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Bingo84
Reviews
Pippin: His Life and Times (1982)
Fosse lives on in Pippin
A very good production of the wonderful musical "Pippin". Ben Vereen is terrific in his role as Leading Player. William Katt and the rest of the cast do an equally stunning job in their roles.
Even though some scenes were cut (the talking decapitated head scene and the duck death scene) and one entire song omitted (I Guess I'll Miss the Man), it doesn't detract from the overall performance, IMO. All of the other songs are included (in the DVD version anyway).
*** Possible spoiler ****
And to clarify one other reviewer's comments - there are officially two ways to deliver the final line in the play. Bob Fosse's approved final line (and the way that William Katt delivers it in this version) is "Trapped ... which isn't too bad for the end of a musical comedy."
Pippin's author and lyricist's actual written line is "Trapped... but happy... which isn't too bad for the end of a musical comedy."
Since this filmed version was supervised by Fosse, his ending line was the one delivered.
*** End spoiler ***
The DVD version of the film was a bit of a let down, though. The video clarity and sound are o.k., but the thing that irked me on this Special Edition DVD was the total lack of any kind of insert (liner notes and lyrics would have been nice - and maybe a performance history), and Chapter Stops that don't make sense (I wish they had chapter stops placed at the beginning of each song, but they don't and you have to fast forward to get to them). The only thing special was the inclusion of a 5 minute Fosse interview.
This performance was very good to deserve something more than this Special Edition offers....
Film - 8 out of 10 (because they cut out my favorite song) DVD - 5 out of 10 (for lack of 'specials' in a Special Edition)
The Blair Witch Project (1999)
Overhyped piece of garbage
This film has got to be one of the worst movies I've seen all year. It is not the worst, though. I hold that honor to the god-awful "Baby Geniuses".
Anyway, the film was not the least bit scary (unless you are scared by piles of little rocks and the sounds of sticks being hit together). I can't believe I sat through the whole movie. I just kept thinking, 'o.k. it's gotta get better because of all the great reviews, especially the one that read 'Scary as Hell!.' Alas, it wasn't. What a waste.
There are much better films that scare you that you never get to see the 'evil entity', so I don't buy the argument that says I have no imagination since I never saw the witch. "Evil Dead" is still the best 'Horror in the Woods' movie and that film never showed the entity either. And it was a million times scarier than this piece of overhyped trash.
But the filmmakers made millions, so I guess their happy and my opinion doesn't mean squat, since they already got my 8 bucks. I'm just gonna be more careful before I give any pseudo filmmakers my money again. These guys don't need a class in marketing, but they do need a class in film making.
Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
A superb film to close out an incredible career
With touches of "A Clockwork Orange", "The Shining" and the beautiful "Barry Lyndon", Stanley Kubrick doesn't disappoint.
A wonderful film that questions our own morality and what drives us to make the choices we make and then dealing with their respectable outcomes.
This film is beautifully written, composed, and acted. The grainy film stock that Kubrick used was intentional, as if to have the audience view the film as if just waking from a dream.
Also, there are many hidden goodies that Kubrick has placed in almost every scene for fans to keep an eye wide open to try and spot.
Thank you Stanley for making one more powerful film for us to ponder, debate and enjoy.
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
A Truly Wonderful First Episode!
"The Phantom Menace" was a movie that I was going to see regardless of what the critics said. I must admit that when I first heard a lot of the early reviews, I went into this movie expecting the worse. I knew that I would probably be very disappointed with it.
I was NOT!!
I must tell you that what other people have said negatively about this movie (that Jar Jar is hard to understand and that he is annoying, that the acting of all the major characters is a total bore, and that Lucas has overdone the CGI), I found NONE of them to be true.
I loved the fact that a new character named Qui Gon Jin (Liam Neeson) had the most important role in the movie, more so than Obi Wan (Ewan McGregor) did. In my opinion, this is necessary as we had to know more of Obi Wan's beginnings and who trained him before we can fully understand and appreciate the upcoming conflicts that will grow between Obi Wan and his first apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, in the next two movies.
It's no easy task for a director to pull this off since everyone in the theater already knows the eventual outcome of these two ill-fated 'heroes'.
Yes, the special effects in this movie are fantastic, as are the art work, sound and costumes. Every aspect of this production is top-notch! It definitely has Lucas written all over it!
Simply a great Overture to the Star Wars saga!!!
Oh, and one last thing....
The CGI character of Jar Jar Binks is no more difficult to understand than was Yoda the first time we were all introduced to him back in 1980. Just like Yoda, it took a little time to get used to his voice and dialect. Jar Jar doesn't take away from this film at all!
Barry Lyndon (1975)
Like a fine wine, improves with age....
I tried to watch this movie on video back in 1980, but unfortunately, it failed me.
I was 15 years old at the time and had just witnessed Kubrick's wonderful movie "The Shining" in the theaters that year. I quickly became infatuated with Kubrick and quickly searched out his other films to watch.
I soon rented "A Clockwork Orange" and "2001". I couldn't get enough of this director! Everything I watched that he created was fantastic and I knew that I would love everything that this man made. That was until I rented "Barry Lyndon" during that same time, and witnessed what I thought was his first triumphant failure....
I couldn't get into the movie at all and I distinctly remember not watching the entire thing. I considered it the cost of a rental thrown down the drain.
How young and stupid I was....
I tried the film again, sometime around 1993 (13 years later). I had seen every one of Kubrick's movies by then and loved them all, except this one. I still remembered the experience I had in trying to watch "Barry Lyndon". I rented the tape again, to try and watch the film once more. And am I ever thankful that I did!!
It was upon this second viewing (me being older and wiser now and able to understand the messages that Stanley was conveying in his films) that the film made it's wonderful impact on me!
I loved every second and frame of this movie:
Its slow, deliberate pace to allow the viewer to savor every image, just as one would do with a beautiful photograph or painting,
Its beautiful cinematography, for which it won the coveted Oscar for,
It's wonderful blend of Irish and classical music,
The use of authentic 18th Century costumes (another Oscar winner) and settings,
and of course, it's terrific direction by Kubrick to convey the message of man's continued mistreatment of his fellow man in order to gain wealth and power.
The last line in this movie says it all!!
Along with "2001", (IMHO) "Barry Lyndon" is Stanley Kubrick's best movie!! A+
If you tried to watch this movie at a young age and it didn't sit well with you, please wait a few years and give it another try. I'm sure you'll be as astounded as I was!
Baby Geniuses (1999)
Inappropriate language ruins this movie, big time!!
Some puzzling questions about this piece of junk....
Aside from the horrible acting and awful plot, who was the 'genius' who decided to keep in all of the foul language? Do they know that 4 and 5 year olds will be coming to see this movie? Do they actually think that these kids and their parents approve of such words as 'ass', 'hell' and 'damn' all the time?
Come on - who do they think their target audience is going to be for this film, teenagers and college kids??!!! These words could've been easily cleaned up with softer, more appropriate words. But nooooooooo.... they have to ruin it by leaving in all the 'potty mouth' words.
Yeah, I know the movie's rated PG, but the swearing in this film was fairly excessive for pretty young children. I've seen other PG movies with my 5 year old daughter, and they were never as bad as this.
BEWARE>>>
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The Best SciFi Movie Ever! Possibly the best movie ever!
2001 is the most stunning and thought provoking movie that ever was, and probably ever will be!
The use of classical music sets the tone of the marvelous visual imagery Kubrick displays for us. What else can REAL space be compared to other there sheer ballet and gracefulness.
The use of silence in this movie is spectacular!! I can just imagine what it was like being in the theatres in 1968 and watching these scenes in utter silence.
My belief as to why Bowman and Poole were made to appear so robotic and emotionless was because of what Kubrick (marvelous director that he is) was intending to show us ... that humans have relied so much on computers to do their thinking, that man has stopped evolving intellectually and eventually will die (just like the apemen at the beginning of the film). It was the monolith that came to assist them with their survival and mental growth.
Stanley Kubrick wanted his audiences to THINK during this film because, in essence, that is what the film is telling us.
In the film, Bowman was able to outsmart HAL (the most intelligent computer ever) by getting back into the ship after he wouldn't let him in. Bowman was thus rewarded by the aliens (keepers of the monoliths) by becoming the Star Child (a creature of pure thought)!
Once we stop thinking, man will not evolve further and eventually will die.
Science fiction DOES NOT get any better than this!!
Excalibur (1981)
Beautiful film!
Excalibur is the most beautiful and enjoyable film that tells the story of King Arthur, the Knights of the Round Table and the magic that was Camelot!
This film has wonderful cinematography, terrific costumes, enchanting music, the finest batch of actors, and the best Merlin who puts that Sam Niel's TV 'Merlin' to shame!!!
I loved the use of the green-light throughout the movie (my laserdisc amplifies this light ten-fold!) Arthur and the land are one, and when he thrives, the land will, too.
This movie will always be in my top 10 favorite movies of all time list!
Note: Two versions of the film do exist - an 'R' rated version and a 'PG'. You probably can guess which version is the better of the two!
Logan's Run (1976)
Terrific SciFi film, all around!
From the wonderful cinematography by Oscar nominated Earnest Llazlo, terrific direction by Michael Anderson, cool special effects (especially that real working prop - the Sandman gun!) and a great cast, this movie is the last great SciFi film before Star Wars would redefine the genre the following year.
Agreed, must be watched in Letterbox format to enjoy the sheer 'magnitude' of the terrific cinematography!!! Look for it on Turner Classic Movies in this format - or DVD and laserdisc!!
Keep running, runner. May you find Sanctuary...