Movie Review: Bermuda Tentacles

Bermuda Tentacles a.k.a Dark Rising a.k.a American Warships 2 

Starring: Linda Hamilton, Trevor Donovan, Mya Harrison, John Savage, Jamie Kennedy, Richard Whiten, Ricco Ross, Jeff Rector, Robert Blanche, Angelique Cinelu, Justin Cuomo, Luke White, Stephanie Cantu, Darren Anthony Thomas, Craig Blair, Andy Clemence, Howard Dell, Tiffany Pulvino, Regi Davis, Jonathan Kowalski, Joe Sabatino, Graham Clarke, Marcus Shirock, Blanca Blanco, Natalie Burtney, Dan Coyle 

Director: Nick Lyon 

Syfy,  M. O. B. Movies, The Asylum, USA, 2014.

Air Force One is flying over the Bermuda Triangle. Lightning hits the plane and the President of the USA (John Savage) is put into escape pod. Navy rescue team is sent to rescue him from the sea. Operation is led by admiral Hanson (Linda Hamilton). Seeing Linda in this movie made me realise that between "Terminator 2" and this movie already 23 years have elapsed! Chief Trip Oliver (Trevor Donovan) is marine who has somehow messed up earlier, so there is tension between him and Hanson.

President Desteno

Admiral Hanson

Chief Trip Oliver

The operation has hardly started, when tentacles attack the ships. Dr. Zimmer (Jamie Kennedy) identifies them as giant tube worms. The tentacle-things are almost invulnerable to bullets. Oliver and the team takes mini-submarine and goes to rescue the President. Oceanologist and engineer Lt. Plummer (R&B singer Mya Harrison) is the scientific advisor of the group and  tough Lt. Commander Barclay (Richard Whiten) is the pilot. 

Pesky worms

Running away would be logical

 Dr. Zimmer

Tentacle-things are not just some mutated worms, but monsters from outer space that has been there for a long time. However their motives are unknown, maybe they just want to conquer the Earth. The marines go into their underwater cave "Aliens" style. Saving the President is a dangerous task and mini-submarine barely escapes. The President's answer would be to nuke the can of worms. Then follows a big "Independence Day" style finale.

Lt. Plummer

Lt. Commander Barclay

Rivas (Stephanie Cantu)

The ship interiors look quite good. Special effects are on the Asylum level good, acceptable for TV-movie but still far from normal budget movies. Some of the action scenes look the best that The Asylum has ever made. On the other hand stock footage combined with the alien effects does not fully work. The dialogue is silly and most of the characters are generic. Linda Hamilton's admiral is tough commander though. Most memorable character is the President who never got his haircut. Fun low-budget naval alien attack movie.

Ship graveyard

Exciting escape

Rating: Good (as a low budget film) or Average (as a regular movie)

Movie Review: Summertime (Kesäkaverit)

Summertime (Kesäkaverit) 

Starring:  Anna Paavilainen, Iina Kuustonen, Minka Kuustonen, Lauri Tilkanen, Sampo Sarkola, Pihla Viitala, Eero Ritala, Milka Ahlroth, Matleena Kuusniemi, Aku Hirviniemi, Beata Hämäläinen
Director: Inari Niemi 

Solar Films, Nordisk Film, Finland, 2014.

Twenty-somethings Iiris (Anna Paavilainen) and Karoliina (Iina Kuustonen) are going to Hanko. Iiris has lived years in Spain doing odd jobs. Karoliina is good at everything. They have a summer job at Olli's (Eero Ritala) café working as waitresses. They plan to spend summer having fun without men. They meet also a third waitress Eeva (Minka Kuustonen). Eeva is clumsy and a bit cloudcuckoolander but she is also watching her aunt's villa, so the other girls decide to move into the villa too. 

Welcome to Hanko

Karoliina and Iiris

Eeva has trouble with coffee machine

Karoliina is student at university, but the other girls try to decide what to do with their lives. The girls spend their days at work and partying evenings. Soon Iiris begins a summer romance with tennis teacher Jussi (Lauri Tilkanen). Also Karoliina tries to flirt with café customer Tommy (Sampo Sarkola). Also Iiris' sister Hertta (Pihla Viitala) visits. Already having a family, Hertta tells stories about her labour experience. The girls also have to think about challenges of growing up. 

Olli

Tommy and Jussi

Summer selfies

This movie is fun and lightweight summer comedy. Not very deep, but entertaining female buddy movie (the literal title translation of the movie would be Summer Buddies). The first half is almost pure comedy and the second half turns into drama when moral hangover hits. Nothing too serious though that the buddies couldn't get through. The chemistry of the cast is good and the actors seem to have enjoyed filming the movie. Movie also makes good use of the beach and city sceneries of Hanko.

Party!

Hertta and her husband Akseli (Aku Hirviniemi)

Hanko Casino

Rating: Good

Movie Review: Annie Get Your Gun

Annie Get Your Gun
Directors: George Sidney, Busby Berkeley (uncredited) 

Starring: Betty Hutton, Howard Keel, Benay Venuta, Louis Calhern, J. Carrol Naish, Edward Arnold, Keenan Wynn, Clinton Sundberg, Evelyn Beresford, John War Eagle, Chief Yowlachie

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, USA, 1950.

Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show comes to visit Ohio. Hotel manager Wilson (Clinton Sundberg) refuses to host the bunch of Indiands and cowboys in his hotel. Frank Butler (Howard Keel), who acts like a pop star, offers 100 dollars for Wilson if a local sharpshooter can win him in a shooting contest. Annie Oakley (Betty Hutton) shoots a bird off Frank's assistant Dolly Tate's (Benay Venuta) hat. Annie and her siblings live in backwoods, selling game that Annie shoots. Wilson encourages Annie to enter the shooting contest.

Annie Oakley

Annie meets Frank

Buffalo Bill

Annie meets Frank and falls in love instantly. However Annie's hillbilly look does not impress Frank. Annie competes against Frank and wins easily. Buffalo Bill (Louis Calhern) and show's manager Charlie (Keenan Wynn) hire Annie. Annie begins to improve her looks and learns how to read. Frank begins to fall in love with Annie. However Annie is becoming bigger star than Frank which causes Frank to get angry. There is also a rival Wild West show run by Pawnee Bill (Edward Arnold) and Buffalo Bill's show is constantly struggling for money.

There's No Business Like Show Business

Frank and Annie in love

Annie meets Chief Sitting Bull

Chief Sitting Bull (J. Carrol Naish) adopts Annie into the Sioux tribe. The Indians are represented in 1950s comedy style, so historical accurateness should not be expected. Frank joins Pawnee Bill's show and Buffalo Bill's show goes on European tour. Wise chief Sitting Bull gives valuable advice to Annie for getting Frank back.

Am I an Indian yet?

The biggest star of the show

Pawnee Bill negotiates with Buffalo Bill

The story is loosely based on the life of real Annie Oakley. Music and lyrics were written by Irving Berlin and screenplay by Sidney Sheldon. Originally the movie would have starred Judy Garland, but because health problems she had to be replaced. Also Frank Morgan was cast as Buffalo Bill, but he died of a heart attack while filming the movie. The DVD published by Warner Home Video contains Judy Garland's scenes as outtakes and also song "Colonel Buffalo Bill", where Frank Morgan is seen. The outtakes show that Garland could not have pulled Annie's role as enthusiastically as Hutton.

Betty Hutton is fun and energetic as Annie Oakley but also over-the-top cheery. Howard Keel is good as her pompous counterpart. Cinematography is great and costumes are colourful. The songs are great and many of them have become classics such as "You Can't Get a Man with a Gun" and "There's No Business Like Show Business." 

Rating: Very good