Reviews

I usually agree with Roger, but after seeing his review I thought- "C'mon Roger, It can't be!! I mean were talking about the Minority Report team here!" I callously disregarded Ebert's "Thumbs Down" and went to see the movie anyway. Boy was I WRONG! Roger Ebert was right on the money. This movie limps along for two-odd hours and gets more and more rotten with each minute. Oh, there are moments of great visuals and sounds, but nothing else. I stopped counting plot holes after thirty minutes. One of the biggest was Tim Robbins' character. His contribution was yet another dose of confusion to this already murky mess, and I still have no idea why he was even in the movie to begin with! I found myself pleading for the end, though when it came I must admit that it was neat seeing Gene Barry and Ann Robinson (from the 1953 WOTW) together again after 52 years. Apart from that, it's barely worth a matinée price.

If you've never seen this classic (or haven't seen it in a long time), not only will you laugh- you'll be surprised at all the familiar faces and how many of them have come to be matched in other movies through the years. Nicholson directs himself in this western comedy. He is the perfect dolt, saved from the gallows by a squeak. His future "wife" (Mary Steenburgen) is the "straight-man" amid a host of wonderfully comic actors. It's a hilarious formula that works!

The connections are: Nicholson, Danny DeVito, and Christopher Lloyd were all in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest". DeVito directed Nicholson in "Hoffa". Tracy Walter was Bob, one of Nicholson's henchmen in "Batman", was Tyrone Otley with Nicholson in "The Two Jakes", and was Ezra with Lucy Lee Flippen (Diane Haber in "Goin' South") in the Amazing Stories episode "Mummy Daddy". Jeff Morris was the owner of "Bob's Country Bunker", where the Blues Brothers (hence, John Belushi) performed behind chicken wire for a bar full of rowdy rednecks. Christopher Lloyd was with Mary Steenburgen in Back to the Future III. Veronica Cartwright was Felicia Alden in "The Witches of Eastwick" with Nicholson.

I'm sure I missed some.

A wonderfully conceived biopic of how Sherwood Schwartz's idea became one of the most watched comedies in TV history, even to this day.

I loved it as a kid and still often watch with my boy. Too bad Tina Louise still harbors some latent hostility for the old show, and this "True Story" as well. It would have been so great for her to be a part of it. The behind-the-scenes stuff is a riot, and the actors who play the castaways are top-notch. It's wonderful seeing Dawn Wells, Russell Johnson, and Bob Denver together, talking about the fun times, and the poignant moments about Jim Backus, Natalie Schafer, and Alan Hale, all who have since passed away. I never understood why the critics were so merciless in their hatred of the show. I'd pit 'Gilligan' against the tripe on TV these days anytime!

Joan Crawford was probably a little long-in-the-tooth for this part. Wonder what it would've been like with Janet Leigh or Vera Miles? Anyway, this is a neatly done, suspenseful little movie and not the disaster that some say.

A rash of serial killings befalls an independent circus traveling through England. Detectives from 'The Yard' are brought in to solve the crimes and find the circus performers arguing as to whom they think the killer is, adding to the confusion. The soap opera-like goings-on among the performers is quite amusing. There's even a violently delicious catfight between two circus women! With some of the murders taking place during the circus acts, the movie takes on a suspenseful aura when the viewer wonders how the act is going to go wrong and who is going to be the victim. If you haven't seen it, the climax is quite a surprise!

BONUS: You get to see a young Michael Gough ("Alfred" in the first three Batman movies) meet a very unusual demise. Of course, he also gets it in "The Boys from Brazil". Poor guy!

As far as circus films go, this is MUCH better than DeMille's "The Big Top".

It's very simple. There has never been a more vile, evil (anagrams!) female movie character than Angela Lansbury's 'Mrs. Iselin'. She is the epitome of nastiness and cunning. She plays her husband Johnny (James Gregory) like a Kentucky fiddle and we the audience relish every second of it. Gregory is supremely inept as a U.S. Senator. Lawrence Harvey is stunning as the perfectly hollow Raymond Shaw. Only at the end when reality closes in on him do we see the true Shaw. His remedy is final, complete, and shockingly satisfying. And we get left with the post-remedy shell. Empty, lonely, solemn. Precisely what Frankenheimer had in mind. This is truly a film that may strive to become outdated, but will never make it.

As always, Colombo jumps on the suspect (Gene Barry) immediately, saying, "Sir, I notice you didn't call out to your wife when you came in". Colombo always knows who did it. . . so it's more of a 'howgetim' than a 'whodunit', and it's always truly entertaining. Peter Falk is perfect as the scruffy detective - - - AND- According to Trivial Pursuit, Colombo's first name is Phillip. Now I hear that the 'Phillip' name is a hoax! Well. . . no matter. Peter Falk may be knocking on 70 or so, but, so what?! He'll always be a gem whose acting skill will thrive in TV/Motion Picture cyberspace. His best pieces? Griffin and Phoenix, The Cheap Detective, Columbo, The Princess Bride, or The In-Laws, which is a top-ten funniest comedy of all time. If you haven't seen it- run to Netflix and order it ASAP. Even his bit part in "It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World. The man is a class act and deserves every dose of praise he gets.

Even if you consider the year (1977) in which Hooper was made, it's a grand representation of the "Making-of-a-Movie-Within-a-Movie" genre. The only one to come close was years later with 'Get Shorty'. 'Hooper' was grand because it was Burt doing most of his own stunts, he and Sally were still an off-camera couple, and most of all, Burt was in his element, and likely so for the last time. While working with actors and crew he knew well and was already familiar with, Burt's true persona really shone through! The first 'Smokey and the Bandit' came close, but the true Burt didn't permeate the SATB set as in 'Hooper'. After 'Hooper', the gist of this Burt was really never seen again.

Wow. Some good and some bad effects, a weak story, and a son who looks absolutely NOTHING like his father. Emmerich did better with "Godzilla"! Though implausible, the severe second-by-second changes in weather was a great premise, similar to 'Armageddon'. Alas, here in TDAT, it just didn't work. I felt the director and crew had to hurry up and get done. Except for Ian Holm, I saw harried, impatient acting of which there was no substance. Holm did his job well, despite the disparity of his scenes. Quaid, Ward, et al, were merely there to collect a paycheck, and it REALLY shows. Instead of paying theater prices, rent TDAT and keep your thumb near the FF button.

NOTE! Any popcorn you buy at the grocery is 70% cheaper than the theater stuff. Soda is 80% less, as is candy!! Quite the eye-opener!

Here you'll find some of the most scathing satire and sarcasm in cinematic history, and it's wonderfully funny!! The jabs are relentless, and NO one's immune! Star trek, Gilligan's Island, William Shatner. All victims of icy cynicism and NO mercy. You'll love the play between Mike, the robots, and their responses to the original dialogue of 'This Island Earth', described by Dr. Forrester as a "Stinky Cinematic Suppository". This is an understatement, but it's perfect for the wicked barbs of Mike and his robots. Though the "Brack has visible panty lines" shot is great, the jab at the mailman is the best!!

A plot full of sharp turns, great actors, and visual skill, this picture is a joy to watch. It's vicious wit permeating the story and the sum ending up as a completely fulfilling movie experience, especially since the movie is about a potential movie that becomes an actual movie. Travolta is actually a bad guy, but easy to like. James Gandolfini is 10000 miles from Tony Soprano. Danny Devito and Gene Hackman are priceless in their comic roles, particularly Hackman and his difficulties with a neck brace while slurping a Bloody Mary. Rene Russo is actually a sexy, refined 'B' movie actress (in the movie, NOT in real life)! Dennis Farina and Delroy Lindo are such good actors, I'm shocked that I haven't seen them more. This is a great slice of Hollywood reality; don't miss a chance to see it! The director and some of the actors follow-up in 'Big Trouble', also set in Miami. WATCH CAREFULLY. TRAVOLTA'S MINI-VAN IS A GREAT VISUAL GAG ALL THE WAY TO THE END!!

Early in the movie whilst the lovely Piper is in his arms, Tony gracefully utters- "Yonder lies da castle of my fadder da King." Cut him a little slack! At that time he was VERY new to the movies! What better example could there be of starting out 'shaky' and then becoming a film legend? At least in 'Spartacus', when Olivier told Tony that he preferred "Both oysters AND clams", Tony disappeared without a trace, and Olivier just smiled.

Tarantino has created an exclusive genre here, with its twists and curves and steel-ball nerves. PF is a masterpiece which finally breaks ground in the big vacant lot that Hollywood has (until now) been a-feared to trod upon. Only someone with no fear of the "Hollywood Machine" could make such a movie. This lashing-out of Tarantino's claw opened a gash in the blue-blooded Hollywood flesh, and it's about time! It may seem to run a little long at times, but the opening of a new category of film is worth the few slow-moving periods. I personally believe that the biggest success here is Tarantino's rise from a video rental clerk to a major film director. For those who have a desire to go down a certain path, do what QT did and see what happens!

Wow. . . Charlton Heston, MOSES piloting a spacecraft! Amazing. Seeing this movie when it was in theaters in 1968 was a real treat! What memories! Seeing astronauts being suddenly thrust into racial turmoil was a real experience in 1968, particularly after seeing them launched into space many times during the Apollo era. I was eight, but was awestruck at the gall and nerve it took to show such reversal of bigotry circa 1968, the year of the MLK assassination. Having apes kill humans for SPORT was a bold step at that time. Today, that mindset is quite different. That aside, this movie was incredibly enjoyable then, and still is today. Only Rod Serling and Pierre Boulee could've come up with such a story, particularly the ending. It was pure "Twilight Zone"! The new version by Tim Burton is contrived and uninteresting. Kris Kristofferson (like in the 'Mad' Magazine satire) seems to have showed up on the set in ragged clothing and was used for any scenes which required old, crusty-looking weirdos. On the other hand, Mark Wahlberg is quite possibly the worst actor in the history of motion pictures. His idea of acting is keeping one eyebrow "up". What skill! Anyway, the original is MUCH better and much more contemplative. The sequel (Return to the POTA) is lame, but the third (Escape from the POTA) is great and is a true film of the 1970's, all the way down to the musical score with its wah-wahs, etc.

Bloopers! Take a quick look at the NASA patches on the astronauts' space suits. They spell ANSA!

Also, an ape sprays water on Heston's character 'Taylor'. The ape screams "Shut UP you freak!" Amazing how the apes have brass hose fittings, but they have to carve stairs out of solid stone.

Zemeckis is quite skilled at innuendo insertion, and "Contact" is certainly no exception. I suppose it was inevitable that he graduate from the 'Back to the Future' and 'R. Rabbit' genre to the more serious. Don't misunderstand. . . Zemeckis is a wonderful director, though politically skewed to the left as are many of the same ilk. Although this was an enjoyable movie, I tried to look past the atheistic sway of Zemeckis, Carl Sagan, et al. Zemeckis is smart enough to keep his distance from such a tangled web of religious furor, but he still suggests (with a wink) that Jodie Foster's character (Ellie) is a stalwart atheist, and that science proves that God doesn't exist because He has left no proof of His existence. When this question comes up between Ellie and Josh (McConaughey), it's intentionally vague, certainly because he commits fornication with Ellie (though he's a 'Priest'). All that aside, the effects were first-class, were skillfully and silently placed where they should be and were not overdone, as is the case in many sci-fi's. (WARNING! Plot killers follow)! Ellie's reunion with her dead father is a very contrived scene where he quickly admits that 'they' downloaded her thoughts before she arrived. Probably (probably)? too much of a plot convenience. (The palm trees are crystal clear, yet his human figure shimmies and waivers until he gets close to the vehicle). I liked the movie, but those like me who believe in God should believe even moreso because of the atheist beliefs of those who made this movie. I took the opinions of the producers/actors with a grain of salt and kept in mind that this was science FICTION.

Mike Myers and director Thomas Schlamme are right on the mark here compared to the insipid "Austin Powers" series (directed by Jay Roach). SIMAAM really showcases Myers' talents along with a good script, and all beautifully filmed in San Francisco. Myers and Nancy Travis are great together, and Myers' dual-role is pure, absolute comedy! (Heed! MUUV!!) That concept works so well here, again much better than in "Powers" where it's WAY over-used. This is also the first time I've seen a small jazz combo used as a comedy prop. VERY clever!!

Watching this at home, I laughed copiously, rather than punching the "FF" button when watching "Powers". Myers is funny; I wish he were more choosey with his scripts (and directors). SIMAAM is more for adults. As a parent, I'd heed the PG-13 rating.

(A Proposal) After going to the 'show' many, many times from 1967-74, this was the film where I became fully aware that the motion picture was a serious art form. The premise and presentation of this picture struck me blindly as a young man. The one day where I decided to pay attention to the movie and not the cutie across the aisle with the large soda and popcorn.

Lawrence Olivier's screen presence here is what Spector would call a "Wall of Acting". His words are 'executed'. Every shoulder twist, every smirk, every wince: a perfect exercise in fluidity and precision. If any young actor wishes to see an example of "how it should be done", then "Sleuth" should be required viewing.

Then there is Michael Caine: probably the only British actor capable of successfully defending Wyeck's (Olivier's) contemptuous opinion of anyone who is "Not like ME", (Is this so far apart from the way many feel today? I don't think so)!

View the picture and you'll quickly see why Olivier and Caine will live on in the annals of motion picture history.

I'm unsure of how much (or how little) Kubrick had to do with editing the final version of EWS, but I'm leaning toward "too little". The pieces just didn't come together, and when the ending finally came, I thought- "I just paid $8 to see this." Lord knows this could've been some really juicy cinema. Even with the nudity and sex eclipsed with CGI bodies, it was quite provocative, but went nowhere. Also, I got a strong feeling that there were contract obligations that Kubrick had to live with regarding Cruise and Kidman, meaning that the two were a package deal and he was stuck with them. Cruise' performance was certainly more than adequate, but Kidman's acting seemed forced and 'off the beat'. The uncut version is fleshier, but no better.