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gringo2580
Reviews
Lonesome Dove (1989)
Lonesome Dove set the bar.
Having seen Lonesome Dove when it was aired for the first time on British TV way back it made a deep, deep impression on me. At that time for me "tele-series" meant mindless plots, cardboard by-the-numbers acting, zero surprises and predictability from the first scene. Then along came this wonderful gem with a tremendous story, powerful acting, sharp dialogue, savagery, tenderness, humor, pathos and bitter-sweet sadness. At last we had characters that we could care about, no JR's or Bobby's or the like, here we could care about what could happen next to these people. Now, Jan 2015, I am re-watching this classic on DVD and I convinced my wife (who doesn't like Westerns)to watch it with me. We finished part 1 last night and will now watch part 2...I can already sense her resistance weakening as she gets pulled into the story and realizes this is something special. I await her tears at the end and the rainbow that will appear over my sofa!!! The bar has never been raised higher than this.
Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog (1961)
A gem of a story
I saw this in my local cinema when I was 6 years old and had tears running down my face at the end. I saw it again when I was in my 40's...and had tears running down my face!!!!! The cast is great, the locations beautifully shot and the storyline is easy to follow for even the youngest of kids. The fact that it is a true story only adds to the effect. As a Scot it has special significance for me as this little dog symbolizes our two main characteristics..loyalty and stubbornness. Definitely a wee treasure of a movie and it hasn't aged, since it relies not on special effects or sensationalism, just on a simple beautiful story, simply and beautifully told. Definitely a good one for the kids (of all ages9, unforgettable and timeless.
The Day the Earth Stood Still (2008)
a real weepy
I love movies, let me start by saying that. They're not a hobby, they're a passion that grew in me from a very early age when my dad used to carry me on a Friday night, in my pyjamas under my coat,to the cinema that was literally 50-60 metres away on the corner of our street. Many of the movies that I saw in my childhood left lasting impressions on me, good impressions by the way, and as I grew up I was able to relive the magic of these movies when they were shown on T.V. The Day The Earth Stood Still is one of those movies...fantastic, simple, not over-burdened with lavish special effects or action, just a great story, told and acted so well by Michael Rennie and Co. I have no objection to any classic being remade in principal, look how well Peter Jackson lovingly (the keyword..lovingly)remade his favourite movie from his childhood. He handled it with tender care, using today's technology to enhance, not overshadow, what is after all a love story. If anything Peter Jackson made it, dare I say?, better. The love was now two-way instead of one-way. Now to my point, I usually only cry at sad movies, but after witnessing the butcher's mess that this movie is, I really felt like breaking down. It's like some idiot painting a moustache on the Mona Lisa and then having the temerity to expect us to applaud his work. I never tell people to not go to see a movie just because I have seen it and didn't like it...but in this case I'll say to older moviegoers who may have the fond memories that I have, if you want to see an inept desecration of a classic that is served up with such banality and a misuse of the best elements of the original, then go and see it....and weep!!!!