Reviews

This is probably one of the most boring movies I've seen in years. Very seldom do I walk out of a movie, but I'd had it after about 2/3 of it transpired. I just couldn't take it anymore. I had no curiosity at all about the ending...because, even if you hadn't read the book, you knew all would be well. I'm so saddened that today's youth is so attached to werewolves, vampires and ridiculous sci-fi stories. I hope all those who make these stories so popular all text and drive too. We are losing our culture to crap. Crap on the TV. Crap in literature. Crap at the movies. Even an old fogey like Betty White (on her new show), has given in to the basest of humor to get a laugh, and unfortunately, she gets them. I'm glad I'm an old fogey too, so I won't be around when the declining morals and taste of this country bring it down...and it will. You young ones will be there when it happens. Hope you enjoyed your ride.

I have to sort of agree with valkyria4. Although Portman certainly was excellent, and I believe deserved the awards she got, the movie itself was a disappointment for me, but Portman's performance was why I even gave it a 2 instead of a 1. It started out okay, and then got just plain silly. I mean really silly. I cannot see why this movie got such rave reviews. Yes, the ballet scenes were wonderful to see, and the acting was superb, but the story disintegrated into a "psycho gobbledygook" reminiscent of a cheap horror movie by Roger Corman. It's my opinion that those who rave about it were sucked in by the hype provided by the studio, and loved by the same people who buy modern, abstract art...it became simply a prestigious thing to hawk above us stupid masses who just don't get it.

It's Quatermain, not Quartermain. I had just finished reading the book, and the film doesn't follow it at all except in a very few places. However, the film still stands out as a good adventure, with excellent photography and views of Africa not seen before including the animals and the natives. Wonderful for its time, I guess, but doesn't really hold up for today's audiences. I still enjoyed it for what it is. The stampede scene was, however, pretty darn good. I have no idea how they got that to happen especially with so many different kinds of animals. What made me laugh, though, was the giant spider. It was so fake. And why was it even called King Soloman's Mines? They spent about 1 minute looking at the gems, and then went on with the unrelated story. Overall, it was just OK.

I lived in Santa Fe, NM for 20 years which is only about 20 miles from Truchas, NM where TMBW was filmed. This movie was right on the money in its portrayal of Northern New Mexico, both in its culture and in its politics. The movie itself is one of the most sublime films I've ever seen in the true sense of the word. It has grandeur of thought, emotion and spirit. It has been bashed in this comment area by those raised on Star Wars, Predator, and the Matrix. To enjoy a movie like TMBW, you have to have a sense of awe, wonder and joy...and a good sense of humor. If you don't, you may get bored. If you do, then you'll find two hours well spent. I obviously love this movie. The music alone will transport you to a pleasant part of your mind, and the absolutely gorgeous New Mexico scenery will make you want to go there to see if it's really real. Try it, you'll like it.

I just watched Something The Lord Made on HBO, and, as are most HBO movies, it was well done. The story of Vivien Thomas and Alfred Blalock is a wonderful, true story of a brilliant surgical technician and his physician partner. It is a positive story...which we don't see much of these days, and chronicles a life of triumph over adversity. Vivien Thomas' name lives on today in the history of heart surgery, and in a number of medical scholarships named for him. His portrait now hangs alongside those of distinguished physicians in the lobby of the Blalock building of Johns Hopkins University. I highly recommend this movie.