I can't believe that the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson was involved in this atrocity of a motion picture. Didn't he realize what they were doing to his concept regarding Las Vegas? Aside from that, this so-called production wastes the considerable talent of a lot of gifted actors. Christina Ricci is fortunate that her vapid role in this travesty didn't stall her career before it actually caught fire. Ellen Barkin is totally out of place at the end as a waitress in a run-down dive of a restaurant in North Las Vegas. Her make-up job was so BAD that I failed to recognize her at first. What can I say about casting Gary Busey as a California Highway Patrolman? Not much. The scenario as such is disjointed, pointless, and lacking any kind of real social comment or value. After reading the other reviews here I am giving some credit to the cinematographer. The lenses were in focus most of the time.
Reviews
3 Reviews
The Babe Ruth Story
(1948)
This film is unworthy of Babe Ruth, the Man, and Baseball Champion.
2 November 2006
As has been noted already here, this film is worse than mediocre; it is ludicrous at best. Why the film was as badly scripted as it was is anybody's guess at this late date. Scenes which should have come across as poignant come across as corny. The Miller Huggins death scene is especially bad, where "Babe" is talking to him thinking he is still alive, and the nurse pulls the sheet over the face because he is already dead. The jump from his youth in the orphanage to major league baseball is disconcerting. William Bendix wasn't a great actor in the sense of a Bogart or Tracy. But, he wasn't that inept either. The production was rushed to completion before Ruth's death and one can only wonder what he must have thought of it, given the chain of contrivances. This film could have been honest and inspiring, instead it is fraudulent and vapid.
A Sensitive, Passionate Man
(1977 TV Movie)
Psychiatry Fails To Treat Alcoholism In This Film
2 October 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This film displays the complete and utter ineptitude of the psychiatrist "Dr. Lazerbow" in dealing with an alcoholic patient. The role was played by Richard Bull, a very fine actor. I am surprised that he didn't research his part better. He tells "Margie" that "I can't force him to go to A.A." but fails to tell her about Alanon which could have helped HER deal with Dr. Delany's disease. Little is mentioned of the detox center where he spent 30 days, mandatory daily A.A. meetings have traditionally been a fixture of rehab units. So, we can safely assume that he was exposed to A.A. doctrine and somehow rejected it and its program of recovery. That is where there is a GIANT HOLE in this film. After 30 days of treatment he returns actually WORSE than before? That doesn't happen in real life. But, then again; this is just a movie about a tragic disease affecting an 'all-American" type family in a tragic way with a tragic alcoholic death that was PREVENTABLE.
It is tremendously ironic that David Janssen died 3 years later of complications from alcoholism. I guess playing in this film didn't do him much good.
It is tremendously ironic that David Janssen died 3 years later of complications from alcoholism. I guess playing in this film didn't do him much good.
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