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526,462 | 4,445,210 | 1,066,641 | 8 | A Lot More Than They Bargained For | The first part of the year 1862 is covered in this second installment of the " The Civil War " nine-part TV series . At this early junction , the war has become much more than a lot of people back then thought it would ever become . Troubles occur for Lincoln as his son dies , and for Union military leader George McClellan who , after finally beginning to lead his men into battle , hesitates and pays a huge price being fooled by vastly underrating the size of his enemy . Some of the horrors of war are explained in this episode . Back then , they didn't know how to take injured men off the field of battle . Thus , limbs often were not able to be saved , blood was everywhere , and the battlefields were just horrendous sights . |
526,463 | 4,445,210 | 1,066,646 | 8 | Lots Of Info To Start This Series Off | This first segment in this 9-part television series looks at the beginnings of the American Civil War : how the South felt and why it seceded from the Union ; President Abraham Lincoln's election , and the beginning battles of this famous war . This , being the longest episode of the series at 100 minutes , had a lot of facts presented . To those not well-versed on the war ( such as I ) , this was like taking a course in American history . There are so many facts to learn and names to remember - if I want to keep up with this series - it gets taxing on one's brain . However , the program is presented in such a format that it is usually interesting . Filmmaker Ken Burns went on to use this format in his other projects , such as the series on baseball . He shows a lot of black-and-white pictures of the era , throws in some modern day color shots ( which are beautiful ) and adds narration to everything . The latter is in the form of letters written by witnesses of the war , or in biographies or in comments by modern-day historians . The voices are provided by a host of people , from history writers and commentators to Hollywood actors . Those quoted most often in this opening show are two of the most eloquent men in U . S . history : Lincoln and Frederick Douglass , the black leader of his day . Also , at the end of this segment , we hear quite a bit about George McClellan , a man who got the Union armies in shape to fight . Overall , there were too many bits of information to recall them all here . |
522,635 | 4,445,210 | 148,472 | 8 | A Rough Day Trying To Deliver The Milk | This is strange cartoon that offers both a lot of good and bad : the good being funny sight gags and the bad being an annoying sadistic-like young kid who loudly cries and torments Flip , who is a milkman in this cartoon . It don't think poor Flip had a milk bottle left after this kid got through destroying everything . Earlier , Flip was pretty funny and the way he threw - baseball pitcher-style - milk bottles to his customer was humorous . I also enjoyed the sun goosing the rooster weather vane to get him going in the morning , the cow getting dressed up and put on her makeup before she got milked ; the horsefly getting his just deserts and the two horseflies coming by with a stretcher to get him ! I love the zaniness of cartoons . The kid , a Dennis The Menace type but even meaner , gets away with murder . Flip was a lot more patient with the kid than most people . . . . and all is happy at the end . . . sort of ! |
525,141 | 4,445,210 | 1,066,649 | 8 | Memorable Telling Of Appomattox | The final 10 minutes or so of this episode , the discussing of what happened when Generals Grant and Lee met in Appomattox for the surrender of the war talks is fantastic . The description of these two men was so dramatic and so eloquently expressed that it made up for the unpleasantness in the first hour of this eighth episode . Much of that unpleasantness has to do with the total destruction of Atlanta and much of the state of Georgia . No matter what side you take , this is tough to hear described . War seems to bring out the best and worst in men . There are some people here who did so many cruel , despicable deeds it would make you sick . There are also , of course , many incredible brave and noble men and women . Watching this , I discovered why so many people are fascinated with this part of American history and frankly - right or wrong - I can see why bitterness in the South lasted so long . However , as it is pointed out here , General Sherman , who led this swath through Georgia had a purpose : to make war so detestable that the South would think long and hard , or perhaps never consider , ever doing battle again . He knew war was " all hell , " and expressed it numerous times . Meanwhile , we hear about what else is going on in 1865 , this last year of the war ; other battles , other triumphs and heartbreaks , about the slaves celebrating and some not quite sure what is safe to do . We also briefly hear about John Wilkes Booth and his hatred for Lincoln and himself . That story , in depth , I believe is on the last tape in this Ken Burns Civil War made-for-television event . As in Burns ' baseball set and other projects , he seems to have his favorites , people who get an inordinate amount of " air time . " One in this series has been Mary Chestnut , who is frequently quoted . One begins to wonder why she gets so much " ink . " I'm guessing one of the answers is simply because she kept such a detailed diary of the war . Along a lighter note , I am constantly amazed how a long production like this , with no moving pictures , can look so good visually in spots . The color shots , from recent times , of the South are the prettiest . This nine-part series not only is audibly fascinating , but visually as well . The Civil War pictures , of course , were all black-and-white but at least we have a pictured record of the war . Some of those pictures , however , are pretty harsh . . . but that's the horrors of war . |
522,263 | 4,445,210 | 1,066,648 | 8 | Grant & Lee Battle On | The year 1864 marks the fourth year of this horrible war . Pictures sent depicting some of it are so horrendous people can't look at them . They show one here , and you'd swear this was a photo of someone in a concentration camp in World War II . The man was nothing but skin and bones . Horrifying . The more was learns of the Civil War , the worse it gets . Grant now had command of the largest army in the world . His rank had grown to " Lt . General , " the first since George Washington . We get a profile of his amazing rise from loser in society to the leader of the North military . Then we get a profile of the most military leader of the them all : General Robert E Lee of the South . Most of this installment of the series is about Grant and Lee , and their battles to two had up and down Virginia . Then , after a very depressing segment about all the men suffering in the ever-growing number of hospitals , we get another profile of an important man in this war : General Sherman . With Grant stalled at Petersburg , Grant had to win in Tennessee and Georgia . Abe Lincoln predicts he will lose the election , perhaps by a landslide . |
523,788 | 4,445,210 | 793,129 | 8 | A Lot Of Information About This Famous Country | This also goes under the name " Globe Trekker " and was a series of hour-long travelogues that were televised sometime in the mid 1990s . ( This was my first look at any of the shows and I saw this on DVD . ) Justine Shapiro is the host and narrator for this tour of Vietnam , a country that became very famous in the 1960s and early ' 70s with the United States involved in a big war over there . In fact , Justine's first statement comments on that : " I've been here 12 hours and it still feels kind of strange , an American traveling in Vietnam . " In Ho Chi Minh City ( formerly Saigon ) , mopeds and bicycles outnumber cars , 100-1 . Four million people live there . You can get a hearty breakfast for 20 cents . Other highlights , tidbits and observations from this " tour : " Every weapon that was used in the Vietnam war can now be tried out by tourists . We also got a quick tour of the vast underground tunnels and rooms the Viet Cong used . The country's coastline runs 2 , 000 miles One beautiful spot were Shapiro stayed overnight was Na Trang , Vietnam's " premier seaside resort . " The first leg of the bus trip took 12 hours . All the buses - one of the main forms of mass transportation - are at least 30 years old and uncomfortable . On her next leg , riding on a train , Justine was the only foreigner in second class . However , she noted , " Women traveling alone in Vietnam are simply not hassled . " The train , called the " Reunification Express , " averages only 30 miles per hour . The rest of the video has more travels up north and odd customs of the people , such as drinking snake blood to ward off possible diseases , or not being able to see your friends for three years as a sign of mourning for a recently-deceased father . Vietnam remains one of the poorest nations on earth . The average national income is about $250 per year but they are friendly people who always made our host feel welcome . In Hanoi , foreigners are not allowed to drive . " It's a good thing because they wouldn't survive , " said Shapiro , who explained that there are no rules there and people drive like maniacs but have learned to develop incredible skills because of it . ( For example : driving over 100 miles an hour in traffic ! ) . The spectacular scenery didn't come until only six minutes were left when we saw ( something that sounded like Hai Long ) Bay , with its 3 , 000 limestone islands which have many caves inside them . We got a tour of one of them . Three-quarters of Vietnam is mountainous and much of it remains unexplored to this day . I was hoping to see more the beautiful scenery in this country . That was the only disappointment in this DVD . I'm not complaining , though , because I did learn a lot about this country that will always be famous because of the war . I was surprised at finding another " tour " on this disc , one called : " Treks In A Wide World : Motorbiking In Viet Nam . Zay Harding takes us on another tour of Vietnam in this bonus feature . First , he brings us to Ba be Lake National Park in the northern part of Vietnam not far from China . Harding visited it during their big festival of the year . . . . and ate some disgusting food which he didn't care to eat . Harding is a bit full of himself , but he has a good sense of humor and will try anything to impress the ladies or get a laugh . Later , he travels down south to Ban Don - 5 , 000 feet up in the mountains and a beautiful place , a respite from the heat at lower levels . It is in the Central Highlands where tons of fighting took place in the war , over a million bombs a year dropped . We met " The Elephant King " who has captured 298 elephants and tamed them for domestic ( agricultural ) use . He is 87 years old and has 91 grandchildren . Hes a " living village . " However , there are only about 100 elephants left in the wilds and by 2020 , they could be extinct in this country . That , and more , are all in this informative look at Vietnam . |
525,039 | 4,445,210 | 925,248 | 8 | Very Interesting , But Armstrong Was Missed | This recently-released documentary had some fantastic footage in it , and a very personal look at many of the astronauts who went to the moon . Overall , that is a very exclusive club : only about a dozen men ever did it in the history of the world and just eight or nine ever stepped foot on it . Most of them are still alive and they discuss their adventures , insights and personal feelings here . One gets the feeling that the rest of us will never know exactly how beautiful the moon is except to take the astronauts ' words about it , because even the pictures on this DVD can't convey that . It just looks dull and gray , but the men say it was spectacular . I believe them . Since this documentary is about 100 minutes long , you get a lot of information . You also get reminded how close two of the three men who went up on that historic first walk on the moon almost didn't get home alive . A glaring absence in this documentary - through no fault of the film-makers , is the most famous astronaut of them all : Neil Armstrong , the first man to step foot on the moon ! Apparently , he did not want to be part of this film . One of the astronauts , near the very end of this documentary , mentions something briefly about Armstrong being somewhat of a " recluse " now and it " being understandable with what he's gone through . " From what I've read , a lot of people have tried to make money off him in shady ways and so now he's withdrawn from the public spotlight . Still , not having his thoughts on this historic mission is a real loss to this film and makes this story seem incomplete . After a slow first half hour , this really picks up when we travel along with Armstrong's Apollo 11 crew . Seeing slow-motion pictures of the lift-off and great shots of the earth are just awesome . The worldwide reaction to the success of this mission will bring a tear or two to your eyes . This film , a legacy to the Apollo program and the brave men who ran it , should be in every schoolroom . It would make history a lot more interesting to students . |
523,917 | 4,445,210 | 156,025 | 8 | ' Not Fade Away ' At Apt Opening Tune | Pictured here in concert are the Rolling Stones in Miami's Joe Robbie Stadium in the early ' 90s . The South Florida crowd really enjoyed this concert , as you will see and the old codgers - the Stones - didn't disappoint , putting on yet another entertaining show . I don't remember all the details but I remember this concert was a bit on a raunchy side , with Jagger french-kissing - or pretending to - one of his backup singers during the show and more than a few sexual gyrations by a few people on stage . . . . more than normal . Other than that , it was the usual exhibit of the incredible vitality the group still has at these performances . One wonders when they peaked , or is that yet to come ? Almost all the songs here are good , even if they are so familiar . Facially they make look like they're near the end but " Not Fade Away " is appropriate opening number because that describes this band . |
526,209 | 4,445,210 | 43,090 | 8 | A Very Good , Unknown Film Noir | This was a bit of a sleeper , better than I thought and not a well-known film to begin with , since it never came out on VHS . William Holden and Nancy Olson both worked on Sunset Boulevard this same year this was released and here are together again . Actually , I like the two a lot better in this film than the much better - known ' Boulevard . ' Yes , some of the scenes are a bit dumb but the story moves well and keeps your interest which is what a good crime story-drama should do . For some reason , I really enjoyed the train station , too . It looked awesome . Hopefully , some day this movie will be part of a film-noir package on DVD . |
526,096 | 4,445,210 | 95,765 | 8 | The Loves Of ' Toto ' Beautifully Told | After seeing this special edition DVD which shows the entire 174-minute film ( in addition to the 121-minute one that most of us had seen over the years , ) my rating of this film was elevated . This review is of the longer " director's cut . " Most of the new footage involved the main's character's romance while he was a young man . The story then is continued years later when that character comes back to his hometown for a funeral and runs into the woman he was in love with but never was able to get for his own . It turns out to be a somewhat tragic love story . The first part of the film , with Salvatore Cascio as " Toto " a young boy is a love story about two people sharing their love of movies : the kid and an adult " Alfredo " ( Phillpe Noiret ) who runs the local movie theater . Their love of film bonds them for life . The word " love " is used repeatedly in this review because that's the dominant theme : the love people had for others and for the world of film , something all of us on this website share . The second and third parts of the film are the above-mentioned love story of Toto ( Marco Leonardi as an adolescent and then Jacques Perrin as an adult ) and " Elena " ( Agnese Nano / Brigitte Fossey ) . The first third of this director ; s cut edition is much livelier and interesting , frankly , than the last two-thirds . Although not boring , it does drag in a few spots but the longer version is better in the long run because it makes the whole story much more meaningful . It's very nicely filmed and you get a real feel for the Italian people and their little town . The director of the movie , Giuseppe Tornatore , went on to make other great visual films , two of which I also like : Malena and The Star Maker . . . . . but Cinema Paradiso , I believe , is considered his " masterpiece . " |
525,848 | 4,445,210 | 43,088 | 8 | Powerful Film Unfairly Treated | The more I watch classic films , the more I discover what a great year 1950 was in the movie business . Here's another good film , and one many people are probably unfamiliar with . This one revolves around the newspaper business . Dan Duryea , as usual , is interesting as " Mike Reese , " a bad guy-turned-good guy journalist . He is joined in the cast by Herbert Marshall , Gale Storm ( one of the great names in show business and who will forever be " My Little Margie " to those of us who were around in the ' 50s ) , Howard Da Silva and Michael O'Shea . Of the above-mentioned , Da Silva was the most fascinating , as the brutal mob boss " Carl Durham . " He only had a minor role , but some of his lines were outstanding and his role was memorable . Da Silva was a great actor for film noirs . This isn't really a noir , but it's close . Marshall was just fine as the newspaper owner . The film was not kind to the newspaper business , so some media-minded film critics ( who probably had columns in daily papers ) didn't like this film for that reason . Too bad . They should have liked it , since it had Left Wing written all over it , with several Liberal themes and favorite catch-phrases such as " witch hunts " ( one of their all-time favorites ) . Nonetheless , it's a powerful film and well-acted . |
523,126 | 4,445,210 | 245,562 | 8 | Another Decent Modern-Day WWII Movie | It's nice to see World War II films making a comeback , as they have seemed to do since the arrival of " Saving Private Ryan " in 1997 . This is another of them and with modern technology the viewers get to experience some very realistic action scenes . The main thing is that the story is interesting . With a John Woo-directed film , you know are going to get tons of action , almost always too much , and that's the case here . However , some of the scenes are fantastic . You also get some beautiful cinematography . Still on the positive , the acting was good in here with Nicholas Cage in the lead role and a lesser-name-but-good supporting cast . The story , although fairly long at 134 minutes , was never boring . On the negative side , as mentioned , Woo tends to overkill and this movie must have a set record for number of people killed . It also leans on the politically correct side , of course , with Native American spirituality given complete reverence as usual and the Catholic ( Cage ) looking like a very weak in his beliefs . In modern-days , you'll never see the opposite shown on film . Anyway , it's a good action movie that certainly entertains . The intense and long action makes it almost too much to watch in one viewing ! |
524,919 | 4,445,210 | 25,862 | 8 | This Tarzan Film Just About Has It All , Including Skin | Considered by almost all the critics to be the best of the Johnny Weissmuller Tarzan films , I have no argument with that , although there are a couple of others I thought just as entertaining . One thing : it's the longest of the series that I've seen at 105 minutes . I've only seen six of them but this was longer than I'm used to and with the drawn-out action finale I thought the whole thing was a bit too long . Nonetheless , it is a good mixture of action , suspense and romance . The only things missing are color and stereo sound . The primitive special-effects don't bother me , as that was all that they had back in the 1930s . Among some , this film is most noted for one thing : skin ! " Jane " never wore anything this skimpy after this film as the Hays ' Code was instituted by the time the next Tarzan film was made . Her outfit showed what a great figure Maureen O'Sullivan possessed . The nude underwater scene , however , was not her - by a longshot . The woman under the water didn't have a good figure at all , whoever it was . There is plenty of action in here . Up to the finale , it was not overdone , either . The ending went on for 15 minutes , though , and was so intense that it was almost too much to watch . Still , this movie offers about everything - except " Boy " ( their adopted son ) - you'd want to see in a Tarzan film , even O'Sullivan doing her Tarzan yell about a dozen times . With her pair of " lungs , " that was no problem . |
524,921 | 4,445,210 | 133,093 | 8 | A Bit Confusing But A Big F / X Treat | Special-effects were the drawing card when this came out at the end of the 20th century , and those effects were spectacular . They lived up to their billing . Unfortunately , the story was a bit confusing for much of the two hours , a bit too secular-minded for me , although others have viewed this with Biblical analogies . I do think the script could have used some humor here and there . It took itself a little too seriously . That was especially true for the four main characters . Nonetheless , because of the stylish visuals and effects , it entertained . I liked the monotone-speaking Hugo Weaver the best , or at least found him the most interesting . Lawrence Fishburne's character came in a close second in that regard . Once again here's a movie that made you glad VHS tapes were being phased out in favor of sharper , widescreen transfers . |
525,005 | 4,445,210 | 351,382 | 8 | Ten Minutes Of Absurd Fun | A stingy man who cannot throw anything out , even to the point of eating the pits of cherries , winds up paying for his obsessiveness in a very strange way . One day , a small sprout grows on top o his huge bald head . He snips it off , and this happens a few more times . He even saves the snippings . Eventually , a cherry tree grows on his head . Doesn't that sound a little weird ? It is , and it only gets more and more strange as the story develops . Later , people live on his head . Then he gets sick of that , so he yanks the tree out and a big hole is there . When it fills with water . . . . . . well . . . . . need I say more ? The best parts , at least for me , was the wonderful animation , the hand-drawn artwork , and the complete absurdity of the story . It's definitely 10 minutes worth of your time if you enjoy something different . |
522,299 | 4,445,210 | 69,765 | 8 | A Story About Real Friendship | There was nothing hokey overly melodramatic about this story , and usually you get that with a sports story or about a good person dying . In this case , we have a combination of the two . This is simply a mellow , sweet-natured human interest story well-acted by the two main stars : Michael Moriarity and Robert De Niro . Both are nice to watch , playing very easy-going non-offensive characters . Moriarty plays a pitcher on a pennant-contending team who lovingly looks after his not-so-smart-but-dying teammate and friend ( De Niro ) . By today's standards , it's slow-moving but I never got bored with it in several viewings . As nice a film as it is , there is one warning : a lot profanity by the manager ( Vincent Gardenia ) but it's not a kids ' movie anyway . I watched it years ago and then again recently when it came out on DVD . It's hard to get excited about it , yet it's a memorable story that I could never get out of my head . We all wish we had friends like the one Moriarty portrays here . |
523,943 | 4,445,210 | 737,764 | 8 | Historically Inaccurate But Makes For Good Drama | I made a mistake of reading about Ma Barker before watching this second episode in the first season of The Untouchables . It kind of ruined things , because this story is almost entirely fabricated for dramatic purposes . In real life , Ma Barker never was directly involved in any of her boys ' crimes and certainly wouldn't be firing a machine gun as she does in the dramatic shootout in Florida . Also , this episode is disappointing because I want to see Robert Stack as " Elliott Ness " and his " Untouchables " in action in Chicago and this turns out be the Claire Trevor show as we see the life of her and her boys , mainly in Oklahoma . Trevor plays the kind of character atheist Hollywood loves to show : a church-going person who is nasty , violent and downright evil . Yes , in real life Barker came from a religious background , but this episode goes to such extremes in its distorted way to show a hypocritical woman that it's laughable . In truth , Ma was nothing more than an accomplice , unable to rat her boys out . Trevor was always good playing nasty women in film noirs so she is effective in that role here , especially at the " advanced " age of 49 . Speaking of that number , Trevor plays a character very similar to " Ma " in the 1949 movie " White Heat . " Margaret Wycherly played that role and , frankly , I would choose her over Trevor . Anyway , this was a departure from most of stories in this series , and a little too bias ( and overacted by Trevor ) to suit me , although it certainly wasn't boring . Actually , there was one very neat thing in here . One of the Barker boys , " Doc , " wound up with a girlfriend whom he married . She was a beautiful young woman , very sexy , and looked familiar . I just couldn't place where I knew her . The ending credits told me . It was Louise Fletcher , of " Nurse Ratched " fame in " One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest . " Fletcher was about 24 when she filmed this episode . |
527,136 | 4,445,210 | 148,289 | 8 | A Tribute To Rock Guitarists | Guitar greats discuss their instrument , and other artists , in this interesting segment of the History Of Rock ' n Roll series . It was interesting to me because I love a good guitar sound , which is one reason I am big fan of the blues as well as rock . Les Paul is not a name young people probably recognize but he is noted here as the pioneer of electric guitar . What a difference in sounds between Paul and rockers of the ' 50s up to the next decade , culminating with Jim Hendrix ! That guy is still being imitated today and few people could ever do that . One was Stevie Ray Vaughan , but he's been gone for awhile , too . Anyway , it's always great to hear Eric Clapton , Jimmy Page , Keith Richards and those guys from the ' 60s who are still going strong , along with blues great B . B . King and rock greats Mark Knopfler and Jeff Beck . That's just a handful mentioned here in this 45-minute program . Man , you could go on for hours about all the great guitar players over the last half century . Note : this is non-rated but for those who might have younger kids watching this , two of the guitarists use the f-word while someone else ( Eddie VanHalen ? ) mentions " getting pussy . " Well , I'm sure rock guitarist have no problem in that area ! Overall this is an entertaining look and listen . If you buy or rent this , remember it was made in the mid ' 90s so guitarists who have made a name for themselves wouldn't be included here . |
524,621 | 4,445,210 | 69,865 | 8 | Matthau Makes The Modern-Day Noir Work | This was a pleasant surprise ; better than I thought it would be , although I shouldn't have been surprised since Walter Matthau usually plays interesting roles . What I appreciated was the realism of the story , except for two things at the end of the film such as no one coming to investigate a loud chase scenes and firebombing ? Overall , the ending , however , was a very satisfying one , and one that brings you back for future viewings . Matthau also makes the film realistic , as he typecast perfectly for this role . Other than Matthau , the cast isn't a big-name one but a lot of familiar faces and names from movies in the ' 60s and very early 70s such as John Vernon , Sheree North , Joe Don Baker and Felicia Farr . Andy Robinson , is a not a known name in movies because he did years of television , but viewers might remember him as the creepy " Scorpio Killer " in the first " Dirty Harry " film . " Charlie Varrick " is considered a film noir even though it's 1973 and in color , but it's noir in story and that's good enough for me . This is definitely worth a look if you like crime films . |
522,519 | 4,445,210 | 737,786 | 8 | Gangsters Do Themselves In | Jack Weston plays a slob-like thug nicknamed " The Artichoke King " who is terrorizing the produce industry in New York City . In town for a brief stay , Elliott and the boys decide to see if they can get this sick murderer before he causes more harm . This was an interesting episode thanks to a number of facts presented about how gangsters operated back in the era , such as how the largest flowers sent to the funeral almost always indicated who killed the fellow mobster . That's what this story winds up being about : rivalry inside the gang in which " Ciro Terranova " ( Weston ) has a subordinate " Frankie Yale " knocked off after the latter " becomes too big for his britches . " Ness pits one gangster after another until they incriminate themselves . . There are other good guest stars in here , such as Mike Mazurki , Al Ruscio , Jerry Paris and others , and the photography is excellent , too . I had no idea these " The Untouchables " TV shows were so well-filmed until this DVD came out . This was solid camera-work done on these shows . |
527,334 | 4,445,210 | 25,922 | 8 | The Quirks Of ' 30s Popeye Cartoons | For some strange reason , I've noticed that in a lot of these 1930s cartoons - Popeye's and others - flames from fire come alive . The flames take on a human personality and do human things . In here , one of the flames from a burning house sidles even over to the fire alarm box to send for the firefighters ! In other scene , flames from one window reach out and shake hands with a flame coming out of another window . Of course , it's Olive house on fire and , of course , Popeye and Bluto are the competing fireman are both ready to be the heroes . Those two have already been shown belting each other back at the company : Bluto , of Fire Co . " C " and Popeye , head of " D " company . I really enjoy the artwork on these ' 30s Popeye cartoons , how our main characters are drawn with the exaggerated features , and I also love how they draw buildings . Olive's huge house in the cartoon looks super . I also advise those who have this as part of the Popeye The Sailor Volume One 1933-1938 DVD to put on the English subtitles , otherwise you'll miss a lot of what Popeye says , since he mumbles a lot . In here , it's doubly important because Bluto mumbles like Popeye as they taunt each en route to trying to put out the big fire at Olive's house . Some of the dialog is funny . Most of it , however , is nothing of the laugh-out-loud variety and nothing noteworthy , except what idiots these two guys are - more concerned about beating up the other guy than saving the house ! It's little things in this cartoon that produce smiles , such as how they guys get water out of their hoses , how the ladder becomes alive , etc . |
527,220 | 4,445,210 | 43,014 | 8 | Give It At Least Two Looks | On my first viewing , I wasn't particularly impressed with this movie but I liked it a lot more on the second and by the third - when it's magnificently transferred on DVD - I was fan , too . This is a good visual film , particularly when it shows the inside of this incredible mansion where a lot of the scenes take place . To those who have never seen it , you are warned that it is not an easy film to view , it being a portrait of a pathetic has-been silent movie star who still thinks she can come back after a long hiatus and be a star again . Gloria Swanson , who plays the role , overacts and certainly is not appealing , even bordering on grotesque at times , but she isn't supposed to look good . That's one of the points of the story . Anyway , a young William Holden , in his first starring role , is okay and also provides the narration . The most interesting figure in the film to me was the ex-husband-now butler , played by Eric von Stroheim . He's amazing in this film . In supporting roles , I also enjoyed the wholesome Nancy Olsen and the young Jack Webb of " Dragnet " fame . This combination of drama-soap opera-film noir is one of the professional critics all-time favorite films . Odd how they love movies and Hollywood stars so much , yet relish films that tear them down , as this does . |
525,658 | 4,445,210 | 104,802 | 8 | The Best ( and only ) Mambo Movie I've Ever Seen ! | Excellent " mambo " music and colorful characters made me rate this a " 9 " after the first viewing . After several looks , the novelty - how many mambo movies are there ? - wore off and it settled in as an " 8 stars " film but I don't regret seeing this several times . It's fun to watch . Armand Assante was particularly good in here and I was intrigued with Maruschka Detmers , a new face which at times looked striking . Since she resides in France and hasn't made many , if any , English-speaking films , we here in North America haven't really seen her since this film . Assante and Antonio Bandaras are the two leads , however , sharing the spotlight with the music . Both actors are excellent , maybe the best roles of their careers . The story moves best the first 40 minutes with a lot of that " hot " music but then gets a little melodramatic afterward . However , I found it interesting all the way through with a nice tale of brotherly love and devotion . For all you " Ricky Ricardo " fans of " I Love Lucy " television : if you want a real feel of Latin Americans-in America during the 1950s , check this film out . |
525,478 | 4,445,210 | 148,346 | 8 | A Pretty Wild Version Of ' Jack And The Beanstalk ' | I read where this was the first of the Celebrity Productions Comicolor cartoons . Color at the movie theater had to be a very , very big thing to audiences back 75 years ago . The cartoon still entertains today . Jack and his mom are broke and hungry . The animals in the house are starving , too . It's not a pretty sight . Even mom's purse is depressed . ( Inanimate objects often talk or come alive in these 1930s cartoons . ) . The purse says , " What are we going to do now ? " Everyone is skin-and-bones but Jack sells the family cow for three beans . They turn out to be magical , of course , but you knew that ! The beanstalk that sprouts overnight goes miles into the sky and Jack decides to check things out . This really becomes an otherworldly fantasy with some crazy sight gags that include stinky feet and a hen that lays golden coins that automatically go into a cash register . " Fee fi , fo fum " about sums up this entertaining classic cartoon . |
523,961 | 4,445,210 | 737,740 | 8 | Guest Stars Add Spark To This Melodrama | The end of prohibition is less than a year away and the gangsters are starting to look for other avenues to keep their criminal activity alive , Walter Winchell informs us in the opening narrative . Crime now is centered on such things as " the numbers racket , call girls , gambling and dope . " This story , however , taking place in early 1933 , involves a guy who still wanted to control the liquor business and take over the speak-easies using strong-armed methods . The man : " Big Jim " Harrington , played well by Ted de Corsica . " Big Jim's , " number one thug in his gang is " Loxie " is played by one of my favorite character actors of that era : Timothy Carrey , who I first saw in the great film noir " The Killing " ( 1956 ) . The twisted , sick grin on Carrey's face after he lights a match is about to ( maybe ) set nightclub owner " Benny Hoff " on fire is chilling ! He has that sadistic grin throughout the program . Other pleasant surprises are " Johnny Paycheck , " played by Cameron Mitchell and " Renee Sullivan " played by Phyllis Coates . The latter was TV's first " Lois Lane " on the George Reeves - starring show . By the way , I wonder if the real Johnny Paycheck's parents got the idea for their kid's name watching this episode . Anyway , as for Harrington and his brutality , the violence was a police matter but the whiskey , a federal one , which brings in our her " Elliott Ness " ( Robert Stack ) and The Untouchables . The story is okay , not as good as looks like it's going to be after the first 5-10 minutes because they go too long on the relationship of Johnny and Benny , but it's nicely filmed and the actors make it worthwhile , especially Carrey , who never looked so evil . . . . and Coates , who never looked so sexy . |
523,845 | 4,445,210 | 35,414 | 8 | Spoofing Abbott & Costello , And Introducing ' Tweety ' | A takeoff on Bud Abbott and Lou Costello , famous comedians of the classic era , we have two cats : " Babbit " and " Catstello " just trying to survive and find food , like climbing a very tall tree for a bird snack , if they can get it . That little bird turns out to be " Tweety , " the little yellow ( later on ) canary making his Looney Tunes debut . Actually , more than half of this cartoon features Tedd Pierce and Mel Blanc imitating the two comedians . They are far more scenes than the little bird but the best scenes are the ones with the little bird high up in his nest . Tweety is naked - no feathers . It's kind of weird , being skin color all over . It's like he's just a tiny baby that has been recently hatched . Anyway , he won't put up with a cat trying to get him - this is one strong little " boid . " " Catstello " can get a little too loud and abrasive ( Blan was never subtle with his voices ! ) but otherwise this was a fun cartoon and interesting Tweety's start in animated films . I thought the best thing about the cartoon was the direction by Bob Clampett . There are some great " camera " angles in here and it's drawn cleverly in many spots . |
526,549 | 4,445,210 | 25,963 | 8 | Wimpy's Trademark Line | This starts out like a Betty Boop cartoon , meaning with a song . Popeye and Olive have opened a diner and they are seen outside of it on opening day , singing and dancing " We Aim To Please . " After that , we see Wimpy and Bluto standing on the other side of the street , observing . " Watch me obtain a hamburger without the necessary fee , " says Wimpy . He goes inside and says , " I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today . " That line went on to be used by him for the next 30 years . It became his trademark , along with the hamburger-eating , of course . There's not much of a story to this , but it was very entertaining . We only see two customers , but they are Customers From Hell , mainly Bluto . Wimpy won't pay , of course , but Bluto's aim is to demolish the place ! He does everything he can to disrupt the the diner and act like some moronic vandal , just for the sake of being a no-good you-know-what . If you have this cartoon on DVD , freeze-frame she shot where Popeye shows the menu and read it - it's pretty corny and funny . |
526,490 | 4,445,210 | 94,697 | 8 | A Loving Tribute To ' Bogie ' | This is one of the longer bonus features you'll see on a DVD but it is well worth your time if you are a fan of Humphrey Bogart . The late actor's wife , Lauren Bacall , looks back fondly at her hubby , so this is a loving tribute . There is a lot of information here , along with film footage of his famous and not-so-famous films , plus a few home movies and a television clip or two . Actually , anyone who lives classic-era movies should enjoy this documentary , which can be seen as a bonus feature on the two-disc Special Edition DVD of " Casablanca . " It was originally aired on television 20 years ago . Bacall doesn't mention any unpleasant things about Bogie so you don't get the whole picture , but she a nice job of discussing her late husband , who has been deceased now for a half century . Bacall is eloquent in her reminisces . So , too , are the many varied contributors in this tribute to " Bogie , " from directors to actors . Some of the interviews are archive footage as those folks had also passed away when this documentary was made , but most are done " live " for this documentary . Director Richard Brooks seemed the most dramatic of the group . Some of the interesting things one wouldn't see just in Bogie's film career but are shown in this documentary included : Bogart being interviewed on the old Ed Sullivan " Toast Of The Town " TV program and cracking jokes on the Jack Benny Show ; film clips from Bogie's first films in 1930 where he's actually a fresh-faced young man ; clips on the set in Africa of " The African Queen " where he admits he spent most of the time griping about being there ; home movies of his wedding and Bogie playing with their kids ( Bogart turned father at the age of 49 ! ) , and much more . . Bacall shows clips of her husband doing what he loved most : sailing . He was a true man of the sea and thought that was the greatest spot on earth to be , where it was calm and quiet . She also mentions that her husband was not the guy everyone saw on screen . In addition , we got some inside information about the filming of Casablanca , and how tense the actors were since nobody - including the writers - knew what the ending was going to be until they just about reached that part . I never realized Bogart was in a film in 1953 that actually was the original " MASH " military-comedy . They just didn't call it that , deferring to " Battle Circus , " instead . Overall , although anything but objective , it's a nice , kind tribute to one of the most famous actors in the history of film . |
527,036 | 4,445,210 | 183,649 | 8 | One Way To Get Your Message Across ! | I only looked at this because a friend loaned it to me so , at zero cost , what could I lose ? Well , it was a lot better than I anticipated . Oddly , even though it's only 80 minutes long , I think this could have been better with about 10 minutes chopped off . It starts to repeat itself too much near the end . You have to remember , almost the whole film takes place within a phone booth ! Colin Farrell does a super job playing a sleazy guy held captive in the phone booth by a threatening sniper-caller . The story , although simple , holds your attention because there is great suspense , innovative camera-work , an involving story that hooks you in pretty fast and some great sound . I hope you have a surround sound system because the caller's ( Keifer Sutherland ) voice on the other end of the line is something to hear ! There is a big moral message in this film , too , about doing the right thing and paying for your sins , which Farrell sure did . It was really refreshing to hear that message , effectively told . Maybe some of us need a sniper to get the message across , but I hope not ! Are there holes in this story ? Sure , but it's still good and has a cool ending . The only warning I would give readers here is the language : this is a very profane film with Farrell going overboard on the f-word . If that offends you , then stay out of this phone booth ; otherwise , it's pretty entertaining |
522,438 | 4,445,210 | 25,316 | 8 | Could Have Been Super With Different Ending ; Still A Top ' Classic ' | The first movie to sweep all the major Academy Awards , this film is still popular today . That's probably so because the dialog between the two stars of the picture - Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert - is just great . Those two make this fun to watch . I enjoyed it , however , much more on the first viewing than subsequent ones . It lost some of its zip after I knew what to expect . The ending , too , was very weak . Over the last 20 minutes , the two stars go their separate ways ( until the very end ) and the story gets very stupid . The nice romance that had developed between the two seemed to have disintegrated when Gable left one early morning ( for good intentions ) but didn't tell Colbert . The latter thought Gable ran out on her . Hollywood , in films of the 1930s and 1940s , loved to have romances in which confusion abounded and everything was misinterpreted for the worst . . . . until the happy ending when the truth somehow would surface . That same theme was in here , along with yet another trivialization of marriage , another common theme during the classic era . Colbert says it herself in one line , mentioning she doesn't care for this other guy , but what the heck , might as well get married , what's the difference ? Huh ? If the scriptwriters here would have just kept the " road " part of this film going longer - with Gable and Colbert trading barbs - it would have been super . Gable has the best lines an is the most fun to watch but Colbert can hold her own . She looks really pixie-ish and cute , although most of her closeups are done with a fuzzy lens , another habit of filmmakers of that era had with female stars . One of the film world's most famous scenes is in this movie : the hitch-hiking scene in which the cocky Cable explains the different ways of successful thumbing in order to get a ride . . . . and gets nowhere while Colbert , on her first try , gets a car to stop immediately after she lifts up her skirt ! That is still one of the great comedic scenes in movie history . Overall , this is still one of the best comedies of " The Golden Age , " even with its faults . |
524,150 | 4,445,210 | 1,206,156 | 8 | A Totally-Insane ( But Fun ) Episode | There are so many wacky , insane things in this episode , I wouldn't know where to start . Suffice to say , this show continues people with green blood , a deer killed with a crossbow and then having a skirt put on it ; a lady who wears tinfoil and says she communicates with aliens , a 60-some year old married couple who die in their sleep in the same night but aren't murdered ; a ultra-violent drunk who is beats up several officers at police headquarters , is pepper-sprayed and then tasered and then bursts into flames and dies . In addition , there are lawnfuls of dead squirrels at the old folks place and at their welder / sculptor neighbor's , who is a woman who is flaky . . . . . . and then there is the big story about brutal migraines and what they are doing to some of the above-mentioned people . Among the wacky , sad to say , are the three usual CSI suspects : the ludicrous " Hodges , " Wendy , " and " David . " The latter , the assistant ME , is brought to tears over a dead animal but is never upset at a human being killed . Another CSI worker , the female who wears glasses ( " Mandy ? " ) , tells Hodges he'd better stop living with his mom if he wants a girl , meaning her . There is a lot more , but why spoil it ? At the end of the show , Grissom gives his " Theory of Everything " which could possibly tie all the bizarre events together . His New Age speech all being tied together by some invisible string is utterly laughable , but he's serious and all his CSI subordinates seem to nod in agreement . Man , these " scientists " will anything about the universe , except about a God , of course . None of the three CSI shows gets as bizarre as this one has done the last three years . Sometimes it's funny , sometimes it's insultingly-stupid but it's usually pretty interesting . Never a dull moment in Las Vegas , I guess , especially when you have wackos as the good guys and the bad guys ! |
527,144 | 4,445,210 | 265,349 | 8 | Great Suspense | This gets high marks for suspense alone . It is a very tense movie , guaranteed to keep the first-time viewer glued to his / her seat . It might even raise a few hairs on the back of your neck ! Dramatic music also helped with the suspense . In addition , we get some fine acting performances from Richard Gere , Laura Linney and Will Patton . Don't be fooled , however , with the " based on a true story " tag line . It might be " based " but that could mean only a very , very small part of this film was actual ; the rest presented for dramatic purposes . This film is a good case of that , from what I've read . Nonetheless , it's interesting , has good visuals and decent sound and some genuine creepy moments . This definitely a film to have on DVD , as opposed to VHS , although I suppose at this point , few people buy tapes anymore anyway . Those looking to curl up on the couch with a good thriller : give this movie a look . |
522,891 | 4,445,210 | 44,984 | 8 | Bugs Vs . The Oil Baron | Wow , the puns and the parodies , etc . , are in full bloom right off the bat in this takeoff of Texas and it's oilmen and all their money . Bugs ' even has his own address : " Deepinhola , Texas . " Down there , in his semi-fancy hole in the ground , Bugs is first seen singing and playing the banjo . Here are some of his lyrics to the famous song " Home On The Range : " " Oh , give me a home , where the billionaires roam , and the oil and the cattlemen play " With their gushing oil wells and their gushing hotels , and count up their money all day . . . . . . " Well , you get the idea : this is oil country and tons of money The first real sign of that when we soon see the longest limousine in history roll up and we get the two other main characters of this story : two small dudes : the billionaire oil man and his chauffeur " Maverick . " Since , as the little oil man states , there shouldn't be a hole in Texas that isn't gushing oil , they see Bugs ' hole in the ground and want to convert that to an oil well . That's the theme of this story , and you know Bugs is not going to allow that ! The oil man , in essence , was Yosemite Sam without the beard : same Mel Blanc voice , same stupid , obnoxious character and same foil for Bugs . The ending was good , with Bugs explaining to us how this improbable thing we see could happen . |
525,024 | 4,445,210 | 36,334 | 8 | Daffy Is One ' Scrappy ' & Patriotic American ! | As others have explained here , this cartoon was made as part of the film industry's bid to help the U . S . and Allies with the World War II effort . The message in this one , with Daffy Duck providing the message with laughs , was to encourage people to save scrap so that it could be converted to weapons and ammo . Signs like " Get that lead out ! ( along with iron , brass , tin , etc . ) are at Daffy's Scrap Heap , where he does his bit to help win the war . Any question that this cartoon is anything but that is erased in his first scene when we see him with an air-raid helmet on and he's singing , " We're in to win , turn in your tin . . . . . . To our nation's call every rubber ball , Goes to conquer freedom's foe . " You get the idea : this is more of a patriotic message instead of the normal wacky Looney Tunes effort . However , that's not to say you won't laugh with Daffy in here , or enjoy the inventive artwork and direction by Frank Tashin . Much of the story tells of Hitler hearing about Daffy's scrap pile and he sends a billy goat ( don't ask ) to destroy it . The German leader is shown , it's safe to say , in a very unflattering light ! No objections there , from anyone I've hear , and none from me . It's ironic that our foes in WWII were depicted so negatively but Hollywood doesn't say one word today about the Islamic terrorists trying to destroy the U . S . Today , as I write this , there are several anti - American military films that are being shown and nothing which makes the enemies look bad . Over 3 , 000 citizens are murdered in the World Trade Center buildings and today's Hollywood only makes films mocking our soldiers ? Unbelievable ! Think about it . Watching this cartoon really makes the contrast really stand out , especially at the end when Daffy Duck is transformed into " SuperAmerican . " . |
524,714 | 4,445,210 | 79,116 | 8 | Even Better If You've Seen The Famous Site | An excellent second half of this film elevates it overall as the Alcatraz inmates plan and then execute their escape , narrowly missing several disastrous occurrences . The suspense during those scenes is outstanding . Clint Eastwood is good as the fairly low-key character " Frank Morris " and most of the inmates are likable guys ( which was highly unlikely in real life ) . For tourists of San Francisco ( of which I was one about five years ago ) , I would recommend taking the Alcatraz tour . It's fascinating and makes this movie even more interesting once you've seen the place . I notice the people here at IMDb make the same recommendation on the title page of this film . Much of the rest of the cast are not well-known actors but they do a fine job in here . This is one of director Don Siegel's final films . He worked with Eastwood on " Coogan's Bluff " and then " Dirty Harry . " Transfer-wise , the DVD was not that impressive , a bit too grainy for the usual standards . However , the story is always interesting and the movie is definitely recommended . |
524,675 | 4,445,210 | 148,676 | 8 | My Favorite Of The ' Riverdance ' Performances | This is a " revised " Riverdance presentation , staged at Radio City Music hall in New York City . Of the three Irish " dance " musicals that I watched during the mid to late ' 90s ( which includes the first " Riverdance " and " Lord of the Dance " ) I liked this one the best . I thought it was better than the original , held in Dublin , Ireland , because it adds segments that are mostly good , it has a more varied and colorful stage setting and it eliminated apiece for two from that original that wasn't good to begin with . This is just a very solid show with few weak spots . To be certain , there are some songs / dances that are just " fair " but none that are poor , which is amazing considering there are 20 numbers in all . The cast is similar to the first Riverdance with the main exception of Colin Dunne replacing Michael Flatley as the featured dancer . Both are extremely talented . The major difference might be in their looks with Dunne a little , goateed black-haired guy while Flatley is the clean-shaven blond . I prefer Dunne because Flatley's ego is so big he gets annoying at times . The female lead , Jean Butler , thankfully , is still there and is great to watch : what graceful beauty and talent ! Butler and the rest of these women have the greatest legs I've seen on dancers . I also enjoyed the dancing of Maria Pages , a Spanish flamenco performer , and two guys : Daniel B . Wooten and Ivan Thomas . One number - with those two pairing off against Dunne and two other dancers - 0 is called " Trading Taps " and is terrific fun to watch , maybe the highlight of the whole show . I have no complaints about violinist Eileen Ivers , either . The " fast " Irish songs here appealed to me the most . I appreciated the audience not getting in the way of the performance either with shrieks and screams like the women do in the " Lord Of The Dance " video . |
524,552 | 4,445,210 | 192,298 | 8 | Getting To Know The Family Better | This documentary was interesting to me because I saw it right after reading both of Frank McCourt's books : Angela's Ashes and Tis . So , I was interested to see what the documentary offered . What it offers is a brief summary of what happened to Frank and is three brothers after they had all arrived in the United States as young adults from Ireland . Frank's story I knew , but nonetheless he's always interesting to hear , not just read about . His brothers , which look similar to me with their pudginess and white hair , all have some interesting tales to tell . The Irish make good storytellers , that's for sure . Near the end of this 70-minute program is a very dramatic scene when the brothers get together to find the grave site of their sister who had died shortly after birth . All in all , if you are fan of the brothers ' work , this a nice documentary of a very interesting family . I would watch it more than once , just on its own merit . |
523,569 | 4,445,210 | 36,348 | 8 | Nice Camera-work In Here | This is a very entertaining Sherlock Holmes film with some of the best - maybe THE best - camera-work I've seen in the Basil Rathbone-Nigel Bruce series . The photography was better than the story , which was disappointing only in that it was too easy to spot the killer . Heck , even I found it no problem , so it must have been too easy . The characters were interesting and all quite different . Some were mental patients who had suffered from World War II . Miburn Stone played the lone American and I didn't recognize the man who went on to play " Doc " in the long - running hit TV series " Gunsmoke . " However , his voice sounded familiar . |
526,173 | 4,445,210 | 87,004 | 8 | Now Here Is Something Different ! | Can you say " different ? " Have often do you see a movie in which the lead character never utters one word ? That's the case here , a unique story of an alien who crashes near Harlem , a famous black neighborhood in New York City . The alien is a black man , so he fits in despite not being able to speak ! He's just looked upon as another " brother , " as the title indicates . Two aliens come after him - white guys , naturally . In the Liberal world of films , white people are bad and black people are good 99 percent of the time . . . . . at least when there is a contrast between the two . Writer-director John Sayles is a prime example of this type of racist thinking . But he wrote a fun film here , I have to give him that . Even though some of the scenes make absolutely no sense , it's an entertaining movie start - to-finish . Joe Morton plays the sympathetic alien with three toes and strange nails . You have to root for him because he's portrayed as such an innocent , harmless creature . The best part of the film is the humor , some subtle , some not-so-subtle . The guys in the neighborhood bar where the alien hangs out brought the biggest laughs . I find this a lot of fun to watch every three or four years . |
523,329 | 4,445,210 | 51,560 | 8 | Sad To Say , The Last Of The Droopy Theatrical Cartoons | Droopy takes a commercial flight to Ireland and winds up taking a solo sightseeing tour , buying a little leprechaun hat from a lady on a street corner , and then visiting " Shillelagh Castle . " En route , our favorite Irish dog , Butch , spots him and thinks he's just seen his first real leprechaun ! Butch follows him into the castle , where Droopy sees a painting " The Mad Duke , " who supposedly haunts the castle . The guy looks just like Butch , so Butch jumps into a suit of armor and spooks poor Droopy . The two then go at it , both thinking the other guy is someone else - either the Mad Duke or the valuable leprechaun . Sooner or later , one of them figures it out . This was the last of the Droopy cartoons , at least the ones in " The Complete Theattrical Collection " DVD package that came out recently . I am sorry to see it end . These were some of the best cartoons I've ever watched . This DVD set is recommended for anyone who loves to laugh |
526,379 | 4,445,210 | 45,000 | 8 | A Shock For First-Time Viewers | Wile E . Coyote versus Bugs Bunny ? Wow , this was a new one on me , when I first saw it , but it occurred a couple of times in Loony Tunes cartoons . . . . and we , the viewer , are the winners for it . Also different for first-time viewers of this collaboration between two LT stars , is hearing Wile speak . . " Allow me to introduce myself , " he says right off the bat to Bugs . He gives Bugs his card which reads " Wile E Coyote - Genius . " He then proceeds to tell Bugs , in a muted British accent , no less , that he intends to eat him . He's gonna give Bugs " the customary two minutes to say your prayers . " Bugs slams the portable door on him , says no thanks , and disappears back into his rabbit hole while Wile goes back to his cave muttering " Why do they always want to do it the hard way ? " After that , it's standard " Roadrunner " material with Wile pulling out every plan he has under " Operation : Rabbit " in his arsenal . . . . and the predictable result . The " smart " guys goes through a half dozen plans while the " dumb " thwarts him every time . I loved the ending to this cartoon as Wile humbly calls himself something else . This was a lot of fun to watch and a good lesson for those elitists who think they are smarter than most others . Surprise ! ! ! |
527,455 | 4,445,210 | 113,862 | 8 | Genuinely Nice Bio Film That Hits Mostly The Right Notes | This is simply a nice , dramatic story of a music teacher's life . Richard Dreyfuss plays the teacher , " Glenn Holland . " It spans 30 years of his career with a tear-jerking ending . Endearing characters make it a memorable film . The focus of the story is Dreyfuss and three students he gives special time to over the years . A big subplot involves the teacher and his hearing-impaired son . The students are winningly played by Alicia Witt , who plays the sweet girl who goes on to become governor ; Terrence Howard , a really nice kid who gets killed in Viet Nam , and Jean Louisa Kelly , the last and most memorable student perhaps , an extremely talented singer who goes on to a career in New York City . Interwoven are some personal stories , particularly with Kelly's character , and with fellow teachers ( Jay Thomas playing the most likable ) and school administrators ( Olympia Dukakis and William H . Macy ) . The most personal , of course , involves his hot-cold-hot relationship with his disabled son ( played by three different actors as time passes . ) Glenne Headly , meanwhile , plays Dreyfuss ' wife . As you can see by this cast , this is a well-acted movie with the only flaw being the screenwriters unable , as Hollywood seems to be , to control their political bias by giving unwarranted cheap shots to Republican politicians who are pictured as being against the arts ; atheist John Lennon almost deified in this film as one of the " heroes " of the 20th century , plus a few more digs and plugs here and there , all with the normal Liberal bias . Propaganda-aside , it's a genuinely nice film about people who succeed through dedication to their professions . The movie seemed to appeal to a wide audience . It's very manipulative , but it works . It's also a plug , if you will , for deaf children and the problems they face and the difficulties parents face in raising a kid with that disability . |
526,403 | 4,445,210 | 1,062 | 8 | Short Message - And To The Point | I wonder if this was a major problem a long time ago . I'll bet it was . I am referring to the subject matter of this early and very short D . W . Griffith film : rude people wearing big hats to the theater and blocking the view of those in back of them . Considering that people have probably been inconsiderate for as long as humans have inhabited the planet , this might have been a problem . Since people haven't word big hats in a generation or two , a lot of people don't remember " big hat days . " Whatever , it makes for an amusing little film with a unique suggestion to dealing with the problem ! If people were slow to get the message , the director put in print at the end . The special-effects aren't exactly state-of-the-art for today's audiences but I bet they shocked the film-goers 99 years ago , when this was seen . |
527,396 | 4,445,210 | 36,279 | 8 | Real-Life Justifiable WWII Paranoia In Cartoon Form | This was my first look at a " Private Snafu " cartoon . All I know is I first see some nerdy - looking private walking around the Army camp and saying in rhyme , " I just a learned a secret ; it's a honey , it's a pip , but the enemy is listening so I won't let it slip . " After that I thought this was going to be very corny and stupid , but it was anything but . Afterward , when I saw Theodore Geisel , a . k . a . " Dr . Seuss " wrote it and Mel Blanc did the voicing , I wasn't surprised it was entertaining . Spies are everywhere , following Pvt . Snafu , even to the telephone in the town drugstore where our hero goes to call him mom . The German and Japanese stereotypes were typical of the day , so anyone who is offended watching today should not be . The Allies were not exactly fond of Germans and Japanese in 1943 ! It wasn't just verses that were clever . If you look close , you see some quick sight gags like two moose heads on the wall crossing antlers making the Nazi insignia . There's also a good message about how liquor loosens up our " zipped " lips . The main message was for everyone watching this in the theaters during a very tense time in the world's history : be careful what you say , that one careless word could leave to many people getting killed . This was a " From The Vaults " feature on the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume Three . |
525,888 | 4,445,210 | 443,706 | 8 | The All-Consuming Zodiac Killer | A couple of years ago , I read an article about how some people are still obsessed with the Zodiac serial killer case . Since the murderer was never apprehended , this case has fascinated a number of people for almost 40 years . There are websites and all kinds of people , apparently , who can't let go of this famous case . Lo and behold - here's a movie about that obsession . I , probably like a number of viewers , thought this was just another film about the murderer , and it looked that way for the first hour of the 157-minute movie . However , it turns out be just as much a story about one guy who has this obsession about finding the killer . That man is " Robert Graysmith , " a cartoonist for the San Francisco Chronicle . He is played by Jake Gyllenhaal . The movie is based on Graysmith's books on the Zodiac killer , so it's no surprise the story winds up revolving around him . For moviegoers looking for a hard-nosed , brutal serial-killer story , this must have been a disappointing film because it turns out to be a character study of " Graysmith " plus an in - depth behind-the-scenes look at police procedure which , as any cop could tell you , can be tedious work . However , there is still is enough violence and suspense , particularly early on , to satisfy some and there is a lot of information on the crimes itself , and a lot of suspects to entertain the " whodunit " mystery-solving viewer . I admit the story began to drag a bit after two hours but overall , I thought it was an intelligent , interesting profile of all concerned : most-likely killer , detectives , newsmen , witnesses , other suspects , Graysmith's wife - everyone who could possibly been involved with this long-standing unanswered crime case . In a way , this story reminded me of the CSI shows on TV where every five minutes we get a new can't-miss suspect who turns out to be a false lead . However , in this story , no one was ever tried and convicted . But , the movie does come to a conclusion on who the guilty party was , and makes a convincing case for it . Thus , at least according to the film , Mr . Graysmith's work was not in vain . ( The real-life suspect died of a heart attack , so we may never know for sure . ) The downside for Mr . Graysmith , and people we may not even know about , was that his life and others have been radically altered for the worse this obsession to find the Zodiac killer . It cost Mr . Graysmith his marriage . Overall , this is a bit long but it features excellent acting by everyone and offers diverse characters . I would like to have seen more with Arthur Allen . John Carroll Lynch is not a big - name actor but he's good and , for obvious reasons , a fascinating person in this story . Director David Fincher doesn't offer up the edge-of-your-seat thrillers as he did in " Se7en " and " Panic Room , " but this is still worth a look and recommended . |
524,323 | 4,445,210 | 44,843 | 8 | Seal-ing The Deal | This is more of a " cute " story than a comedy , although it has both charm and laughs , along with some nice artwork . In essence , a baby seal escapes from the zoo . The animal is tired of blowing horns ; his job is boring . He tells this to Jerry Mouse after winding up in the swimming pool where Jerry and Tom live . After Tom , Jerry and the seal all hear that there is a $10 , 000 reward for the return of the seal , Tom goes after him . The normal chase scene is a bit different because Tom is chasing a seal , not Jerry , and Tom has to perform circus acts ( high wire and such ) to catch the seal . Funny sight gags included Jerry helping to produce a " dancing fish " and Tom doing his high - dive into a glass of water . The show features an odd ending : one , of course , that could never happen and one that you wonder , " Why would Tom be content doing this ? " |
522,729 | 4,445,210 | 824,379 | 8 | Phil Collins Gives You A Lot Of Bang For Your Buck - Almost Too Much | Phil Collins gives a long seriously long concert in Berlin , Germany , on July 25 , 1990 , doing 24 songs ! This is one of the longest one-man concert videos I've ever seen . Actually , as good as Collins ' songs are , and as good a singer as he is , it's almost too much . . . . at least for one continuous viewing . It's almost three hours of music ! I was surprised all of this could fit on a VHS tape . I'm not complaining , just saying it is very hard to sit down and watch this whole thing in one viewing . After the first look , I wound up breaking it into segments , and even skipping a number of songs that didn't have as much appeal as others . That's hard to do on the VHS tape I had , but I assume much easier on the DVD , which I wouldn't mind acquiring one day . Like all good performers , he has excellent backup help , instrumentally and vocally . The lighting also is very colorful in here which definitely adds tot he view-ability of the concert . You need colors and other visual gimmicks ( dry ice , in here ) , otherwise you're better off with just a CD . Phil , to his credit , is pretty animated , too , which also helps . He is so self-assured that feels comfortable with the huge crowd , even though he doesn't speak their language . ( He has to read his German from a sheet of paper . ) Anywhile , like Rod Stewart and others with unlimited energy , Phil just keeps going and going . Although some songs sound very similar , it's still very good , solid music and entertainment . You sure get your money's worth ! " |
525,051 | 4,445,210 | 894,294 | 8 | Sad Portrayals Of Ex-Child TV Stars | Pirated movies and Albanian hit men are two of the subject matters here as a former child acting star is found murdered . Actually , he was about a half hour away from being buried in Potter's Field . He had been listed as a " John Doe " when found in a ravine , dead for about three weeks and rotting . Not a pretty sight or smell ! " Skater Stevens " ( Noah Weisberg ) was one of those child TV stars you read about in real life who go from the penthouse to the outhouse , usually become a heavy drug user and have bunch of sad tales along the way after their TV sitcom ends . Fortunately , some of them survive and do okay . In this story , " Skater " didn't survive but he was into illegal activity , not just abusing himself with drugs . You don't want to aggravate the Albanian Mafia or the Russian Mafia or the Italian Mafia or any nasty organization . Meanwhile , " Detective Logan " continues to be entertaining . Chris Noth is turning out to be a fun guy to watch on this series , and someone who makes the periodic loss of Vincent D'Onofrio tolerable . . Eric Bogosian as his boss , " Captain Ross , " is interesting , too . He seems to have a bit more of a personality than his predecessor , " Capt . Deakins , " although I liked the latter . Julianne Nicholson is still a bit too new to make judgments , yet , although I do love looking at her freckles . I like the subtle looks she gives Logan here , both positive and negative . Matt Keesar also has a key role in this story , playing a guy that was on Skeeter's popular TV show , a guy who was always getting the best of poor Skeeter . His name is " Kirk Tunis , " and he's portrayed as a nutcase , too . In other child actors aren't put in a good light on this episode . |
524,197 | 4,445,210 | 79,240 | 8 | Nice Period Piece For A Heist Flick | Wow , this is a wonderfully-filmed movie that especially looked good since it was one of the first DVDs I purchased a decade ago . Rich colors and good period detail of 19th century England made it visually attractive . However , the picture was too grainy . I hope someone has re-issued this and given it the transfer it deserves . Beware that it takes quite awhile before the actual holdup takes place . This is almost a two-hour film and they build up slowly to famous heist . However , I didn't find any of it boring . This is rated PG but there are quite of bit of sexual innuendos early on by Connery as he woos Lesley-Ane Down . Other than that , it's a pretty tame film . Donald Sutherland adds a touch a touch of humor here and there as he and Connery pull off the suspenseful heist . . . . and it is suspenseful . Connery trying to maneuver on top of the train was a highlight , as was the " whooshing " sound of the train each time it passed under a bridge . The stereo in here is very good for a film almost 30 years old . |
524,404 | 4,445,210 | 60,371 | 8 | Fun And Educational , Thanks To Brown | This was an entertaining and educational trip around the world . It follows two American surfers who are seen visiting West Afrcia , South Africa , India , Australia , New Zealand and , of course , Hawaii . For one thing , it was interesting to see how they looked at prices of things . For example , in Africa , they are astounded at having to pay $30 a night to stay in a motel or pay $1 for a gallon of gasoline . ( I'll bet they would change their tune today ! ) The film gives you a good feel for the ' 60s surf scene with the lingo ( " stoked , hang ten , etc . " ) The surging can get boring after awhile but Bruce Brown , who made this film and narrates it , usually didn't overdo those parts and he does an outstanding job narrating to keep our history . He's interesting and he's funny . There are some memorable moments : seeing a place where the waves go past the sand right to the shore and then back out again ; the famous Waimea Bay of Hawaii , of the biggest waves ever to be surfed ; the perfect waves on the east side of Africa , the incredible scenery in New Zealand and the flies in Perth , Australia ! A fun movie . If you enjoyed this , check out the sequel " Endless Summer II . " That is very good , too , and with better camera-work . |
525,501 | 4,445,210 | 1,024,352 | 8 | A Lot Of ' Macs " For Your Money Here | Boy , there are really dragging out this deal with our star " Mac " ( Gary Sinise ) going through all this interrogation and court hearings , etc . , over the serial killer scumbag who jumped from the roof killing himself in last week's finale . For political gain and other reasons , the higher-ups - " Stanton " and " Sinclair " and a police advocate ( laywer ) who is some incredibly-smug woman - are all made to look nasty and self-serving as they try to ruin the reputation of " Mac . " The writers on this show ( and most others ) are so manipulative I almost laugh out loud sometimes . They make it so you just hate these people with a passion ! Subtly has never been a strong point with TV-and-film makers . Meanwhile , the sleaze factor is back as a man is impaled on a condom machine in the men's room somewhere at his bride-to-be's female party . He crashes the party , gets upset when he sees his finance being cuddled by - get this - ex-tennis great John McEnroe and storms into the restroom . Witnesses say McEnroe followed him there , and the next thing they new the man was found dead in that unusual spot . On top of that ludicrous and bloody sight , we get a bunch of wise-guy jokes ( " Dead Man Standing , " " safe sex , " etc . ) . The writers have every CSI member except Lindsay making professional jokes at every crime scene now . Although never a fan of McEnroe the tennis star ( or short-lived TV talk show host ) , I have to give him his due : he performs well in here and is funny . The guy appears to be a good actor . What the angle was involving him in this story was something I figured out early on . If an idiot like me can guess what is really happening , you can , too . Meanwhile , on a more positive note , " Don Flack " now seems to be sticking up for his boss instead of the other way around , so that's good to see . I would hate to lose him from the show even though he isn't a major character . Eddie Cahill does a nice job with that role . |
522,280 | 4,445,210 | 404,054 | 8 | This Is The Way It Should Be | In this television special , the first in the series I believe , Frank goes it alone . . . . and that's the way I like it . I bought this to hear and watch Sinatra , not other people . Here , Frank sings some of his more famous numbers ( and favorites of mine ) such as " I've Got You Under My Skin , " " I Get A Kick Out Of You , " " My Kind Of Town , " " Come Fly With Me , " " Witchcraft , " and " The Lady Is A Tramp . " I only wish the songs were a bit longer , as most of them were two minutes long . . . . or less . The show looked dated with the mid ' 60s set designs , music and even the jokes . The sets and script could have used some punching up . I saw this on tape a few times and I hope the DVD enhances the sound , more than what it was on the VHS . Sinatra also sounded a bit hoarse on a few numbers . However , he was till pretty solid on most of the work and his delivery style was always entertaining to watch . If you're a fan of his , this is a keeper since it has so many of his better songs . |
523,771 | 4,445,210 | 954,379 | 8 | Can You Say ' Over The Top ? ' | In a season ( the third ) that is producing weird stories for the first time ( most weeks , thus far ) we get two outrageously-goofy stories . Get this : one guy named Noah has built an ark in his backyard and has four couples already living it in , prepared a new flood to occur any day . Noah is found shot to death in his home . He's covered with dollar bills . He turns out to be a guy with a long rap sheet but this particular " event " on the level ; he wasn't scamming people . So who killed him ? The second case has a man dressed as a cigarette . He died after someone set him on fire in his outfit . He was a fanatical anti-cigarette protester and evidence in his death leads , naturally , to the footsteps of a cigarette maker . That's what we are led to believe until it's discovered that the man really worked for the tobacco company . In a round-about way , he was supposed to be helping them promote a new , safer cigarette . I have to snicker at all the anti-smoking comments in here , although I agree with them . Suddenly , after all these years , Hollywood has finally started to stop glamorizing smoking . It took them long enough - about four decades ! . ( Actually , some of the " good guys " still smoke in feature films but their numbers are rapidly dwindling . ) Also , Stella finally tells Mac about her situation with the cut and the possible HIV infection . At least Mac asked the question I would asked : " Why haven't said something ? " She replied she thought she could handle it on her own , but admits this failing in that regard . " I'm here for you , " Mac replies in a real cliché moment . Melina Kankaredes is a somewhat hard-looking , tough-talking woman at times , yet very vulnerable at others . It's like she can't decide ( or her character " Stella " ) what she wants to me . I have found the same with Marg Helgenberg on the original CSI series . If that's not enough , " Sid , " the odd medical examiner , passes out cold and Stella saves his life . He turns out to be just fine , just an allergic reaction to something he ate . . I still prefer more straight crime stories , the kind this show featured in the first two years . I don't need all this weirdness to be entertained , but apparently the writers think their audience does . Now it's like they are competing the Las Vegas show with a " can-you-top - this ? " contest to see who can come up with the most far-out stories . Well , this episode is almost beyond description . If you still think I'm exaggerating , one of the killers was a guy dressed in a Dracula outfit ! |
525,565 | 4,445,210 | 131,325 | 8 | A Winning Combination | After seeing how good the combination of director Frank Oz and actor Steve Martin was in " Dirty Rotten Scoundrels , " I wasn't surprised that the two would make " Bowfinger " interesting , too . It's not the caliber of " Scoundrels , " but it's still fun to watch . Eddie Murphy , as usual , is responsible for a lot of laughs as he plays two characters : this paranoid New Age-type follower and a very nerdy stand-in actor . In both roles , he's effective . Terrence Stamp , meanwhile , does his normal intense job of acting as the leader of a far-out " mind group " that one of Murphy's characters belongs . Heather Graham provides the sex appeal . Few women have made the transition from wholesome country girl to sleazeball in one movie as Graham does here . It's shocking but laughable at the same time , which pretty much describes this odd film . Nice to see Steve Martin back in form , too . |
523,686 | 4,445,210 | 36,119 | 8 | Some People ( or mice ) Enjoy The Chase | There was a lesson to this story , one of those " you don't miss what you have until you lose it " or " the grass is always greener on the other side , " etc . However you phrase it , Jerry discovers he'd rather have Tom chasing him around the house than no Tom at all . He misses the excitement . He doesn't think so in the beginning , " framing " our cat and having " Mammy Two Shoes " boot him out of the house for breaking a vase which Jerry broke . While the devilish mouse is singing " Happy Days Are Here Again , " in a few days he winds up bored out of his mind and wishing Tom was back in the house . Finally , he goes out to Tom across the street and they concoct a plan to get him back into the good graces of " Mammy , " so he can get his warm home back . This isn't hilarious but there are enough gags in here plus a rarity : hearing the two main characters speak English briefly - to definitely warrant watching this . Some of the facial expressions of Jerry made me really laugh . It was " cute " and funny at the same time . This was part of the Tom and Jerry Spotlight Collection Volume Two DVD . |
525,047 | 4,445,210 | 351,167 | 8 | I'll Leave The Interpretation To Others & Just Enjoy The CGI Artwork | This is more of visual experience than any story or point but . . . . wow , what visuals ! This is magnificently drawn and probably quite unlike any other animated short you've seen , although it did remind me of some of the cool stuff done when computer animation began with stuff like " The Mind's Eye . " This is more detailed , showing a Lord Of The Rings-looking figure entering a huge and different cathedral . As one poster points out , he apparently was waiting for someone . At any rate , we see at the end how the cathedral is partially updated , if you will . Not only the visuals unique and stunning , the music is equally dramatic . The short story , meanwhile , will up for many interpretations , which is why I downplay the story a bit . I don't pretend to have the author's intentions with this , just appreciate and admire the work he put into it . Kudos to Poland's Tomek Baginski , and I can see why his effort here was nominated for an Oscar . No matter how you try to interpret this , a undeniable fact is that it is stunning artwork , mesmerizing at times . |
522,685 | 4,445,210 | 79,308 | 8 | Wacky Characters Make For Fun Movie | It's funny how it was decades since viewing this movie again but I always remembered Dom DeLuise experimenting and lighting up a joint , and then laughing hysterically . That laugh put me in tears laughing so hard at him laughing and wheezing ! DeLuise , who I was sorry to see abuse the Lord's name in vain so much in this film , at least early on , is still fun to watch as are his partners in crime in this story : Suzanne Pleshette , Jerry Reed and Ossie Davis . Actually , DeLuise , Reed and Pleshette play undercover cops in a sting operation , if you can believe that ! If you enjoy seeing oddball characters , you'll like this movie . It certainly has it's share of wackos . |
522,950 | 4,445,210 | 51,698 | 8 | ' Happy Easter ' From Little Quackers | The Easter Bunny delivers a gift to Tom and Jerry one Easter morning - a brightly-colored egg . The two adversaries fight over it , until it hatches on Tom's head . It turns to be " Little Quackers , " a tiny yellow duck who has been in a handful of other Tom and Jerry cartoons . Here , the little guy has two sentences he repeats over and over : " Happy Easter " and " Oh , boy ! " He says the latter each time he sees a " swimming pool " such as Tom's milk dish , or the household aquarium . the water cooler , the bat tub , etc . Neither Tom nor Jerry are thrilled with this little duck , and they follow him around , get wet a number of times and try to get rid of the duck . They come up with a good plan , but the duck has the last laugh at the end , which is cute . It's refreshing to see Tom and Jerry on the same page , for a change . Overall , not a lot of yuks but a very charming cartoon and definitely recommended . |
527,412 | 4,445,210 | 435,174 | 8 | Things Turned Out Better For Landau Than Lugosi | Martin Landau begins this " documentary " by telling us , " One of the things I said to Tim ( Burton , director ) was ' what you want me to play here is a 74-year-old morphine addict , an alcoholic and a guy who had violent mood swings ? That would be hard enough , but the character happens to be Bela Lugosi , who everyone knows . This could be the worst thing that ever happened to me ! " Well , Landau handled the assignment superbly , as anyone who has seen the movie would agree . In fact , he won the Oscar for " best supporting actor " for this role . So . . . . . I guess it was far from the worst thing ever to happen to the veteran actor . Special-effects guru Rick Baker contributed a number of things to this " behind-the-scenes feature " and said when he heard about this film being made " I just HAD to do it . I would have done it for free , being a big fan of Burton , Lugosi and Boris Karloff . Lugosi , as shown in the movie , certainly wasn't a fan of Karloff , but most people were . Attempts to help Landau with the strong Hungarian accent of Lugosi was not easy to do . They couldn't find dialect tapes . What Landau wound up doing was watching all 35 of Lugosi's films , and more , to get the accent down . He also went into drug and alcohol rehab places and noticed all small many of the people were , where the effects of the abuse and shrunken people . Thus , he tried to make Lugosi look small and frail in those " institution " scenes in the " Ed Wood " film . " Lugosi was a sad , lonely figure , " mused Landau . |
524,709 | 4,445,210 | 51,228 | 8 | Good Artwork & Harpoon Gag | Wile E . Coyote ( Famishus Vulgarus ) disappears literally in a cloud of dust that begins on the road and winds up hundreds of feet in the air as the Road Runner ( Birdibus Zippibus ) wins again in the opening scene of this cartoon . Wile goes back " to the books , " so to speak for his next attempt , reading " The Art Of Road Runner Trapping . " According to the book , there are four steps : 1 - Dig hole in the road ; 2 - Camouflage hole ; 3 - Wait patiently and 4 - Eat Road Runner . Our coyote has problems with step one in a funny scene when he is unable to control the jackhammer in trying to dig a hole in the road . So much for that plan . After that , it's brick , roadblocks , two birdseed traps , a long , long chute , a catapult , and a harpoon gun . The latter was the best " stunt " in the cartoon because it lasted a lot longer and very clever . I wish they draw out more of these ploys , because they always better than just the quick 10-second familiar-looking sight gags . I thought the artwork was better than average in this episode , which was part of Volume Two Of The Looney Tunes Golden Collection . |
527,543 | 4,445,210 | 421,715 | 8 | As Time Goes By | I found this to be an interesting film ; certainly not boring as I had heard from a few people who saw it in the theater . To me , it was simply good storytelling . Yes , it's slow , especially by today's movie standards , but it's certainly a unique story and it's nicely filmed , acted and directed . Story-wise , it's one of those films I understand if people love it or hate it . I'm somewhat in the middle and leaning toward the positive . For a movie that runs for over 2 hours and 40 minutes and is not some suspense or action film , it has to be pretty good to hold one's interest . I can only speak for myself ; it held my interest for 95 percent of it . I think the first two-thirds of the movie is the best . Brad Pitt as " Benjamin Button " is pretty fascinating , as is the story of him growing up from a wrinkled , old man-baby to a mid-40s guy . When he re-unites with childhood friend " Daisy " ( Cate Blanchett ) and becomes her lover , the film bogs down in a few spots but few people are going to stop watching after investing two hours . It picks up again , especially in the last minutes when " Benjamin " begins to finally become younger than an adult . There's a sadness to this story , especially near the end but overall , even though it's central theme seems to be " death , " I don't think it's a depressing film . It does remind us , in a big way , that the longer we're around , the more death of friends and loved ones we witness . That's just a sad fact of life . I hear about it all time with my father , who is 91 years old and has seen almost all of his friends die . It's especially true in this story when Benjamin starts off and has a lot of old friends to begin with ! " Benjamin " was an odd person to me ; you could root for him , yet not admire him . He often treated people only to satisfy his desires and could have been so much more . Yet , being " a fly on the wall " and observing his interesting life , was memorable , making this a film worthy of the time invested to watch it . In the end , the movie made me appreciate the friends I do have , and not to take any of them for granted as life passes us by so fast , no matter what direction we're headed ! |
523,955 | 4,445,210 | 106,489 | 8 | Interesting Portrait With A Killer ' Hero ' | Here is a realistic-looking and an involving story of the street life in New York City's Bronx section in the 1950s and 1960s . Excellent acting and a good job of re-creating the era and site's atmosphere are main things going for this film . Also the soundtrack is very , very good . The main problem I have with the film is the fact that a cold-blooded killer is made to be the hero - a guy that you root for ! Unbelievable . Playing that killer is Chazz Palminteri , who outperforms the more famous and great actor and co-star Robert De Niro . Actually , the co-star is Lilo Brancoto , who was recently in the news for allegedly committing a major crime himself . Anyway , supposedly this is Palminteri's story of his childhood and features him as a young boy and then as a 17-year-old . He has a straight father ( De Niro ) but looks up to the area's Mafia leader " Sonny " ( Palminteri ) , who takes the kid under his wing for not ratting on him when he witnessed him killing someone . It may have a bad message , and gives a couple shots at the Catholic Church along the way , but the characters and the story keeps one tuned to the screen for the full two hours . It was good to see De Niro play the honest , hard-working bus driver who wants his kid to have character and not emulate the local hoods . This is a not a movie for those who wince at the f-word because it's used frequently . This is more of man's movie , really , with males dominating and some good advice on dating and what to look for in women ! " Sonny , " despite being a killer , is shown to be a caring , compassionate guy who cares about young " Calogero " ( Brancoto , and earlier as a 9-year-old played by Francis Capra ) . There are so many mixed messages in here - good and bad - it would make your head swim , but it is a crime film very much worth investigating . |
525,107 | 4,445,210 | 218,839 | 8 | A Bit Sleazy , But Very Funny | Considered by many who have watched all three of Christopher Guest's " mockumentary " films as his funniest , " Best In Show " is guaranteed to evoke a number of laughs and offend someone . This is a typical modern-day comedy meaning that sex jokes dominate and there is both a gay and lesbian " couple . " So , if you've heard this is about dog shows , don't rush out and rent this and watch it with the kiddies . It is anything but family fare . Yet , despite all the sleaze factor - and there is a lot of it - I still found this " charming , " for some reason . The laughs range from crude to subtle and the characters who enter their dogs in professional shows are really the subject of exaggerated ridicule here : from Yuppies to gay men to redneck hunters to dog trainers to nerdy types to whatever . No one pictured in this movie is a healthy , normal person . Everyone is " whacked " to some degree , except the announcer . However , his sidekick , the color man ( played by Fred Williard ) is brutal ! The message , obviously , is that some people just take their pets a little too seriously ! |
524,460 | 4,445,210 | 78,872 | 8 | Wish There Was A Better Transfer Of This Nice Film | Not only is this a nice story , but it's beautifully photographed . That's why I was so disappointed with the DVD . The picture wasn't sharp , and even had an orange tint to it . I wound up trading it for something else . Perhaps if a better DVD transfer comes along , I'll re - purchase this . I love horse racing and a good adventure story , so this appeals to me since it offers both . The climactic race at the end is not very credible , but overall it's a fine film and certainly safe viewing fare for the whole family . It was good to see Mickey Rooney again . Kelly Reno , who played the kid , was fine , too - no young Mickey Rooney in his heyday , but still passable as an actor and likable . Teri Garr and Hoyt Axton had small roles as Reno's parents . |
526,560 | 4,445,210 | 71,276 | 8 | A Different , Inventive Kind Of Vampire Film | I've only seen a couple of Hammer horror films , but I'm impressed . They seem to be subtly effective if you're looking for a few thrills and chills , not overdoing the gore , being mild on the language but yet having a definite edge to them . " Captain Kronos " isn't super but it's enjoyable . The direction is excellent , the DVD transfer looked nice , and - like a good mystery - there's a good twist at the end regarding the murderer , er . . . . . vampire . For us guys , there are also a lot of pretty women in here , too . The acting isn't the best but who cares ? It's entertaining , and not made to be taken seriously . I enjoyed the team of " Captain Kronos and Professor Hieronymous-Grost , " and I'm surprised there wasn't a sequel . These two guys make a good team : Horst Janson as the younger , dashing swordsman , and John Cater as the older assistant . The latter provides a little comic relief , too . Their relationship reminded me a bit of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce at " Holmes and Watson . " The good captain is not your normal vampire hunter . He's just as anxious to get it on with the ladies , and he has a sexy one for a partner in Caroline Munro as " Carla . " Kronos also smokes " herbal " cigars ! The brief touches of comedy , western , swashbuckling , horror , mystery , romance , sex , supernatural , and who-knows-what else all make it an inventive and fun hour-and-a-half . Hey , it even gives God several good plugs ! This horror movie is different , all right . |
524,799 | 4,445,210 | 443,536 | 8 | Looking For A Different Kind Of Animated Film ? | Now here is a modern-day animated film that is hard to classify . It's part film noir , part fantasy , part comedy , part Indiana Jones adventure , part Thin Man detective , on and on . One thing for sure : although kids might like it , this movie is geared more for adults . Even older adults as some of the humor is referenced by classic movies . I doubt if this was a hit movie probably because of the above . Animated films need to be geared toward young kids who want to see it , and then get their parents to take them to the theater . I'm not complaining , just explaining why some of you may not have heard of this film . I heard about it by accident , since it got very little publicity . More than the geared-toward adults-dialog , what fascinated me were the visuals . I read where other reviewers here on IMDb downgrade the artwork but I disagree . This is beautifully drawn with magnificent colors that are not bold and bright , Although most animated films of today feature bright and bold colors , which look fantastic , this looked good , too , because of the richness of the colors . It's hard to describe ; you have to see it . It just looks different , but very pleasing to my eyes . Overall , the story was only so-so and sometimes lagged in the first half of it , but I get the feeling this DVD will rise in my ratings as I see it multiple times . If you are looking for an animated film and story that is different , look no further . |
526,071 | 4,445,210 | 901,686 | 8 | Turning The Tables On The Tow Truck | This cartoon features " Mater , " the most lovable character in the great animated movie " Cars . " This seven-minute comes as a feature in the " Cars " DVD . Actually , all of the characters are in here , but Mater has more " screen time . " The story is a simple one of the other cars trying to teach Mater a lesson . In brief , they give him a taste of what he's been dishing out . The buck-toothed tow-truck has been going around scaring everyone with surprise attacks and they are tired of it . So , one night they all gather in a circle and they tell him a story about the dreaded " Gas Light " ghost . After everyone goes home , they sit back as the tow truck gets scared out of his gas line later that night by the " Ghost Light , " which is rigged up by the others to scare him . And , if he still didn't get the message , they set him up for another mind game and the cartoon ends with that thought in mind . Overall , it's not really all that funny ( except with Mater is shaking in fright ) but it's well - crafted and beautiful to watch , like the feature film . It could easily have been a small segment inserted in the film . |
524,315 | 4,445,210 | 265,666 | 8 | ' Quirky ' Seems To Be The Most Popular Word To Describe This | This was a quirky film that surprised me , in that I liked it . . . . at least twice . By the third viewing , I had enough but I got my money's worth out of it . That's what I would recommend with this movie : rent it before considering buying it . It's very different , and you might love but also might hate it . What it is , simply , is a portrait of a very dysfunctional family and the father trying to re-connect with his kids after a long absence . Gene Hackman is the father , Angelica Huston the mother and the wacko kids - and other assorted strange characters - are played by Ben Stiller , Owen and Luke Wilson , Gwyneth Paltrow , Ben Stiller , Bill Murray and Danny Glover . This is mostly dry , dark humor with some funny lines delivered in deadpan style . Nobody is particularly likable but - with the possible exception of Paltrow's character - are not really unlikeable either . They are just strange . I enjoyed viewing the house with all its colors . For those who appreciate low-key absurd humor nd some pleasing visuals , you should like this film and I certainly recommend giving it a look . |
522,803 | 4,445,210 | 44,789 | 8 | Good , But Tough To Live Up To That Opening | I liked this film but I got spoiled with the first 20-30 minutes . It started off so intense that I thought this was going to be fantastic : an incredibly edgy film noir . It still wound up good overall , but it never lived up to that great beginning . The story slows down a bit once the scene shifts from the heist in Kansas City to the rendezvous of the bandits down in Mexico . It has as a full lulls here and there but still does enough things right to keep your interest . What it does is right is emphasize two things that a good film noir provides : tension and paranoia . All the crooks are assembled in one spot but only the boss knows who the others are . They don't know what any of the gang members look like since all of the thieves had to wear masks throughout the planning and execution of the crime . However , since the boss hired them , he knows them all . Also , down in Mexico , the good guy in the film , " Joe Rolfe " ( John Payne ) is an impostor , pretending he's " Peter Harris , " one of the crooks who got caught by the cops and knocked off just before heading south . Rolfe doesn't know , however , that the boss knows he's a phony . Payne's character got unfairly fingered in the robbery so he's down there trying to clear his name . All of this may sound complicated , but it isn't once you watch the film . Suffice to say it's interesting to see how all these guys slowly figure out who's who . I thought " Tim Foster , " played by Preston Foster , was the best character in the film , probably because he was right in the middle of everything . He was a bitter ex-cop and the brains behind the whole scheme , which could easily have been pulled off . He was just wasn't lucky , because he had a great plan . One of the people he had to fool was his daughter , who surprises him down in Mexico and further complicates the situation . Colleen Gray plays " Helen Foster , " but she doesn't really come into the story much until the last half hour . Her character did one implausible thing after another , things NO woman would do and softened the rough edges of this movie , which was a mistake . " Helen " wasn't even needed in this film . It would have been better as a straight male - only tough film noir . Speaking of tough : how about this " Rogue's gallery : " Jack Elam , Lee Van Cleef and Neville Brand ? Now there are three good faces for this genre of film . They were the other gang membersThere are a number of holes in this story , but you have to ignore them and go along for the ride which , for the most part , is a good one . It's recommended for all film noir buffs . |
523,953 | 4,445,210 | 106,426 | 8 | Hauer Always Good As A Psycho | This is a " sleeper , " an intense and involving thriller that grabs you from the start . . . . but a film not people know about . Hey , only 10 people have even reviewed it here and the film is 13 years old . To be fair , I did think the finish was unrealistic which the typical killer-talks - instead-of shoots mentality , a familiar flaw in flimmaking . Too bad , because the rest of the movie is very good with Rutger Hauer a convincing evil blackmailer . Few actors play a psycho better than Hauer ( see " The Hitcher " and " Nighthawks " ) . Rebecca DeMornay is a sexy woman in this film while her husband is the sleazy Ron Silver , but the latter's character is better than most the villains he usually portrays . This movie also has the unusual distinction of being a modern-day crime film with very little profanity . |
527,544 | 4,445,210 | 60,153 | 8 | Reliving The Campy Days Of TV's Batman | Ah , it was good to see Adam West ( " Batman " ) and Burt Ward ( " Robin " ) again , along with Caesar Romero ( " The Joker " ) , Lee Meriweather ( " Catwoman " ) , Frank Gorshin ( " The Riddler " ) and Burgess Meredith ( " The Penguin ) " - all the people who made the campy 1960s Batman so entertaining . This was the only feature-length film version of the famous weekly half-hour TV show from 40 years ago . Like the TV show , this film is fun . too . The first half of this film is a riot , very funny material and nostalgic , too . The second half begins to wear thin a bit as we accustomed to the humor and corny dialog , but it still put a smile on your face . The villains look and sound so tame compared to what we've been accustomed to the last 20 years with the Batman films , that they are refreshing for the first half of the movie but then become almost bland because there is little " edge " to them . Still , there are so many gags in here , and the film is so ( literally ) colorful , that chances are it will not disappoint you . For those who loved those old TV shows , this DVD is worth its weight in gold . Also , the transfer is magnificent : very sharp and clear . |
524,392 | 4,445,210 | 165,929 | 8 | One Of The Better Martial-Arts Movies | I was surprised I enjoyed much of this since martial arts movies are okay but nothing I really get into often . Jet Li plays the only likable character in this Asians vs . Blacks gang story . Some of the stunts were tremendous . Some were so over-the-top , so unbelievable that they were funny . The movie certainly isn't one to be taken seriously . The wild action scenes , fairly involving story and nice colors and interesting sound track all make this movie a cut above the normal martial arts fare . The excellent surround sound and sharp picture make it a good one for DVD . |
524,081 | 4,445,210 | 51,329 | 8 | Very Comparable To " Paladin " But Not As Well-Known | This was another good western back in the ' 50s which gives me fond memories . I remember how me and my pals thought this hero was " cool , " something like Richard Boone was in " Have Gun , Will Travel . " The main differences in this western as opposed to most was that the title characterpacked a little derringer in his hat , and the setting was New Orleans instead of the old west . Otherwise , he was , like Boone's " Paladin " a smooth , dapper and cool customer . Jock Mahoney ( " Yancy Derringer " ) was the rugged , silent type , if I remember correctly . The shows were very interesting and we looked forward to them each week . Why this show only lasted on year is a real mystery to me . I don't remember anyone who didn't enjoy it . The mid-to-late ' 50s was a fabulous era for westerns on TV . If this ever came out on DVD , I would buy it immediately . |
523,271 | 4,445,210 | 113,957 | 8 | Good Suspense ; Bullock Tolerable For Once | This is a typical Sandra Bullock movie in which she plays a mousy ( but profane ) woman who is in trouble but finds a way to survive and be the hero . Sound familiar ? There are plenty of holes in this story . Things just don't add up and some of the suspense is a little corny . But - that suspense is very good . There is a lot of tension in this story which has strong paranoia running through it . The story starts off slow but kicks in pretty soon and stays that way , making it an involving movie for the viewer . That's why I give it a pretty good rating - the movie gets you involved in it . Bullock is more cute than annoying , which she normally is to me , so this is my highest-rated movie with her in it . |
525,019 | 4,445,210 | 16,641 | 8 | ' Silent ' Ben-Hur Also Has A Lot To Offer | After seeing the famous 1959 version of this film a number of times in the last 45 years , it was interesting to contrast this 1925 silent version to it . However , let me say right off the bat that I enjoyed both versions , and I am not going to get into the " which movie is better ? " argument . This silent-film version was more true to the book than the more-famous 1959 movie , mainly from the Christian angle . Just look at the main title and notice " A Tale Of The Christ " was dropped for the ' 59 film even though that is the official title and the name of Lew Wallace's book . In this film , the life of Christ is much more prominent , and that's the major difference . Both films feature a cast of thousands , the great sea battle and the dramatic chariot race . We have the intense and bitter rivalry between Judah Ben-Hur and Messala , capped off by the chariot race . To compare action scenes would be unfair since cameras and technical knowledge improve with time . Both versions wowed audiences in their day . The chariot race in the ' 59 version is still considered by some the great action scene ever filmed , especially since it was done without special effects . Unlike the ' 59 movie , this silent version had TWO big stars in the leads : Ramon Narvarro and Francis X . Bushman , playing Ben-Hur and Messala , respectively . It also has an interesting mix of ( mostly ) black-and-white and tinted scenes . All the scenes involving Jesus had color . As in the ' 59 version , you never saw Christ's face . Both had touching scenes with Ben-Hur and his sister and his mother . Speaking of women , a shocker in this silent version was a quick parade of topless women . At 2 hours and 25 minutes this Ben-Hur was shorter than the ' 59 version . However , this is a long , long movie for a silent film and many people today probably wouldn't put up with no dialog for that long , but if you appreciate great film-making - from any era - this is a " must " for your collection . |
523,538 | 4,445,210 | 60,118 | 8 | Harrington Is Great As The Voice Of ' Deux-Deux ' | A shipload of bananas is hijacked . Well , that's an original premise , I'll say that . I don't think I've seen that storyline in the thousands of films I've watched . It's no surprise there is an ape involved ! The " trail " leads to a little English sailor with a strong accent , who says " me " instead of " my " and " bananers " for " bananas . " He also only has one tooth and a very long , crooked nose . The inspector , who is into martial arts and doesn't think he needs any help in capturing this little guy ( not knowing the all-powerful ape is nearby ) , finds out otherwise ! Pat Harrington Jr . , was a particularly good job with " Deux-Deux's " voice in here . Harrington is a real star of this animated series , voicing both lead roles in each cartoon . This short was part of the DVD " The Pink Panther Classic Cartoon Collection , Vol . 6 - Inspector Cartoons . " |
523,826 | 4,445,210 | 35,959 | 8 | Nice Story With Appealing Cast | This is one of those old-fashioned , nice stories with generally nice people , some good lessons to be learned and some touching scenes . You just have to go with the fantasy-type theologies , in this story dead people coming back as angels-you-can see . Irene Dunne never looked better , although the soft-focus lens helped her looks . She isn't beautiful but she's wholesomely pretty , and thus appealing . Spencer Tracy gives his normal strong performance but I liked supporting actor Ward Bond in here better . Tracy gives an excellent short speech at the end of this film . The special-effects in the aviator-war scenes were not good but , hey , this film was made about 65 years ago . You could tell the planes were model airplanes on several shots . Note : this film was re-made by Steven Spielberg 40 years later under the title " Always . " That was a nice film , too , but I think I'd still take this version . |
525,013 | 4,445,210 | 25,410 | 8 | Nothing ' Sorrowful " About Shirley | Despite only two songs , it's another entertaining Shirley Temple film . The story is familiar ; it's been done several other times , once under the name " Sorrowful Jones , " with Bob Hope . This movie is a bit different from that one , so you could own both and have two different slants on the famous Damon Runyon story . This version has a lot more comedy from the supporting players , since Temple is cute but she ' isn't going to be the main source of humor as Hope was in his films . In here , all the bookies and gangsters provide the humor . The leading male , played by Adolph Menjou , is a sourpuss but still likable . The leading adult female , Dorothy Dell , was a bit tough-looking , I thought , for this role . Temple doesn't play as sweet a role as she did in most of her films , but she still has her tender moments . Nobody can produce a sentimental scene as quickly as Shirley could . In all , a nice film and enjoyable from start to finish . Note : This was the best colorized version I have seen of Temple's films . Perhaps that was because MGM did this , not Fox , which did the others . It advertises " stereo " but I didn't hear any . |
525,479 | 4,445,210 | 121,771 | 8 | This ' Whopper ' Is Out Of This World ! | One thing I can say about these " Willie Whopper " cartoons : they are never boring . They are as wild as Willie's imagination , filled with tons of sight gags , so many that there usually isn't much a story , just continuing craziness . This episode is a prime example of that and is the only I've seen so far that might have been a dream instead of Willie telling another " whopper . " Whatever , it's pretty insane as our boy winds up on some goofy planet . He got there after the helium gas his dentist gave him blew him up the size of an hot-air balloon and he floated up and out of the dentist's office right through the roof of the building ! That kind of gives you idea of how loony this story is going to be , and it really gets nuts as Willie winds up on a planet with bizarre characters . Suffice to say if you seeing one nutty cartoon-like visual joke after another for seven or eight minutes , you'll enjoy this . |
526,160 | 4,445,210 | 209,053 | 8 | Lots Of Great Songs Presented Well , But . . . . . | James Taylor performs almost two hours worth of songs at a semi-famous theater in New York City in the late ' 90s . These are mostly great songs , about every hit song he ever had and more , and his voice is in fine form . The only problems I found was that it got monotonous after awhile . Although likable , Taylor is not exactly an animated performer , nor are his shows . After a half dozen or so tunes they all start sounding similar . This is better just played as background music while you are doing something else . In other words , it's better served as a CD rather than a DVD . But it's an excellent concert as Taylor and his band perform beautifully . |
523,138 | 4,445,210 | 1,431 | 8 | Nicely Filmed Early Silent Film | For a film so old , I thought this was one of the better-photographed efforts of its day . The composition was outstanding . Just examine those shots with the wife standing on the beach and her husband and small crew rowing off into the ocean . It's perfectly framed . As for the story , it's based on a poem called " The Three Fishers , " which is shown here during several interludes . It's a wonderful poem . Because films were so short , you can really have time fly . Nowhere is that more evident than in this film . In a matter of a few minutes , we see years pass by a seaman leaves his family , a wreck ensues and the man survives but loses his memory . He doesn't know who is wife is and seems to be a totally lost soul . In the interim , the baby they apparently conceived before we went off to sea has now grown up . She's played by the famous Mary Pickford . In the story , the daughter gets married and the poor wife , thinking she's now all alone in the world , gets a nice surprise when her husband returns from another voyage . His memory is back . . . . . and all is well ! Many things happen to all of us in our lifetime , but that tide just keeps coming and going , unchanging . Nothing that profound , frankly , but that's the message . This story would have had a lot more impact had it been drawn out more , but trying to rush all of this into 14 minutes makes it way too hurried . |
524,170 | 4,445,210 | 44,667 | 8 | Poor Wile E . Coyote ; At Least He Never Gives Up | It's amazing the number of ploys that Wile E . Coyote tries - and has backfire - in just a s six - and-a-half half minute cartoon . The beating the poor guy takes each time is unbelievable , but have you seen a more determined character in a cartoon ? One that doesn't let defeat discourage him ? I'd like to see him win , just one time . In this cartoon , he gets blasted by not just one , but two big trucks , along with an assortment of other things including the ever-present anvil . For some reason , I laughed loudest at the quick-drying cement routine . This cartoon is part of the Looney Tunes Golden Collection Volume 2 , and can be seen on disc 2 . |
525,961 | 4,445,210 | 289,765 | 8 | Good Re-Make Of ' Lecter Film ' | This is a very good " remake " of Manhunter " which was the first Hannibal Lecter movie but didn't get the press the others did because it didn't have Anthony Hopkins as the famous criminal . After " Silence of the Lambs " became so popular , and the sequel , " Hannibal , " it was decided to re-do that first film and this time obtain Hopkins ' services . It worked because not only do you have the incomparable Hopkins at Dr . Lecter but you have one this generations best actors , Edward Norton , as the leading character " Will Graham . " Norton , as always , gives a solid performance . And - look at the backup cast : Ralph Fiennes , Emily Watson , Harvey Keitel , Mary Louise Parker and Philip Seymour Hoffman . Not bad . This is one of those movies that gets better and better with each viewing . On my first look , I was disappointed Hopkins didn't have a bigger role but , after I knew what to expect , subsequent viewings made me appreciate the film's effort as a whole , and it's an underrated flick and a fine addition to the " Lecter " series . |
525,217 | 4,445,210 | 94,226 | 8 | Good Movie , But I Still Prefer Stack Over Costner As ' Elliot Ness ' | I never could quite reconcile Kevin Costner's somewhat-high and weak voice with some of macho characters he played when he was younger , but I can get past that after a film has settled into the story . Costner is a good enough actor to make me believe he's anyone after awhile . However , after years of growing up watching Robert Stack playing " Elliot Ness " on TV on the hit series , " The Untouchables , " it took me a bit to accept Costner in that role . That part will always belong to Mr . Stack . At first , he just did not speak with the authority of a tough Chicago cop out to get Al Capone and the racketeers from the Prohibition Age in Chicago . His partner , " Oscar Wallace , " played by the little nerdy-looking Charles Martin Smith as a gun-toting T-Man , is even harder to believe . Of the " good guys , " Andy Garcia is the only likeble and believable guy . Sean Connery has the best character in the film ( " Jim Malone " ) and is the most interesting to watch . Nonetheless , it's a good story with good characters and just about he right amount of action . It moves very well , which tells me the movie is entertaining . There are a few memorable scenes , such as the shootout at the train station with the baby carriage descending the stairway and a memorable scene with Robert De Niro as Capone . This is a tough , very violent and bloody movie . . . . . nothing like the old TV show . |
523,421 | 4,445,210 | 909,551 | 8 | Especially Hard To Take When A Victim Is Totally Innocent | Both of these cases take place in Miami , Fla , with two different lead detectives . One is a series regular : Det . Fernando Bosch while the other is Det . Emilano Tamayo . In Tamayo's case , police get a frantic 911 call stating , " The bullets are flying everywhere ! It turns out two men were in a shootout right in front of a small convenience story . The sad story is that a customer inside , Jessica Dixon , 23 , was struck with one of the bullets and died . Here is a totally innocent victim ; just someone out buying groceries . The police officers in this case are bothered a great deal by this , as they hate to see innocent people senselessly killed . Most people would agree with them . People knew that two people were shooting because a video camera caught one of them on tape . He had fled the scene , as well as the killer who had come by in his car . They quickly scour the hospitals and find their man . At first , he won't talk but when detectives show him a picture of the innocent victim , he breaks down . The man has a heart . After shedding some real tears , he gives them a first name : Corey . Police find out his full name through a marriage database at the station ( computer lists ) . " Wow , it's just one more reason why not to get married , " cracks one wise-guy cop after the database reveals their man . The postscript to this case was a shock : after all that work , the witness gets cold feet and refuses to cooperative and the killer , Corey D . Harris , is let free ! Bosch heads up a force that has to go to the " Little Haiti " section of Miami to find witnesses . A man had been gunned down , but his girlfriend had been face-to-face with the killer . His gun was out of bullets or she would have been murdered , too . The woman , Clara , knows him as a former classmate named " Steve . " The cops get a yearbook and she spots his picture . Steve Stirlin has been identified . However , he proves hard to find , especially with neighborhoods which won't cooperate . " It's a miracle that murders sometimes get solved around here , " cracks one cop . It took four months but they got him . |
525,214 | 4,445,210 | 44,609 | 8 | Not That Humorous , But Very Touching | Marc Anthony , the big , brutish-looking-but sensitive bulldog , has a new friend , a tiny little kitty who makes a " home " by sleeping on Anthony's back . The big dog takes a shine to the little one and then protects him as he gets , or seems to get , into domestic trouble . The homemaker in the house makes it clear early on to the dog that she doesn't want him bringing anything into the house . The dog thinks he has to hide the cat , but the little animal gets loose and gets into various predicaments . While trying to hide the identify of the cat or save him being being in the mix-master and being made into a cookie , the dog is always pestering the woman and getting admonished . I read somewhere where this cat was in subsequent cartoons and named " Pussyfoot . " The beginnings of this animated short were both touching and very funny . Then , the one - joke story started to drag a bit until Marc Anthony thought the cat was killed a cried a river of tears , which actually was funny . ( I've never a dog cry or sweat like this dog ! ) They even showed the poor dog's bloodshot eyes after his crying spell ! Another very funny touch was when the dog came back in the house and was given a cookie by the woman . He thought it was the poor little cat-made into-a cookie and placed it on his back where Pussyfoot laid before . This is one sensitive , caring dog ! The end of this is more of the same - more touching and sweet than humor - but it was nice to see . |
525,866 | 4,445,210 | 59,721 | 8 | An Updated Noah's Ark Story | What a shock to hear someone talk right away in this cartoon ! That almost never happens as these Pink Panther cartoons are 99 percent dialog-less . Nonetheless , we hear a " Big White Hunter " type guy traveling with his guide in a jeep along the Africa plain mention about " a story about some guy who cornered all the animals in the thing called the Ark . If it can be done once , it can be done again . " He builds the boat and names it after his girlfriend : " Nora's Ark . " The twist is that , unlike God producing all the rain , this guy sends fliers out to the animals , warning of a big flood and telling them to come to his ark ! Pretty clever ( with a few holes in the theory , but , hey , it's a cartoon ) . Anyway , it works and two of all the animals trot into the boat . . . . except the ( one and only ) Pink Panther . Where is he ? The hunter goes after him , despite warnings that the PP is " taboo . " Overall , despite the ludicrous ( and elitist ) stereotyping of a big-game hunter and of a Texan , it's a fun cartoon with some nice artwork . The rain effect , and the ark and animals are all drawn really well . The very last scene has the Panther utter a sentence , and we discover he's British ! |
524,652 | 4,445,210 | 24,773 | 8 | Starting To Become More Clever | They have some pretty decent sight gags in here , especially the beginning when Popeye and Olive are in their ocean raft sailing toward an island . How he makes the raft go , and provide sardines , is pretty goodOnce the two get to the island , it's " Wild Kingdom " as all kinds of animals appear and none of them friendly . Can Popeye fight off an elephant ( and numerous other beasts ) and at the same time rescue Olive from a King Kong-type ape ? That's the storyline . Overall , this was very good and you can see the gags are getting a little more clever as this cartoon evolves . One thing that was different in this one was Olive feeding Popeye his spinach at the end . This was the sixth theatrical release . |
526,567 | 4,445,210 | 59,742 | 8 | A Beloved , Very Likable Film , But Twice Was Enough | I took me over 30 years to finally watch this film , something I did in 1998 . . . . and I could see why this is such a beloved film . I watched it one other time , about five years later on DVD , but didn't enjoy it as much and traded it for something else . However , I still have a high regard for the film . The film is a throwback to something you might see in the 1930s or ' 40s - a super-nice , old-fashioned movie led by Julie Andrews , who probably never again looked as pretty and wholesome as she did here . In fact , her image from this was so squeaky-clean that she went out of her way to play some sleazy parts in coming years . Too bad . At least here , she's a joy to watch . The kids are all nice , attractive and well-behaved , something else you don't see much anymore on film . Christopher Plummer is the male lead and once he loosens up , he's fine , too , as is the usually-funny Richard Haydn . Even the bad guys in this film - the Nazis ( which include Eleanor Parker ) - aren't prevalent . They don't have a lot of scenes in here even though they are an integral part to the story . The film is nicely photographed , too , and I don't mean just the Austrian Alps . I did think there were too many songs in here , something of them done twice . That's too much . Maybe that's what made me think two viewings were enough . ( I'm not big into musicals . ) On my second viewing , for some reason , I found the movie too boring in too many spots , which means a number of them since it's almost three hours long in total . It was slow-starting and I just couldn't get into it . I am glad at least I could enjoy this once . |
523,201 | 4,445,210 | 335,266 | 8 | Give It A Second Chance , If Needed | I admit I found it disappointing on the first look but I decided to give it a second chance and was glad I did . Only then did I appreciate Bill Murray's great performance and the wonderful photography in this movie . The vivid colors in here are really something to see . It's odd how some movies are so much better the second time around . This is a very , very low key film about loneliness and about being in a culture that is totally foreign to you where few people speak your language . In this case , it's Americans - or at least the main character of film ( Bill Murray ) - trying to cope in Japan . The film is almost two-in-one : a travelogue and a story . The former because you really get the feel of what it is like to be a non-Japanese speaking person in that country and what the customs of the people are in Japan , at least to some degree . . . . and it's interesting . Murray is the star of the story and any plaudits he's received for his performance are well - deserved . His facial expressions alone are classic ! Scarlet Johannson is the female lead and she , too , is interesting to watch . These two make for a fascinating " odd couple . " |
523,597 | 4,445,210 | 782,223 | 8 | Finding The Kidnap Victim & Soap Opera In The CSI Office | Some bimbo sipping her cocktail at an outdoor restaurant table gets a call on her cellphone from a desperate woman . She almost hangs up but stays on and hears this woman pleading for help , asking " Mitch " to save here . She obviously dialed the wrong number but at least the bimbo - who is shown to be really shallow - does the right thing by going to a nearby policeman . " Lt . Horatio Caine " ( David Caruso ) conveniently is nearby and he takes the phone from her and hears a man threatening the woman followed by a shouts from a male and then a gunshot . The CSI quickly finds out who she was really calling . ( It's a little too quick for believability considering all the numbers involved . ) They discover that " Mitch " is her husband she was trying to call him . He knows about the kidnapping because he'd received a ransom and death threat if he called the cops . He's frantic , but cooperates with Lt . Caine . The rest is the usual : every suspect they have who looks like the guilty party only leads them to the next step . This is typical for the CSI shows where you usually don't see the real killer until the end . Anyway , nothing special but a decent show . A quick sidebar as " Ryan Wolfe " ( Jonathan Togo ) trying to date " Natalia " ( Evan LaRue Callahan ) . She was Eric Delko's ( Adam Rodriguez ) former girlfriend who still , obviously , has feelings for the latter . It's all very soap opera stuff but the writers like to fit this kind of stuff in every show . |
524,401 | 4,445,210 | 156,812 | 8 | Some Good ' Ole Southern Charm | Here's a bit of an unusual film : a modern-day movie made more for adults than kids but could be equally enjoyed by both . There are 9 " damns " and a few other profanities , but nothing earth-shaking . It's simply the memoirs of Willie Morris , a southern boy who wound up as a famous writer and editor of Harper's Magazine . Being that magazine is pretty Liberal , you get Liberal slants in the movie ( racial and anti-war sentiments ) but nothing heavy-handed . As a good story does , it makes you care about the characters , especially the lead one . In here it's " Willie " and his dog " Skip . " Early shots of Skip growing up - measured in how he related to the toilet bowl - are funny . You also care about his parents and are glad when the dad ( Kevin Bacon ) softens his stance on things . As a guy , I appreciated just looking at Diane Lane . What a gorgeous face ! The cinematography is pure southern charm and looks great on DVD . It's not all sweetness . There are some angry moments and some sad ones , to be sure . In summary , however , a nice film . . . . . pure and simple . |
525,676 | 4,445,210 | 120,832 | 8 | I Like This . . . . . Which Surprises Me | Most people didn't like this movie , from what I have heard and read over the years . Some of my friends who saw it didn't like it either . For some reason , I did , and that was despite a few things I normally don't put up with ( too much usages of the Lord's name in vain and the usual anti-military agenda . ) However , I found this a very fast-moving , involving story with Nicholas Cage playing an extremely interesting person : " Rick Santoro , " a guy who acts like a complete crazy man at the beginning but slowly gets it together as the film goes on . Gary Sinise plays his normal corrupt role ( this was before his CSI : New York days ) and Carla Gugino was very easy on my eyes . Brian DePalma directed this , so you know it's going to be stylishly shot , too . This looks very good on DVD . All the characters are interesting , actually . One complaint I agree with : the ending was a bit weak and detracts from the story . It's a rough film but edgy and interesting . Don't be discouraged reading a lot of negative reviews about this . It's good entertainment . |
527,386 | 4,445,210 | 452,046 | 8 | A Good Mix Of Cerebral And Action | These were usually interesting stories of the FBI's profiling group called the BAU ( Behavioral Analysis Unite ) in which crimes ares solved by understanding what kind of person commits then . Most often , after figuring out who the killer is , the group goes in and captures him or her . The first 30 minutes of each show are basically cerebral while the last 10 minutes are action - oriented . Profiled and - hopefully - caught are serial killers , usually , there are also serial arsonists , rapists , etc . Co-heading the unit are veteran actor Mandy Patakin who plays the stone-faced , 50-ish " Jason Gideon , " and the younger " Aaron Hotchner " ( Thomas Gibson ) . The latter is the most stable person in the unit and the only one married with a family . The rest - like most crime shows today - are single people and usually in their late 20s or 30s . I guess , technically Hotchner heads the unit , the it feels more like Gideon does . It's his narration that beings and ends each show . Completing the team , you have the young , nerd-looking " Dr . Spencer Reid " ( Matthew GrayGruber ) who seems to know everything about everything ; the volatile " Elle Greenaway " ( Lola Glaudini ) ; the macho " Derek Morgan " ( Shelmar Moore ) , group spokesperson " J . J . Jareau ( A . J . Cook ) and he computer geek " Penelope Garcia " ( Kristin Vangsness ) . Story-wise , the show has the usual Liberal bent of today's TV but doesn't go overboard with it in most cases . Many of the shows feature a very tense conclusion as someone is being saved at the last minute from some serial killer . Not that it matters , but after watching the complete first season on DVD , I liked " Hotch " the best and " Garcia " the least . I look forward to seeing the second season on DVD , as well . ( I refuse to watch regular TV with all the commercials ruining the shows . ) |
522,794 | 4,445,210 | 120,863 | 8 | Hard Movie To Like At First , But It Gets Better . . . . Much Better | This film came out the same year as " Saving Private Ryan " - two blockbuster 3-hour World War II movies - but was nowhere the same success at the box office . Up until lately , I agreed with most other people that Steven Spielberg's film was more more appealing than this Terrence Malick movie . . . . but now I am not so sure . I find both of them fascinating . It took me a long time to come around to liking this film . One problem was I expected more since I had to wait 20 years for another Malick film after his fantastic " Days Of Heaven . " always one of my all-time favorite movies . I appreciated that Malick , in his two previous films , wasn't just a visual genius but had characters that expressed themselves without a ton of crudeness or profanity . In this film , Nick Nolte , ended that verbal romance with an assault of GDs that rattled off like a machine gun . That , and narration that sounded like some stoned-out New Age-guru or some ' 60s freak , , turned me and millions of other viewers off , most of whom could make no sense of the almost incoherent ramblings . Well , that narration , as I have since discovered - especially by putting the English subtitles on - is not what I thought and Nolte I can just do the opposite : hit the " mute " when he starts another of his obscene tirades . Now , the film is what I'd hoped it would be ! It only took four viewings for me to fully appreciate this film . Hey , some of us are slow learners , I guess . The narration , to the best of my assumptions , is simply the anguish several of the soldiers feel as - in the middle of a horrific war - they try to make sense of life , death , suffering , war and spiritual matters in general . They agonize over loneliness of being separated from their wives and family , or they compare two extremes in civilizations as they now exist in one that is far removed in one they came from . Spiritual matters are discussed by Believers and non - believers , optimists and cynics . Seeing the narration on screen in the form of subtitles helped make me appreciate and make sense out of them . It's pretty heady stuff , as it turns out . Some may still think it's pure nonsense , but I'm willing to give Malick the benefit of the doubt . Meanwhile , the action scenes are excellent . In " Ryan , " they centered more in bombed-out cities , but here the fighting takes place in a remote jungle . This really is the story of Guadalcanal . The scenery , much of it filmed in either Australia or the Solomon Islands , is just gorgeous , just the kind Malick loves . A true lover of nature , Malick gives us one spectacular scene after another with all the greens of grasses , tress and leaves you'd ever want to see , complemented by an assortment of exotic birds and reptiles . It's just stunning in parts . If you ever call a war movie " arty , " this is it , with the great nature shots and reflective narration . They both provide needed relief from the intense action / profanity / suspense which occurs in the middle of the film as the Americans attempt to secure the top of a hill fortified by Japanese troops . The action scenes are realistic , have wonderful sound and well-filmed . The soundtrack also is very nice . As stated earlier , my only complaint was Nolte's character , " Lt . Col . Tall . " who is the Hollywood stereotype of a gung-ho military officer they don't like ( and they don't like many ) . He's constantly screaming and is so abrasive he almost ruins the film . Actor-wise , what's interesting is that a number of these " stars " in here were relative unknowns when this came out in 1998 - men such as Jim Caveziel , Adrien Body , Ben Chaplin and Elias Koteas - and now they are established actors whom most of us are familiar with . Despite the other big names you see advertised here , the stars of this film are Caveziel , Koteas , Nolte and Sean Penn . Many of the " names , " such as John Travolta , George Clooney , John Cusack , etc . , have only very minor or cameo roles . Anyway , if this movie turned you off when you first saw it , please consider giving it another shot . You might be pleasant surprised . It's better than what first meets the eye ! |
522,598 | 4,445,210 | 105,695 | 8 | Three Charismatic Actors Elevate Hard-Edged Western | I like westerns and I like this film but I admit this is a bit hard-edged for me . It took me a couple of viewings to appreciate it . It's a tough movie with a good cast and no nonsense . The characters in here aren't the talk-now-shoot-later variety . There are a few memorable and very tense scenes in this film , and a fair share of profanity , too , including too many usages of the Lord's name in vain . Watching the likes of Clint Eastwood , Gene Hackman and Morgan Freeman as the three main stars , however , is pretty entertaining . How often are those charismatic actors NOT entertaining ? Eastwood ( " Bill Munny " ) plays his normal type character , so you know what to expect with him . Hackman plays the bad-guy sheriff , " Little Bill Daggett . " Authority figures are almost bad people to Hollywood . Morgan Freeman plays Eastwood's lower-key old partner , " Ned Logan . " In the minor roles , Jaimz Woolvett , who played " The Schofield Kid , " reminded me of a young David Arquette but I haven't heard Woolvett's name since this movie . Overall , a rough film but a pretty solid western which would have been better and accepted by the public better had the language been toned down . |
527,252 | 4,445,210 | 452,042 | 8 | The Likes And Dislikes Of The Marx Brothers | This documentary has an appropriate beginning , showing a number of people reciting one adjective apiece to describe the Marx Brothers . I don't have to repeat them here ; you know what people are going to say - mostly things like " zany . " I liked what Carl Reiner said : " our court jesters . " Yup , for years - especially in the 1930s with films like " A Day At The Races , " the Marx Brothers were America's court jesters . In this half hour collection of comments and scenes from the MB films , we learn about these famous comedians and some of the reasons their movies were so likable . We learn how and why their stage careers helped them immensely in their films and how some of their best-known movies have similar characteristics . We learn what a key man Irving Thalberg was to their career and how much he was missed after his tragic death at the age of 37 . Jack Warner replaced him and Groucho and the boys did not get along with him . When Thalberg died , in effect , so did excellent Marx Brothers films . They loved Thalberg but hated Mayer and director . ( You'll have to see this to find out who ! ) There are all kinds of stories in here about the boys , except for Zeppo who wasn't on film long with the other three . It was nice to see Margaret Dumont receive a tribute for her contributions and it was almost shocking to hear about Chico's exploits with the women . This guy got about every woman in Hollywood , it was said in here , which made Groucho - who also loved the women - very jealous . Speaking of women , we see Maureen O'Sullivan today talking about Groucho . It's always interesting to see what classic-era movie stars look like today and I give people like O'Sullivan credit for doing the interviews knowing she's an old lady now , not the glamor girl of the past . Her comments on rebuffing Groucho's advances were fun to hear . If you're a Marx Brothers fan , this is a " must " bonus feature to watch . It can be viewed on " A Day At The Races " |
525,851 | 4,445,210 | 105,690 | 8 | This Seagal Flick Took The Cake | This was a fast-moving Rambo-style action flick ( good guys never get hit despite 10 , 000 rounds of ammunition fired at them ) that was very popular . It spawned a very weak sequel , par for the course . Several reviewers here wrote that it is Steven Seagal's " best movie , " and I wouldn't argue with that . . " Under Siege " probably was more popular than the normal Segal action flick because of several aspects : 1 - the interesting story featuring the " lowly cook " ( as Seagal described himself in this film ) beating a bunch of terrorists taking over a U . S . Navy vessel ; 2 - the over-the-top villains portrayed by fun-to-watch actors Tommy Lee Jones and Gary Busey , and 3 - the fabulous looks and body of Erika Eleniak , who pops out of a cake topless in a sight that every guy who saw this film remembers . Jones was just about hitting his acting career peak as he demonstrated the following year with his Oscar-winning performance in " The Fugitive . " Busey was the opposite , nearing the end of his run after a starring role as singer " Buddy Holly " made him famous . This film might be Segal's most successful , or at least in the top three . His star has faded since the new century . Eleniak never made it far past the cake . She played " Elly May " in " The Beverly Hillbillies " the following year and nothing but ' B ' films after that . The first part of this movie is far better than the second . It gets out-of-control by the end , as most of these action films do with the violence overdone and with little credibility . But watching the three leads , and ogling Eleniak , always make this film fun to watch for a little while , at least . |
525,850 | 4,445,210 | 105,691 | 8 | A Film That Needs To Be Checked Out Twice | This is one of those decent crime movies that few people have heard about . It has a lot going for it . I should rate it higher since the story kept my interest all the way both times I saw it ( four years apart ) . The violence and profanity are not overdone , the main characters are very interesting and the story finishes with a unique twist . Actually , that twist is something you have to ponder to determine whether it makes sense . I am not sure it did . You'd have to watch this again soon and check on a few things . It's either very clever or its totally unfair to the viewer , which is why I kept it at an ' 8 . " It's nicely photographed and I bet it looks much better on a widescreen DVD than on the tape I viewed it on in the ' 90s . Liam Neeson and Laura San Giacomo star . I was familiar with the latter from the film , " Quigley Down Under . " She's much more appealing in that film than this one . Neeson is almost always interesting to watch . |
523,112 | 4,445,210 | 120,855 | 8 | Animated Tarzan A Pleasant Surprise | I found this surprisingly good because not only was animation well done - which they all seem to be in the past decade - but an involving , action-packed story that was interesting start-to-finish . The action is not overdone , however . The color in here is magnificent and it looks spectacular on DVD . The film turned out to be a good combination of drama , action , comedy and romance . I would think this would be a little too frightening , however , for little kids , for those wondering about that . The only negative I had was listening to the grating voice of Rose O'Donnell . That , and her New York City , accent , is definitely not appealing . Otherwise , I have nothing but good things to say about this film . |
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