Change Your Image
doowop9
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town (1970)
One of the greatest Christmas cartoons of all time
I remember when this cartoon first came on around Christmas of 1970. The theme was classic even then, but it is even more classic now in 2006 (soon to be 2007). I watched this cartoon for several years after that 1970 debut and now own it on VHS. I like it as much now (I'm 42) as I did then. Some say that this cartoon is dated. True, some scenes may be dated (such as the background around Jessica during that solo---groovy!) but most of it is not. The tunes are very catchy, and I am not just referring to the theme song. Moreover, this cartoon hearkens back to the days when cartoons were not something to sell toys, candy, and cereal, but for when they were actually GOOD. The team of Rankin and Bass did many of the cartoons from the 60s and early 70s, and I enjoyed them all. This cartoon is no exception. Thirty-six years after its debut, it is still outstanding. It would be great if cartoons now were like those of that time period. OUTSTANDING!!
The Amateur's Guide to Love (1972)
A lost game show
Gene Rayburn was probably best known for the 1970s revival of "Match Game," but slightly before he hosted that great game show, he was the host of "The Amateur's Guide to Love," a short-lived game show that debuted at about the same time slot as "Match Game," after CBS' afternoon block of soap operas. I was only 7 when this show came on the air, but I have a few memories of this show. A cool set, similar to the later game show "The Wizard of Odds." Very interesting show. Sadly, this is one show that will never be seen on Game Show Network, as all tapes of this show have been destroyed (unless perhaps it is in an archive somewhere) and its debut and finale were both during the pre-VCR early 1970s. A lost game show.
Valley of the Dolls (1967)
O.K., but some liberties were taken
A fairly good film for its time, but a number of liberties were taken with the text. While Patty Duke was a good Neely O'Hara (and she was not much unlike Neely O'Hara in real life) and Barbara Parkins was an appropriate Anne Welles, Sharon Tate was in appearance not quite like Jennifer North. Jennifer North was almost a platinum blonde in the book, while Sharon Tate was more of a honey blonde. Also Jennifer North was more curvy than Sharon Tate. In appearance, Jayne Mansfield (who tragically died the same year this film came out) would have made a better (in appearance) Jennifer North. Jennifer was not pregnant at the time of her suicide (she wanted to have children by the senator), but she was by Tony Polar. Some of the discrepancies were addressed in the later remake, but this one is still better than that remake.
Drum (1976)
Nothing like the book
This film was supposedly based on the book of the same name by Lance Horner and Kyle Onstott. So much of it is far from the text. For starters, Blaise was never owned by Hammond Maxwell (in the book, he was owned by the mistress, who was Madame Alix, not Marianna). It was Drum's son, Drumson, that was purchased by Hammond Maxwell, not Drum (Drum had died sometime back from an attack by Blaise). Also there was a Chauvet family in the book, but they were the ones who owned Meg and Alph (Augusta's name was not Chauvet, but Devereaux (later mentioned as Delavan)). The book actually starts out in the very early 1800s, quite a bit before the movie. Drumson was killed in the uprising in the book (but not in the movie). This would have been a better movie if the screenwriters had followed the text more closely.