ditkomaniac

Competent musicians, slightly below average vaudeville comedy, dancing is barely mediocre except for the male tap dancer who is fun to watch for the first minute, but then you can't wait for him to be done.

It's good to hear a steel guitar used as prominently as it is in this short.

Appolon's mandolin playing is pretty good and worth watching.

The characters around Appolon could just as well have been cardboard cutouts, especially the band which has no life whatsoever.

Appolon's native Russian accent is so cheesy, you almost think he's doing some kind of schtick rather than actually having an accent.

Bottom line: If it's on and nothing else is, give it 20 minutes of your time.

This is a wonderful account of the events leading up to the departure of MacArthur from the Phillipines. Parts of it are told in narrative style which lends a historic credibility to it, but the main focus on the movie is the hardships that our service personnel face when placed in tough situations. The primary characters are the Army nurses, with powerful leads played by Colbert, Goddard, Lake and Britton. Two male characters, one by TV Superman George Reeves (long before his red cape days) and one by Sonny Tufts who lends a humorous, homespun aspect to the storyline, are welcome additions.

As with any US movie made during the Second World War, the Japanese are portrayed as a murderous, evil, unscrupulous enemy. These Japanese are faceless, however, showing up only as shadows in one scene. One of the frustrating parts of this behind the lines type of war is that you never see the enemy, only the mechanism with which he delivers death.

Veronica Lake, in what seems to be an early "goth girl" performance, shows us what it is like when women get too close to the front lines.

Want to see what war is like, not on the front lines, but behind the lines at bomber targets? Watch this movie.

Not even Woody Allen could save a few of the slower parts of this film, but is good enough to be one of the very few that I own.

Allen did not want the Lovin' Spoonful music "videos" added in, but I'm thankful they were. I find them a nice "rest" from the movie and they may even help the pacing by offering visual and timing relief.

The scenes in the hold of the ship are oddly paced and I found myself wishing they would hurry up. On the plus side there, some of the dialog there is fantastic.

It is notable that the actresses who played Suki Yaki and Teri Yaki, Akiko Wakabayashi and Mie Hama, also appear the next year in the surprisingly similar James Bond film "You Only Live Twice."

Near Excellent!

I wish that the DVD included the original dialog (as a subtitle option) from the Japanese movie "Kagi No Kag." It would be very interesting to hear a comparison of lines, perhaps even funny in its own right.

Most of this video will be watched with your mouth open in awe. Not only do you get to see concert footage of Cream, but you get interviews with each member on a variety of subjects.

Jack Bruce (bass, vocals) talks about his formal training and how he had to "unlearn" it to become satisfied with music. Eric Clapton (guitar, vocals) explains how his guitar works and gives keen insight to his improvisational style. Ginger Baker (drums) discusses his drum set and demonstrates how he does what few other drummers can do.

In between the interviews, the viewer is treated to incredible concert footage and great video.

If not for the brevity of the video (about 40 minutes) and some disconcerting video cuts in the Ginger Baker drum solo, I would have given this video a 10.

The Lighthorsemen is a true delight of a movie. It is unpretentious, well-shot, fast-paced, entertaining and interesting from the start.

The movie is slow when it needs to be as in when the Lighthorsemen have to take their horses to the brink of exhaustion in order to surprise the German/Turk occupants of Jacob's Well.

The characters are mostly very well-defined and you feel for them as the movie moves on.

The charge scene is the highlight of the film. You feel as though you are on one of the horses racing into the sights of the entrenched Turks. As the bombs explode and the bullets fly, you can't help but feel the urge to keep your head down. The sight of several hundred charging horses is awe-inspiring.

This movie can be hard to find, but if you do, you have a winner.