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Random Harvest, a review by Antares

Random Harvest





Year: 1942
Film Studio: Metro Goldwyn Mayer, Loew's Incorporated
Genre: Drama, Romance
Length: 126 Min.

Director
Mervyn LeRoy (1900)

Writing
Claudine West (1890)...Screenplay
George Froeschel (1891)...Screenplay
Arthur Wimperis (1874)...Screenplay
James Hilton (1900)...Novel

Producer
Sidney Franklin (1893)

Cinematographer
Joseph Ruttenberg (1889)

Music
Herbert Stothart (1885)...Composer

Stars
Ronald Colman (1891) as Smithy
Greer Garson (1904) as Paula
Philip Dorn (1905) as Dr. Jonathan Benet
Susan Peters (1921) as Kitty
Henry Travers (1874) as Dr. Sims
Reginald Owen (1887) as 'Biffer'
Bramwell Fletcher (1904) as Assistant
Rhys Williams (1897) as Sam

Review
       Random HarvestRandom Harvest introduces us to a soldier (Ronald Colman) who is convalescing in an asylum in a remote English town towards the end of the First World War. Suffering from a severe case of Shell Shock, he can remember nothing about himself or his past. On the night of the Armistice signing, while the guards are reveling in the proclamation of peace, he accidentally slips away from the asylum and wanders into the town. At a local pub he joins the locals in celebration and it is here where he meets Paula (Greer Garson), a traveling showgirl whose maternal instincts lead her to deduce that , as she will christen him, is in need of the kind of pampering and attention unattainable in an asylum. She therefore whisks him away to a small countryside town where over the next few months; she helps to restore his dignity and confidence.

       As the months pass by they start to fall in love and are subsequently married. During his recuperation they discover that has a talent for writing and after an editor agrees to interview him for a job at a London periodical, he sets off for the capitol. The hustle and bustle of post-war London are very far removed from the pastoral setting in which he has been living for the past year and in a moment of bewilderment he steps out into the street and into the path of an oncoming vehicle. He is knocked to the ground and when he awakens in a city hospital, we learn that his memory of his previous life has returned and that he remembers nothing that has transpired since being removed from a foxhole in France. The key to his new and now forgotten life is exactly that, a key, which is in pocket and opens the door to the cottage where his now unknown and expectant wife awaits him. It turns out that is actually Charles Rainier, the son of a prominent aristocrat and businessman who has just passed away, leaving the bulk of his estate to his missing son.

       As he settles into his old life, Charles begins to assume power over the many facets of the Rainier empire. To help him stay in focus in regards to his many holdings, he has partnered himself with his extremely efficient and beautiful secretary, who turns out to be; yes, you guessed it, Paula. When Ratings Criterion4 Stars - Historically important film, considered a classic.

(From Random Harvest (1942) on January 25th, 2010)

Get Smart, a review by Rich

7/11

Get Smart



Steve Carell is in control as Maxwell Smart, the novice agent often out of his depth but never out of options in this action comedy pitting him against the nuclear scheme of the evil spy group KAOS. Anne Hathaway partners with Max as ever capable Agent 99. And Director Peter Segal ('The Longest Yard') guides his stars (including Dwayne Johnson and Alan Arkin) through the dangerous realm of molar radios, multifunction pocketknives, exploding dental floss and more. "'Get Smart' works as an action film and its funny" (Richard Roeper, 'At The Movies With Ebert & Roeper').

I was a fan of the original series, if memory serves correctly it was shown many years ago on BBC2 soon after school finished, and it was great that so many of the immortal Maxwell quotes sneaked into the film. There is more than a touch of Austin Powers in the film, and Steve Carell is fitting in the bumbling geeky nerd role that he masterpieced on 40 year old virgin.
A comedy with too few laughs, and an action spoof with too few dramatic effects, however reasonable viewing if you park your brain for a couple of hours.
 



(From November Alphabet Marathon - Discussion/Review Thread on November 9th, 2008)

Babylon 5: Marathon, a review by DJ Doena

Synopsis: Draal invites Sheridan to Epsilon 3 to search and contact the First Ones but Sheridan is distracted with the arrival of his new political officer from Earth.

My opinion: The direction in which Earth policy is developing is quite alarming. Did anyone recognize the off-voice to whom Clark was speaking? It was Mr. Morden's voice, so the Shadows are also involved in the murder of the former Earth Alliance president Santiago.


Synopsis: Someone smuggles a drug called "Dust" onto the station. Dust gives temporarily teep abilites to normal humans. But it has strong side effects and is highly addictive. Bester comes to the station to catch these dealers, too.

My opinion: One does not know it yet, but this is a very important episode in G'Kar's character developement and I also liked the idea of disabling Bester's abilities via the sleeper drugs Ivanova's mother was forced to take.


Synopsis: There is an alien parasite that takes over the bodies of lurkers in down below. But the parasites aren't what they appear to be.

My opinion: The idea of symbiotes who keep the knowledge of the universe is interesting and the story was well told.


Synopsis: During archiological diggings a Shadow vessel is found on the Jupiter moon Ganymede. This has happend before on a digging on Mars several years back. But back then another Shadow vessel nourished the first on and both escaped. Bujt this time Earth wants the knowledge of that ship and the Babylon 5 crew cannot allow to let the ship fall into Earths hand.

My opninion: Great action flick. It shows what the White Star is capable of. Sheridan had to take a stand. His own government in league with the shadows wasn't something he could bear and he made his point very clearly although no one on Earth knows it - yet.

(From Babylon 5: Marathon on August 12th, 2007)