From Here to Eternity Review

From Here to Eternity

Release Date: 15th October 1953 - Australia

Production Companies

Columbia Pictures (presents)

 
Distribution

Sony Pictures Australia

Genre: War/Drama

Rating: PG

Runtime: 118 minutes


Budget: $2,500,000

Box Office Gross: $30,500,000 (US)

Plot Summary
In a barracks in Hawaii before Pearl Harbor, lone wolf and boxer champ "Prew" Prewitt refuses to fight and prefers to play the bugle. Captain Holmes subjects Prew to a series of punishments, while unbeknownst to Holmes, the gruff but fair Sgt. Warden is having a secret affair with the captain's abused wife.

Cast

Burt Lancaster - Sgt. Milton Warden

Montgomery Clift - Robert E. Lee Prewitt

Deborah Kerr - Karen Holmes

Donna Reed - Alma aka Lorene

Frank Sinatra - Angelo Maggio 

Philip Ober - Capt. Dana Holmes

Mickey Shaughnessy - Sgt. Leva

Harry Bellaver - Mazzioli

Ernest Borgnine - Sgt. 'Fatso' 

Judson

Jack Warden - Corp. Buckley

John Dennis - Sgt. Ike Galovitch

Merle Travis - Sal Anderson

Tim Ryan - Sgt. Pete Karelsen

Arthur Keegan - Treadwell

Barbara Morrison - Mrs Kipfer

Claude Akins - Sgt. 'Baldy' Dhom (Uncredited)
Don Dubbins - Pvt. Friday 

Clark - Bugler (Uncredited)

George Reeves - Sgt. 

Maylon Stark (Uncredited)
Jean Wiles - Annette - Club Receptionist (Uncredited)

Crew

Director - Fred Zinnemann

Based Upon the Novel/Writer: Song
"Reenlistment Blues" - James Jones

Screenplay - Daniel Taradash

Producer - Buddy Adler

Technical Advisers - Kendall J. Fielder

and William Mullen

Art Director - Cary Odell

Gowns - Jean Louis

Set Decorator - Frank Tuttle

Director of Photography - Burnett Guffey
Film Editor - William A. Lyon

Supervising Sound Editor - John P. Livadary

(Uncredited)
Musical Director - Morris Stoloff

Background Music - George Duning

Awards

1954 Academy Awards
Best Picture - Buddy Adler (Won)
Best Supporting Actor - Frank Sinatra (Won)
Best Supporting Actress - Donna Reed (Won)
Best Director - Fred Zinnenman (Won)
Best Screenplay - Daniel Taradash (Won)
Best Cinematography, Black or White - Burnett Guffey (Won)
Best Sound - John P. Livadary (Won)
Best Film Editing - William A. Lyon (Won)
---------------------------
Best Actor - Montgomery Clift (Nominated)
Best Actor - Burt Lancaster (Nominated)
Best Actress - Deborah Kerr (Nominated)
Best Costume Design, Black or White - Jean Louis (Nominated)
Best Music Score of a Dramatic or Comedy

Picture - Morris Stoloff and George Duning (Nominated)

Review
I wanted to see the movie for a long time because I had only seen bits of it. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY is known as a movie classic because of its well-known passionate scene on the beach between the film's stars, Burt Lancaster and Deborah Kerr. Part of the movie's appeal was it came out in 1953. The war experience was still fresh in people's minds, and audiences would have related to the film's content. Moviegoers have not been used to such intimate scenes in a feature. But this film is more than just romance. It tells the private lives of two men during World War II and before the Pearl Harbor attacks. The movie portrays the struggles people go through during wartime, including its effect on love lives. People could relate to the frustrations and loneliness experienced by the characters.

Lancaster, Kerr, Montgomery Clift, Donna Reed and Frank Sinatra are terrific in their performances as this film elevated their status as high-profile actors. I like how the romantic chemistry works between Lancaster and Kerr and Clift and Reed in intimate scenes that today may seem old-fashioned. 

As a modern viewer, I can't say I related to it very much. FROM HERE TO ETERNITY would still appeal to fans of black-and-white movies in the post-war era. I would give the film a 10 out of 10.

Star rating: (10/10) Best Movie Ever

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Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones Re-Review

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones


Release Date: 16th May 2002 - Australia

Production Companies

Lucasfilm Ltd.

Distribution
Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Australia

Genre: Sci-Fi

Rating: PG

Runtime: 142 minutes

Budget: $115,000,000

Box Office Gross: $653,779,970 (Worldwide)

Plot Summary
After several assassination attempts have put Padmé Amidala, now the Senator of Naboo, in grave danger, the Jedi assigns Anakin Skywalker to protect her at all costs. Anakin develops a romance with Padmé, which the Jedi Code forbids.

Meanwhile, his master Obi-
Wan Kenobi is looking for
the assassin Jango Fett and
has found some clues that
lead to discovering a clone
army. A sinister plot from 

a group of Separatists with 

Count Dooku as their
leader would soon escalate
into a full-scale war with the Republic.

Cast

Ewan McGregor - Obi-Wan
Kenobi

Natalie Portman - Padmé

Amidala

Hayden Christensen - Anakin
Skywalker

Ian McDiarmid - Supreme
Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious

Christopher Lee - Count Dooku

Samuel L. Jackson - Mace
Windu

Temuera Morrison - Jango Fett

Frank Oz - Yoda (Voice)

Anthony Daniels - C-3PO/
Dannl Faytonni

Kenny Baker - R2-D2

Daniel Logan - Boba Fett

Leeanna Walsman - Zam
Wessell

Silas Carson - Nute Gunray/
Ki-Adi-Mundi

Ahmed Best - Jar Jar Binks

(Voice)/Achk Med-Beq
Jimmy Smits - Senator Bail
Organa
Pernilla August - Shmi
Skywalker
Jack Thompson - Cliegg Lars
Joel Edgerton - Owen Lars
Bonnie Piesse - Beru
Jay Laga'aia - Captain Typho
Andy Secombe - Watto (Voice)
Oliver Ford Davies - Sio Bibble
Ayesha Dharker - Queen
Jamillia
Anthony Phelan - Lama Su (Voice)
Rena Owen - Taun We (Voice)
Ron Falk - Dexter Jettster (Voice)

Rose Byrne - Dormé
Verónica Segura - Cordé
Alethea McGrath - Madame Jocasta Nu
Matt Doran - Elan Sleazebaggano
Matt Sloan - Plo Koon
Zachariah Jensen - Kit Fisto
Alex Knoll - J.K. Burtola
Phoebe Yiamkiati - Mari Amithest
Matt Rowan - Senator Orn Free Taa

David Bowers - Mas Amedda
Steven Boyle - Senator Ask Aak/

Passel Argente
Matt Sloan - Plo Koon

Marton Csokas - Poggle the Lesser

(Voice) (Uncredited)
Amy Allen - Aayla Secura/Mya Nalle/

Yma Nalle/Lela Mayn (Uncredited)

Orli Shashan - Shaak Ti (Uncredited)

Nalini Krishan - Barris Offee (Uncredited)

Mary Oyaya - Luminara Unduli

(Uncredited)

Lily Nyamwasa - Adi Gallas (Uncredited)

Tux Akindoyeni - Agen Kolar (Uncredited)

Susie Porter - Hermione Bagwa/WA-7

(Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew

Story/Screenplay/Executive Producer/
Director - George Lucas

Character Creators: Aayla Secura -

John Ostrander and Jan Duursema (Uncredited)

Screenplay - Jonathan Hales

Script Supervisor - Jayne-Ann Tenggren

Producers - Rick McCallum and

Lorne Orleans (IMAX Version)

Casting Director - Robin Gurland

Production Designer - Gavin Bocquet

Concept Design Supervisors - Doug Chiang,
Ryan Church and Erik Tiemens
Supervising Art Director - Peter Russell

Art Directors - Ian Gracie, Phil Harvey,

Fred Hole, Jonathan Lee and Michelle McGahey

Supervising Construction Manager - David Bubb

Construction Manager - Greg Hajdu

Set Decorator - Peter Walpole

Assistant Set Decorator - Beverley Dunn
Property Master - Ty Teiger 

Costume Designer - Trisha Biggar

Makeup Supervisor - Lesley Vanderwalt

Creatures Supervisor - Jason Baird

Director of Photography - David Tattersall

Director of Photography: Additional Shooting

Crew - Giles Nuttgens

High Definition Camera Supervisor - Fred Meyers

Camera/Steadicam Operator - Brad Shield

Camera Operator - Calum McFarlane

Techno Crane Operator - Geoff Brown

Production Supervisor - Stephen Jones

Production Manager: Tunisia - Peter Heslop

Production Coordinators: Additional Shooting

Crew - Helen Gregory and Virginia Whitwell

First Assistant Director - James McTeigue

First Assistant Directors: Additional Shooting

Crew - Richard Hewitt and Richard Whelan

Second Second Assistant Director - Paul Sullivan

Stunt Coordinator/Sword Master - Nick Gillard

Special Effects Supervisor - David Young
Special Effects Supervisor: ILM - Geoff Heron

Special Effects Supervisor: Additional Shooting

Crew - Tom Harris

Creature Effects Supervisor: Additional Shooting

Crew - Nick Dudman

Droid Unit Supervisor/R2-D2 Operator -

Don Bies

Visual Effects Supervisors - Pablo Helman,

John Knoll, Dennis Muren and Ben Snow

Visual Effects Producers: ILM - Jill Brooks,

Gretchen Libby and Heather MacDonald

Visual Effects Executive Producer: ILM - Judith Weaver

Visual Effects Art Director: ILM - Alex Jaeger

Visual Effects Conceptual Artists: ILM -

Christian Alzmann, Michael Brunsfield,

Warren Fu, Philip Metschan and Wilson J. Tang

Effects Directors of Photography: ILM -

Martin Rosenberg, Carl Miller and Pat Sweeney

Model Supervisor: ILM - Brian Gernand

Animation Director - Rob Coleman

Animation Supervisors: ILM - Chris Armstrong

and Hal T. Hickel

Technical Animation Supervisor: ILM - James Tooley

Pre-Visualisation/Effects Supervisors -

Daniel D. Gregoire and David Dozoretz

Computer Graphics Supervisors: ILM -

Kevin Barnhill, Dan B. Goldman, Samir Hoon,

David Meny, Robert Marinic, Curt I. Miyashiro,

Patrick T. Myers and Henry Preston

Motion Capture Supervisor: ILM - Jeffrey B. Light

Digital Modelling Supervisors: ILM -

Geoff Campbell and Russell Paul

3D Matchmove Supervisor: ILM - Jason H. Snell

Viewpaint Supervisor: ILM - Jean Bolte

Digital Matte Sequence Supervisors: ILM -

Jonathan Harb, Paul Huston and Yusei Uesugi

Digital Compositing Supervisors: ILM -

Jeff Doran, Dorne Huebler and

Marshall Richard Krasser

Editor/Sound Designer/Supervising

Sound Editor - Ben Burtt

Assistant Editors - Todd Busch,

Cheryl Nardi and Joseph Jett Sally

Location Assistant Editor - Jason Ballantine

Technical Supervisor - Michael Blanchard

Supervising Sound Editor - Matthew Wood

Apprentice Sound Editor - David Acord

Sound Effects Editors - Teresa Eckton

and Bruce Lacey

Sound Fu - Christopher Scarabosio

Sound Recordist - Paul 'Salty' Brincat

Foley Artists - Dennie Thorpe and Jana Vance

Re-Recording Mixers - Rick Kline,

Gary Rydstrom and Michael Semanick

Additional Re-Recording Mixer - Gary A. Rizzo

Music - John Williams

Supervising Music Editor - Kenneth Wannberg

Scoring Engineer - Shawn Murphy

Awards

2003 Academy Awards
Best Visual Effects - Rob Coleman,

Pablo Helman, John Knoll and Ben Snow (Nominated)

Review

When I originally reviewed ATTACK OF THE CLONES in 2011. I considered it a significant improvement from The Phantom Menace. However, this improvement was problematic because Menace was the lowest common denominator of the series. ATTACK OF THE CLONES was still not the best Star Wars movie ever, despite being slightly adjusted with better visuals. And Jar Jar gets downgraded to a minor character. Looking back at the film, I feel it could have been better than the other Star Wars movies because it was below my expectations. Perhaps George Lucas was busy focusing on the visual style and action sequences.

The film's plot highlights the lack of energy that I would've liked to have experienced. It contains the poorly written dialogue in which Lucas and Jonathan Hale collaborated. Given what previously occurred in Menace, Star Wars fans might have preferred a different direction. I would have wanted it if someone more experienced had co-written the script with dialogue changes, including the line "I don't like sand," to make it less cringe-worthy.

Even the romantic subplot feels awkward. The relationship between Anakin and Padme deserves better execution in the film. It could have been a consequence of acting, writing and direction. Nevertheless, there is still a batch of moments, like the speeder chase, the Battle of Geonosis and the lightsaber duel between Yoda and Count Dooku.

Hayden Christensen is still not as terrific as Anakin Skywalker. Given the script and direction, his performance was okay but gets melodramatic. Ewan McGregor continues his performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Christopher Lee was good at portraying Count Dooku, but his character was less menacing than Darth Maul.

This franchise's reputation is still in tatters, as the film ATTACK OF THE CLONES did not help. However, it's not the movie Star Wars fans would have wanted. It would take another three years before Revenge of the Sith premiered to a mostly positive reception. Still, I recommend that you see CLONES.

Star rating: (4/10) Below Average

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In Memory of Peter Mayhew (1944-2019)

Peter Mayhew (1944-2019)

Dearest Star Wars fans, we are very saddened to hear about the death of English actor Peter Mayhew on 30 April 2019, at age 74, following a heart attack. Mayhew's passing was confirmed through his Twitter account by his family. He is best known for playing Chewbacca in our favourite franchise - a beloved character, and who can imagine Han Solo without his hairy companion?

Before George Lucas' science-fiction film series, Peter worked as an orderly in a hospital in London when producer Charles H. Schneer discovered him. Schneer cast him in Ray Harryhausen's "Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger". The following year, Peter got selected by aspiring filmmaker George Lucas as the 200-year-old Wookie in what is to be the start of the best science-fiction franchise ever. He subsequently appeared in "The Empire Strikes Back", "Return of the Jedi", "Revenge of the Sith", and "The Force Awakens", the latter being the last time he played Chewie.

He starred as Chewie in several guest appearances in shows like "Donny & Marie", "The Muppet Show", and "Glee", as well as numerous Star Wars-related projects like an appearance in "The Clone Wars". Mayhew played Chewbacca in "The Star Wars Holiday Special", which was pretty bad, according to the reviews. Outside being his Star Wars character, Mayhew had different roles in films and TV shows, including "Terror" and "Dark Towers".

His family, friends and loyal fans will sorely miss him.

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