Paiute Movie Reviews

Superstar Mel Gibson gives a sensitive performance as Tim, a mentally handicapped young man who falls in love with an attractive older woman played by Piper Laurie. This is more than a May-September romance - it's a study of human frailty, courage and devotion. The superb cast includes co-stars Alwyn Kurts and Pat Evison as Tim's parents.

Danny Kaye: multi-talented, cute as a button with his red hair and long dimples, funny and absolutely adorable with children. Too bad Hollywood had him play similar roles through his career: kind, shy, a bit weird sometimes but always good-natured and ready to sing (in multiple pseudo-languages) and dance. Even if you sometimes find his work a bit irritating or too expectable because of this, you might like this movie.

Here he is doing the same again, this time with a bit more panache. Hubert Hawkins (Kaye) lives in the woods with outlaws taking care of the real king, still a baby. Hawkins is reduced to being the nanny, but wishes to be a hero. And he finally gets his chance, when the king has to be transfered. Unfortunately the new king wants to have a ball and his men are looking for pretty wenches to attend it, so Hawkins' companion (Glynis Johns) gets taken. Also Hawkins makes a mistake when looking for his contact inside the castle and starts making plans with one of the greatest villains (and Sherlocks), Basil Rathbone. Alan Rickman -fans: if you still don't know Rathbone, check this one out, you might like him, too.

The princess (Angela Lansbury) has been waiting for a prince that would take him away, and she takes a fancy to Hawkins, who arrives disguised as the new jester, straight from Italian court - the best place to court Italians. He is mixed up in several plots and gets hypnotized like that *snap* in and out all the time, without knowing what's happening. So the mess is ready - and the king, the baby with the purple pimpernel, is still in the castle, in danger of being found out...

The movie is absolutely one of the best Kaye made, colourful, fast, hilarious, with wonderful word-games. Still it is a pity he never really got to try on a different kind of a role, something with some depth. But one must work and in his (or Sylvia Fine's) own words: "A jester unemployed is nobody's fool!"

The Cout Jester is my favorite movie ever! I laugh every time i see it, and laugh even more when i try saying the tounge-twisters! Great Great Great! funny songs, funny characters, funny everyhing! Even the coustumes are great! During this movie, the 'court jester' becomes a deaf old man, the princess' lover, a grand swordsman, and knight, and, of course, a court jester! Watch this movie... you'll thank me. And as they say in the movie... Get it? Got it. Good.

Danny Kaye is a classic example of a wildly talented performer who was not well-served by the movie industry. Sam Goldwyn knew to shoot Kaye in Technicolor to show off his red hair, but not to give Kaye first-rate material. In most of Kaye's films he plays some sort of congenital [dounce]. If you think stupidity came to movies only recently, you've never seen "The Kid from Brookly," "On the Riviera," and similar Kaye [stuff].

"The Court Jester" is a wonderful exception. Panama and Frank were at their peak with a wildly convoluted send-up of Robin Hood and similar derring-do. In addition to the clever wordplay, they aren't afraid to descend to the deliriously dumb -- when Glynis Johns, pretending to be a deaf-mute, makes 15 seconds worth of hand gestures that Kaye interprets as "No," he explains it's because she stutters.

The Panama-Frank direction is also on-target. When Kaye and Johns clobber John Carradine, it's shown as shadows on the wall, in the best Michael Curtiz fashion.

Danny Kaye's wife, Sylvia Fine, wrote a lot of specialty material for him. Her comic songs are often modeled on Gilbert & Sullivan; "The Maladjusted Jester" is her take on "Oh, a private buffoon" from "The Yeomen of the Guard." (I suspect she wanted to use Sullivan's music, but couldn't, as it was still under British copyright.)

Basil Rathbone reprises Sir Guy from "The Adventures of Robin Hood," and Panama-Frank gave him plenty of screen time, both as an actor and as a fencer -- Rathbone is the consummate slick villain. And what can one say about Glynis Johns but "delicious," or Mildred Natwick but "inimitable," or Angela Lansbury but "chunky"? (Sorry about that.)

Pretty much a perfect entertainment -- the ideal film to chase away the blues.

I enjoy watching Mel Gibson, even enough to watch this movie. I can appreciate how far he has come in his career. I just felt a little weird watching him as a "slow" boy working for, and eventually getting "involved" with an older woman. But, what can you say... it's Mel Gibson and hey, all actors started somewhere! : )

This is a gem of a film, starring the underrated Piper Laurie in the role of older, well to do, but lonely, business woman, Mary Horton, who befriends a very nice, physically fit, good looking, twenty something, day laborer named Tim Melville, earnestly played by a very young Mel Gibson. Tim happens to be a little simple. His family describes him as being "a few short of a full quid".

While he does work around her house, she gets to know him, as well as his protective, working class family. As time goes on, a deep fondness that ripens into love develops between the two. He brings her out of her shell, taking the edge off her loneliness and self-imposed isolation, and she teaches him to read and explains concepts that will enable him to function better in the world around him. Their symbiotic relationship and consequential poignant romance is dealt with sensitivity in the film. Based upon Colleen McCullough's book of the same name, this is a very well acted film, with fine performances by the supporting cast, as well as by the leads.

Having read the book, I can see why Gibson was chosen for the role. Tim is described as someone with features that would have inspired Praxiteles.-Classic and beautiful in Greek purportions. Despite the lack of blond hair that Colleen McCoullough ascribed her mentally diminished hero, Gibson gives him the vulnerabilty and nobility that McCoullogh describes. Piper Laurie is marvelous as Tim's employer, caretaker, and eventual love interest. The Australian landscape was gorgeous(it reminds me of Hawaii, where I lived as a child). But I was glad this film spares us the full descriptions of how Tim was treated by his co-workers. This is a very sensitive, well-thought piece, and I guess I can overlook many inconsistancies with the book and just enjoy the beauty of it.

I enjoy watching Mel Gibson, even enough to watch this movie. I can appreciate how far he has come in his career. I just felt a little weird watching him as a "slow" boy working for, and eventually getting "involved" with an older woman. But, what can you say... it's Mel Gibson and hey, all actors started somewhere! : )

This is a gem of a film, starring the underrated Piper Laurie in the role of older, well to do, but lonely, business woman, Mary Horton, who befriends a very nice, physically fit, good looking, twenty something, day laborer named Tim Melville, earnestly played by a very young Mel Gibson. Tim happens to be a little simple. His family describes him as being "a few short of a full quid".

While he does work around her house, she gets to know him, as well as his protective, working class family. As time goes on, a deep fondness that ripens into love develops between the two. He brings her out of her shell, taking the edge off her loneliness and self-imposed isolation, and she teaches him to read and explains concepts that will enable him to function better in the world around him. Their symbiotic relationship and consequential poignant romance is dealt with sensitivity in the film. Based upon Colleen McCullough's book of the same name, this is a very well acted film, with fine performances by the supporting cast, as well as by the leads.

Having read the book, I can see why Gibson was chosen for the role. Tim is described as someone with features that would have inspired Praxiteles.-Classic and beautiful in Greek purportions. Despite the lack of blond hair that Colleen McCoullough ascribed her mentally diminished hero, Gibson gives him the vulnerabilty and nobility that McCoullogh describes. Piper Laurie is marvelous as Tim's employer, caretaker, and eventual love interest. The Australian landscape was gorgeous(it reminds me of Hawaii, where I lived as a child). But I was glad this film spares us the full descriptions of how Tim was treated by his co-workers. This is a very sensitive, well-thought piece, and I guess I can overlook many inconsistancies with the book and just enjoy the beauty of it.

I really enjoyed this movie for its style and for some of the more compelling scenes. The murder is not solved and many interpretations of the "evidence" can be discussed to support the guilt or innocence of the two main suspects implicated in Elizabeth's death. It's a fun brain twister, and Tim Roth excels at playing the upper class jerk. There are a couple of memorable scenes but overall, this movie walks the line on being an involving exploration of the main characters. Almost great, but not quite.

Admittedly, I watched this movie when I thought another one was coming on the TV, and haven't seen the DVD or VHS versions, but I kept watching, since I like some of the "tough guys" in the movie, especially Tim Roth.
It's a pretty good movie, unless you keep watching it, and realize that it's a scrambled version of the old Sean Connery film "The Offense", where a suspect (who may or may not be the murderer) "turns the tables" on the cops and has an altercation with the interrogating policeman (I won't ruin the end of "The Offense", but it's more gripping, in "The Offensive" than "Deceiver", in my opinion).
Apparently Sean Connery cut a deal with his studio to make a few "artsy" movies (including "The Offense" and "The Wall") if he made a bunch of James Bond movies.
"Deceiver" is pretty ok, and I kept watching, but "The Offense" is the source, and better. Presumably there were sources for "The Offense" though, but I don't know them.
Check out "The Offense", and prepare to be "offended"!!!

In flashbacks Roth's Wayland shows real affection for Zellweger's character - Elizabeth. Elizabeth is the only person who will listen to him. (who cares) She is intuitive about him -- in one of the best scenes of the movie she notes that he had been laughing "but it wasn't a real laugh, was it?" and talks about the saddest thing being hope. The scene is strong, but I'm unclear how everything that happens ties into what we are shown here. This could have been a great film, but there is no logical explanation for the ending that fits the motivations of every character. We are given pieces just to trick us, and in the end we are not so much tricked as left with a puzzle that can't be solved. If Wayland killed Elizabeth - then Why? Why would someone kill the one person who understood them (who could see who they really were?) There could have been some fascinating psychology put into play here - if this Was the case - then wouldn't the film have been more intriguing if that subject was dealt with? - ala The Talented Mr. Ripley - and trying to understand a person who can't bear to have someone see the Truth about them - as they have been living lies all their life. Or maybe Wayland just couldn't bear to be loved ... as his parents seemed devoid of the stuff. So Elizabeth did the one unforgiveable thing, and noticed him and cared about him... this is where the script could have went for some shred of motivation for What Went Wrong -- it has all the potential and underpinnings for it, but nothing is fleshed out. Maybe it could have been saved with the scene that is missing - something between Elizabeth and Wayland. It is understandable for Wayland to lie to the cops - but it isn't right for the filmmakers to lie to us - at least not in the end - when we want the payoff of being able to decipher who did what and why. Great writers know how to finish a story. It's too bad - because this could have been a great film if someone had the foresight to put it together right. I still enjoyed watching the film for the cat and mouse games in the interrogation room... the kind of power plays I found so interesting in the early years of Homicide are in play here (if in a less sophisticated form -- or I should say a form that has less understanding of human psychology.)
There's confusion in this film, and not just the good kind of confused as you try to understand who did what.
I know it sounds like I really didn't think much of Deceiver. On the contrary, while the story has its share of problems there are times when it delivers the goods. The triangle of tension and deceit between the police detectives and Wayland is compelling. Tim Roth steals the show as Wayland. Roth is both vulnerable yet calculating and devilishly devious - a heady and interesting mix.

If you enjoy WWII movies you certainly want to catch this one with Richard Burton and James Mason. The cast, sets, and music are great. It is true classic WWII movie. Even if you aren't a war movie fan if you enjoy documentaries about the war you will enjoy this well told story of the battle for Tobruk. I was never a big fan of Burton's but I think he did a good job in this movie and "Where Eagles Dare".

It's a fine film and certainly a good one for those of us who like exciting war films. I don't think you'll be disappointed. Mason's Rommel is every bit as good as his Rommel in the earlier superb Desert Fox. But, you should know the information on the back of the case has conflicting information about the film's DVD format. In the orange box listing features it clearly notes it's Full Frame at 1.33:1. But in the small white print at the bottom it says Widescreen Version. The 1.33:1 (full screen) is the same as The Desert Fox and many other BW films of the same general time. Considering the action and character exchanges fit nicely into the full screen format, my guess is that the film was filmed in this format and the widescreen note is a typo on the case.

Richard Burton stars in this excellent war drama, directed by Robert Wise. James Mason reprises his role as Rommel, from "The Desert Fox."
I have to admit, I watched this in the hopes that I might gain some additional insight into the desert fighting in Iraq.
And I did. Even though this is a 50-year old movie, the desert scenes...the horrible reality of a "war in a desert"...gives this film another subtext for the viewer, and makes it all the more gripping.
Yes, there are the standard war-movie subplots, but for the most part, there's a lot of uncommonly good elements to this movie. The Aussie aspect, the procedural details to the raids and attacks. It's constantly involving...
Consider this a safe bet for war film fans, and an equally safe bet for those who simply enjoy a good story well told.

Although I only gave this film three stars its worth a look. Its large sets, swirling fog, moody lighting and great cast set it apart from other B films of this time period. The quality of the DVD is excellant. Vincent Price playing a man torn between right and wrong is always worth watching. A great film for Halloween.

It's funny. Unlike the other reviewer, I found "Tower of London" to be the main movie of interest on this disc, though I did enjoy both. Simply put, I liked "Tower of London" more because it gave us something different: while the half dozen or so other Corman/Price films seen thus far in the "Midnite Movies" series have given us lavish color and adaptations (or "sort of" adaptations) of Edgar Allan Poe works, "Tower of London delivered moody black & white photography and an adaptation of- of all things- a Shakespeare play. Thus, I found the movie to be a refreshing entry in this DVD series, with- believe it or not- long stretches of credibility and minimal hamminess. But like I said, the other movie is good, too, benefitting greatly from using a generous dose of H.P Lovecraft source material as well as the usual Poe themes (though it was still marketed as a Poe film and for the most part still feels like one). It was also nice to see both director Roger AND producer Gene Corman talking about these movies in the brief but very interesting interview segments included with each film. It'll be fun to see what the next few "Midnite Movies" double feature discs will be like... are there possibly any more 1960's American International Pictures Roger Corman and/or Vincent Price pics LEFT that haven't been released?

You can tell from the opening titles that The Haunted Palace will be unusually lavish for a Corman movie, even a "Poe adaption" (this nominally combines Poe with a Lovecraft-based plot.) The music is good, some of the best of any horror film of the 60's. And the credits play over actual footage, not just swirling paint. The sets and design are good, far better than the norm for AIP. The script is a solid one, from Charles Beaumont, who was likely hamstrung by circumstance in a few places, but nonetheless spins an effective and detailed if somewhat familiar tale. And the cast delivers: Price is his usual fantastic, craven, hammy self. The Juniors (Lon Chaney and Elisha Cook) are mostly wasted, but then again with a few notable exceptions (Spider-Baby, House on Haunted Hill) they always were after the 40's; it's just good to see them working. And Debra Paget is simply stunning, with any acting ability being a definite but superfluous bonus to the proceedings.

The plot has to do with a warlock (Price) being burned but cursing the townfolk and swearing his return and revenge. Years later, the warlock's good-hearted descendant (also Price) returns to the village to claim the warlock's mansion. He finds a town in waste, frightened villagers who give birth to hideous mutations, and of course, some lingering resentment. How long will it be before Price is possessed by his ancestor through the evil painting over the mantel? As you know, not too long. Price then continues his ancestor's evil work of sacrifice and trying to conjure up an ancient monster from the pit in his basement. You've likely seen it before, though maybe not in a movie from the 60's, and it's punched over with relish and skill here, not to mention some genuine gruesomeness, and will be very enjoyable to genre fans. And did I mention the music is good?

Sure, the ending lacks clarity, if not conviction (What exactly happened to the monster?), but overall HP may just be the best adaptation of Lovecraft material out there, watered-down as it is. (I'm not a fan of Re-Animator and its ilk.)

Tower of London (1962) is a rather plain Shakespearian costume drama of intrigue and murder. Think of it as Corman Meets The Bard. Price is fine, but he could portray this kind of mad monarch in his sleep, and I think he did so a few times.

He stars as a 15th-Century English gentryman who will stop at nothing to ascend to the throne. He engages in all sorts of torture and murder, none of it as sadistic or as involving as it wants to be. He grows more loony each time he murders, until finally in his insanity a vision of all his former victims rise against him...

TofL is not really horror, but has some supernatural overtones in a sense: rats, ravens, magicians and the like. So therefore it ain't historical, neither, despite being based on real events and persons: Richard III, the Plantaganets and such. There is a set-bound quality to it, and the battle scenes (if you can call them that) consist mostly of a few soldiers marching and stock footage and some edits. It all looks cheap, but was probably even cheaper than it looks, even for Corman.

Having a lesser cast also detracts; the 1939 Universal version had Karloff, Rathbone, Nan Grey and Leo G. Carroll, plus Price himself as a victim drowned in a wine vat. This has only Price, and he is unable carry this whole cardboard enterprise by his lonesome. Mildly entertaining while it's running, but disappointing at the finish, and quite forgettable.

Still, The Haunted Palace alone is worth the price of a purchase, so getting Tower of London on the same disc is merely a bonus. Recommended.

Ok, I bought the whole Howling series ... and sat down to watch it. The first Howling was great. Several of the sequels were fairly good. But this one...my lord...

This has got to be the stupiedest movie I have EVER seen! ...The plot (if you could even call it that) is ludicrous. The acting awful. The "special effects" are third rate. The whole movie just stinks!

Please, please don't waste your money on this movie. Go for some of the other Howling movies. This one isn't even worth renting, much less buying!!

Howling III is one wacked out movie. Director Philip Mora must have had his tongue firmly stuck in his cheek when he wrote and directed this film. It's about Marsupial werewolfs for goodness sake! It you take it for what it is, Howling III is entertaining for the first half. It's so odd that it keeps you interested. The last half tends to drag, and seems to overstay its welcome. This DVD is beautifully remastered, in widescreen, and comes with plenty of extras. I can't believe this movie was treated so well on its DVD release when it's not even liked that well by horror movie fans? It just strikes me as strange. Anyway, I have to say I liked the Director's communtary by Philip Mora. He seems to take this movie so seriously, saying that he "wanted to make a Howling movie he could call his own since Howling II (which he also directed) was the product of the editors and producers". I can't say that Howling III is much better than Howling II. Both are pretty lame in my book. Anyway, I like these wacked out horror movies every once-in-awhile. Make sure to also pick up the MGM's new special edition of The Howling and the Artisan double feature Howling V/Howling VI DVD to help complete your oddball werewolf collection. I wonder if Howling II and Howling IV will be released on DVD soon. I'd like to complete my collection, and lets pray that Howling (7): New Moon Rising never gets released.

Howling III - The Marsupials takes a refreshing and original approach to the standard werewolf film. I enjoyed the story line of marsupial werewolves living in the outback of Australia. If you enjoy campy, comical horror films, you'll love Howling III. *****

Ok, I bought the whole Howling series ... and sat down to watch it. The first Howling was great. Several of the sequels were fairly good. But this one...my lord...

This has got to be the stupiedest movie I have EVER seen! ...The plot (if you could even call it that) is ludicrous. The acting awful. The "special effects" are third rate. The whole movie just stinks!

Please, please don't waste your money on this movie. Go for some of the other Howling movies. This one isn't even worth renting, much less buying!!

Howling III is one wacked out movie. Director Philip Mora must have had his tongue firmly stuck in his cheek when he wrote and directed this film. It's about Marsupial werewolfs for goodness sake! It you take it for what it is, Howling III is entertaining for the first half. It's so odd that it keeps you interested. The last half tends to drag, and seems to overstay its welcome. This DVD is beautifully remastered, in widescreen, and comes with plenty of extras. I can't believe this movie was treated so well on its DVD release when it's not even liked that well by horror movie fans? It just strikes me as strange. Anyway, I have to say I liked the Director's communtary by Philip Mora. He seems to take this movie so seriously, saying that he "wanted to make a Howling movie he could call his own since Howling II (which he also directed) was the product of the editors and producers". I can't say that Howling III is much better than Howling II. Both are pretty lame in my book. Anyway, I like these wacked out horror movies every once-in-awhile. Make sure to also pick up the MGM's new special edition of The Howling and the Artisan double feature Howling V/Howling VI DVD to help complete your oddball werewolf collection. I wonder if Howling II and Howling IV will be released on DVD soon. I'd like to complete my collection, and lets pray that Howling (7): New Moon Rising never gets released.

Howling III - The Marsupials takes a refreshing and original approach to the standard werewolf film. I enjoyed the story line of marsupial werewolves living in the outback of Australia. If you enjoy campy, comical horror films, you'll love Howling III. *****

I ordered this DVD right away when I saw it was available.
It was a big mistake. I had hoped this DVD would have the same quality as Bennett-Watts "The new flyfishing basics" but it looks like a cheap transfer from plain video. You will not find any HD widescreen content on this disc.

My recollection of tropical waters are of blue waterscapes. I often thought this disc was shot in grey video instead of color.
The quality of the video is poor, in my opinion a waste of the DVD medium.

This is not a destination video but a how-to exercise, I would have liked to see more bonefish though instead of people talking about basics on reels, rods and lines. Those subjects are already properly discussed in the new flyfishing basics DVD.
Too much tech-talk and not enough fishing for my taste.

What really put me off in the beginning of this DVD was the lack of interest of the Bonefish school kids. One guy in particular was busy unpacking his reelcase why a speaker was explaining fishing rods from bamboo to graphite. I found some of the camera positions in this video very weird, like seeing this guy being more interested in fiddling with his reels then listening to the speaker. Maybe the cameraguy had one to many drinks at the time.

A real dissapointment from Bennet-Watt. I had expected high quality video from them but instead they seem to rush their old video material on DVD. My only good DVD that has saltwater flyfishing content on it still remains "Rex Hunt in the top end" from Australia's Rex Hunt. It is a PAL DVD and a reminder to all those fishing video makers out there how to do the job properly.

There are lots of destination videos out there but very few instructional how to fish Saltwater. I will recommend this to my friends. Good Job!

I've been fly fishing for 15 years or so and just started saltwater fly fishing recently. i found the DVD to be extremely informative and some of the best saltwater casting instruction I've ever seen. This is obviously older video, so the colors are alittle washed out, but the value of the instruction and ease of navigating through the material more than makes up for the older video.

For anyone who wants to improve their skills in saltwater fly fishing, this is an absolute 'must buy" item.