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Reviews
The Three Stooges Go Around the World in a Daze (1963)
* Give DeRita A Break, Folks!
* Poor Curly-Joe DeRita is all too often criticized as being a not too funny Curly look-alike. However I respect the man for his integrity and not stooping to a Curly impersonation, instead performing his role of third stooge his own way. While he had some good comedic dialogue in the Three Stooges feature films he generally allowed Moe and Larry to go for the big laughs while he was there mainly as a third stooge replacement because producers nixed Moe's earlier suggestion that he and Larry continue as two stooges. A third stooge was always needed. Also in a most memorable scene Curly-Joe perfectly duplicated Curly's performance when he and Moe did the classic Maha Aha sketch.
Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964)
* Not the worst!
* Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (1964) produced as a Christmas season matinee movie to entertain children yet teens & adults will find it to be laughable kitsch. HOWEVER IMHO this not the worst Christmas movie ever made. I personally give that distinction to Santa Claus (1959), filmed in Mexico and in 1960 dubbed into English for American kiddy matinee audiences. As a child I saw that one and absolutely hated it, thinking to myself "Why am I here watching this?" To this day I can watch and enjoy Santa Claus Conquers the Martians(1964) for laughable amusement BUT never again could I ever sit through Santa Claus (1959).
Of Mice and Men (1939)
* Missing Quote!
* Great review BUT imdb's list of quotes is missing what may arguably be one of the movies most famous and memorable lines which is; LENNY: And the rabbits, George. Tell me about the rabbits again, George. ☺ BTW decades after this movie Lon Chaney Junior spoofed his LENNY character on an episode of The Monkees where he and partner named George were two mob guys waiting for their boss referred to as "the big man" to show up with Lon (whose character was again named Lenny) saying "Tell me again what it will be like when the big man gets here!" Those of us familiar with this movie enjoyed that Monkees episode. ☺
Coming 2 America (2021)
* Neglected Details ...
Sometimes necessary details may not be included or mentioned in a sequel much to the chagrin of fans of the original movie. In Godfather III we wondered but never learned what became of Connie's children. Similarly in Coming 2 America we hoped to see characters Patrice McDowell (Allison Dean), Lisa's sister and Darryl Jenks (Eriq LaSalle), Lisa's ex-boyfriend. We wondered what became of them. Did they ever hook-up and perhaps got married? Were they ever welcome as visitors to Zamunda? That indeed would've been interesting if added into this sequel movie. Sadly this sequel failed to meet up to its full potential.
Lolita (1962)
LOLITA as "Adults Only" Movie ?
Back in 1962 when Lolita played in theaters no one under the age of 1 was admitted to see it. Age 13 at the time I felt I was missing something great. Yet years later when I saw it on TV I was amazed at how relatively tame it was compared to X-rated movies of later decades. Despite the controversial theme of a middle-aged man attracted to a 14 year old child there was neither sex nor nudity in this movie. By the way 14-year-old Sue Lyon was not allowed to attend this film's Hollywood premiere. In my opinion the most offensive scene in this movie was near the end when Lolita was married to a young man close to her age and pregnant we see her drinking a beer. A pregnant mother-to-be should never drink anything alcoholic.
Back to the Beach (1987)
* No "Puss"??!?!?
Alberta Nelson should have been in this movie as the widow of Eric Von Zipper (the late Harvey Lembeck) with Michael and Helaine Lembeck as their grown son and daughter, possibly as productive law abiding citizens. That would have been a most wonderful tribute to that late great character actor Harvey Lembeck. Sad indeed that the producers of Back To The Beach missed that golden opportunity to give viewers a reminder of Harvey's wonderful parody of Marlon Brando's WILD ONE character. Also a number of other beach movie regulars and guest stars should have been offered roles, at least cameos, in this movie!
The Beverly Hillbillies: A Man for Elly (1964)
Nice Guy that Quirt Manly
* Granny was upset when learning that Quirt Manly's macho persona was mere Hollywood camera/makeup/wardrobe stuff yet Henry Gibson's Quirt character appearing as himself without the toupee, padded shoulders and elevator boots seemed to be the nicest of all of Elly May's various suitors. Kind of sad that he was merely a one-episode character. A Quirt Manly versus Sonny Drysdale episode might've been fun to watch. Also possibly Donna Douglas could have reunited with Henry Gibson on an episode of rowan and Martin's Laugh In. But perhaps we can now only imagine what might have been. Oh what grand possibilities.
The Mary Tyler Moore Hour (1979)
* Sad Show ...
While we loved Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie and Mary Richards I personally did not like her Mary McKinnon character. This Mary was a rather stuck-up self-centered "I'm the star! Kiss my ***!" type. The episode where got angry at has-been comedian Benny (Howard Morris) making a comeback on her show for ad-libbing to get laughs during a sketch showed this Mary as extremely cruel and disrespectful.to a kindly old man seeking to get laughs during a comedy sketch. Sorry, but we the viewers just could like this Mary persona. After this Howard Morris episode which had this viewer feeling sorry for the man and despising the star I never again tuned into it.
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
* The Difference
Back in 1930s there was the organized Mafia/Cosa Nostra mob families and there were the non-organized hick mobster wannabes. Bonnie and Clyde and their small gang were in that 2nd category. They were merely two bored young people who became thrill-killer gangster wannabes. Yet this movie tended to glamorize Bonnie and Clyde who in reality were not as cute and charming as Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway. Also at the time the movie was made Barrow gang member W. D. jones was still alive. So to avoid any possible lawsuit his character was somewhat fictionalized into C. W. Moss. When the movie came out W. D. Jones saw it and was interviewed. He told the interviewer what was inaccurate about the movie including his portrayal as C. W. Moss.
The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (1964)
Bond knock-off fun!
This weekly low budget James Bond knock-off was fun to watch at first but soon IMHO just got silly. Every week just before mid-show station ID break Napoleon Solo (or sometimes his sidekick Ilya Kuryatkin) would be captured by THRUSH and tied to a slow moving killing device while the THRUSH villain of the week would maniacally laugh at our hero's impending demise. Yet right after the station ID break our hero would use some device often disguised as a vest button or belt buckle to escape the death trap. Oh come now, folks! Don't you think at some point the THRUSH boss would tell his operatives "Hey look! The next time one of you dummies captures Solo don't get cutesy about killing him. Just whup out your gun and blow his brains out." Yet the BEST spy show that didn't insult our intelligence has to be Mission: Impossible.
The Honeymooners (1955)
SADDEST EPISODE
Indeed the saddest Honeymooners episode although a variety show sketch later added into the sitcom series syndication package was the one where Ralph and Alice adopt and fall in love with the baby girl only to have to give her back to the biological mom who changed her mind about putting her baby up for adoption. No matter how Ralph tried to cheer up Alice she was too sad to smile at end of episode. Audrey Meadows told how the day after it aired strangers approached her on the street saying "You didn't have to give that baby back!" Decades later when Audrey and Jackie reunited for a Honeymooners reunion special Ralph Kramden finally got his long wanted promotion to traffic manager. What would've been great was if a final scene had been added where a young lady working in the bus company office would turn out to be that baby girl grown up meeting her own Santa Claus, Ralph.
No Holds Barred (1989)
* A BIZARRE COMEDY!
To me this movie took place in a parallel universe where pro-wrestling is a real sport. My wife and I enjoyed seeing this movie for laughs and indeed we did find much of it quite amusing. However while many seem to consider Hulk Hogan's acting in this movie quite atrocious I suggest you all do see his role on a Walker Texas Ranger episode as Boomer Knight, an ex-convict who runs a youth center in a gang neighborhood to keep the children from joining the gangs. Walker helps him organize basketball tournaments. The drug dealers try to intervene by kidnapping Boomer. The Hulkster truly showed great acting potential on that most heart-warming episode. Hulk Hogan and Chuck Norris were great together that one time!
Susan's Show (1957)
Participting At Home!
* I participated while watching the show at home. I had a tall chair similar to her flying friend chair so I pretended to fly with her! I remember talking table Mister Pegasus making up poems about viewers who sent in letters with their upcoming birthdays mentioned. Some of his poems were indeed groan-able such as ~> Happy Birthday to Nancy Schreiber! Lets all sing Hold That Tiber! ~ I enjoyed those classic cartoons as well. It was fun after school daily viewing. It was for us youngsters must-see TV of that bygone era. Sad indeed that today's youngsters have no such wonderful locally produced kiddy shows to enjoy.
Shazam! Fury of the Gods (2023)
Shazam! Fury of the Gods
It to me is just totally wrong that the character is not called Captain Marvel due to some lame copyright restrictions. He is Captain Marvel, NOT "Shazam" ~ His sister is Mary Marvel and his younger pal is Captain Marvel Junior. The others in their group are the Lieutenant Marvels. We long time fans of the classic comic book characters want those "Marvel" names restored immediately. That is who they are and that is what their titles should be. "Shazam" is his magic word but his super-hero name is Captain Marvel and always should be Captain Marvel. Out of respect to the memory of creator C. C. Beck the Captain Marvel name should be restored as well as Marvel in the names of the other characters.
Song of the South (1946)
Song Of The South a wonderful Disney movie!
* As a youngster seeing Song Of The South on TV I saw Uncle Remus as a kindly old farm worker, not as a slave. He was to me a nice old guy who loved telling stories to children. I saw nothing offensive nor politically incorrect in this wonderful movie. Sad indeed that in this current era of overdone political correctness this wonderful kid-friendly movie is now being mis-interpreted as something horrible. Can't we all just enjoy this great Disney movie for its entertainment value? As if that isn't bad enough although Dr. Suess's illustrations caricatured people of all races some of his wonderful children's books are now banned because of alleged negative racial stereotypes. Sheesh!
The Producers (1967)
* Great Comedy Indeed!
* In his very 1st movie Mel Brooks indeed showed his brilliance with The Producers. His Lorenzo Saint DuBois (LSD) character was a goofy caricature of hippy-types of that era. The various auditioning singing Hitlers were hilarious. Director Roger Debris and his assistant Carmen Ghia were indeed bizarre humorous gay characters. Even minor supporting characters such as the inebriated fellow in the bar added to the humor of this great comedy. My favorite Franz Liebkind line was "You are just the audience. I am the author. I out-rank you!" But of course der Fuhrer never said "baby!" Yet for me the greatest unsolved mystery is who was the applauding guy at the end of the Springtime For Hitler production number? He looks like Don Adams but the character was unbilled.
New Zoo Revue (1972)
* Henrietta Hippo on Dating Game and New Zoo Review series
I remember when Henrietta Hippo was the bachelorette on the Dating Game. When she chose her date he was pleasantly surprised when she pulled off the mask and fat costume revealing the lovely blonde underneath. ☺ Back in that era before we had MTV we used to make our own music videos by turning off the television sound on certain programs while cranking up music we liked on our stereos. The New Zoo Review was indeed one such series which was fun to look at while listening to some great music of the era on our stereos. Some good rock music indeed made certain programs tolerable and The New Zoo Review was one of them. Watching Doug Momary strum his guitar and sing while hearing Led Zeppelin was fun! ☺
Fame (1982)
* Nia Peeples
* Actress Nia Peeples was terrific on FAME but was even greater as a lady Texas Ranger on WALKER, TEXAS RANGER. She had some fantastic martial arts moved and was probably coached by Chuck Norris. We loved her as Nicole Chapman on FAME yet was truly fantastic as Texas Ranger Sydney Cooke, an incredibly lovely yet courageously tough lady Texas Ranger! Nia Peeples was truly an asset to Chuck Norris's TV series! She has always been a fantastic actress. By the way Nia Pepples has also been a terrific singer although she indeed vearned greater fame through her acting roles. But for sure do give Nia Peeples - Street of Dreams song a listen.
The Bill Dana Show (1963)
* Potentially Great Sitcom!
I consider this a potentially great sitcom possibly cancelled way too soon. Don Adams' "Byron Glick, hotel detective" was Maxwell Smart ahead of his time. Gary Crosby did go on to be a regular on Adam-12. Jonathan Harris' pompous hotel manager was surely an earlt version of Doctor Zachary Smith though more likable as a freind to Jose Jimenez. And by the way I love any series with Maggie Peterson, most famous as Charlene Darling Wash on The Andy Griffith Show, my all time favorite hillbilly gal. After abandoning his Jose Jimenez character to be "politically correct" Bill Dana did go on to do some straigh acting. And as "Maxwell Smart" Don Adams did give work on Get Smart to former costars from other series including Bill Dana, Jonathan Harris and Larry Storch. ☺
The Graduate (1967)
* I Get A Different Meaning!
When this movie premiered in 1967 critics claimed it was about the generation gap, a popular catch-phrase of that era. I never saw it that way. For one thing Dustin Hoffman's Benjamin Braddock was in no way typical or resembling a late 1960's kind of young guy that viewers of the movie could identify with. Also I tend to see a timeless quality of the movie and its story that is not necessarily stuck in the late 1960's mind-set. To me in my opinion rather than being about the late 1960's so-called "generation gap" what I see instead is a common fantasy of every young single guy of winning back that gal who rejected him with a kind of "Can we just be friends?" break-up.
Room Service (1938)
LEAST LIKED Of their Movies!
* My most despised or least-liked of the Three Stooges Columbia shorts was Cuckoo In The Choo Choo during their Shemp era because the entire short takes place in a non-moving train car. It was a good idea for a one-act stage play but indeed rather lame as a movie short. Similarly I was disappointed with Room Service as a Marx Brothers movie. First of all it was based on a stage play with script not written for the Marx Brothers although they tried to make it their own but lacking their true style. Second because like Cuckoo In The Choo Choo the entire film's action takes place in one place, a hotel room. Indeed a good idea for a stage play but rather dull as a movie!
The Bank Dick (1940)
Shemp gets no respect!
* Shemp Howard indeed was the Rodney Dangerfield of his era ahead of his time getting no respect from Three Stooges as the less-funny replacement for ailing brother Curley Howard and previously being a most prolific supporting feature film comedic character actor though never having name recognition star status. A most horrible insult was that W C Fields who hated being upstaged in his movies had scenes with Shemp doing his visual comedic facial expressions and gestures edited out and left to the cutting room floor. Despite "The Bank Dick" being a 4-star rated feature film Shemp was most unhappy of his role being reduced to that of a mere extra. Yet this movie had great comedic moments!
Logan's Run (1976)
Interesting Details
* When the elderly man told Logan and Jessica about his pet companion cats he quoted poetry from "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats" Book by T. S. Eliot which years later became part of the dialog and song lyrics from the Broadway stage musical "CATS". When other young people escaped from the domed city and its restrictive rules they came to appreciate kitty-cats as pets, affectionately embracing and petting them. Also rising star Farrah Fawcett had a small role in this movie. The character of Box, being voiced by African-American actor Roscoe Lee Browne, could serve as a precursor to Darth Vader, voiced by African-American actor James Earl Jones in Star Wars (1977).
Doin' Their Bit (1942)
* Don't Y'all Get It?
* Many viewers of these MGM-produced "Our Gang" musicals truly fail to understand that they were parodies of the those Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland era "Hey Gang, lets put on a show!" feature length movies. Rather than going for the usual neighborhood kids laugh comedy the MGM era Our Gang films such as this were show-casing the musical talents of the youngsters that MGM had under contract at the time. While it seems to me that many folks fail to appreciate Froggy who replaced Alfalfa (who had outgrown the series) as a kind of "Shemp" to Alfalfa's "Curley" Froggy was indeed a good child actor and an asset to the series. His "frog" voice was his impersonation of the Popeye cartoon character.
Bosom Buddies (1980)
Lame sitcom IMHO
* Two guys in drag talking in falsetto passing themselves off as women to get an apartment in a "Women Only" might've been an okay funny idea for a 10-minute sketch on SNL but as a weekly TV sitcom I found it to be just too darn silly and too dumb for me to watch more than once. Yet it is indeed a consolation that stars of this goofy show had the talent to move on to bigger and better things after this terrible sitcom was mercifully cancelled. Also thank goodness it is no longer seen in syndication. Now I perhaps need to get wordier and wordier to meet the required minimum characters policy. TTFN!