Li'l Duce's Reviews Palace

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Hot Shots (1991) Not as good as other Abrahams' efforts (but this is without the Zuckers), it has too many dull moments to be really enjoyable, but some gags are good. 6\10

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The Buddy Holly Story (1978) As a biopic, it stinks: usual mild anectodes and most of the controversy left out. But it is worth seeing because as a musical performer Busey is arguably even more exciting than the Holly left to us by the few clips of him. 7\10

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That'll Be The Day (1973) I didn't expect it to be what it is. It is interesting in the part that describes the protagonist adventures out of home. Very good performance by Ringo and Moon (should have tried more at movies). I read at IMDB that the sequel is even better. 7\10

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Manolesta (1981) Probably the weakest entry in the Milian-Amendola series. Giovanna Ralli is still very attractive at a not very young age: bu she shows ponly her face and neck. obnoxious kid. 3\10

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Jackie Brown (1997) After PF my favourite Tarantino, though not in his style thanks, I presume, to a solid basis in a novel I haven't read yet. 8\10

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The Terrorists (a.k.a. Ransom) (1974) One of the rare action Connerys I had completely missed. Good thriller with lame first half but then it gains momentum and the finale comes totally unexpected. Actually I still can't understand why


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Connery subs for the British diplomat and causes the death of the undercover agent. Anyway 7\10

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Checked at IMDB and they have the same doubts. even about the

SPOILER

supposedly planted bombs.

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La nuit du carrefour (1932) The only things I found of some interest were the use of rumours alternated to the musical score in the opening credits and the selling of newspapers marking the time. The rest is boring, badly acted (Pierre Renoir is most probably the most insignificant Maigret in history) and the plot is both uninteresting and hard to believe. 4\10

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L'espoir (1939) In spite of Bazin's enthusiastic review I wasn't so excited. Interesting, but some scenes are stretched for no reason I could detect. And the rhythm suffers from that. 6\10

It can be seen at youtube but with no english subtitles, available in the french dvd I watched:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACNA33I-jdk

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Zardoz (1974) This is my third vision of this movie and I still think it sucks, like I thought when I saw ii in a cinema 40 years ago. Actually most of the time it is falling unashamedly into the ridiculous (though the scene where Connery dons a wedding gown had passed from my mind) when it is not simply boring, the plot being a rehashing of trivial themes of SF. The special effects are what might be worth seeing though: they are more effective of what I remembered and all the more so after 30 years of CGE's. 5\10

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La Fin du Monde (1931) First french talkie and a piece of crap. It seems that the original version (so I read at IMDB) ran at 180', while I saw the version running at about 100' (there's the american distributor cut which is less than a hour long: probably the best one). I doubt that the result could be much better at any of these different running lenghts. This movie is for the first part incomprehensible, kind of mystical melodrama. Then it veers toward kind of mabusesque intrigue (though the Mabuse in this case is a benign one) and then toward the catastrophic. In all these parts the result is ridiculous and boring. But I give 2\10 because the females are good-looking, especially for the times.

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La Jetée (1962) The best thing about this movie is the way it is narrated: by still photographs connected by a narrating voice and with a good OST. That makes the movie short and, as the story was concocted in presumably not more than a couple of hours, it saves you an hour or more of life to spend more profitably. 5\10.

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Forces occultes (1943)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X4IwkJdrCE

This anti freemasons and jews propaganda movie is interesting only for the cerimony of initiation. 4\10

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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (1974) I read the book a couple of times, solid candidate to best spy novel ever. The miniseries is just as good, as probably everybody here knows. Anyway, though Guinness was praised by everybody as huge for his performance, I admit that Richardson impressed me even more. Though he has little screen time compared to other characters he is remarkabke both in his mimicry and his delivery. But the cast is impressive all over. 10\10

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All Quiet On Western Front (1930) Producers showed it to Serghei Mikhailovic imagining he would be impressed...He wasn't, as we know. And really, he couldn't be. The only scene worth mentioning is the first battle scene, the rest is usual holliwoodish fare, with the anti-militaristic stance provided by the novel (i read it long time ago). The actors are all mediocre with the exception of Louis Wohleim (a Victor Mac Laglen stand-in), not helped by the dialogues (courtesy of Sherwood Anderson). I couldn't repress a laugh when I saw Beryl Mercer playing the ill mother (a year before Public Enemy). 6\10