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525,224 | 4,445,210 | 167,285 | 8 | Early CG Effects Still Fun To Watch | This is an " odysessy through time " via computer animation , supposedly th work of over 300 artists . Made in the late ' 80s and released in 1990 , this was cutting edge stuff for the day . I thought it was good and quite interesting in spots . Most of the short scenes made no sense , just forms evolving into other forms , but that was fun to watch . This is all about visuals , not really about any kind of a story . There were some strange sequences in which odd-looking men - creatures would dance around with birds overheard . All of it is computer animated which was new back then . Even the term " computer animated " was not well-known . It's simply a chance to show off this new technology in short bits of cartoon-like happenings with beautiful colors and imaginative scenes . No words , just pictures with electronic music . Stoners must have really loved this . It's a nice , intriguing 40 minutes of " eye candy " and " head candy . " By today's CG effects this may have lost impact , but I think you'd still be entertained by this . |
527,367 | 4,445,210 | 52,700 | 8 | Leopold-Loeb Re-Telling Has Interesting Characters | This was pretty interesting , thanks to Bradford Dillman who was excellent as one of the murderers , and to Orson Welles , as defense attorney " Jonathan Wilk . " Wells could be such an imposing presence on screen ! Interesting , too , that his character was an atheist but in the end admitted he may have been wrong about that . E . G . Marshall also was fun to watch as the prosecutor , " Dist . Att . Harold Horn , " but , of course , the screen writers had him silent in the end only showing Welles state his liberal impassioned anti-death penalty speech at the end . Dillman and Dean Stockwell were the wise-guys , young arrogant punks who thought they were smarter than anyone else . Dillman held up under pressure but Stockwell was an annoying wimpy wuss who cracked . Diani Varsi playing the lukewarm love interest , adds very little to the film . Overall , this re-telling of the famous Leopold-Loeb case of the 1920s was worth the watch and recommended . If this kind of story fascinates you , I recommend a similar film : " Rope " ( 1949 ) . |
526,808 | 4,445,210 | 26,174 | 8 | As Good As Advertised | I'm not that big on pirate movies and I thought this might be overrated . . . . . but I was wrong . This is good stuff and I wonder if a more realistic pirate movie has ever been made . This was Errol Flynn's first starring role and it sure got him off to a flying start . Few actors have ever played the " dashing hero " as well as Flynn . Despite being almost " worship idol " status by women , he is still comes across as a " man's man , " and that all started with this film . What I liked best about this was that the story stood out more than the action or the romance . Many times classic films overdid the latter , producing lulls in what was considered an adventure story . That's not the case here . It also isn't the typical clichéd pirate film in which the captain is seen with an eye patch and a parrot on his shoulder . This is nothing fancy , just a just solid story . . . . . period , which is probably why it holds up so well over 70 years later ! |
527,454 | 4,445,210 | 112,681 | 8 | Somber , Subdued And Well-Done Serial Killer Movie | Here's an oddity : a modern-day film about a serial killer that has no fight scenes , nobody seen dying , no car chases and no loud noises . . . . . and it takes place in Russia . There are only two short action scenes but they are horrific . The rest of the story is detective work , and how much red tape the poor detective had to go through to solve the murders . This is a very somber movie , and " somber " best describes the personality of the hero ( Stephen Rea ) , as well . Yet , the story is not depressing and it's very interesting all the way through . Rea is outstanding as the determined , harried-looked detective . Jeffrey DeMunn is downright scary as the killer . Donald Sutherland's Russian accent is suspect but he plays the only character in this film that has some warmth . Once again , the story is dotted with liberal agendas , here and there , with not one but two references to bias against gays , the total validity of secular psychology , police and government officials being boorish / crude / bigoted , yadda , yadda , yadda . Otherwise , it's an intelligent and refreshingly low-key crime film . This is a somewhat unique film that probably is not well-known but is well-liked by the people who have seen it . Since it's based on a true-life account of this killer , it's all the more chilling . Don't pass this by just because you haven't anything about it . |
525,881 | 4,445,210 | 765,429 | 8 | Two Great Actors Elevate This Scarface-Like Story | The best thing this movie had going for it - which is no surprise - is the acting duo of Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe . How many bad movies do you see with either of those guys starring in them ? Not many , and neither actor disappoints here . Both play fascinating guys , Washington , a big gangster ( " Frank Lucas " ) and Crowe , an honest cop ( " Richie Roberts " ) This movie reminded me a lot of the ' 83 " Scarface " film in which Tony Montana ( Al Pacino ) rises from the bottom up to be a big drug lord , only to have things crumble big-time . We see a similar tale here with " Lucas , " except that his fall is sudden in this story , unlike Pacino's character . Director Ridley Scott and photographer Harris Savides also give us a slick - looking film , very pretty spots and stylishly-directed . The story wasn't quite as good as the people who photographed it and acted in it . It's still a good one in that it entertains . I was never bored despite the two - and-a-half-hour length of it . I was a bit confused in the first 25 minutes but things straightened out after that . The supporting cast in here is very deep with a lot of familiar faces , going all the way back to 83-year-old Ruby Dee . A new , young face - Lamari Nadal - is a real beauty . She plays Frank's wife , who is a lot nicer character than the one Michelle Peiffer played in " Scarface . " A key to whether you enjoy this or not - if you haven't seen it - might be your expectations . Know in advance there is not a ton of action in this tough crime movie and don't listen to all the hype that this is " the best film of the year . " Just expect a decent movie with good acting and instead of a lot of blood and guts , and you should enjoy it . That's how I looked at it , and it worked for me . It was entertaining enough for me that I'd watch it again . |
525,841 | 4,445,210 | 35,146 | 8 | A Quck Change Of Mind For These ' Female Women'-Hating Sailors | The banner over the boardwalk entering the big Navy ship reads , " " Visitors welcome , except Sundays and Weekdays . " Navy men Popeye and Bluto are on-board that ship , discussing the opposite sex . Bluto comments , " Women are natural-born troublemakers Things go along peacefully , then in steps a dame and , psh , you're in trouble . " He tells Popeye , " From now on , let's you and me have nuthin ' to do with female women . " They shake hands on it . Then , who walks aboard the ship but some " hot dame , " Olive Oyl , who asks the two guys if either would show her around . This is one of those Popeye cartoons in which nobody really knows each other . Neither of the guys know who Olive is , but they like what they see ! So much for the woman-hating talk ! From that point , it's a contest for the " goil . " The humor is decent in here ; nothing super but entertaining enough to watch with a smile on your face . |
523,188 | 4,445,210 | 61,418 | 8 | Great For Its Day | For a long , long time this was a memorable film and one of my favorites . It was one of the first VHS tapes I bought . After a long hiatus , I bought the DVD , watched it again and - wow , it wasn't so hot anymore . Oh , Warren Beatty , Faye Dunaway and Michael J . Pollard are still very good in their respective roles as Clyde , Bonnie and C . J . What annoyed me were the characters played by Gene Hackman and Estelle Parsons . Hackman has gone on to have a very distinguished career but he is just a stupid moron in here he's no fun to watch . However , it's a picnic watching him compared to listening to Parsons shrieking and screaming through her abrasive role . Those two ruin the film for me now . I'll still have fond memories and I'll always remember the time I first saw this in the theaters when it came out . The violent ending caused quite a stir at that time . Nobody had seen blood and bullets on screen like that before . Now , it's commonplace . . . . even tame compared to many of today's scenes ! This was another of those films that began in the ' 60s in which the bad guys were portrayed as the good guys and vice-versa . It's still highly-recommended for those who have never viewed it . |
525,587 | 4,445,210 | 35,140 | 8 | Not A Fan Of Soaps , But I Like This ! | This was surprisingly good . I say " surprising " because I am not a man who likes soap operas and that's what I expected here from everything I had read about this film . The only reason I obtained it was that it was part of a 3-pack Bette Davis collection and I wanted a DVD of " The Letter . " Well , this turned out to be a very interesting and gratifying story . No , I still didn't like the corny - and adulterous ( which Hollywood loves to glamorize ) - love affair between Davis and married man Paul Henreid . However , I did enjoy the ugly duckling-turned-beauty story that featured Davis tolerating her nasty mother and then using her experiences to help another young lady who was suffering from a similar inferiority complex . Gladys Cooper was outstanding as the irritating , brutal mother . Janis Wilson was the young girl helped in the end by Davis . Wilson overacts something fierce but the message is so nice and the sentimentality so caring that you put up with the kid's performance . Claude Raines also was likable as the psychologist . He had a number of good lines in this film . The movie was nicely filmed and looks particularly good on the DVD transfer with attractive grays completing the black-and-white . |
522,751 | 4,445,210 | 295,297 | 8 | Entertaining , And Ranks Somewhere In The Middle Of The HP Films | I thought this was better than the first Harry Potter movie because it didn't overdo the action scenes as the first film did , and the special-effects were better . It's not " Lord Of The Rings , " of course , but it's still decent entertainment , even for us older folks . It got even better with the third installment , which has been my personal favorite of the four I've seen now . I don't buy into all the occult baloney and black magic stuff , just enjoying the special-effects that go with it with these stories . It also was interesting to see how the three young stars - Daniel Radcliff ( " Harry " ) , Emma Watson ( " Hermione " ) and Rupert Grint ( " Ron " ) have physically matured since the first movie . All of a sudden , the boys have reached puberty and their voices are changing . " Ron " squeaks half the time he talks ! As with many modern-day , big-budget films , the visuals , the special-effects and the surround sound are all astounding . Definitely entertaining for all ages with no worries about language . |
524,678 | 4,445,210 | 141,022 | 8 | Short , But Interesting Felix Adventure | The first thing you notice here is the yellow tint . That's a first for this viewer . I've seen sepia and blue tints , but a dark yellow ? People back in the days of the early cartoons were nasty at times . Here , Felix is walking behind a fisherman headed for a pond and the next thing you know , the angler turns to him and says , " If you don't stop following me , I'll bust a rock on your bean ! " Felix ignores him and follows anyway , hiding behind a tree when the guy sits down and begins fishing . When he catches a fish and puts it in his basket , Felix rushes out , grabs the fish and hides behind the tree again . ( Maybe the fisherman was right ! ) This scene is repeated and the angler finally catches on . Of course , Felix makes it easy by rubbing his fat belly and taunting him . . . . . so the chase is on ! In a really , really strange turn of the events , the man , through telephone wires ( " broadcasted , " according to the title of this ) , transports Felix to Egypt . ( Don't ask . ) Our cat is now chased by Egyptians , who don't want him around , either . What happens after that is even stranger . This is very short ( 3 minutes , 16 seconds ) but it is wild and fun to watch with surrealistic scenes . |
524,791 | 4,445,210 | 650,622 | 8 | Is Trudy Really Dead ? | Sitting in a cafeteria , Natalie suddenly spots a woman who is a dead-ringer for Monk's long-dead wife Trudy . She listens in on the woman's conversation with an elderly man and - incredibly - it appears indeed to be her . She claims to have faked her death to be in some witness protection-type situation to spare her husband because she and he would have been murdered , blah , blah , blah . Monk , meanwhile , seems to be making great progress and his shrink , Dr . Kroger , is going to recommended he be reinstated somewhat on the force . However , when all this stuff hits the fan , Monk , of course is shook up pretty badly . He goes to the cemetery and then is relieved , convinced she's dead and the woman must be an impostor . Is she or isn't she , and how does Monk track her down and solve this dilemma ? Obviously , this is an emotional episode for all parties concerned and especially Monk . |
522,749 | 4,445,210 | 52,651 | 8 | Foghorn Inadvertently Produces A Protégé | This animated short is about a minute shorter than most of them . The hens are gossiping and needling poor old " Prissy " about trying to lay an egg again . Apparently , she had never been successful . Foghorn Leghorn is nearby resting up against a tree , and he overhears the conversation . " Why do those cackling old biddies have to be so mean to that skinny old hen , " he wonders . He decides to help her , so he finds an egg and puts it " under her britches . " The old hen sees the egg and shouts in ecstasy ! The other hens come running . The egg hatches and it's a rooster , and Foghorn does not want any competition , especially after the newborn says to him , " Hey , you must be that rooster I'm taking over for ! " Foghorn gets permission to tutor the little one , and does what he can to eliminate the competition , but that baby rooster is amazing ! Overall , very clever and fun to watch . |
524,784 | 4,445,210 | 650,621 | 8 | A Glimpse Into The Past | Burglars enter a house and are surprised by an old lady coming down a stairs . She heard the noise and came down with a gun . They take it away from her , wrestle , she falls and is killed . The thieves leave , but before they do , go to a portrait painting on a wall and spray paint it . Huh ? A former middle school classmate of Adrian , a woman he had a crush on when she was that age ( 13 ? ) , comes to Monk then asks him to solve this case to give that old lady - whom she employed in that hose - justice . Monk takes the case . Through flashbacks , we then get a glimpse of what Monk was like in that awkward age . Actually , thanks to those flashbacks we see Monk solve two cases on this episode : the one when he's in school and the one " live " with the burglars and the painting . Both involve helping the same female . All in all , more of an insight on the strange and amazing Mr . Monk . |
526,671 | 4,445,210 | 167,176 | 8 | Early CGI , But Still Very Good | In the early ' 90s computer animation was beginning to take hold and one-hour films like this would feature this new technology . There is supposed to be a story here , but good luck finding it . The fun is in the visuals which range from good to outstanding . My favorite segment is the music one with the jazz players and Washington-Lincoln . Speaking of music , not all of it is the standard instrumentals . There are a couple of vocals . There also is some short narration . The whole thing is about 45 minutes with 10 minutes of ending credits tacked on . This may be over a decade old in a technology that has grown leaps and bounds , but it's still good stuff and worth checking out . |
525,979 | 4,445,210 | 87,843 | 8 | Leone's " Godfather " Version , And About As Good | This Godfather-type film was done by Sergio Leone , of spaghetti-western fame , so you know you will see and experience several of his trademarks . Namely : ( 1 ) a lot of facial closeups ; ( 2 ) some slow-motion or slow-moving dramatic scenes ; ( 3 ) good overall photography and ( 4 ) a unique soundtrack . The period sets here are magnificent . You get a real feel of the time , whether it's 1910 , 1933 or 1967 . The colors are awash in blacks , browns and grays and the DVD brings all these out very well , especially considering the film is over 20 years old . Despite some of Leone's slow moments , this is a fascinating film to watch for the story , too . There are numerous memorable scenes , some of them involving some downright shocking violence , even for today's movies . However , the amount of violence is less than what you see today . The movie also sports an interesting twist near the end involving the two major characters , played by Robert De Niro and James Woods . The story is not always clear , either , so be prepared to be possibly confused about a few things . . . . at least on the first viewing . Confused or not , this film always is fascinating to view , especially with intense actors such as the two men just mentioned , along with Elizabeth McGovern , Tuesday Weld , Joe Pecsi , Burt Young , Treat Williams and more . The child actors in here take up almost half the movie and are excellent . What an injustice they don't receive any publicity for their acting , especially the kids who played De Niro and Woods as youngsters . One of the girls has become a famous adult actress : Jennifer Connelly . She was 12 years old in this film and was already alluring . This is Godfather-type crime movie that ranks right up there with that famous film , not taking a back seat to it at all . |
525,840 | 4,445,210 | 35,192 | 8 | It's Payback Time For Spinach & A Spanking | Popeye's little nephews , " Pip-eye , " " Pup-eye , " " Poop-eye " and " Peep-eye . " don't like their spinach . In fact , they hate spinach . Popeye shows them how , after eating their spinach , they can do anything . In this room is a piano so , after a can of greens , he's hammering on those keys like " Paderooski . " Then , after another can , he's " Fred Upstairs , " the famous dancer . Popeye does some great tap dancing . His imitation of Fred Astaire is hilarious . The kids aren't all that impressed and still refuse to eat the greens . For that , they get a spanking , although Popeye is very reluctant to melt out that physical " punishment . " The kids then eat the hated spinach . After eating the spinach and showing Popeye how great they can now play the piano , too , they exact revenge for the spanking ! Popeye takes a beating in some creative ways . The old man really takes some punishment . Wow , what a violent family . |
523,786 | 4,445,210 | 132,245 | 8 | Nice Cars , Nice People & Film Non-Racing Fans Can Enjoy | This movie was definitely better than I anticipated . There are some fantastic Formula I driving and crash scenes in here , and the sound of engines was fun to hear . I make those statements despite not being much of an auto racing fan , either . If I was , I would have really loved the movie . Another appealing aspect was that the three lead characters were all good guys . There are annoying " bad people " in the movie but they are all minor characters . The ending is predictable and , yes , there are some of the typical things you see and hear in many Sylvester Stallone films but not as dumb as many of them ( the bad ones , that is . ) Because of the superlative visuals and audio , this is a good movie to see on a nice TV and a nice surround system . Mine are okay but I can imagine what this would look and sound like on something really good . I wish I could appreciate auto racing more , but I liked the film anyway and recommend it to non-racing fans . |
525,846 | 4,445,210 | 26,199 | 8 | Mr . One Son Treated With Respect ! | This was another very-solid entry in the long-running series that mainly featured either Warner Oland or Sidney Toler as " Charlie Chan . " It's generally considered that Oland's films were superior . I enjoy both of them and , after just completing watching the Chan DVD set that were all Toler's films , this return to Oland was a shocker in a way . I say " shocker " mainly because Chan was so nice and respectful to his kid . In the latter films , Toler's Chan does nothing but insult his son , whichever one accompanies him on various cases . Here , Oland's warmth for his Number One Son " Lee " ( Keye Luke ) is more than evident and " Lee " helps keep the case alive with a daring rescue of his kidnapped father . The story is played much straighter , too , than the Toler versions . There is still levity with Chan ' many profound-yet-funny proverbs but this is an action-packed short story played more like the mysteries they were supposed to be . Good stuff |
522,388 | 4,445,210 | 650,594 | 8 | Some Things You Never Forget | Monk meets some stranger at a secluded truck stop , ready with cash to purchase information about his wife's death . The man is a phony and hits Monk over the head with lead pipe , knocking him out . He takes Monks wallet , puts him on the truck flatbed and disappears . The driver comes out , doesn't see anything wrong and drives away . Monk then wakes up the next morning in some small town in Wyoming ( not the " desert , " as it says on the title page here ) . Our hero has a very sore head and no recollection who he is , except that he seems to want to some odd OCD things . The show changes from that dramatic opening to very silly for awhile as some nutty woman named " Cora " sees what's happening and claims Monk as her husband ! She's obviously nuts , but it also gives her a chance to have a man around the house who she can get to do things , such as fix the roof or . . . ah , fill some of her other needs . Monk knows something isn't right but he has no memory so he goes along with a bunch of goofy things . . . . some , not all ! Laurie Metcalf is good as the domineering " Cora . " Anyway , a crime is committed against a nice waitress Monk met , and even though he doesn't know who he is , Adrian , through his intuitive gifts , helps solve the crime . Eventually , he is discovered and taken back to San Francisco . In all , a strange episode but entertaining . |
526,630 | 4,445,210 | 1,066,295 | 8 | ' Wilbur ' Gives Us Facts About Pigs & Spiders And The Training Of Animals | Flacka is one of the real pigs who played " Wilbur " in the film " Charlotte's Web . " The young boy who voiced " Wilbur , " Dominic Scott Kay ( who gets no film credit on the back of the DVD even though he has the most lines , and gets 11th listing on the cast page here on IMDb ) gives us some facts and figures and takes us behind the scenes with the training of the animals . We talks as if he is explaining things to other kids but there are many interesting facts are animals that adults can learn a lot , too . What's " amazing , " Dominic's favorite word , is to see a sheep shaking hands , like a dog would be trained , or a pig walking backwards on command , and a few other things . Animal trainers are pretty special , patient people as we see here . Dominic also shares some very interesting facts about pigs and spiders that most people probably don't know , such as why pigs love the mud and that spiders eat their webs to help make new ones . The answer to the pigs and mud is : 1 - to protect their pale skin from sunburn ; 2 - to cool off , because they don't have sweat glands , and 3 - to protect against biting flies . |
526,352 | 4,445,210 | 650,596 | 8 | A Bit Different | The opening shows a man shooting another in the latter'rs hotel room , killing him . He was after money from a heist . Just before the killing the other guy , he finds out the man who can provide the money for him is in California . Meanwhile , Monk and Natalie are off on a short vacation trip to a beautiful winery and inn where Adrian once dined and stayed overnight with his wife . He comes here once a year for sentimental reasons , sits alone at dinner talking to his dead wife . Unfortunately , some nerd named Larry Zweibell comes to his table , messes things up and then goes over to play poker with a bunch of people . The next morning Monk goes to see Larry about hangover recipe ( Monk had one sip , but has a hangover ) . In short , no one has ever heard of " Larry . " Was imagining this guy ? Well , we saw it , too , so obviously something fishy is going on here and it's probably somehow tied in with that beginning murder scene . This episode was a bit different , but another good one in a season that , so far , is very good . Oh - Monk DOES get drunk , for real , at the end . Normally I don't think drunks are funny , but Tony Shaloub gave a pretty funny performance with it . |
523,696 | 4,445,210 | 141,052 | 8 | They Couldn't Spell , But Animators Still Made This Funny | A grateful mouse promises Felix " if there's anything I can do for you , just call on me " after Felix lets him go from a mousetrap . Felix then goes over to Willie Brown's house , whistles for the kid to come down from his bedroom and go " to the ' ole swimming hole " but Willie's mom spots him and tells the boy to go back inside and " practise his piano lessons . " ( That's the way they spelled " practice " in the cartoon , which often uses bubbles for dialog the way they do in printed comics . A dejected Felix goes back to the barn area , where we first saw him with the mouse . He explains his dilemma to the mouse who has a plan to help out the cat and get the kid out of doing his piano lessons . That plan - have four other mice jump around on the piano keys and make music - is funny and leads to some very humorous dancing scenes with Willie's mother , who thinks her son now is Liberace . Overall , this was good and offered a number of surprises , which a couple of more grammatical errors in the cartoon's dialog boxes . This cartoon was part of a collection of in the " Presenting Felix The Cat - The Otto Messmer Classics - 1919-1924 " DVD , with original organ scores by Dave Wickersham . |
525,447 | 4,445,210 | 52,305 | 8 | This Is Pure Mid-To-Late ' 50s | It's odd to watch hundreds of Tom and Jerry cartoons from the 1940s and early ' 50s and then see a " culture change " with characters , furniture , cars , the music and the overall artwork that is " so 1950s . " Here , " Jeanie , " a baby-sitter , has the ponytail , dress and classic mid-'50s look . She lies upside on the wide , low couch talking on the telephone , etc . - you know , all the ' 50s things . Janet Waldo has a lot of lines in here , as the gabby teen on the telephone , who stops talking every 30 seconds to go hit Tom on the head for bothering the baby . Of course , Tom is just trying to do the right things and keeps getting blamed or falsely accused of bothering the infant . You have to feel sorry for the poor cat . That's the theme of the cartoon : the baby wandering off all the time , Tom saving it but then getting pelted on top of the head . I can't say , for justice sake , I enjoyed the storyline , nor was in that funny , but the cartoon was well-drawn and a real nostalgia piece for the period . This cartoon is noteworthy for being the last William Hanna and Joseph Barbera produced Tom and Jerry cartoon . It is presented in the widescreen CinemaScope and is part of Disc 2 of the Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Volume Two DVD . |
527,260 | 4,445,210 | 60,976 | 8 | Another Take On Jekyll & Hyde | This reminded me of a Tom and Jerry cartoon ( I think it was them ) in which Jerry turned into a monster a number of times , going back and forth between mouse and monster . It was a take on the famous Dr . Jeckyll & Mr . Hyde story . That's what happens here as Deux-Deux takes a drink at a mad scientist's house and the green stuff turns him into a big green monster for a few seconds . It's during those moments he terrorizes and pulverizes the Inspector . It happens faster and faster as the cartoon evolves with rapid-fire gags as this personality switch begins happening every few seconds . This wasn't that humorous but it was very entertaining and fast-moving , thus , it still warrants an " 8 " rating simply because it was fun to watch . It's on the DVD " The Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Collection , Vol . 6 - Inspector Cartoons . " |
526,651 | 4,445,210 | 132,477 | 8 | Takes One Back To A Childhood In The ' 50s | This is a fine drama and a nice change of pace from today's more hectic and loud films . It is another solid based-on-a-true store , which still means much of it could be made up for dramatic purposes . Frankly , I don't know but I liked the story . The story is about a young man back in the Fifties who gets interested in rocketry and wants to enter that field instead of working in the coal mines as everyone else , including his father , does in this West Virginia town . The big problem is the conflict it causes between the boy and his father , which I think was overdone . I would like to have a little less tension between the two . The young man , still a boy , is played by Jake Gyllenhaal , one of his first staring assignments , I think . He's likable , as are his school buddies in here . It's nice to see nice kids in a modern-day film . The two other key actors in the movie are Chris Cooper ( the dad ) and Laura Dern ( the kid's teacher who encourages him all the time . ) The cinematography is decent the 1950s soundtrack is fun to hear . Once again : I wish there more of these kind of films made today . |
525,860 | 4,445,210 | 52,293 | 8 | Loved Those Cars And Chase Scenes | Someone one here labeled this film " hillybilly film noir . " I think that's a great description of this movie . This is about the good ' ole boys racing their souped - up ' 50s Fords around country roads , running moonshine and trying to evade both cops and gangsters . In fact , I wish they had more of those chase scenes because , even with primitive special-effects , they were fun to watch . The ending chase would have been longer , if I had my way . Mitchum is fun to watch in here , too . He just looked like a rugged guy , a " man's man , " as they say . His kid brother Jim made his film debut in here and wasn't bad for a beginner . He and another beginner , singer Keely Smith , are a bit wooden but passable as actors . Keely also had an interesting face . I think this is one of those films that gets better with each viewing . Highly recommended . |
524,677 | 4,445,210 | 17,871 | 8 | Only In Cartoons Can These Crazy Things Happen ! | Felix is watching an actor rehearse his lines : " A ham , A ham ! My kingdom for a ham sandwich ! ! ! " The dramatic guy that tells Felix he'll " have to sacrifice my art and go into the movies . " He's in tears . Felix just looks at him like he's nuts , and shrugs his shoulders . The old guy tells Felix to " go ye forth " and find money to finance a trip to Hollywood . Felix thinks , " How does he expect me to get the money ? " In minutes , of course ( this is a cartoon ) , he spots a shoe business owner putting up a " bankrupt " sale on his store . Felix comes up with a plan to bail him out and the man promises the cat $500 if it works . Well , it does but the man wants to go alone and leave Felix at home . In an outrageous scene , Felix transforms himself into a briefcase and that's how he gets to Hollywood , transforming himself back to cat when they get there . We then witness Felix's attempts at getting into show business . His audition scenes are very funny , especially with his imitation of Charlie Chaplin . In addition there are caricatures of some famous silent film stars and executives . In all , quite a bit of material is in this 9 . 5 - minute cartoon . It's amazing how much more you can get in an extra 2 . 5 minutes , assuming most animated shorts are seven minutes in length . At any rate , there were a number of laughs in here and more zany things you could only see in a cartoon , like Felix have a sword duel with giant mosquitoes ! Crazy stuff . |
523,714 | 4,445,210 | 52,347 | 8 | What If We Could All ' Vanish ? ' | What a chaotic world this would be if " vanishing cream " was literally that , and enabled one to totally " disappear . " It does in this Tom and Jerry cartoon as the little yellow duck " Quackers " discovers after being delivered as a gift by George to his wife Joan . They are the owners of the house in which Tom and Jerry live . George takes Joan out for dinner and a show and thinks the bird is safe from the cat , who is locked out of the house . But Tom has a secret entrance and soon , Quackers is in trouble . . . . until he discovers the cream and lets Jerry in on the ruse . From that point , they brutalize Tom , until the very end when Tom gets wise . Tom gets a little revenge on his own . Thus , everyone " gets in their licks " in this one , which should please most fans of this animated series . |
523,315 | 4,445,210 | 175,790 | 8 | ' Technicolor ' Is Right , This Is Stunning ! | This was much better than I thought it might be , and I give it a high grade in a number of areas , beginning with production . This looked good , sounded good and simply was good ! For some reason , I didn't expect much from Donny Osmond . I guess the Osmond is a lot more talented than people give them credit for , and I won't make that mistake again . I'd say the same for Joan Collins , who I could not picture in a " biblical film , " but she did just fine . Then again , she played the villainous " Potiphar , " so it wasn't like she was playing against type ! Normally I wouldn't care for something that was akin to an opera ( all the lyrics being sung ) and would skeptical about any Hollywood did regarding the Bible ( figuring it would be distorted ) but - once again - I was surprised . The story stayed true to the Bible and the presentation was so well done - and so incredibly colorful on this DVD - that is was a very satisfying and entertaining adaptation . . What most people who liked this DVD would cite the acting , the singing , the songs and / or the story as what impressed them most but , to me , it was the brilliant , stunning color in this play . Besides being a classic Old Testament story , this is a real visual treat . |
522,504 | 4,445,210 | 1,010,048 | 8 | Deserved The Oscar For Cinematography | I thought the best part of this movie was the photography . Check this film out on Blu-Ray , if you have the opportunity : it's magnificent-looking . They even make slums look beautiful ! I'm glad it won the Oscar for cinematography . Scene after scene is gorgeous . Story-wise , it's okay ; good , but nothing super . For the first half of the film , it reminded me of " City Of God , " about the homeless kids in Brazil , but that film had far more violent kids . This one mainly had kids as pranksters and then victims of some sicko adult who wants to use them to make money . The story will be fun for those who used to be hooked on the " Who Wants To Be A Millionaire " quiz show , but the host here in this Indian version is no lovable Regis Philbin . You won't like him . Almost all of the story is told in flashback , so be prepared for that . It's one of those stories where all the little pieces fit together in the end to explain why things happened in the start of the film . I wouldn't have voted for this as the Best Picture Of The Year but it is entertaining and a feast for the eyes . |
523,162 | 4,445,210 | 1,189,408 | 8 | ' Natalie ' Becomes A Local Celebrity | Natalie becomes San Francisco's " Gold Rush Lotto Girl . " The previous one is chased out of the TV station late one evening and killed . ( These are the women who read the day's lotto numbers off the ping pong balls . ) At the crime scene , the station manager notices Adrian Monk's assistant and - presto ! - Natalie Teeger is the fill-in the next night . She does so well that the manager asks if she'd do it full-time , meaning three times a week . Immediately ( at least in the episode ) Natalie's face and body is plastered over city buses and she becomes a San Francisco celebrity . People stop her on the street and ask for autographs . She's a star . . . . . and Monk is not happy . She isn't paying attention to the crime job and Monk gives her an ultimatum : pick which job she wants but she can't do both . She quits him ! Monk , of course , is now very depressed . . . . but at least he continues on the case . ( We all know Natalie will come back to him in the end , anyway . ) It was pretty obvious who the killer was , but how it all transpired is kind of neat . We also get a humorous look at a lotto fanatic . . . . . and I mean , fanatic . The episode , like many Monk ones in the last few years , is more humor than crime story . Some of the stuff with Stottlemeyer and Disher is kind of stupid , but that's normal , too ! This episode really belonged to Traylor Howard ( " Natalie Teeger " ) who seems to be getting more and more airtime , but that's okay . She's been with the show now for three years and has fit in admirably , replacing the popular Bitty Schram as " Sharona Fleming . " |
525,494 | 4,445,210 | 141,134 | 8 | Felix Comes To The Peoples ' Relief | Wow , this is the first cartoon I've seen that addresses The Great Depression in the 1930s . The first scene has Felix The Cat manning a little stand that says " Relief Bureau " and he's handing out a handful of gold coins to every person in line . " Don't thank me , " he says ; " thank him . " " Him " isn't FDR or the government : it's a goose in the back of the booth who is laying golden eggs . After dishing out the coins , Felix goes back and tells " Goldie " that she's doing " good work , so keep it up ! " Felix takes her eggs and grinds them into coins so he can dish out the next batch . It doesn't long for the villain , " Captain Kidd , " disguised as a woman , to appear at the back window , seeing the goose and figuring out what's happening . So , moments later , he steals the valuable goose . Even though Felix knows who it is , Kidd succeeds and takes the goose aboard his pirate ship and sails away . The cartoon turns into a pirate adventure story when Felix , who figures out a way to get on Kidd's ship via turning himself into a human cannonball ( hey , it's a cartoon ! ) battles it out aboard ship with the peg-legged and sword-wielding Kidd . Overall , more for kids but adults can enjoy this , too , almost like an old-fashioned Errol Flynn pirate movie , except in animated form . The duels between Felix and Kidd are well done . |
527,569 | 4,445,210 | 147,939 | 8 | Flip's Boxing Match Can Tire You Out Just Watching ! | Bully is a Bluto-type - you know : big , gruff guy with a cigar , small bowler hat , needs a shave . . . . . the kind of " ruffian " you see pictured in the 1930s cartoons ( and feature films , sometimes . ) Here , he picks a fight with poor Flip . Before you know it , a neutral party comes along , shows the two guys a sign advertising " boxing to-night " and advises them to take it to the arena , where at least they could pick up some bucks if they're going to fight Flip isn't crazy about the idea , knowing he could get killed , but his little friend pushes him to it because they need money . Lots of folks did back in 1931 . By the way , why was it always spelled " to-night " with the hyphen ? What we wind up with then , is a typical cartoon version of boxing match . That means wild sight gags which come every few seconds , as furious as the punches . Most of it is pretty good stuff , too . This is guaranteed to keep your interest . You don't dare blink , or you'll miss some gag . The ending is a bit weak but they had to find some strange way to end the fight . Overall , this is good and another frenetic Flip The Frog cartoon , which means you're worn out when it's over ! |
522,465 | 4,445,210 | 105,417 | 8 | Appealed To The Masses | I enjoyed this when it came out , just as millions of other folks did . It had a nice feel to it , good humor , great music and it didn't offend my at-that-time agnostic beliefs . It even had some action scenes . Many movies which combine genres ( i . e . action and comedy ) wind up successes . It's not a bad formula . Although Whoopi Goldberg is the undeniable star of this movie , Kathy Najimy as " Sister Mary Patrick " almost steals the show as the bubbly nun . However , always a sucker for a pretty and wholesome face , I preferred Mary Wickes as " Sister Mary Lazarus . " She had this shy countenance to her before blossoming with her voice . Maybe that's why she had the name Lazarus as her personality rose from the dead . Over the years , I watched this three times and that was enough . By the end of the decade , I was a died-in-the-wool Christian conservative , so the very liberal Miss Goldberg lost her appeal to me . |
524,864 | 4,445,210 | 167,078 | 8 | Early Look At Berry Still In His Prime | ( Note : I'm not sure I am reviewing what is posted here , but the DVD I own has the same title and is the same length - 46 minutes - but it is NOT a documentary as listed above . ) Hall Of Famer Chuck Berry is shown in a concert Toronto in 1969 . He apparently was one of a number of acts in what must have been a fairly big rock festival as it's held in a big stadium ( but not a huge crowd ) . Anyway , the clothes and the dialog ( phrases of the day ) certainly label this " late ' 60s . " Berry wasn't a kid anymore but he still in his prime years and I've glad to have a remembrance of this on disc . Most of the songs are his fast classic numbers but every once in a while he throws in a blues number , and I enjoyed that just as much . The only complaint I had was " Reelin ' & Rockin ' " went on too long . Still , something a rock collector should own , even though it's only 46 minutes long . |
527,037 | 4,445,210 | 312,549 | 8 | Solid True-Story Irish Crime Tale | Cate Blanchett has done it again - played someone you can't take your eyes off of , and not because she's a classic beauty but she's just a good actress and plays such intense roles . Here , she's the single-minded outraged Irish reporter out to expose the drug trafficking in Ireland in the mid 1990s . Yes , it's based on a real person , a very real Veronica Guerin , who took her life in her hands with her desire to have this problem taken care off so the kids in her country wouldn't have such easy access to harmful drugs . According to the film story , the drug problem was ignored or the police were just ineffective in dealing with it , so Guerin goes after the mob as an investigative reporter . Her husband pleads with her to stop , knowing she could easily be killed . The gangsters were tough and realistically portrayed on film . There is no talk-now-shoot-later nonsense . You mess with them , you will pay . That's the message they give Guerin and you'll have to see the film to find out what happened . Yup , this is an attention-getter from the start and especially with Blanchett in the lead . A good story and highly recommended . |
522,385 | 4,445,210 | 105,466 | 8 | Yes , The Devil Made Me Watch This ! | This was a clever and funny movie , much better than I anticipated . Most of the humor involves takeoff or parodies of television programs and movies . Being familiar with most of them , I enjoyed the humor . The takeoff involved having the devil take charge of some of these programs . John Ritter and Pam Dawber play husband-and-wife " Roy and Helen Knable " who get sucked into buying a TV dish package straight from The Devil . After the purchase , which comes complete with 666 channels , mayhem ensues . There were a number of spots in here I just laughed out loud . Knowing a lot of the TV programs that were being spoofed helps a lot , of course , but there is a lot of good material in this film . The special-effects were pretty good , too , especially for a film that really never got a lot of exposure nor , I assume , had a huge budget . Jeffrey Jones and Eugene Levy , two guys who are usually pretty funny , supply some good humor here , too . I looked at this strictly for laughs even though I know the devil is somebody to take seriously , but this film was anything but played for seriousness . As a bonus , we even got a Chuck Jones cartoon in the middle of the story . This is one wacky movie and I'd like to see it on widescreen DVD . I last saw it on tape . This is recommended to those who enjoy dark humor . |
522,387 | 4,445,210 | 60,992 | 8 | Justice Does Come For The Cameraman | There is justice at the end of this story . After sadistically tormenting our " Little White Man " at Pinkstone National Park , the Panther gets his due in the end . All the poor little guy wanted to do was take some good nature pictures at the big park , but the Panther , angry because the guy wouldn't put an extra dollar " camera fee " in the donation box , ruins the cameraman's pictures . He does so my fiddling with the man's old-fashioned camera , the kind they used over a hundred years ago . That part was fair-at-best . Suddenly the photographer has a more modern , 35mm-type camera and the PP's tricks get clever . His nastiness , however , comes back to haunt him with a funny flashbulb scene when he mistakes the bulbs for eggs . Nonetheless , the Pink Panther goes back on the attack . I enjoyed the third part the best when the guy now has a Polaroid camera and what he sees seconds after he shoots pictures is not quite the same ! ! In the end , the guy brings out his movie cameras and our egotistic hero gets re-paid for what he had previously done to the park visitor . Overall , lots of jokes in here and a very entertaining episode . |
524,307 | 4,445,210 | 167,046 | 8 | More Inventive CGI | The sequel to " The Mind's Eye , " this computer-generated animation piece has some very inventive stuff in here . In this field , there seems to be a big advancement which was especially true in these experimental years in the late ' 80s and early ' 90s . I can't imagine what a 2007 version of " The Mind's Eye " would look like , but I'd like to see it . This version featured some good music by Jan Hammer of TV's " Miami Vice " fame . Most of the visual material in this 45-minute presentation comes in short 2-3 minute segments , so if you don't care for something stick around because it will change quickly . I enjoyed most of it and found it very creative , a couple of years after it had been released and liked it even more on the second viewing , some five years after that . It did not appear dated . Some parts of just stunning , real eye-poppers . For me , however , watching animation with no dialog , is not easy to do for more than 20 minutes at a time so I broke this viewing into two segments . No matter how inventive it may be , your mind can wander after 20 minutes of this . |
524,327 | 4,445,210 | 43,644 | 8 | Jerry's Voice In Here As To Be Heard To Be Believed ! | The funniest part of this politically-incorrect cartoon , I thought , was Jerry's voice . He's on an island , a la " Robinson Crusoe , " minding his own business when a starving Tom is washed ashore on his raft . Tom sees Jerry only as a steak , or a leg of chicken , a hot dog or whatever . The poor cat is dying of hunger and would eat about anything . However , Jerry isn't ready to sacrifice himself . He winds up painting himself dark brown , putting a bone on top of his head and brandishing a big spear - yes , a racist stereotype - and ordering Tom around . It's Jerry gruff voice , imitating this rough African native , that should make you laugh . He speaks gibberish for awhile and then English , telling Tom what to do , as he tries to make a vegetable stew out of him . It's amazing how dumb Tom is at times , as he goes along with this ! Can you picture someone sitting in a big tub under a fire and being made into stew . . . . all the while tasting the " soup " and adding a little salt here and there so you taste better ? If you aren't offended at Jerry's savage-native appearance , it's got some good humor , a cute ending and you should enjoy this . Overall , however , the cartoon is entertaining . . . . nothing super , but worth watching . |
523,256 | 4,445,210 | 451,079 | 8 | High-Def Really Makes This Come Alive | There is a stunning difference in watching this animated feature on regular DVD and viewing it on Blu-Ray . The latter dramatically elevates my rating of this movie , because the story is just so-so . It's a nice story , but nothing that will leave you laughing like in " Cars , " or " Madagascar " or a bunch of other recently-made animated features . However , on Blu-Ray , this is so flat-out awesome to look at , that's is well worth seeing and adding to your movie collection . The brilliant colors and razor-sharp images are just amazing and totally stunning ! Jim Carrey does a nice job as " Horton . " You might not even recognize his voice . He plays a character who hears a voice nobody else hears ; the voice of a tiny person on top of flower / weed which is part of a tiny town on the top of that plant . Hey , " size matters , " I guess , but far more important is the value of living beings regardless of their size . That's the general message of the story . All lives are worth saving , no matter how supposedly small and allegedly insignificant . The story is the typical frustrating one in which nobody believes the one who is telling the truth , until near the end , and then all of them do the right thing . Overall - a good message , presented in a so-so story but a gorgeous one to watch on Blu-Ray . |
524,293 | 4,445,210 | 95,286 | 8 | Bizarre , Creepy & Colorful | I was surprised to discover this was really a horror film . I don't know if it's labeled that , but that's what it should be called . It's spooky and creepy and just plain weird . With Jennifer Jason Leigh in the lead , I'm not surprised . She is pretty good at playing disturbed people as she showed later in " Single White Female . " For me , however , the best part of this film was the color . This film had a color palette that was fascinating at times . and the audio was good , too , with creepy sounds to go with the colorfully-painted nightclub / house interiors . Some of the story left a bad taste in my mouth , just a bit too sordid in spots . With the exception of the social worker , there are no likable , trusting characters in this film . The one who is hardest to figure out is the one played by Peter Coyote . Yet , despite this not being a particularly attractive story , the haunting audio and visuals keep sucking me back every 5-8 years into this bizarre tale . |
524,795 | 4,445,210 | 26,422 | 8 | Beans Bags The Gold , er , Baloney | This is not another of those Warner Brothers cartoons kind of promoting their " Gold Digger " musicals of the 1930s , but a story about the real gold diggers of 1849 . It stars " Beans , " and takes place in " Goldville . " Beans , trying to woo Porky Pig's daughter ( who is not a pig ) , is out on the mountain when he strikes gold ( via pulling a slot-machine-like arm ! ) . He goes back into town and tells everyone . From that point , we mainly see Beans and Porky out digging for gold . A bad guys is nearby and he snags a bag full of gold . Porky tells Beans that if gets the bag back , he can marry his daughter . Beans hops into his jalopy and races up the hill , firing with a shotgun ! Beans isn't really a funny guy but the cartoon has some good moments and the car is a real hoot . In the end , the bag of gold is only Porky's lunch , but that's gold to him ! It certainly looks dated , but that's the case with most 1930s black-and-white cartoons , and sometimes that's just fine with me . This was a fast-paced , inventive cartoon . |
527,094 | 4,445,210 | 26,393 | 8 | Cagney ' s ' Untouchables ' | Here's an old-time ( about 75 years old ! ) gangster movie that is fast-moving as all James Cagney crime films tend to be . In here , Cagney is the good guy , a " government man " out to get crooks , one of whom turns out to be his old pal . All the characters in here are pretty interesting , particularly Cagney's boss played by Robert Armstrong . Watching this film , one discovers an interesting fact : government agents weren't allowed to use guns in the early days . That didn't change until things got totally out of control with too many defenseless lawmen getting killed . Margaret Lindsay also stars in this movie , and that's a good thing . The more I see of her , the more I like her . It would have been interesting to see what roles she'd play if she was a young actress in today's films . Finally , the action scenes in this film reminded me of the old television series , " The Untouchables " with the machine guns blazing out of those big , boxy 1930 automobiles . |
525,006 | 4,445,210 | 245,024 | 8 | Humorous , Yet Touching | This a simple story told in narration by a brother , who describes growing up and his odd family . It is both humorous and tragic . Most of all , it was captivating and very touching . It's very quiet , and you have to give it your full attention . The narrator describes everyone in his family , all of whom are shown in claymation form . Most of the shots are fairly quick and they are stills . There is very little movement in this , just one " snapshot " after another . Everyone is odd mainly because of some physical affliction , so the humor is dark . The claymation figures are " cute " and add much-needed lightness to a story that , basically , is fairly dark , especially at the end . Actually , the claymation figures are more than cute : they're fantastic . You'll laugh and marvel at each figure , from the poor brother and his weird eyeglasses , to the boys ' pet lizard . Overall , this is different ; it's excellent and it will keep you riveted to the screen , wondering what odd tidbit you'll hear next about this family . This is one of a trilogy done by the writer-director Adam Elliot . I haven't seen the other two but if they are anywhere near as good as this , I look forward to seeing them . |
524,831 | 4,445,210 | 17,765 | 8 | Keaton's Version Of The Freshman | This film reminded me a lot of Harold Lloyd's " The Freshman , " in which Harold goes out for sports in college to impress a girl - same story - and made two years earlier . I am partial to Lloyd's version but I enjoyed this , too . Keaton's version starts off with the high school graduation ceremony . " Ronald " ( Keaton ) , the scholar of the class , gives a speech denouncing athletics as a total waste of time and promoting being a bookworm over anything else . This speech is so offensive to the crowd that everyone leaves but Keaton's mom , who applauds . By the way , all the high school graduates look between 25-35 years of age . These are the oldest-looking high school seniors in history ! ! Anyway , a girl Buster is trying to impress " Mary Haynes " ( Anne Cornwall ) , was among those not impressed with his snobby " scholar " speech . She'd rather have an athletic man . So , upon entering college , " Ronald " tries a variety of sports , to gain the approval of the girl . ( Does this theme sound familiar , not just in the Lloyd film but so many of Keaton's other films ? ) He attempts to play baseball but is so clueless he puts on all the catcher's equipment to play third base . Suffice to say , after a number of plays ensue , it's more than evident that " Ronald " is a little bit out of his element ! Next , he goes out for track , but gets discouraged when two little kids speed by him on the track . Throwing the discus and javelin are not good ideas , either . His high-jumping routine is very funny . He isn't bad in the hurdles , however . Obviously , pole vaulting doesn't work and the hammer throw almost gets his teammates killed , so he's told to leave . He gets a call from the Dean's office . The Dean , who liked him from the start because he preferred studies over sports , is distressed because Buster's grades are bad . Buster explains his problems and the Dean ( played by the always-funny Snitz Edwards ) sympathizes because , being a wimpy little guy , he same problem years ago with a woman he liked . So , as a favor , Dean Edwards orders the rowing coach to install Buster as the coxswain of the team . The coach and the crew don't want this , as " Little Lord Fauntleroy " or " Mama's Boy " and other names he's called , has a reputation already at college as an athletic loser . They try to sabotage his attempt at being part of their crew , but he turns the tables . The funniest scene is when the new coxswain literally becomes the boat's rudder . The neatest part of the film is the ending , which is usually the case in silent comedies . Suffice to say that Buster puts all of his athletic talents , which were not effective on the sports fields , to good use to get the girl . It's a memorable ending . |
526,294 | 4,445,210 | 879,875 | 8 | These Contestants Seem To Have A Lot In Common | This sounded interesting , and it was , for the most part . I couldn't help but almost laugh out loud several times in the first half of this show , staring at these odd-looking little dogs . By the second half , however , it got familiar because all the contestants looked fairly similar . Where was the variety you see at regular dog shows ? All these dogs were little , skinny things that looked like Chihuahuas . I did have one favorite , however , and actually jumped for the joy when he took first place ! I don't want to name him , if anyone's reading this and hasn't seen the show . The dogs were judged on first impressions ( the " wow " factor ) ; unusual attributes ( warts , hairless , tongue hanging out , etc . ) ; personality ( peeing on one of the judges would get points ) , and audience reaction . The contest was divided into two categories , purebred and mixed , with an overall champion declared . Most of the dogs were not only little but their tongues hung out to the side and they had " Mohawk " haircuts . Most of them also walked a little awkwardly . When several of them were profiled , they also had another similarity : they were dogs that were " handicapped " or unwanted . These owners did eventually take these various canines certainly gave them a ton of love . The owners were varied more than the dogs but if I go into details on how strange some of them appeared , it might sound nasty . Suffice to say the dogs and their owners , by and large , were a unique group . Anyway , we got some good looks at Victory , Lucille Bald , Archie , Elwood , Pee Wee , Jack , Munchkin , Tater Tot and a few more of these " world's ugliest dogs . " You don't have to be an animal lover to enjoy this show that was seen on Animal Planet . |
525,996 | 4,445,210 | 61,158 | 8 | This Is SOME Vitamin Pill ! | This is a takeoff on those old snake-oil salesmen who used to roam the Old West , peddling tonics that would cure everything . ( Most of it was just alcohol . ) Here , the PP is selling " Dr . Phinks Vitamin Pink " which is simply a vitamin pill . The pill works ! We see an old man take one , and the next minute he chasing some young chick around town . Then a " tired " homeless-looking guy on his last legs , takes several pills and - voilà - he turns back into a combination Superman-bank robber . In a funny scene , the thief gives some pills to his horse and the horse suddenly sprints away from the trailing posse . Now , the Panther is in a jam , because he's responsible for this crime . The sheriff pins a badge of him with the job to go capture the crook . What ensues isn't as funny as the previous scenes because too much is repeated as the robber robs the " Second National Bank " followed by the " Third National Bank . " Our vitamin salesman has the answer , however , to stopping the bad guy , and it's fairly funny . |
524,123 | 4,445,210 | 1,144,165 | 8 | This Is A Famous Case , And An Indirect Indictment Of The Power Of Fame | This crime case has been one of the most widely publicized and has been the subject of numerous true-crime television shows and best-selling books , so I won't go into too many details of it . It is about the death of 15-year-old Martha Moxley in a ultra-rich neighborhood in the one of the most exclusive areas in the country . What makes it unique was that case lay dormant for almost two decades and then re-opened thanks to one of those books and a " sensational " trial that was receiving national coverage . That was the William Smith trial in Palm Beach , Fla . That got attention because of the perpetrator's ties to the famous Kennedy family . and the Moxley murder was mentioned during that trial period . In a nutshell , the girl was brutally murdered with a golf club right outside her home late one evening . It was an unusual golf club , a Tony Penna model . The Stakel family was the only one with this make club . It was determined the girl was murdered with a six-iron . The six-iron was missing from the golf bag . Duh ? What's the problem ? The last person seen with Martha was teenager Michael Stakel . Both he and his brother Thomas had crushes and fights over the girl . That night , allegedly , Michael got upset when the girl refused to have sexual intercourse with him . Well , the case got stonewalled , thanks to the suspect's father and some bigwigs in the area . The inference is that , gosh , you don't mess with this well-known New England family . Yes , the Stakels were related to you-know-who , too . Did the Kennedy name and fame put the kibosh on bringing the suspect ( a relative ) to trial ? That has never been proved . This case also got re-opened thanks to the efforts of Mark Fuhrmann , who wrote a book about the crime , called " Murder In Greenwich , " and when Moxley's name came up in the Smith trial . Subsequently , famous author Dominick Dunne also wrote about this travesty of justice in his book , " A Season In Purgatory . " Dunne specializes in writing about cases in which the wealthy and powerful are never brought to justice . He has a TV show about this too , something about " power " and " privilege . " That's the inference in this case . On a nicer note , we got a wonderful tour of some incredible mansions that populate Greenwich and more specifically , the community of " Belle Haven . " Greenwich is just 30 miles north of New York City , we are told , as is considered " The Gateway to New England . " Some very , very wealthy people live here and commute via train to NYC each day . The crime took place in 1975 and Michael Skakel was convicted 27 years later in May of 2002 . Better late than never , I suppose . |
524,254 | 4,445,210 | 34,940 | 8 | Popeye Out-Congas Bluto | Hey , Bluto is back ! After being absent from a number of Popeye cartoons in the beginning of this decade ( the ' 40s ) , Bluto resurfaces as he , Popeye and Olive Oyl wind up on an island called " Conga , " where Olive is a senorita . Popeye and Bluto are sailors on a big ship and the latter is jealous when Popeye shows him a picture of his sweetheart , " Seniorita Olive Olya . " Bluto beats him ashore and tries to steal his girl but you know Popeye - he'll figure a few clever ways to stop this animal from taking his girl . Cafe La Conga - must have been the big dance in because this is the second or third time the dance has been done in recent Popeye cartoons . Popeye out-congas him and beats him up and the same time but is so violent that Olive calls the SPs and they take both sailors back to the hip . Definitely an odd Popeye cartoon . |
524,250 | 4,445,210 | 849,854 | 8 | Thi Sets The Stage For The Dramatic Second Part | Boy , there are a number of stories that go on in this opening episode of season seven . Included in the stories is one at the end in which one of the series regulars , " Catherine Willows " ( Marg Helgenberger ) is drugged and raped . The episode ends with her waking up in a motel room and figuring out what happened . The show begins with a performance by the famous circus act , " Cirque du Solei , " which we see give an acrobatic performance . Backstage , however , a woman is found crushed to death . Meanwhile , in another part of town , a man looks like he is an apparent suicide victim but how can the gun still be in his hand ? Not a whole lot actually happens after that , as the really amazing things are in the second half of this two-part story . This episode runs at a leisurely ( but interesting ) pace but all kinds of things happen in part II . |
526,684 | 4,445,210 | 52,390 | 8 | Two More Original Gadgets From ' Acme ' | This wastes no time showing Wile E . Coyote ( famishius vularis ingenious ) chasing The Road Runner ( birdius high-ballius ) . It begins in the opening credits , and only momentarily slows down after 100 seconds when the coyote comes up with this first plan . Wile's idea - lets's catapult myself by throwing a boulder on the other end of this teeter - totter - winds up with our famished friend falling a thousand feet almost into the same imprint he left in the ground minutes earlier . Before he falls a third time - he has a fatalistic approach by now - he puts a trampoline over that same spot . I liked the names of the two Acme products he purchased for this one : the " Giant Rubberband For Tripping Road-Runners " kit and the " One Do-It-Yourself Tornado Kit " along with the gags of him getting out of a dynamite-rigged one nail at a time and the headgear for his ill-fated high-wire act . It's the same old story but with some inventive ideas , new and funny schemes by the pathetic but never-say-die Wile . |
523,107 | 4,445,210 | 166,924 | 8 | Another Strange-But-Fascinating Film From That Strange Director | Wow , what a strange film . It's a David Lynch movie so it's no surprise that it is weird . I defy anyone to totally explain everything in this film . I can't be done . After some research following my second viewing of this film , I pretty much know most of the story but on a first look , and with no aid from other reviewers or outside help , it is hard to figure things out . So , if you're in that boat and was confused , don't feel bad ; that's normal . Let me just say the key to the film is Naomi Watts ' character . At any rate , I find the film fascinating . I love the wonderful visuals and rich colors and find each character in this movie really different and fun to watch . The camera-work is excellent and the music is creepy , a la Lynch's " Blue Velvet . " There also are some good sound effects to help some of the dramatic scenes . In all , it's very well scored . Like Lynch's " Twin Peaks " television series , this was a film in which the end was pieced together afterward since Lynch thought this film was going to be a long , drawn-out TV series . When that didn't happen , he pieced at the last minute this ending . That may account for some of the confusion at the end and the lack of explanations concerning characters we see earlier in the film but who mysteriously disappear . The theme of the story , supposedly , is a negative comment about Hollywood and what it does to people , especially those whose dreams of being an actor are crushed . Both Watts and the other leading lady , Laura Eleana Harring , are very interesting to watch , especially in their celebrated lesbian sex scene . Looks - wise , both women were chameleons , looking average at times , stunning at other times . I enjoyed this movie more on the second viewing than the first . It's not just a curiosity piece ; it's a very intriguing movie . . . . . just don't feel stupid if you can't make sense of a few things . |
527,329 | 4,445,210 | 210,727 | 8 | Real People , Rugged Place | The film , set in a remote Himalayan village in Nepal , is gorgeous start-to-finish , a labor of love by those who made it over a long period of time . The cinematography gets a lot of good " press , " and rightfully so , but what I really enjoyed was the soundtrack . I expected the good visuals , and got them , but I didn't expect such wonderful music . As for the look , it's different , with rugged barren mountain village terrain and snow-topped Himalayas in background , although we don't enjoy those until almost 50 minutes into the film . What's really different , however is the fact the film employed no professional actors . These were real people of that area ! They also faces you won't soon forget . As for the story , the treks don't begin until 45 minutes has gone by in the film . You have to be patient . Much of that first part , people argue back and forth on the merits of making the trip and who would and should be going . Finally , we wind up with two separate camps : the younger guy " Karma " and his crowd and the older man , " Tinle , " who takes his son , grandchild and his mother , and mainly older friends of the stubborn old coot of a leader . Old man Tinle does nothing but bitch and moan most of the movie but people do their share of complaining to him , too . Yet , I found nobody unlikable for some strange reason . Most of the time , nobody in this village appears happy . These people must love to argue ! As one man say , speaking of Tinle : " Trying to talk to him is like trying to stop the snow from falling . " I liked the following : when asked why he changed his mind about going on the trip with Tinle , his son and lama-artist " Norbou , " " told his father , " After you left the monastery , I remembered what one of my masters said : " when two paths open up before you , always take the hard one . " I also thought the yaks were fascinating . . I'd like to know more about them after watching this movie . Overall , it's a dramatic and touching adventure story . that will reward you if you can hang with it for first three-quarters of an hour . It also will make you grateful you weren't born in this part of the country . |
523,366 | 4,445,210 | 1,001,706 | 8 | This Time , Lady Heather Is The ( Somewhat ) Victim | Why " Lady Heather " ( Melinda Clarke ) always is portrayed in a sympathetic light despite being a killer and a sex pervert , is a testimony to Hollywood and its mindset . Anyway , after an absence of a year and only one part over three years of CSI , she's back , this time the victim more than a " perp . " I can't feel totally sympathetic , however , to a woman who willingly has a noose put around her neck ! Even though " Gil " ( William Petersen ) has the hots for fellow CSI worker " Sara Sidle " ( Jorja Fox ) , he still has a very soft heart for Heather . Sara has to deal with that , although Gil is just friends with the dominatrix now . Clarke , who looks prettier now than when she was younger in this series , is almost strangled to death by a rope in this family-friendly western town , run by a scummy guy and his son as some sort of Old West-amusement area . Unfortunately , it doesn't take a Sherlock Holmes to figure out who is behind the attempted murder of " Heather " and the death of the night security guard . That's because the only two guys seen in the town were the father and son ! So , duh , obviously one of them is responsible for the violence in this made-up-for-fun town . There is a happy ending with " Heather , " though , and - who knows - she might even be a normal grandma type ! In a second crime story , a woman is killed , apparently hit in the head by the bumper of a cab , but there are no lower body bruises nor tire tracks on her . In other words , she wasn't standing and she wasn't lying on the ground . What happened turns out to be a strange event . I like how " Nick Stokes " ( George Eads ) handles this case and the speech he gives to a cab driver near the end . In all , this is a decent episode , nothing super but okay . It leads us to - what I hope - is a great season finale , dealing with the " Miniature Killer . " |
527,297 | 4,445,210 | 87,538 | 8 | Hard Not To Root For The ' Little Guy ' [ | A lot of people liked this story about a small kid being bullied and then learning how to fight by a kindly old man . Then again , these type of stories of the picked-on kids - or nerds ( i . e . " Revenge Of The Nerds " ) , as they were popularly labeled back in the ' 80s , were always hit movies . People usually like to root for the underdog and always against bullies . I include myself in that category . Revisting the film recently brought mixed results . It was interesting to see a young Elisabeth Shue . I definitely enjoyed this at the theater in 1984 but now the kid , Ralph Macchio , and his New Jersey accent , is annoying and Pat Morita's Far East religious philosophies also got to be a little too heavy-handed . Overall , however , the film has a lot of charm no matter what decade you see it , and you can usually count on a David vs . Goliath type story to be popular . Overall , it's a fun and satisfying film . I wouldn't recommend the sequels but this first movie is worth seeing . |
525,105 | 4,445,210 | 245,429 | 8 | Entertaining Enough To Get Away With The Length | How many people can sit through a 120-minute animated film ? That's normally just too long for that genre . However , this one could meet that challenge . It only took me two sittings to make it all the way - that's very good , at least for me ! The best part of the film was the color , stunning in parts , beautiful and with great detail . It also had some wild characters and a bit of humor here and there , which helped . Overall , a good mix of good and evil and a different kind of story . Being it's Japanese , you are going to get some different theology than you are accustomed to in the West ( " the spirits of the wind and water have healed you , " etc . ) but it's not presented in a heavy-handed manner . I was concerned early on as the young girl - the main character in the film - had a shrill voice that was not pleasant but she calmed down after the first part of the film . Overall , entertaining and worth several looks . |
522,977 | 4,445,210 | 824,035 | 8 | A Very " Conspicuous " Beaver | Beaver and Larry Mondello are staying after school erasing the blackboard when Larry - no surprise here - tells Beaver a lie ( and laughs to himself when Beaver is so dumb to believe it ) . He tells Beaver that Mrs . Rayburn , the school principal , has an " electric spanking machine " in the closet in her office . Beaver is shocked . He's never heard of such of thing , and is horrified . Larry leaves when Beaver goes back to retrieve his cap that he left behind . En route , he gets nosy and goes into Mrs . Rayburn's office . The janitor comes by and Beaver quickly hides . The janitor then locks up and goes home for the night . Beaver is locked in the principal's office ! He pulls the alarm , gets rescued and escorted home in a fire truck . Oddly , that's only half the story . The next day , he and Larry are out in the park looking for four-leaf clovers . Once again , Larry leaves and Beaver gets in trouble . He sticks his head through an iron railing and it gets stuck ! Now he needs to be rescued again , and he isn't anxious to be made " conspicuous " again . This part was pretty funny . Despite Beaver being in all the trouble , the end has Beaver and Larry talking about parents with Beaver saying , " You know , Larry , you never can tell what they are going to do . " |
523,401 | 4,445,210 | 217,505 | 8 | Daniel Day-Lewis : Spectacular Performance | Daniel Day-Lewis elevates this film from just " good " to " very good " or even " excellent . " He is absolutely riveting , one of the most interesting " villains " I have ever seen on film . I am sorry Day-Lewis didn't win the Academy Award for his performance . He was just outstanding to watch . His facial expressions alone cracked me up ! Day-Lewis played " Bill ' The Butcher ' Cutting " he is one nasty dude . However , there are no real " good guys " in this story . The supposed hero , played by Leonardo DiCaprio , is a revenge-seeking man with a ton of flaws himself . The rest of the characters are either thieves , gang members , corrupt politicians or corrupt policeman . Ah yes , another family-oriented film from that kindly director Martin Scorcese . What Scorcese lacks in family values , he comes close to making up for in style . This is another fascinating visual film with great sets , costumes , color and camera-work . Other typical Scorcese touches are in here : Catholic-bashing and brutal language . ( I question whether the f-word was used back in the days this film takes place . ) All in all , a tough film that could be too unpleasant to watch but for Lewis ' outstanding performance and the spectacular visuals . |
522,779 | 4,445,210 | 25,778 | 8 | ' Fearless Fred ' Comes To Betty's Rescue | This time we see throngs of people pouring in at the " Tanktown Theater " to see Betty Boop act in a play called " She Wronged Him Right . " Immediately , we see Betty on stage pacing and all upset . She's reading a note that says , " Pay the mortgage today or else ! Signed , Heeza Ratt . " Betty is in tears and her pets and the animals on her farm are all pacing in anguish , too . Anyway , the villain shows up ( amid hisses and boos from the theater audience ) and winds up singing a duet with Betty and then trying to force himself on her . She yells for " Fearless Fred " to come and save her ! This is corny stuff but it has its share of laughs and the songs are decent . |
525,076 | 4,445,210 | 130,623 | 8 | Another Advancement In Animation | This was yet another example , when it came out in 2000 , of the latest strides being made in animation , computer-or-otherwise . At the time , I thought to myself , " Man , this just gets better and better all the time . " Six years later , I am still saying that but with newer animated efforts . Some of the scenes in here look so real you wouldn't know they were drawings . The colors are particularly good in the opening minutes . They are just stunning at times . The story is pretty interesting , too . It's not great , but not boring , either , and not too kid-oriented . Adults can enjoy this . In fact , I was surprised at the amount of violence . That , and some of the jokes actually make this more for adults than kids in many spots . I recommend the movie for its story and innovative techniques . |
527,145 | 4,445,210 | 140,397 | 8 | Dr . Mickey Mumford : A Likable Guy | Now here is a different kind of story : a very low-key guy ( Loren Dean ) pretending to be a psychiatrist in a small town . Dean does a fabulous job of portraying the soft-spoken , easy-going " shrink " and is so likable that he makes the film enjoyable . There are a few spots that drag on too long , such as a few scenes with Hope Davis ' character but the " patients " as a whole are certainly interesting and varied . This is another one of those films that got much press , and undeservedly-so because it's pretty entertaining with a good cast . In addition to the above , we see Alfre Woodard , Mary McDonnell , David Paymer , Martin Short and Ted Danson . If you are familiar with those actors , you'll know why a psychiatrist is needed ! |
526,532 | 4,445,210 | 87,469 | 8 | Changed My Mind About This Stylish Film | For a long time , this was the only one of the three Indiana Jones films I did not like . Then , when it was part of the DVD package that came out over five years ago , I had to buy it if I wanted the other two , so I gave it a third look . Wow , all of sudden I liked it . For the first time , the woman ( Kate Capshaw ) and the young boy ( Ke Huy Quan ) weren't as annoying as I had remembered them . The stupid kid really had rubbed me the wrong way , but this time only Kate was annoying . . . . and she was fine once she calmed down and got rid of the hysterics . The action in this film is mostly at the beginning and at the end . It is so Rambo-ish ( bad guys never hit the target but good guys always do ) it is ludicrous . It also has dumb dialog in a number of spots , paying homage to voodooism , spells and other nonsense . Yet , despite these criticisms , it's entertaining start-to-finish and has some fantastic visuals . The photography in here is beautiful : the best of the three Jones adventures . I particularly liked the opening dance number which reminded me of a Busby Berkeley extravaganza . This whole film looks spectacular on DVD . |
523,767 | 4,445,210 | 25,807 | 8 | Popeye The Serial Killer ! | Popeye begins this with his familiar song but an unfamiliar role : rocking a baby to sleep in its carriage on a sidewalk outside . When nearby Harpo Marx's harp playing wakes up the baby , Popeye kills him with one sock , and poor Harpo is now playing his harp with a halo over his head . More crazy scenes occur , like Popeye singing and playing a banjo ; the baby taking his pipe , smoking it and blowing smoke rings . From that point , the whole story is Popeye doing whatever he can to stop noise , so the baby will go back to sleep and stay that way . Outrageous scenes follow . Popeye's solution to everything , at least in these first-year cartoons , is to sock it - whether it's people or an inanimate object . You cannot believe the damage - and the number of people he killed - our " sailor man " does in this story . In real life , he would spent his entire life in jail , if the jail could hold him ! |
523,417 | 4,445,210 | 60,748 | 8 | More Intense Revenge | This was a western with a good cast and another intense , interesting revenge story . It's fairly long at 130 minutes but Steve McQueen is usually charismatic enough to carry a film , and he does so here , too . As the title character , " Nevada Smith , " McQueen is joined by a number of well - known actors of the 1960s : Suzanne Pleshette , Karl Malden , Brian Keith , Arthur Kennedy , Raf Vallone , Martin Landau Janet Margolin and Pat Hingle . McQueen plays a man who is totally dominated by thoughts of revenge . It motivates his every move . I don't recommend that attitude , but it makes for a good movie . It was nice to see this in 2 : 35 : 1 widescreen . Even though I owned a new tape , that nice western photography made the DVD purchase worthwhile . |
524,858 | 4,445,210 | 104,694 | 8 | Davis Makes It A Winning Picture | As a sports fan , it's fun to see a film of a little different nature , the case here being women's pro baseball - something that actually took place for a short time during World War II . The best thing going for the film , in my opinion , was a very likable lead character - someone you could really root for - in Geena Davis ' character " Dottie Hinson . " She made the movie , as far as I was concerned as the rest of the cast - although good - was not particularly likable . For instance , Tom Hanks plays a profane , drunken manager , and not a lot of laughs except for famous , " There is no crying in baseball " line which has become famous . Then there is the family-friendly Madonna and Rosie O'Donnell . Yikes ! Actually , Madonna plays a nice , subdued character and she's okay to watch but , frankly , it's hard for me to warm up to O'Donnell in any role . Just hearing that voice is enough to call ' time out ' and stop the game . Many of the men in here are generally pictured as sexist idiots , which is the way left-wing Hollywood likes to portray men . The sad thing is , this is another one of the these Penny Marshall films that ignorant national movie critics call a " family film . " However , profanity - which includes four blasphemes ( even one by Davis which ruined her good-person character image at that point ) , a two-minute scene of hearing Hanks taking a pee . . . . and other things hardly add up to " family fare . " However , it is an entertaining adult movie that has a lot of charm to it and is recommended , especially if you're a baseball fan . |
523,789 | 4,445,210 | 496,705 | 8 | Nice Town , Nice Memories | This is a short little " tour " of the town of Galena , Illinois , which was used in place of " Chisolm , Minnesota . " The latter was area mentioned in " Field of Dreams " where " Moonlight " Graham lived . This was the town where Kevin Costner and James Earl Jones went to find him . " Graham " was the last character ever played by the great actor Burt Lancaster . Graham was the town doctor but had a brief ( one at bat ) fling in the Major Leagues and is nice part of this film's story . A town historian at Galena gives us the tour of his neat-looking old city where Abraham Lincoln once spoke , and where U . S . Grant is honored in a special way . Our guide shows us all the places where Costner , Jones and Lancaster spoke and what they look really look like . This is a likable little bonus feature . |
524,692 | 4,445,210 | 443,274 | 8 | A Real Strtech , But Good Diversionary Entertainment | Well , I doubt anyone will fall asleep watching this film . That's the best feature of this movie : it's very entertaining and once you start it , it's tough to put down . Being only 90 minutes , it's a quick hour-and-a-half . It also helps to know that you are going to get the story told from a handful of angles , so expect to see similar scenes running over and over , each with a few new wrinkles added . Also , expect a lot of the action scenes that are both fun to view but not very credible . My favorite - spoiler alert ! - of that is when " Thomas Barne's " ( Dennis Quaid ) little blue car is totally bashed in by a huge 18-wheeler . Not only that , the car is smashed up against a brick wall . It should look like a metal pancake . Seconds later , Quaid emerges from the wreck and is running down the street like a football halfback shooting his pistol ! He hardly has a scratch on him , and the limp disappears after about three strides ! Credibility-aside , along with a few cheap shots with placards early on by a crowd which protesting the U . S . at an anti-terrorist summit ( they prefer terrorists , I guess ! ) and the usual politically-correct characters , it's a fun ride not to be taken seriously but as a short entertainment diversion . The twists are fun to see , too , as the same-but-similar story slowly unwinds and all the pieces finally fall into place by the end . . . . . even though , how they do manage that is by stretching things a bit ! |
522,725 | 4,445,210 | 43,435 | 8 | Fun Dialog In This Sort-of-Noir | Good dialog and a fast-moving story make this one of the better somewhat-unknown film noirs of its day . Dick Powell and Jay Adler wisecrack their way through this film with some humorous sarcasm . Both are a lot of fun to watch . Powell was in his prime for this kind of role . He was much more mature looking than in his earlier musical days and he fits the part of a tough detective to a tee . His dialog with the tough cop , played by Regis Toomey , also is excellent stuff . Jean Porter provides added humor with her supporting role as the bimbo-thief date for Adler and Rhonda Fleming adds beauty . A younger William Conrad - with a dark head of hair and a mustache - also has a key role in here . Even though it is classified as film noir , I'm not sure it belongs in that category because it doesn't feature the brooding , dark type of characters and atmosphere one usually sees in that genre . One place is does belong is in your collection , if you like classic crime stories . This is another attractive film that still hasn't been issued on DVD . |
527,345 | 4,445,210 | 313,300 | 8 | A Film Recommended For All , Especially Kids With Cancer | If you know of any kids who are suffering with cancer , and especially those who diagnosed as terminally ill , this would be an inspiring film for them . Meanwhile , who doesn't like looking at butterflies ? Well , this story is a lot more than that , but you might as well enjoy the fantastic insects and nature scenery of Costa Rica while going along for this ride . This is another based-on-a-true story film , about boy dying of brain cancer getting his wish to go track down the mysterious " Blue Morpho " butterfly which supposedly brings magical powers . The film stars William Hurt and a couple of unknown actors : Marc Donato , who plays the boy , " Pete Carlton , " and Pascale Bussieres as his mom , " Teresa . " All three do a fine job . I really enjoyed the wildlife photography . Some of the insects , reptiles , birds and animals in that part of the world are just amazing . The story tries hard not to be sentimental , sometimes too hard and also infers near the end that the young boy was magically healed by some spirits of the jungle . Filmmakers love promoting mystical New Age-type stuff . Nonetheless , unlike what I expected , there was a happy ending to this story . Most importantly it was happy conclusion for the real person . Obviously , that is what is really important . This is the real-life story of David Marenger , who is a grateful , now-healthy young man who spends his time wisely helping other kids with illnesses . You can see him in an interview that accompanies the DVD . |
524,387 | 4,445,210 | 25,842 | 8 | Eat Your Spincach , Kids ! | A " Health Farm For Kids ? " I wonder if there ever was such a thing ? Well , it's here in this cartoon with Olive Oyl running the place and feeding the kids a big plate of hot spinach ! In a nutshell , the kids - and who can blame them ? - are sick of spinach and won't eat . They make a fit , too , and Olive doesn't know what to do . Along comes Popeye . . . . and what better salesman than he to sell the product by showing what it can do ! Popeye feeds the green stuff to various plants and animals and their growth is pretty amazing . Some of this is very funny and all of it is very silly , but it's definitely worth watching and a pleasant break from the Popeye vs . Bluto boxing matches . |
522,569 | 4,445,210 | 43,341 | 8 | Bugs Battles Bruno | Colonel Korny's World Famous Circus is in town , featuring " Bruno , the Skobokian Acrobatic Bear . " The colonel gets a phone call informing him of a talented rabbit and the boss says , okay , tell him to come down and I'll have him perform with Bruno . The big bear , overhearing this , is not happy . " Nobody shares the spotlight with Bruno The Magnificent , " he tells us ( the viewers ) , " especially a stinking little rabbit . " Anyway , the act starts that night and immediately , Bruno starts sabotaging Bugs , trying to ruin him . After Bugs takes some big-time licks , he catches on and the tables are turned . The two go at it the rest of the night and you know who will wind up the big winner . How Bugs brutalizes the beast is pretty funny with some clever ideas . The sight gags were good , too , such as Bugs " pedaling " a bicycle in midair . The movie ends with a bang , literally . This is prime Bugs Bunny humor . |
524,727 | 4,445,210 | 43,338 | 8 | The Good & The Bad Of ' Ace In The Hole ' | This hard-to-see film finally came to TCM recently so I was anxious to check it out . ( To my knowledge it has never been issued on VHS or DVD ) . I found the fist hour to be riveting with crisp dialog , interesting characters , and some nice camera shots by director Billy Wilder and photographer Charles Lang . Kirk Douglas was intense as " Chuck Tatum " and Jan Sterling ( " Lorraine Minosa " ) was pure film-noir platinum blonde with attitude . Then , the next 40-45 minutes disappointed me , to be frank . Tatum slowly softens to the point where the film loses its edge , going from an adventure story-film noir to more of a melodrama . Sterling's character almost disappears from the screen , which doesn't help . However , with 10 minutes left in the film , a shocking scene with her jolted me back to full attention . Going back to Sterling for a minute , if you are a film noir fan and rank Marie Windsor high on your list of actresses , you'll love Jan in here . It just wish she had a bigger part . My other " wish " was that this script would have been a little tighter . I drags too much in the second half . About 10-15 minutes cut out of here would have made this easier to watch and keep the suspense tighter . The story is not an unusual one . I've seen it on film a number of times , the from the classic era to now : an overzealous newspaperman going past the bounds of good taste and ethics to get ( or " keep " in this case ) a good story going , just for the welfare of himself or his paper . Yet , this " yellow journalism " or " tabloid mentality " story has some different twists to it , such as being set in a mountainous desert , not in a big city . The acting is superb , not just with the two leads but with all the supporting actors , led by Porter Hall , who played the newspaper editor " Jacob Boot . " I also appreciated the sarcastic comedy in here as Wilder and the screenwriters parody the " carnival " atmosphere which develops when a tragedy occurs and people make a financial profit out of it . As the days linger on and the man in this story clings to his life trapped deep in a mine , the circus atmosphere grows . Hence , the second title of this film : " The Big Carnival . " That latter title was used when the film bombed at the box office in America the first time it was shown . Later , it was reissued under that second title . It still bombed . However , today it seems to be getting cult status , I would believe a DVD of this will be forthcoming because my guess is that it would sell . |
524,571 | 4,445,210 | 765,875 | 8 | Who Dumped The Body In The Water Tower ? | Blood comes spurting out of a shower head in one apartment and a sink in the other . A woman lies dead in a water tower above that apartment building . How could such deep wrist injuries but leave almost no blood splatter ? That's just one of the many questions Mac , Lyndsay and Don have to figure out in solving this mystery . The superintendent and a drug-addicted doctor are the key suspects . The solution is a pretty clever one and perhaps not one that many people would figure out . In case number two , Stella and Sheldon are called to Washington Heights where a guy has been tied to a pole and beaten to death . Back in the lab , Danny joins the other two in trying to find out who the killer is in this one . It all boils down to competition in the fashion world which leads to a murder . |
522,815 | 4,445,210 | 60,839 | 8 | A Mouse With A Lot Of Bite | Our hero is up in the mountains in some log cabin . There are seven blankets piled on his bed . He obviously needs to stay , but immediately is frozen when he opens the front door and a ton of snow falls into the cabin . After thawing out , he decides to make breakfast but finds out his place is devoid of food ! After looking at his calendar , he sees the first day of spring isn't until three more months . He pictures himself as a skeleton by then . A little mouse comes out of his hole and pictures the same thing after he sees no cheese in the mousetrap . This is the mouse from Hell , as it turns out . He's got teeth like razor blades and he immediately goes after the Pink Panther to eat him ! The rest of the cartoon is a battle between the PP and the mouse - two starved creatures going at each other , almost like a Tom & Jerry cartoon , expect this is a vicious little mouse ! One of the most clever bits I've seen in a cartoon is the part in which we see the advancing mouse through the sleeping eyelids of the Panther , which slowly open and close as we seeing the advancing opponent ready to strike . The ending was a little weak , but at least there was a twist to it . Overall , this was very inventive and fun to watch and is an above-average cartoon . |
522,386 | 4,445,210 | 60,838 | 8 | Mice Were Funny , But Got A Bit Pushy | Rather than go into the story , which a couple of other reviewers did here , I'll state a few things that struck me funny in this Pink Panther cartoon . I liked the mouse's Park Avenue-type entrance , the fanciest I've ever seen in a cartoon , and cartoons love to show mice and cats . I also laughed at the " dagwood " sandwich he made and carried back to the hole , and the clever way he figured out how to stuff in through the small entrance . I also laughed at his buddies knocking on the front door and then racing in with musical instruments and a bottle of champagne for the party ! Later , we see them party hats on . These were amazing mice . One guy even plays the electric guitar . However , they lose their cuteness in the last minute or two . These guys are pushy ! |
525,998 | 4,445,210 | 60,836 | 8 | Definitely Inventive | The Panther is giving a salesman presentation on stage , trying to promote his new " healthful , delicious , positively perfect beverage - Pink Punch . " Each description is on a placard . Unfortunately , when the card gets to " Pink Punch , " the dotted " i " on Pink turns from pink to green . The Panther uses his pinkie ( pun , not intended ) to erase it , but then his finger turns green . When he takes a glass of his concoction , his finger returns to its normal pink color . The PP then goes to work on getting rid of that green asterisk-like dot , which turns out to be quite a chore ! This little " greenie " won't be replaced ! It even laughs at the Panther and spits in his face . What's more , it has a parent ! This is very original material and fun to watch . Also unfortunate is that here is another PP cartoon with a laugh track - the dumbest mistake the people connected with this fine cartoon series ever made . I finally just turned the sound off and watched the last two minutes in silence , which took the aggravation out . |
527,130 | 4,445,210 | 104,454 | 8 | Films Don't Get Much Prettier | Being a man who appreciates beauty and great visual movies , I have checked out all the Merchant-Ivory films . I found this to be their prettiest , just stunning in its beauty . Story-wise , I preferred " The Remains Of The Day , " but this was okay . It just didn't have the appealing characters " Remains " had and it was a little too soap opera for my tastes but the visuals made up for that , . . . and the story , to be fair , was solid and involving . It also had Anthony Hopkins and Emma Thompson , and those two make a great pair . I would never get tired of watching either of these great actors , especially when they are together . If you like period pieces - this is 1910 Edwardian England - along with fabulous sets and scenery , a solid cast , and an involving story , you'll like this . If you are a fan of melodramas then you'll really , really like this ! |
525,980 | 4,445,210 | 87,365 | 8 | DVD Did Not Do Justice To These Stunning Visuals | After I first saw this , I thought , " Wow , this is the most spectacular movie , visually-speaking , I've ever seen . " Since that time , I've seen some that topped it but it still ranks as one of the best in that department . I'm just disgusted the long-awaited DVD was so poorly done , the quality of this transfer hardly better than the VHS tape . The jungle scenes are filmed in Cameroon , and " lush " is the best adjective to describe what you see . Except for jungle sounds , " seeing " is certainly almost everything in the beginning as there is almost no " hearing , " no dialog until Tarzan ( Christopher Lambert ) befriends Ian Holm and vice-versa . . . . so be ready for that , if you haven't watched this film . Story-wise , all I'll say is this is not the Tarzan many of us came to know in Johnny Weismuller films . . . . . but that's not a complaint . For those craving action , and don't care about cinematography as I do , you just have to get past that silent introduction period In this Tarzan version , our hero goes back to Scotland ( his roots ) , adapts to that environment ( for the most part . . . . and a little too quickly for credibility , frankly ) and then returns to the jungle without Jane . This is supposedly more true to the Tarzan books , written by Edgar Rice Burroughs . The special effects in here were done by Rick Baker , one of the best in the business . Sharp DVD or not , this is still a stunning film to view and very interesting throughout its 2 hours and 15 minutes . |
523,564 | 4,445,210 | 104,558 | 8 | 7 Things You Usually Find In A Jackie Chan Film | With most of these Jackie Chan films , you are guaranteed of getting the same material , meaning : ( 1 ) tons of violence ; ( 2 ) extraordinary stunt scenes ; ( 3 ) good sound ; ( 4 ) some hokey dubbed voices ; ( 5 ) a juvenile story with even more - juvenile attempt at humor ; ( 6 ) very little profanity and blood ; ( 7 ) a stupid but still enjoying movie ( for at least one viewing . ) All of this adds up to a " fair " rating . The fun part of watching Chan's films are the outrageous action scenes and stunts by The Man , himself . Especially for someone getting up their in age , Chan is incredible since he does his own stunts . In this film , Chan's girlfriend , played by Michelle Yeoh , does her own stunts , too . She is an excellent martial arts talent in her own right and a pretty lady . By the way , during the closing credits they show some of the stunts that went wrong . Not all of these are shown for laughs . In a few of them , Chan is injured . The sound was amazing for a VHS . I can only imagine the stereo on the DVD . Overall , a dumb movie with unrealistic fight scenes ( people just about get killed , but keep getting up for more ! ) but if you know that and just want to enjoy a lightweight action film , it serves its purpose . |
526,702 | 4,445,210 | 260,768 | 8 | For Those Who Want To Learn More About One Of The All-Time Rock Greats | Nobody respects and reveres those old American rock pioneers like the British . That goes for blues , too . I share their love for these guys and could sit and listen to toe-tapping rockabilly , or blues all night long . Maybe that's one reason most of my favorite rock performers are English and Irish . Thankfully , one of those Brits who loves those early rock ' n rollers is Paul McCartney . The former Beatle was not happy with the 1978 movie portrayal of Buddy Holly so he made this documentary . Frankly , I don't see what was so bad about the Gary Busey ' 78 film about Holly but if McCartney says there were too many flaws in it , I believe him . Since Holly was my favorite singer from the late ' 50s , I'm glad to see the ex-Beatle provide us with more insight and performances of the man from Lubbock , Texas . Of real interest was some footage of Buddy , Elvis and Johnny Cash . This is supposedly the earliest clips ever made of Presley and , man , you can see why the girls went crazy over him . Among the interesting comments in here was by McCartney who commented that fellow Beatle John Lennon never wore his glasses on stage until he saw Holly with his dark-rimmed glasses . Hey , if it was cool enough for Buddy , Lennon said , it's good enough for me and he wore glasses while performing from then on . That's the one of the many influences Holly had on future music greats , as we hear in this documentary . Fellow Holly band member Sonny Curtis really impressed me with his voice and guitar playing . " The Crickets , " Buddy's band , had a lot of talent . Since this tribute was made over 20 years ago , it's interesting to see how young everyone looks , from McCartney to the Everly Brothers and even Keith Richards ! The main thing , though , is that we get a real feel for who Buddy Holly was , where he grew up , the atmosphere , the people and managers who surrounded him ( including a very pretty ex-girlfriend ) and to hear how driven he was to succeed and do the kind of music he wanted to do . It all makes me sad , recalling how we lost of the greatest rock singers / writers of all time at the tender age of 22 . Thanks to McCartney for this " labor of love . " |
525,516 | 4,445,210 | 43,265 | 8 | Two-Person Adventure Story That Entertains | This is almost strictly a two-person movie with Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn dominating the story and screen time . It's a likable classic film because of those two famous actors , a nice romance , good adventure and even some comedy thrown in to the mix . I'm shocked a well-known film with these actors still isn't available on DVD in Region 1 , as of late 2006 . The two actors squabble in the beginning but I like the fact that the film didn't go on too long in that regard as they did in many old-time battle-of-the-sexes movies . The story also a little unusual in that neither lead actor is in his / her prime , meaning it's almost a middle-age romance story . Once they become enamored with each other , the movie mainly goes into the trials the two have in piloting this boat , " The African Queen " down river with the goal of reaching a German ship and blowing it up . Yes , it's a World War II movie , of sorts . To be honest , the film does slow down a bit in the beginning of Bogie and Hepburn's romance but the last 30 minutes finish strong with one obstacle after another hitting the pair of adventurers , and it's interesting to watch . |
522,747 | 4,445,210 | 148,040 | 8 | Flip Vs . The Magician | Flip The Frog goes head-to-head with a swami-type magician , both trying to top each other ( with some funny results ) . This all happens after the latter pulls a disappearing act with Flip's girlfriend . You can't blame a frog for trying to get his girl back . Flip goes inside the big tent where the magician went to present this girl - a small version of Betty Boop - to his king . I guess it was an offering of some kind . The king likes her , pays the magician cash , and the girl tries to escape but there are guards everywhere . When Flip arrives , we get more of these crazy magic stunts and he tries to get his girl back and the opposing magician tries to prevent that from happening . As with most of these UB Iwerks ' Flip short subjects , it's a nonstop adventure filled with what seems like a hundred sight gags packed into seven or eight minutes . So . . . . is it entertaining and worth a look ? Sure ! |
523,447 | 4,445,210 | 373,444 | 8 | A Humorous Explanation Of Animation | I really liked this : stick figures explaining to us - and themselves - what animation is , and some of things it can do . . . . . both good and bad . Hey , as they say in here , anything can happen in animation . . . . . . even those beloved Innocent stick figures can be set on fire . ( Yes , the writers here are sick people . ) " Welcome To The Show " also parodies those introductions you see at the movie heather about " no smoking " and patronizing the place to buy popcorn and candy . The stick figures dancing to the tune " Let's All Go To The Lobby " can't help but make you laugh . The second part of this trilogy , " Intermission In The Third Dimension " has its humor , too , and I enjoyed the subtle stuff , such as graphics stating " not all theaters offer 3-D glasses " after the two high-pitched cloud-figures-with stick arms and legs asked , " Do you all have your 3-D Glasses on ? " Then one of the " guys " walks back and forward , in case we do have the glasses . The explanation of the meaning of the " third dimension " is pretty stupid and the sight gags from there are very lame . " End Of The Show " is the finale of " The Animated Show " DVD . I like the speech one of cloud-guys gives about the serious business of animated art and how it isn't just mindless violence for kids and " mentally handicapped " people . ( Their words , not mine . ) Of course , after that speech we see nothing but violence and death ! |
527,478 | 4,445,210 | 43,292 | 8 | Dragnet Heroes Go ' Postal ' | For someone who grew up in the Fifties watching Dragnet as a kid , viewing this film in the Nineties was strange : the cop-heroes of that TV show , Jack Webb and Harry Morgan , are now villains in this film ! Webb played the tougher of the two characters , by far , and was effective in that role . Meanwhile , Alan Ladd played his normal good guy-tough guy role . Another odd thing about this movie is that Ladd was an agent for the U . S . Post Office , an organization - at least back then before people went " postal " - one doesn't normally think need policemen . But , as it was explained in the film , it was needed and the movie goes quickly from a corny-hokey start into a tough film noir . Phyllis Calvert adds a soft touch to the proceedings as a nun who humanizes Ladd , and helps him with the case . In all , I'm making this sound perhaps more interesting than it was , because it was okay but nothing super . Still , I'd like to see it get a DVD treatment some day and I'd consider buying it . |
525,752 | 4,445,210 | 96,098 | 8 | A Lot To Like . . . . . Except The Ending | It wasn't until my fourth viewing of this film ( and first on widescreen DVD ) that ( 1 ) I finally remembered who the killer was as soon as I saw him and ( 2 ) lost a little regard for this otherwise very entertaining thriller because of the implausible ending . It's a different kind of adventure story / crime thriller in that the beginning and ending scenes are both in big cities and the long middle part is in the Northwest wilderness . There is some great mountain scenery to enjoy as we tag along with two groups : one which has the killer and his hostage ( a slim Kirstie Alley ! ) and another with an FBI man ( Sidney Poitier ) and his guide ( Tom Berenger ) , who is the hostage's boyfriend . I had no problems with any of this story until the last 20 minutes when both parties reached Vancouver . Then , all credibility went out the window as Berenger is allowed to be side-by-side with Poitier as the latter and the killer shoot it out in various parts of the city . It gets worse as it goes on with Poitier a dead duck a couple of times but he never dies . Only Superman could have survived what he did , but he's the " good guy " so he makes it in the end . A little restraint in that ending would have kept this movie just great . Still , if you can put up with the ending the film still offers a lot of suspense , a lot of mystery , interesting action and scenery . . . . . in other words , a lot to like . |
525,290 | 4,445,210 | 17,925 | 8 | Buster Has To Prove Himself . . . . . . Again ! | I liked this a lot more on the second viewing , the first on DVD . It wasn't that the print was so much better as I just appreciated Buster Keaton's humor and physical prowess more today than I did back when I first saw this film . That , and I can never get enough trains on film ! Keaton plays " Johnny Gray , " a railroad engineer who signs up for the Confederate army when the Civil War breaks out . However , they reject because the South felt he could be far more valuable to their cause if he remained in his occupation than as a soldier . However , because his girlfriend wants him to sign up , and her brothers all did , she thinks he's a coward because he's not fighting for his kinfolk ( obviously not knowing why they turned him down ) . So , things look bleak for our hero . ( Note : true love never seems to be shown in these Keaton films . Buster always has to prove himself to these fickle women , who demand either heroes or tons of money from their men . ) Anyway , Buster is chased down the tracks by the Northern army train for much of the film . He tries to hold them off and keep his own little train running . . . . and rescue his girlfriend who was accidentally abducted by the enemy and is being held hostage in one of the cars . It's not as chaotic as I am making it sound , but it's fast-moving and entertaining film for most of the 75 minutes . To be honest , I can't see where it's a " masterpiece , " as so many label it , but it's a good film . Maybe I still don't fully appreciate it . Now that I have it on DVD , I will be sure to watch it more times . |
523,693 | 4,445,210 | 43,322 | 8 | Got Better As It Went Along | It's Father's Day and " Junyer , " who looks like Baby Huey except he's a bear in diapers , has set off a ton of alarm clocks early in the morning . The father , " Henry , " gently tells his kid he's not happy with those clocks , punching his kid in the face ! When Ma reminds Pa that it's Father's Day , Pa literally turns into " a first class heel . " That kind of sets the tone for this cartoon . The kid wants to pamper the old man for the day - but will kill him instead because he's so stupid ( i . e . he spells " tobacco " g-u-n-p-o-w-d-e - r ) and the father doesn't want the attention , just to be left alone . The mother is kind of goofy , too . This is a real dysfunctional family . In the last three minutes , I laughed out loud a number of times as the material in here got better and better with some clever , dark humor lines . Junyar's one-act play and Ma's tap dancing are both flat-out hilarious . |
524,456 | 4,445,210 | 43,315 | 8 | The Ultimate Smear Campaigners ? | Yosemite Sam is running for mayor . One of his campaign promises is " to rid this country of every last rabbit . " Bugs chokes on his carrot when he hears this . " Hey , this calls for strategy . I'll fight fire with fire , " he proclaims . He decides to run against " Honest Sam . " Talk about smear campaigns ! Mainly , what these two guys try to do is the blow the other guy up , with dynamite stuck in everything from watermelons to pianos . It's the usual fare , but that means some clever gags and Bugs usually outwitting the loud and obnoxious Sam . In the ending , well , let's just saw a " dark horse " surprises both candidates . |
522,651 | 4,445,210 | 53,143 | 8 | Good Laughs , Interesting Cast | As with most movies from a different era , the attitudes are quite different . Feminists would hate this movie , if they saw it today . Hollywood would never make it now in first place , unless roles were reversed and men were made to look like sex objects . That would meet PC double standards . Nonetheless , agendas aside , there is a lot of good humor in here ; the story is interesting , and you get a well-known cast with Cary Grant , Tony Curtis , Dina Merrill , Arthur O'Connell , Gavin MacLeod and Marian Ross . The latter went on to be big names on television more than movies , MacLeod on " Mary Tyler Moore " and Ross on " Happy Days . " This was Happy Days on a ship , at least when some attractive women board the vessel . Grant has the best lines in the film - speaking lines , that is . Good entertainment . Lots of laughs before the PC made it impossible to laugh at anything , including ourselves . |
526,153 | 4,445,210 | 245,686 | 8 | Ya Gotta Love ' Joe Dirt ' | For a typical low-brained Hollywood comedy of this era , it was a pretty nice film . Of course , few if any modern-day comedies are " family fare " and this one isn't either but the lead character is a gentle , harmless guy . David Spade is very entertaining as " Joe Dirt , " a down-and-out nice guy ( but not exactly pure , either ) who tells his tale of trying to find his parents to sleazy disc jockey " Zander Kelly " ( Dennis Miller ) . Brittany Daniel is an attractive , likable female lead . It's a fast-moving hour-and-a-half . Some of the scenes are outrageous , such as a dog getting his - can I say this ? - testicles stuck to the porch . Yes , it's good family fare ! ! Ha . Ha . No , really , this was a funny film and worth looking for if you need a laugh . I'm surprised there wasn't a sequel . |
527,360 | 4,445,210 | 104,850 | 8 | Being Invisible Isn't What It's Cracked Up To Be | There are some interesting lessons to learn from this film . . . . not that any of us will ever get to learn this since we'd have to be able to turn invisible . However , when we think about all the fun we could have being invisible , we don't think of all the problems it would cause us . This movie brings some of those to light , so to speak . I enjoyed Chevy Chase and Daryl Hannah in here and I am not fans of either of them . Chase is funny in this film and does an outstanding job playing the role not just with humor but drama , romance and suspense . You get all of that in this movie . Hannah provides the beautiful face and someone for Chevy to chase . This is another PG-13 movie that really should have been rated R with the language , for one thing . Overall , it's a film whose title may sound hokey but the story is done well . It''s actually though-provoking . Being invisible would not be all fun and games . |
524,543 | 4,445,210 | 43,255 | 8 | A Surprising Amount Of Laughs And Maybe A & C's Best | I only watched this once , but that's my loss . I should see this again . Although not a big fan of these guys , I thought this was their funniest film , along with Abbot & Costello Meet Frankenstein . Although the latter is considered their best and most popular movie , my vote just might go to this one . This film was simply a lot of laughs from start to finish and the special-effects with the invisible man are good , too - even over 50 years later ! The boxing scenes at the end of the movie are incredibly hokey but they are humorous as the " invisible man " helps Costless in the ring . Sometimes silly , sometimes stupid but generally fast-moving , this film is highly - recommended for those looking for an innocent , old-time comedy with a surprising amount of laughs . |
523,856 | 4,445,210 | 1,136,093 | 8 | Amidst Of Bevy Of Modeling Beauties , Wolfe Is Back & LeBrock Still A Threat | Well , I guess the big news on this episode is that former CSI regular " Ryan Wolfe " is reinstated . No surprise , there , although he supposedly wouldn't be back for awhile because of protocol and red tape . I guess Horatio went to bat for him and the red tape disappeared . He promises to be a good boy and repay Horatio . Of course , one of the first things he does is hit on a new girl . By the way , is there a fat or ugly person who works at CSI ? Is there a woman who isn't a knockout and has a great body ? Anyone just normal-looking , like you see in your place of work ? Speaking of beauty , the murder story involves a professional model who is electrocuted on the runway during a fashion show . How did this happen and why ? The how is determined quickly but , of course , not the why . That leads us to the normal twists , turns and usual suspects including a hardened criminal who has made several appearances lately on this show : " Joe LeBrock " ( John Sharion ) . I guess we'll see more of him , too , since he's the main villain at the prison in which Horatio's son is locked up . That will be a continuing story , especially since the inmate Horatio " employed " is murdered halfway through this episode . Now who is going to protect " Kyle ? " |
525,781 | 4,445,210 | 43,232 | 8 | A Nostalgic Treasure | Sky King is one of the first television shows I remember watching , so it has great nostalgic value for me . I'd love to see it again , since it has been 50 years since I last watched the program ! I do remember the character " Penny , " probably more than I remember " Sky King , " although the name Kirby Grant ( Sky King ) was always remembered and I couldn't have told you who played Penny until I read the title page here at IMDb . I do recall Gloria Winters ( Penny ) has a wholesome , cute blonde . I've read some reviews that say she is annoying in this program , but I can't recall that . A cowboy who flew airplanes - now that was a different angle for a storyline ! This was an adventure program that was a favorite in our family , too , as my father always had interest in flying and eventually was able to buy a small plane - a Cessna , similar to the one Sky King flew ! I'd sure love to see some episodes of this again , although I don't know how they would look today . I am encouraged that some of these are available on DVD . One thing for sure : you can't beat the good messages that television shows brought to us families in the ' 50s , unlike the garbage you see today . |
522,379 | 4,445,210 | 60,451 | 8 | This Lamp Gets No Respect | A talking magic lamp ? ? Yes , and he's a funny guy . He says things like " zowie , " " be the life of the party ; amaze your friends , come on in ! " The Pink Panther was just walking along minding his own business one day when he spotted the lamp on the ground . The lamp gives him this funny sales pitch ( see above for part of it ) and convinces him to be a " genie " inside the lamp . Then , he says , just wait for people to rub the lamp and you'll be in business ! That turns out to be easier said-than-done . People don't know it's a magic lamp . How would they ? Consequently , our PP has some disrespectful ( and funny ) things happen to the " lamp . " Sometimes he comes out of it , dressed in genie garb , and then places the lamp out where some nice people ( i . e . an old lady ) will see it and take it . Most of the time , he just hops around inside of it and waits to see what happens . Each time , however , it's a disaster . I didn't find this hilarious as others have , but it was inventive and definitely fun to watch , especially the beginning . |
524,276 | 4,445,210 | 397,245 | 8 | Bonnie & Clyde : Should They Be Romantiicized ? | It's amazing how the entertainment business loves to glamorize gangsters . They love darkness , but I expected a history-centered TV program like this to be a little more objective . . . . yet , more times than not , these two famous outlaws were made to look like sympathetic characters in this episode . They interview Clyde Barrow's sister and read letters from a Parker family member's memoirs of 1968 . They interview college professors and - surprise ! - they give more of the same slant . This all despite the fact that Bonnie & Clyde were cold-blooded killers and a pair of real low-lifes . Amazing . If you don't believe me , just read the synopsis here on the IMDb title page . " Romantic " folk hero types ? I don't think so , even in the Depression Era . If so , people should be ashamed for rooting for killers . Whatever the case , this episode provided a lot of background information on this famous pair of lovers on the lam from the early 1930s . In the middle of the Great Depression , gangsters were not always seen in a bad light , thanks to the entertainment business who often glorified the exploits of these " modern-day Robin Hoods , " as it was stated here on TV . There was Pretty Boy Floyd , John Dillinger , Ma Barker and her gang , Baby Face Nelson and Machine Gun Kelly . . . . . . all " glamorous " names . For much of Bonnie & Clyde's criminal exploits , the blame was put on their poverty-level upbringing , as if that is a legitimate excuse for crime . It's pointed out here the brutality of a jail in Alabama which really hardened Clyde and changed him from a thief to a murdering one . There are a lot of facts here in this Biography episode , though , that don't have sides , per se , but are simply interesting . People who don't know anything about these two figures outside of what they saw in the famous 1968 film " Bonnie & Clyde " will be quite a bit more informed when this program is over . For instance , Bonnie and Clyde were in love a lot more than what we saw in the film . How they met and formed their relationship , along with a ton of other pre-crime spree history , is all very interesting . A nice bonus , too , is actual footage of the victims at the end , when the two were ambushed and , along with their car , riddled with bullets . The picture shows - from a little distance - Parker slumped over in the seat . The crowds at the funerals were also shown , and it's remarkable . It's amazing how " celebrities , " no matter what their occupation , have always fascinated " normal " people . |
525,662 | 4,445,210 | 26,073 | 8 | Stanwyck Good Choice For The Role | Barbara Stanwyck , as I have mentioned in other reviews , was a tough woman but a likable one , at least with me . I don't normally go for those tough dames but her voice and personality she brought to a lot of roles always attracted me . A case in point was this movie . I doubt if another actress would have made this a better-than-average film , which Stanwyck did . Preston Foster's character in here , meanwhile , undergoes one of the fastest transformations I've ever seen on film , from arrogant pig to very likable good guy in no time at all . In fact , he turned out to be such a good guy that parts of this film , where " Toby Walker " was wronged , are difficult to watch . There's a little humor also thrown in this western , mainly involving " Sitting Bull . " It's been a long time since I've seen this film but I would definitely watch it again if it came out on DVD . |
524,857 | 4,445,210 | 122,151 | 8 | Best Of LW Sequels & A Good DVD ' Demo ' | I read somewhere when the DVD of this film came out that it would be a good " demo " model for dealers trying to sell DVD players and surround-sound equipment . Well , they were right ; it's awesome , or at least it was back in ' 99 when the disc came out , back when not everyone had a DVD player . It's still top-of-line for picture and sound . When bullets are flying around , you hear them from all five speakers . It here it almost seven years later and we still find many films without this kind of excellent surround - speaker participation . The Lethal Weapon series , this being the fourth and last of them , was popular because of the combination of action , comedy , suspense , romance and drama . For me , they wore thin because the characters were too loud - always shouting at each other , too profane , too smug , too much Liberal-agenda and there was too much action . Things needed to slow down here and there , and give the viewer a break now and then . This sequel is no exception , although it was a little tamer than the first three Lethal Weapons , that is until going berserk again in the final few scenes , one of which - the hospital scene - was totally unnecessary . To be honest , some of the action scenes in this movie were amazing even if they had no credibility . You just have to suspend belief and enjoy some of the outrageous scenes in here . As usual , there are the left-wing agenda plugs , unwarranted cheap shots at the NRA , it's okay - to - have - a - baby - out - of - wedlock , etc . etc . Although the couple does finally get married , a rabbi performs an irreverent quickie ceremony , another slam on the seriousness of marriage . With all that goes on in this film , as in the three previous LWs , you are worn out by the end . If you are a fan of this serious , this last sequel should please . I thought it was the best of them . |
527,143 | 4,445,210 | 104,940 | 8 | My Favorite Version Of This Famous Story | In terms of humor or songs , I can't honestly rank this was high as most of the other Muppet films BUT it may be the most touching version of the Dickens classic story I've ever seen on film . The lyrics to the last two songs are fantastic : very Christian-like and very profound . Scrooge ( Michael Caine ) , meanwhile , is not portrayed as some screaming maniac as he so often is in other versions . His transformation from cold-hearted tightwad to caring , generous person is done more subtly , too , than in other films . However , to be fair , sometimes the slapstick humor in here gets in the way of the touching story . The last part of the movie is a lot sentimental drama than Muppet comedy and I found that refreshing . Not much offensive in here , either , making this a good film for little ones as well as older , sentimental folks . |
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