• The first stage of the forum upgrades has now been completed but they remain in a degraded state and are still being worked on.
    Please read this thread for more details.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.

SMB Film Thread 2025

Status
Not open for further replies.

Three Elmore Leonard adaptations.

Get Shorty (1995) 9/10
Danny DeVito - who owned the rights - was originally slated for the John Travolta role. Good job they recast. Gene Hackman's great as a slimy film producer.
You must be logged on to see media items

Freaky Deaky (2013) 5/10
Other than Back to the Future, has Crispin Glover ever been in a film he hasn't derailed? He's in particularly eccentric form here.
You must be logged on to see media items

Mr Majestyk (1974) 8/10
Charles Bronson as an ex-criminal turned melon farmer trying to go straight. Ends up in prison after defending his Mexican workers, accidentally escapes with a mafia hitman, only for them to become sworn enemies. Decent thriller with a serious message about migrant farmworkers (not much has changed since 74).
You must be logged on to see media items
 
Thoroughly enjoyed Mr Majestyk.

Another Edgar Wallace one,,,

Attempt to Kill (1961)

A businessman fires an employee. Someone later tries to kill him. Derek Farr investigates the web of suspects and their motives.

There’s very little suspense, it’s more of a talky whodunnit. I found it to be pedestrian, yet mildly engaging. Farr is canny - I like the way he always seems to end up at the pub. Richard Pearson (whom I recognised as Victor Meldrew’s dopey brother) is camp, and JG Devlin (whom I recognised from The Desperate Hours episode of Steptoe and Son with Leonard Rossiter) is a class above. Freda Jackson is lively. The rest of the cast are functional, but can’t really do anything with the gentle material. Not bad for an easy watch.

6/10
 
Thoroughly enjoyed Mr Majestyk.

Another Edgar Wallace one,,,

Attempt to Kill (1961)

A businessman fires an employee. Someone later tries to kill him. Derek Farr investigates the web of suspects and their motives.

There’s very little suspense, it’s more of a talky whodunnit. I found it to be pedestrian, yet mildly engaging. Farr is canny - I like the way he always seems to end up at the pub. Richard Pearson (whom I recognised as Victor Meldrew’s dopey brother) is camp, and JG Devlin (whom I recognised from The Desperate Hours episode of Steptoe and Son with Leonard Rossiter) is a class above. Freda Jackson is lively. The rest of the cast are functional, but can’t really do anything with the gentle material. Not bad for an easy watch.

6/10
Are these from the TV series called Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre?
Always on last thing at night and as a schedule filler, loved them.
 
Are these from the TV series called Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre?
Always on last thing at night and as a schedule filler, loved them.
Yeah! They are classified as B pictures and had a theatrical release in this country. They were called Edgar Wallace Mysteries. They were syndicated to be shown on tv in the United States under the title ‘Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre’. Something like 48 of them were filmed at Merton Park in the early to mid 60s. They still get shown on TPTV every week, but weren’t ever on Encore, so I just bought the boxset.

The stories are self contained and decent. I’m loving looking out for the old stars in early/obscure roles. Very easy sub-hour watches.
 
Yeah! They are classified as B pictures and had a theatrical release in this country. They were called Edgar Wallace Mysteries. They were syndicated to be shown on tv in the United States under the title ‘Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre’. Something like 48 of them were filmed at Merton Park in the early to mid 60s. They still get shown on TPTV every week, but weren’t ever on Encore, so I just bought the boxset.

The stories are self contained and decent. I’m loving looking out for the old stars in early/obscure roles. Very easy sub-hour watches.
Used to love the pictures with an A & B film, cartoons and a mini documentary including the famous Telly Savalas effort "Birmingham Ain't Shit I Tell Ya".
 
I remember cartoons before a film. Class.

I think TPTV showed Telly Savalas Looks At Aberdeen recently.
Yeah, I remember the last era of cartoons being on, I think the ABC was last to run them, as the Odeon seemed to be more trailers at the time, we still had intermissions back then, i use to get the ice-cream sandwich (Basically a block of pink/white/brown ice-cream wedged between wafers).
 
Yeah, I remember the last era of cartoons being on, I think the ABC was last to run them, as the Odeon seemed to be more trailers at the time, we still had intermissions back then, i use to get the ice-cream sandwich (Basically a block of pink/white/brown ice-cream wedged between wafers).

It was quite a different experience back then. I was too young for it to be a really vivid memory, but I recall being delighted that a cartoon was on beforehand.
 
It was quite a different experience back then. I was too young for it to be a really vivid memory, but I recall being delighted that a cartoon was on beforehand.
I'm almost 53yo and the cartoons tended to be Warner Bros ones, "That's all folks". Even remember that you could smoke in the cinema back then, but was only 18 films by the end, also I sure they phased out smoking totally in the 80's, as you use to see the adults or late teens head out the exit to the outside for a drag.
 
I'm almost 53yo and the cartoons tended to be Warner Bros ones, "That's all folks". Even remember that you could smoke in the cinema back then, but was only 18 films by the end, also I sure they phased out smoking totally in the 80's, as you use to see the adults or late teens head out the exit to the outside for a drag.
We had Touché Turtle on a very faded loop.
😀
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top