John Wayne Move Review: **** They Were Expendable (1945)

 This movie deals with the early history of the PT boats in the Philippines.  The PT boats were mostly used to carry message, and didn't get a lot of action directly against enemy troops.  In fact they had more crews than boats so a couple crews were transferred to the army just before the fall of the Philippines.  The couple commanders are evacuated on the last plane, Lt John Brickley (Robert Montgomery) and Lt, Rusty Ryan (John Wayne).  Reportedly to train new PT Boat units for when the U.S. returns to the Philippines.  While Ryan was mending for blood poisoning in his arm, he met a nurse, Lt. Sandy Davyss (Donna Reed).  She had been transferred to Bataan, and we don't know her fate by the end of the movie.  

A very good movie about the consequences of war and how difficult love can be during such times.  They were Expendable refers to the Navy men on the boats, but also to those who were left behind in the Philippines.  

John Wayne Movie: **** North to Alaska (1960)

 Who suspected that a John Wayne movie about gold mining in Alaska would turn into a romantic comedy; but the sparks were flying.  Sam McCord (John Wayne) and his partner, George Pratt (Stewart Granger) strike it rich in the gold field.  Pratt's son, Billy (Fabian) is also a partner.  McCord agrees to travel back to Seattle for equipment and Pratt's fiancé.  However he discovers the fiancé has not waited three years and she is married.  She is French, so McCord recruits a Fren ch girl, Angel (Capucine).  She is rather feisty, but they end up on the boat going back to Alaska.  A former boyfriend of Angel has proceeded her, Frankie Cannon (Ernie Kovacs).  He is a conman and goes for the mine.  And Pratt and Angel decide they are not meant for each other, but sparks are flying between  Angel and McCord.

This really is a fun movie.  I don't like that it starts with a big fight and ends with a big fight.  Those scenes were not needed, but otherwise it was excellent.

John Wayne Movie: ***^ Back to Bataan (1945)

 A movie telling WWII from the Philippine side.  Colonel Joseph Madden (John Wayne)mis asked to stay on the Philippines and do what he can to disrupt the Japanese.  They engage in guerrilla warfare, but are powerless in many respects.  The observe the March of Bataan where so any Americans were taken prisoner and walked across the country.  However they are also present when the Americans return after a couple years.  They are involved in early fighting to prepare the landing area for the Americans in Leyte.  Captain Andrés Bonifácio (Anthony Quinn) is Phillippino and rescued from the march as he is the face of the resistance.  His girl (Fely Franquelli) is on the radio spreading propaganda, but in truth is a spy and she also escapes the Japanese.  

At the beginning and the end they show actual soldiers who marched in the Bataan death march.  They were all listed in the credits as well.  This movie was good but the narration was over the top.  

Music Review: Bob Dylan MTV Unplugged

Bob Dylan MTV Unplugged, Columbia Records, 1995.

 This is a live recording of the performance of Bob Dylan for the regular TV show, unplugged.  Some of the songs sound a bit different from Dylan's original work.  This includes "The Times They Are a Changing."  "Knocking on Heaven's Door" is very well done with the harmonica and the vocals.  Many of the songs add an organ which is very effective.  This song is followed by another Dylan favorite, "Like a Rolling Stone."  This is a nine minute version, the longest song of the set.  It asks a mane down on his luck "How does it feel?"

Dylan's raspy voice carries this C.D.  He puts a lot of emotion into his music.

Eddie Murphy Movie Review: *** Haunted Mansion (2003)

 Jim Evers (Eddie Murphy) is too focused on his real estate business to the detriment of his wife and kids.  So they go on vacation, with a side trip to check out a property, and find themselves mixed with ghosts.  Turns out Evers' wife, Sara (Marsha Thomason) looks like a deceased woman; and they hope to bring the ghost of the woman back.  Lots of ghosts flying around and spooky stuff.   Turns out the butler (Terence Stamp) is the culprit, he killed the original bride not approving of her choice.  And he is manipulating things now as a ghost.  Two ghosts help the Evers, Ezra (Wallace Shawn) and Emma (Dina Waters).  The master (Nathaniel Parker) does not know of the butler's complicity.  

Mildly entertaining but not my favorite Halloween movie.  

John Wayne Movie Review: **** The Horse Soldiers (1959)

 A Civil War era movie as we follow a calvary regiment raiding deep into southern territory.  Colonel John Marlowe ( (John Wayne) accompanied by the surgeon Major Henry Kendall (William Holden) and they don't like each other.  They take a southern woman, Hannah Hunter (Constance Towers) along with them for fear she will reveal their plans.  And so begins the game of hide and seek.  

Very nice calvary action and at one point canon action as well.  This is the movie where a bunch of school kids decide to confront them.  The union soldiers hold their fire or fire over them as they make their escape.  Marlow professes that he has fallen in love with Hunter as he rides away and blows up their bridge and makes his escape.  Kendall stays with the wounded Union soldiers.  

In Theaters: ****^Sense and Sensibility (2026)

Sheri and I made a date of going to the movies today to catch the new Sense and Sensibility.  Many things about this version make it special.  First I noted is the dancing.  It is unlike any dancing I have seen before with very intricate hand movements.  And then the entire hall making the same movements.  I don't know if they are original dances to Britain but they were cool.  Three girls and their mother, Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles), Margaret (Bodhi Rae Breathnach), Elinor (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and mother Mrs. Dashwood (Caltríona Balfe) lose their home and fortune when their father passes away and the estate is taken over by their older brother, John (Tom Brooke) and his greedy wife, Fanny (Stacy Martin).  She treats the Dashwoods poorly.  Her only redeeming quality is her brother Edward Ferrars (George MacKay).  He and Elinor become an item.  The Dashwoods find a place to land in a cottage in the country of Mrs. Jennings (Fiona Shaw).  There Marianne is pursued by two suitors, Willoughby (Frank Dillan) and Colonel Branden (Herbert Nordrum).  Her emotions carry her towards Willoughby.  But both girls are let down by there men who both travel to London.  They follow, and Elinor discovers Edward is engaged to Lucy Steele (Ceara Coveney) and Willoughby to a woman with money, Miss Grey (Sophie McGibbon).  Marianne takes it much harder than Elinor, even to the point of making herself sick, and then we find who is the real man of the two, Willoughby or the Colonel.  

I really enjoyed myself, but it did drag early on and I almost fell asleep.  This version added a duel which was very well done.