Reviews

If I were in charge of National Education,I would ORDER "The War" as a requisite for a High School diploma,more so than English or Mathematics. "The War" is THAT good! This MAGNIFICENT documentary by Ken Burns and company,more than further Exemplifies "The Greatest Generation" as put forth by TOM BROKAW in a celluloid format.Interviews by those who HUMBLY fought,were held prisoner,both as civilians and G.I.'s. The spoiled rotten Generations prevalent in this ingrate society who live in their OWN selfish Button Pushing electronic brained world are DISGUSTING to me,as they haven't or REFUSE to acknowledge what these Wonderful people did in World War II so they could BE the Disgusting,spoiled Ingrates they really are. If this Film DOESN'T reach into your soul and force you into tears and respect FOR these heroes, than I say go to HELL ! The exploration and detail of these great folks who many times literally breakdown while recalling those dastardly yet necessary moments of Warfare. I will say this. If NOT for America emerging Victoriously,then (I) wouldn't have been born,nor writing this and certainly NO one would be reading it. In fact what Language or fascist doctrine we would be under if a Loss in World War II were the reality,I don't know. WATCH this Incredible work of Art/Fact with your kids and write your local school board to add this to the current curriculum.

"Combat" perhaps the best Dramatic television show ever? Anti-War but the fighting must go on. VIC MORROW,not just a Sourpuss character actor wearing a baseball cap as a Juvenile Delinquent in "Blackboard Jungle". This man as a director and in THIS Terrific 2-Part episode that reads more like a Mini War movie is sensational. Saunders,always puts "The Mission" ahead of personal feelings,is caught in the Nonsense which we don't see until the end,of the price of War real estate and it's cost,with Hanley calling the reluctant plays. As a director of many "Combat" episodes,VIC MORROW made it a point to step aside as a Character to concentrate on directing,and emerged sparsely. VIC MORROW a WAY ahead of his time director,creates shots,camera angles and actor movement that are JUST starting to be used in film. This 2-parter is the BEST "Combat" episode(s)ever made. Don't miss it.VIC MORROW:Great Actor/Director. He at times directing "Combat" went over-budget but by NO means ever wasted the producers money nor displease them with his final product.

Nice little episode of Revenge in waiting,as JD Plays a one-handed Outlaw seeking revenge on his band of Army pay wagon cronies. JD becomes a deputy to Marshall Crown after he guns down in questionable fashion his first mark of revenge of one of his "Leave him for dead" outlaw pals. He uses his new "deputy" status to one by one,knock off the entire bunch who sold him out,left him for a corpse 7 years earlier and locked up in a territorial prison. Anthony James is as usual,an incredible character and really steals this Show. The Cimarron Strip,terrific show and OWNED by STUART WHITMAN during it's one year run,somehow rounded up at least 7 actors he saw in "Cool Hand Luke" including the one of a kind CLIFTON JAMES in another great episode with Harry Dean Stanton(another Cool Hand Luke Player)and the stand-out SUZANNE PLESHETTE.

The Japs would NOT sign a defeat Treaty UNLESS they were Convinced after a SECOND Atomic Bomb that it's time to pack it in and find a new way of life. In fact their Ego was SO misguided,that for YEARS Jap Soldiers still hid in caves waiting for their next order. ROBERT TAYLOR plays Colonel Paul Tibbets,the pilot who's Bomber plane "The Enola Gay" (named after his Mother)put an end to Japanese delusions in World War II. Colonel Tibbets under personal and G.I. Strain,manages to pull it off. Eleanor Parker as his Wife,almost loses it a few times,as not knowing what his actual mission is,nor did MOST of the military personnel who were actually involved. This is an important film and should be a MUST see for present generations.

I saw this Great series when it first aired. NICK NOLTE,ED ASNER and WILLIAM SMITH as FALCONETTI swipe the limelight,but of course,WILLIAM SMITH tops them all in the few episodes he appeared. WILLIAM SMITH a Highly Intelligent man who speaks several languages,a Korean war Veteran and former College Professor creates the Villain that goes down as the BEST Villain in Cinematic History. WILLIAM SMITH is SO good,that for the second series(RMPM Book 2)NOT an Irwin Shaw based work,into 17 out of 21 episodes and an EMMY nomination. Irwin Shaw wrote the Character of FALCONETTI as a Ship-Board Bloated Bully with a Turnip head. Glad the producers of this Series went the OTHER direction in casting Big BILL SMITH. After this grand show(not without script flaws)had it's run,BILL SMITH became SO popular,he was given his Own square on the Hollywood Squares game show,and went off to do the sequel. BILL SMITH of TV's "Laredo" etc etc etc landed the Role that put him "On the map". A great series depicting post World War II and the German/American upstate NY Jordache Family and the hard-Luck of Both Brothers with their rugged childhood,wild insane genes,trying to cope. The title I believe refers to ONLY Rudy Jordache(PETER STRAUSS) AS both A Rich Man AND a Poor man and NOT what would believe of Tom Jordache being the "Poor Man".

I first saw "Who'll stop The Rain" on early cable television. NICK NOLTE brings on an Animal/Ethical persona,even though he delivers "Grass" and now "Horse" from Vietnam as a Merchant Seaman.In all likelihood,a result of his anger against the "System" of idiots who Created Vietnam and it's Department store "War",rather than for sheer profit. HICKS,a former U.S. Marine/Vietnam Veteran runs powder for his War correspondent buddy JOHN CONVERSE(Michael Moriarity),while all along both being played for saps by the same type of Governmental SLOBS who probably profited from Vietnam and it's waste of Life motives. HICKS says:"When I left the Marines I made a promise to myself,never again am I gonna take *#^@ from Inferior people,the next mother that tries to make me back off is gonna have to LIVE it out with me". RAY HICKS means business when all he gives a damn about while being pursued by self-appointed G-men for the Skag is his pride. His course brings him to a retreat on a Mountain which formerly served as a commune for Anti-government Veterans,Hippies etc. he is accompanied by MARGE CONVERSE(Tuesday Weld)an addict in her own right and wife of JOHN,who more or less "Carries On" with HICKS. I believe that HICKS was prepared to make his mark on the Scum Government,without being concerned with the consequences,a real lesson in:"You can't fight city Hall" even in the end,he does. NICK NOLTE since "Rich man Poor Man" has never been more interesting. This is a GREAT Motion Picture,that I watch several times per year.

In 1965 I sat in front of my TV set,it was still Winter in NYC,I remember as the Christmas Tree was still up.The CBS Saturday Night at the Movies flashed on the screen,a Movie marquee with flashing light bulbs:"Stalag 17". I never heard the word Stalag,so naturally,I was hooked. I think they showed a clip...a War movie in a POW camp,World War II.I could NOT take my eyes off the screen,they were STUCK to the TV,even during the commercials. I LOVE this movie. As the film progressed,I knew that SEFTON was NOT the "Stoolie"(too obvious)maybe it was the Shell-Shocked Joey(too ridiculous),but there was something Off about PRICE...."Security"....maybe a little TOO security Minded with a Smart-ass attitude,as SEFTON said later after his "Blanket Party","The rat hit the hardest". Watch the film again,KNOWING PRICE was the Nazi,and you'll see some inside Dialogue that really incriminates him and even sitting under the Signal light to Shultz at the Chess board. I sometimes thought the movie was a little Stagy but it still moved. As a kid seeing this for the first time,I KNEW exactly where DUNBAR was hidden..in the water tower,the First place I thought the Krauts would look.A VERY funny Movie and the studio thought they had no choice but to promote it THAT way,it was HARDLY a comedy....it was a BILLY WILDER Film,and if you DON'T know WHAT category Wilder made films.....then you should NOT watch them.

I really dig this Film. I saw it when it came out in the summer of '68,the next day bought the album and listened to it almost daily. I watch it every year on videotape,each July. What we have here is a radical punk:Max Frost a hypocrite who for all intents and purposes IS ADOLF Hitler. I see several flaws in this Picture,early on he sides with his father to rip the plastic off the couches to spite the Mother,then as he grows up he Blows up his fathers Caddilac while his mother(whom he's been having an affair with) has no objections. These scenes don't add up to the rest of the Movie. Max frost becomes/is a tyrant,violent and a dictator. The film tries to be a Political parody,but fails with all these off center plot devices. However I LOVE the movie and overlook the nonsense that deviates from WHATEVER it's SUPPOSED to be about. An AIP film,the studio who has made MANY low budget 1950's "Monster Movies" brings on Director Barry Shear who makes the most of the period Demonstrations,Los Angeles Traffic jams,Washington Protests etc,by incorporating them into the storyline with News media Voice-Over. Pretty simple thing at the time,grab a camera and just point. Great movie,and stands up today.The real clincher of Max Frost being a Low-Life Egomaniac,is when it was revealed he owned "14 interlocking companies". The USUAL,path for ANY Crooked Politician,and this was BEFORE he became one!

I liked the Plunderers.A group of PUNKS ride into town and show the Cowardice Citizens a thing or two. This is NOT an unusual occurrence in life.trying to mind his own business is the One-Armed Civil War hero played by Jeff Chandler.He's lives in this town that has disgraced and ostracized him,when the line is drawn,he comes to his heroics. Interesting piece,that later became "The Incident" a 1967 movie on the NYC Subway with this time only 2 Punks showing the cowardice of the Subway riders. Naturally the Town Re-makes the Chandler character their hero "Again" and he rides out AGAIN. Not a lot of people are aware of this little gem. I have a thing for Low Budget westerns that take place in more or less 1 location,which brings even MORE excitement.

The Incident: The ACTUAL "Bad Guys" OF the film are NOT Tony Musante or Martin Sheen,but the Pairs of High-Hatting subway passengers,who are "Shown the door" BY the Criminals who don't let them OUT! The only real Good Guy was the Beau Bridges Character Felix Tuppinger,the Convalescing Army Soldier.When the film ends,the "Victims" go BACK to their own Lives and Character disorders we have already seen.This film got NO or very little help from the NYC MTA,and the Subway scenes were shot at the Biograph studios in the Bronx,on a sound stage with a Roofless Subway car mock-up. I LOVE the incident,and I understand it was originally a play,written from a book,however this film was made earlier in 1960 as a WESTERN called:The Plunderers Starring Jeff Chandler as the "One Armed Civil War Soldier",which evolved into the Beau Bridges role. In THAT movie it was a GROUP of Young Punks taking over a Western town. Check out that movie and see the Similarities.

All Movies worth a Damn,are simply metaphorically produced.For instance a Boxing movie has NOTHING to do with Boxing,the same message could be conveyed about some guy running a Street Corner Candy Store. I saw "Journey" in '68 when it came out. Right in the middle of Vietnam. Movies about Vietnam DURING the Conflict were taboo....so metaphors were in place. This movie precedes the 1970 Robert Altman great MASH. Although MASH Was a "War" film,it was presented as a "Korean War Movie",however it WAS about Vietnam! "Journey" Touches on naive patriotic "Long-Hairs"(as mentioned and Theme-song within the picture) from Texas, to fight for the Confederacy. THEIR "Journey" consists of Witnessing the Brutality of Slavery,and basic Disillusionment OF the War. This theme coincides with the turbulent 1960's. I liked the movie's Anti-Vietnam/Civil rights messages which seemed to be the main factor in the Film,the absence OF that message would have probably brought Boredom to the screen. So,next time you view this Actually pretty good film...go deep and you'll see ANOTHER Movie.