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richardjf
Reviews
The Professionals (1977)
It was trash, but great trash!
This programme is being repeated on New Zealand television right now. I remember watching it in the 1970s, when I was a kid. I loved it then and it's still good now.
Don't get me wrong, this isn't classic British television like "Upstairs Downstairs" or "Forsythe Saga". It's very straightforward. Good guys versus bad guys action. Strong jaw-lines and grim expressions (with a few throw-away lines thrown in). Scripts are direct with few twists, and not much thinking needed from the audience. But so well done!
I'd sit down and watch it any day.
UFO (1970)
Good entertainment
What can I say that hasn't been said already? I used to watch this programme in the early 1970s, when it originally screened in New Zealand (when I was a kid). I've recently watched episodes shown on late-night television, and really enjoyed them.
It's stood up surprisingly well to time, and still very entertaining to watch. I won't mention the plot background, because so many people have already done this.
The good bits: good story lines, good acting, respectable special effects (even by today's standards), the gadgets haven't dated the programme.
The not so good bits: (1) Requires some mild suspension of disbelief, for example, how come the same one (perhaps two) aircraft-carrying submarines can cover the whole earth when UFOs get past space-based defence systems? (2) There could have been greater depth of character-development. There's an almost cool detachment between the audience and characters - you don't really warm to anyone, contrasting with the characters of Star Trek.
However, these aren't major negatives. The strong episode plots and production values make these programmes good entertainment. I might even buy some of the DVDs when they become available in New Zealand!
Cardiac Arrest (1994)
Like fine wine
This television programme is a black comedy about the goings-on in a British public hospital. Anyone who has worked in a public hospital based on the British-style (ie Commonwealth countries) will recognise the satirical barbs in this programme. Each episode made me laugh, and at the same time say to myself, "tsk, tsk - how naughty of them to put that in".
I'm surprised this comedy didn't last longer, or receive greater recognition. It's a bit like fine wine. If it came out on DVD I would instantly add it to my small, select collection.
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
Excellent docu-drama
This is an excellent docu-drama showing the build up to the attack at Pearl Harbour from both American and Japanese sides. The attack itself is an amazing achievement - so realistic and totally deserving an Academy Award, especially in the days before computer generated effects. I sometimes watch this movie just to try and work out how they achieved their special effects.
I found the events before the attack very tense and suspenseful. American military intelligence had cracked Japanese radio codes, and they were aware something was about to happen but didn't know where or when. They also had to convince their superiors of their suspicions.
Surprisingly, this movie didn't do well when first released, and I often wonder why. I wonder if the docu-drama format, and lack of personal story-type snippets (like they used in "The Longest Day") makes this movie a little dry for people who don't have an interest in what happened at Pearl Harbour or military history. I'm not sure, and this is just my speculation.
Anyway, this movie is one of my personal favourites.
Dad's Army (1968)
Superb, gentle comedy
Dad's Army is a superb comedy. Even though it's set in wartime, it's not really about war; it's about people and how they get along with each other. No one ever gets killed. It's about Captain Mainwaring's "Home Guard" platoon in World War Two Britain, facing the threat of invasion from the Nazis. Home Guard are army home defence volunteer soldiers unfit or too old for regular army, and Captain Mainwaring is the local bank manager. He and his platoon are almost completely out of their depth as part-time soldiers, but somehow manage to muddle through. This comedy pokes gentle fun at human pride, the class system, military hierarchy, and social rules in general. It's repeated every one to two years in New Zealand, so it must be good!