Reviews

While I'm sure I was a teenager once (my parents will attest to that), I was never a teenager in Scotland. This film makes me wish I had been.

This unpretentious tale of adolescent adoration (all right, puppy love), is one of the purest, most enjoyable, romance films I have ever seen.

Unlike American cinema where the main characters would be satisfying raging hormonal urges in gratuitously graphic sexual detail, this film by Mr. Forsythe catches the true essence of "young love" by letting the cast be what they are. Simply young people with an awkward sense of decency and a genuine curiosity for the opposite sex.

This is a must see, especially if you ever thought you might have been in love or think you are now.

Try to see the uncut version, as the British film industry has a different sense of 'Family Values' (whatever that is).

I love the secondary sub-plots. So, pay close attention.

A humorous twist on a classic horror flick. This is Mel Brooks at his comedic finest. You didn't know that Mary Shelley was a comedy writer? Mel Brooks and Gene Wilder knew. How else could they have written such a brilliant screenplay?

This is not mere sarcasm, but pure genius, blended with tongue in cheek jabs at everything from medicine, religion, politics, and Hollywood horror, to sex and marriage. Nothing is sacred, and Wilder and Brooks pray (prey?) at that alter often.

How would our PC society view Gene Hackman's performance as the "blind man' today? His character is hilarious.

What about Kenneth Mars as the police inspector? He does for amputees what Hackman did for the sight impaired.

Unless your cravenly PC and/or Humor challenged, you must see this movie, twice, as you will be laughing so hard you will miss things the first time around.

(I saw this on the big screen with a rather dense classmate in high school, and I had to pay to see it again because I missed so much explaining all the sight gags and such to him.)

On second thought, maybe the PC should be made to view this film in it's uncensored entirety, as well as other Mel Brook's gems, to give them a reality check of their funny bones. (Latin: Humerus, a bone from your elbow to wrist.)

Enjoy, or it's the "glue factory" for you!

Only in the pre 1975 era could we see a true spoof of the "Big Brother/1984" plot used with such wit and verve. Nowadays they would have Bruce Willis or Arnold Schwartznegar blowing up everything in sight and cheap skin shots of the Jennifer Lopez or whoever the in "hot bod" is.

No one seems to be able to carry off a poignant yet comical theme today without pushing censorship and freedom of speech/expression to the limit.

James Coburn brilliantly plays the paranoid psychoanalyst for the leader of the free world at the height of the Cold War. Spies falling over each other's dead comrades to intercept the most dangerous mind in the world!

What fun! What nerve! The pre-break up Ma Bell being portrayed as a sinister force! What a stretch of imagination that was.

Maybe it's not a block buster espionage thriller or a right wing revenge shoot-em-up, but it is a very good film. I heartily recommend it to the generation "neXters" who don't get to see enough well made comedies aimed at the thinking human.

(Put that in your BMW and smoke it!)

This film is a classic. Henry Fonda as the lone bounty hunter,

Anthony Perkins as the tyro Sheriff. Fonda plays this one close to the chest, minimal dialog, maximum emotional effect. Only Jimmy Stewart underplays a western tough guy as well as Fonda.

We have all the necessary ingredients for a fine screenplay. We have greed, hate, violence, racism, ignorance, and just plain human decency all exposed on screen with an even pace to measure the morals meted out by Fonda's character as the plot unfolds.

You want both to be a character in this story and yet stay as far away from it as possible.

So it fails as a fairy tale, but succeeds in taking our souls for a walk outside our values and qualifies as a fine tale of human endeavor.

See this film, the western context only enhances the plot line.

I highly recommend it.

Unlike their contemporary "Man From U.N.C.L.E." series, this movie and it's sequel "In Like Flint", have the ability to laugh at their own plots and allow the viewer to be entertained in this "007" spoof.

The characters are plastic and shallow, except of course for the multi-talented Flint who amazes us with his humble expertise in almost everything. But again this is as a take-off should be. Any comic venture that takes itself seriously is not comedy, or even parody, but simple mockery. This film is simple fun with enjoyable scenery (Gila Golan and the others in 60's bikinis!) and plenty of clean American (albeit sexist) fun. OK, I admit I am not PC. So there! A fun cinematic romp, followed by a not so bad sequel.

P.S. see the full screen (letter-box) format if you can.

Frank Capra has an uncanny ability to tug at our base human emotions and elicit direct responses. He can take a typical American male character like Jefferson Smith, and turn him into 'David' while making the corrupt political machine into the 'Goliath'. Though Jefferson Smith is not a duly elected representative of his unnamed state, he does indeed represent everything we all want to be believe in. Like honesty and the American spirit of adventure and patriotism. No one but Jimmy Stewart could have been cast for this role. He even reprised this naive, idealistic type character in the film "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance" I rarely agree with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, but they were right in nominating Stewart for "Best Actor" of 1939. He did not win, but that year was packed with outstanding performances and excellent films. He was awarded the "Best Actor" by the New York Film Critics Circle Awards. Jimmy Stewart's 'Filibuster' performance was by itself worthy of an Oscar. A fine film that never goes out of date. See also "Meet John Doe" for a similarly fine example of political "David & Goliath" plot working.

This is a fine screen adaptation of the play. An outstanding performance by Mr. Woodward as Lt. Morant and suberb supporting performances by Fitz-Gerald and Brown make this an engrossing film. The flavor of late "VIctorian Era" politics and values spice this tale of the courts-martial of three Australian officers of the "Bushfeldt Carabiniers", a British "commando" unit of the Boer War formed to respond to "ruthless" Boer tactics. A story that transcends the wartime military setting and stands with the best courtroom dramas. I hope you will enjoy this film as much as I do.

Who can argue with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for bestowing this film with its highest honor? This is a fine depiction of the classic confrontational character development. You want to cheer for Fletcher Christian (a dashing Clark Gable) and the "good" crew of the Bounty, and jeer Captain Bligh (Charles Laughton in his best performance) as the antihero. If you ignore the actual history of this tale, you will be drawn into a fair depiction of the life of a British tar aboard one of "His Majesty's Ships" in the late eighteenth century, when Britian "RULED THE WAVES". This particular historical event did indeed bring about reforms for the common sailor and marine of The Royal Navy, with the Admiralty rewriting the "King's Regulations". But Hollywood turns this story into a recruiting film for the Royal Navy, and bombards us with pro-British sentiments, romanticizing the sea and vilifying a great sailor (Bligh) who sailed with Captain cook and charted much of the Pacific Ocean.

I digress, suffice it to say this is an excellent film with noteworthy performances.

Though I've never sailed in a sub, I can state that, inaccuracies aside, this is an excellent adventure/ action film. Yes it leaves much to be desired compared to the book by Tom Clancy, but even with a different ending and the godawful gunfight in the missile compartment, the film uses an excellent cast, very good character development, fine cinematography, and the brilliant use of music in the soundtrack to convey the mood. Alec Baldwin shines in this epic, and Sean Connery emanates that charisma that makes him such a fine actor on screen. Even if they had followed the book plot, it would have been very boring on screen. BTW, Patuxant River (Pax River) is a Naval Air Station not a Graving Dock.

See this on the big screen if you can, you will not be disappointed.

This is the standard by which all others should be judged. A classic pre-PC comedy with all the elements that became Mel Brook's trademarks.

Though some of the material is overplayed in later Brooksfilm productions, I never tire of watching this movie.

If you can find it, there is a release that has multiple additional scenes where Sheriff Bart tricks Mongo. Also look for the alternate end scene where The Governor visits the fake Rock Ridge.

I saw this in theatrical release in 1974 when I was still in high school, and I am still laughing from that experience. This movie is a "must see", bring a sense of humor and check your politically correct attitude at the door.

A delightful production based on the popular TV series of the

early 1960's.

Filmed in "SUPERMARIONATION", this film is a tribute to the

masterful use of scale models and "slot cars" as well as

brilliantly executed puppet design/construction. That and the exciting plots made the series such a hit with kids like me.

This full-length, action packed, blockbuster is a must see for any kid from pre-school to geriatric intensive care!

All hype aside, I enjoy watching this (and the 1968 release: "Thunderbird 6") over and over when I feel let down by cable tv programming.

Also check out the 32 episodes of the TV series.

Though loosely based on the 19 century pennings of Robert Pyle, "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves" takes the poorman's King Athur, and destroys his legend. At least Hollywood paid tribute to the popularity of the legend, and true to the essence of the legendary figure, his panache and charisma through folklore was reenforced by casting the likes

of Errol Flynn as that heroic character. Kevin Costner pales in the shadow of the fallen nobleman he portrays. Surrounded by a very talented supporting cast, good scripting, killer soundtrack, and powerful photographic images of actual locations, he again shows that "Midas Touch". The chemistry created by all of the above carries the viewer along with it, preventing one from letting his mind tell him to get up and leave the theatre or turn off the TV. I cannot explain why this all works, but it does, and very well. "It's got a great beat and it's easy to dance to"

An epic in every sense. Though Kevin Costner is no Sean Connery he does have that "Midas Touch" that turns overlong, boring, stories into box office gold. While the screenplay is based on Michael Blake's novel, many important details were changed, or omitted completely.

Perhaps the audience is to be granted "omniscience" and

fully understand key plot developments that were not shown

or explained (eg: do we know why Stands With A Fist/Christine attempts suicide? The book goes into great detail and makes one fully appreciative of Her story.), or are they merely to be overwhelmed by a magnificent soundtrack (scored by John Barry of the "007" music fame) and breathtaking cinematography? I was. I suppose that to include all that "needed" info, The Human Bladder Co-efficient would have been exceeded. I did not read the book until last year, but have seen the movie several times on video, and originally on the big screen (a very bad 16mm print with poor sound @ a college auditorium). I am by nature a very skeptical, detail oriented person who enjoys History (especially Civil War Military History) but yet my eyes still well up with tears everytime I watch this film. See it on the Big Screen with someone you love.

Postwar England, the dawn of the "atomic age". Yet, the worries of a young schoolboy yearning to experience his first "kiss" cannot be derailed by something as inconsequential as THE BOMB. This was a delightful if not educational look at young love from the vantage point of an adolescent male and his world of the

1940's. Free of political correctness and preachy messages, this film exposes the viewer to the world that only the mind (and

hormones) of a young teenager can create. Wonderful subplots

maintain character interest ala "Gregory's Girl", and plenty

of well blocked shots help keep up the imagery of this era. This is a very good story for anyone, young or old, who has

ever been in love, or ever wanted to be. Does he ever get his wish? Watch it and see.