Reviews

Art! Tattoos! Kat! All wonderful. THEN; a loser chick from the suburbs of nowhere comes to leech. THEN; the Jesse James drama (wasn't he happy with his own reality show?)...THEN; oh my, Jesse's been in a crash. THEN; my makeup line/my shoes/my clothing line...

Art? Tattoos? Where? When?

Click.

There were enjoyable moments when LA Ink was about just that...the world of tattooing and the local color of a city of ultimate creativity since its creation. It ended up as it always does, a giant yawn.

I am still an admirer of KVD's as a former tattoo artist (and I think she's beautiful), but I ignored all subsequent seasons of the show.

This is a brilliant documentary. Yes, I am also a tattoo artist, so I was delighted to find the Holy Grail of documentaries about the history of tattooing in America. I found it by linking to it from another excellent film from 1980, "Stoney Knows How"...about Stoney St. Claire, another historical figure of tattooing in this country. The narratives of Sailor Jerry's personally typed and VERY frank outlooks on life and people are hilarious, as is the daring use of the title theme, "Eff 'Em All". Appearances of notable figures of the industry offering their personal recollections are priceless (Don Ed Hardy, Eddie Funk, Mike Malone, Zeke Owens, Lyle Tuttle...all very famous and innovative artists). A fascinating look into the fascinating history of the most fascinating art form! Superb!

I won't slam this movie by being a "facts geek" because I thought it was a fun movie to watch, although I despise "imposter" versions of depicted artists' songs. But as a musician and a history buff I do know the things they got wrong or just simply BS'd. Instead, I opted to enjoy the storyline, which I did. I would have liked it so much better had it been at least a trifle more accurate, but we don't always get that unless we are watching a documentary. We dissect "Beatles" movies for accuracy (such as "Back Beat"), and this certainly deserves more serious attention to detail, but what the heck, I've watched it numerous times and still enjoy it for what it is; an entertaining movie about entertainers.

It's a good thing I was only 16 the summer this came out. Me and my buddies, all of us the same age, got such a kick out of this Animal House ripoff only because we were as horny and mischievous as the characters. It's interesting to see the subsequent accomplishments of some of the stars. I don't think I'd waste much time watching it again, even to reminisce. It is exactly what it was, a teen-target capitalizing on our adolescent urges: plenty of girl-spying and bragging about what you want your buddies to think you've done. I remember being excited that school was letting out soon for the summer, so we were all planning our own GORP adventure, which of course never happened (but told everyone it did). Fun, but absolute crap.

I was exactly the same age as the main character when this movie came out (sophomore year, 1980) and saw it on cable TV. I knew each one of these characters well and it could have been filmed in my suburban high school. I had nothing but hatred for Matt Dillon's character, as I was one who did not need a bodyguard but learned to fight off the Melvin Moodys in my own life. His performance was fantastic, especially after having found the local brute Mike to beat Linderman up for him; he gets cocky and starts taking advantage of the reversed situation, which only hurts him in the end ("you broke my nose!!"). Great acting from kids I felt I really knew, and it's not surprising to see who went on to fine acting careers (Dillon and Baldwin).

Anyone who is unfavorably commenting about Peter Fonda's performance seems to forget just how much of a trippy hippie he himself was in the 60's. His role here was absolutely brilliant as the manipulative Neil Kirklander. James Woods; well, as usual, simply stellar! My favorite roles for him are exactly personified in this one: sleazy, unrefined, unkempt, easily angered and irritable, and doesn't care what the world thinks. He makes being disgusting look like such fun (when he spits on Kirklander's picture as a sort of de-programming method for Danny). O'Keefe and Dennehy are equally superb and convincing. Karen Allen is as we always expect; vulnerable and adorably sensitive. Fonda takes it all on this one for me, the man who gave John Lennon "I know what it's like to be dead." Excellent!

1974...I was ten and I remember vividly laughing at Chuckie Margolis and falling over in delirious cackles as Emu the bird, after trying hard to learn to be a delicate artist with paint, splattered everything in sight (especially his "handler", Rod's FACE) with paint. That bird was our favorite, even though it was obvious to us young 'uns that it was a mere puppet. Hull had a talented hand, in that he could make that bird's expression of boredom or displeasure convincing, not unlike Jim Henson and his Muppets.

I was a music fan as well so the music helped keep my interest in the show. All of the regulars were hilarious and familiar through the short run of the show...I wish I could remember them all, so I shall keep a sharp eye out for a DVD compilation, if one exists or is in the making.

"Care for a chocolate-covered cricket, marinated in sauerkraut?" "NO THANKS...*snap-crack*...WE'RE TRYING TO CUT DOWN!"

I saw this movie in the LAST drive-in theater in my area in June, 1981 (I was 17 and already had my own car). I didn't care about what movie I saw, it was just a night out with (wow, what WAS her name?)...anyway, I found myself interested with Don Stroud's excellent performance of the cop, Seth, and his vengeful, jealous treatment of Quaid's main character. He was spot-on. I have known too many men like this character; obsessively jealous over his girl, overly vindictive in any wrong they feel slighted by. The music was okay, the acting was good (although, in fairness, Miss McNichol did have a long way to go at this point, and has since proved herself marvelously)...but the power-crazy cop who beats up his nemesis brutally in the bar did the movie for me, especially after the triumphant, gloating grin he says to the girl "let's go..." and she dumps him there and then. His reaction to this was also priceless. Not a fabulous movie by any stretch, but not a bomb either. Very enjoyable.

I have read and re-read this masterpiece of a novel many times in the last twenty years. My Mom gave me the book when I was recuperating from a bad car wreck, knowing that I would enjoy a novel that mixed actual world history in the storyline. Living in Lowell, Massachusetts and knowing Boston very well it was entertaining to see such familiar names and landmarks mentioned. Abel's early life in German-occupied Poland was more fascinating. When the miniseries came around I had to see it. Good casting and acting...that is about it, I felt I had an advantage over the casual viewer, having such intimate and detailed knowledge of the book. I could not help but silently critique it, but in the end I felt it was a very entertaining effort and enjoyed it. It was worth the watching, although the reading was better. Isn't it always that way, and rarely vice-versa? I give it a 7-plus out of ten.

...but I thoroughly enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. The performances of each actor were exemplary...and surprising, considering James Woods' ability to play such a sleazy worm so convincingly (as in "The Onion Field" or "Against All Odds") and Glenn Close's horrifying character in "Fatal Attraction"...these are two outstanding actors, whose roles of a warm and long-married-yet-unfulfilled couple really put extra credibility in each of their bag of tricks. Masterson and Dillon are equally excellent as the working-class, clueless kids who are suddenly thrust into parenthood, seeing adoption as their only sensible option out of the situation. What I found most compelling is Michael and Linda (Woods and Close) are a couple who have it all; long-term experience in a loving marriage, excellent careers (he's a veterinarian, she's a real estate broker), a nice house near the bay, nice cars, etc...but are lacking what they really want; a child of their own. Their obvious envy of their friends' relationships with their children is played beautifully, where you can really feel the deep hurt of the "empty womb" through their expressions (the best of which is Michael's observing a young father and his son at a football game) and their discomfort of being among all the happy parents and their children (the birthday party). I found the anticipation of the arrival of Lucy (Masterson) and the ultimate arrival of the baby were very contagious, again, through the excellence of the cast. The glimpses of the younger couple's lives back in Ohio were very revealing as to their characters...again, superbly done! I also loved the understated mischief of the family dog, which, hilariously, closes the film. A warm movie, extremely enjoyable.

Okay, I was only eleven years old and very much a Fonzie fan, leather jacket and all...but stopped short of being an actual punk (Dad saw to that!)...so it was exciting to me to see this movie, with the guys wearing greasy hair and leather jackets and Chico riding a two-tone Harley Road King (I may be wrong there, but it's what I remember). I wondered why a suburban kid like me couldn't find some hard-edged friends to form our own gang like this. The word gang, of course, had a different meaning then.

Seeing the film again years later, it is easy to see why it was no big hit, although it is enjoyable enough to sit through and marvel at the youth of the better-known actors (Stallone, Winkler and King), and the absolute "cheesy-ness" of the 50's-imposter soundtrack. The brawl with the football team seems so unnecessary; but that's what jealous young boys do...the "walkin' tough" among buddies is something I could relate to, strength and POWER in numbers. And Chico's relentless knocking at the chick's chastity belt and morality...yet another thing that is easy to relate to. But overall I see that it is not brilliantly acted and rather amateurish. That's okay, as there are some scenes that do stand out, such as Chico's realization that adulthood is every kid's dreaded inevitability but one needs not be limited by this approaching fear (his scene with Stanley on the roof); the jeweler's feeling mortified after Stanley's threat to write on his tombstone that he was so foolish as to sell his girl a sixteen-hundred-dollar diamond ring; Eddie's telling Butchie that his foolish pranks and immature friends are no place for a young man who is smart enough to be a collegiate (putting his "two cents" in).

Butchie getting run over is just a reminder that no matter how tough a guy is, with and without his buddies, Life throws some unavoidable disasters your way and there's nothing you can do about it.

Not a bad character study, especially in Stallone's character. My favorite scenes are of him cackling with his pals after he "allows" his girl and her friend to leave the diner ("Did I say you could go?....you can go."); and his throwing the rival gang member against the pool table, terrorizing him and dismissing him from the pool hall...and giggling, as if to say to the viewer that he looks like one bad dude but is in reality a gobble who uses his tough facade for just a little bit of fun!

I bought the DVD for cheap and from time to time I like to enjoy this film, knowing to only take it for what it is, a harmless guilty pleasure.

First, I am a professional drummer whose interest in this film was only ignited by with the knowledge that the genius Tito Puente makes an appearance, and even better, shares a solo with the star. That aside, the rest of the movie is a favorite of mine, especially the fantastic, contagious personality of Cesar, superbly played by Assante...you grow to love this rogue of a man almost instantly. His constant laughter is just a hint of how rascally a businessman/band leader and devoted brother he is. The music is no less contagious, and I find myself interested in Salsa and Mambo music all the more because of this entertaining film. My one complaint is that the above-mentioned solo between Puente and Assante is interrupted by gangland violence, just at the moment when everyone is getting into the spirit! Other than that, it was brilliantly casted and acted. A great look at the way of the entertainment business in the early 1950's, especially for hopeful immigrants like the Castillo Brothers. Excellent!

My friend and I watched this cheesy movie because we were 14 and had our own band together. My Dad was watching it with us, and being the experienced professional singer he was, he was pointing out the importance of vocal harmonies. We listened and related to the shaky starts and ruined rehearsals...but I was most interested in the drums, as they were the popular Vistalite series made by Ludwig. I had my own set of them, the same era too, only mine were not the spiral pattern like those used in the film; they were "smoke" black (thus, my kit was cooler). We realized it was a bit of a stupid movie, but we were early high-schoolers and inspired by anything we could catch on TV that involved bands (of course MTV changed that soon after). I loved Smith in American Graffiti but he was MORE of a dork in this one. We howled laughing when he resents his nosy old neighbor complaining about the noise and says disgustedly, "rinky-DINK!" We knew WE would have said something far worse! Corny music, some fair acting, but a pleasant film. But I always wondered...was "I Shot The Sheriff" the only damn song Rapid Fire even knew? I couldn't figure out why they had FANS, when they knew only one song and were lousy at it to boot!

I too am an American with a good memory and I remember this TV show on one or both weekend mornings. I was 6 or 7 years old and I remember having a little crush on Tiger. Their accents were not all that strange to me and had me questioning that awful Boston accent I was afflicted with at birth. I believe this show was my original inspiration to train my own diction toward being less distinguishable from my region. The characters were great and varied and I remember seeing a kid in my school who had a Double Deckers lunch box, which would imply a greater popularity than the show had actually obtained. I would love to see it somewhere again, on DVD or in a Nickelodeon feature...or perhaps even TV Land. I'm sure my kids would enjoy the show, as their Daddy was exactly the age of the characters when it was being shown. I vaguely remember the theme song, can hum the melody but would love to hear it again!

I was six years old when I saw this on TV. I know that for a fact because I was in the first grade and Mom and Dad let me stay up to watch a movie on our new color TV, which had cost Dad a small fortune. First, I remember the hitch-hiking scene because it was common in those days to see kids hitch-hiking everywhere, and my parents would constantly tell me to never do that (and I never did); I also remember the theme song, although I didn't know who sang it. The rest of the movie today is fairly predictable once one understands what it is about, and our familiarity with the young Ms. Field was also a curiosity factor with my parents and a good reason to watch this movie. The incredible thing is that I have not seen this movie since! Honestly, I have never come across it anywhere and I had to jog my memory by reading the reviews but it has all come back to me, and had obviously stayed with me. This should be proof that, as young as I was, it made an important impression on me and had influenced my subsequent closer relationship with Mom and Dad, which is still the case today...thus making this film truly unforgettable. I hope to see it on DVD somewhere and will gladly purchase it. To me it's just another glimpse into the amazing talents of the still-adorable Sally Field. And little did I know that a mere couple of years later I would be taking martial arts lessons, due to the influence of Kwai Chang Caine (David Carradine)...another passion for the rest of my life.

I believe I too was about eight or nine years old when I first saw this movie, perhaps on PBS (possibly 1972). I was a white suburban middle-class boy whose parents got us out of the city to escape the horrors of growing up like that, as my Dad had. So when I watched this movie with my parents they constantly reminded me of how lucky I was; "you see? That poor boy only has an old building and a ghetto to play in!" I was shown the way to realize just how fortunate I was through JT's hardships and heartbreaks, and it means so much to me today, being a parent myself. I found a paperback copy of the book in an attic about five years after I saw the film, and recognized the pictures in it as stills from the film. In these days when our children are inadvertently spoiled by technology and availability today, I treasure the lessons "J.T." taught us in this unforgettable film. I will rejoice the day I find it on DVD, and play it for my own children and to have them appreciate the lessons and triumphs this young character beautifully portrays.

I remember seeing this at elementary school in around 1973. I was delighted to later find the book, and enjoyed it just as much. I wanted to carve my own Paddle To The Sea so my Dad gave me a block of cedar and I whittled it down to Paddle On A Plank and the damn thing would float upside down! I didn't understand about ballast, but someone found this carving abandoned in the reed of the nearest pond and kept it and promptly forgot about it...this was a friend who lived down the street. Thirty years later we were talking about the pond and it reminded him to tell me about finding the carved little character. We went out to his shed and found it! So I have it still, a very crude, amateur carving of what actually resembles more a wolf on a raft than Paddle To The Sea! But at least I never forgot how fascinating the story was for me. Excellent!