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Reviews
The Power (1968)
Whaaat?
I don't think the director knew what the film was about. I know the actors didn't. I sure the heck never figured it out.
This was awful. It was as if a studio said, "We have a few cars n Tracy players left so let's make a cheapo film and get out moneys worth.". That explains George Hamilton and Suzanne Pleashette getting stuck in this. The rest of the cast was dead broke.
There are a few fun scenes. The party scenes are comic relief. The plot and writing are just so lazy. There are some high drama action scenes that seem out of place and unwarranted.
Really, the only reason to watch is to see the auditorium at Culver City High School, one of the filming locations. Cool architecture.
Mirage (1965)
A must see
This film has its flaws, but it is a great shot as a mystery thriller. It is stylish and captivating, with an imperfect end.
Peck is always an interesting and compelling lead. The supporting cast do a great job. The standout is Walter Matthau who shows off his potential as a comedy drama star.
Diane Baker is wonderful in this film. It is at the end of her glamour studio contract days. She is absolutely stunning. If anything could prod Peck's memory it would be her.
This film was shot in black and white which made it look dated upon release but now makes it more of a lost classic.
At the end you might consider the plot too contrived, but you won't consider it a waste of time.
The Ghost Writer (2010)
Boring!
The first hour nothing happens. I mean nothing. It is all filler. You lean that a former prime me nister is accused of Bush like war crimes. People in his circle sit around wringing their hands and that's it.
Ewan finds out his predeceidies a supposed mysterious death. He runs around being followed but still nothing happens. WHO greenlit this awful script? Mote importantly how am I going to come up with six hundred words to explain how full this film was?
Ewan tries his best but he must have senses this film was sinking. The rest of the cast were at the end of their careers.
This film is an insult to its viewers.
Manhattan Nocturne (2016)
Shockingly funny
The main premise/plot of this film is just unbelievably perverse.
This film is not suspenseful It is not well acted and it most certainly is NOT erotic. It isn't noir despite the Phillip Marlowe narration.
Adrian Brody is a good actor and uniquely attractive, but he is not leading man material. This has relegated him to b pictures as a lead.
This really is a grimy film. You almost feel like taking a shower after watching. It has a very sleazy yet it has no redeeming features as far as plot or cast. It's comparison to noir is an insult yo the genre. It tries to take a tired plotline by injecting a disturbing and perverse premise but it fails.
Mae West (1982)
Good Job
This was Ann Jillian's shining moment. I saw this on Amazon Prime and thought it would get funny camp like most bios. I was pleasantly surprised
I never cared much for Ann Jillian during her TV heyday. I disliked that white shag hairdo and her two dimensional chacter on Its A Living..
How ironic that is become a dan watching her play the one dimensional Mae West.
Jillian is fun, charismatic and endearing. She is careful to not make West into a total caricature.
I don't know how historically accurate this film was, but it seems to have shown regard for the star and her struggle to find fame.
The Estate (2022)
Don't expect too much
Given the cast, you'd expect a laugh riot. A future classic. No. It does have its moments. It was entertaining and I do think it was worth watching.
The cast does the best they can except for Anna Farris who is unbearably annoying. Granted, her character is meant to be, but she over does it.
It's hard to pinpoint what went wrong with this project. There are a few fun lines that seem dropped like a bomb. Was it bad direction? Bad editing? Definitely bad execution of some sort.
One can't complain too much sincer there isn't much competition out there. It makes this film worth a watch just for most of the cast.
The Major and the Minor (1942)
Charming
The premise is pretty wild. I'm not sure if Wilder was trying to make a statement or just produce a farce. In any event the film is entertaining.
Ginger Rogers is funny and endearing in her told. Ray Millard is adequate. The supporting cast is great, with some of the cadets given hilarious lines and predicaments. Diana Lyn is especially enjoyable.
On iously, this film was made during much more innocent times. These days we are very aware of predators and the dangers toonirs so certain scenes might come across as cringey or even somewhat offensive. Try to watch it with the innocence in which it was intended.
The Fan (1981)
Disco Bacall
Bacall: "Some fruitcake is trying to kill me!". Yeah, and they haven't even seen your horrible new musical!
This film is hilarious. Thank goodness because otherwise it would be too disturbing. Sixty year old, nicotine stained actress Sally Ross is being stalked by a beautiful young man. Nonsensical, since not even a mommy fetish would explain his obsession, considering how butch Bacall is.
The dialogue is awful. The musical numbers are just 1970s awful (even though this is a 1982 movie). Bacall's singing is just as painful as Lucille Ball's in Mame.
Bacall does get a few clever lines and she delivers them expertly. She also sports a sable coat and chain smokes. Bless her. James Garner never changes facial expression as usual. Maureen Stapleton obviously needed a paycheck.
Michael Biehn is the one who should have been stalked.
Still of the Night (1982)
What the heck was this?
This film wates so much time trying to figure out which style to copy it ends up with nothing.
This film is so boring. You gave to keep reminding yourself to perk up and try to figure out the plot. Is there one? A psychiatric patient is murdered. Well who did it? Is the film trying to figure out why and by whom?
The script is horrible and all of the actors seem hopelessly lost. It appears to be a string of wanna be cryptic scenes string together. There is no linear flow.
Some people have commented this film is a homage to Hitchcock. Are you kidding me?
Streep is stunning looking in this film, which is good because she doesn't really do anything.
Nightmare in Badham County (1976)
Bring you own banjo music
The rifleman can keep his gun to himself.
This was part of the 1970s racial, prison and small town horrors exploitation movies. The difference is this was on television. I saw it as a kid I found it very disturbing. I just watched it again on YouTube and thought it was even more disturbing.
Lynne Moody deserved better than this. Even Deborah Raffin deserved better. If it is possible, this is even more tawdry than present day television. This was even more terrifying and frustrating than Deliverance.
Along for the ride ate Robert Reed, Della Reese, Ralph Bellamy and most disturbingly, Tina Louise.
Young Man with a Horn (1950)
Overcomes the bad script
Any similarities between this film and the life of musician Bix Beiderbecke are strictly impossible. This video s not a biographical film.
I liked almost everything about this film except the script. I thought it was dull, annoying in fact.
The music is to die for. The film has an amazing jazz soundtrack. On top of that Doris Day sings as few old standards with perfection and looks beautiful doing it.
Lauren Bacall plays a thankless, annoying character that would ruin any other film. So many things in this film make no sense and her character is one of them.
Kirk Douglas does an adequate job of playing Kirk Douglas again.
Miss Doris Day makes up for all of this.
Twilight (1998)
A surprise
Very well done. I was surprised. It is a worthy vehicle for Paul Newman. It was well worth Gene Hackman's time. Stockard Channing was wasted. The rest of the cast kicked out.
This was a well scripted, well directed, and beautifully photographed murder mystery. The plot has several twists. The characters are reasonably believable.
The plot keeps you engaged and guessing, even through some of its holes.
Newman is good, Havkman is adequate, Sarandon plays a part any middle aged actress could have done. Reese Witherspoon gives a predictable performance. James Garner lucked out as a TV actor in n an A list movie.
American Dreamer (2022)
Nice location
I think the film is supposed to take place in the Boston, Massachusetts area. The trivia section says it was filmed in Vancouver, British Columbia.
The house itself looks beautiful. I believe it might have been built in the 1920s. It is impeccably maintained, as are the grounds. The house looks like it is right on the coast. It appears to be on a huge coastal lot.
In the few scenes where they show the interiors, the home looks full of tasteful antiques.
What is interesting is MacLaine talks about watching sunsets over the ocean. That would imply the home is on the West Coast.
These are the only good or interesting things I can say about this horrible, pointless movie.
Supertrain: Express to Terror (1979)
How exciting!
What could be more thrilling than a nuclear powered train with a discotheque and a swimming pool onboard? Not to mention orange shag carpeting!
How about it's all star cast? Don Stroud, Char Fontane, Don Meredith, Steve Lawrence and special guest stars, George HH Hamilton and Stella Stevens?
Then we have the thrilling plot and subplots.
The disco soundtrack will take you back to 1979! You'll expect the Village People to show up any minute!
The special effects are, well, special. This was before CGI so you will be to impressed.
You won't want to miss this and you don't have to. A free copy is on YouTube! Sit back and enjoy the ride!
Panic in the Skies! (1996)
The worst LOL
Finally, a project worthy of Kate Jackson's talent and star power. This is the lowest budget TV movie I have ever seen. It used every disaster plane movie trick that was cheap. It even looks like it was videotaped instead of filmed.
It has some fun moments. The plane was struck by lightning which killed the flight crew. Kate Jackson asks everyone not to panic then asks of anyone can fly the plane. Straight out of Airplane! Eric Estrada plays an action movie star. Passengers beg him to save the plane.
There is a nine year old girl, a pregnant woman about to give birth, and a rare Corvette in the cargo hold. Can they be saved? Also, a ferocious fog has escaped from the on board kennel.
Ground control thinks they might have to shoot down the plane. With this horrible cast is there any choice?
Dear Murderer (1947)
Well done!
You must watch this film with your cheating significant other!
This film is British noir at its best. The plot immediately captured your interest and provides suspense then coasts and picks up speed in a whole different direction. Nothing in this film is as simple as it seems.
This is one of the best British noir films of the 1940s. It really is like finding a rare jewel. The writing is excellent as well as direction and acting. There are no dull filler scenes and the suspense is nonstop.
I haven't seen this available on Turner Classic Movies but I did find a fair copy on YouTube.
Enjoy!!!
Heartburn (1986)
What was THIS?
How could Meryl Streep and Jack Nicholson be so boring? Who would waste a supporting cast like Stockard Channing, Catherine O' Hara, Maureen Stapleton, Richard Maseur?
What makes this even more shocking is the fact that it was written by Nora Efron and directed by Mike Nichols.
There isn't a single scene in this film that is funny, endearing, charming or compelling. It isn't just dull it is excruciating.
I haven't read much of Nora Efron or seen many of her films, but in interviews she was a delight. I find it hard to believe that Carl Bernstein was a ladies' man. Just the very thought is nauseating.
Ultimo tango a Parigi (1972)
Butter yourself up
You're gonna need it.
At best this was an excruciating bore. The characters are strange and unlikeable. The sets and locations ugly, and the story is pointless.
This film is not sensual. It isn't even sexy in the crudest sense. It is just awful.
Brando was among a handful of actors that were once physically beautiful and very talented who became self indulgent, boring and bloated hacks turning out lazy performances. Another one is Elizabeth Taylor.
This film isn't historically or socially significant. It isn't even unintentionally funny camp. It is just awful
This can't be the film that started an entire "butter fad?"
Death on the Nile (1978)
Magnificent
This film has everything. Mystery. Comedy. Suspense. Camp. The writing, witty dialogue, production values and amazing cast made this an instant classic.
Simon MacKorkindale and Lois Chiles are aboard as a stunningly beautiful honeymoon couple. Bette Davis and Maggie Smith play a rich matron and her acidic companion, played for laughs. Angela Lansbury plays an oversexed novelist whose prose has gotten her into legal trouble.
Also aboard is Jack Warden as a German doctor slandered by the murder victim. The victims bitter maid, and hack George Kennedy as her lawyer trying to defraud her.
The result is a magnificent film you'll want to watch multiple times. Don't go near the remake.
Ironweed (1987)
A strong dose of reality
This film was excellent on so many levels. First of all the acting and direction were excellent. The writing is good but it would have been a half hour shorter. The locations, set and mood take you to 1938. They truly did an amazing job. I hope most of Albany doesn't really look that bad.
You don't pity the characters, you accept them as they are. You realize they aren't that different except for a few twists of fate. You come to realize these downtrodden people are hated because our biggest fear is ending up like them. Even more terrifying is realizing how close we are.
This film will make you think but IG probably won't permanently change your opinion of the addicted or homeless.
Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)
Actually quite touching
Mrs. Jenkins ended up having quite a fan base by the time of her passing. It wasn't because of her singing talent, it was because people saw in her the same qualities they hid within themselves: dashed hopes, failure, delusion and PASSION.
This lady loves music and loved performing. She had the means to finance her dreams. I'm sure that made a lot of people envious.
This film has some hilarious moments but also some quite touching ones. I think this film will reignite your love and admiration for the underdog. It might even make you feel better about yourself for doing it.
The other reviews calling it mental illness are bitter and harsh.
Bonjour tristesse (1958)
Nice Travelogue
This film was made while the studios were fighting television by showing beautiful locales. The scenery is one of the few things to recommend this film. It doesn't know if it is a drama, a love story or a comedy. Part of the film is told in flashback, but it is done very clumsily.
This film is basically a display of pretty people and stunning locations in CinemaScope and Technicolor. The script goes nowhere and it's subplot is just plain silly.
Jean Seberg was a very good actress but she is wasted in a silly character and wacky subplot. You barely see Deborah Kerr let alone get a sense of her character.
The Pianist (2002)
Brace yourself
As I'm sure you already guessed, this film is about unbearable cruelty and violence. It will leave you angry at humanity, maybe even upset with God. My advice is have a comedy ready, or some happy and life affirming as activity at the ready after this film is over.
The writing, direction, acting, costumes and sets are all excellent and will make you feel you're back in WWII Poland.
Films about the Holocaust can be unbearable to watch, but it is important to know these things and remember and to bow we would do everything in outlr power to prevent them from happening again.
No one is completely above hate and prejudice. When those feelings arise, watching films like this will set you straight.
The Audrey Hepburn Story (2000)
Hold the silicone please
Instead of viewing this as the tragic abomination it is, I started laughing and laughed all through the movie. This was funnier than Loni Anderson as Jayne Mansfield. At least that was plausible.
The accents are bad. The acting is bad. The dialogue is worse. The thought of this pumped up scream queen portraying the glamorous, classy and beloved Audrey Hepburn is shocking.
Jennifer Love Hewitt produced this. It is probably the only way it got made. She is the most un self aware human I can think of. I bet she even thinks she did a good job.
I doubt fans of Audrey will watch. I doubt fans of Hewett will watch either.
The Man with 1000 Kids (2024)
Talk to the callused hand
You know what they say, "Look before you leap.". In this case, investigate before you baste.
There are so many unwanted and abused children in this world. It is awful to see people who desperately want to have a child to live be messed with this way, not to mention what this narcissist is as done to innocent children. This creep claims to have spent 50,000 hours helping people. Think about it. Yuck.
They say there is more regulation of animal breeding than sperm donation. Let's hope this disturbing story leads to better regulation.
It doesn't matter how you feel about artificial insemination. Innocent children are involved here. This docuseries gets more disturbing each episode.