Change Your Image
dfe51
Reviews
American Rust (2021)
It Would Have Been Nice to Know, About Season 2
American Rust moved very slowly through episodes 1-8. Watched episode 9, thinking the story would have a much needed conclusion, it didn't. The series just has a series of unresolved cliff hangers. You finish episode 9, knowing this could be Showtimes Game of Thrones, god I hope not.
No Time to Die (2021)
Move Bond To A New Level
See this movie before someone tells you the ending. No Time To Die, is groundbreaking. The Direction is great. The Film Editing is tight, something no one talks about, but bad Film Editing Killed Spectre. One caution this reflects the time it is being made, Just like Goldfinger and other Bond movies have done.
News of the World (2020)
Change your Movie Diet
For people who are fed a contact diet of Comic Book movies, will find this movie lacking. Following in the Clint Eastwood steps of Unforgiven, this movie gives you the old West with the bark on.
There is a beautiful story here, if you take a few minutes to find it. Tom Hanks plays a great role of a conflicted Texas Southerner 5 years after the Civil War. Everything that has been left out of the hundreds of 50's Westerns, is right here, front and center. The beauty of watching this movie, is that it will give some clues on where some people have been. It should help us going forward.
All My Sons (1948)
Our Uncle One of The Dead in this Movie
Our family has more skin in this game than any other movie I know. My uncle Lt. James Roche USN, was one of the aviators killed by the defective engines in this movie. Not everyone alive back during WWII was part of the Greaqtest Generation. Like the movies portrays, the airplane engine manufacture was do to lose his business with the US Navy he he didn't ship aircraft engines on time. To fill the order, he knowingly shipped defective engines. My uncle Lt. James Roche was flying one of his defective engines stateside, when it caught on fire. Naval aircraft have very short fuselages to make room for more aircraft. My uncle exited the plane, chute never opened. This was years before ejector seats were invented and used. Every time I watch this movie, it is very sad. My family was crush by his death. No bitterness, just sorrow, that his passing occurred the way it did.
Once Upon a Time in... Hollywood (2019)
Love?Hate Breks Boomers/Millennials
The love/hate breaks Werther it is reviewers or audience along generational lines. Boomers get it and most like it, GenX and Millennials hate because it has nothing to do with them. The movies protrayal of last '60 in Hollywood is spot on.the length this movie goes to be authentic to the period is nothing short of great. The other underlying theme of Tarantino's tribute to Steve McQueen is spectacular. Until I saw an old re-run of the late '50's TV show "Wanted:Dead or Alive, (Starring Steve McQueen), I hadn't realized how close "Bounty Law" was to the original. I understand why people under 40 feel so closed off from this movie, but if everyone used that matrix, I would have never seen "Lawrence of Arabia", because it is set in World War I, a time I didn't know about until I watched the movie in 1962
Marriage Story (2019)
Waste of Time
Unless your a new divorce lawyer trying up their game, this movie is a waste of time. The first two minutes of the movie are great, then out of the blue, diver. It doesn't make any sense. Both parents are protrude as loving couple and good parents. The only two things we learn alters one she does feel her feelings mater, well lady the line forms at the left and circles the equator twice. The only thing we learn, that is totally out of character, is that he has had an affair. The only thing that this movie demonstrates is have paper thin young people are between marriage and divorce.
Downton Abbey (2019)
Big Off Screen Contribution
First, I've never seen a minute of the PBS Downton Abbey series, yet throughly enjoyed the movie, especially the humor. This movie biggest contribution maybe off screen. At the screening I attended half the people their had not been inside a movie in decades. That ability of this movie will not be forgotten at Oscar time.
The movie set in the late 1920's, is pure fantasy. If you want to see how men treated women back then watch "Suffergett"". That aside is is well written, and the photography is first rate
In the Heat of the Night (1967)
Buried Treasure Inside
We the yearly availability of this movie on TCM, readers of this review need no nudging from me to see it. What I would like to focus on for the next time you watch this movie, forget the foreground action, and concentrate of the town of Sparta in the background, What Director Jewishness has done is frozen in time small town rural America in the 1960's for us. the Sparta < Miss. we see on the scene is the Sparta before Sam Walton come in, and suck the life out of Main Street Sparta. I have never visited Sparta, maybe I will, but I already know what I will see. A sea of "For Rent" signs, in downtown Sparta.
"Heat" is not the first movie to do this William Wyler sent a camera crew down a main street in California, in 1946, and preserved forever, the time period.
Watch this movie, the first time, for the movie, but watch a second, or a third, (I seen it a least a dozen timed), and concentrat on the background. Along with some of the chessiest cars from the late 1950's, you will see America, in the South, frozen in time
Per un pugno di dollari (1964)
The Beginning of Legend
This is ground zero for Clint Eastwood's movie career. he made other movies before this movie was release, but he performances had gone nowhere. His biggest before the was playing Rowdy Yates on Rawhide (CBS), in the late 50's. according to Time Magazine Eastwood was paid $15,000.00 for this movie, let's hope he got expensive.
The Kitchen (2019)
Better Movie Than the "Critics" contend
I'm not hear to defend this movie. It is not great. All I'm saying that it is far better than the Critics report. The main problem I see is classic, you hate things you don't understand. I think the fact that this movie revolves around the activities of an Irish mob, people have trouble relating to. Although this movie is fiction, there is enjoy real life stories in the NYPD, to validate this story. One quick TRUE New York study. For decades one of the five families employed an Irish American hit man. He was a licensed plumber, but also a hit man for the mob. Whenever they needed a hit, the scheduled a "service call, in the area. After the SC, hit would kill the intended, then go home to his wife and kids and sleep like a baby. The "plumber" kept showing up on police reports, but NYPD discount him because he was Irish. The mob use the cops stereotyping against them.
Yesterday (2019)
Love Beatles Music, See It
This movie could have been a 10, save one scene in the movie. No spoiler Alert, you will know when you get there. It would not surprise my in the least, that before mentioned scene, was edited out of the PPV and DVD release. Don't pay attention to the critics on this one, I will tell you that if Roger Ebert was Alive, he would given this movie a big Thumbs UP
Late Night (2019)
Way Overratted by Critics.
Maybe the movie critics saw a different movie than I did. The movie I saw felt like a early 60's rip off. Nothing new, except social media, which is nothing new. A couple of laugh out load jokes, but the rest standard Hollywood. Wait til HBO to consume this movie
Selma (2014)
Stick to the Facts
Selma is basically a good movie when it stays on track, it only deteriotes when its falls into revisionist history. The portrayal of LBJ during this period in the movie is erroneous. That is NOT my opinion, just listen the LBJ White House tapes and to the people who were there when this tragic event happen. This second point may seem trivial to some, but to me it is a huge error. There was no live TV coverage of the Selma march. The REAL coverage was shot by some very brave NBC cameraman on 16mm film. That film was sent to New York, and aired on NBS News the following. To say the nation was shocked after viewing that footage, is putting it mildly.
John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)
Top Ten worst Movie Ever !
First, to call the martial demo a movie is a gift. There is NO Plot. It is a live action video game. I would rather watch two hours of Spectre fight scene outtakes than this. Frankly I don't see what anybody over the age of 20 sees in this. You really have to dumb it down to like this one,
Edison, the Man (1940)
Worst Biopic of the 40's
Thomas A. Edison, was in reality a terrible man. He was a thief, a liar, and an animal abuser, and that were some of his good points.
He stole the Georges Meles film "Man in the Moon", in London, when Meles arrived in the Us weeks later to promote his film, he found Edison had made hundreds of copies of his film, and it was playing all over the East coast.
With his battle with Westinghouse and Tesla over which system of electrical transmission to use Edison DC, Tesla"s AC. Edison rented Carnegie Hall, brought in an adult elephant on stage, and proceeded to electrocute the animal with Telsa's AC current. How come MGM missed that one ?
There is much more, but let's be cleared, Edison did not invent the electric light bulb. He bought up all the existing patients, so he would have no competition, and test over 700 elements before him found carbonized cotton fiber worked best. Not to give all the others people who advance this solution credit is a crime.
Room for One More (1952)
Freezes Early 50's Forever
I hate when movies today try to recreate a period in the past and get it wrong. especially when they have movies made. Not intending to, but freeze that time period forever. This movie deals with hot button issues of its' day, not immigration, adoption. It always makes one feel superior when you see a prejudice exposed, that is not even on the radar screen today, You don't think of Cary grant on the front lines of fighting prejudice, but he is in the front lines in this movie. Yes, his is only acting, but Cary Grant was long past accepting roles he did not believe in. What great. At least for this movie, he handles his adoptive daughter's prom night, we his classic wit and style that pervades most of his later movies. FYI his wife in the movie was his real wife at the time Betsy Drake.
The Man Who Would Be King (1975)
WAS a Good Movie
Use to love watching this movie. The opening sequences are great . DP Oswald Morris, one of the best behind the camera. they should have an Oswald Morris tribute on TCM.
What I have a problem with now, that I never saw before, is when they reach the native people, how degrading their behavior is. You look at the situation in the area today, and see the roots of hatred of the West were sown 300 years ago, and we are still getting the butcher's bill, for their behavior.
El Chicano (2018)
Movie About Real Latinos
I'm no Roger Ebert, but the first thing your hit with from the opening scene, is WOW these are real Latinos, playing themselves in this movie. the list of "Paddy's', playing Mexicans in films is as long as your arm Marlon Brando, Paul Newman, Paul Muni.the other thing that makes this movie different is the way the present the East LA Latinos culture, graffiti and all. I know some people got excited last year about "Crazy Rich Asians", but that movie plot has been making the rounds in Hollywood for decades, the just inserted Asians to update the movie. this movie takes you much deeper in a real culture, a culture we need to understand if we are ever to get along.
The Greatest Showman (2017)
End One Prejudice, Reinforce OLd Stereotype
This movie is more pep rally, than movie. What I found the most objectionable, was as the movie is trying to erase how we feel about people who have "challenges" to their lives, we are reinforcing an old stereotype having the "haters" in the movie being exclusively be Irish . I will give you, that the Irish population during this time period could run as high as 25% of NYC population. But, there were other ethnic groups (Germans) that were living in NYC.
Lonely Are the Brave (1962)
Kikk's Favorite Movi
First, let's clear up something, in the Goof Section above Dalton Trumbull's was referred to as a Comunists, that person needs to go back to their high School and ask for a refund. Dalton Trumbull's was Blacklisted along with hundreds of other people in the late 40's and 50's. Some people crimes was they were married to a member of the Blacklist (Lee Grant), and many could find work, some committed suicide. His was a True witch hunt, with Richard Nixon, as its chief inquisitor
Back to the move, according to Michael Douglas (Kirk's son), this is his Father favorite move, and I agree. This movie has everything great cast, great screenplay, the art description was great. Love the "Tin Lizzie", sticking out on the road, as Douglas passes by on his horse. The casting director gets no screen credit (common in those days), but what a cast. No Spoiler Alerts here, watch it, and you will see. I'm glad to see it is back on cable, maybe it will find a whole new audience.
Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
Tru to The Historical Period
I'm no expert on 16th Century history, but I know enough of the period to know that this movie got the history of Mary and Elizabeth right. Some reviewers have taken issue with the race of some cast members, they are actors playing a part in a movie, get over it.
What the movie is especially good at was the mood of the picture, They truly took you back to that time and place. The real tragedy is that so many people today would rather go to see the hundredth installment of Comic Book movie, rather than watch some really good filmmaking. Don't let the reviewers do you thinking for you, go see this movie, before more brain cells die from boredom.
Queen of the Desert (2015)
Revisionist History
I hate movies that go to the earth and the moon to look historical, but are not. This is JFK goes to the Middle East. The opening scene, (1914), has a group of Senior British Officers ,and Winston Churchill,(First Lord of the Admiralty in 1914), discussing the Sykes-Picot agreement. Just a few small problems, in 1914 TE Lawrence was a Lieutenant assigned cartography duties in the basement of British Headquarters, Winston Churchill never visited the Middle East during WWI, he fought in trenches in France. The Sykes=Picot Agreement was leaked in the May-June of 1916, two years after this meeting is suppose to have taken place. At that point I went numb, and just finish watching the movie. I'm sure Gertrude Bell had some role in advising the British, but this movie makes a mockery of whatever she did do. The fact that this movie was made in 2015, and not released on Showtime til 2018, speaks volumes.