= main character or one of the main characters / = secondary part / = mini-appearance


Funny People II

Comedy. Just see for yourself :D

 

Boetie gaan border toe

    • South Africa 1984
    • Role: Boetie MUST WATCH!

Military-Comedy. Well, not exactly. More a 'growing-up' - movie showing boys from different social strata during their conscription, who have to learn responsibility, respect and mutual understanding in the sometimes funny, sometimes rather tragic daily army life. Setting in the "Border-Wars" (1966-88) where South-Africa tried to maintain its grip on Namibia against the liberation forces.

 

 

 

Best Scenes:

 

 

 

Movie rating:

The movie is mainly in Afrikaans, means a great deal of dialogue eluded me. The balance between humor and serenity was fairly good and made the setting and performance convincing. However, only someone who has experienced this and knows the background, may be able to fully appreciate this.

Rating for Arnold:

Good portrait of the development of this young fellow who starts as a womanizer and long-term student of all sorts of subjects including Astronomy to a brave soldier in the end. (And studying Astronomy can come in handy as well during outback trips!)

He got the DALRO award for this first role.

 

Donkerhoek

 

 

Morenga

War-Drama. The story is placed during the Herero-rebellion in Deutsch-Südwest-Afrika.

Part 1

The small detachment of German soldiers, including two veterinarians - the protagonists Gottschalk and Wenstrup-, arrives in Deutsch-Südwest. A long and arduous journey accross the barren landscape awaits them, before they reach their destination Warmbad in the South. The pitiful German garrison there is threatened by rebels under their mysterious leader Morenga. As a German farmer tries to scam more land and water out of the natives, the rebels strike again, burn the farm - while the soldiers can do nothing.

 

 

 

Movie rating:

It is a rather silent movie, working more with scenes and the landscape than building on dialogue and interaction, obviously to illustrate the situation of the German soldiers sitting in a hostile country with hostile people they do not understand. But it is stretched too much. Some scenes in which nothing happens, are prolonged into boredom, while vital information (scenes, dialogue) seems missing and thus creates inconsistencies. Despite the action in the second half of the first part, most of the characters stay pale due to the lack of dramatic development and dialogue.

Rating for Arnold:

As most of the cast, he doesn't say much, so we don't get much background for the character of this German Lieutenant, who gets the task to lead the "freshmen" to Warmbad. He has been synchronized to German for the few words he speaks.

 

Part 2

The German garrison is under siege and as soon as someone tries to get out, rebel sharpshooters kill him. The already failing discipline and morality crumbles further, until reinforcements arrive. Gottschalk starts a relationship with a young Nama woman, while Wenstrup secretely and defying his orders, helps the native population. While a small reconaissance party is send out to the Oranje, Morenga's rebels strike.

 

 

 

Movie rating:

Same problems as in the first part: story jumps and too little dialogue. Despite all the wonderful opportunities to illustrate the growing desperation within the garrison, the soldiers are merely shown lazily sitting around or drinking. A huge plothole, as Gottschalk realizes, that a young Nama boy has killed the German farmer: he runs out to confront the boy, who flees on horseback. Several scenes later, the boy stands around in the village again, and no one seems to care. Failing discipline and hopelessness aside, the soldiers are portrayed as idiots, as they fall several times for the same trick and let themselves lure out of the safe garrison.

Rating for Arnold:

At least he gets some more action, but as most of the others, he has not much to do and no real opportunity for acting.

 

Part 3

Veterinarian Gottschalk is taken prisoner and gets the chance to see Morenga and provide medical help. He is also used to lure the Germans into another trap.

 

 

 

Movie rating:

Even more story jumps and missed opportunities for character development. The great center of the whole movie - Gottschalk meeting Morenga - is over too soon, and in the end, everything is summarized up without much explanation (as, for instance, why the British suddenly join the hunt for Morenga, when in former scenes we see the rebels use British rifles). Despite being in the center of the action, the protagonist shows little activity and still comes across as a helpless kid staring and stuttering into the camera. Some characters vanish and never show again, others can be seen shot and suddenly stand around without giving even a small explanation how they were saved.

Rating for Arnold:

He has been placed as decoration in front of the camera, it seems, like most of the others as well. The scene in the canyon is very good, sadly he has no further chance for development.

 

 

 

Boetie op maneuvers (Wild Maneuvers)

Military-Comedy. It is available in English and Afrikaans. Sequel to "Boetie gaan border toe". Boetie (the English translation into 'Buddy' was a not so good choice) wants to win back his girlfriend Liza, who just had dumped him. With the help of some money, he engineers that she is assigned as reporter to the planned maneuvers, where he plans to impress her. However, things turn out different as Buddy and his comrades are assigned to do the manual labor during the maneuvers, and the arrogant Captain humiliating them turns out to be Liza's new boyfriend. But when a bunch of criminal madmen disturb the maneuver and take a hostage, it is up to Buddy and his comrades to rescue the hostage, their honor - and the girl's love.

 

 

 

 

 

Movie rating:

Somme really funny scenes, some rather silly ones, and others unexpectedly touching and serious. The mad guy's bunch styled after Mad Max was a bit over the top and slightly out of place. All in all, good entertainment.

Rating for Arnold:

He was somehow the 'serious part' in this comedy, and on some occasions (the 'torture'-scene, the meeting with Liza and the Captain) we got a glimpse of what he would be capable of in a more serious genre, while the others stay merely simple comedic actors except the gang leader.

 

 

Skeleton Coast (24 Stunden bis zur Hölle)

    • South Africa / USA 1987
    • Director: John Cardos
    • Script: Nadia Caillou
    • Role: Mercenary 'Blade'
Action. An american officer (played by Ernest Borgnine) recruits a bunch of mercenaries to free his son from prison in Africa.

 

 

 

 

 

Best scenes:

 

 

Movie review:

Considering the cast and DVD-cover I expected more. The plot was ok, but there would have been more to make with it; simply realized too flat with these many possibilities. The famous actors, including Borgnine, had seen better parts, and the other cast was barely more than decoration. Dialogue was simple, some sets (the fortress) too weak. Some funny and exciting scenes, though.

Rating for Arnold:

He only appears for some minutes, nonetheless made the best of this little part. Hilarious performance of this quite religious mercenary-killer with fear of flying: one of the best scenes in the movie.

Best quote: "The Lord is my shepard" (Blade during the old plane's take off).

 

 

Saturday Night at the Palace

Drama. Three men meet at a South African roadhouse: a Black and two Whites, among them Vince (played by Slabolepszy), who just has lost his place in the soccer team and his place to sleep, too. Together with his colleague Forsie, who has to deliver him the bad news, Vince arrives at the roadhouse, where the Black named September works. As Vince finally is confronted with the news, September becomes the victim of his frustration and racial prejudices and everything races into desaster. Arnold is playing the man in charge for the house, where Vince has lost his room.

 

Steel Dawn

Post-apocalyptic Sci-Fi. A nomad warrior (played by Patrick Swayze) wanders around a deserted earth and helps a widowed mother with a little boy against a bunch of evil doers, who terrorize the region and want all the water reserves for themselves.

 

 

 

Movie review:

A middle ages-western trash mix with nearly zero excitement. Development of the story was foreseeable, character setting poorly. Some good fighting scenes, though, but nothing special. Only highlight was the end, which was not as flat as was to expected after the rest. (And what the heck powered these desert racers???)

Rating for Arnold:

This was a tiny 'role', barely with some words to speak. But he was able to do more facial expressions in these scenes than some of the greater parts during the whole movie.

 

Best quote (and nearly the only one): "Dead he's easier to carry" (Being asked if his master wanted his captive little boy dead or alive).

 

Gor

Fantasy-Sci-Fi. The American professor Cabot is transported via a magical ring to planet Gor, where he must help an oppressed country overthrow its evil king and his barbarian henchmen. Arnold's part has nothing to do with the actual plot in Gor.

 

 

 

And these are the ONLY two scenes with him:

 

 

Act of Piracy

  • South Africa / USA 1988
  • Director: John Cardos
  • Script: Hal Reed
  • Role: Sean Stevens

Actionthriller. Ex-Millionaire Ted wants to sell his yacht to Australia and takes his kids along the journey, but near the Florida coast, they are attacked. Ted survives and organizes the global wide search for his kidnapped children and his yacht, which shall be used in an arms dealer scheme between Russia and Madagascar. But the criminals have made their deal without Ted and his ex-wife, who catch them all in Greece.

 

 

 

Movie rating:

Exciting and suspenseful with some bloody moments. However the story had its weakness from the beginning: why steal a yacht near Florida to make an arms deal in Madagascar via Greece?! There were plenty of ships available there. Acting was ok for that genre.

Rating for Arnold:

At first, his character showed up as the more intelligent and thoughtful among the criminals and a conflict potential was created, which sadly was not used by the story - the character stays with the criminals and goes down with them. At least, Arnold has some screentime throughout the movie and some lines to speak.

 

Môre is'n lang dag

Contemporary Military Drama. Read more about the adaption (in Afrikaans)

 

Reason to Die

Drama/Thriller. A psychopatic killer is on the run, and a bounty hunter is following him to South Africa.

 

 

 

 

Movie rating:

A really bloody affair with a high death count! The police looks a bit too dumb for my opinion, compared to the smartass-hero attitude of the bounty hunter, who is not exactly a likeable person either (using the woman as bait, and beating suspects before asking questions). Some serious plotholes (they catch the dangerous killer, beat him unconscious and just leave instead of securing him/his weapon). Except Arnold, rather mediocre acting.

Rating for Arnold:

Amazing and captivating portrait of this freaked out psycho, who kills to revenge his beloved sister and drifts between fantasy and reality, fear and joy about what he's doing. Despite the trail of blood the character leaves behind, you somehow feel sorry for him, especially in the end scenes, where he cries, when his sister is mentioned.

 

The Revenger

Actionthriller. Musician Mike is sent to jail, after his brother Mackie tried to use him as carrier for stolen drug money and a load of porn movies. When he comes out of prison, the crime bosses want their lost money and kidnap Mike's girlfriend. He has to rescue her several times and evade the gangsters and some corrupt policemen.

 

 

 

 

Movie rating:

That was an interesting plot, but sadly poorly realized. Most of the characters are flat, except that Vietnam guy and sometimes it was just too foreseeable (especially the thing with the police boss). The acting wasn't too great as well. Everyone is very trigger happy, even the police who in an unrealistic manner shoot a guy multiple times, even in the back, without bothering to ask him to drop his weapon.

Rating for Arnold:

That was only a little part as the brother of the movie's hero, who is way over his head in some nasty drug dealing and porn business. There's not much opportunity to evolve that character.

He appears only in the first 10 minutes of the movie, so this is only a must for really big fans.