFkCtl4GBGRIkdJEtusmONL7K8vaYjQkOH29b1ARHq9I4TFFeLZ6IR4gy_eBR7rphEd0xQF9YwyXxGCVyYHSr1ew71ko/s1600/cr1.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgagd__A1aTsPmVfQ_WhYwhlA-Vme_SI4oZSh65uPpVHhAcVaBsFkCtl4GBGRIkdJEtusmONL7K8vaYjQkOH29b1ARHq9I4TFFeLZ6IR4gy_eBR7rphEd0xQF9YwyXxGCVyYHSr1ew71ko/s1600/cr1.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>Reluctant showgirl</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> But our buxom centerpiece, Camille Corduri, helps once again: As a stripper who Ralph falls hopelessly in lust – and then love – with, she becomes the apple of his eye, turning him into a better, deeper man in the process... yeah, yeah, and all that Romantic Comedy jazz, but scenes with Goodman and Corduri surpass cliché and provide the rotund actor a chance to really act (BARTON FINK fans know he’s got more than potential), and, meanwhile, what's most important to us is our titular starlet Camille's Miranda, who battles guilt over being hired by antagonist John Hurt to get digs on the new King, allowing her to stretch beyond love interest and, now providing the audience two underdogs worth rooting for, the film rises slightly above the “common man out of his element” mainline, sprinkling some genuine humanity into the mix. Although the last act, when Ralph has to step up and get truly serious, derails the otherwise lightweight ride.<br /> <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/AVvXsEj8xf-rXia4x4T-16w8CTb8PXXd6qdr6dwYmuRXcZS9AVh_M5OzNChO5ucrzv4xQnAuv7ufW965D3n-zC87ERanhUy946lw_bAqRv1LWkpy-c2S0vrc1Npa0QUNugqD5hN38LTsW-18Y3g/s1600/11.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8xf-rXia4x4T-16w8CTb8PXXd6qdr6dwYmuRXcZS9AVh_M5OzNChO5ucrzv4xQnAuv7ufW965D3n-zC87ERanhUy946lw_bAqRv1LWkpy-c2S0vrc1Npa0QUNugqD5hN38LTsW-18Y3g/s16000/11.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>John Goodman's Ralph knighted by the new King ala Peter O'Toole</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <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/AVvXsEjEUUv6-DEgRkfnRwvJIl7Ee6UaBsUPzlNQnqYYwwjTyqtkFwGiQkStbi06yBugj1VBzp7MJqvugQ4oUdFwBB3dAVLD6vN70yAqj0VfRKJEeC1SlreqsLkCWV0mQdrfMue9ZaT2asN0KpM/s1600/13.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEUUv6-DEgRkfnRwvJIl7Ee6UaBsUPzlNQnqYYwwjTyqtkFwGiQkStbi06yBugj1VBzp7MJqvugQ4oUdFwBB3dAVLD6vN70yAqj0VfRKJEeC1SlreqsLkCWV0mQdrfMue9ZaT2asN0KpM/s16000/13.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>A proud former stripper/backmailed traitor looks on with Camille Coduri in KING RALPH</u></td></tr> </tbody></table> <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/AVvXsEiLnYPZfHxXRaYap0AkbbIy04VgIdf71y5rr0PShmHji67XProgNr4X-kh7OqzDuCojnjWnj8GkYvDZ6fPWV_50zHOa64Z5huViWbszqc5HETK9yfsaYlN0IRsghHswmKskSYadN1uda4w/s1600/cr8.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLnYPZfHxXRaYap0AkbbIy04VgIdf71y5rr0PShmHji67XProgNr4X-kh7OqzDuCojnjWnj8GkYvDZ6fPWV_50zHOa64Z5huViWbszqc5HETK9yfsaYlN0IRsghHswmKskSYadN1uda4w/s16000/cr8.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><u>A Nice Pair NUNS ON THE RUN and KING RALPH both featuring Camille Coduri</u></td></tr> </tbody></table>

camille coduri, comedy, john goodman, john hurt, nineties, peter o'toole

JOHN GOODMAN, CAMILLE CODURI & PETER O'TOOLE IN 'KING RALPH'

1991 rating: *** Spunky, extremely cute British actress Camille Corduri spices up what could have been a mediocre comedy film, again, se...

IMMORTALS

<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqqPdnJztfqdv_sK2RwfQrQ2tIb9lPGC2qN7lj5d1pZtWqdcaUK4Ry_a0plWg_Jn_oyzuzd7OjJZnPFOdZXWnybyxgpvb_ck4rmvDgmS8cxOJ_a9tdymmnASQDxSdezC5Y9foz0X9aPtZ/s1600/4.jpg" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674670386888648594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQqqPdnJztfqdv_sK2RwfQrQ2tIb9lPGC2qN7lj5d1pZtWqdcaUK4Ry_a0plWg_Jn_oyzuzd7OjJZnPFOdZXWnybyxgpvb_ck4rmvDgmS8cxOJ_a9tdymmnASQDxSdezC5Y9foz0X9aPtZ/s200/4.jpg" style="float: right; height: 220px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; width: 119px;" /></a><span style="font-weight: bold;">title:</span> IMMORTALS<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">year: </span>2011<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">cast: </span>Henry Cavill, John Hurt, Stephen Dorff<br /> <span style="font-weight: bold;">rating:</span> *1/2<br /> <br /> While it’s common for gladiator movies to have people looking like they’re straight from a modeling agency, never has one been so replete with perfectly chiseled male and female supermodels seeming fresh from a personal training session. But the problem is the setting; basically a mountaintop where there’s never any sense of adventure i.e. our heroes have nowhere else to go.<br /> <br /> The plot has evil King Hyperion, played by a grisly Mickey Roarke in scarred, distracting makeup, seeking an important weapon in order to free the titans, which would then cause… bad stuff to happen. Which it does, but only the third act harbors any sort of meaningful battle – although with so many men fighting at once, it’s never personal enough to merit our hero Theseus (Henry Cavill) as being any more than a skillful warrior in a video game.<br /> <br /> The other characters are one-dimensional and dull, including posturing beauty Frieda Pinto as the virginal "McGuffin" (a device driving the plot that no one pays attention to) and John Hurt as a narrating old man who turns into a young Zeus – yet another G.Q. pinup.<br /> <br /> Stephen Dorff’s Stavros is almost interesting – a cocky antihero the likes of Han Solo – but he soon becomes part of the vicious blender of gory C.G.I. that’s too over-the-top to look realistic, happening amongst quick-paced MATRIX style slow-motion karate... raising the question: When and where did this ancient race study Bruce Lee films?<br /> <br /> So here’s yet another movie about gods and titans taking itself way too seriously: the thunderous soundtrack and explosive effects outshining the characters, who, lacking any real depth, motivation, or purpose, seem like shiny pieces on an overpriced chessboard.

fantasy, freida pinto, john hurt, mickey rourke, stephen dorff, stephen mchattie, tens

IMMORTALS

title: IMMORTALS year: 2011 cast: Henry Cavill, John Hurt, Stephen Dorff rating: *1/2 While it’s common for gladiator movies to have ...