Only Angels Have Wings

Only Angels Have Wings (1939)

Runtime: 121 minutes

Directed by: Howard Hawks

Starring: Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, Richard Barthelmess, Thomas Mitchell, Rita Hayworth

From: Columbia

Another review done via request. Earlier in the month, I gave a positive review to the 1952 movie Mogambo; this was mentioned on a messageboard. Another regular on the board mentioned this film as one he was a fan of. Of course I’ve known of Only Angels Have Wings for years. A highly-regarded Howard Hawks film starring Cary Grant, Jean Arthur, and Rita Hayworth… shame on me for never giving it a shot sooner.

The setting of “South American Port Town” was a great one; Grant’s Geoff Carter was the stern, standoffish leader of a small airline who has the unenviable task of flying 1930’s aircraft through dangerous, high passes in the Andes Mountains. However, he does have the enviable task of expressing interest in both Arthur and Hayworth… but seriously, the film opens with a light tone before revealing the dark undercurrent that resides in this fatalistic, insular world where every pilot’s flight could be their last & Carter himself flew the riskiest flights. Arthur was the fish out of water character who was also the voice of reason.

This is another example of an enthralling journey where I’d rather not reveal too much. I will note that the film has a panoply of colorful, unforgettable characters. The airplane footage is still impressive today but the crux of the focus is on the players and their drama while on the ground. The two-hour runtime… flew by. Of course, Grant and Arthur were solid but it was Rita with a minimal amount of screentime which made me understood why after this film, she skyrocketed in popularity. Silent star Richard Barthelmess was appropriately weathered-looking for his role. In addition, I was personally happy to see Three Stooges regular Vernon Dent in a bit part.

Wings has action, melodrama, heartbreak, romance, and some laughs in an enticing package. 1939 is generally regarded as the best year in the history of cinema (and to think, Thomas Mitchell was in this and several other classics released that year)-there’s no shortage of movies from this year worth seeing—Only Angels Have Wings is another worth seeing without a doubt. The stunning nature of the conclusion alone is motivation should be motivation for those fools like me that took a random Internet poster’s praise to finally DVR the movie when it played on cable.

The Anthrax Attacks: In the Shadow of 9/11

This is another Netflix documentary: 

Why do modern documentaries deem it “cool” to show themselves set up a shot (including a clapper board) before then running the shot? I know it’s been a trope for years but the example here was way too elaborate and was just a sign that this BBC/Netflix effort was overproduced.

I realize at least some reading this weren’t alive in late 2001 (which makes me feel ancient); in the weeks after 9/11, letters filled with anthrax were sent to various entities. What was implied in the documentary but not explicitly stated was that the FBI bungled the investigation from the beginning… it took way too long to realize this was a coordinated attack. What a scary time it was for all Americans at the time; I remember that fear & confusion distinctly despite it happening a quarter-century ago.

The FBI focused on one suspect-only for another suspect right under their noses appear and that guy was a better candidate. Because reasons, this person was never convicted in a court of law for these attacks… and part of this documentary featured reenactments of this person as if this was a show on Investigation Discovery. A curious decision was that these moments featured known actors… Clark Gregg of War of the Worlds fame (well, that’s how I’ll know him for the rest of time!) and Peri Gilpin.

My criticisms aside, it was still nice to see people involved in this case interviewed. I remember some of those events when they happened + I’ve read some articles after the fact. For those not as familiar, this was a nice cursory glance at the event and the subsequent investigation. Of most interest to me: the moments devoted to following those affected by the anthrax exposure at the Brentwood post office in Washington, D.C. Then and now, the government also botched how that was handled, especially considering that two of the five victims (Thomas Morris, Jr. and Joseph Curseen) were employees of that office.

I haven’t read any books solely devoted to the case; as flawed as Wikipedia can be, their article “2001 anthrax attacks” is worthy of reading for those on a quest for more knowledge, re: what occurred starting in late 2001.

Primate

Primate (2025)

79% on Rotten Tomatoes (out of 131 reviews)

Runtime: 89 minutes

Directed by: Johannes Roberts

Starring: Johnny Sequoyah, Jess Alexander, Troy Kotsur, Victoria Wyant, Gia Hunter

From: Paramount

I… went ape for Primate.

Truth be told, the effective advertisements (where they stressed that test screenings made everyone in the audience jump in shock) plus learning that the film had a Carpenter-esque synth score from Adrian Johnston… that was enough to persuade me. Indeed, the score typically reminded me of old-school John Carpenter, which is a compliment.

The film is unapologetically a B-movie; of course that won’t be for all tastes. College girl Lucy (a great name if you get the reference) returns home to Hawaii for summer break-she’s been away due to her mom’s passing from cancer. The family has a chimpanzee named Ben who was taught sign language. Middle-aged me was reminded of Koko the Gorilla, who was taught sign language. A rabbit hole is reading the dirty details of how she was evidently cared for and other unfortunate controversies. Ben is bitten by a mongoose that has rabies-perhaps a few liberties were taken in how quickly Ben turns evil.

I probably shouldn’t question how quickly Ben turned into an evil chimp that inflicted gory carnage as if he’s watched the Terrifier films. That plus that monkey subplot in Nope (you know, people still debate now how that subplot tied into the main plot! I’d almost want to watch that disappointing movie again to discuss that…) reminded me of poor Charla Nash. She was a lady whose friend’s chimp snapped one day and mauled her. Her aftermath/the damage to her face would cause even the toughest and most extreme film-watchers to genuflect.

Primate can be nitpicked to death if you’re the insufferable CinemaSins type. This won’t be me; instead, I’ll shower praise and note why I was glad this wasn’t one of those “elevated horror” movies that almost always leave me cold or those PG-13 Blumhouse flicks that are lame and squander potential good premises. This is an R-rated film that features several gore-heavy moments, all done practically. Including end credits, the movie is an hour and a half long, never overstaying its welcome-perhaps at the expense of seeing Ben as a kind animal before his turn.

Unlike w/ too many modern films, I wasn’t aggravated w/ any of the main characters I was supposed to like. Plot armor isn’t a huge deal like you also get w/ too many modern films, not to mention certain popular streaming shows… I’ve seen a few Johannes Roberts films before and those were only mediocre at best but this contained several tense suspense scenes and used mainly one location decently well. This was also the first film I saw Troy Kotsur in-he was the one credited name in the cast I knew and his performance was good. Thankfully, there wasn’t a dreadful performance in the cast.

I’m evidently a simple man; still, there’s no shame in enjoying a silly yet unpretentious B-movie that delivered on its premise. I wish that there wouldn’t have been too many knuckleheads in the auditorium audience, but alas… I’m also reminded that one day I should check out the similar Link and Shakma.

 

Just Imagine

Just Imagine (1930)

Runtime:  109 minutes

Directed by: David Butler

Starring: El Brendel, Maureen O'Sullivan, John Garrick, Marjorie White, Frank Albertson

From: Fox 

For those that enjoy me watching/discussing old cinema, what a relatively obscure curio this is. How I first learned of this sci-fi musical comedy from Fox is lost to time. I’d love to see a restored version of the film… it’s just now in the public domain so I’ll presume that it won’t be any physical release plus it’s Fox so yeah… that’s regrettable as the production design and effects are the clear highlight. Metropolis this isn’t; instead, expect plenty of melodrama.

This world’s 1980 has flying vehicles, people only have names like J-18, food & drink is in pill form and marriages are arranged by the government. We follow J-18, who is miffed that he can’t marry LN-18-understandable as it’s the most famous name in the cast today, Maureen O’Sullivan. J has RT-42 as his roommate; sadly, even in this world there’s odious comic relief and his name was RT-42. They befriend a dude revived from being deceased 50 years after being struck by lightning. The former Peterson calls himself Single O. Single O was portrayed by a long-forgotten vaudeville comedian whom called himself El Brendel and you might remember from 1927’s Wings. His gimmick was being a Swedish immigrant; that was a negative stereotype of the time.

O served as the fish out of water character that learned about this bizarre 1980 world where the worst aspect is that sex isn’t a thing-babies are created artificially! I won’t reveal much more of the plot—except that out of nowhere, J-18 (a great pilot) is guided to fly a ship to Mars for the first time. In fact, he did get his ass to Mars. The movie is rather creaky at times, as static and flat as you’d expect for something in the first few years of the talkie era. The “musical numbers” typically are just one or two people singing to the camera while it is stationary; those songs are best described as “inoffensive.”

All that noted, I was still charmed by this oddity. It was strange, full of imagination, and great sets/backdrops throughout. There is one instrumental musical number that is buckwild; it involves at least 50 people doing a routine with an amazing backdrop. As O also provided some laughs and there was never boredom while viewing this colorful creation, this is why Just Imagine was something I liked despite its flaws. Its predictions of the future that were accurate weren’t that bold… others predicted the likes of the 1930 idea of the Ring doorbell camera and Skype. Yet, I was entertained by this quaint picture.

Chariots of the Gods?

This is a 1970 documentary which wasn't poorly made yet its content is full of falsehoods and flim-flam: 

Erich von Daniken is probably another person I shouldn’t say “RIP” to. For those unaware, on Saturday this Swiss author passed away at the age of 90. He is renowned for the 1968 book Chariots of the Gods? I’ve never read the book; as the YouTube account that uploaded this proclaimed, the “documentary” based on the “nonfiction” book is the original Ancient Aliens. That’s a show I’ve never watched either and only know it for the meme of that weirdo guy. The book was such a massive success, this German documentary was created, which was also successful.

The book purportedly offers evidence of not only aliens, but that they visited the humans of the ancient past and assisted them with technology they gave early man. Via both the writings of legendary skeptic James Randi and the book’s Wiki page, this evidence is nothing but half-truths at best, if not outright hogwash & poppycock. The proof offered here was also rather flimsy. An early example was how those on remote South Pacific islands thought that Americans in World War II were Gods when they created landings strips to land their airplanes on. The scene showed Black people (instead of Polynesians) praying to an effigy of an airplane… and this is one of the “better” examples of the film “proving” the pseudoscience in the documentary.

My low rating is not due to the filmmaking craft on display. The Peter Thomas score is fine, as is the direction from Harald Reinl. The former created some scores for krimi movies I liked and the latter directed both fun krimi and German Westerns I was a fan of. Furthermore, there’s nice footage of various ancient ruins from across the world.
It’s rather the content that was a turn-off. No offense to those that do believe in ancient aliens but just on the “evidence” provided in the film, nothing was done to prove that thesis to me.

What’s presented omits or ignores already-learned science, examples are cherry-picked, or is just piffle. The most infamous example is of an image on a Mayan sarcophagus is of “an ancient astronaut”… that is baloney! Rather, those ornate details are found on other Mayan art and historians have deciphered what they mean. Examples can be found via a simple online search.

There are reasons to be offended by such conspiracy theories. One is that apparently in the book, von Daniken did not question how such structures as the Parthenon or Stonehenge were created, monuments created by white people; rather, it’s those ancient monuments created by those with more melanin in their skin… yeah, that’s ugly. The movie at least did mention what the Greeks and Romans created. More debatable but still possible is that belief in rather “minor” conspiracy theories like UFO’s begat the horrible theories popular with some about vaccines, COVID, etc. which have harmed plenty of people.

It's a shame that such misinformation is now popular; in comparison, the History Channel devolving into a useless platform full of terrible “reality” shows and programs devoted to pseudoscience is something I can’t object to too strongly. Unless you are a fan of the author and/or programs like Ancient Aliens, no way could I recommend this to anyone.

 

Titan: The OceanGate Submersible Disaster

This is a Netflix documentary released last year: 

Hopefully the viewer remembered the Titan submersible imploded due to extreme pressure on the carbon fiber vessel. Aside from the opening that features news footage of the crazy week back in June 2023 (can you believe it’s been 2 ½ years already?), the actual day of the implosion isn’t extensively covered in this documentary by any means. That won’t exactly make it evergreen for any theoretical viewers streaming the film-or downloading it straight to their cerebral cortex or whatever technology we have decades from now-but I was someone who viewed some YouTube videos in the months after the tragedy, that detail wasn’t a big deal to me last night.

As we soon learned after the implosion, OceanGate owner/CEO/Grand Poobah Stockton Rush is solely responsible for what occurred. He was a fool from old money who wanted to make deep sea exploration more accessible by creating submersibles that were much lighter than the ones made of steel/titanium. Admirable, except that the vehicle was unsuited for diving 4 thousand meters down to visit the wreck of the Titanic. Besides the talking head interviews (which included several key employees who left OceanGate before the tragedy), plenty of footage filmed of Rush and OceanGate demonstrated that Rush was not only a stubborn fool who refused to admit defeat and refused to certify Titan, he was a narcissist and as a former employee referred to him as, “borderline sociopathic.” He threatened to ruin people’s lives just because they strongly disagreed with his refusal to change his doomed plans.

Some criticisms are worthwhile… we didn’t really need some YouTuber I’d never heard of (no matter how many millions subscribe to him) for a few minutes only because he was on a failed dive soon before that tragic day… be that as it may, I was still a fan of this documentary. Hearing from the ex-employees, the whistleblowers, the lead investigator from the Coast Guard, etc., the footage of Rush’s abhorrent behavior, clips from the government hearing of the accident-that was all interesting to see and helped me better understand the events of that day.

My non-fiction/documentary bias may be showing here but I should see more of Netflix’s offerings in the genre in the future. Perhaps not all their true crime efforts (I know more than one is rather controversial) but otherwise…

Conan the Destroyer

Conan the Destroyer (1984)

Runtime: 103 minutes

Directed by: Richard Fleischer

Starring: The returning Arnold & Mako, along with the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Olivia D’Abo, Tracey Walter, and Grace Jones

From: Universal

This is no Conan the Barbarian… but as silly as the film is, I can still say that Destroyer was fine.

The movie is to its credit not a carbon copy of Barbarian. Sure, the tone is notably lighter, Conan is made to look a fool while drunk, and there’s odious comic relief in Tracey Walter (he at least can fight and kill people so I can’t get too mad) but despite toning down the violence in an attempt to garner a larger audience, the movie is still fine even if it feels generic in comparison.

The main plot of a film is a quest; Sarah Douglas is a queen who asks Conan and another wacky group of characters to bring virginal Olivia D’Abo along to retrieve an item… but it’s to resurrect a horrible entity portrayed by an uncredited Andre the Giant in a great Carlo Rambaldi costume. Conan’s crew was larger than in Barbarian. Besides Conan and D’Abo, there’s the queen’s bodyguard Wilt Chamberlin-the only acting role for the extremely tall basketball legend-Walter, the returning Mako, and soon joining them is Grace Jones. As always, she’s a striking presence and believable as a female warrior. They all contributed along the way during the journey.

I was still entertained nevermind the potential for something more akin to the first film or the original novels. Perhaps I’m a simple man but at least in 2026, I can greatly appreciate practical effects, scenic locations (the rural Mexican locations were scenic), and violence that proved the movie’s PG rating was right before PG-13 was created… one dude has arterial blood spraying from him and someone else was beheaded. Some nice sets were built and while not legendary, Basil Poledouris’s score was still good.

Of course, the movie is not as raw & visceral as Barbarian; the negative reception is understandable. I’ll make the blind assumption that the film is more to my tastes than the 2011 Conan the Barbarian remake. I’ll mention two random details that might only amuse me:

1. If you know what Wilt Chamberlain is most famous for aside from his basketball accomplishments, the casting of him as a bodyguard who needs D’Abo to stay virginal for the sake of her sacrifice… it’s hysterical.

2. I’m glad an old YouTube video is still available online after all these years. If you search for “Dead or Alive ~ You Spin Me Round (Conan the Destroyer)”, someone place that 80’s classic tune over footage of Conan fighting in a hall of mirrors against a man-creature who literally spins Conan around at one point. That was the only thing on my line when viewing that scene in the film.