Category: Movie Reviews

Mysteries and the Lockheed A-12 ‘Oxcart’

Just noticed this – if you look at the Wikipedia entry for the A-12 Oxcart – predecessor to the SR-17 Blackbird you will see that it says the original test pilot was Bissell and the test pilot of the first SR-71 was a Gilliland in 1964. Now if you are as familiar with the 1964 film 633 Squadron as I am (see my Questionnaire for Cliff Robertson – Cliff’s Response blog for 24 November 2010) you will know very well that Roy Grant’s navigator for one mission is a Bissell and that another pilot is called Gillibrand. Could this be coincidence? It seems even less likely when you realise that the director Walter Grauman was a combat crewman in a B-25 during WWII and mad-keen on aircraft. I wonder if he knew all about the Oxcart programme even then?

I am continuing with the final edit and spell-check of Too Bright the Sun so that I can publish in July.

Wikipedia entry for A-12 Oxcart includes this: Continue reading “Mysteries and the Lockheed A-12 ‘Oxcart’” →

Science – and Best Film Car Chase Vote

I have been concentrating on Iron II – sci-fi which is so much easier to work on when I am busy at work. I find writing about religion very draining so Ordo II will have to wait for a while.

The science for Iron I has been fascinating but trying to cram in enough of a framework to make a world or indeed a universe, believable while not boring the reader is quite a challenge. Sometimes I have a very simple idea in my head but in order to make it happen I have to do all sorts of contortions in the book.

Is it possible to have this sentence, about an alien, or does the use of ‘morse-code’ kind of break the illusion, because morse-code is only of our world? Please let me know.

“He tapped the chloro-funnel with his extended thumb-claw, in a kind of irritated morse-code, as if to warn anybody off who might want a conversation.” Continue reading “Science – and Best Film Car Chase Vote” →

The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Enter the Void and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg

I have been busy over the last few weeks. Have finished Chapter 1 of Iron II and also Chapter 1 of the follow up to Ordo Lupus and the Temple Gate. It’s all top secret though, so I can’t say anything. Instead here are some reviews of films I have seen lately:

The Bridges of Toko-Ri.
On the face of it just standard 50s Korean War drama starring William Holden and Grace Kelly. But look again. Apparently Holden only took the part on the understanding that the book’s sad ending would not be changed by the Director. And it pays off. I haven’t read the book, but it must be very thoughtful. Holden’s character, Harry Brubaker, was a hero pilot in WWII and then became a lawyer. However he is called up to fly jets in Korea and gets involved in the mission to bomb a set of bridges which are a key supply route from China so consequently very heavily defended. You might think, ‘Aha! 633 Squadron all over again!’ But no, the film veers away from that kind of feat of derring-do. Instead we find out that Holden’s character is afraid of fighting. He has a wife, Nancy – ably played in one of her last films by Grace kelly – and two children, and he just has too much to lose. Also he can’t understand why he has been called up when his status was completely inactive and reservists are still at home. Is it something to do with his ace-status?

Continue reading “The Bridges at Toko-Ri, Enter the Void and The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” →

Morals, Ethics, Movies and Writing

Well, since its the Christmas break I have been doing some thinking – more than the usual amount of thinking and also there is a new movie channel Cinemoi available to me which just shows French movies, so encouraging even more philosophical thought.

I came across this quotation in a French Movie of the 50s or early 60s called ‘Le Petit Soldat’ (The Little Soldier) starring Anna Karina: ‘Ethics is the aesthetic of the Future’ from Hegel. I thought, ‘Hmmm, that’s interesting’ and have been pondering its veracity. Of course the sentence seems a little ambiguous at first: does he mean that the aesthetic of the Future informs Ethics or the other way around? But of course if the process is two-way and simultaneous then it holds true and I would guess that is what he meant. So then I wondered if my new book (unpublished yet) Iron, (also working title Too Bright the Sun), set in the future, has an aesthetic and if it does, is that informed by my Ethics. I realised that yes, it does have an aesthetic but so far, whether this is informed by my ethics or not eludes me. Continue reading “Morals, Ethics, Movies and Writing” →

Movie Review: The Big Knife (1955)

Has anybody seen this 1955 film? Its a classic – about Hollywood corruption and very nearly didn’t get released. If you haven’t seen it, try and get hold of a copy.

Some of you may know I am a big fan of Jack Palance, who is the star of this modestly-budgeted film. Here he is at the pinnacle of his acting powers and there is some really stunning dialogue – sparkling like stardust in the ordure of Hollywood.

At times it is sluggish – overburdened with dialogue and lack of scene changes but at times it is almost Shakespearean in its witty sweep of ideas and perspectives. Tonight I will re-watch and pick out a few phrases to quote here. Okay I watched it again and here are some quotes:

Castle to Hoff: “Were you ever told that the embroidery of your speech was completely out of proportion to anything you ever had to say?” Continue reading “Movie Review: The Big Knife (1955)” →

Flowers for Algernon Reviews

I finally got to read this wonderful little novel (read the novel and not the novella – my friend Gary informs me that the longer one is better) on holiday, and I have been pondering it before writing anything about it. I also saw the film afterwards, and I comment on that later:

Flowers for Algernon – The Novel

I must say this is the ideal book for the beach. Not only does it start off with very simple text: simple words and short sentences, but it is broken up into bite-sized chunks about half-page long. It couldn’t be easier. If you haven’t read the book, you will not know that this is because the text mainly consists of diary entries by Charly Gordon, an American with learning difficulties and subnormal intelligence, who is about to undergo an operation to make him clever. I have to say right away that it is a very touching book and in no way prejudiced or insensitive. Indeed its subject matter is a great source of pathos and humour and treated with great care by its author Daniel Keyes. Continue reading “Flowers for Algernon Reviews” →

Questionnaire for Cliff Robertson – final

As you may have seen from the comments on my original post, it looks like there is a more direct route to asking Cliff these questions that emailing the webmaster on his site. Steve Thompson contacted me and said he would pass the questions on to Cliff. So after some consultation among us, here are our final questions and the intro that I will send in a pdf letter to Cliff. Continue reading “Questionnaire for Cliff Robertson – final” →

Big Boots and Land of the Pharaohs

While on holiday in Spain I had one of those really pleasant serendipitous TV experiences that mark out my TV-watching career. My second or third post on this blog was about the films 633 Squadron and the original Wicker Man, both shown back to back just before New Year’s Day. While I didn’t anticipate these, I often do find myself wishing for films and then, sure enough, within days, they appear on TV.

I had just returned from the beach, had a sleep, had a pizza and loads of chocolate (as you do on holiday), put my feet up on the sofa and started scanning the channels for something to watch. It was about 9.55pm, Telecinco news ends, and most films start around about then. I flicked the channels and saw what looked like a parade in ancient Egypt. I thought, ‘Hmm, dodgy Spanish history programme’ because the colour was like Cinerama or something but no! It actually was the 1955 film Land of the Pharaohs. Only days before, just after I had arrived in Spain, I had laid on the bed and remembered this film. I thought, ‘What I really fancy right now is watching that old Pharaoh film. Been a long time since I saw it’. And now here it was. Continue reading “Big Boots and Land of the Pharaohs” →

Questionnaire for Cliff Robertson

Having watched a long interview with Cliff Robertson – one of my favourite actors, on youtube, I find I still have a lot of questions which it would be nice to hear him answer. He has a huge interest in aircraft and blogs regularly on the subject so I have decided to email him a list of questions. Of course there is only the very slimmest chance he will ever get them as I have to email the webmaster of the site but I think it’s worth a try. If anybody wants to add a question of change one slightly let me know before next Wednesday (20 October). This is what I intend to send in an email. Continue reading “Questionnaire for Cliff Robertson” →