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John Featherstone

@johnfeath.bsky.social

160 followers 260 following 770 posts

Writer: #TheCinemaOfCancelledStars, #Ringtone and #TheDrowningAirman. You can also read "Robin Hood & The Stuntman Lost In Time" here: https://latereviewer.com/2024/11/26/robin-hood-the-stuntman-lost-in-time/

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John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · Nov 28

I had the honour of introducing #TheAdventuresOfRobinHood (1938) at #Sheffield's Showroom Cinema as part of #ArtOfAction season.

Here, masterfully reworked as a Q&A by @latereviewer.bsky.social is what I said about one of the greatest stunt teams ever assembled...

latereviewer.com/2024/11/26/r...

Robin Hood & The Stuntman Lost In Time

Old friend and occasional site contributor John Featherstone recently introduced the classic 1938 Errol Flynn film at one of Late Reviewer’s favourite cinemas, and shared a great story and so…

latereviewer.com

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 16h

"The courtyard... of... the lepers!"

People are mauled by rats, menaced by lepers, fed to tigers and eaten by crocodiles but because of its funereal pace, it's still a disappointment. Both parts could have been much shorter and consequently better. A shame.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0012...

Mysteries of India, Part II: Above All Law (1921) ⭐ 6.7 | Adventure, Fantasy

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 1d

"I see disaster arising from your plan..."

Visually, this is absolutely breathtaking and the production design gorgeous, plus the modern score adds a lot to its sinister atmosphere but it could have been cut drastically. Each scene runs on for far too long.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0012...

Mysteries of India, Part I: Truth (1921) ⭐ 6.7 | Adventure, Fantasy

Reposted by John Featherstone

Ben Guilfoy @bkguilfoy.bsky.social · 2d

Dead on, the stunts here are really impressive. Anytime I see someone jump out of a tree to tackle a guy off a horse... Like I can't imagine what that must have been like

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 2d

If you're interested, here's something I wrote/said about #TheAdventuresOfRobinHood last year.

latereviewer.com/2024/11/26/r...

Robin Hood & The Stuntman Lost In Time

Old friend and occasional site contributor John Featherstone recently introduced the classic 1938 Errol Flynn film at one of Late Reviewer’s favourite cinemas, and shared a great story and so…

latereviewer.com

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 2d

"I'll make friends and choose enemies to please myself..."

I love the Technicolor, sets, costumes and score, huge fan of Flynn and Curtiz and I have a lot of time for Bette but, while appreciating it's obviously great, it bores me.

#FilmSky #HollywoodsGreatestYear

www.imdb.com/title/tt0031...

The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939) ⭐ 7.0 | Biography, Drama, History

1h 46m | Approved

Reposted by John Featherstone

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 5d

"Evil spirits come in on the wind..."

One of the great pre-Code movies that simply wouldn't exist three years later: it's sleazy, sordid and sexy with Garbo dominating proceedings. Thalberg signed it off so if you like it, love him and hate yourself.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0023...

Mata Hari (1931) ⭐ 6.6 | Crime, Drama, Romance

1h 29m | Approved

Reposted by John Featherstone

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 6d

"This is your fault, Paul..."

Cushing's descent into darkness is class and Lee's monster scary but other than that, I was disappointed. I found it such a slog with nowhere near enough Frankensteining. Throw in a killing spree and flaming torches already!

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0050...

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) ⭐ 7.0 | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

1h 22m | Approved

Reposted by John Featherstone

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 6d

"Steve McQueen ain't got shit on you..."

More of the same really - every other line shouted, so much swearing it becomes tiresome, action sequences done better elsewhere and potentially funny moments squandered by its self-satisfied, charmless main stars.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt8385...

Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021) ⭐ 6.1 | Action, Comedy, Crime

Reposted by John Featherstone

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 7d

"Never saw you drinkin' in the afternoon before..."

I preferred it on my first viewing but I still thought it was excellent this time. Fatalistic, downbeat and dark with a great John Garfield turn and one of the saddest and most haunting endings of them all.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0042...

The Breaking Point (1950) ⭐ 7.5 | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir

1h 37m | Approved

Reposted by John Featherstone

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 7d

"Are you washing the car with old assholes?"

Hollywood's most smug leading men team up in a movie I'm sure has been made many times in similar formats over the last 20 years. It was entertaining but not enough to override its unoriginality and predictability.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt1959...

The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) ⭐ 6.9 | Action, Comedy, Crime

Reposted by John Featherstone

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 7d

"Gotta get yer underwear washed..."

Everyone who ever lived is in this Cinerama epic that suffers on the small screen but must look incredible when projected properly. Sluggish at times but when it's good it's great. The shootout on the train is incredible.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0056...

How the West Was Won (1962) ⭐ 7.1 | Action, Adventure, War

Reposted by John Featherstone

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 8d

"Who we shootin' at?"

A pretty good précis of what's wrong with modern blockbusters: supposed high-stakes undermined by an over-reliance on CGI, characters staring earnestly at screens while spouting faux-military bullshit and no sense of jeopardy whatsoever.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt1440...

Battleship (2012) ⭐ 5.8 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi

Reposted by John Featherstone

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 8d

"I shall die on the gallows..."

MGM's all-star, opulent, pre-Code drama is sheer class. Sets, costumes, performances, score and directing all have the perfectionist pawprint of Irving Thalberg stamped on them in this revolving, Art Deco, doorway to the 1930s.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0022...

Grand Hotel (1932) ⭐ 7.3 | Drama, Romance

1h 52m | Approved

Reposted by John Featherstone

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 9d

"Believe me, friend, it takes all kind to make up this whole world..."

Farmer contends with no fresh water, mardy grandma, whining kids, dull wife, aggressive neighbour, no tractor, ramshackle house, flooding and his own lack of charisma in this dreary tale.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0038...

The Southerner (1945) ⭐ 7.1 | Drama, Western

1h 32m | Approved

Reposted by John Featherstone

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 9d

"Like a friend, though you breathed your last before he breathed his first..."

Schlocky, bloated and immature, it has similar topics and themes to the superior #SinginInTheRain (1952) but with nowhere near the levels of wit or sophistication that classic has.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt1064...

Babylon (2022) ⭐ 7.1 | Comedy, Drama

Reposted by John Featherstone

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 11d

"I'm never going back to what I planned..."

The U.S. government recruits 'Amelia Earhart' to fake disappear over the Pacific so they can spy on Japanese defences while searching for her - but Japanese intelligence are onto the plan...

Amazing propaganda.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0035...

Flight for Freedom (1943) ⭐ 6.0 | Drama, Romance, War

1h 42m | Approved

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 5d

"Evil spirits come in on the wind..."

One of the great pre-Code movies that simply wouldn't exist three years later: it's sleazy, sordid and sexy with Garbo dominating proceedings. Thalberg signed it off so if you like it, love him and hate yourself.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0023...

Mata Hari (1931) ⭐ 6.6 | Crime, Drama, Romance

1h 29m | Approved

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 5d

latereviewer.com/2024/11/26/r...

Robin Hood & The Stuntman Lost In Time

Old friend and occasional site contributor John Featherstone recently introduced the classic 1938 Errol Flynn film at one of Late Reviewer’s favourite cinemas, and shared a great story and so…

latereviewer.com

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 5d

latereviewer.com/2021/10/05/s...

Sailing Into The Danger Zone – Passage To Marseille (1944)

A Special Feature by John Featherstone. “I want to reach the danger zone by nightfall…”

latereviewer.com

Reposted by John Featherstone

Late Reviewer @latereviewer.bsky.social · 6d

We stumbled across this the other night and I thought it looked like shit - backgrounds looked like they'd been added digitally as an afterthought and maybe 75% of dialogue was ADR.

Still ended up watching it all (it was too late to give up and start a good film), but it's cinematic junk food.

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 6d

"This is your fault, Paul..."

Cushing's descent into darkness is class and Lee's monster scary but other than that, I was disappointed. I found it such a slog with nowhere near enough Frankensteining. Throw in a killing spree and flaming torches already!

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0050...

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) ⭐ 7.0 | Horror, Sci-Fi, Thriller

1h 22m | Approved

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 6d

"Steve McQueen ain't got shit on you..."

More of the same really - every other line shouted, so much swearing it becomes tiresome, action sequences done better elsewhere and potentially funny moments squandered by its self-satisfied, charmless main stars.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt8385...

Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021) ⭐ 6.1 | Action, Comedy, Crime

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 7d

"Never saw you drinkin' in the afternoon before..."

I preferred it on my first viewing but I still thought it was excellent this time. Fatalistic, downbeat and dark with a great John Garfield turn and one of the saddest and most haunting endings of them all.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0042...

The Breaking Point (1950) ⭐ 7.5 | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir

1h 37m | Approved

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 7d

"Are you washing the car with old assholes?"

Hollywood's most smug leading men team up in a movie I'm sure has been made many times in similar formats over the last 20 years. It was entertaining but not enough to override its unoriginality and predictability.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt1959...

The Hitman's Bodyguard (2017) ⭐ 6.9 | Action, Comedy, Crime

John Featherstone @johnfeath.bsky.social · 7d

"Gotta get yer underwear washed..."

Everyone who ever lived is in this Cinerama epic that suffers on the small screen but must look incredible when projected properly. Sluggish at times but when it's good it's great. The shootout on the train is incredible.

#FilmSky

www.imdb.com/title/tt0056...

How the West Was Won (1962) ⭐ 7.1 | Action, Adventure, War