Reviews

I am a great fan of Stephen King's books. But not his movies. The critics are right. That includes Roger Ebert. It includes Maitlin's Summary. It includes the Academy voters. If you like horror movies over classics then this is a must see.

But it is run-of-the-mill prison fare otherwise. Anyone remember Michael Caine? It is not that this isn't entertaining. It's just simply that this film doesn't belong in the top 250.

This is a truly great film for viewers interested in ideas. If you didn't like "My Dinner with Andre" take a pass on this one. If you did like you may still find it not to your taste. It is a pic about the environment. I am not a eco-freak or a "Green" but I love ideas, even those I don't agree with. If you too are a Voltaire type, you MUST see - and hear - this tremendous conversational flick. It is a 10 for lovers of conversation and ideas.

Another classic Cooper performance that is really part of an in-depth double bill about the limitations of passivism. Not quite the outstanding performance and study given in High Noon but this second half of the examination of limitations despite devout efforts at restraint remains one of Hollywood's best studies of a philosophic issue. All lovers of High Noon should view this thoughtful film.

A glorious array of feminine talent in a superior song-and-dance movie posing as a football film. One of Lucille Ball's roles preceding her charming but ditzy "I Love Lucy" era. Here she is a star playing a star. And what better supporting cast can you want than Gloria DeHaven, Nancy Walker and June Allyson (the latter two making their film debuts). And then there is the music including the sensational "Two O'Clock Jump" and my all-time favorite college "fight song" - Buckle Down Winsockie" They don't make them like this any more. Women galore, and glorious, as stars and appealing to men for its football touch. It is dated and has gaps but it is a not-to-be missed treasure.

Scenes of incredible beauty and humor. This film appeals to all of humankind's tastes (visual, intellectual, gustatory, sexual, etc.) It is one of the greatest romantic comedies showing the lives, values and beliefs of another culture ever presented as a gift to the American public. Be aware though that it is not an experience that will appeal to everyone. You won't enjoy it if you don't love food, have an imagination and understand that daytime soaps are not art.

This is another of Hollywood's many excursions into obsessive sex. It is not a great motion picture, but too many critics attack it because some shrink they read in best selling books, or listen to on radio tells them love is the answer to everything. Also there are the PC critics who can hail a movie showing a disgruntled woman trying to kill her former sex partner because that is supposed to show empowerment - but think a woman giving power to a male is degrading and criminal. Actually both type movies can be entertaining, and this one is.

An impressive demonstration of Nature, which some people love when it has to do with cute animals, but not when it shows unpleasant truths. To see this film as S&M means the viewer has never seen S&M. To suggest it is dealing with class inequality is to miss the real message of the film. It is not two people who are swept away, it is civilization with all of its rules and protections. The moral of this film is that those who prattle about the beauty of Nature versus Civilization are not looking at the true Nature of the world or its people.

This comic classic of English school girl antics is and was one of the great art house classics. Then the art house disappeared with the arrival of videos. And so did the audience for this movie. The loss is not to the art houses or to this great film. The loss is to those who will never have a real opportunity to view this memorable laugh filled cinematic masterpiece. But I am preaching to the converted aren't I. Who else would search for this flick?

This bright hilarious English comedy about school girl antics is a neglected gem. The significant question is where is the audience? The film is rated 10 by most voters, but how many voters is that? They don't make comedies like this anymore because the films don't get distributed or seen. I would never miss a chance to see this old art house classic again. But where are the art houses?

As a biography, the detractors are right. This film is only a 5 on that scale. But IMDb says the genre is Drama. I disagree. But if they are right then this flick is only a 7. And it is that high only because of the magnificent portrayal of the jealous Salieri by F. Murray Abraham. He has redefined Jealousy to include non-sexual jealousy, something Hollywood had forgotten. So classic was this rendition that Bill Buckley now calls Liberalism "Salieri's Disease." Once you see the picture you will understand the reference to wanting to destroy those who are more productive or talented. But the true genre is Musical. And the rating there is a 10, although the score is not reflective of the scope or the best of Mozart's compositions. Even so, this is Mozart. That makes the film a 10, and one worth seeing over and over and over!

Action seekers beware! Those who took film study courses or screenwriting courses leave your lessons behind you. This film is proof that great conversation and great theater can be transferred to film without the usual imperative of action. This is an IQ test. Watch the movie. Think about it. Form your opinion. Then compare them with the insightful comments of Fideist to get your score. A film to be seen - probably once a year for the rest of your life.

This film is a great tale of the 50s,60s and 70s. It is another in the films which have made a wonderful transition from Broadway to Hollywood. It is undoubtedly schmaltzy. But Alda and Burstyn make up for any sentimentality with star performances. I have heard it called a chick flick, but here is one guy who believes it is a simply absorbing comedy/romance. Hand me a hankie and let me see it again!

This classic comedy is IMHO not only the best Pink Panther and Peter Sellers comedy, but one of my two all-time favorites in that category - the other one being Some Like It Hot. Sellers is at his best as Clouseau. Elke Sommers was never better or more beautiful than as Maria Gambrelli. Herbert Lom as Chief Inspector Dreyfus and Burt Kwok as Kato make their first appearances in the series and are a delight. The Nudist Colony scene is superb as is the Henry Mancini score. I have seen it at least seven times and it never loses its hold.

One of the five greatest musicals of all time. Rex Harrison was the the superb pompous character he was supposed to be. The Audrey Hepburn/Julie Andrews debate is for would-be casting directors. Julie is magnificent and Audrey cannot compare as a singer. But Audrey is a glorious waif and with the singing of Marni Nixon, Hollywood's greatest dubbed singer, who cares? Movies should not be evaluated by who might have played a role, but by the job done by those who did! Eliza's father and his role are wonderful. Obviously it wasn't that important to the plot, but what does plot have to do with a great Musical? The songs are wonderful and memorable. Oh, but it was great. Better than all the chocolates imaginable!

This is the best comedy ever made. So it is no surprise that it is the best of comedic genius Billy Wilder's great films. Jack Lemmon is fantastic as Jerry /Daphne. I am not a great Tony Curtis fan, but his portrayal here of Joe/Josephine is not only his best ever performance but one of the funniest roles in comedy. Marilyn Monroe is not just a beautiful bimbo in her role as Sugar Kane, but she shows us here just what a great loss her early death was. George Raft never had a comedic appearance like this burlesque of his own gangster roles. All that being said, Joe E. Brown as Osgood Fielding III is perhaps the funniest and most memorable role in this claassic film. A "5" on a "4" scale!

It is amazing that Hollywood ever managed to show the reality of American political campaigning with anything close to the honesty of Klein's book and Elaine Mays' screenplay. John Travolta simply IS Bill Clinton from the first view to the closing scene. Emma Thompson's Hillary is perfect - desire, ambition, dedication and willingness to sacrifice herself. Billy Bob Thornton makes James Carville appealing for the first time. But despite all of that, it is Kathy Bates who steals the film and the viewer's hearts as tough, cynical - and idealistic.

This is one of the seminal musicals of the modern age. The music is magnificent and very memorable. The tunes have remained American classics for over four decades. The cinematography is breathtaking, especially the Bali Hai scene.

Mitzi Gaynor's performance is one of the most under-rated roles in cinema history. It was virtually slandered by lovers of Mary Martin, who was reportedly magnificent on Broadway but could not have carried the role on screen.

With Astaire and Crosby what more can you ask for? Well here you not only get them, but you also receive the bonus of a great band, a wonderful cast of supporting players and a Christmas script that isn't saccharine.

Astaire's Firecracker dance is worth the price of seeing this movie by itself. But the musical score adds to the film's greatness.