Reviews

If Alfred Hitchcock, Rod Serling, and M. Night Shyamalan had written something together, and had Mel Brooks as comedy advisor, they might just have come up with something like this.

From the opening scene to the last frame of the movie, we are led on a journey that takes us around and around in circles, switch-backs, and seeming dead ends, with frequent detours through the twilight zone and la-la land, before dropping us off in the State of Confusion.

If you like quirky, weird movies that leave you scratching your head and crying while laughing at the absurdity of our society, this movie is for you.

Now excuse me, please, I'm going to watch it again.

This episode deals with reaction to the recent ruling by SCOTUS that overturned Roe v. Wade. The writing and acting approached the question with insight, passion, and compassion in a way not seen often enough, either onscreen or in real life.

Various characters, major and minor, confront the reality of how their lives and the lives of others are impacted by the landmark court decision that has profoundly changed the legalities surrounding a topic of great import in American society.

The ending may not be what many might wish for, but it does successfully allow the viewer to make their own decision on an extremely sensitive topic.

Especially in times like these, in the era of "The Former Guy" (#45), we need to be reminded that there are people with principles who still believe in democracy and humanity.

"Born Yesterday" is a comedy with a really serious message not so subtlety hidden in plain sight.

Of course, it is a bonus that the acting, direction, and everything else about this movie is genius entertainment.

Long live the idealists!

A lot of the names are the same, and the eponymous place existed during the period referenced, but there is almost nothing else about this horse opera that represents real history.

It's a waste of truly talented actors.

As a movie, it's a 6 or 7, but the liberties taken earn it a lesser score.

The best thing I can say of Saturn 3 is that of all the movies that Kirk Douglas ever made, this is one of them.

"Ann" on PBS's Great Performances is a wonderful one woman play written and performed on stage by Holland Taylor, who presents a biographical homage to Ann Richards, former governor of Texas, often using Gov. Richards' own words from speeches, documents, and other sources.

Ms. Holland gives a tour de force performance of the controversial, strong, driven woman who has become an icon to many people, here and abroad, who embrace open minds and hearts and have a deep love for justice and equality.

We laugh, we cry, we listen in awe as Ann regales her life. Her humor, often punctuated with epithets as well as witticisms and jokes, holds us spellbound as we not only see history through Gov. Richards' eyes, but hear much wisdom relevant to all of us now.

Holland Taylor's performance seems a verisimilitude of Governor Ann Richards, giving flesh to her and breathing life and soul into her, so that it is not an actress we see and hear, but the very essence of the Governor herself.

This magnum opus deserves to win a mountain of prizes and accolades; everything about it is stunningly magnificent.

Others here have very ably and fondly described the movie's storyline, characters, and acting; however, there has not been attention paid to the music in this film, especially to Kathryn Grayson's talents

Miss Grayson's talents are well displayed, both as a singer and as an actress, and her amazing voice is put to good use here without seeming overly contrived, even to modern ears; the songs were appropriate to the scene, such as when Miss Grayson's character was entertaining two little girls by singing to them playfully, or when an impromptu ensemble joined on the home's front porch one evening, singing and laughing, which was not at all unusual in the days before air conditioning, televisions, and computers.

Individually and in ensembles, many of the cast contributed their vocal and instrumental talents, with two moments standing out as particularly touching: the congregation singing at the funeral (with Miss Grayson having a prominent role), and the town's men singing a heartfelt "Auld Lang Syne" at the film's closing scene.

No, this is not a musical, but like many films of that era and of this genre, there is music in it. It is not music that is merely incidental or music that underscores on-screen action, but music integral to the story and which is itself part of the dialogue -- part of the story.

"The Vanishing Virginian" is a gentle reminder of how the masters of a bygone era told their stories. Sometimes it seems we are missing a lot in more modern movies.