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Reviews
Cactus (1986)
interesting
Cactus is a film that you walk away from thinking you would like to see it again; I think because it ends so abruptly. The film moves rather slow and throughout I wanted more. More dialogue more emotion I wanted more of the main characters Colo and Robert. I really liked Robert Menzies performance he could say so much in his expressions and did not have to talk much and there is little talking in this film. The landscapes and sceneries are filmed beautifully; it makes you want to head to Australia it is gorgeous. The love scenes between Robert and Colo were very dark you could not see anything I think that should have been filmed differently because the love scenes add very little to the movie. Also, there are others around friends they add little I guess in some ways they are there for narrative. I have not really decided if I liked this film or not because it is just there like many of the cactus sitting around in Robert's green house. Cactus expressed a lot of emotion in scenes but rating the movie as a whole it loses a lot of it appeal.
Texasville (1990)
Do not watch this film it will only ruin the original
Well, I want to know what the hell happened how can this movie be the sequel to the wonderful "Last Picture Show". "Picture Show" gave us an excellent story and compassionate characters. "Texasville" is awful, Cybil Shepard is so annoying as Jacy and who cares about her pathetic life now...she was a spoiled brat in "picture Show" and in this she is the same but now she is a lead character, in the "Last Picture Show" she was a side character as is Jeff Bridges character Duane. Timothy Bottoms was the star and in "Texasville" he is nothing, his story line is awful. He just wonders around with a tired head and a sad lonely life. Maybe Timothy Bottoms does do a good job looking sad, lonely and depressed I wonder why??. Sonny was so great in "Picture Show" why didn't he get a decent story?? Why is there no story in Texasville at all. The big thing is Duane is in debt and him and Jacy are in a stupid play together. I don't think they even mention that Jacy and Sonny ran off and got married or if they did mention any thing from the past it was short and sweet like the love story between sonny and cloris leachman character, Ruth Popper what happened there. She says "He loved me once" so now he stays in my trailer and she exercises all the time in the movie maybe because she once was married to a gym teacher who knows maybe somewhere there is symbolism but unfortunately I never cared enough to look. The movie has a small climax where I think Sonny might have attempted suicide well then jeff bridges suggest that they all go and get breakfast at the local DQ and everything will work out. Of course the viewer never finds out because that would have been to hard to put substance into this movie. So La DI Da it's over. I mean I know Cybil Shepard and Jeff Bridges are the most popular actors in the movie but to move so far away from the original and really just make a depressing sad little movie. Everybody is having affairs and all the kids are brats no wonder this is the most dysfunctional town in the world. I wasted two hours on this film and now I have to go rent the original to get this bad taste out of my mouth from Texasville.
Butterflies Are Free (1972)
I would love to see this story performed on stage
I enjoyed this film very much; it appeals to the romantic in all of us, yet it is very candid. Goldie Hawn is perfect for the role of Jill, she seems so at ease with the character. Eileen Heckart is wonderful as the overbearing yet caring mother. She loves her son and it is hard for her to let go of him & to stop taking care of her son, Don, especially since he is blind. She feels that he needs someone to care for him and she thinks his new neighbor and love interest Jill is not the girl to do that. Heckart won the best supporting oscar that year for the film and she was much deserving because she is excellent. The film has some very touching scenes between each of the actors as Don struggles for independence from his mother and as he fights to convince Jill that they could have a relationship despite his blindness and how his mother has scared her away. I also love that the film has been adapted from a play and you can really sense that with simple apartment setting. A interesting note is that the Leonard Gershe who wrote the play was inspired by a real life person: Harold Krentz. Gershe heard Krentz talking on a radio show about being drafted for the military during the vietnam war, the odd thing is Harold Krentz has been blind since childhood. Harold Krentz wrote a book called "To Race the Wind" and he writes about being the inspiration for the story of Butterflies are free.
To Race the Wind (1980)
I liked this film!
I thought this movie was great. It was very hard to find but after reading the book I knew I wanted to see the movie.
The movie begins with Harold moving to Harvard and adjusting to life on campus, like finding your classes except it is a little harder for Harold because he is blind. The movie reminded me how university life can be fun and stressful at the same time. I loved it because it follows so closely to the book. I have not seen too much of Steve Guttenburg's work but he truly gives an outstanding performance in this movie! The film is a good rent
Ordinary Heroes (1986)
A summary of the film without giving it all away!
this is a film about two very stubborn people who fall in love with one another in the 1970's. Tony Kaiser and his girl friend maria move in together and begin planning their lives when he is suddenly drafted into the army during the Vietnam war. He serves 14 months and right before he is scheduled to go home he is wounded. He feels helpless and he does not call Maria because he does not want her to know what has happened to him. There are some moving scenes in the film and some scenes are sad. THis is a decent Tv film from the 1980's and is above average when it comes to tv movies of the week. Anderson is very good in the role of Tony Kaiser but Maria, played by val bertinelli(?) is a bit annoying but she kind of grows on you.
Proof (1991)
This film is worth your time
I enjoyed this fm because I thought it was well acted and interesting story line. Martin (played by Hugo Weavin) is a blind photographer who lives a lonely existence the only person he seems to know is his mean housekeeper whom he hates. One night at a dinner he meets Andy (played by then unknown Russell Crowe)a bus boy who befriends Martin and describes his photographs to him. This film is so great at times it is amusing during Martin and Andy's night out. At other times the movie is dark and so sad. There are some flashback sequences to Martin's childhood that could have been better; they just were not effective. I truly belive that Crowe and Hugo Weaving really breathe life into this film with thier superb acting. They really make the film worthwhile and I am glad to see both actors still doing exceptional films like the Insider.
The Velocity of Gary (1998)
I really wanted to like this film
This film had so much potential and it just totally fizzles out. Okay so the makeout scenes are sexy especially between tomas jane and vincent d'onofrio and Ethan Hawke is good in a small role but that is it for the story. Salma Hayek is incredibly annoying as the sassy girlfriend. The movie begins okay interesting a nice song number nice interaction and introduction of characters then after like twenty minutes the movie takes a 360. We have totally different story happening and we find out about Gary's lame world. Yes, there is some good material and acting but it is a jumbled mess. D'onofrio puts in a good performance but he is not really the star of this flick as I had hoped. Director Dan Ireland did such a great job directing The Whole Wide World that I was really hoping that Velocity of Gary would be an excellent film as well unfortunately it is not and it is sad because velocity could have been excellent.
Murder by Death (1976)
A worthwhile rental
This is a great film with a terrific cast of people: Peter Sellers, Eileen Brennan, Peter Falk, and let us not forget the great Truman Capote. Truman Capote is the host of a murder mystery weekend and he invites the most famous detectives in the world. The movie captures your attention through out and it is a movie you can surely watch on more than one occassion. I don't want to give to much away but this movie will make you laugh, make you think, and make you wonder what the hell the ending means!!
Good Luck (1996)
Enjoyable
Recently I found this movie at the video store and being a Vincent D'Onofrio fan I decided to give it a chance. I found the movie very entertaining. The beginning is a little cheesy but I think it gets going fairly quickly. There was a scene or two that could have been chucked out the window. I thought Lem and Olee were two good characters and both actors portrait was excellent. A better job could have been made at hiding mikes and editing scenes. However, Vincent D'Onofrio was terrific and I also liked farmer John who played Wojo on Barney Miller.