Frank's Movie Log

Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed? (1963)

2009-05-13T15:06:42Z

Grade: D

Synopsis: A psychiatrist’s secretary (Carol Burnett) concocts a scheme involving a fake wedding to help her friend (Elizabeth Montgomery) marry a TV star (Dean Martin) who’s lost faith in marriage.

Who’s Been Sleeping in My Bed is probably most notable as the screen debut for comedienne Carol Burnett, who later achieve fame with her wildly successful variety show. Unfortunately, despite the combined comedic talents of Burnett, Elizabeth Montgomery, and Dean Martin, this film just isn’t funny. At all.

The first half of the film deals with the wives of Dean’s poker buddies, who feel neglected by their husbands and turn to Dean for attention, confusing him with the perfect man he plays on television. This is where the trouble starts. See, none of these women are remotely likable. They all come off as shrilly, nagging and clingy, and you can’t help but sympathize with their husband’s desire to escape to a poker game. That said, the husbands are no catch either, which makes you wonder why the women married them in the first place. MORE »

The Constant Gardener (2005)

2009-05-07T16:12:00Z

Grade: C-

Synopsis: After his activist wife (Rachel Weisz) is killed, a British diplomat (Ralph Fiennes), stationed in Africa, uncovers a conspiracy.

The Constant Gardener is a superbly acted and beautifully shot thriller that’s, unfortunately, devoid of any thrills.

Ralph Fiennes and Rachel Weisz are both excellent in their roles, with believable chemistry between them. Weisz carries the film’s first half, with a performance that, at times, echoes her turn in The Shape of Things (2003), while Fiennes carries the film’s later half with a solid, measured turn that resists the urge to go off the rails.

The location photography is wonderful and goes a long way toward establishing the film’s dusty, hot, atmosphere. Indeed, the Kenyan locales play almost as much of a role as Fiennes or Weisz. MORE »

The Horse Soldiers (1959)

2009-05-06T19:50:57Z

Grade: C-

Synopsis: During the Civil War, a Union Cavalry Colonel (John Wayne) clashes with a pacifist surgeon (William Holden) assigned to his outfit for a raid deep into confederate territory.

Despite the combined talents of director John Ford and stars John Wayne and William Holden, The Horse Soldiers is a disappointment, and if anyone’s to blame, it’s likely Ford.

Wayne and Holden are fine, with Holden doing a great job holding his own against the usually overpowering Wayne. Yet, the film come across as very uneven, with Ford’s usual intimacy and humanity feeling forced instead of organic, and just about the entire supporting cast failing to register opposite the two leads. MORE »

Crank: High Voltage (2009)

2009-05-22T22:06:34Z

Grade: A-

Synopsis: After Chinese mobsters steal his heart (literally), a professional assassin (Jason Statham) finds himself in need of regular jolts of electricity in order to keep his battery-powered replacement working.

Crank: High Voltage is a wonderful satire of modern action films. The opening frames, showcasing an 8-bit shoot’em up video game, foreshadow the film to come, and the following scene, featuring John de Lancie as a TV news anchor, sets the film’s near-perfect tone.

And that’s a big part of what makes Crank: High Voltage so good. It walks the fine line between over-the-top satire and smug, self-referential pomp, but never falters, and never, for a moment, takes itself too seriously. MORE »

Observe and Report (2009)

2009-04-27T22:12:52Z

Grade: C-

Synopsis: An unstable mall security guard (Seth Rogen) finds himself threatened by a detective (Ray Liotta) assigned to investigate the case of a flasher who exposed himself to a cosmetics girl (Anna Faris).

Observe and Report is like a mashup of two good movies. In this case, you’ve got a farcical physical comedy in which an overweight mall cop beats up punk kids, dates a drunken cosmetics girl, and tries to become a police officer mixed with a pitch-black comedy about egoism, fascism and the dangers of power. Unfortunately, like most mashups, the result isn’t anywhere near as good as its parts. MORE »

The Raven (1963)→ Review by justinebaltazar

2009-12-26T02:04:41Z

justinebaltazar said:

Grade: A+

I don’t understand why you didn’t like it. This movie is a really fun ride. I loved it when I was a kid. I love it still

Swing Your Lady (1938)→ Review by Sophie Jean Miranda

2009-12-09T18:18:20Z

Sophie Jean Miranda said:

Grade: B+

I loved this film. First of all I was able to find out who Louis Fazenda really was..she’s at her best in this one.And you just wonder that Hal Wallis knew he was in the money when he married her. And I loved Humphrey Bogart before he developed the snarl that made him famous. The scene where he has to chase all the chickens out of his roadster cracked me up as did the impromptu wrestling match with Fazenda where he has to say “hootie owl”. Also, Penny Singleton who went on to fame by taking up the serial role of Blondie in the Blondie and Dagwood films, here is brunette and who knew she had such a professional, controlled singing voice! That was a pleasant and fun surprise. I loved the song “I’m a Hillbilly from Manhattan.” Someone just doesn’t know a treasure when they find one.

Sophie Jean

Vegas Vampires (2003)→ Review by Tron

2009-12-01T13:53:58Z

Tron said:

Grade: F

This has GOT to be at the top of my WORST MOVIES OF ALL TIME list, Joining OPEN WATER, IN THE MIX, & JEEPERS CREEPERS. The saddest part about it is that they have the nerve to begin production on a sequel. What Im having a hard time understanding is how five (I repeat FIVE) writers can only come up with this bullsheeeit! My unborn, onconceived child can come up with a better storyline and script than this. Sadly, this movie sold to some desperate film company.

Murder, My Sweet (1944)→ Review by Robert

2009-10-25T20:00:49Z

Robert said:

Grade: A

Fantastic film noir with everything we’ve come to expect. Femme fatales, crooked, self-interested cops, evil doctors, hired goons and a witty detective. Fantastic film for film noir buffs.

The Innocents (1961)→ Review by sarah

2009-10-13T23:55:26Z

sarah said:

Grade: A+

its scary real scary

Air Force (1943)→ Review by Stephen Holton

2009-10-03T20:07:39Z

Stephen Holton said:

Grade: A

I also believe that Frank’s review is also significantly off the mark. Considering the special effects of the time, the model work is rather sophiticated. The mixture of serious events, like the death of Harry Cary’s son, and humor, like the name given to the mascot of “Mr. Moto” is developed rather well. It stands amoung other WWII films such as Humphrey Bogar’s Sahara, and Robert Montgomery’s They Were Expendable. It took until a stellar film like 12 O’clock High to factually deal with the true tole combat inflicts on normal humans in abnormal situations. Yes there is some mellow drama and a bit of race related hatred, it reflects well on the cast, crew and Mr. Hawks. Though I am somewhat biased as a former military security investigator, this film mixes the patriotic fervor with the realities of the time.

No Country for Old Men (2007)→ Response by Introspective

2009-09-27T07:39:45Z

Introspective said:

This movie is the best that I watched recently. The plot is very original and intriguing. I was surprised by the fact that Tommy Lee Jones did nothing during whole movie, he was just appearing here and there, but he didn’t affected development of story at all.

Blood Alley (1955)→ Review by Glenn Kirkland

2009-08-02T09:40:56Z

Glenn Kirkland said:

Grade: A-

Blood Alley, is a very interesting movie. It gets off to a shaky start with Wayne in a Communist prison. He is soon sprung by an unexplained bribe, the presence of a Russian uniform and a gun. But, OK, Wayne is sprung and the movie is going. From there on, the movie is pretty good.

There are some problems, in modern day, with understanding why in 1955 a Chinese village would want to leave China and the movie never explains this. Nor does it explain a few other details. But, it is a good movie.

Torn Curtain (1966)→ Review by Mr. Farquhar

2009-07-29T15:29:41Z

Mr. Farquhar said:

Grade: D

What an excruciatingly boring, poorly acted, poorly written, barely Hitchcockian, visually ugly (have you seen a grayer, drabber color pallette?), horribly dated “Cold War spy thriller.” Yeah, about as thrilling as cutting off your balls and rubbing them all over your face. Deuhrrrrrr!!!!

Some Came Running (1958)→ Review by Allen

2009-06-22T20:38:03Z

Allen said:

Grade: F

Are you folks kidding? Took the movie seriously for about 1/2 hour, then my mouth was agape for most of the rest. Talk about stereotypes. The characters are all caricatures. The tortured writer, the floozy with a heart of gold, the ice princess, the hard drinking gambler that fleeces the hick suckers, the venemous sister in law, the small town yokul who thinks he`s a bigshot and pretends his home life is happy, etc etc. The movie flounders like a narwhal brought ashore with the tide unable to get back to the ocean, wriggling and slithering in it`s attempt to find a direction after a promising start.Sinatra with no change of visual expression, same with Hyer for that matter, except for that shadowed seduction scene. Of course she had to feel guilt and shame after having sex with Frankie, after all a 35 year old is still supposed to be a virgin. I know it`s 1958 morals but come on none of this drivel didn`t feel contrived and fresh or original.MacLaine learned from her overacting and produced a much better tramp 10 years later in “Sweet Charity”, yeah she was dumb and cheap and sweet but ANNOYING as hell!I cheered when she took 2 in the back near the end of this fiasco sensing the end of this awful mess was finally within reach{Yeah}.
I guess to sum it up, I loved this crap…………..when the ” the end” words hit the screen.