FILM REVIEW OF "SHADOW OF THE VAMPIRE" (2000)

Bram Stoker’s widow Florence would spin in her grave if she knew about “Shadow of the Vampire.” “Begotten” director Edmund Elias Merhige's second film qualifies as an artsy fartsy account of the making of groundbreaking German filmmaker F.W. Murnau’s silent chiller "Nosferatu” back in 1921. No sooner had "Nosferatu" been released to the the public than Florence Stoker sued Murnau and company for copyright infringement. She won the case, and the court ordered the destruction of all film prints and negatives. Happily, some copies escaped annihilation, and the Murnau’s artistic legacy as well as the film’s contribution to vampire cinema survived Florence’s wrath. Not only did “Nosferatu” emerge as Murnau’s greatest film, but it also exerted a considerable influence on vampire films. Sunlight is the mortal enemy of a vampire in “Nosferatu.” Although Stoker’s Dracula could cavort during the day, Murnau and company changed it so the daylight proved to be the vampire’s greatest enemy. Merhige helmed his first film, a silent opus entitled “Begotten,” about 10 years before he embarked on this witty but wry epic that appropriates an urban legend about the actor who incarnated Count Orlock. The first forty-five minutes are flawless. Unfortunately, complications occur in the denouement, and cynicism undercuts what could have been a masterpiece of self-parody. Basically, the uneven “Shadow of a Vampire” (*** out of ****) concludes with an unhappy ending while it celebrates the monster that the film conjured up. An important question that you may find yourself asking is: who is the real monster in “Shadow of the Vampire?” Is it the vampire Count Orlock? Or is the real monster none other than Murnau himself?

"Shadow of the Vampire" opens with Murnau in his Berlin studio shooting a window scene with his beautiful leading lady, Greta Schroeder (Catherine McCormack of “Braveheart”), who is playing with her pet cat. Later, the studio technicians chuckle that they were able to keep the cat restrained in its scene because they had fed it laudanum. Essentially, Murnau abhors working within the confines of his Berlin studio. Restlessly, he decides to take advantage of lensing on-location in both Czechoslovakia and Poland despite the protests of his producer Albin Grau (Udo Kier of “Andy Warhol's Dracula”) about the mounting costs. Initially, Greta is reluctant to accompany Murnau out of Berlin because the new theater season is forthcoming and producers have been making her lucrative offers. Nevertheless, she decides to follow Murnau. Before Murnau and company depart, the filmmakers provide us with a glimpse of pre-World War II Berlin when decadence ruled the land. The following day the film company leaves on a train. The name on the cab of the locomotive—Charon--strikes an ominous note. In Greek mythology, Charon ran the ferry that separated the land of the living from the land of the dead. Gustav von Wangerhein (Eddie Izzard of “The Avengers”) plays the role of Hutter; Hutter travels by coach to visit Count Orlock. Gustav is visibly impressed and repelled by the appearance of Count Orlock (Willem Dafoe) who resembles a Catholic bishop. Everybody praises Orlock’s entrance. Murnau warns the cast and crew not to bother Orlock. “For the remainder of the shoot, he will be Count Orlock to himself and to all of us.” Murnau adds: “Just leave the man alone. He will be completely authentic. He’s not interested in our questions or our praise or our conversations. He’s chasing an altogether different ghost.” Of course, what Murnau deliberately refuses to tell everybody is that Orlock is a genuine vampire.

Murnau is shocked, surprised, and angry when he learns that Orlock has bitten his cinematographer, Wolfgang ‘Wolf’ Muller (Ronan Vibert of “Tristan + Isolde”), and the man dies. “You agreed not to hurt my people,” thunders an irate Murnau to Orlock. After the argument about Wolf, Schreck suggests that his next victim should be the writer. Again, Murnau glowers at Orlock and points out that he still needs the writer. Orlock sees through Murnau’s rage. He knows that the director doesn’t really care about the welfare of his people, particularly the photographer. Eventually, Murnau and Orlock reach an agreement about who he may feed on during the shoot. Murnau flies back to Germany to get another photographer, Fritz Wagner (Cary Elwes of “Saw”), and he is gone about a week.

The neat conceit of “Shadow of a Vampire” is that Murnau makes a Faustian deal with a genuine vampire to act in his film on the condition that he gets to drain film’s leading lady. Ironically, Katz received the 2000 Bram Stoker Award as Best Screenwriter for “Shadow of the Vampire” for his script. Remember, this is a film about the very film that Florence Stoker sought to destroy entirely because the filmmakers had plagiarized it. There are really only two important characters in Merhige’s film. The mercurial John Malkovich inhabits the role of the eccentric Teutonic helmer who attained greater fame and fortune in Hollywood before an automobile crash claimed his life in 1931. Malkovich commands your attention throughout the story. Although he cannot stand to work within the controlled conditions of a studio, Murnau takes the film company on location because this is the only way that he can employ Court Orlock as an actor. As a film director, Murnau behaves like a tyrant. Meanwhile, Willem Dafoe of “Platoon” impersonates one of the world’s most mysterious and repugnant looking real-life actors, Max Schreck. Little is known about Schreck and the role challenged Dafoe who settled on using the film as a means to guide his creation of Schreck. According to Dafoe, "The most important research tool was the footage. The only thing I could find out about Max was that a biographer of Murnau said he was 'an actor of no distinction.' But the script was very strong, and we had the actual “Nosferatu” film as a kind of touchstone and base. So much had to wait until I got into the prosthetic (the makeup). I didn't just have extreme makeup, but also a costume that was restricting. The shoes made me walk a particular way. The padding in the clothes also made me walk a particular way. It was great because it's a huge mask which frees you up so much."

Ultimately, Dafoe received an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of Schreck. He spent three hours getting into make-up for the role and he wore platform shoes. Dafoe was so persuasive as Orlock that the producers of “Spider-man 2” hired him on the basis of his performance as Max Schreck. Indeed, “Shadow of a Vampire” went on to win several cinematic awards. Watching “Shadow of a Vampire” as a companion piece to “Nosferatu” will furnish viewers with some insights not only into the silent original but also the nature of the working conditions in the early film industry. Merhige supplies a commentary track with the DVD release that reveals certain things that occurred during the production of silent films that will enlighten moviegoers. Nevertheless, the actual Max Schreck was not a vampire and worked in 33 other films after he made “Nosferatu.” Indeed, Schreck had played in four films before he played the world’s most infamous vampire.

Indeed, “Shadow of the Vampire” doesn’t qualify as a strictly objective casework about either “Nosferatu” or Murnau. Ostensibly, Merhige’s clever premise for the picture suffers for being shallow. The story takes on an uneven quality about 45 minutes into the action with forgettable line-up cardboard characters. Admirably, Merhige and scenarist Steve Katz never stoop to lowest common denominator stunts in this somewhat amusing, sometimes pretentious, but rarely scary, 93-minute escapade. Merhige plays everything rather straight-up until Count Orlock kills his first victim. Orlock differs from most vampires because he doesn’t create other vampires. He kills and his victims die. Mind you, Dafoe’s acting as well as Malkovich’s performance, Lou Bogue’s atmospheric photography, and the real-life settings distinguish what really constitutes a one-note ‘what if’ gimmick film. Nevertheless, Merhige’s concise direction, Dafoe’s engrossing performance as the vampire coupled with Malkovich’s monomaniac behavior make “Shadow of the Vampire” worth watching despite its obvious shortcomings. While he admires Murnau’s films, Merhige presents the master filmmaker in an unsympathetic light as a cold-blooded man who treats everybody collectively as pawns.

TELEVISION REVIEW OF "LAND OF THE GIANTS: THE CRASH" (1968)

Science fiction producer Irwin Allen, the acclaimed “Master of Disaster,” helmed the television pilot episode of his last major cult sci-fi saga “Land of the Giants.” The premise somewhat resembles director Jack Arnold’s venerable 1957 film “The Incredible Shrinking Man.” “Land of the Giants” (*** OUT OF ****) and “The Incredible Shrinking Man” put their protagonists in similar predicaments. They contend with human beings and animals about 12 times their own size. Although we never know exactly what planet they have landed on, they encounter the same situations that Scott Carey (Grant Williams) confronted in “The Incredible Shrinking Man.” Carey dealt with a giant tomcat and a tarantula, among other adversaries. The series combined elements of Allen’s “Lost in Space” because these unfortunate people become castaways on a different planet. Allen foresaw the use of the space shuttle to lift astronauts into space and then touch down like a plane. Like “Lost in Space,” some characters are reminiscent of other Allen television series. Gary Conway plays the stalwart captain, while Kurt Kasznar is cast in the mold of Dr. Smith from “Lost in Space” because the Kasznar character has stolen a large sum of money. There are two women; one is a working-class airline stewardess and the other is a prima donna celebrity. Unlike “Lost in Space” and “The Swiss Family Robinson,” “Land of the Giants” doesn’t have a normal family. Nevertheless, all age groups are represented. Previous, Allen’s TV series relied on either a military unit or a family unit. “Land of the Giants” fractures that norm. Conspicuous by her absence is an adolescent girl. Possibly, the absence of the teenage girl was a ploy to draw a predominantly young male audience. Furthermore, Allen never allowed his characters to grow romantically attached to each other.

“The Crash” unfolds in the summer of June 12, 1983. Seven passengers aboard Flight 612 from New York City to London, England, encounter anomalous solar disturbance that resembles a storm in the outer atmosphere. Jagged forks of lightning strike near their craft. Captain Steve Burton (Gary Conway of “I Was a Teenage Frankenstein”) loses radio contact with London. Burton and co-pilot Dan Erickson (Don Marshall of “Terminal Island”) spot a radiant green ball of fire, and Burton struggles to plot a course deviation from this incredible power. Nevertheless, the huge mysterious ball of fire intractably draws the sub-orbital spacecraft ‘Spindrift’ inside it like a magnet. After Spindrift entered the ball and experiences a fireworks display, everything returns to normal. Later, they believe that they’ve sighted London, but the control tower doesn’t notify them about what runway to use. Burton lands the Spindrift because their power cells are fading. A thick, impenetrable fog surrounds them, and Dan accompanies Burton as they orient themselves to their surroundings. Imagine their surprise and shock when a gigantic car runs over them. They dive between their wheels so they emerge unscathed and rush back to the Spindrift. No sooner have they gotten themselves strapped back into the Spindrift than they experience another shock. A small boy appears and picks up the Spindrift. Burton hits the thrusters and they break free of the child and find themselves dodging skyscrapers. They land again, and Mark Wilson (Don Matheson of “Murph the Surf”) informs Burton that he has a $50-million deal awaiting him in London. He offers to bribe Burton to get them back on schedule. Meanwhile, Commander Alexander B. Fitzhugh (Golden Globe nominee Kurt Kasznar of “The Happy Time”) ventures outside the Spindrift while Burton struggles not to be affronted by Wilson’s cynical implication that he has been paid to delay Wilson’s arrival in London.

No sooner has Fitzhugh slipped outside unnoticed than the resident cast little boy, Barry Lockridge (Stefan Arngrim of “The A-Team”), follows him and informs him that he is breaking orders not to leave the ship. Fitzhugh explains, in reference to a case that he clutches like his own heart, that: “There are devilish men who would stop at nothing to get their hands on this bag.” Essentially, Fitzhugh resembles the passenger in John Ford’s “Stagecoach” who has embezzled money and is trying to flee the authorities. The stewardess character, Betty Hamilton (Heather Young of “A Guide for the Married Man”) informs Burton that Fitzhugh and Barry have left the craft and vanished into the jungle. Initially, Burton hides from a giant lizard but he has to take to his heels to escape a monstrous, growling tarantula. Note: the special effects aren’t very advanced. Meantime, Barry decides to follow Fitzhugh. Although Fitzhugh fears devilish men, he should fear devilish felines. They stumble in front of an enormous male tomcat and this big kitty swats at Fitzhugh’s luggage and currency scatters like confetti from the gaping case. Nobody is content to remain in the Spindrift. Celebrity lovely Valerie Scott (Deanna Lund of “Tony Rome”) follows Burton into the jungle. She joins him in an area teeming with oversized cricket bail boxes with mesh spread across huge holes. Burton forbids Valerie from entering the box, but her curiosity proves to be her downfall. The captain rushes inside to pull her out and a trap door descends. Later, a Goliath-sized, bearded, bespectacled entomologist (Don Watters of “Truck Turner”) in a lab coat retrieves the boxes and hauls them back to his laboratory.

Don and Wilson track down Burton and Valerie to the entomologist’s laboratory where they find the captain and the glamour girl Scotch-taped to a table. Wilson slashes a tube that releases gas while Don shimmies up a make-shift rope and lugs a scalpel over to slit the tape. The gas erupts into flames and the female laboratory assistant is overcome by the fumes. While the entomologist helps her, our hero climb down the rope and escape. The entomologist pursues them with a small butterfly net and briefly traps Don as our heroes run across a paved street and enter a drainage pipe. Fitzhugh, the women, and Barry spot the entomologist and Barry aims the secret revolver in Fitzhugh’s fist and fires it at the entomologist. The bullet strikes him in the leg. As he crouches to grab his wounded shin, everybody races to Don’s aid. They free him from the netting and hasten into the drainage pipe. The entomologist pleads for them not to flee, but they vanish inside the drainage pipe as he thrusts his hand in to grab one of them. Our heroes come out on the other side and find themselves in a garbage dump. Barry puts down his doggie Chipper and as they wander into the garbage dump, a great Dane attacks them. The girls, Fitzhugh and the mutt take refuge in an egg carton and Burton fashions an explosive that drives the mastiff away. Fitzhugh cries in agony to be gone from this world and Burton informs him that fleeing such predicaments is going to become a way of life for them.

The obvious attraction of “Land of the Giants” is the predicament where our heroes and heroines must survive in a world not unlike Jonathan Swift’s seminal sci-fi novel “Gulliver’s Travels,” specifically Part II: A Voyage to Brobdingnag. Our protagonists here are the equivalent of the Lilliputians. “Land of the Giants” creator Allen shoots the giants with low-angle camera set-ups to exaggerate their awesome statue and “Futureworld” lenser Howard Schwartz adds to the gigantic effect by employing wide-angle lens to distort the giants. Lasting 51-episodes, our diminutive heroes had to constantly outwit their gigantic adversaries. The other neat thing about “Land of the Giants” are the massive everyday objects that make our heroes look so tiny. The props for the show are inventive: colossal sized spools of thread, giant razor-blades, aerosol cans, shoes, etc. Of course, more fiction than science figured into virtually everything that Irwin Allen produced. The cast is adequate, but largely unknown. Nevertheless, if you enjoy this kind of nonsense, “Land of the Giants” can be a lot of fun.

FILM REVIEW OF ''TWILIGHT: ECLIPSE" (2010)

Stephenie Meyers and the people producing the cinematic adaptations of her supernatural “Twilight” novels know how to stretch a good thing out. Happily, the elasticity in this interspecies romance franchise hasn’t frayed over the last two blockbuster films. The outstanding third installment, “30 Days of Night” director David Slade’s “Eclipse” (**** out of ****) literally eclipses both “Twilight” and “New Moon” with more action that either predecessor boasted. Not only do the pugnacious werewolves look more realistic, but also “Twilight” scenarist Melissa Rosenberg has intensified the competition in the three-way romance between Bella and her two jealous suitors Edward and Jacob. Indeed, Edward and Jacob have at least two substantial, well-written scenes where they analyze their behavior toward each other in light of Bella. They engage in verbal jousting matches without striking each other. Mind you, the narrative remains somewhat predictable. Bella still yearns to be a vampire, while Edward staunchly opposes her obsession. Basically, the action focuses on unfinished business. When Edward isn’t trying to dissuade Bella from becoming a vampire, Jacob struggles to convince our heroine that she really loves him. Jacob argues that nothing serious will change if she chooses him instead of Edward. Some of the narrative threads left over from “Twilight” that were partially tied up in “New Moon” are sewn up in "Eclipse." The wicked Victoria has been biding her time to exact sweet revenge on Edward for destroying her vampire lover James. Further, the Volturi lurk on the fringe of the mayhem with malice aforethought.

“Eclipse” opens in Seattle where twentysomething Forks’ native Riley Biers (Xavier Samuels of “Road Kill”) leaves a nightspot after dark during a light downpour. Without warning or provocation, an unseen assailant assaults him in a lonely alley. No matter what Riley does, the poor fellow cannot elude his attacker. Indeed, we can see little more than Riley, just a blur of something menacing him. On the docks, the mysterious aggressor slashes at Riley’s hand, and Riley winds up on his face writhing in agony. “Eclipse” gets off to a grim start, but things lighten up as the scene shifts to Forks in a remote meadow where Bella and Edward are discussing matters of the heart. Interestingly, the film concludes with them back in the same meadow as a prelude to the last “Twilight” movie “Breaking Dawn.” Meanwhile, Bella’s father, Forks County Sheriff Charlie (Billy Burke of “Jane Austen's Mafia!”), doesn’t have a clue about Edward and Bella’s relationship. He knows that they are an item, but he doesn’t know that Edward is a vampire. Basically, Charlie would prefer Bella to see somebody other than Edward and urges her to visit Jacob. Naturally, Edward abhors every second that Bella spends with Jacob. Edward assures Bella that he trusts her, but Edward puts no trust in Jacob.

Meanwhile, clairvoyant vampire Alice (Ashley Greene of “King of California”) has a vision about the turmoil in Seattle. She cannot put her finger on who is fomenting the trouble. Eventually, the Cullens learn that an army of newborn vampires is being assembled in Seattle, but they don’t know who is supervising this army. After a time, they learn that Forks’ native Riley Biers, who has been reported as missing, may be at the core of the problem. Predictably, Edward tries to shield Bella from the truth, but he doesn’t get any help from Jacob. Earlier, Edward and Bella flew to Florida so she could spend time with her mom. During their absence, the vampires fractured the treaty with the Indians. They were pursuing fleet-footed, gravity-defying, high-jumping Victoria through the forest when she hurls herself across a stream into werewolf country. Emmett Cullen (Kellan Lutz of “Accepted”) finds himself face-to-face with a snarling werewolf while Victoria gives both of them the slip. Not surprisingly, Jacob is appalled that Edward hasn’t informed Bella about the incident or that it involved red-haired Victoria. Essentially, Jacob and his tribe enter the fight when they learn that vampires may storm the county. Of course, neither the newborns nor the Volturi know anything about Jacob and his shape-shifting werewolves.

The violence in “Eclipse” is quite stylized. When the vampires attack each other, they look like they are playing a game of old-fashioned football where the goal is to batter the opponents more than score a touchdown. The fatal blows that are delivered make it look like our heroes are smashing live-action statues. Not only do the vampires refrain from baring their fangs, but also blood and gore is confined within the limits of a PG-13 rating. You’d have to be hopelessly squeamish to have nightmares as a result of the action sequences. According to Dr. Carlisle Cullen (Peter Facinelli of “Supernova”), these ‘newborn’ vampires pose a threat because they possess greater strength than either the Cullens or any other vampire. The reason is that the newborns still have some of their own human blood swirling in their systems. The newborns live to the hilt of their existence, and they have a difficult time keeping a low profile. If you remember “New Moon,” you will remember that the law of the Volturi, the Supreme Count of Vampires, condemns any fangster who calls attention to himself individually or collectively their breed. The ‘newborns’ have lost all sense of control. Jasper Whitlock (Harpo Marx look-alike Jackson Rathbone of “S. Darko”) coaches the Cullen family about how to defeat newborns. Never let them get their hands around you, Jasper warns, and never make an obvious move.

The thing that holds this gothic melodrama together so well is the theme of change. “Eclipse” examines Bella's decision to renounce human life in favor of vampire life and the various opinions that the Cullen clan as well as Jacob offer about her dilemma. Like previous “Twilight” directors, David Slade seems to know when to let the drama dominate and the violence bristle. Nevertheless, Slade also knows when to insert humor that lightens the mood without undercutting the melodrama. Moreover, “Eclipse” provides a glimpse into the lives of Jasper and Rosalie and how they became vampires. The high school graduation speech that Jessica Stanley (Anna Kendrick of “Up In the Air”) delivers is refreshingly different. “New Moon” lenser Javier Aguirresarobe encores as director of photography, and he creates a palate of moody colors that reflect the tension and the atmosphere. He also captures the stunning pictorial beauty of the surroundings as well as the luminous cast with his widescreen compositions. In short, “Eclipse” qualifies as a grand looking movie. If you loved “Twilight” and “New Moon,” you should crave “Eclipse.”

FILM REVIEW OF "LAW AND ORDER" (1953)

Future U.S. President Ronald Reagan plays a no-nonsense, tough-as-leather peace officer in former art director Nathan Juran's third film as a director, "Law and Order" (*** out of ****), based on "High Sierra" writer W.R. Burnett's novel "Saint Johnson." "Interlude" scribe Inez Cocke adapted Burnett's novel and John and Gwen Bagni along with D.D. Beauchamp fashioned the formula screenplay that espouses status quo 'law and order' values. In other words, "Law and Order" is a good Republican western. Comparisons between Reagan's protagonist, Frame Johnson, and the legendary Wyatt Earp are inevitable. Like Wyatt Earp, Frame Johnson has acquired a reputation as a fearless, invincible lawman. Just as inevitably, the time comes for the dedicated lawman to shed the badge and settle down. Foolishly, Frame struggles to do that very thing because he has grown tired of being a "hired killer" with a badge. Nevertheless, trouble always seems to reach out and ruin him. Dorothy Malone is cast as his pretty leading lady and she knows how to wear lipstick. Interestingly enough, she owns a saloon bar and deals cards. At one point, a prospective buyer observes that running a saloon is not job for a woman. Back in 1953 as well as the time period of this western, which is set in 1882, this opinion wouldn't seem out of place. Today, it brims with sexism. Nevertheless, the Malone character informs the buyer that her father left her the saloon. After all, she observes, she can neither teach nor sew, so what option was left to her?

Sharp-shooting Sheriff Frame Johnson (Ronald Reagan of "Desperate Journey") pursues the Durango Kid (Wally Cassell of "Salute to the Marines") on horseback across a broiling desert as this durable, 80-minute, full frame, Technicolor oater opens. Frame catches up with the Kid when the outlaw has his hands off his six-gun and wrapped around his canteen. Frame blasts the canteen out of Durango's hands and two struggle in a brief fistfight before Frame claps on the handicuffs. Back in Tombstone, Frame thwarts the locals from lynching Durango. Things look rather tough for Frame because his youngest brother, Jimmy Johnson (Russell Johnson of TV's "Gilligan's Island"), is among them. Frame wounds one man to discourage the lynch mob and orders Jimmy inside. Frame informs his other brother, Luther 'Lute' Johnson (Alex Nicol of "The Red Ball Express"), that they are leaving town. Afterward, he tells his girlfriend, Jeanie (Oscar winner Dorothy Malone of "Written on the Wind"), that he has turned in his marshal's badge and is heading for Cottonwood to settle on a ranch. She wants to join him, but Frame suggests that she stick around Tombstone until he has the ranch fixed up.

No sooner than Frame, Lute, Jimmy, and their undertaker pal, Denver Cahoon (Chubby Johnson of "Sam Whiskey") have arrived in Cottonwood than they encounter trouble in the person of town boss, Kurt Durling (Preston Foster of "Kansas City Confidential"), who remembers Frame with considerable animosity from Abilene. Frame shot Durling in the hand and the wound turned Durling's right hand into useless flesh. Durling and his clan were cattle rustlers. Since Abilene, Durling and his two sons, Frank (Dennis Weaver of TV's "Gunsmoke") and Bart (Don Gordon of "Bullitt"), have moved to Cottonwood where he runs the town with the help of a no-account sheriff, Fin Elder (Barry Kelly of "Buchanan Rides Alone"), and his word is law. Burt opposes Frame briefly at the saloon/hotel when he tries to kill Johnny Benton (Don Garner of "FBI Girl") and Frame prevents him. Later, Bart dies after Johnny kills him. Frame protects Johnny from Frank and his gun hands. Judge Williams represents the town fathers and he implores Frame to pin on the badge. Frame refuses to serve as their sheriff, and his opinion doesn't change when his brothers and he discover the hanged body of Johnny Benton on the trail. Although Frame doesn't accept the offer as sheriff, Lute steps forward to take on those duties.

The devious Durlings make sure that Lute is out on wild goose chases while they conduct business as usual. Meaning, the Durlings are rustling cattle in one spot while Lute investigates something else. Eventually, one of the town fathers, Dixon (Thomas Browne Henry of "Hoodlum Empire") observes, "While you're chasing rainbows, they're rustling cattle." Judge Williams (Richard Garrick of "Riding Shotgun") defends Lute. He points out that the Durlings try "to confuse you, run you ragged an send off in every direction." Lute seeks Frame's help, but Frame turns him down. Frame and Denver are trying to finish the repairs on the ranch before Jeanie shows up. One evening, Lute restrains a drunken cowboy, Jed (Jack Kelly of TV's "Maverick"), from blasting the lights out of a chandelier. Lute disarms Jed, but Frank prods him into a duel. Just as Lute lets Frank draw, Kurt knocks over a chair at his table. The falling chair distracts Lute and Frank nails him in the stomach. Lute doesn't die before Frame rides into town. "I'm sorry, Frame," Lute mutters before he dies, "I guess I just wasn't as good as you." Later, Jimmy gets plastered in the bar and sets out to kill Frank. Denver smashes a whiskey bottle over Jimmy's head and Frame locks him up to cool off.

Frame dictates the terms of his employment as sheriff. He demands that Judge Williams and the town fathers pass an ordinance making it illegal to tote firearms in the city limits. Predictably, Dixon is appalled at such a request. "No guns? We'll be the laughing stock of the west." Later, he says with resignation in his voice. "I just hope we haven't legalized murder." Word of Sheriff Johnson's death reaches Jeanie and she thinks that Frame has bitten the dust. A gambler in her saloon informs her that Lute took the bullet, but Frame has stepped into his boots. Jeanie sells the saloon and heads to Cottonwood to be with Frame. "You're big, ugly, and stupid," she describes Frame, "but I love you." Originally, Jeanie had sworn to not marry Frame because she feared that he would die in the line of duty. She has changed her mind, however, and now supports Frame completely. Matters grow complicated when Jimmy spots Frank's sister one day while he is riding fence. They fall in love and Frank warns him to stay away from his sister. Eventually, Frank catches Jimmy with Maria ( Ruth Hampton of "# Abbott and Costello Go to Mars") and they shoot it out. Kurt, Sheriff Elder and Jed witness the shooting and claim that Jimmy committed murder. Frame arrests Jimmy when he shows up at Frame's ranch and tells him about the gunfight. Frame locks Jimmy up, but Jed releases him after he clobbers Denver unconscious. Kurt Durling is hoping that Jimmy's jailbreak will compel Judge Williams to take Frame's badge.

The only weakness of "Law and Order" is the Preston Foster villain. Indeed, he is slimy and unsympathetic, but he never actually kills anybody in cold blood. He leaves the killings to his two lame-brained, hot-tempered brothers who he constantly berates for not using their heads. The knock-down, drag-out fistfight between the villain and the hero on the Cottonwood main street ranks as a pretty vigorous affair. At least twice the chief villain tries to kill Frame with a pitchfork and an axe. In both cases, the implements that Foster wields actually do stick into or chop the wood

FILM REVIEW OF ''THE BANDIT OF SHERWOOD FOREST" (1946)

Two competent Hollywood helmers—George Sherman of “Big Jake” and Henry Levin of “The Man from Colorado”--teamed up for the above-average Columbia Pictures’ release “The Bandit of Sherwood Forest,” yet another saga about Robin Hood and his merry men in their battle with an autocratic tyrant. Scenarists Wilfred H. Petitt of “A Thousand and One Nights” and Melvin Levy of “The Robin Hood of El Dorado” have adapted author Paul A. Castleton’s 1941 novel “The Son of Robin Hood” in a rustic outing that tampers with British history, specifically the Magna Carta. The chief difference here is Robin Hood is a gray-haired, old fart, and Will Scarlet, Allan-A-Dale, Little John and Friar Tuck appear a mite long in the tooth, too. Robin Hood, Earl of Huntington, has fathered a son with an unseen Maid Marian and the son--Robert of Nottingham--must now eclipse his father’s legendary standing. Whether he is romancing a lady-in-disguise or crossing swords with the dastardly foe, a mustached Cornel Wilde appears to be in his element. He has no end of self-confidence, and his superb skills as an archer, an equestrian, and a swordsman testify to his expertise with these weapons of warfare. Mind you, Wilde is no Errol Flynn. He lacks Flynn’s flamboyance. Moreover, he doesn’t have any scenes here that stand out from the rest of the heroics. Nevertheless, Wilde was a champion fencer on the U.S. Olympic fencing team during the 1930s, and he appears to be performing his own fighting in the finale when he clashes with bad guy Henry Daniell. Unfortunately, the dames here are nothing delectable. Wilde’s romantic interest--former Warner Brothers starlet Anita Louise--is no pin-up girl, but she is an adequate actress. Jill Esmond makes only a minor impression as the Queen Mother.

“The Bandit of Sherwood Forest” (**1/2 out of ****) opens with scores of green clad archers on horseback of every description assembling in the wilderness to hear an elderly Robin Hood (Russell Hicks of “Tarzan’s New York Adventure”) address them about imminent danger of tyranny that has loomed up in the personage of the Lord Regent, William of Pembroke (Henry Daniell of “The Sea Hawk”), who intends to repeal the Magna Carta. “Comrades,” Robin states, “I’ve called you together again because the people of England face a grave crisis. Many years ago, as Robin Hood, I led you as an outlaw band here in Sherwood Forest. Together, we resisted the tyrant King John. When he died, we dispersed because we believed that tyranny had died with him. But tyranny did not die, it merely slept. And now it has awakened again. It’s the same tyranny, different only in name. And its name is William of Pembroke, the Lord Regent. Now, the Lord Regent calls the Council of Barons to a special meeting at Nottingham Castle. As the Earl of Huntington, I will attend, but on one knows what the outcome will be. But if he dares do anything to destroy the rights given you by the Magna Carta, we must take up our swords again.”

Later, after Pembroke has rescinded the Magna Carta, Robin Hood delivers a passionate speech at the Council of Barons in Nottingham Castle against Pembroke’s actions. "I've sat here hardly believing what my ears hear or my eyes see. Have you forgotten that English blood was shed to gain the Magna Carta? Does it means nothing to you that thousands of men have died for the people's right to rule themselves, to tax themselves, to live in liberty and in dignity? Now, the Regent asks you to take away those rights, and you are ready to agree. How can you face your families, your friends, and all those people you will betray for one ambitious man? Or if you will not think of others, you must think of yourselves. Today, the Regent calls on you for help because without you he is powerless. If you grant the Regent what he asks, he will need you no longer and he will turn on you and destroy you, just as surely as today he is destroying those whose only protection is the Magna Carta. If you refuse the Regent what he asks, you'll be your country's heroes. But I warn you if you give into him, you'll be history's blackest traitors."

The other barons capitulate to Pembroke, but Robin refuses to accommodate him. Consequently, Pembroke banishes the former outlaw and confiscates his wealth. Robin warns the Queen Mother to watch over her son because Pembroke may try to kill him. Naturally, the Queen Mother refuses to believe that Pembroke could behave so monstrously. Nevertheless, Robin pledges his service to the King and Queen and then returns to Sherwood Forest. Meantime, the wily Pembroke plots his strategy. First, he separates the Queen Mother from the young King of England (Maurice Tauzin of “The Piped Piper”) and orchestrates the demise of the monarch at the castle. Pembroke plans to have the young king plunge to his death from the tower where he has arranged for the youngster to lodge. Pembroke’s best-laid plans go awry when the Queen Mother (Jill Esmond of “The White Cliffs of Dover”) and Lady Catherine Maitland (Anita Louise of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”) escape from the castle. Pembroke dispatches search parties, but they return to the castle at dusk. Instead, Robert (Cornel Wilde of “High Sierra”) stumbles upon them in the woods. Lady Catherine and the Queen Mother try to masquerade as scullery maids. Robert doesn’t believe a word of it, especially after he gets a glimpse of Lady Catherine’s silk stocking. Eventually, our hero discovers the identities of the two women, and Robin sends Allan-A-Dale (Leslie Denison of "Desperate Journey") in the guise of a minstrel to the castle to perform. Allan-A-Dale eavesdrops on Pembroke and the Sheriff of Nottingham as they discuss murder.

Before this can happen, our heroes masquerade as religious figures who request shelter for the night at Nottingham Castle. Lady Catherine poses as the ill Prioress of Buxton. Initially, Fitz-Herbert (perennial villain George Macready of “Gilda”) believes that the appearance of church people will derail their plans. On the contrary, argues Pembroke, the church people will serve as “witnesses to the fact that the king died by accident.” Later, Fitz-Herbert leaves with a regiment to scour the countryside for the heroes when he runs into the real religious figures. Although they manage to rescue the king, Robert, Lady Catherine and Allan-A-Dale are captured. Pembroke plans to hang them, including Lady Catherine. Robert demands his right as a nobleman in the law of trial by combat. Pembroke accedes to Robert’s wishes and then locks the protagonist up with no food or water for three days. The sly Pembroke also orders Fitz-Herbert to assemble the archers and have them ready to fill Robert with arrows if he gains the upper hand. Little do the villains know that Lady Catherine has been sharing her food and drink with Robert while he maintains a starved attitude. Meantime, Robin and his men take the king to safety and infiltrate the castle while Robert and Pembroke clash swords. The villainous Sheriff of Nottingham intervenes and stabs Robert in the back during the sword fight. Robin Hood skewers the Sheriff and Pembroke is desperate for help. Robert is reduced to fighting with his other hand. Pembroke races up a staircase to a higher level and hurls his sword at the protagonist like a spear. Robert hurls his and it lands in Pembroke’s chest and he plunges off the wall to his death in the courtyard below. “The Bandit of Sherwood Forest” concludes with the young King knighting Robert as the Earl of Sutherland and seeing to it that Lady Catherine becomes his bride.

Clocking in at a trim 86 minutes, “The Bandit of Sherwood Forest” is a brisk swashbuckler on a budget. Presumably, neither Sherman nor Levin collaborated on this epic. The question is who replaced whom? Interestingly, when the arrow sinks into the screen credit for the two directors, it lands solidly on George Sherman’s name. Sherman may have been the alpha director. Occasionally, one or both of these helmers uses the shadows of the combatants on the walls as another way to depict the scene. Undoubtedly, Sherman and Levin helmed separate scenes, perhaps like director Michael Curtiz did after he replaced William Keighley on “The Adventures of Robin Hood.” Incidentally, lenser Tony Gaudio photographed not only the Flynn classic, but also he was one of three photographers on the Wilde version. Lensers George Meehan of “The Black Parachute” and William E. Snyder of “Creature from the Black Lagoon” also received credit as directors of photography on “The Bandit of Sherwood Forest.” Some of the casting choices are quite novel: western tough guy Ray Teal plays Little John and Edgar Buchanan portrays Friar Tuck. The scene where Buchanan’s Friar Tuck tangles with Robert has got to be the only time that Buchanan worked up a sweat on screen. Typically, Buchanan specialized in slippery, conniving, sedentary supporting characters, but here he displays incredible agility.

FILM REVIEW OF ''BUCHANAN RIDES ALONE" (1958)

Randolph Scott plays a rugged, happy-go-lucky, soldier-of-fortune in Budd Boetticher’s western “Buchanan Rides Alone,” and the eponymous character stirs up a lot of trouble with the powers-that-be in a corrupt little American border town in this brisk, well-photographed sagebrusher based on author Jonas Ward’s novel “The Name’s Buchanan.” Until Buchanan rides across the Mexican-American border into Argy Town, everything is rosy for our stalwart protagonist. He has spent enough time fighting in the Mexican revolution so that he has enough money to buy a ranch in West Texas. Buchanan is savoring a life of leisure when he clashes with the family Argy. Although this entertaining oater isn’t as memorable as either “Comanche Station” or “Ride Lonesome,” “Buchanan Rides Alone” (***1/2 out of ****) differs from those two straight-faced, dramatic dustraisers. Boetticher and “Decision at Sundown” scenarist Charles Lang put the accent on humor and the villains—while appropriately greedy with villainy—are neither as flawed nor narcissistic as most Boetticher foes. One of the third string villains played by L.Q. Jones is mildly reminiscent of the James Coburn villain in “Ride Lonesome.” At least one director who worshipped Boetticher believes that the feuding Argy clan that squabbles over the control of the town foreshadowed Sergio Leone’s similarly themed “Fistful of Dollars.” Scott and Boetticher teamed up for the fourth time as star and director of another compelling but low-budgeted horse opera.

No sooner has Tom Buchanan (Randolph Scott of “The Texans”) left Mexico and ridden into Agry Town than Sheriff Lew Agry (Barry Kelley of “The Tall Stranger”) and his deputy search him. The sheriff allows Buchanan in Agry Town but advises our hero not to “linger.” Buchanan reassures the sheriff: “I ain’t going to linger no place until I get back to where I belong.” After getting a $10 room at the Agry Hotel managed by Amos Agry (Peter Whitney of “Destination Tokyo”), Buchanan ambles over to the Agry Palace Saloon for whiskey and a steak. Earlier, the youngest Agry, Roy (William Leslie of “Return to Warbow”), had galloped into town from Mexico and gone into the saloon. Roy demands a drink. The bartender, Nacho (Nacho Galindo of “The Big Steal”), obeys Simon Agry’s strict orders not to let Roy drink. Initially, Buchanan knocks Roy down and disarms him. Later, Buchanan offers Roy a shot but Roy snatches the bottle. Roy swears that he’ll kill him. Roy gets so drunk that Buchanan walks out without a scratch. Not long afterward a Mexican, Juan de la Vega (Manuel Rojas of “The Magnificent Matador”), plunges into the saloon and kills Roy in a gunfight. Lew arrests Juan for Roy’s death and beats him up. When Buchanan tries to intervene for Juan, Lew throws Buchanan in jail, too. Initially, Lew doesn’t know Juan’s identity. Meanwhile, after his hired gunman Carbo (Craig Stevens of “Gunn”) contacts him about the death in the family, Roy’s father Judge Simon Agry (Tol Avery of “The Satan Bug”) refuses to let Lew string them up. Simon arrives in the nick of time to save them. Simon’s speech reeks of hypocrisy. Not only is wily Simon considering his future in politics, but he also is considering a suitable ransom that he could demand from the de la Vega clan for their son. The internecine strife between Agry brothers Simon and Lew puts them at loggerheads. Each man works at cross purposes when they hatch them individual schemes with their third brother Amos scrambling for crumbs.

At the trial, the jury clears Buchanan of any wrongdoing in the death of Roy Agry. They convict Juan, however, and Simon sentences him to swing an hour before sunset. Meanwhile, Buchanan discovers that Lew has looted his money belt that held $2000. Furthermore, Lew assigns Lafe (Don C. Harvey of “Utah Blaine”) and Pecos to escort Buchanan out of town. “I’m making sure you don’t show up in Agry Town again,” Lew says with relish. Of course, Lew plans to have Lafe liquidate Buchanan, but fellow West Texan Pecos finds this intolerable and he disposes of Lafe. While this is going on, Juan’s father sends an emissary, Esteban Gomez (Joe De Santis of “The Professionals”) to cut a deal with Simon. Gomez offers Simon 30 blooded horses in exchange for Juan, but instead Simon demands $50-thousand. Later, Lafe and Pecos take Buchanan out to the middle of nowhere. Lew’s two deputies aim their rifles at Buchanan and the crash of rifle fire fills the air as Buchanan dives to the ground. Pecos helps him up and they have to bury Lafe’s body on a tree because the gravesite filled with water. How many times do you see a western where they dig a grave and it fills up with water so they have to tie the corpse to a tree?

Anyway, Amos informs Lew about Simon’s plans to make Juan’s wealthy father fork over $50-thousand and he wants $10-thousand for helping him. The earlier reference to “Fistful of Dollars” holds from “Buchanan Rides Alone” and Amos is the equivalent of the bell ringer in Sergio Leone’s western. Lew sends Juan out of town with Waldo (Robert Anderson of “Mission over Korea”) his henchmen to stash him at an abandoned shack. Lew’s henchmen stumble onto Pecos at the shack as he is cooking bacon. Buchanan gets the drop on Waldo and company. Pecos and Juan tie up the henchmen and Buchanan heads back to Agry Town. Meantime, Pecos accompanies Juan to the border. Things become a little repetitive at this point. Waldo and his two gunmen untie themselves and ambush Pecos and Juan. Pecos dies and Juan is a prisoner again. At Simon’s ranch, Esteban shows up with the $50-thousand. Carbo goes to Agry Town to get Juan and discovers Lew’s perfidy. He leaves and Lew finds himself facing Buchanan. Our protagonist demands the return of his gunbelt and his money. Lew counts out all that is left of the loot: $1,700.

As Buchanan is leaving the jail, he runs into Waldo and company with Juan in their custody. Buchanan surrenders and Juan and he wind up in the hoosegow again. Carbo rides back into town with Simon and they find Gomez negotiating a deal with Lew. Carbo discovers that Juan is back in jail. Carbo misses Waldo and his henchmen as they head to see Lew. Carbo releases Juan and Buchanan. Meanwhile, Lew turns on Simon uses him as a shield to get into his own jail. Buchanan surprises them, takes Simon hostage, and Juan, Gomez, Buchanan and Simon flee. Gomez is wounded in the arm. Buchanan and Juan make it across the bridge at the border, but their vehicle overturns and the saddle bags with $50-thousand in them lay on the bridge. Buchanan negotiates the release of Gomez for Simon. Lew shoots Simon when he makes it to bridge and picks up the saddle bags. Buchanan scrambles for the saddle bags, but he runs out of bullets and Lew gets the drop on him. Simon musters his last breath to shoot his own brother. A fatally wounded Lew finishes off Simon. Buchanan retrieves the saddle bags and gives them to Juan. Carbo makes threats, but Buchanan points out that Agry Town now belongs to him. Carbo recommends that Buchanan ride.

Boetticher and “Prince Valiant” lenser Lucien Ballard shot “Buchanan Rides Alone” on location at Old Tucson so the film evokes a gritty, authentic feel for the old West. Nary a minute is wasted in this 78-minute, Columbia Pictures release that co-starred Craig Stevens as an elegant-looking gunman. If you are looking to a traditional, leathery-tough cowboy epic, “Buchanan Rides Alone” has more than enough action, irony, quotable dialogue and humor to keep you interested without wearing out its welcome.

FILM REVIEW OF ''GROWN UPS" (2010)

“Happy Gilmore” director Dennis Duggan’s new ensemble feel-good comedy, “Grown Ups” (*** out of ****) is an Adam Sandler movie for people who hate Adam Sandler movies. The two times that I saw this comedy, the audience was made up people who were older than the characters in the movie. This entertaining, character-driven, middle-of-the-road reunion movie resembles “The Big Chill” minus its drama and recalls the Robin Williams comedy “The Best of Times” about old high school rivals looking for a game rematch. Chris Rock, Kevin James, Rob Schneider, and David Spade co-star as Sandler’s closest friends and boyhood pals, while Mexican beauty Salma Hayek plays his wife. Maria Bello, Joyce Van Pattern and Steve Buscemi round out this exemplary cast. The gross-out gags of earlier Sandler movies have given way here to family values, but the insults and putdowns are still hilarious.

Sandler has come a long way since he appeared in “Billy Madison” back in 1995. Typically, the former “Saturday Night Live” comedian plays either wise acres who flout responsibility to indulge themselves in the lap of luxury or underdogs. Usually, Sandler’s other movies concerned challenged individuals, such as the underdogs in both “The Water Boy” and “Little Nicky.” Over the years Sandler has gradually eroded this smart aleck image, starting with “Big Daddy,” another Duggan movie, where he found himself stuck with raising a child. Nevertheless, he took a turn in his career when he made “Punch Drunk Love” and later The Longest Yard,” and even publicized his support of gay rights with “I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry.” Indeed, Sandler has mellowed so much that he has made movies that make his “SNL” audiences want to puke, such as “Spanglish.” The comparative lightweight but amusing “Grown Ups” features a lot of affectionate wisecracking between the five stars. Sometimes they can be quite merciless with their ridicule of each other, but it is nothing like the heavyweight Judd Apatow comedy-drama “Funny People.” Whether you yearn for the earlier Sandler juvenile comedies or you prefer his rather mature epics, “Grown Ups” strikes a nice balance between the two types of Sandler films. Old school Sandler fans may abhor the fact that their hero has gone mainstream. “Grown Ups” definitely appeals to an entirely different demographic with its warm-hearted narrative about families, but even old school Sandler fans should find something redeeming about it.

Sandler plays powerful Hollywood film agent Lenny Feder who can pull the likes of a Brad Pitt or Julia Roberts off your picture. He is married to trophy wife Roxanne Chase-Feder (Salma Hayek of “Desperado”) who owns her own fashion line. They have two sons, Greg (Jake Goldberg of “The Ant Bully”) and Keithie (Cameron Boyce of “Eagle Eye”), and a daughter, Becky (Alexys Nycole Sanchez in her film debut), and a nanny Rita (Di Quon of “Pulse”), who struggles to keep up with their demands and the telephone. Greg and Keithie are hopeless snobs who spend their day on the sofa playing violent video games and texting Rita with their every wish and demand. The same weekend that the family had planned to fly off to Milan, Italy, to attend Roxanne’s fashion show, Lenny learns that his beloved basketball coach, Bobby 'Buzzer' Ferdinando (Blake Clark of “Intolerable Cruelty”), has died. Lenny and his best friends, Eric Lamonsoff (Kevin James of “Paul Blart: Mall Cop”), Kurt McKenzie (Chris Rock of “Lethal Weapon IV”), Marcus Higgins (David Spade of “Joe Dirt”), and Rob Hilliard (Rob Schneider of “Deuce Bigalow: Male Gigolo”) were members of Buzzer’s only undefeated junior high basketball team. These fortysomething, middle-aged crazy best friends forever attend Buzzer’s funeral in New England and then celebrate the Fourth of July together. Lenny is called on to eulogize the basketball coach, while the hypersensitive Rob warbles his version of “Ave Maria.” Each of these characters has their foibles and flaws. For example, Rob is a vegan who has been divorced three times, wears his thinning hair in a pompadour with a hairpiece, and is married to an old hippie, Gloria (Joyce Van Patten of “Something Big”), that everybody believes is his mother. Like Rob, Eric is married to Sally (Maria Bello of “Coyote Ugly”) with two kids, Donna (Ada-nicole Sanger of “BrainSurge”) and Bean (Frank and Morgan Gingerich). Although Bean is four years old, he continues to suckle at Sally’s breasts whenever he wants milk. Kurt McKenzie (Chris Rock) is a house husband whose wife Deane (Maya Rudolph of “MacGruber”) brings home the bacon to their two children and her flatulent mother-in-law Mama Ronzoni (Ebony Jo-Ann of “Kate & Leopold”). On the other hand, Marcus is an alcoholic single guy. These guys are so comfortable with each other that they can call each other derogatory names without getting upset.

Lenny spends his time trying to get his kids out of the house and into the open. Initially, Roxanne isn’t happy because they have to share a summer house on Lake Amoskeag. One day she discovers that she has forgotten how to skip a rock across a lake after she hurls it into her son’s stomach. She decides that the Feders must forego the fashion show and stick around. Lenny and company paddle off to a island where Rob spreads Buzzer’s ashes. Eventually, one of the basketball players from the 1978 championship, Dickie Bailey (Colin Quinn of “Crocodile' Dundee II”), induces them to play the game again. Lenny, who cannot miss a basket when he shoots, decides it is time for the Dickie Baileys of the world to start winning and muffs the shot.

“Grown Ups” alternates between the adults trying to get the kids out to play in the open rather than indoors with videogames and the slapstick humor that accompanies Eric. At the sight of a rope hanging for a tree by the edge of a lake, Eric tries his luck and swings out on it. Predictably, he doesn’t turn loose and swings back to smash into a tree and them plunge into the woods. One of the funniest gags in “Grown Ups” involves shooting an arrow into the sky. They call it ‘arrow roulette’ and the winner is the only guy left standing. Predictably, Rob remains standing and the arrow sinks into his foot.