Meet The People (1944)

Set during WWII, a welder (Dick Powell) in a shipyard falls head over heels for a Broadway musical star (Lucille Ball). He is also a playwright and when he gives her a script for a musical show, she decides to star in it. Based on the Broadway revue and directed by Charles Reisner (THE BIG STORE). The kind of musical they don't make anymore ..... thank heaven! The barely there "plot" is a thin excuse to serve up a variety of singing, dancing and novelty acts that have nothing to do with the narrative. Unfortunately, with the exception of two numbers, the songs aren't very memorable and the novelty acts are the pits. The two standout numbers are I Like To Recognize The Tune, an ensemble number performed by June Allyson, Virginia O'Brien, Vaughn Monroe, Ziggie Talent and the King Sisters and the amusing Say That We're Sweethearts Again  sung by Virginia O'Brien. With Bert Lahr, Rags Ragland, Steven Geray and Spike Jones and the City Slickers.

Sirocco (1951)

Set in 1925 Damascus, where the Syrians are fighting against the French colonialists to get their country back. A black marketeer (Humphrey Bogart) has no moral scruples and is selling guns and ammunition to the Syrian rebels and making a handsome profit off it. Based on the novel COUP DE GRACE by Joseph Kessel (BELLE DE JOUR) and directed by Curtis Bernhardt (A STOLEN LIFE). I'm surprised that this is one of those movies that received negative reviews upon its initial release because I found it quite engrossing. Bogart isn't a hero here, he's a cynic who doesn't take sides and supplies guns and ammo because there's money in it regardless that both French and Syrians will die as a result. The film's real "hero" is the French Colonel (Lee J. Cobb in a restrained performance), who sees the futility of the war situation and tries for a truce. But he's not perfect either, he's obsessed with a chilly mistress (Marta Toren), who has nothing but contempt for him. The film eschews a romanticized "happy" ending (this is no CASABLANCA) for a cautiously optimistic one. With Everett Sloane, Zero Mostel, Gerald Mohr, Harry Guardino, Nick Dennis and Jeff Corey.

Wanted: The Sundance Woman (1976)

Etta Place (Katharine Ross), former lover of the outlaw known as the Sundance Kid, lives in anonymity with a former Hole-In-The-Wall gang member (Michael Constantine) and his wife (Katherine Helmond). But she has a bounty on her head and it isn't long before a lawman (Steve Forrest) tracks her down. Directed by Lee Philips (WINDMILLS OF THE GODS). A highly fictionalized or rather a totally fabricated account of Etta Place's life after she left Bolivia after the Sundance Kid was killed. This telefilm has her get involved with the Mexican revolution and romancing Pancho Villa (Hector Elizondo). As it is, it's a conventional western, certainly no worse than BUTCH CASSIDY AND THE SUNDANCE KID (sorry, I'm not a fan) with Ross reprising her role as Etta Place. There are two supporting performances that stand out: Elizondo as Pancho Villa and Stella Stevens as an ex-prostitute now running a respectable boarding house. With Steve Forrest, Warren Berlinger and Lucille Benson.

Gold Of The Seven Saints (1961)

Two fur trappers (Clint Walker, Roger Moore) find a fortune in gold nuggets in a Utah river. But it isn't long before friends (Robert Middleton), thieves (Gene Evans) and even a doctor (Chill Wills) all want a piece of the action. Based on the novel DESERT GUNS by Steve Frazee and directed by Gordon Douglas (TONY ROME). A drab little western that ambles along leisurely in the first half before exploding in action in the second half. The best thing about the movie is the handsome B&W wide screen cinematography by Joseph Biroc (BYE BYE BIRDIE). It's not boring but western fans have seen it all before and done better. I could see its tip of the hat to TREAUSRE OF THE SIERRA MADRE coming a mile away. With Leticia Roman, Lalo Rios and Christopher Dark.

Nickelodeon (1976)

Set in 1914, a struggling lawyer (Ryan O'Neal) is coerced into being a screenwriter (and later a director) at the urging of a film producer (Brian Keith). Meanwhile, he becomes smitten with a pretty girl (Jane Hitchcock) and makes her his leading lady. However, she has eyes for the leading man (Burt Reynolds). Directed by Peter Bogdanovich (THE LAST PICTURE SHOW). Bogdanovich wanted to make a nostalgic film about the rough "guerilla" days of making movies before Hollywood became the capital of movie making in America. The film is flat as a pancake and I'm not sure where the blame lies. Bogdanovich insisted it was studio interference while the film's original producer Irwin Winkler insists that Bogdanovich took a perfectly good screenplay and rewrote it and the result is a muddle. The film doesn't work on any level and some of the actors seem miscast, notably Burt Reynolds who at 40 is playing someone in their 20s. The film's leading lady Jane Hitchcock was a model making her film debut (she only made one other film before "retiring") and her inexperience shows. Also, the film doesn't give any indication that the burgeoning film makers have any talent. With Tatum O'Neal, John Ritter, Stella Stevens, George Gaynes and Priscilla Pointer.

Disclosure Day (2026)

A cyber security specialist (Josh O'Connor) steals a piece of extraterrestrial technology and related files from a secret arm of the U.S. government and goes on the run with his girlfriend (Eve Hewson). Simultaneously, a television meteorologist girl (Emily Blunt) suddenly begins to speak in foreign languages and has psychic ability. Unaware of the other, they are both connected. Directed by Steven Spielberg (JAWS). With a few exceptions, Spielberg's output in the 2000s, hasn't interested me. I've skipped a few and those I've seen haven't impressed me much. They've ranged from good (THE POST) to mediocre (LINCOLN) to bad (INDIANA JONES AND THE CRYSTAL SKULL). The last Spielberg movie I really loved was WAR OF THE WORLDS (2005). This one is a return to top form for Spielberg. No, it's nowhere near his masterpieces (JAWS, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, E.T.) but honestly, he'll never get there again. Like Orson Welles and CITIZEN KANE or Spike Lee and DO THE RIGHT THING, he created great cinema early in his career and nothing he (or they) has come close to achieving the same result. But this one is wonderful and I won't discuss it much because the less you know about it, the better your experience will be. My only disappointment is the John Williams score which is serviceable at best. Emily Blunt is really terrific here and good enough to be considered when the year end best actress awards get handed out. With Colin Firth, Colman Domingo, Wyatt Russell (son of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell) and Elizabeth Marvel.

How To Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008)

Hired by the editor (Jeff Bridges) of a fashionable magazine, a young Brit (Simon Pegg) moves from his native England to New York to write celebrity profiles for the glossy monthly. He soon finds himself in the limelight for his fifteen minutes of fame. Based on the memoir by Toby Young and directed by Robert B. Weide (LENNY BRUCE: SWEAR TO TELL THE TRUTH). Weide's career began in documentaries (his Lenny Bruce documentary received an Oscar nomination) and he went on to direct TV (30 episodes of CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM). The film is a fictionalized account of Toby Young's years at Vanity Fair magazine. I'm not familiar with Young's memoir but the movie portrays him as a totally insensitive moron but attempts to redeem him by turning the movie into a romantic comedy. But the damage has been done so well that his "redemption" comes across as contrived. It doesn't succeed at any level. It was a success in England but a critical and commercial failure in the U.S. With Kirsten Dunst, Megan Fox, Gillian Anderson, Danny Huston, Max Minghella, Miriam Margolyes, James Corden, Chris O'Dowd and Janette Scott.

Silver River (1948)

After being kicked out of the Union army during the Civil War, an ex soldier (Errol Flynn) goes rogue and confiscates gambling equipment to set up his own saloon and gambling hall and thus begins the growth of his empire. Based on the novel by Stephen Longstreet and directed by Raoul Walsh (HIGH SIERRA). While not wholly successful, I found this western above average. At this stage of his career, Errol Flynn was drinking heavily but his character here is much more complex than many of his swashbuckling hero roles. As he lusts after another man's (Bruce Bennett) wife (Ann Sheridan), the biblical story of David and Bathsheba is reenacted in a western setting. Reputedly, director Walsh was unhappy with the script for being too talky and eliminated what might possibly have been crucial events because the movie loses its way and by the end of the film, it's become just another western instead of the multifaceted western it had the potential to become. With Thomas Mitchell, Tom D'Andrea and Barton MacLane.

Charlie Chan At Treasure Island (1939)

When the renowned detective Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) sets out to investigate the link between several suspicious deaths and a mysterious psychic, he soon finds himself mired in intrigue. Based on the character created by Earl Derr Biggers and directed by Norman Foster (JOURNEY INTO FEAR). The 19th entry in the 20th Century Fox Charlie Chan franchise is one of the better ones. There's a plethora of suspects with a red herring or two tossed in the mix until Chan emerges victorious in the end. The overly complicated plot often seems haphazard and difficult to follow but it's a fun journey especially if you're into whodunits as I am. With Cesar Romero, Victor Sen Yung, Pauline Moore, Douglas Fowley, Louis Jean Heydt and Douglass Dumbrille.

The Slugger's Wife (1985)

A womanizing baseball player (the colorless Michael O'Keefe) falls head over heels with a rock singer (Rebecca De Mornay) and decides to settle down. But their marriage hits a wall when he expects her to put her career second and be a baseball wife. Written by Neil Simon and directed by Hal Ashy (SHAMPOO). Atrocious about sums it up! Simon hits rock bottom. Could this drek come from the pen of the man who wrote BAREFOOT IN THE PARK, THE GOODBYE GIRL or THE OUT OF TOWNERS? Apparently and the film doesn't cover Hal Ashby in glory either. O'Keefe's character is a prick and we're supposed to accept his psychotic behavior as love for his wife. Maybe if any of this were funny, it would override some of the nonsense on display here but it's a dud. To Simon's credit, he doesn't give us a happy ending with everything wrapped up in a neat little ribbon but that doesn't excuse the crappy writing preceding it. A well deserved critical and commercial flop. With Martin Ritt (yes, the director), Randy Quaid, Cleavant Derricks, Lisa Langlois, Lynn Whitfield and Georgann Johnson.

Walk Like A Dragon (1960)

A cowboy (Jack Lord) saves a Chinese girl (Nobu McCarthy) from a life of prostitution in 1870's San Francisco. When he takes her home to be his housekeeper, he draws the ire of a local Chinese man (James Shigeta) who wants the woman for himself. Co-written and directed by James Clavell (author of SHOGUN). The most unique aspect of this western is that two of its three protagonists are Asian and the interracial romance between the three as well as dealing with racism of that era. Other than that, it's a pretty conventional western. Interestingly, the film opts for a "stick with your own kind" ending rather than an interracial marriage that would challenge the status quo racism. With Mel Torme, Josephine Hutchinson, Lilyan Chauvin, Michael Pate, Benson Fong and Natalie Trundy.

Her Cardboard Lover (1942)

A love struck woman (Norma Shearer) can't trust herself around her dashing lover (George Sanders), who treats her badly. She always goes crawling back to him. So she hires a young man (Robert Taylor) to pose as her lover and to step in whenever she weakens and tries to go back to him. There's a small problem however. The young man is as crazy about her as she is with her narcissistic lover. Based on the play DANS SA CANDEUR NAIVE by Jacques Deval and directed by George Cukor (GASLIGHT). This was Shearer's final film at MGM where she was its reigning queen for many years and it's a sad swan song. There are so many problems with the movie, where does one start? Robert Taylor is miscast. Along with Tyrone Power, he was one of the handsomest stars of their era, women threw themselves at them. Here, he's all wrong as the tongue tied, shy and awkward man with a crush. It doesn't help that Taylor is ill suited to comedy. All three of the main characters are sick! Sanders is a womanizer who won't stay faithful to Shearer, she's a doormat with no pride and Taylor is a stalker who won't take no for an answer. Reputedly, Shearer turned down MRS. MINIVER to do this? With Elizabeth Patterson, Chill Wills and Frank McHugh.