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44,075
7
The dramatic narrative doesn't quite hang together , but the performances and presentation are often incredible . . .
Stark , brutal Warner Bros . drama about the Ku Klux Klan , in much the same vein as the studio's " Black Legion " from 1937 ( and with curious echoes of Tennessee Williams ' " A Streetcar Named Desire " , written in 1947 ) . Fashion model from New York checks in on her recently-married kid sister once she's down South...
553,088
989,035
59,540
7
Groovy , atmospheric melodrama
Ordinary crime plot , written by Zekial Marko from his novel " Scratch a Thief " , is given vivid , hyperkinetic Ralph Nelson direction , beginning in a jazz club with a drum solo that is crazy-cool . Marko and Nelson really lay on the mid-'60s jive , but Nelson's quasi-European handling and groovy cinematic tricks mak...
550,856
989,035
36,377
7
Religious drama rakes the heart . . .
In 1858 Lourdes , a young girl causes an unintentional furor after she claims to have seen a holy vision in an unkept grotto and travels there every day to pray . Lovely Jennifer Jones is perfect in the lead , bolstering an occasionally wayward narrative that spend perhaps too much time on the town-naysayers who think ...
551,567
989,035
70,797
7
Thoughtful , compelling TV-movie . . . even with all the clichés
Dory Previn wrote the teleplay ( and the songs ) for this Hugh Hefner-produced television drama about an aging chorus girl ( Kim Novak , looking stunning ) coming to a crossroads in her life : her thirteen-year relationship with a popular lounge singer is going nowhere , and the club where she works is going topless . ...
550,786
989,035
120,514
7
Wonderfully bright , cynical , jaded , and romantic biopic
The mid-life years of ( now genteel ) decadent behavior by one of late Victorian England's celebrities , the Irish-born novelist-poet-playwright Oscar Wills Wilde ( 1854 ? 1900 ) . Director Brian Gilbert doesn't bandy about giving us the childhood torments of a literary genius ; instead , he and screenwriter Julian Mit...
551,575
989,035
103,074
7
Despite some fundamental weaknesses , it has really held up over time . . .
Two accidental female fugitives elude the police while attempting to drive across the Southwest to Mexico . Filmmaker Ridley Scott shows a terrific talent for directing women here , and the performances by Susan Sarandon and Geena Davis are almost uncanny . One can hardly believe that these two haven't been friends for...
553,468
989,035
41,929
7
An exceptional western . . .
Paramount's remake of their own 1936 western " The Texas Rangers " has three small-time stagecoach robbers separated after tangling with a sniveling extortionist and his cohorts in 1879 Texas ; two of the men inadvertently join the Texas Rangers and find that working for the right side of the law really suits them , wh...
551,993
989,035
41,890
7
One of Walt Disney's personal favorites
A boy-and-his-sheep story , set on a farm at the turn of the century , and a valentine to childhood . This family film from Walt Disney opens , literally , with help from a collection of animated greeting cards . It proceeds from there with bits of animation accentuating the story of a likable youngster entering his be...
553,411
989,035
120,772
7
Sensitive straight / gay romance pre - " Will & Grace "
Despite a downright peculiar finish which gives new meaning to the term ' feel-good ' , " The Object of My Affection " is a careful , perceptive and insightful comedy-drama about a straight woman and her gay-male best friend living together . Keeping the obvious sex-jokes at bay , the movie strives to create three-dime...
552,624
989,035
539,221
7
Packed with plot . . . and plenty of sexy action
Some of these early episodes of " Charlie's Angels " have enough plot for a TV movie . . . with the strong production elements and supporting cast worthy of a television feature . A tragic auto accident out on the dustbowl racecar circuit leads the Angels to believe there was dirty-pool being played out on the track , ...
553,146
989,035
539,211
7
I won't dance . . . don't ask me
The Angels infiltrate a dance studio that fronts for a blackmail partnership between the owner , the star dance teacher , and a sleazy local detective . Farrah Fawcett-Majors ' Jill poses as a disco instructor ( " A little hustle , a little bump , and a little freelance , " she says at her job interview ) ; Jaclyn Smit...
552,849
989,035
41,587
7
Witty , intelligent drama . . .
Three society wives ( all close friends ) receive a letter stating that a fourth friend has run off with one of their husbands . Cynical , but exceptionally rich , occasionally quite humorous and enjoyable soaper featuring good work from Jeanne Crain , Linda Darnell , Ann Southern , and a young , green Kirk Douglas . C...
552,782
989,035
120,789
7
Inconsistently developed , but clever , magical and amusing
Once they magically enter the black-and-white world of a 1950s TV sitcom , squabbling siblings Reese Witherspoon and the ingratiating Tobey Maguire instinctively bring with them their ' 90s sensibilities , which causes havoc and miracles . Strange though that the residents of Pleasantville are immune to miracles . Gary...
553,524
989,035
32,811
7
Convincing war-time drama packs quite a punch . . .
Brave , hard-hitting adaptation of Phyllis Bottoms ' novel concerns tight-knit German family in 1933 Europe who are suddenly ( and violently ) torn apart by the invading Nazis once Hitler rises to power . A shattering chapter in history is vividly recalled by director Frank Borzage and a terrific cast including James S...
551,648
989,035
539,250
7
Terrific title for a middling episode . . . the Angels suffering from a case of the blahs
Not-bad episode of the TV detective series from Leonard Goldberg and Aaron Spelling concerns a hospital beset with an attempted rapist high on a new stimulating drug ( Hycodroxcin ! ) . The Angels get on board right away : Jill and Kelly posing as student nurses , Bosley as a patient - - with an actual bone spur in his...
552,762
989,035
110,912
7
Kinetic and sneaky , narcotizing and primal . . .
Quentin Taranatino co-wrote , directed and co-stars in this flamboyant , literate , byzantine drama which is structured like a dime-store novel . John Travolta and Samuel L . Jackson are Los Angeles hit-men , Uma Thurman is a gangster's girl whom Travolta is asked to entertain , Bruce Willis plays a boxer on the run af...
553,601
989,035
59,037
7
McQueen is the king
Thoroughly entertaining gambler's flick has Steve McQueen well-cast as stud-poker player involved in sweat-inducing winner-take-all poker tournament in New Orleans ; Edward G . Robinson is the card-playing master who is Steve's main competition , Tuesday Weld is Steve's innocent squeeze , Ann-Margret is a sultry flooze...
551,641
989,035
539,238
7
Cluttered script fails to flesh out the large cast of characters . . . but the girls look great
An ambitious episode of the detective series which might have been better as a two-hour special , or a TV-movie ; there simply isn't time on the clock to do justice to all these ideas . The Angels investigate a modeling agency after a startling beauty ( a " dead ringer " for Kelly ) is found strangled with a rag doll (...
551,931
989,035
72,400
7
Intelligently-crafted doomsday thriller on a tight budget . . .
Thoughtfully considered , well-acted made-for-TV drama stars Peter Graves as a family man on an excavation excursion with his kids in the California mountains who survives a radioactive blast followed by an earthquake ; slowly , the family comes to realize the astronomical proportions of the accident when they get back...
550,941
989,035
97,351
7
Old-fashioned corn given new Hollywood sheen
Iowa farmer and his wife are the laughing stock of their small town after he plows over acres of his corn field to build a baseball diamond . Why ? Because a whole plan has been set into motion , and Ray and his farm are the lucky ones chosen . A meaningful experience for moviegoers , especially men , touches upon ever...
551,475
989,035
111,102
7
Has familiar themes , but it is eloquently told . . .
Chris Menges , who in 1992 directed the very fine , unusual Goldie Hawn drama " CrissCross " , takes on another curious , strangely moving film with " Second Best " . William Hurt plays a single , middle-'40's postman in a Welsh village who wants to adopt a boy . We learn why , and we also learn why the young boy who's...
551,365
989,035
79,948
7
A smart , sophisticated movie that unfortunately palls with 30 minutes to go
Although puzzlingly slow-moving , " Starting Over " is a gentle , funny film about a newly-divorced man attempting to date again . I loved it when Burt Reynolds ( in a benign but amiable performance ) hits the furniture store to fill up his apartment , but then sits in his studio surrounded by all the new pieces and no...
551,519
989,035
120,689
7
A sterling drama ; complex and surprisingly emotional . . .
Lengthy but well-realized , highly absorbing adaptation of a serialized Stephen King novel concerning prison guards in the 1930's who are profoundly touched by one Death Row inmate . Unpleasant subject matter ( and several vile supporting characters ) don't detract from the emotional value of the piece , which is profe...
550,858
989,035
561,419
7
Amo Que Paso ?
Annette Funicello does her second guest turn on Walt Disney's television serial " Zorro " ( this episode being part of the " Disneyland " series , separate from the regular two-season run of " Zorro " ) . She plays a young miss from Santa Clara who arrives to visit her adoptive " uncle " Don Alejandro who , along with ...
551,783
989,035
89,853
7
Depression-era fantasy , heavily-padded but with lovely moments . . .
Mia Farrow gives one of her best performances as Cecilia , a Depression-era waitress with her head in the clouds who gets dumped on over and over ; after a miraculous situation comes her way and promises a better life , she has to choose between reality and fantasy . . . although some outcomes are predestined . Luminou...
552,616
989,035
72,251
7
Thoroughly gripping despite glum production . . .
Robert Shaw leads a group of stooges in the violent hijacking of a New York subway train ; Walter Matthau is the acerbic detective assigned to the case . Nearly-perfect urban thriller adapted by the ingenious Peter Stone from John Godey's book . The atmosphere is charged with tension throughout ; one can almost taste t...
550,466
989,035
120,696
7
Fast , exciting action flick with possibly too much shooting ( and everyone a bad shot ! )
Christian Slater plays an armored truck guard who has to deal with thieves , the crooked police , a fierce Indiana rainfall , and a flooded town while trying to protect three million dollars in the company vehicle . Well-done action flick isn't epic-scale , but does have many suspenseful close-calls and colorful charac...
551,683
989,035
97,521
7
Ragged but interesting
Unusual film was wrongly advertised as a wacky comedy ; it is actually a surprisingly sensitive and light-on-its-feet drama about friendship . Mentally backward man ( James Belushi , in his best performance ) hits the road with an escaped female mental patient named Eddie ( Whoopi Goldberg ) who has a brain tumor and k...
552,500
989,035
32,981
7
Serious-comedy with the offbeat Sturges touch . . .
Shoplifting young woman in New York City is nearly sent to the pokey over the holidays , but is rescued by the prosecuting attorney on the case , who takes her home for Christmas . Mitchell Leisen directs a screenplay by Preston Sturges ; despite reported trouble between the two , Leisen seems to completely understand ...
551,852
989,035
52,561
8
Masterful courtroom drama , impeccably cast . . .
Otto Preminger's film-version of John D . Voelker's book is perhaps the ultimate cinematic courtroom showdown , one which has little to do with the actual case of an Army soldier on trial for killing his wife's alleged rapist . James Stewart ( as the small town defense attorney ) and George C . Scott ( as the high-powe...
551,722
989,035
61,184
8
Boozy rage , hard-fought battles , empty triumph
A fading professor and his boozy , malicious wife invite a nervous , innocuous young couple over for drinks . . . and so begins a wrenching battle of wits . It's a night of spite and malice , practically medieval torture in the verbal form . Were it not for the evocative cinematography and the amazingly raw performance...
550,648
989,035
147,612
8
Sex : it's on everyone's mind !
The sexual foibles , perversities and hang-ups of a trio of sisters , their parents , neighbors and friends - - told in a low , slightly monotone , key . It's a rich carousel of scared , scary lives with an inter-connecting pattern : the disillusionment of coupling - - and how one keeps trying to succeed in this depart...
551,798
989,035
95,686
8
Golden Girl goes solo !
Bea Arthur is wonderful ( as always ) playing a widow who becomes reacquainted with her high school squeeze ; trouble is , he's got a relationship going with a young sexy thing , but may just dump the nubile girl for this older , more sensuous woman . One of the best lines has Arthur dressing herself up for a date in f...
552,607
989,035
175,880
8
Byzantine collection of California lives
Absorbing , shocking , grandiose , overwrought . . . words that only fitfully describe a generally undefinable movie about different characters in California . It is filmed with such sweeping passion , such oddly nuanced grace , that I was willing to overlook some of the nastiness in the handling and the long sections ...
553,288
989,035
78,330
8
Terrific TV thriller . . .
Lois Duncan's young-adult mystery novel " Summer of Fear " gets a fine , if low-budget , television treatment , capably directed by Wes Craven . Intriguing story features an appealing Linda Blair playing popular young woman and horse-rider whose family takes in her orphaned cousin - - a perplexing girl who harbors secr...
552,960
989,035
217,869
8
Masterful film-making
A perversely enjoyable unease permeates this psychological thriller from writer-director M . Night Shyamalan , here following his commercial success with " The Sixth Sense " in top form . A comic book connoisseur with an alarming , lifelong bone density deficiency befriends a security guard who was recently the only su...
553,318
989,035
78,269
8
Bullseye !
Technically mediocre , but an adrenaline-fueled crime-thriller adapted from Anders Bodelsen's book " Think of a Number " . Bank employee Elliott Gould dupes bank robber Christopher Plummer out of a small fortune , leading to a head-spinning game of cat-and-mouse . Gould and Plummer both do career-peak work , with Plumm...
550,628
989,035
95,270
8
Nostalgia gone askew
John Waters reveals a somewhat more sentimental side with " Hairspray " , a movie several people have told me they absolutely hated . I wondered what it was about Waters ' style as a filmmaker that could provoke such anger ? I think it's his affection for ' 60s movie-clichés transposed through nostalgia and Waters ' ow...
550,527
989,035
70,321
8
Stella Stevens in perfectly shrewish " Poseidon Adventure " mode
After seeing " The Poseidon Adventure " in 1972 , I had a new favorite actress : I thought Stella Stevens stole the show ! So it was a wonderful surprise to see this TV-film advertised on ABC's Movie of the Week - - just a few months after I had ' discovered ' this fantastic lady . It all begins with Stella gunning a w...
551,112
989,035
166,924
8
Eerie , provocative take on Bergman's " Persona " . . .
Complex , byzantine drama with sexual heat , and nearly impossible to describe . David Lynch's purposefully over plotted sex-drama plows ahead with its confusing minutiae ( and Lynch's penchant for personal fetishes ) as if we all feel the same way . His story , about a bright-eyed , naive young woman arriving for the ...
552,546
989,035
43,456
8
Although rather naïve today , it is hands-down the best sci-fi drama of the 1950s . . .
Director Robert Wise takes a clichéd thematic approach to this science-fiction drama about an outer space visitor who escapes military confines and goes to live amongst regular American citizens , to hopefully find out why we're so cynical a race and eventually spread his message of peace . This is the type of ' 50s no...
553,387
989,035
113,280
8
He's a man so shy , he doesn't even think he deserves love . . .
Solemn , but terrific mood piece about a shy , chubby cook in a rivertown restaurant who fantasizes about getting to know the new waitress who just hired on , a perky young thing with long brunette hair and a big charming smile . Graceful film never goes the commercial route , injecting shady characters into the mix or...
552,176
989,035
87,482
8
Tough on Hollywood
Say what you will about the Shyer-Meyers team ( " Private Benjamin " , " Father Of The Bride " , " Baby Boom " ) , they know how to craft a movie , often exploiting every ounce of sentiment from their scripts . " Irreconcilable Differences " is somewhat of a departure for them however , a depiction of neurotic movie pe...
552,974
989,035
53,221
8
Long but cheerful , colorful Howard Hawks western . . .
A marvelous , rather witty oater in old Hollywood's best style . Dean Martin plays a drunken Texas sheriff saddled with a volatile situation : he's got custody of a killer who's in league with his strong arm brother , a well-known rancher who promises to set him free ; the sheriff enlists the aid of a drifting cowboy ,...
553,598
989,035
96,091
8
Surprisingly touching
This TV-movie begins like most others in the good-girl-goes-bad vein , but it drew me in regardless . It's quickly apparent that " Shattered Innocence " is a well-made , well-acted and written picture and it really caught me off guard . The young woman whose innocence is shattered is based on real-life porn-star Shauna...
551,916
989,035
60,445
8
Goofy , fast-paced , innocuous
Minor fun featuring Shirley MacLaine as a cabaret dancer who gets a chance to become a key player in a major heist masterminded by thief extraordinaire-wannabe Michael Caine . It has lots of twists and surprises , and it's fun , but the sleek , more serious opening moments prepare you for a totally different picture th...
552,354
989,035
78,444
8
Mazursky's penchant for the sublimely ridiculous gives the film a wafty comic undertone . . .
An acting triumph for Jill Clayburgh , playing a N . Y . C . wife and mother whose husband tells her he's fallen in love with another woman . Brittle , biting , funny , and moving serious-comedy benefits from a screenplay which is sometimes strangely over-the-top and yet nearly always on-track emotionally . In his dete...
553,231
989,035
452,594
8
Rather like a raucous " Flintstones " extension . . . but the serious edge gives it so much more substance
A Chicago tour guide and his live-in girlfriend , an art gallery seller , have a messy split , but neither wants to leave their condo . Viewers expecting a wacky romantic comedy with lots of nutty behavior will pretty much get what they want for the better part of an hour . Yet , this surprising film has a tough , edgy...
552,218
989,035
60,390
8
Engrossing , underrated sci-fi
From Ray Bradbury's novel about totalitarian society that has banned books and printed words in order to eliminate independent thought ; Oskar Werner plays professional book-burner who becomes enraptured with stories . Possibly a bit too thin at this length , but a fascinating peek at a cold future ( which the times ha...
550,969
989,035
192,387
8
Fascinating restoration and behind-the-scenes gossip . . .
Chronicling the restoration of Alfred Hitchcock's masterwork " Vertigo " , we get background information and amazing behind-the-scenes photographs and gossip about one of the greatest films ever made . I loved getting to see those rare pics of Hitch in San Francisco , and that original cover of the French novel " D'ent...
553,104
989,035
529,650
8
Hoss and the Scarlet Lady . . .
Unbeknownst to him , Hoss Cartwright has fallen in love at first sight with a woman of ill-repute ( played in an extremely polite manner by Gena Rowlands ) who is visiting her sister from racy San Francisco . This being 1963 , the writers can't use the words ' jezebel ' or ' prostitute ' , but the point is made clear w...
551,625
989,035
51,201
8
Courtroom drama par excellence . . .
The combination of Agatha Christie's play , Billy Wilder's fluid direction , and superlative performances by Charles Laughton , Marlene Dietrich , and Tyrone Power combine to make this film quite extraordinary , if outré . Laughton plays a brandy-swilling English barrister defending Power on the charge of murder ; Diet...
553,294
989,035
78,966
8
Crackerjack thriller !
Intelligent , nail-biting drama came out of nowhere in 1979 and soon was on the cover of every newspaper in America ( when life imitated the film ) . A nuclear power plant employee in Southern California is threatened by superiors when he decides to go public with the real story behind an accident at the plant . Ostens...
552,055
989,035
79,033
8
Viva Vaccaro !
Brenda Vaccaro never really fit into any conventional Hollywood mold ; even a brief stint as Michael Douglas ' real-life girlfriend didn't get her major press , so the lady had to find her own way . Terrific early spots in " Midnight Cowboy " and the Robert Mitchum mood piece " Going Home " didn't quite afford her a fo...
553,597
989,035
71,360
8
Coppola's best film
Ingenious and mesmerizing little art film from Francis Ford Coppola , just off " The Godfather Part II " and doing astounding , fluid work . Gene Hackman gives a superbly controlled performance as a wire-tapper who gets too involved in one of his cases , leaving him in the center of a macabre swirl of events . One of t...
552,264
989,035
183,531
8
An eyeful ! and what eyes !
Nancy Sinatra's TV special ( originally aired on the night of Dec . 11 , 1967 ) has arrived on DVD in immaculate condition . It has built up such a mystique over the years that most people probably expect GENIUS . Well , there's a touch of genius in it . It's campy , most of all , and could benefit from better pacing ,...
551,340
989,035
71,315
8
It's a flaw . . . in the iris . . .
Seminal classic of ' 70's cinema , with Jack Nicholson excellent as a mostly-ethical ex-cop turned private detective in 1930's Los Angeles who believes he's been hired by the wife of the Chief Engineer of the Water and Power Department ; she thinks her husband's cheating on her but , as it turns out , she's not the rea...
552,376
989,035
335,266
8
Any movie with aimlessness at its core is going to seem straying to some . . .
Despite an occasional misstep , I felt writer-director Sofia Coppola's sure-hand throughout this rather lovely film about isolation finding an outlet in admiration . While not a love story per se , " Lost in Translation " is very romantic and charming as it ambles along , bringing two kindred spirits together . Coppola...
551,981
989,035
86,425
8
Quirky characters who eventually grow on you
The shifty , funny / serious tone of " Terms Of Endearment " caught a lot of people off guard in 1983 and word-of-mouth about it being a seriously good tearjerker / comedy was strong ( opening near Christmas probably didn't hurt it come Oscar time either ! ) . But since then , TV sitcoms have been mining this kind of f...
550,463
989,035
335,119
8
Not without flaws , but beautifully presented
Wide-eyed , hard-working young woman in Holland circa 1665 leaves home for a job as scullery maid to a painter and his family ; quickly , she becomes the artist's secret assistant and muse , eventually posing for Vermeer's famous title-named portrait . Stunning art direction , lively pacing and an absorbing narrative a...
551,361
989,035
79,813
8
Hey Kate , I'm getting some static ! . . . . " Not as much as you're going to get . "
P . J . Soles should have become a big star after playing Riff Randall , # 1 fan of the punk rock group the Ramones . She's so exuberant , you don't care that she's obviously too old to still be in high school ( that fact is leveled out by having all the high schoolers look 24 ) . It's a fast-paced frolic that doesn't ...
550,797
989,035
59,837
8
Not really camp , more in the line of grisly good fun !
Connie Stevens once again shows what a fine , natural actress she is , here playing a young lass from Wisconsin who must spend seven nights in her late father's house of horrors before she can receive her inheritance ; Dean Jones plays a reporter who smells a story and befriends the easily-spooked girl . Terrific secon...
551,591
989,035
79,417
8
Very calculated and pressed out , but some of the manufactured heart is indeed moving . . .
The marriage of an upscale New York City couple with child falls apart when the wife wants out ( " It took a lot of courage for her to walk out that door ! " a neighbor tells us ) ; the busy , distracted husband takes on the " motherly " responsibilities and grows closer to his son , but soon the wife returns . Highly ...
551,749
989,035
44,223
8
Pure lyrical nonsense !
Both ridiculous and magical , this is a comedic fantasy which really works . Former armed forces dog - - a German Shepherd who just inherited a fortune from a wealthy people-hater - - is poisoned and dies , reincarnated soon as a private detective out to solve his own murder . This set-up may sound an awful lot like th...
550,529
989,035
70,828
8
James Brolin : a television hero
Forget " Marcus Welby " ! When I think of James Brolin , I instantly recall a host of terrific movies he did right in a row in 1972-73 : " Skyjacked " , " Westworld " , the TV-film " Short Walk To Daylight " , and this compact little thriller . After being mugged and knocked unconscious by teenagers in a department sto...
553,485
989,035
120,338
8
A technical marvel , it also manages to be emotionally charged and involving
I half-expected an overwrought concoction of incredible high drama , but James Cameron's fictionalized film of a real incident from 1912 is nearly free of derivative devices or sappy puppy love issues . Before the infamous ocean liner perishes in the icy Atlantic Ocean , two passengers - - third-class gadabout Leonardo...
552,226
989,035
59,243
8
Excessive , expensive , but undeniably shrewd and funny . . .
Blake Edwards ' tribute to silent-era slapstick , a live-action cartoon about a turn-of-the-century auto race , is full of wild gags , pratfalls and fast talk . The film really engages the viewer in its hammy mix of comedic elements and the cast is very game . The autos and locations are wonderful , but the film runs t...
553,399
989,035
59,043
8
A quiet menace
William Wyler's rather even-keeled thriller about a psychopath who , upon winning a lotto pool , takes up residence in an isolated manor and kidnaps a beautiful co-ed , keeping her in a hidden room / dungeon . There are no melodramatic hysterics , no crazy-eyed antics , no gory slashings . . . just a straightforward st...
552,276
989,035
219,699
8
Haunting and deliciously involving
Southern psychic and single parent Cate Blanchett is pulled against her will into the logistics of a popular local girl's disappearance . Although the brutality inherent in the script is laid on with a trowel , " The Gift " has many mesmerizing moments , not the least of which is the casting of luminous Blanchett , sen...
553,147
989,035
539,207
8
I have the feeling one of us is gonna get to play call-girl . . .
This episode of Aaron Spelling's " Charlie's Angels " , only the tenth show of the program's first season , already knew how to exploit Farrah Fawcett-Majors ' appeal to budding male ( and female ) teenagers : put her on a skateboard and have her roll for her life ! The Angels are assigned to the case of a missing man ...
551,698
989,035
539,260
8
Sounds like an inside job . . .
Wealthy Grace Rodeheaver of Los Angeles hires Townsend Investigations to uncover the identity of the person ( or persons ! ) responsible for stealing expensive jewelry out of her wall-safe . . . without leaving so much as a fingerprint ! Immediately , detectives Jill , Kelly , Sabrina , and ever-faithful John Bosley di...
552,271
989,035
72,431
8
Incredible cast and production design , erratic script
I would be hard-pressed to find another comedy with a cast this good . Everyone ( Gene Wilder , Madeline Kahn , Marty Feldman , Peter Boyle , Cloris Leachman , Teri Garr , Gene Hackman , Kenneth Mars ) sparkles in their own realm of dementia here - - especially Wilder , whose brand of mayhem uncorks at whim and sometim...
551,765
989,035
41,473
8
Appealing Christmas confection !
Bright and engaging holiday-themed romantic comedy has single mom Janet Leigh wooed by two men over the holidays : devil-may-care Robert Mitchum ( who really does have a sardonic demon in his eyes ! ) and staunch , dull Wendell Corey . Poor Corey really has a thankless role here , not only playing the third wheel but b...
551,253
989,035
72,226
8
Early Goldie , early Spielberg , both first-rate . . .
Petty crook is busted out of jail by his determined-yet-reckless wife ; seems their infant son has been farmed out to a wealthy couple while the two were behind bars and the Mrs . wants her baby back now . There's a scene midway through " The Sugarland Express " that still takes my breath away : Goldie Hawn and William...
552,087
989,035
375,063
8
Masterful blend of comedic , dramatic and romantic elements . . .
Alexander Payne directed and adapted Rex Pickett's book about two former San Diego college chums , a schoolteacher and a TV actor , taking a week off for some rest and relaxation up in California's Santa Barbara County , planning to attend a wine-tasting convention but hooking up with two lovely ladies who have no idea...
551,939
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58,997
8
More surprising than the outcome is how well Carol Lynley holds her own against Laurence Olivier !
Carol Lynley does some fabulous work here as American woman newly arrived in England whose little daughter is apparently kidnapped from school on her first day . The catch is , nobody knows the child and Lynley is having trouble proving she even exists ! Terrific mystery from director Otto Preminger , an uneven filmmak...
551,592
989,035
755,155
8
Terrific episode featuring spunky Annette Funicello . . .
Available on VHS under the title " The Mystery of Don Cabrillo " , this is a terrific episode from Walt Disney's " Zorro " TV series . Wonderfully spunky Annette Funicello guest stars as a pretty , but seemingly confused young girl , perhaps a pathological liar , arriving in Los Angeles from Spain and attempting to rec...
550,627
989,035
52,278
9
One of Clark Gable's best films - - Doris's too
Classy , rapid-fire comedy that combines " His Girl Friday " with any one of the Spencer Tracy / Katharine Hepburn battle-of-the-sexes . The set-up of the plot is rather hoary and contrived ( gruff city editor of a New York newspaper - - who is so anti-education that he hates the smell of chalk - - falls for a journali...
552,870
989,035
70,291
9
You don't have to move . . . . . . if you're smart enough
Superb whodunit with all the pieces right there for you to place : James Coburn is wicked as the cunning gamester inviting to his yacht the failed screenwriter ( Richard Benjamin ) , his alcoholic wife ( Joan Hackett , in a sympathetic performance ) , the catty agent ( Dyan Cannon , more wired than ever before ) , the ...
552,163
989,035
52,357
9
From among the dead . . .
Alfred Hitchcock's " Vertigo " has a narcotizing effect , a lulling , dream-like ambiance that is hard to shake off , which may explain why many viewers keep returning to it . Retired police detective James Stewart meets and makes over a woman who reminds him of his only true love - - a suicidal woman he lost , but per...
552,015
989,035
104,466
9
A sucker punch to marriage
' Mature ' is an apt description of this drama written and directed by Woody Allen , centering on a New York couple whose relationship hits a wall after finding out their best friends are splitting up . It's an often gut-wrenching picture that doesn't shy away from some really tough scenes and emotions . That said , I ...
550,521
989,035
43,274
9
Maybe not as " charming " as most Disney films . . .
. . . and certainly " Pinocchio " had a more popular and memorable song score , but for my money I'd pick " Alice In Wonderland " as one of Walt Disney's top achievements in animation . From Lewis Carroll's story , and filled with knock-out colors ( pinks and blues and reds on inky blacks ) , this episodic tale would n...
552,181
989,035
53,172
9
The wildest behind in New York City !
A party-line turns an interior decorator and a songwriting ladies ' man into enemies - - that is , until he gets a look at her . When Doris Day is forced into a nightclub by a junior-suitor , she makes the best of it and does a shimmy on the dance-floor in a tight white dress - - you can't blame Rock Hudson ( at a near...
550,880
989,035
60,463
9
First-class slapstick and romance
Is this Doris Day's best movie ? Probably not , but it is one of her funniest and I laughed more here than at any of her bedroom comedies from this era . Fashionably advertised as a spy comedy - - it's really not ( there's one spy late in the film ) - - it features our Doris as a kooky widow with a menagerie of pets wh...
552,281
989,035
94,540
9
The whine of a harmonica , the shriek of laughter born of pain . . .
A terrifically intense dramedy which features possibly the most realistic familial unit in TV sitcoms , not to mention a marriage between Roseanne and Dan Connor ( Roseanne and John Goodman ) which is pin-point exact , warm and right - - and feels lived in . All non-believers have to do is watch a few episodes : the ti...
553,106
989,035
59,982
9
Heartbreaking Buffy
Brian Keith proved to be so good working with little kids : he is warm and paternal , tough but never rigid , always bemused by their antics and reassuring everyone with his calming smile when their spirits were down . When Buffy makes friends with some kids from the bad section of town , Uncle Bill buys her hand-me-do...
551,913
989,035
59,793
9
Slick , smoothly-done laugh-getter
Not only does this Disney comedy feature the least-objectionable performance by Dean Jones EVER , it also has Hayley Mills and Dorothy Provine as a wonderfully kooky pair of suburban sisters AND a fantastic feline hero . This Siamese cat is just gorgeous , and it's a lot of fun watching the bumbling humans trying to ta...
551,116
989,035
70,903
9
Hollywood schmaltz or deeply felt love story ?
Actually , " The Way We Were " is both , and happily so . It's a classy romantic period drama about a 1940s wallflower in New York who blooms in love with her ex-jock boyfriend ( an old acquaintance from their college days ) , and the movie overflows with star-power . None of today's celebrities have the kind of chemis...
552,277
989,035
79,522
9
A fresh , funny , askew ( if flawed ) valentine to love's aftertastes . . .
Say what you will about Woody Allen , he knows how to write dialogue for women particularly well . They are seldom condescending or man-hating , they are just as flaky and scattered as the men they love , and their feelings are never prettied up nor put down . The female-roles in " Manhattan " for Diane Keaton , Mariel...
553,110
989,035
90,106
9
Intelligent , heartbreaking drama
Movies about suicide are certainly not going to be pleasant from the outset ( and I know several people who refused to watch " Surviving " simply because of its theme ) , but I think viewers will find something special here . Ellen Burstyn plays a doctor's wife and mother who clouds her life with activity so that she c...
551,650
989,035
539,255
9
One of the better written episodes of the show's sterling first season . . .
The Angels come to the rescue of blackmail victims who have been instructed to play poker at an out-of-county casino and lose heavily with each monthly visit ; the gambling action takes Jill , Sabrina , Kelly , and faithful Bosley to Las Vegas , where Kelly poses as a showgirl , Sabrina is a tax auditor , and Jill is a...
552,142
989,035
70,510
10
But . . . I . . . don't . . . have it ! . . . " Then get it ! "
Exceptionally winning and entertaining film , a lovely piece of yesterday groomed by extraordinary cinematographer Laszlo Kovacs and director Peter Bogdanovich . Adapted by Alvin Sargent from the novel " Addie Pray " , story of a con-artist in the Depression who gets saddled with a streetwise orphan doesn't mess with m...
551,723
989,035
69,704
10
Seems almost an accidental classic
I don't know if George Lucas really knew what he had in this picture - - surely the script seemed funny enough , and the thought of the cars and the period music was enticing - - but did he really know these " unknown " actors who bring these characters to life ? It seems almost a fluke , shot in 29 days and on a tight...
550,948
989,035
473,215
10
Brief but exquisite ; one of the most amazing documentaries you'll ever see . . .
Theatrically-released documentaries today seek to inform and ( most importantly ) entertain and amuse us , and for the most part they do a very good job . But how about a documentary experience which is something so personal , so special , it has the viewer reexamining his formative years ? This PBS valentine to educat...
552,353
989,035
71,115
10
Martin Scorsese in a rare romantic mood !
Starring the incomparable Ellen Burstyn , giving an Oscar-winning performance ( one of the finest of the 1970s ) , this comedy-drama is gritty and tough , but never off-putting . After her husband dies , 35-year-old Alice Hyatt from New Mexico and her smart-mouthed 11-year-old son Tommy take to the road , chasing her g...
552,780
989,035
94,721
10
Has a crazy rhythm all its own
It may take two or three viewings to warm up to " Beetlejuice " . It has a kooky , cockeyed sensibility and a rhythm that is by turns easy , lazy and frenetic . A charming couple in New England die and come back to their beloved home as ghosts , determined to rid the place of the horrendous new tenants . Possibly the m...
445,746
1,048,771
78,504
2
Jawdroppingly bad . . . appalling is more like it ! ! !
What must have looked good on paper turned out to be a case of bad concept , bad design , bad acting , bad singing , and the worst choreography ever seen in a major musical ! ! THE WIZ is so appallingly bad in its execution , that it staggers the imagination to think that anyone would think this film could make money a...
445,355
1,048,771
385,560
2
Insufferable . . . schlock of the worst kind . . . a stupid waste of time . . .
SCHLOCK would have been a better title for this absurd excursion into a poor excuse for a fright flick . Nothing redeems it . Not the story , the sub-par acting from a mostly teen cast , the witless dialog , the tired old explanation for all the goings on , and the complete lack of logic . Whenever things get dull , an...
445,323
1,048,771
233,274
3
Dreadfully artificial bio of the world's most famous child star . . .
Did we all see the same movie ? ? ? I can't believe the raves some of the others are giving this really awful bio which , believe or not , was authorized by Shirley Temple herself , based on her book CHILD STAR . Gives me the feeling that some are awfully easy to please . First of all , ASHLEY ROSE ORR , whatever her m...
447,116
1,048,771
77,890
3
There's no magic for Lassie in this dull story . . .
When THE MAGIC OF LASSIE opened at Radio City Music Hall , I was foolish enough to believe it would be as heart-warming as some of the first Lassie films were . Not . The story was abysmal , the songs by the Sherman brothers were way below their usual level , the characters were uninspired and JAMES STEWART and MICKEY ...