Killer at Large (2008), Whispering Smith (1948), The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)

Killer at Large (2008)

Documentary directed by Steven Greenstreet, who earlier made one of my all time favorite documentary films This Divided State, and who sadly now is making a documentary series about Ke$ha. While the power of This Divided State owes much to the filmmakers good fortune of being near the right place, at the right time, and in a position to make a documentary about it, Killer at Large is a much deliberate and planned out effort,  and thus lacking in the serendipitous spark of the earlier film. This is an anti-obesity documentary, it looks at the rise of an obesity culture in the United States, its likely future consequences for our sociality, the general unwillingness of the government and the food industry to do anything about it, and some possible solutions and alternatives, which are mostly small scale. There is some good montage work here, juxtaposing the government and food industry saying one thing and doing another, as well as a respectable group of talking heads. Its a good, short examination of the subject, though it didn't really tell me much I didn't already know. **1/2


Whispering Smith (1948)

Western staring Alan Ladd as the titular "Whispering Smith", who perhaps disappointingly speaks at a normal, conversational level throughout the whole film. Based on a novel by Frank H Spearman that had previously been made into a silent film staring H. B. Warner and would later be made into a television series staring this film star Alan Ladd. Luke "Whispering" Smith is a railroad detective whose pursuit of the train robbing Bad Barton Boys leads him to frontier town (Colorado or Wyoming I suspect) that happens to also be the home of a number of old associates, including his best friend Murry (Robert Preston) his wife Marian (Brenda Marshall) with whom Luke was once romantically involved and still harbors feeling for, and Bill Dansing (William Demarest) a kindly uncle figure. Murry of course gets mixed up with the Barton's and their patron an unscrupulous rancher played by Donald Crisp. This leaves both Marian and Luke torn, with the latter facing the moral dilemma between his loyalty to his old friend, his love for his old friends wife, and his obligation to the railroad. To no ones surprise Ladd will of course take the most noble course. Likable, predictable, and inconsequential. **1/2


The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)

A film made on the downward slope of Animator Don Bluth's career. I liked this more then I did the movie Rock-a-Doodle, which is generally regarded as marking the downward turning point in the quality of Mr. Bluth's work. The Pebble and the Penguin is less ambitious then most of the directors previous works, its just a standard cute penguin love story children's musical, which I think can safely be considered its own genera now. Martin Short voiced penguin loves Annie Golden voiced penguin, but romantic rival Tim Curry voiced penguin causes Short voiced Penguin to become lost at sea, and with the help of his new friend Jim Belushi voiced penguin he must make it back to the artic before the mating ceremony at which Short voiced penguin must present Golden voiced penguin with an engagement pebble. Featuring music by Barry Manilow, the only surprises this film boasts is the awkwardness of some of its contrivances. It kept my niece entertained though and its only 74 minutes long, so at least its watchable. **