Reviews

I love this little movie. Ginger Rogers is at her best here -- sweet, engaging, human -- and Francis Lederer is perfect as the illegal alien with a huge heart. As a Ginger Rogers film, this ranks right up there with Primrose Path and Roberta in my Hall of Favorites. Romance in Manhattan creates a mythopoeic USA that triumphs over Depression era America through a large dose of Hope. Folks in 1935 probably needed a film like this, but I think it works well to mute the horrors of 2020 also. See it.

Still two more episodes to go with this, but I have seen enough to rate it. Overall, the story is disjointed and tries to do way too much, covering all the political correctness bases without letting us get involved with any of the characters. Much of the story is just WWII cliche. The only reason I keep watching is that I enjoy seeing Zofia Wichlacz and Julia Brown.

This movie glorifies suicide --- just say NO --- human life is sacred

This is one of the great westerns of all time. The plot is complex enough to keep the story moving and the chemistry between Jean Arthur and William Holden gets the viewer involved from the git-go. I highly recommend this one to all you cowpokes that love adult westerns.

Forty Guns is too Euro-artsy for my tastes. I like well done adult westerns, as well as good ol' B-westerns, like Hopalong Cassidy, but the attempt to make this an "art" picture was just a distraction for me. At least one reviewer called it a "noir" western, and it is that, but the dialogue sometimes tries too hard to be psychological or surreal, and it doesn't work. Not a horrible film to watch, but I'd rather see a real western.

"Abilene Town" is a good ol' 1946 Western with Randolph Scott, Ann Dvorak, Edgar Buchanan, Rhonda Fleming, and Lloyd Bridges. The movie is supposedly based on the novel "Trail Town" by Ernest Haycox. I enjoyed the movie, but about all it has to do with the novel is that the names of some of the characters and their occupations are the same as in the book, which is too bad. Haycox's novel is much more complex and would make an excellent film, if someone were actually to produce it as written.

I love Veronica Mars. Fortunately, I don't get emotionally involved with fictional characters, so I am not unhappy like, apparently, so many others. The eight episodes were well worth watching, and I binged-watched it the first time. I enjoyed the clever way they removed foul language from the show. I always appreciate its absence. Also, I thought it was great that they had their ultimate villain played by someone who is villainous in real life -- well-played.

P.S. Have we been set-up for the "long-awaited" Veronica Mars, FBI ???

To start with, this was a very enjoyable detective mystery from the 1930s, but it just wasn't Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe. The story is based on Stout's novel "Fer-de-Lance" but considerably altered, probably due to the difficulty of filming the novel's airplane scenes and to time constraints. The most egregious fault with this movie is turning Archie Goodwin into a psuedo-buffoon and saddling him with a fiance who contributes absolutely nothing to the story line. Nitpicking, Wolfe is too mobile, jolly, and penurious and drinks his beer from the bottle; none of these inaccuracies are necessary. Still, if you can get it to watch (ah, there's the rub) it is an entertaining hour and a half.

This is a competent, if mediocre, detective show, but it is not Rex Stout's Nero Wolfe. The 2001 A&E series with Maury Chaykin and Timothy Hutton came closer to the spirit of the novels, although ultimately failing. I have read all of the Nero Wolfe novels and stories at least twice and am on my third go 'round. As a huge Wolfe fan, I am happy to view and even purchase all the cinematic Wolfe attempts, just because. But if anyone is looking for the true Nero Wolfe on film, he hasn't appeared yet.

I saw "Unplanned" today and was pleasantly surprised at how well done it was and at how engrossed I was in the story for the entire duration of the film. Ashley Bratcher was a very believable Abby Johnson, and all the acting was first-rate. The script was clear, natural, and well-paced. The cinematography was professional all the way. I never did see anything in the film that warranted the "R" rating it was given, but that is not surprising considering how political Hollywood has become. The story itself exposed the truth about Planned Parenthood, but it also acknowledged the mistakes of pro-lifers, such as the murder of Dr. Tiller. Unfortunately, I suspect that few people who need to see this movie will see it -- political ideology rules in this, I fear.

I saw the "Gosnell" movie today It is very well done, well-acted, well-written, not preachy but truthful, powerful and suspenseful --- highly recommended for all people with open minds.

Nick Searcy was intense and formidable as the defense lawyer opposing the Assistant DA, a mother of five, played by Sarah Jane Morris, who was strong, passionate, and appealingly vulnerable. Dean Cain and Alfonzo Rachel were believable as the cops who set the investigation into motion (albeit a tad clichéd). Janine Turner had a brief appearance as Dr. North, an abortionist undergoing a gradual awakening to her own complicity as a witness at the trial. Earl Billings was totally creepy as the baby killer, Gosnell.

I thought it would be hard to watch this film, considering the subject matter, but it actually was quite riveting and not overdone.

Well, a rock'n'roll movie rarely has a viable plot, and this one is no exception. But who watches a rock movie for the plot? We watch for the music and for all the beautiful young people. The band members in Satisfaction are great looking, to be sure. The movie itself is worth seeing just to enjoy Justine Bateman's performance as the lead singer. She kills "Knock on Wood," "Lies," and "Satisfaction," among others. Additionally, Britta Phillips does a great job with "Mr. Big Stuff." It's rock'n'roll.

I love Melissa Benoist. Too bad the storyline of Supergirl is derivative (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. anyone?) and boring (any chick-flick you ever saw).

The writing is weak -- the characters are cardboard stereotypes (especially Calista Flockhart's) and the dialogue is banal.

Why is Jimmy (er, James) Olsen even in this show? And David Harewood is basically reprising his role from Homeland.

I would rather see truth, justice, and the American way at the center of this show (enough with alien invaders already) and a lot less romantic claptrap -- Lois and Clark pushed that envelope as far as it can reasonably go.

I watch to see the girl. I wonder how long that will be enough.