Always (1989) – 8/10 fantasy action romance Steven Spielberg movie review

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Cast / crew Director: Steven Spielberg Screenplay Writer: Jerry Belson Writer (Original Screenplay) “A Guy Named Joe”: Dalton Trumbo Writer (Original Screenplay Adaptation) “A Guy Named Joe”: Frederick Hazlitt Brennan Writer (Original Screen Story) “A Guy Named Joe”: Chandler Sprague Writer (Original Screen Story) “A Guy Named Joe”: David Boehm Richard Dreyfuss: Pete Sandich Holly Hunter: Dorinda Durston John Goodman: Al Yackey Brad Johnson: Ted Baker Audrey Hepburn: Hap Producer: Steven Spielberg Producer: Frank Marshall Producer: Kathleen Kennedy Music: John Williams

Always (1989) Fire fighting pilot Pete saves best friend Al’s life by sacrificing his own. He is sent back by an angel to help influence the life of another trainee fire-fighting pilot, Ted Baker. However, a chance meeting by this trainee reintroduces Pete to his former love, Dorinda. Will he concentrate on his duty or will he make a futile attempt to rekindle his long-lost romance? 8/10 This is a forgotten Spielberg; a gem awaiting your discovery. This is an emotionally engaging fantasy romance with some good humour and outstanding action. It’s certainly not above criticism as it’s not consistently convincing and the Dreyfuss-Hunter romance for the first part of the movie feels lifted from an animated movie. However, all of the action sequences are extremely thrilling and spectacular, there are a number of lovely scenes and the climax works emotionally. Also, Always contains a mighty Hitler moustache gag that you probably won’t ever see again in a Spielberg movie. This movie contains mild adult dialogue, mild bad language, mild unpleasant scenes and Holly Hunter in adorably chunky white socks Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance. Links Always: great Hitler moustache gag

Patlabor: The Mobile Police (1989) – 5/10 mecha police anime movie review

Cast / crew Writer (Original Concept): Yuuki Masami Writer (Screenplay): Kazunori Ito Producer: Shin Unozawa Producer: Taro Maki Producer: Makoto Kubo Director: Mamoru Oshii

Patlabor: Mobile Police, The Patlabor: Movie, The (1989) Labor’s – giant mechanical exoskeletons – are in widespread use, especially in the construction industry making skyscrapers and artificial islands. However, recently, some Labor’s have been malfunctioning without any obvious reason but a young detective discovers that every one of them were running the same new Hyper Operating System from a single company. 5/10 A plot that isn’t quite intriguing and that is never sufficiently explained is exposed by a lack of interesting characters, technology or action. Why the villain kills himself at the beginning is never made clear and quite how the heroes dismantling the Ark during the climax makes sense is also beyond me (the villain was trying to destroy the Ark, we’ll stop him by destroying it ourselves, hah!). Oshii directs with his usual flat style but the trademark commendable time he takes with his characters and plot, as usual, don’t amount to anything. This movie contains bad language and mild mecha violence. Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance.

Agatha Christie’s Poirot S01E08 The Incredible Theft (1989) – 7/10 period crime drama TV review

Cast / crew Writer: Agatha Christie David Suchet: Hercule Poirot Hugh Fraser: Hastings Philip Jackson: Chief Inspector Japp Pauline Moran: Miss Lemon Writer (Dramatisation): David Reid Writer (Dramatisation): Clive Exton John Stride: Tommy Mayfield Carmen Du Sautoy: Mrs Vanderlyn Producer: Brian Eastman Director: Edward Bennett Executive Producer: Nick Elliott Executive Producer: Linda Agran

Poirot, Agatha Christie’s S01E08 Incredible Theft, The (1989) Poirot is invited to make sure that aircraft plans vital to national security aren’t stolen but, wouldn’t you know, they are. 7/10 "But we must put on it a brave face, heh, and not allow cheerfulness to keep breaking through!" – Hercule Poirot A lot to enjoy with Poirot in particularly good spirits. The mystery isn’t for anyone who watches these kind of things regularly but it’s the cheerfulness that provides the entertainment. Hastings gets a great scene moaning about Japp’s bedroom habits and, as already mentioned, Poirot is in a fun mood; teasing Miss Lemon, happily polishing his shoes, satisfyingly bristling at being called a “froggie” and even stealing police cars. As a bonus for boys, there’s an explosion and an useful car chase. Poirot finishes with the above sarcastic sentiment but it’s intriguing to see that a lack of cheerfulness, or even humanity, would characterise and undermine the poorer episodes of this classic series. Classified U by BBFC. Universal: Suitable for All. Links Agatha Christie Screened by Slimm Next episode: The King of Clubs

Tremors (1989) – 9/10 classic monster movie

Cast / crew Kevin Bacon: Valentine McKee Fred Ward: Earl Bass Finn Carter: Rhonda LeBeck Michael Gross: Burt Gummer Victor Wong: Walter Chang Bobby Jacoby: Melvin Plug Ariana Richards: Mindy Reba McEntire: Heather Gummer Writer (Story): S.S. Wilson Writer (Story): Brent Maddock Writer (Story): Ron Underwood Writer (Screenplay): S.S. Wilson Writer (Screenplay): Brent Maddock Producer: Brent Maddock Producer: S.S. Wilson Director: Ron Underwood

Tremors (1989) When Val and Earl decide to leave the tiny town of Perfection, they do so just one day too late: giant alien worm things have arrived and have started to munch their way through all the neighbours. 9/10 One of the things that really differentiates this fun, thrilling treat of a monster movie is that the lead characters are nice; they’re pleasant, fun, friendly, thoughtful and helpful. Also something filmmakers have forgotten since is that monsters do not have to attack the whole world; in fact I would say a movie has a deeper automatic connection to the audience the smaller the target is. Though Tremors certainly delivers on the genre expectations it is also cleverer than usual. Firstly, nobody really does anything stupid throughout (difficult to overstate how uncommon that is), the two-part monster reveal works a treat, the rules laid down do not get broken (no vibration or rocks equals safe) and the climax is a classic. As is the movie. This movie contains sexual swear words and violence, slightly gory scenes, unpleasant scenes. Classified 15 by BBFC. Suitable only for persons of 15 years and over.

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Agatha Christie’s Poirot S01E10 The Dream (1989) – 8/10 period murder mystery TV review

Cast / crew Writer: Agatha Christie David Suchet: Hercule Poirot Hugh Fraser: Captain Arthur Hastings Philip Jackson: Chief Inspector Japp Pauline Moran: Miss Felicity Lemon Writer (Dramatisation): Clive Exton Director: Edward Bennett

Poirot, Agatha Christie’s S01E10 Dream, The (1989) Benedict Farley, a wealthy businessman (he makes pies), requests the wisdom of Poirot with regard to disturbing dream he keeps having where he commits suicide at 12:28 with a revolver. He asks Poirot if he can be made to kill himself through the suggestion of the dream but Poirot cannot offer any advice due to lack of information. His puzzlement and frustration is joined by professionally dented pride when Farley is found dead the next day. Shot. At 12:28. With a revolver. Meanwhile, Miss Lemon is having trouble with the typewriter. 8/10 Though the nature of the revelation of the dream is immediately transparent to the audience and, it should be noted, to a certain extent by Poirot, the surrounding stuff including Poirot revealing a wild youth that may have permanently damaged some little grey cells (prompting a welcome "I say" from Hastings), the murder method, a clock (another "I say") and a typewriter ("Voila!") keeps the episode more than entertaining enough. And there is the tacit recognition (by Japp) that like super-villains flocking to Gotham, even when it looks like suicide, "where Hercule Poirot is concerned, there arises immediately the suspicion of murder." A lot of fun. This Poirot, Agatha Christie’s episode contains mild unpleasant scene, mild violence. Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance. Links Agatha Christie Screened by Slimm Previous episode: The King of Clubs

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Agatha Christie’s Poirot S01E09 The King of Clubs (1989) – 6/10 period murder mystery TV review

Cast / crew Writer: Agatha Christie David Suchet: Hercule Poirot Hugh Fraser: Arthur Hastings Philip Jackson: Chief Inspector Japp Writer (Dramatisation): Michael Baker Script Consultant: Clive Exton Niamh Cusack: Valerie Saintclair Producer: Brian Eastman Director: Renny Rye Executive Producer: Nick Elliott Executive Producer: Linda Agran

Poirot, Agatha Christie’s S01E09 King of Clubs, The (1989) A much-disliked movie producer is found dead by his leading lady, Valerie Saintclair, but her subsequent actions are too well witnessed for Poirot. 6/10 Bit of a surprise to see Poirot allow being called French (by Sean Pertwee) to go without correction and SPOILER allow someone to get away with a crime. It’s always fun to see Japp think he is out-performing Poirot’s little grey cells ("You mustn’t get discouraged Poirot. When you’ve been around as long as I have…"). Suchet is spot on, Philip Jackson does his thing and Hugh Fraser’s Hastings is, as always, perfect ("You’re onto something, Poirot. I’m dashed if I know what it is.") So while this is one of the weaker hour-long’s, it’s still a fun, entertaining murder mystery and there’s a lovely closing shot that reinforces why: the relationship between Hastings and Poirot. This Poirot, Agatha Christie’s episode contains adult dialogue and mild unpleasant and gory scene. Classified PG by BBFC. Parental Guidance. Links Agatha Christie Screened by Slimm Next episode: The Dream Previous episode: The Incredible Theft

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The Little Mermaid (1989, Disney Fantasy Romance) – 8/10 movie review

Cast / crew Rene Auberjonois: Louis Christopher Daniel Barnes: Eric Jodi Benson: Ariel / Vanessa Pat Carroll: Ursula Paddi Edwards: Flotsam & Jetsam Buddy Hackett: Scuttle Jason Marin: Flounder Kenneth Mars: Triton Ben Wright: Grimsby Samuel E. Wright: Sebastian Composer (Songs): Howard Ashman Composer (Songs): Alan Menken Composer (Score): Alan Menken Producer: Howard Ashman Producer: John Musker Writer: John Musker Writer: Ron Clements Director: John Musker Director: Ron Clements Directing Animator: Mark Henn Directing Animator: Glen Keane Directing Animator: Duncan Marjoribanks Directing Animator: Ruben A. Aquino Directing Animator: Andreas Dejá Directing Animator: Matthew O’Callaghan

Little Mermaid, The (1989) Ariel the Mermaid dreams of leaving her watery palace home and joining the human world. Ignoring the advice of her father King Triton and friend Sebastian the crab, she strikes a bargain with sea witch Ursula, giving up the power of speech in return for human form. Once on dry land she falls for Prince Eric but discovers that the deal was not as straightforward as it seems. 8/10 How important a movie in a company’s history do you have to be in order to have it’s score become the company ident theme? That’s what the song-writing duo of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken achieved here with a beautiful score and indispensable songs. Ashman worked on a song in Oliver and Company, then, with Menken, produced three all-time Disney classics with this, Beauty and the Beast and Aladdin. Howard Ashman was the driving creative force behind these and sparked a resurgence in the venerable studio that would last for an entire decade after he died. Menken talks about him (on The Little Mermaid commentary) as "the greatest theatrical and dramatic talent of our generation" and, for once in Hollywood, that wasn’t empty hyperbole. Classified U by BBFC. Universal: Suitable for All.