Reviews

For good reason, the opening moments of this film is the chilling clip from JAWS, with the character of "Quint" giving a brief history of the horrors of the sinking of the USS Indianapolis during WWII, and the frenzied shark attacks that the survivors endured. Both with re-enacted testaments, and comments from the few living survivors, there isn't much more one would need to know after watching OCEAN OF FEAR. It is simply chilling, and should be of major interest to shark fans and WWII historians. Outstanding film! Every aspect of this terrible tragedy is explored, and it was an incident that begged to be explored more completely. There was a fictional account of the incident made in 1991, MISSION OF THE SHARK, starring Stacey Keach and Richard Thomas, but this is the film you want to see!

This "movie" is a pretty pathetic waste of time. Outside of a chilling (but predictable) performance by Thomas Gibson as The Devil, this movie really stinks. All the major horror clichés are stolen from ROSEMARY'S BABY and THE OMEN- there is NOTHING the viewer won't see coming as any sort of shock or surprise. Good performers like Matthew Lillard and Kim Delaney don't add anything. For a supernatural tale, there's really nothing in the way of special effects. The script is terrible, and the direction barely adequate. It blows me away that anyone connected with this film would waste time and money to create this piece of trash, even for something concocted for TV.

What to do when making a film of an allegorical Science Fiction classic novel? Unfortunately, John Carpenter didn't have a clue... The original film version of VILLAGE got most of it pretty right. In one of the paperback versions of the source material THE MIDWICH CUCKOOS was a mini study guide, which proposed questions to many themes in the novel. If only Mr. Carpenter had read these... This version of VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED is way too action-oriented... explosions...brutal deaths...hysterical townspeople... "The Children" themselves don't really follow the design of author John Wyndham, especially highlighted by "Mara", the "leader" of this child invasion- she wears EVIL with a capital "E" on her face. The children are much more sinister in the original, outstandingly encapsulated by the performance of Martin Stephens, whose blank-faced stance defines "emotionless". These pod children become much more sinister and terrifying than Carpenter's brood, who (except for "David") read more like Patty McCormack's "Rhoda" in THE BAD SEED- their intentions are obviously no good from the beginning, and with LOTS of camp overacting by vets like Mark Hamill, there is nothing scary (or interesting, for that matter) in this remake. It's a totally wasted opportunity to do justice to a modern sci-fi classic!

As a devotee of Ms. Frank, I remember being so excited that the play was being re-made for TV. That is, until I saw it... This film is a prime example of how IMPORTANT casting is, and how directing plays such an important part in creating the sense of purpose. The casting of any CENTRAL role is CRUCIAL to a production of this sort...shows like AUNTIE MAME and MAN OF LA MANCHA are totally dependent on the charisma of the lead actor. And in the cast of this movie, the whole thing is destroyed by the atrocious casting of Melissa Gilbert in the lead role. There is not ONE SINGLE MOMENT that Ms. Gilbert even comes close to inhabiting the sensitive, mature spirit of Anne- Ms. Gilbert is "white-bread" throughout the movie... the only time I was close to tears was during the reading of Anne's most haunting line: "I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart"- this is spoken by Ms. Gilbert so rushed, so lacking in conviction, that she might has well burped and achieved the same effect. Film and dance legend Marge Champion was the dialogue coach for this production- she should have refunded her salary! Despite Ms. Gilbert ruining DIARY, other performances are satisfactory for the most part- special kudos to Joan Plowright as Edith, Scott Jacoby as Peter and Clive Reville as Mr. Dussell. Maxmillian Schell does not have the deep-rooted soul and spirit as Otto as does the creator of the role on stage and film(Joseph Schildkraut), but he's okay. Doris Roberts and James Coco as The Van Danns are relatively superficial in their parts- they're shrill and bombastic, but again, only on the surface. This COULD be due to the fact that the pacing of the project is way too rushed(as noted in previous postings)- this film clocks in 45 minutes shorter than the film version- the difference owing to the pauses for dramatic effect, which apparently is necessary to propagate the appropriate MOOD for the story. This is NOT mandatory viewing, especially for youngsters learning about Anne Frank for the first time- stick to the original film version, and or even better, the TV production of ANNE FRANK: THE TRUE STORY starring Ben Kingsley, which is the CLOSEST thing to capturing the heartbreak and reality of Anne's situation ever filmed! Note: Especially appalling is the fact that Melora Marshall, who plays Anne's sister Margot, is NOT included in the opening credits along with all the other members of The Secret Annex... she's listed in the post-credits along with the actors playing Miep and Mr. Kraler. If I was Ms. Marshall, I would have SUED!

While I'll agree I would have liked more of Margaret O'Brien's opinions, I still really enjoyed this special- although it's half a decade old now, it's still great to see the adult faces of so many child actors who gave me such pleasure when I was a kid. I've attended "Conventions" where many of these performers hawk autographs(to meet the fans or to make money, I'm not sure), but for the many I've met who've had major personal problems growing up, they were all friendly and approachable in person(at the one I attended, Ms. O'Brien was among the stars!) With the "older" generation dying out, I would love to hear more from them, and their reflections on their cohorts who are no long with us, like Judy Garland, Jackie Coogan, Jackie Cooper, etc). Mickey Rooney should be hailed as a national legend- when will someone do a great interview with him? All in all, this was a very enjoyable nostalgic trip for me!

Here you've got five music videos from the concept album of that fantastic musical CHESS. "One Night In Bangkok"...Murray Head/"Nobody's Side"...Elaine Paige/"The Arbiter"...Bjorn Skifs/"I Know Him So Well"...Elaine Paige and Barbara Dickson/"Pity The Child"...Murray Head are the featured songs. Elaine, Murray, Barbara and Bjorn of course all sang these roles in the full concept album, while only Elaine and Murray recreated their roles in the London stage production. Missing in action here is Tommy Korborg as "The Russian"(eventually named Anatoly). These videos definitely create a great vision of what the show would become, and stand alone as individual music videos. Tim Rice(the lyricist) serves as the narrator who introduces each segment. Unless you're able to get a DVD of the Swedish cast, or were able to see a televised production in New Zealand, this is the closest you'll get to experience CHESS on video...it's LONG out-of-print on VHS, but you should be able to find a copy on eBay. This is a great sampler for one of the most exciting musicals ever created, and is a must for lovers of Musical Theater!

Well, the Sci-Fi channel keeps churning these turkeys out... and they seem to get worse every time. When normally good actors like John Rhys-Davies and Giancarlo Espositto come off as rank amateurs, you can imagine how abysmal the REST of the cast in this waste-of-your-time effort is. The only halfway decent thing is the rubber outfit of the creature(which is glimpsed in such quick flashes that you don't really have time to see how phony it really is). The dialogue...the plot...if this "movie"(and I use the term loosely) was food, Jack-In-The-Box would be a gourmet meal compared to this. Watch a re-run of "The Munsters" for the 372nd viewing- your time would be better spent(and a lot scarier as well)!

CHESS remains one of the most unique musicals ever produced... with an unforgettable score by Benny Andersson & Bjorn Ulvaeus of ABBA, and lyrics by Tim Rice(in this version, it's redundant as it's performed in Swedish, with NO subtitles), what's fascinating is that this show never seems to be performed in a standard version. From London to New York to European tours, the score and characters and plot are constantly shuffled around. This staging is definitely one of the better framings of the story and score. The cast retains Tommy Korberg, who's played Anatoly(The Russian)forever...Helen Sjoholm as Florence is absolutely brilliant as a singer and actress, and Anders Ekborg does fine as The American. The only totally offensive performer is Rolf Skoglund as The Arbiter, who can neither sing nor act- and destroys an important role. The only other problem for me was the age of the two male leads... somehow, the romance aspects of the story come off as less passionate as they might have been by younger performers. Lars Rudolfsson should be commended for his amazing staging, and Anders Eljas did a wonderful job on the orchestrations. It's doubtful we'll ever see a film version of this unforgettable musical, so this Swedish stage production will have to do... but again, at least there IS something to represent this show. The one OTHER option you have to to find a copy of the promotional videos done for the original concept album(for info on IMDb check under CHESS MOVES...to find one of these out-of-print videos, check eBay), starring Elaine Paige- five of the shows' hit songs are featured, and convey the basic flavor of the show.

I have fond memories of this film as a child... Watching it today, it actually still holds up well. The Russians have adapted one of Hans Christian Anderson's lesser-known tales quite well, and utilizes a talented cast for the English-language version: Sandra Dee, Tommy Kirk, Patty McCormick and even June Foray("Rocky" of ROCKY AND BULLWINKLE fame).

Like most of Anderson's stories, THE SNOW QUEEN has many dark moments, and might actually be a little frightening for the little ones, but also treats the viewer to a little bit of morality- that of the love and devotion of two childhood friends. While the actual film is great, the American-added prologue with TV Host Art Linkletter and a bunch of kids really dates the material... fast-forward and enjoy this wonderful treat for young and old.

It's amazing how misguided this film adaptation of the stage musical is. Stage director Harold Prince, who'd previously directed the film version of Stephen Sondheim's A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, is sorely missed. EVITA succeeded as a concept rock opera because it was daring and original, and the score is lush and diversified. But it achieved its greatest heights on stage. Director Prince added SO much more to the basic recording that it literally became a new creation. While the character of Evita Peron isn't fully developed in the initial recording, here she's fully fleshed, aided not only by the brilliant actresses who portrayed her(Elaine Paige, Patti LuPone, Marti Webb, Florence Lacey, etc.), but she becomes the cunning vixen she was(and had to be to achieve what she did). Laughingly, Eva Peron's greatest acting wasn't on stage, the radio or on film...she was actually quite mediocre. In the song "High Flying Adored", Che tells us that she was a scrappy fighter, clawing her way to the top. On stage, Evita even flips off her audience. But something sad happens in its cinematic version. What WOULD have seemed like perfect casting of Madonna in the title role is dashed almost immediately. Simply put- she just doesn't have the chops. There's no fire in her vocals, and the girl can't act. Jonathan Pryce, tho a fine actor, is simply miscast as the brutish thug Juan Peron. Only Antonio Banderas comes out of this unscathed- his singing and acting is excellent(although one wonders why this "Che" is generisized into an "Everyman" vs the Che Guevara rebel of the recording and stage show).

While all TECHNICAL aspects of this film are superb, the destroyer of EVITA lies with its director Alan Parker, screenwriter Oliver Stone and no doubt aided by Madonna herself. In their attempts to film in Argentina I think all three placated the title character- Seriously... how could the wimpy creature as portrayed by Madonna EVER achieve what the real Evita did? EVERYTHING in the film tries to make Eva sympathetic, even to the point of stealing Peron's mistress's song "Another Suitcase In Another Hall". It's quite obvious the filmmakers wanted to show the current Argentinian regime that they were going to HONOR their national heroine, and by whitewashing Eva to the point of total blandness, they succeeded in destroying the spirit of the musical. Completely. One can only hope that Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice take the route they've done with CATS, Jesus Christ SUPERSTAR and Joseph AND THE AMAZING TECHNICOLOR DREAMCOAT...and recreate the original stage presentation and direction, hopefully with Harold Prince involved. Only THEN will we see the magic that is the rock opera EVITA!

I've been praying that all the horrible things I've been reading about the new "Stepford Wives" wasn't true...But alas and alak... Seriously, this is one huge heaping pile of CRAP. None of the performances from ANYONE actually register(well, Christopher Walken is his normal weird self, but it's nothing you haven't seen before)...the screenplay which MIGHT have actually worked on the comedic take on the subject matter simply DOESN'T, in any way shape or form- I can't think of many other comedies outside of GIGLI that are as unfunny as this film. I suppose if you aren't familiar with the novel or original film version of THE STEPFORD WIVES you might find this slightly amusing. But what they've done to this terrifying and heartbreaking idea is down-right criminal. Wait til this plays on cable- even then, you'll never get that hour and a half back of your life!

Kudos to TNT- they've come up with a winning adaptation of SALEM'S LOT! While it is of course NOT the dream version of the novel we fans could hope for, it's definitely more than passable...despite it has about the same running time as the original TV miniseries, this one moves at a break-neck speed...there's not a lot of "downtime"- it doesn't spend an expository hour brambling around the Lot to introduce the town and its inhabitants- the action starts up in the original-but-unnecessary prologue and really doesn't let down. Outside of Susan, the characters here are definitely much darker in this version, especially disappointing when it comes to Mark- the sensitive, scared-but-brave little boy becomes a brooding teenager(it works, but it's definitely NOT the novel's Mark). There's greater development for Larry Crockett, and it especially works for Father Callahan- first, James Cromwell is a fine actor, and second, makes you realize how under-written this part was the first time around. Sadly, three of the main characters don't really make the cut. First, Rutger Hauer actually is outstanding as Barlow, and righteously is returned to the vampire envisioned by King from his silent Nosferatu ghoul the first time around. It's really a bummer that he doesn't have more screen time. Donald Sutherland's Straker is creepy at the outset...bearded, shaggy and clearly nuts, this man in NO WAY would blend in with staid New Englanders(did he accept this role under the condition he could look like a 70 year old hippie?)- James Mason's sinister subtly is sorely missed. Yet it's Samantha Mathis as Susan that registers least- Bonnie Bedelia's unforgettable performance in the original provided the pathos that served as the backbone in the original...Not that Mathis is bad, but as virtually every other character this time around is emotionally non-involving or nasty, we needed a Susan to care about- Mathis does a professional job being beautiful and perky, but her loss to the vampire world doesn't break out hearts like Bonnie managed to do. Andre Braugher is okay as Matt(re-written to be gay- the homoerotic context of his encounters with Mike before and after Mike's conversion is unique but not scary).

Special effects are definitely slicker, and used to jolting effect, but the memorable vampire attacks of Ralphie Glick and Mike Ryerson 1st time 'round are sorely lacking. With that said, all-in-all you WILL stay glued to your TV screen this time around...guess we'll have to wait for the PBS six-hour version in a decade to get it ALL right!

This is a well-acted, thoughtful, intelligent film... but even more, it's a sweet romance, something sadly missing in the gay-themed genre. Two hot, sweet leads, both of whom offer sincere performances. Yeah, the ending is surreal, but you'll feel those tears welling up in your eyes...

I got the chance to see this film today in a movie theater in its original 3-D glory. And WOW- not NEARLY as mediocre as you've heard. The audience LOVED it- what WAS bad dialogue is now hysterically camp. Biff Elliot (the screen's first Mike Hammer) was in attendence, full of vigor at age 80. A charming man, some wonderful anecdotes about his Hollywood experiences, but in his first film, he doesn't cut it. However, the supporting cast is wonderful- Peggy Castle is not only beautiful, but does a wonderful film noir dame. And my almost-Mother-In-Law Margaret Sheridan turns in outstanding support as Mike's secretary Velda...sexy & wise-crackingly smart(she retired in the early 60's to be a housewife and mother to two daughters- unfortunately, she passed away from cancer in 1981). A lot of "B" stars show up, like Elisha Cook Jr. and Joe Besser(the great tie-in to Joe was the 3-D Three Stooges short PARDON MY BACKFIRE which was also shown). And, as for the 3-D, it was rarely shown in that format, and the print shown was definately worn by time, but while there was no mandatory "throw it in your face" shots, the 3-D emminently added to the film's mood, with some wonderful photography, especially in L.A.'s Bradbury Building. I will definately check this one out again, albeit in it's "flat" version!

My introduction to the music of Jacques Brel was through The American Film Theater's adaptation of the long-running off-Broadway revue JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS. Starring two of the original cast (Elly Stone and Brel's English lyric translator Mort Shuman) and a cast replacement (Joe Masielle), Brel's haunting music is vividly brought to life in an eclectic film. There's no real plot to speak of, but here, you don't need one- the music speaks for itself. Even The Master appears to sing one of his hits ("Ne Me Quitte Pas"), and his back-up cast effectively sing about love, loss, pain and the ultimate triumph of the Human Spirit. For Broadway buffs, it's a treat to know that several other actors who appeared on stage in this revue have cameo appearances (Shawn Elliott, Judy Landers and Annette Perone). The joyous news is that Kino Video will be finally releasing the film on VHS and DVD in April 2003- after watching a butchered print taken from commercial tv, you can bet that this movie is going to be watched on my DVD player over and over. Do yourself a favor and experience this wonderful film...your heart will NEVER forget it!

This telefilm remake of Brian DePalma's classic horror film is nothing short of pathetic. What were they thinking? From David Carson's limp direction to mediocre and overdone special effects, it's a total bore. The greatest crime is Bryan Fuller's screenplay, which "supposedly" was closer to the book than the original film...it's atrocious. Angela Bettis tries hard in the lead role, but pales in comparison to Sissy Spacek. Patricia Richardson's "Margaret White" displays none of Piper Laurie's scary-yet-humorous religious fanaticism. Rena Sofer's gym teacher fares better as the sympathetic gym teacher, but Kandyse McClure's "Sue Snell" (Carrie's fellow student who farms her boyfriend out for a prom date) has a mysterious agenda throughout the movie (which is told as a flashback), missing out on DePalma's luminous Amy Irving, whose shame, guilt and compassion fueled the sad tale. About the only positive thing this version brings is Carrie's destruction of her hometown walking home from the prom- but unfortunately, this doesn't justify this horror...If I was Stephen King, I would sue!

How rare it is for a musical to be filmed with members of its original stage cast! In this case, 1/2 of the stage version(Elly Stone and Mort Shuman) star, along with a cast replacement, Joe Masielle(another original member, Shawn Elliott, is in the background chorus). AND, as a special plus, this musical revue's subject appears to perform a song himself. The eclectic non-book of "Brel" doesn't necessarily translate well on screen. Ahhhh...but the Songs! Rendered with impeccable feelings of passion, regret and desire, Mr. Brel IS truely alive and well. This film is truly a haunting experience, and make anyone a fan of the late Belgian songmaster.

Alan Paton's novel CRY THE BELOVED COUNTRY made for a dramatic musical with a score by Kurt Weill. American Film Theater's adaption of it contains excellent performances by Brock Peters, Clifton Davis, Melba Davis, Paula Kelly (her musical number is one of the film's highlights) and Raymond St. Jacques, but sadly is rarely seen. The movie itself is a little slow, but the score is beautifully rendered by the cast, and contains the heart of Paton's story.