Change Your Image
ceswart
Reviews
Welcome to Hard Times (1967)
This mess is pacifism on steroids.
I had high hopes for this, but wound up despising it. This is pacifism with a broad brush, absolutely sophomoric in it's persistent delivering of the kind of message that makes "turn the other cheek" resemble heroism.
I just hope impressionable children are not being exposed to this defeatist philosophy.
Pushing this movie's obvious message to kids is like passing around the bubonic plague.
The actors are first-rate but are squandered here in my opinion.
In WWII actors flew bombers or fought for their country on the beaches and were slogging along in the infantry for years in dangerous terrain. Regrettably, things have deeply changed in the USA. Hollywood has become the mouthpiece of the left. This movie was produced in the 60s and bears the stamp of those times, times when the inmates tried to run the asylum--and very nearly succeeded.
So watch and enjoy the fine acting in this film, but don't succumb to it's defeatist message.
Man-Eater of Kumaon (1948)
Apologists for tigers may love this movie
Tense direction, good acting by Corey and Sabu. Corbett was an animal rights enthusiast but shot and killed a lot of big cats in his day. Many Indian villagers owed their lives to him.
Many people look at sadistic murderers and tigers in the same way, i.e., it's not their fault. This to me is sickening.
Lovers of tigers need to know that tigers hunt and kill 300 villagers a year in the Sundabans mangrove swamps on the Bay of Bengal. Shamefully, the Indian government protects these tigers at the expense of its human population. This is not laudable to me. I'm sure PETA animal lovers would not wish to hunt wood in the swamps of the Sundabands, infested as it is with over 500 man-eating tigers.
So much for the romance of the big cats.
Safe House (1998)
Pretty Good Movie, But. . .
This was a reasonably interesting flick, though the ending was not a huge surprise. Also, I felt a little irritated with the film's negative references solely to Republicans, i.e., Iran Contra and Watergate. The evil politician was a Republican as well. It get tiresome to see this persistent Hollywood PC in so many otherwise laudable films. Why not reference Koreagate, Travelgate, Interngate or Chinagate? Talk about old scandals!
Patrick Stewart is a fine actor and Kimberly Williams very accomplished and lovely to behold. The supporting cast was good as well. The script, too, was tight and moved right along.
It's sad that Hollywood is so politically paranoid.