Daily Archives: August 4, 2021

Aug 4 2021

Geronimo (1962) Movie Review

Director: Arnold Laven

Writer: Par Fielder (Screenplay)

Starring: Chuck Connors, Kamala Devi, Pat Conway, Armando Silvestre, Adam West, Lawrence Dobkin

Plot: In 1880s Arizona, General Crook and his troops are trying to subdue the last tribe of Apache led by Geronimo.


Tagline – The Most Defiant Warrior Of Them All!

Runtime: 1 Hour 41 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: Geronimo starts as the great Apache leader Geronimo (Connors) looks to surrender, being offered land, shelter and food by the American military, Captain William Maynard (Conway) looks to keep them under control, but he is quick to go against their agreement, selling the very land given to the Apaches.

Geronimo looks to lead the Apaches away from their captive position, giving them their freedom back, leading to a bigger battle against the American military.

Thoughts on Geronimo

Characters & Performances – Geronimo is the last great Apache leader fighting against the American military, he decides to surrender, hoping for a better future for his people, only what he is offered is nothing like the agreement and he becomes restless with the life he has been given, looking for an easy escape back to the traditions of his people. He leads his people out of the new land back into the battle for a final stand against the men trying to take their land. Chuck Connors does give us a performance where he looks like an above the rest leader, dominating the screen with his presence. Teela is the Apache that is looking to change the way they see the world, looking to bring education and break tradition to bring a future where both sides could work together, clashing with what Geronimo believes. Kamala Devi brings the beauty to a role which shows the shallow side of the Hollywood way, she does got toe to toe with Chuck through the film. Captain William Maynard is the man that was fighting for Apaches for years and now he thinks he can control them and use them, he is everything the Apaches are fighting against, the people who will take everything they have earnt. Pat Conway makes this character everything that we need to hate through the film. The film does contain the loyal fighters to Geronimo as well as the soldiers fight with Maynard, some follow him, others will question his decisions.

Story – The story here follows the legendary Apache leader Geronimo who was the last one standing against the America military looking to control all their land, he will offer his surrender, only for the terms to be turned on, leading him to lead his men back into battle, just trying to keep their freedom alive. This is a story looking back at how badly the settlers in America treated the natives, how they forced them into following their rules, only to take everything they have earnt away from them. It does show how certain sides will look to change things for the better, but the stubborn blood hungry ones will do anything to stop change happening.

Themes – Geronimo is filled with the combat action between the two sides, seeing how both deal with the problems in battle, getting whatever they want from each other, we get to see the wild west with the open beauty views that the Apache would like to live in compared to the plains they are offered.

 

Geronimo is a western that shows one of the last great battles between Apaches and American settlers trying to take their land, it does fall into the stereotypes of what people imagined instead of learnt about both sides.

Aug 4 2021

ABC Film Challenge – Sports Movies – D – A League of Their Own (1992) Movie Review

A League of Their Own – Outstanding

This is under D because of the star player Dottie Hinson.

Director: Penny Marshall

Writer: Lowell Ganz, Babaloo Mandel (Screenplay) Kim Wilson, Kelly Candaele (Story)

Starring: Tom Hanks, Geena Davis, Lori Petty, Madonna, Rosie O’Donnell, Megan Cavanagh, David Strathairn, Garry Marshall, Jon Lovitz, Bill Pullman

Plot: Two sisters join the first female professional baseball league and struggle to help it succeed amidst their own growing rivalry.


Tagline – To achieve the incredible you have to attempt the impossible.

Runtime: 2 Hour 8 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: A League of Their Own starts as World War II is raging on the owner of the Major Baseball teams back on the road, turning their attention to making a women’s league, this sees the scouts travelling America to find the best talent, sadly not only the best players, but the best looking.

Dottie Hinson (Davis) and her sister Kit Keller (Petty) are two of the women selected and joined by Mae Mordabito (Madonna), Doris Murphy (O’Donnell), Marla Hooch (Cavanagh) and many more, they end up on the Rockford Peaches, being managed by washed up alcoholic legend Jimmy Dugan (Hanks). While Jimmy has no interesting in taking part, Dottie takes charge to make sure the women make the impact that will keep them in the game they love.

Thoughts on A League of Their Own

Characters & Performances – Dottie Hinson is dairy farmer that is content with her life, with her husband at war, she doesn’t expect want much from her life, in her spare time she plays baseball, which catches the eye of a scout and recruited to join the women’s baseball league. She only agrees to join if her sister can try out and it isn’t long before she becomes the star of the league, taking control of the team and helping the league gain the attention it needs. Geena Davis is brilliant in the leading role, which is going to be said about most of this cast in the film. Kit Keller is the younger sister of Dottie, that has always lived in the shadow of Dottie, she is determined to get out of the hometown with the baseball opportunity being the first and best option for her. Jimmy Dugan is the former legendary player who saw his career taken from him by his alcoholic ways, which got him injured, unable to play or fight in the war, his name could help draw eyes on the league, he doesn’t want anything but the pay day, but soon gets invested in making his team the best, looking to finally battle his own demons. Tom Hanks gives us one of his very few unlikable characters for large parts of the film, while he doesn’t take away the fact that his character is on just as an important arc as the rest. We do get to meet a host of other players, each one with different characteristics to bring humour and reality to the situation of the time the film is taking place.

Story – The story here follows the creation of the first women’s baseball league to help keep people entertained during World War II, it shows how the women came from around the country to play in a league which wasn’t only about the sport, but about the image, they wanted pretty girls to turn heads and put a positive spin on the world, we follow one team as they overcome the problems to make it to the world series. This story shows how that even over time, the sexism in sport will still stick, to be the best here, you didn’t need to be the best player, but the best looking, which is tragic to see, but it ended up being the building blocks to get the more serious side of the sport of the ground. The story balances the character well for the most part, putting the main focus on the sisters, but the only negative side of this film does come from the fact they made a big point about Marla, first being brilliant both handed, then not being pretty enough for the league, getting her in the league, but not making a big point of anything she achieved in the league.

Themes – A League of Their Own brings us a sports drama that gets plenty of baseball in (even though I still don’t understand the game), with the hits, catches and outs along the way, showing the tactical side of trying to prepare each player for what they are facing, which is balance perfectly with the comedy, mostly from Rosie O’Donnell and Madonna, holding the series side of the film, for the big moment, which captures you attention in fear, when one of the women is going to learn about their death of their husband at war. The Settings are used to show different backgrounds the women come from, the rich owners life of luxury, the crowds coming into the game getting the attention the sport deserved and the most important side, the locker room, where the bonding needed to happen for the players to achieve what they did.

A League of Their Own an amazing sports drama, highlight the efforts of the first Women’s Baseball League and how they defined expectations to build their own legacy.

Aug 4 2021

The Pey (2021) Short Movie Review

The Pey – Is Going to Go Viral

 

Director: Ramone Menon

Writer: Ramone Menon (Screenplay)

Starring: Katie Leszynski, Noelle Miller, Daniele Manzin

Plot: After sharing a mysterious GIF online, a social media obsessed Teenager is hunted by a terrifying monster known as The Pey


Tagline – Do You Believe in The Pey?

Runtime: 9 Minutes

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Pey starts when social media obsessed teenager Ophelia (Leszynski) gets a message with a GIF, one asking is she believes in the Pey, asking to be shared in return for followers. Once Ophelia shares the GIF on her social media, her follow count starts to skyrocket, but at a price, a presence around her home, getting closer as the count goes up.

Thoughts on The Pey

Thoughts – The Pey is a short horror movie from director Ramone Menon who previous bought us ‘The Black Tape’. In The Pey we get to dive into the world of social media and how desperate people can be follows, showing how people will share things without thinking about what they are about. We get a GIF that is horror related, that will slowly start to change, becoming a warning towards the person that has shared it. This is a strong use of the idea of consequences for sharing the wrong thing on social media, while this might be down the supernatural lines, we have seen other consequences in real life for similar things before. This will play into what we have seen with technology use being used to transport an evil form, most notably with The Ring, which even evolved past the video tape idea, leaving this the first to move into the GIF idea. The creature itself is something you would never want to meet, something we could only be asking for more from. The one question I always like to ask about short films is, ‘could we see more?’ The answer for this one is yes, the idea could go in so many different directions, just from the hints we see from the comments sections on screen, leaving this short horror in the same position as ‘Lights Out’ it will pull you in, scare you and leave you wanting more encounters.

Final Thoughts – The Pey is the next short horror film that should be going viral.