Charles Reynolds Movies
- 1988
Little Dorrit was intended as the cinematic equivalent to the mammoth, eight hour Royal Shakespeare Company's staging of Dickens' Nicholas Nickelby. The film was released to theatres in two parts, each running approximately three hours. The first part, subtitled "Nobody's Fault," introduced us to the seamstress title character (Sarah Pickering), who chooses to live in debtor's prison with her father (Alec Guinness). Good samaritan Derek Jacobi endeavors to help both father and daughter. The second part, also known as "Little Dorrit's Story," details Dorrit's escape from penury to lasting happiness. Eschewing the usual 19th century-style British music often heard in Dickensian adaptations, director Christine Edzard creatively-and effectively--opts for the strains of Giuseppe Verdi. Edzard's eye for period detail is also deserving of unbounded praise. Unfortunately, Part Two of Little Dorrit spends nearly half of its running time recapping Part One, utilizing much of the same footage. For those familiar with "Nobody's Fault," "Little Dorrit's Story" is more a redundancy than a continuation. Still, taken together, parts one and two all fully deserving of the enthusiastic critical commentary that greeted them upon their original release-not to mention the multiple Academy Award nominations bestowed upon the project and its participants. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Alec Guinness, Derek Jacobi, (more)
- 1982
- R
Markov the Magnificent (Don Stewart) is a magician in a small circus whose main asset is his talking chimpanzee, Alexander the Great. The magician's life is without any gray clouds; he even has some romantic interests. But then his famous monkey is chimp-napped by the dastardly lion tamer who intends to hand him over to a doctor for some very nasty experiments. Now Markov has to come up with a plan to save Alexander -- and his livelihood in the bargain. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Don Stewart
Since this no-brainer is basically a hybrid of frat-boy comedy and slasher-thriller exploitation which features no slashing, no humor, and fails to exploit anything, it's hard to determine what the producers really had in mind. The plot (it's in there somewhere) has something to do with a campus killer who likes to practice his own variety of hazing during Hell Week, but mainly it involves a lot of brain-dead college losers (played by similarly challenged non-actors) who blabber their way through one pointless dialogue scene after another before the murderer finally decides to bump them off. He could have done away with them before the cameras began rolling and saved everyone a lot of grief. Whatever fit of prudence prevented director Jimmy Huston from showing any scenes of graphic bloodletting (often the only points of interest in other lame entries from this subgenre) also manages to rob the film of whatever cheap thrills it might have been able to provide. ~ Cavett Binion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Cecile Bagdadi, Joel S. Rice, (more)
- 1971
Trying -- and failing -- to stop the wedding of Daphne (Kate Jackson) and Gerard (James Storm), Quentin (David Selby) is recaptured. Barnabas (Jonathan Frid) hopes to convince Valerie, aka Angelique (Lara Parker), to help save Quentin from the headsman's axe, but she refuses. In Parallel Time, the "other" Daphne and Catherine (also Lara Parker) discuss the cursed room at Collinwood. This episode initially aired on January 22, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1971
As Daphne (Kate Jackson) prepares to leave Collinsport with Quentin (David Selby), she is inexorably drawn back by the demonic powers of Gerard (James Storm), who again convinces her to marry him. In Parallel Time, Melanie (Nancy Barrett) and the "other" Flora (Joan Bennett) discuss a bizarre "lottery," to be held in the event of a violent death at Collinwood. This episode first aired on January 21, 1971. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1968
In this rabid anti-communist science fiction tract, scientist Arnold Kramer (Peter Arne) convinces the Pentagon that the communist Chinese are digging a complex series of tunnels from China and beneath the United States, from which they plan to detonate nuclear weapons and destroy the free world. Kramer enlists Commander Jonathan Shaw (Kerwin Mathews) to assist Kramer in trying to prevent the literal and final collapse of the U.S.A. Shaw sets up shop inside an extinct Hawaiian volcano, attempting to destroy the main supply tunnel coming from China. But before the team can complete their mission, they are captured y the evil Chinese. Now it is up to Shaw and Kramer to escape the clutches of the Chinese in order to activate a nuclear stockpile inside the tunnel and incinerate the Chinese forces. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Kerwin Mathews, Vivienne Ventura, (more)
- 1963
Novelist Mickey Spillane portrays his own creation, Mike Hammer, in The Girl Hunters. Hammer has spent seven years in an alcoholic funk after the supposed death of his secretary, Velda. He is brought back to the land of the living by his old friendly enemy, police lieutenant Pat Chambers (Scott Peters), who wants Hammer to extract some information out of a dying federal agent. This puts Mike on the trail of a subversive communist organization, the key to which seems to be sexy Laura Knapp (Shirley Eaton), the widow of a murdered senator. When Hammer determines that following this espionage trail may lead to relocating Velda, who might not be dead after all, he pursues matters with his usual fascistic tendency to pummel first and ask questions later. The Girl Hunters is the film in which Mike Hammer incapacitates an opponent by literally nailing the latter's hands to the floor. But that's kid stuff compared to the fate in store for the treacherous Laura Knapp. The Girl Hunters was filmed in its entirety in England. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Mickey Spillane, Shirley Eaton, (more)
- 1954
The Scarlet Spear was produced by George Breakston and stars John Bentley, the same creative team who later collaborated on the Kenya-filmed TV series African Patrol. Bentley plays African district officer Jim Morrison, while Martha Hyer is cast as girl reporter Christine Together, they try to persuade African chief Morasi from using a poisoned spear to dispatch a rival chief. In doing so, Morrison and Christine run afoul of centuries-old tribal tradition. Much of the film is devoted to the "rites of passage" ceremonies which Morasi must undergo to prove his worthiness to lead. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- John Bentley, Martha Hyer, (more)
- 1952
Young Anthony Pendrell plays the precocious son of Scotland Yard inspector Norman Shelley. Pendrell's efforts to emulate his father usually results in nothing but irritation for his elders. But when a boarding house becomes the headquarters for a criminal gang, it is Pendrell who cracks the case. Blind Man's Buff top-bills Zena Marshall and Sydney Taffler, but Anthony Pendrell steals the show. Watch for ubiquitous British character-actor John le Mesurier as one of the crooks. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1952
In this comedy, a newlywed couple head out for their honeymoon. Unfortunately, their mother-in-law follows close behind. Later, in Scotland, they encounter a helpful ghost who takes care of the meddling mother. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1952
In this drama, a man journeys to the posh British estate of a friend for a weekend soiree. There he learns that the real purpose of the party is to provide the host the opportunity to steal the jewels of his guests. To thwart the plan, the man and the host's adopted step-daughter team up. Unfortunately she winds up getting locked in the room where the jewels were begin stored. The host is attempting to beat a hasty retreat with the jewels but is stopped by an enterprising butler who throws a switch as his boss is attempting to scale the estate fence. The hapless thief is promptly electrocuted. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1952
Director Charles Saunders based his screenplay for Come Back Peter on a play by A.P. Dearsley. The story concerns an elderly British couple (Humphrey Lestocq, Kathleen Boutall) who move from their old home to smaller but comfortable newer digs. The couple is then invaded by their grown children, who insist upon moving in with them. Some laughs, some tears, some pretzels, some beers. Come Back Peter went down easily in a brisk 80 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- 1951
This crime drama follows the struggles of a reporter who finds himself accused of murder after he makes a bet and breaks into a house. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- 1950
"H. C." stands, of course, for "Hans Christian" in this modest British biopic. The title role is played by Ashley Glynne, minus the singing and dancing that Danny Kaye would bring to the same character in 1952. Mr. Andersen's famed children's stories are offered in cartoon form, courtesy of animation director Leon Boje. Curiously, one of the stories illustrated is Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, which, last time we looked, was not written by Andersen or any other Scandavian. Somehow, screenwriters Ronald and Jean Haines were able to distill Hans Christian Andersen's autobiography into a mere 62 minutes. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
