bill-790
Joined Dec 2003
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Reviews27
bill-790's rating
Considering the incredible talent, music, and cinematography, "Jammin' the Blues" is extraordinary. Has to be the greatest jazz film of all time. My god! Lester Young, "Sweets" Edison, "Big Sid" Catlett, Barney Kessel, Jo Jones, etc.!!!
I have no idea how it was okayed by the studio, but it is to Warner Brothers everlasting credit that it was. Norman Granz was the technical director, undoubtedly the best Warner Brothers could have recruited at the time for the job.
"Jazz on a Summer's Day" is a close second, in my opinion. It's a really great jazz film. A longer film, but a bit uneven. Really hard to compare the two.
If you are new to jazz, this is where you should start .
I have no idea how it was okayed by the studio, but it is to Warner Brothers everlasting credit that it was. Norman Granz was the technical director, undoubtedly the best Warner Brothers could have recruited at the time for the job.
"Jazz on a Summer's Day" is a close second, in my opinion. It's a really great jazz film. A longer film, but a bit uneven. Really hard to compare the two.
If you are new to jazz, this is where you should start .
I seldom, if ever, use the word "dumbfounded". Nevertheless, that's the way I felt when I read the unbelievably negative reviews that dominate the viewer reactions to this movie.
I could understand that some people may have quibbles with "Dauntless," but the long run of 1 and 2 star ratings is simply incomprehensible. I'll bet that a few of those who rate this movie so low would give a higher rating to "Plan 9 From Outer Space."
I should mention that I have a personal reason for my interest in this movie. You see, my father actually helped build these planes at Douglas Aircraft. I am, therefore, very familiar with the plane and its place in history. And, of course, with the battle of Midway.
"Dauntless: The Battle of Midway" is not flawless. I won't discuss its shortcomings here. Rather, I would like to mention what, in my view, is right with the movie. The actual battle, I feel, is treated pretty well. The acting is fine, and I have no complaints regarding the visual effects.
The main strength of the film is its portrayal of the challenges faced and the sacrifices made the pilots who, let's not minimize this, basically won the War in the Pacific in a few short hours. It's easy for us, many decades after the battle, to ignore what it must have been like to have one's plane go down in flames, with little chance of rescue even if one had survived the crash.
"Dauntless: The Battle of Midway" may not be a great film, but it simply cannot be viewed as equal to the worst Hollywood has turned out. Yet, that's just what all the reviewers who have given it a 1 or 2 have done. I really wonder it they saw the same movie I did.
I could understand that some people may have quibbles with "Dauntless," but the long run of 1 and 2 star ratings is simply incomprehensible. I'll bet that a few of those who rate this movie so low would give a higher rating to "Plan 9 From Outer Space."
I should mention that I have a personal reason for my interest in this movie. You see, my father actually helped build these planes at Douglas Aircraft. I am, therefore, very familiar with the plane and its place in history. And, of course, with the battle of Midway.
"Dauntless: The Battle of Midway" is not flawless. I won't discuss its shortcomings here. Rather, I would like to mention what, in my view, is right with the movie. The actual battle, I feel, is treated pretty well. The acting is fine, and I have no complaints regarding the visual effects.
The main strength of the film is its portrayal of the challenges faced and the sacrifices made the pilots who, let's not minimize this, basically won the War in the Pacific in a few short hours. It's easy for us, many decades after the battle, to ignore what it must have been like to have one's plane go down in flames, with little chance of rescue even if one had survived the crash.
"Dauntless: The Battle of Midway" may not be a great film, but it simply cannot be viewed as equal to the worst Hollywood has turned out. Yet, that's just what all the reviewers who have given it a 1 or 2 have done. I really wonder it they saw the same movie I did.
This film brings back memories. I grew up in Fullerton, California, and most of the films I saw in the 1950s played our local Fox theater. I suspect that's where I saw "Flight Nurse." Haven't seen it since, but I do remember it. As I recall, it was the second film on a double bill.
"Flight Nurse" was a low budget effort, to be sure. As with many such productions, its low budget did not mean low quality. The cast was certainly competent and the script okay if not exceptional.
One scene stands out in my mind, a bit of comic relief. As I recall, several of the film's characters found themselves next to a base ammo dump. One of them was doing something not considered safe practice, perhaps getting ready to throw away a lighted match. Anyway, one of the other characters criticizes the match-thrower and points to a sign posted next to a pile of bombs. The sign says "We want this ammo to explode, just not here!" The setting of this film, Korean War medical evacuations, is an interesting one. Your time won't be wasted if you watch this film, especially if you do not expect it to be another "Sands of Iwo Jima" or "Sgt. York."
"Flight Nurse" was a low budget effort, to be sure. As with many such productions, its low budget did not mean low quality. The cast was certainly competent and the script okay if not exceptional.
One scene stands out in my mind, a bit of comic relief. As I recall, several of the film's characters found themselves next to a base ammo dump. One of them was doing something not considered safe practice, perhaps getting ready to throw away a lighted match. Anyway, one of the other characters criticizes the match-thrower and points to a sign posted next to a pile of bombs. The sign says "We want this ammo to explode, just not here!" The setting of this film, Korean War medical evacuations, is an interesting one. Your time won't be wasted if you watch this film, especially if you do not expect it to be another "Sands of Iwo Jima" or "Sgt. York."