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Reviews
The Devil at 4 O'Clock (1961)
A sense of Graham Greene
this is an excellent movie: the characters are multi-dimensional, and particularly Spencer Tracy reveals a rare depth in character development.
overall, many of the personal developments throughout the movie remind me of graham Greene's "the burnt out case", not because of the leprosy association, but because of the definition of "terminal".
warmly recommended for fans of Sinatra, Spencer Tracy, and graham Greene.
generally, a good movie. somehow, it gets a bit sentimental, but the overall idea does not disappear until 2/3 of the movie.
Stay (2006)
Very disturbing
If one wants to have a character in a movie have a disturbing sexual encounter that would shame that character in later life the only thing left that an audience would see as shameful was bestiality and now it has been done. Judging by some of the other comments even that did not succeed that well. I cannot remember one funny scene though I have to admit, I had to turn it off before it was finished. I did watch a part of the director's commentary and it appears he was as surprised as anyone that the movie was doing well. If you want to get the same feeling you get from this movie but only cheaper, stick your head in a pile of manure and breath deeply.
Little Big League (1994)
A Masterpiece
In 1994, Little Big League went pretty unnoticed by most film goers and critics. What some characterized as a cheap ripoff of Rookie of the Year, was nothing of the sort. Time has given us the distance and wisdom to take a second look at this little gem. And with that vision we can see a modern day American tragedy. A pure classic in all terms of the word.
Little Big League tells to story of 12 year-old Billy Haywood and his adventure of managing the Minnesota Twins baseball club. The prepubescent Billy has a rocky start at the beginning of the film, struggling to earn his players' respect and trust. But the turbulent times steady themselves and Billy leads the team to a winning record and a chance at the AL Wild Card. Intertwined into the ball season is the love story between 1st baseman Lou Collins and Billy's mom Jenny.
Partway through, Billy grows encumbered with the pressures of managing a major league baseball team and his growing oedipal jealousies. Things spill over onto the ball field and results in Billy benching star Lou.
Not to worry because Billy finds his way again. Right where it was the whole time. A magical scene shows him joining in a neighborhood stick ball game and reconnecting with the reasons he became a major league manager in the first place. Things are set right soon after when Billy reinstates Lou and gives his mom a big hug. With a renewed Billy at the helm, the team finds their stride just in time to finish the season tied for the Wild Card. The only thing standing in their way is a playoff game with Ken Griffey Jr's Seattle Mariners.
Personally, I was on the edge of my seat through the whole playoff game scene. The battle goes back and forth into extra innings. Finally, the film climaxes with a duel between Randy Johnson (himself) and a last ditch at bat by Lou.
Just when we think Lou Collins shot to deep left will clear the fence and we'll see the team we've grown to love run out onto the field as winners and Little Big League will give us what we want most, Ken Griffey Jr. jumps up to rob us all. For every story of champions, is the another story. The story of the losers. Essentially, that is what Little Big League is; a story of loss. A tragedy.
But like Shakespeare's Hamlet and Arthur Miller's Willy Loman, LBL drags us kicking and screaming to the awful truth. We cannot all win the 1994 AL Wild Card. Someone has to be Billy Haywood. Somebody has to walk back to the clubhouse with their head down. But just when Billy thinks the last light is about to go out, he is informed that the fans are still there. They are still...cheering. And just when we think the emotional roller coaster ride of LBL has gone over it's last hill, it climbs to a momentous conclusion. They are still cheering.
It's an essential part of the human drama. And LBL lets us know. It's O.K. We can still cheer for the loser. For what is more noble then knowing that we left it all on the field. The infield dirt has been mixed with blood and sweat, and it has not been forgotten. Bravo, Little Big League, bravo.
Patriot Games (1992)
cheap
one of the cheapest propaganda films of Hollywood. simply rubbish. for the people who eats hamburger while watching such films and needless to say that not thinking, just looking without seeing. a small, cute girl with her pregnant mother, doctors, hospitals, terrorists in europa but immediately appearing somewhere "asia", and surely a CIA hero. in addition, "fighting in the rain." saves his country and family... sir CIA agent??? Hollywood probably is wood only! as much as ı see millons of people tired of such carbon copy waste propaganda movies but illuminati kind of organizations still pouring dollars while children in the world starving... for shame!