MYSTERY ROAD

Australia, 2018, 300 minutes, Colour.
Aaron Pedersen, Judy Davis, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair, Colin Friels, Anthony Hayes, Tasia Zalar, Madeleine Madden, Aaron L.Mc Grath, Rohan Mirchandaney, Meyne Wyatt, Tasma Walton, Ernie Dingo, Connor Van Vuuren, Eddie Baroo, Ningali Alford, John Waters, Kris Mc Quade.
Directed by Rachel Perkins.

The character of aboriginal detective, Jay Swan, played by Aaron Pedersen, first appeared in the acclaimed film, directed by Ivan Sen, Mystery Road. With success, there was a sequel, Goldstone. Again successful – with the result that the decision was made to create a television series.

Aaron Pedersen repeats his role but was joined with an extraordinarily strong cast, co-starring with Judy Davis as the police chief of the town. She appears with her husband, Colin Friel’s who portrays her brother in the film. The aboriginal cast is led by Deborah Mailman and Wayne Blair, with Ernie Dingo in a significant role. There are guest cameos by actors like Anthony Hayes, John Waters, Kris Mc Quade, Tasma Walton.

The film has been directed by Rachel Perkins (Radiance, Bran Nue Dae). It has been filmed in striking Western Australian locations.

Once again, there is a murder mystery. And, Jay Swan is sent in by the authorities but is a loner, working with the police chief but not always reporting to her. His daughter suddenly arrives, then his wife, so there are some domestic issues about Jay – although mother and daughter play significant roles in the resolution of the story.

The film shows vividly the police work in the town, the ever-presence of the chief of police, her somewhat lazy assistant, her vigorous assistant, a man who has Indian origins. There is also the background of farming, the need for water, the decrease in aquifers, deals in selling property. Colin Friel’s plays the owner of the property – with his sister wanting to find out more about the treatment of aborigines and uncovering ugly stories from family history. The aboriginal presence is very strong in the town, the council leadership, especially that of the authority played by Ernie dingo, one of those thought to be murdered, a champion football player, a girl in the town who has been raped in the past and works in a restaurant, and the man accused of the rape who spent 10 years in jail and has now been released, his still claiming his innocence.

There are also the itinerant workers, the drug dealers and the truck drivers, all leading to complexities of plot.

This series is well-made, moves at a steady pace rather than slam-bang action, has very good performances and direction – raises quite a number of Australian issues.


1. The impact of the initial films about Jay Swan? Characters, Situations, Police Investigations? The Outback?

2. The television series, the episode, the continuity?

3. The West Australian settings, the town, streets and buildings, the desert, the sea, cliffs, the terrain? The property, the homestead, the outlying huts, the waterfall, the roads, the transports, the service station, surveillance? Police precincts, restaurants, shops? Council offices? Atmosphere? The musical score?

4. Judy Davis as Emma, her work, her brother and the property, interest in their ancestors and the reputation, relationship with the aborigines? Emma and her husband, divorced, his work as a lawyer, his taking on cases, confronting Emma? Emma and her research, discovery about the ancestors, her shock? Her two assistants at the station, Ryan and his seeming laziness, the assistant from India and his conscientiousness? Her personality, at headquarters, her hours of work, on the spot, her relationships with various people in the town, with Shevorne and her background? Keith Groves and his leadership in the town? Kerry and her sons? Larry her brother and his imprisonment? Return of Larry? The Council offices? The interviews?

5. Jay, his background, cases, reputation, the comment about the bikies, the threats to his wife and daughter? His reticence? Being sent by the authorities, accepting the job, yet alone? His daughter’s arrival, interactions with her, wanting her to go? Their leaving home? His wife’s arrival? His work on the job, the details of the case, his going at locations, exploring? Inspecting the locations, the interviews, on his own, not reporting back to Emma?

6. The families, Kerry and her son at home, attitude towards money? Larry and his release, his going to the home, his reputation, paedophile? Her anxieties?

7. Keith, his role in the town, authority, pictures on the wall, the interactions with Larry, confronting him, doing deals, especially for the property? His assistant and the various connections, the thugs?

8. Shevorne, her story, the rape, her age, the case in court, suffering, the testimony, Emma and the sentence for Larry? The child, the unknown father? Her work, tense, relationship with Marley, silent, making contact with him, Reese as her boyfriend? His disappearance? Her friendship with Crystal Swan and helping her?

9. Reese and Marley, their friendship, Marley and his reputation as a football player, at home, drug experiments, friendship, the story, driving, leaving the vehicle running, the violence, his running away? Hitchhiking? Hiding in the hut, Shevorne and her help, being found, his fears? His lying?

10. Reese, casual worker, change of identity, drugs, his story, being found dead, in the waterfall? His mother and her identifying him, her interviews with Emma, visit, going to the waterfall, wanting a memorial, the objections of the aboriginal women?

11. The girl from Queensland, her arrival, the back story, the interviews, identifying Reese, attacking Shevorne? The false identity? Her going home?

12. The security man, the hauling trucks, interrogation, in prison? His lies? The surveillance, Jay proving that he had been at the service station? The story, the flashbacks, the drive, the shooting, the thugs?

13. Keith and his office, ambitions for the town, Dot and her work there? The discussion with Emma, especially about the memorial, about the history, the outlining of the history?

14. Keith, the clashes with Larry, the truth about Larry, the confrontation? The shooting?

15. Larry, the accusations, reputation, 10 years in prison, Marley visiting him, the truth, his return, interviews with Jay? Kerry welcoming him, the other shunning him? Going out to the hut, the visits, helping at the end?

16. Emma’s brother, his attitude, the property, his wife, issues of the water and the aquifer declining, the checking? His decision to sell, not caring about his staff, not knowing much about them, wanting the work, the discussion with Emma, the research, the facts about the family, the lies and the heritage? Emma confronting him about the deal? The sale, Emma and her money? Investing it?

17. The travelling workers, backpackers, drugs, the relationship between the two, getting involved in the case?

18. Jay, the film showing his work as a detective, the silent investigator, using his brains, his family helping, Crystal and his wife? The confrontation with his wife, the relationship?

19. The future for each of the characters?

20. The exploration of race themes, history, the outback, properties, the massacres, responsibility for what to sentence, responsibility rather than guilt?

ANT-MAN AND THE WASP

US, 2018, 118 minutes, Colour.
Paul Rudd, Evangeline Lilly, Michael Douglas, Michelle Pfeiffer, Michael Peña, Walton Goggins, Judy Greer, Bobby Cannevale, T.I . Harris, David Dastmalchian, Hannah John- Kamen, Abby Ryder Fortson, Randall Park, Laurence Fishburne.
Directed by Peyton Reed.

Paul Rudd’s Scott Lang must be the lowest-key superhero in the Marvel Universe. And, he spends a lot of his life and action as the diminutive Anti-Man? (though he does have some moments where he gets over-heightened, threatening boats and crowds at Fisherman’s wharf in San Francisco).

However, he was welcomed by audiences in the original film, Ant- Man, enjoying the scientific experiments whereby he could be reduced, the work of the scientist, Hank Van Dyne, played by Michael Douglas. His daughter, Hope, also played a role (Evangeline Lilly).

They are all back again, the film introduced with a prologue explaining how Hank’s wife, Janet (Michelle Pfeiffer) was reduced and went into a miniature world but disappeared and has been missing for 30 years. Hank wants to mount an expedition to go to rescue her.

In the meantime, Scott has been in during two years of house arrest, an ankle bracelet for security, at home, playing with his young daughter, Cassie, and working with his associate in building up a security firm, Luis, played with comic enthusiasm by Michael Peña.

The bulk of the plot has some straightforward action. Some thugs want to get hold of Hank’s laboratory – which, like humans, can be transformed into anti-size and resurrected to life-size. Walton Goggins leads the motley crew of thugs. So, a lot of time escaping with the laboratory, warding off the criminals, continuing with the plans for rescue, the police getting involved – but, most of all with Scott being able to escape house arrest by transforming into Anti-Man? and eluding detection and pursuit.

However, this is an adventure, and it all catches up with Scott and his associates. This involves an elaborate car chase, the laboratory building suddenly coming to large life at San Francisco Bay, its going up and down – and a further complication that the daughter of a scientist-rival of Hanks has grown up able to move in in and out of space because of the reconstruction of her molecules! She is Ava/The Ghost, dangerous but potentially convertible.

Of course, there is excitement in the rescue with Hank himself going to find his wife.

The thugs are rounded up, the rather ingenuous policeman who is intrigued by Scott’s ability to do magic tricks and misdirected attention, reconciling with Scott – and, of course, a very happy Van Dyne family and Scott and his daughter.

1. Audiences liking the Marvel Universe? The connections amongst the characters? Ant- Man and Captain America?

2. Ant-Man as a latecomer to the universe? Lower-key? Fantasy and domestic aspects?

3. San Francisco, the landmarks, the Bay? The interiors, apartments, the FBI, police, offices, laboratories? The musical score?

4. The interior worlds, space, colour? Special effects?

5. The miniature world, science, technology, small and big, characters getting even bigger? Fights, car chases,

6. The prologue, the back story, Hank and Janet, Hope as a little girl? The expedition, the risks, the farewells, Janet disappearing? The consequences for father and daughter, over the years, Janet a long absence?

7. Scott, his past, home prison in detention, the ankle bracelet, his foot through the wall, the police coming? His love for Cassie, playing with her, the elaborate slide in the house? The law, the police, the security? Luis and the firm, the contracts? The family relations, their turning up, taking Cassie, taking her to school? Cassie at school, the speech about the cup, grandma? Scott and his visit to the school to retrieve the cup?

8. Hank, his continuing his research, his hopes, lack of contact with Scott? Hope working for her father? The longing for Janet, working out ways to retrieve her?

9. The visit to Bill, the past story, rivalry with Hank? Ava, her father, his experiments, stealing from Hank, deaths? Ava and her transforming power? Her molecules all disassembled? Bill and his looking after her? Her becoming a government agent, working for SHIELD? Her life, the medical risks, short time to live? Bill to take care of her?

10. Sonny Burch, his thugs? Wanting to recover the building, the confrontations and threats, the chases, the truth serum, Luis telling all? The cars, the chase, the danger? Sonny and his getting the miniature building?

11. Ava wanting to abduct Cassie, Bill refusing, Ava and her pursuit, the cars, the reduction in the building, getting the remote? Janet’s return, Janet trying to help Ava? Restored to normal?

12. Scott and Hope, the past, the adventures, the plans, the laboratory, their being transformed to miniatures? To larger-than-life? The visit to the school, Scott in the closet, dressed as a child? In the laboratory, Scott becoming a medium for Janet but his not realising it? The plans for the expedition, the controls?

13. The expedition, Hank deciding to go, the dangers, in the in the space, meeting Janet, the reunion, Janet being transformed – the reunion, her saving Ava?

14. Scott, at home, the various devices, the substitute creature, in the bath, playing the drums? The jerkiness?

15. Scott, begin small, in the bay, large, the wharf, Hope and her rescue?

16. The police, intrigued by the magic, Scott and his ability to divert attention? The response of the officer? The cards? The finale and the patter about a date?

17. Luis, good friend, helping in the house, the company, covering the absences of Scott? Helping Hope, being small, in the cars, the pursuit? Truth serum? And the joke at the end with the thugs admitting the truth?

18. Happy ending, reunions? The jokes during the credits?

COP AND A HALF: NEW RECRUIT

Canada, 2017, 98 minutes, Colour.
Lou Diamond Philips, Lulu Wilson, Janet Kidder, Amitai Marmorstein, Wallace Shawn.
Directed by Jonathan A.Rosenbaum.

In 1993, Burt Reynolds starred in a comedy Cop and a Half. The plot concerns a young boy who wants to be a policeman, plays a detective with a friend until he becomes involved with a murder case and a child-disliking policeman, Reynolds, is assigned to work with him.

Actually, this sounds a bit like the present film made almost 25 years later. This is a Canadian production, and the new recruit is a precocious, very precocious, little girl (who is very earnest about her acting and performance and so not always convincing and fairly often irritating).

Her father had been a policeman killed in action and her mother wants to be protective. The little girl, Lulu Wilson, has a friend at school, African- American, who eventually steps in to help with the climax, stating that he is her Deputy.

Lou Diamond Philips takes on the Burt Reynolds’ role, having been suspended from active duty because of his hesitation in shooting a suspect who holds a hostage, the perpetrator going on to commit other crimes. He looks scruffy, dresses poorly, eat scruffily and hangs about wanting to be back in uniform. He encounters the girl, clashes with her. She teaches him a thing or two – and most of the police at the precinct who are fairly IT illiterate.

The problem in the town is a series of eruptions, rather comic in their style, with a fake police badge accompanying doggerel verses on a pink piece of heart-shaped paper. Things blow up, people get covered in slime… Eventually, there are bombardments by drones on the climax, at the town’s annual parade, which involves a large drones zapping everything.

The police are being taunted their inefficiency. The Mayor is also targeted. Nobody has any leads until the little girl suggests it is someone associated with the police. They work out that it is someone who was a failure in police training and is getting revenge.

The captain, female, is fairly hard on the hero but, eventually, has to acknowledge the expertise of the little girl. There are two associate police officers who act like kids, an ingenuous chorus. At headquarters, there is also the IT nerd who is able to infiltrate computer programs, even the academies, to find out who the likely suspect is. When the police go on a hunt, following a clue, they find a drone expert, of Asian origin (and audiences may gasp from moment that he is being targeted, only to find out that he is not the villain and he himself mentions the Asian prejudice).

The little girl has stayed with the nerd at headquarters during the raid and, just before she does, the audience will probably realise that it is the nerd who is the villain.

Our hero is restored to the police force, he has a mobile phone and knows how to text, eat healthy food… And, if this film was successful, there is ample opportunity for a sequel.

THE BRADY BUNCH IN THE WHITE HOUSE

US, 2002, 88 minutes, Colour.
Shelley Long, Gary Cole, Chad Doreck, Autumn Reeser, Ashley Drane, Saul Rubinek, Tannis Burnett, Reagan Pasternak.
Directed by Neal Israel.

This film has to be seen to be believed – or disbelieved. Internet bloggers have been fierce in their condemnation. However, it is just possible that they did not get the jokes. Maybe Americans would have taken it far more seriously than was intended – and audiences outside the US might see the funny side of it.

The film was released in the second year of George W. Bush’s presidency. At times, some of the audiences will be thinking of the various gaffes in behaviour and speech made by President Bush. However, audiences looking at the film during President Trump’s administration may be thinking…

The Brady Bunch was a popular television series beginning in 1969, with Robert Reed and Florence Henderson. It was in line with the “wholesome� family television series popular in this era – Father Knows Best…. The franchise was revived in a feature film in 1995 with Gary Cole and Shelley Long as the parents. It was quite popular – hence this sequel.

By the beginning of the 21st-century, the plot and the dialogue are meant to be spoofs. Mike Brady is too good to be true, principled, edifying. Carol Brady is absolutely loyal and loving. They do have an odd bunch of children, especially the narcissistic Marcia, the troubled (with interior voices and imagining the voice from the port of Abraham Lincoln in the White House) Jan. Greg has an eye for the girls – and, in fact, there is quite some sexual innuendo in this film.

Bobby finds a lottery ticket and, while the family immediately plan on how to use the money, Mike is insistent that the owner of the ticket be found. It turns out that is a criminal discovering this as he walked to the gallows. However, the Bradys make a big impression with their honesty and the President, denying crooked deals, wants to honour them and exploit them. With the result, the exposure of the President, Mike becoming president and deciding that Carol should be VP as well as First Lady.

There is comedy in the settling into the White House, the pastel colours and old-fashioned clothes they wear, the declarations in all honesty, having cabinet meetings to solve problems about the children’s discipline, Alice taking over the menu and cooking varieties of meatloaf to the chef’s horror. The members of Congress are gobsmacked at first but then support the President and his wife.

However, there is a villain, the Speaker of the house played by Saul Rubinek with his Machiavellian assistant, Veronica, played by Reagan Pasternak. She infiltrates the family, getting the secrets, taping them, planning their exposure so that the Speaker will become president and she the First Lady.

Ultimately, they overplay their hand. One of Greg’s papers is put in a capsule for Mars instead of the genuine documents – but they are seen by the littlest daughter who, in the bunker where they have been locked for safety, reveals all. Alice smashes the window of the bunker, out they come and explain everything to the American public.

Very silly but, underlying the silliness, poking fun at ingenuously upright Americans and their stances.

ROBINSON CRUSOE/THE WILD LIFE

Belgium, 2016, 91 minutes, Colour.
Directed by Vincent Kesteloot, Ben Stassen.

The plot of this Belgian animated film would never have crossed the mind of the original author, Daniel Defoe. Yes, the central character is Robinson Crusoe and he is stranded on his island, surviving – but the rest is animated fantasy for the children’s audience.

The film was very vivid in its design, the sea, the island, and the range of animals, especially the villains of the piece, fierce cats.

The film opens with pirates and their discovering an island. They also discover Robinson Crusoe and hang him up to interrogate him. He is then rescued. A bright parrot, with the power of speech, encounter some mice on the pirate ship and office to tell them the story, leading to flashbacks.

Robinson Crusoe has a touch of the dandy, is seasick, and shipwrecked. He is able to retrieve some material from the ship and has his blunderbuss gun. However, two fierce cats, she very dominating, have escaped the wreck and plot to scavenge the animals on the island, defeated at first and relegated to Curse Island, breeding a number of kittens and then going on a final attack.

Crusoe finds quite a range of animals, generally cute, and, able to speak to one another, apprehensive at first, thinking that the parrot has been injured by Crusoe whereas he has actually mended the wing. After some fearful encounters, and the offering by Crusoe biscuits to the animals, they begin to take care of him, finding him food, leading him to water, helping him with the building of the house.

However, the drama of the film is in the attack the cats, quite a lot of action sequences, entanglements of the various animals with the cats – and their ultimate defeat. And, happy ending all round, especially the parrot able to leave to see the world. And, because of the day on which the parrot found Crusoe, his nickname is Tuesday rather than Friday!

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ANDRE

US, 2017, 93 minutes, Colour.
Andre Leon Talley.
Directed by Kate Novack.

The advertising for this documentary states that you don’t have to be a fashionista to enjoy it. But, being a fashionista is almost a prerequisite. However, as the film goes on, there are quite a number of more substantial American themes.

And, for those not in the know, who is Andre Leon Talley? First thing to say is that he is a big and imposing presence, tall when he was younger, but filling out more than amply as he grew older so that by 2016 something of a giant presence. Many would notice him at once anyway, but his choice of wardrobe is is rather spectacular, large and particularly colourful. In fact, that is true of Andre, large and particularly colourful.

There are many talking heads in this film, many from the fashion industry who express their appreciation of Andre, designers like Tom Ford and Karl Lagerfeld. There are also a number of women who have encountered him in his journalist career and a number of models, like Naomi Campbell, seen in clips of catwalk shows. In fact, there are quite a lot of talking heads. And these include editors of Vogue that Andre worked for, especially the very well-known Anna Wintour, more benign than in a number of her other documentary appearances.

Andre was born in North Carolina in 1949. He has great praise for his grandmother who brought him up, instilled in him a sense of style and class despite being African Americans in the South. She was also religious, instilling some religious values into the young Andre which he has preserved, even as he has grown much older.

He is an interesting African-American? who has experienced all kinds of prejudices. He is also a gay American, less talking about his sexual preferences, letting his flamboyant and camp manner make an impression.

He became a fashion journalist, working in Paris, doing lots of interviews, contributing articles to fashion magazines, which lead him back to the United States and a substantial career at Vogue and contributing to other magazines. He has met many, many people, many, many celebrities, and has become quite a celebrity himself, a knack for appreciating colour and style, a knack for improving fashion design, and more than a definite knack for communicating his ideas and opinions - seen in his handling of television interviews.

As the film goes on, it broadens its scope from the world of fashion to the United States and its values, issues of race, issues of class, issues of prejudice. And, the film takes us up to the campaign for the presidency and the election of Donald Trump as president. It comes as a surprise to Andre and his friends, giving some insight into those who opposed Trump, expected Hillary Clinton to win, and had to deal with the outcome. (Andre is very satisfied with the way that Melania Trump wore her clothes.) Andre is a great admirer of the Obamas, and pays tribute to the style and presence of Michelle Obama.

Essential viewing only for fashion fans but, ultimately, an entertaining portrait of a self-made American celebrity in the context of the late 20th century and the early 21st century.

INSPECTOR HORNLEIGH GOES TO IT/ MAIL TRAIN

UK, 1941, 87 minutes, Black-and-white.
Gordon Harker, Alastair Sim, Phyllis Calvert, Edward Chapman, Charles Oliver, Raymond Huntley, Percy Walsh.
Directed by Walter Forde.

Gordon Harker and Alastair Sim made quite an impact in 1939 with two Inspector Hornleigh films. Harker is from Scotland Yard, a bit full of himself at times, but expert disguises and going undercover. Alastair Sim is always entertaining, a master of facial expressions.

By the time of the release of this film, World War II had started and the screenplay, by Frank Launder and Val Guest, significant writers and directors of the 1940s and 50s, includes a story of the Fifth Column.

At the beginning of the film, the inspector is dictating his memoirs to Bingham who notes constantly that he is not included. There is also a rival Inspector. There is also an army job to which the inspector and Bingham are assigned. However, it is not a star job, the two having to become recruits, do the drills, but also investigate disappearances of stores.

After lots of marches and drills, the men are given a night out and Bingham teams up with one of the waitresses at the local café. He confides too much to her and the authorities find that information is being communicated beyond the camp. They have to investigate the source of the leaks, Bingham taking the waitress to the cinema and her reacting badly to his insinuations about the information – but he follows her to the local dentist who is significant for the fifth column.

Also involved are the dentist’s wife, played by Phyllis Calvert in an early role, as well as Raymond Huntley as the principal of the school – with the inspector pretending to be a classics professor and going on the staff. There is an amusing scene where he gets the boys in the class to pretend to be detectives and get a lot of information about the activities of the principal.

There is a murder and mystery when the dentist is found dead after the inspector and Bingham have been searching his premises and a man with a toothache comes in, Bingham eventually having to remove the teeth using laughing gas.

And, it becomes more complicated with information about an address for letters every day from the headmaster, an address the turns out to be false. The postmaster helps (in the opening of the film assures audiences this kind of thing does not happen with the post). The inspector disguises himself as a postal sorter, a fellow sorter is part of the fifth column and, in fact, so is the postal chief on the train who sends out the transmissions – something which has puzzled the authorities because there is no fixed place for the transmissions.

The three films of the inspector and Bingham were very enjoyable – but, sadly, this was the last.

TAG

US, 2018, 100 minutes, Colour.
Ed Helms, Jon Hamm, Annabelle Wallis, Jake Johnson, Isla Fisher, Hannibal Buress, Nora Dunn, Steve Berg, Jeremy Renner, Leslie Bibb, Rashida Jones.
Directed by Jeff Tomsic.

Writing a review? Perhaps not, because this film is too silly for words.

However, it alleges that it is based on a true story. And, lo and behold, in the final credits, there are all kinds are sequences where these middle aged men carry on with taking one another. And then there is the photo of the group who have been playing tag for 23 years – and one of the members in a clerical shirt in the front row.

Boys will be boys. Men will be boys. But for how long? And what does this say about them – possibly playfulness at first. But then obsession and rivalry? Competitiveness, taking off the whole month of May from their work to play tag across the whole of the United States, money and costs no obstacle.

Then, there is a distraction about American politics, especially since the film was released in the second year of Donald Trump’s presidency. The distraction leads to thinking about the Whitecap house, Donald Trump himself and his equivalent of tag, especially with the great turnover of his staff and officials. Perhaps in American politics there is a lot of boys will be boys.

The cast actually give it all that they can. Ed Helms, in various disguises, completely obsessed, urged on by his rather rapid wife, Isla Fisher, promotes the tag game every year. Jake Johnson is something of a Stoner but nevertheless joins in. Hannibal furious is Kevin Sable, one of the more stable members of the group. Jon Hamm looks as if he is just stepped out of Madcap men and is a business executive who can let it all go for the sake of tag. And the target is played by Jeremy Renner, who has never been tagged, was about to get married, his fiancee, Leslie Bibb, in on the game and, surprisingly abetting Jerry in a false miscarriage defence.

Also along for the ride is Annabelle Wallis as a journalist interviewing Hamm but is abandoned for the tag game but she thinks that there is a better story in following through (and, of course, involved in the game at the end). Rashida Jones is also there the object of affection and attention by Jake Johnson and Jon Hamm.

The climax is at Jerry’s wedding – which leads to a hospital sequence and good-natured (we hope) taking all round.

1. Boys will be boys? Adult men will be boys? And how long? US men? Universal?

2. Based on a true story, the clips at the end, the photo of the men playing tag, 23 years?

3. The status of tag? The children? Are adults? This group? For so many years, the month of May, travelling the US, the expense, the intensity? Hogan and his wife and her participation?

4. The tone of the opening, Hogan, his qualification, the interview to be a cleaner, amazement? His cleaning, Robert and his interview with the paper, hoping and his disguise, tag? The journalist and her amazement? Joining because of the different story?

5. The scenes of the boys and their games? The adults and their different occupations? Hogan, his wife, that? Robert in business? Chilli and his ex-wife, being high? Sable, his work, stability? Jerry, his never having been tagged?

6. The situation, the month of May, Hogan and his desperation, persuading Robert, rounding up Chilli and Sable? Jerry and the impending wedding?

7. The scenes establishing each of their characters, obsessions? The contrast with Jerry, his fiancee, the preparations for the wedding, the AA sessions? His ingenuity determining what was happening, each of the characters and the vocalising of their thoughts?

8. The various scenes of tag, excessive, the travel, the disguises? Tying up the friend, paying him thousands of dollars for the information? The AA meeting?

9. The women, the journalist and her observations, the fiancee, the miscarriage sequence, Jerry trapped, the group letting him out, a fake situation?

10. Cheryl, the attraction to Robert, to Chilli, the meetings, the discussions?

11. Desperate, Hogan’s wife urging him on? Going to the wedding? Hogan and his imagination and taking Jerry? The reality and the fiasco?

12. Hogan, his collapse, in hospital, everybody around him, Jerry coming, letting himself be tagged?

13. The ending, forever tagging, and showing the group in reality?

INSPECTOR HORNLEIGH ON HOLIDAY

UK, 1939, 77 minutes, Black-and-white.
Gordon Harker, Alastair Sim, Linden Travers, Wally Patch, Edward Chapman, Philip Leaver, Kynaston Reeves.
Directed by Walter Forde.

In 1939, Gordon Harker starred in the first of three films as Inspector Hornleigh. Alastair Sim was his put-upon assistant, Bingham. They made an entertaining duo.

There was a murder mystery, investigations, Hornleigh making his mark, though Gordon Harker was much better as his disguises that his straightforward Inspector. And, Alastair Sim, could conduct a masterclass with all his different facial expressions.

This film opens with them at Brighton, in a hotel, the weather raining. They encounter a military man who challenges them to pool, wins everything, but has to hurry away because of an important contact. There is a car crash over a cliff and the military man’s body is burned in the wreck.

The local police begin their investigation, with Hornleigh and Bingham called as witnesses. Eventually, they are revealed, not as undertakers on holiday, but from Scotland Yard and the investigation begins.

There is a connection with a country estate, the death of the owner, the reading of his will. There is upset because a lady who owns a shop and looked after him receives all his money and the house. His alleged cousin, Linden Travers, is upset with her bequest. Only turns up at the reading of the Will.

As the case unfolds, it becomes quite complex. There is again a gang who infiltrate hospitals, insure people who are dying, substitute other bodies for their burial. They are controlled by a boss who communicates by radio. In order to solve the case, Bingham has to go as a patient to hospital to unmask the perpetrators. There are some comic moments, especially as Hornleigh poses as an expert doctor with all kinds of technical gobbledygook.

The disappointment of the film is that there is no sudden unmasking of a suspect as the chief criminal.

KANSAS PACIFIC



US, 1953, 73 minutes, Colour.
Sterling Hayden, Eve Miller, Barton Mac Lane, Harry Shannon, Reed Hadley, Jonathan Hale. All
Directed by Ray Nazzaro.

This is an enjoyable railroad movie. It is the story of the development of the Kansas Pacific, especially in the years prior to the outbreak of the Civil War.

The film shows in some detail the building of the line and the hazards, especially in the midwest with Southern interests, later Confederate interests, sabotaging the line to prevent its use during the war.

Barton Mac Lane and Harry Shannon have good roles as the expert engineers. Eve Miller works on the site with her father – and, while ultimately she is attracted to the soldier sent out to supervise from Washington, this is not a romance and she is not a languishing heroine.

Sterling Hayden, always stern and upright in hero roles, is the engineer who is able to take command, challenge the saboteurs, prevent further destruction, continues the line.

Ray Nazzaro was an expert this kind of popular Western.

1. A railroad Western? The background of the railroads? Pre-Civil? War? The use of the railroad during the war? The politics? Rebellion?

2. The actual building of the railroad, Kansas and the tracks to Colorado? The details scenes of the building, the attacks, the sabotage, the role of the workers, their fears, wages, infiltration by the rebels?

3. The West, Kansas, the scenery, the rail camps, the towns and saloons? The musical score?

4. Cal, his expertise, working with Smokestack, the other men? Their achievement? The opposition to the railroad? Cal, memories of his wife, love for Barbara, her working with her father? The hold-up to the building of the railroad?

5. Washington, the military, the politicians, not wanting to start the Civil War? Summoning John Nelson? His commission? As engineer? Military background? Supervising but protecting the railroad? The strong character? His going to Kansas, in the town, defending Quantrill, the fight, his being observed?

6. Cal, wanting to go back east, his expertise, discussions with Smokestack, Smokestack deciding to stay? Barbara wanting to go back east? The first encounters with John Nelson? His being agreeable and Cal working with him? Barbara and her suspicions?

7. Quantrill, his men, trigger-happy, the attacks on the train, shooting, explosives, the later getting cannon? The motivations? Quantrill and his control?

8. The recruiting of the men, the hard work? Pay? The infiltrators? Their staging fights, holding up the work? The men wanting to quit? In town, Nelson and his strong stances, their going back to work? The military scout and his observations and saving the day?

9. Cal, the enthusiasm of his work, the train going through, being shot at, the death, Smokestack wounded? Nelson saving the train? The later attacks, the cannon, the destruction of the train, sending the next train through, changing the time, the disguise, the military? The attack on the cannon and the pursuit?

10. The success of the railroad? The importance for the Civil War? Cal and Smokestack and their achievement? Nelson and his work? The significance of Barbara and her being essential to the work, the Telegraph, in the film not having the token woman in the saloon and singing…?

11. The memories of the establishment of the American railroad system?