White Heat - Back In Time Movie Review

A cop goes undercover to bring down the mob.

Starring James Cagney and Virginia Mayo.

Written by Ivan Goff, Ben Roberts and suggested by a story by Virginia Kellogg.

Directed by Raoul Walsh.

This is the third mob movie I've watched in a row and probably my least favourite.

I know it's supposed to be a classic but I don't get it. If I'd have watched it when it first came out I may have appreciated a bit more but for me it was just an okay, fun romp of a movie.

It's got practically the same plot as Donnie Brasco but of course came out many years earlier. I'd go as far as to say it's like Donnie Brasco with action scenes added. The action scenes are pretty good and the film kept my interest all the way even though it's quite a long one. But it is very dated and doesn't really stand the test of time that well. Not for me anyway. The acting is dated and so is the whole production.

I wasn't too impressed with James Cagney's performance. I found him quite wooden and hammy. The scene where he loses it in the prison dining hall just made me giggle it was so bad. I'm sure I'm on my own here because reading some of the reviews on IMDB it's heralded as the the finest mob movie ever made. But that's just the way I feel. It was an okay movie but nothing special. I'd be interested in watching some of Cagney's over stuff though.

And why was it called White Heat? Can anybody tell me?

7/10

Donnie Brasco (1997) - Back In Time Movie Review

            An FBI undercover agent infiltrates the mob.

Starring Johnny Depp and Al Pacino.

Written by Joseph D Pistone (Book), Richard Woodley (Book) and Paul Attanasio (Screenplay).

Directed by Mike Newell.

This is the second mob movie I've seen in a row and it's basically Goodfellas with a plot.

It perhaps lacks the overall polish and cinematography of Goodfellas but it makes up for it by having more plot and emotion. I didn't get to know each of the characters as much but that's probably because this is a shorter movie and based more on the relationship between the two leads as opposed to the the mob in general.

Al Pacino and Johnny Depp give good lead performances and their dynamic works well. It's my third Al Pacino film and probably my favourite. Likewise I've seen a few Johnny Depp films and this is the best performance I've seen. It's another side to him and it proves what a versatile actor he is as well as having the looks. And that's something you don't always see.

I still don't think Mob movies are really my thing but I'm enjoying catching a few and I have another one lined up. If anything I've learned a few things I didn't know before if the mob ever comes up in a pub quiz!

Just like Goodfellas this gets an 8 out of 10 but for different reasons. On a side note I was surprised to see who the director of this was considering the previous things he has directed. That's a weird one but he has done a good job.

Paper - 100 Word Fiction

When I was seven I lived in a paper house






I'd walk to my paper school every morning and into


my paper classroom


Never underestimate the benefits of a good 


quality paper school teacher



Mrs Grime 

taught me everything 

I knew and nothing that I didn't need to know 

She was the one that told me how to 

breath 

when Mum didn't come home 


That was the day I learned that paper cars 

are stupid 

because there's nothing 

to protect you when one paper car hits another paper car


That was the day the paper 

disappeared



and I stopped breathing












                                                                              (C) Ally Atherton 2016








100 words written for the 100 Word Challenge hosted by Tara Roberts

over at Thin Spiral Notebook.



Pop along and give it a go. it's not as easy as you think!

Captured By The Hawk by Aurora Springer - Book Review

A space romp across the galaxy with a splash of romance.

I read this while I'm still in the middle of reading a much bigger book so that I don't fall behind on this year's 52 book reading challenge. It's quirky, it's fun and it's a decent read. It's a been a while since I've read a Sci Fi book and this didn't disappoint me. The characters are great and the whole thing is just a fun piece of escapism. I see it more as an adventure book than a comedy.

Harmless fun and a cool way to spend a few hours.

3/5

Lucky Dip - Flash Fiction

'You get a free drink with your burger.'





Ollie put down the money and chose a can of Fanta.




'Cheers.'



'No problem kid, now you get a free chocolate bar with your drink.'




Was this guy serious?




'Go on choose one. Or I'll have to choose one for you. I won't take no for an answer.'



'This must be my lucky day' said Ollie.



'Just choose one kid.'





He chose a snickers and put it in his pocket. He paid and took his burger.




'Wait a minute, there's one more thing.'




'Really,' said Ollie, 'I think you've given me enough.'




'Not quite,' said the guy behind the counter, 'you get a free death with your Snickers. Come and choose one.'



'No thanks,' he said and went for the door, but it wouldn't open. He pushed harder. It wouldn't move.





'Free death. Pick one. I won't take no for an answer.'





The guy was crazy.





'Just let me out please, the door's jammed.'




'Choose one kid. Accident, natural causes, murder or lucky dip.'



'I really have to go,' said Ollie.




'Come on choose one or I'll choose one for you. I won't take no for an answer.'




'No. How does this thing open?'




'Last chance kid. Accident, natural causes, murder or lucky dip.'






The door flew open and he nearly ended up face down on the pavement. He plucked out his keys and ran to the car. He didn't feel like his burger any more.


He reversed out of the parking lot and saw the guy from the take away stood in the doorway. What a jerk, As he sped away he heard him shouting something and he was pretty sure what he was shouting.




Lucky Dip.





He began to sweat. Maybe it was hot in the car.




His arm began to tingle. Or maybe it was his imagination.









                                                                      




                                                                      (C) Ally Atherton 2016







308 Words

Back In Time Movie Review - The Evil Dead (1981)

A group of friends spend the night in a cabin in the mountains 

                                     and it doesn't go well.

Starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, Betsy Baker and Theresa Tilly.

Written and directed by Sam Raimi.

I think my age has a lot to answer for.

I'm guessing that if I'd watched this as a teenager I would have loved it or at least enjoyed it more than I did now as an old bloke. It definitely had lots of creepy moments and funny moments.

But from an old gits perspective I was actually a little bored watching this. I suppose when it was first released this movie would have been cutting edge and the ultimate horror flick. But I got that bored feeling in my stomach that I get when I'm reading a really boring book that I can't wait to finish so I can start the next one. It was all so repetitive. One demon possessed person attacks and then another and then another and then another. there was nothing new here and it's all been done before.

The acting was okay but a bit hammy and the special effects ( although probably brilliant in 1981) showed their age.

I'm giving it a 6/10 but my teenage self would have given it much more.

Back In Time Movie Review - Vanilla Sky

A wealthy playboy businessman is disfigured in a car accident. But all is not what it seems. 

Starring Tom Cruise, Penelope Cruz and Cameron Diaz,

Written by Alejandro Amenabar, Mateo Gil and Cameron Crowe (Screenplay).

Directed by Cameron Crowe.

Weirdly this is one of those films I've always heard of but I always thought it was some kind of action movie involving fighter pilots. In reality it is totally not what I expected it to be.

It's a very bizarre movie that starts off quite normally but then turns into a sci-fi flick. It's full of strange twists and turns and flips itself on it's head quite a lot. For me it's too bizarre and confusing for my liking. I never really got a grasp of what what going on and then the ending was pretty disappointing. It felt like a movie that was trying to be too clever for it's own good and in the end it kind of failed. Don't get me wrong I usually love twisty sci-fi movies but this wasn't my cup of tea.

Tom Cruise was Tom Cruise. For me he's a good looking guy but I'm not convinced about his acting and so his performance was average. In fact there weren't really any fantastic stand out performances in this one. Penelope Cruz was hot. But Cameron Diaz was probably the pick of the bunch if I had to choose one.

Overall a pretty disappointing movie that didn't rock my world.

6/10