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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)

Funeral Home, a review by Jimmy

Title : Funeral Home (1980)

Overview
A young woman arrives at her grandmother's place to help convert it over to a bed and breakfast inn from the funeral home wich was operated by her recently departed grandfather. After completing the change and guests begin to arrive, the granddaughter hears strange noises from the basement and finds some of the guests have disappeared. Getting nowhere with the police, the granddaughter decides to get to the bottom of the mystery by going down to the locked cellar to see what's inside.

My Impression
First my usual rant when I talk about a canadian movie : I hate the fact that those films never get a good release when many of them are in fact better than many american movies made in those years. I can't understand why Evil Death was release something like 50 times on dvd, but Cannibal Girls never was or why Halloween was release a thousand times on dvd, but never Death Weekend... Ok enough with the rant mode.

Time to go on nostalgia mode : remember the time when the movies that we were renting on VHS had 3 or 4 trailers before the movie? Most of the time those films were bad and the best thing on the videotape was the trailers. This movie is one of those trailers that I've seen, but never the movie untill today.

I don't write the overview and a proof of that is the fact that this one is completly wrong, the only correct parts are the one that I've highlighted. This movie is more a suspense than a real horror movie, honestly I've no problem to say that it's as good than Psycho. The acting is really good : Kay Hawtrey (the grandmother) and Lesleh Donaldson (the granddaughter) are particullary good. In fact everyone in the cast act well and as a bonus Barry Morse from Cosmos: 1999 is in it.

Another canadian gem that I strongly recommand. 
 
Rating :

Number of film watch : 45

(From My October Horror Marathon on October 27th, 2008)

Twilight Zone, a review by addicted2dvd

82. One More Pallbearer (1/12/62)
Eccentric millionaire Paul Radin offers the use of his bomb shelter to three people who wronged him. But the price - an apology - may be too high.

My Thoughts:
This is one I seen once or twice before. It is a good episode... but not the best I ever seen. I thought that the way this episode ended was very interesting. Shows how fragile the human mind can be. Attached to the end of the episode is an old public service announcement about wearing seat belts. The only extra to go along with this episode is The Twilight Zone Radio Drama starring Morgan Britanny.

83. Dead Man's Shoes (1/19/62)
A vagrant steps into a murdered gangster's expensive shoes and is taken over by the dead man's ghost, who vows to remain on Earth to seek revenge against his killer.

My Thoughts:
This is one of the several that I have never seen before. I normally do not like anything dealing in any way with organized crime... but in this case I really enjoyed this episode. I thought the storyline was really good. Attached to the end of this episode was a TV Spot for Gunsmoke. The special features that go with this episode are a clip from the 1985 remake "Deadf Woman's Shoes" and an Isolated Score.

84. The Hunt (1/26/62)
An old hillbilly (Arthur Hunnicut) and his hound dog find themselves walking on an unfamiliar path and meet a gatekeeper, who tells them they're at the entrance to heaven. One problem: dogs are not allowed...

My Thoughts:
Another one I never seen before. And another one that enjoyed quite a  bit. I always liked stories about people that died... only didn't know they were dead at first. And this story has an added bonus of a dog helping him make the right decision. Attached to the end of this episode was a public service announcement urging families to go to church and worship together. The extras that go with this episode includes an interview with Earl Hamner and an isolated score.

85. Showdown with Rance McGrew (2/2/62)
TV cowboy star Rance McGrew (Larry Blyden) finds himself in a real Old West saloon where Jesse James (Arch Johnson) challenges him to a showdown over television's negative depiction of outlaws.

My Thoughts:
This is yet another episode I never seen before. It is a decent episode... but not one I would call a favorite. I think the previous Western episodes were better then this one. Attached to the end of this episode is a TV Spot for Gunsmoke. The extras that go with this episode includes a Commentary with Robert Cornthwaite and an Isolated Score.

86. Kick the Can (2/9/62)
Has an old man at Sunnyvale Rest Home discovered a secret to regaining youth? After playing a simple child's game, he and the other residents are rewarded with rejuvenating powers!

My Thoughts:
This one I have seen before. If I am not mistaken it was on one of the vol. discs I had before getting this complete series set. It is another good episode. though once again not one of my favorites. Attached to the end of this episode is a special announcement for Radio Free Europe Fund... a help fight Communism add. The only extra available for the extra is an Isolated Score.

87. A Piano in the House (2/16/62)
Fitzgerald Fortune, a cynical critic (Barry Morse), uses a magical player piano to disclose his party guests' hidden selves. He delights in the game, but when the tables are turned, a painful truth is revealed.

My Thoughts:
This is one I never seen before. It is a good episode. But I have seen better. I like the idea of the piece of music bringing out the true thoughts of people... but I thought the outcome was a little disappointing. I guess I just expected a little more of it. That really says something about this series when even the episodes are not as good... you still have an entertaining episode. Because even though there were episodes that were not as good... through out this series (up to this point) there hasn't been a single episode I would call bad. Attached to the end of this episode is a TV Spot for Gunsmoke. The extras available with this episode includes a Marc Zicree Interview with Buck Houghton and Earl Hamner as well as an Isolated Score.

88. The Last Rites of Jeff Myrtlebank (2/23/62)
Ever since he came back to life at his own funeral, Jeff hasn't been the same! The townspeople want him out of town, but Jeff says they have no reason to fear him. Or do they?

My Thoughts:
This is one of the few episodes I have seen before. It is one I liked alot. James Best (Dukes of Hazzard's Sheriff Roscoe) has a big part in this episode playing Jeff Myrtlebank. Since before know all I knew James Best from is The Dukes of Hazzard it was good to see him playing a country boy in this one as well. So far I would say this is one of my favorites. Attached to the end of this episode is a public service announcement to help fight mental illness. The only extra for this episode is an Isolated Score. I have a hard time calling an Isolated Score an extra... but it is in the special features menu.

89. To Serve Man (3/2/62)
The Kanamits, 9-foot tall aliens, arrive on Earth with one lofty goal: To Serve Man. They end war, they end famine. They make the military wonder: What's the catch?

My Thoughts:
Another favorite episode of mine. I have probably seen this episode 3 or 4 times before on TV. Which is a bit weird considering I have never seen most episodes of this series. Even the first time I watched this episode I found the ending to be somewhat predictable... but even so I still enjoyed every minute of the show. Attached to the end of the episode is



Episodes I seen for the First time on this set include:

   1. Judgment Night (Episode 10)
   2. And When The Sky Was Opened (Episode 11)
   3. What You Need (Episode 12)
   4. I Shot an Arrow into the Air (Episode 15)
   5. The Hitch-Hiker (Episode 16)
   6. The Purple Testiment (Episode 19)
   7. Elegy (Episode 20)
   8. Mirror Image (Episode 21)
   9. A World of Difference (Episode 23)
  10. Long Live Walter Jameson (Episode 24)
  11. People Are Alike All Over (Episode 25)
  12. Execution (Episode 26)
  13. The Big Tall Wish (Episode 27)
  14. A Nice Place to Visit (Episode 28)
  15. Nightmare as a Child (Episode 29)
  16. The Chaser (Episode 31)
  17. Mr. Bevis (Episode 33)
  18. The Mighty Casey (Episode 35)
  19. A World of his Own (Episode 36)
  20. The Man in the Bottle (Episode 38)
  21. A Thing About Machines (Episode 40)
  22. The Howling Man (Episode 41)
  23. A Most Unusual Camera (Episode 46)
  24. Dust (Episode 48)
  25. Back There (Episode 49)
  26. The Whole Truth (Episode 50)
  27. Twenty-Two (Episode 53)
  28. The Odyssey of Flight 33 (Episode 54)
  29. Static (Episode 56)
  30. The Rip Van Winkle Caper (Episode 60)
  31. The Silence (Episode 61)
  32. Shadow Play (Episode 62)
  33. The Mind and the Matter (Episode 63)
  34. Will the Real Martian Please Stand Up (Episode 64)
  35. The Arrival (Episode 67)
  36. The Mirror (Episode 71)
  37. Still Valley (Episode 76)
  38. The Jungle (Episode 77)
  39. A Quality of Mercy (Episode 80)
  40. Dead Man's Shoes (Episode 83)
  41. The Hunt (Episode 84)
  42. A Piano in the House (Episode 87)

(From Twilight Zone on April 20th, 2009)