Reviews

Despite the many negative comments I've read here, I give two thumbs up for "The Wild Geese." Remember that the versions you usually see on TV have been horribly mutilated, which definitely makes a huge difference in the film. Some of these jokers should understand that the movie was made for entertainment, and not as a training aid. As sheer entertainment, this movie does very well indeed.

The combat sequences were well done (they should have been, one of the lead actors had actually been a mercenary in the Belgian Congo), and they even went to the expense of hiring legendary mercenary commander "Mad Mike" Hoare as an advisor, too. Some of the less pleasant aspects of combat soldiering are dealt with satisfactorily, which took guts even in 1978 when this movie was made.

The actors perform more than adequately, despite some highly implausible lapses in logic in their actions...if anything, the writers should take the heat here, and not the actors.

I especially enjoyed the HALO sequence...I can feel my adrenalin kicking in every time I see the C-130 throttling up for its takeoff run, and when the troopers start their mass exit off the tailgate, I can't help but grin.

I find this movie strangely satisfying, and heartily recommend it to anyone who enjoys a straightforward action movie. I give it 8.8 out of 10.

Big, colorful, lavish, HOTEL is a very nice movie. It's set in New Orleans' French Quarter, and Warner Brothers even managed to get the NOPD star-and-crescent badges on the police officers' uniforms correct...a nice attention to detail. Even the music was properly scored to the locales depicted...another plus. True, most of the movie was shot on WB's back lots, but some of the French Quarter scenes were actually shot in New Orleans.

An all-star cast performs more than adequately, but Karl Malden literally steals the movie! He plays a sneak-thief named "Keycase", and he obviously played his role with relish. In one wonderful scene, he surveys his loot after a harrowing evening's thieving, and sadly mutters "It's those damned credit cards!" If you remember that Malden later became the American Express man ("Don't leave home without it!"), this scene is priceless.

Another classic is when the cops finally get him. Handcuffed to a NOPD officer, Malden can't help but swipe a hotel ashtray as he's being led to jail...grinning happily the whole time.

It's great entertainment, and I rate it 9 out of 10.

Jeffrey Hunter is very good in this splendid account of a British seaman who pits himself single-handedly in a desperate battle against a huge German warship.

Slow-moving at first, the action builds inexorably into a grand and (at least for me) very satisfactory climax. Who cares about realism when you can have this much fun?

Michael Rennie (one of my favorite actors) is well-cast in his role, and Bernard Lee (you might know him as James Bond's chief) is also very good.

If you see this movie and enjoy it, you might also be interested in Peter O'Toole's "Murphy's War", which is quite similar in many respects.

I rate this good old movie 7.5 out of 10.

This is one of those movies that makes you feel like a 12-year-old sneaking into the local movie palace on a Saturday afternoon.

If you like exotic locales, rousing action, a lot of humor and a bit of romance thrown in for good measure, you'll probably enjoy this film as much as I do.

Orson Welles ("Bayan of the Thousand Eyes") is the real star, though Jack Hawkins, as usual, is terrific. This movie is a delight, and it stands the test of time. Best of all, it leaves you with a contented smile on your face.

I rate it a solid 8.5 out of 10.

This offbeat Western could have been another standard revenge flick, but the vivid portrayals from the stars inject lots of spice and no small amount of humor into the proceedings.

Raquel Welch portrays "Hannie", and Robert Culp craftily plays "Luther Price", ace bounty hunter, mankiller, and Hannie's mentor.

The real stars of this piece are Strother Martin, Jack Elam and Ernest Borgnine. If you can imagine 'The Three Stooges' as utterly filthy, scummy vagabonds with a propensity for murder, rape and theft, you might get an idea of how this family operates.

Strother Martin in particular is a delight; in the middle of a gunbattle he engages in a clumsy fistfight with one of his brothers over some trivial matter. Another priceless moment is when he presides at a brother's funeral, using a stolen Bible that he cannot even read.

Look for Christopher Lee's subtle and well-crafted performance as a former Confederate gunmaker.

Not your usual Western, this film is well worth watching despite its flaws.

Rated 7.7/10.

If a space alien appeared at your front door and wanted to learn about the American West and why it has such a beloved place in Americans' myths and legends, all you'd have to do is have him/her/it sit down in a comfortable chair, and pop this wonderful movie into the VCR.

Nicely adapted from the excellent novel by Larry McMurtry, this 6-hour epic is a rich delight for the senses.

This movie was an instant classic even before it finished its initial TV run back in 1989. It features excellent acting from all concerned, great dialogue, and a moving and memorable musical score. Besides, the scenery is beautiful, and the attention to detail is awesome.

It's a timeless story of friendship, courage, loyalty, and learning how to come to terms with one's past, as well as the future. In short, it's about life.

Highly recommended to everyone (even curious space aliens!); buy this one for your video collection and take good care of it. It's one for the ages.

10 out of 10.

Beautifully filmed in Death Valley, a low budget didn't hurt this fine movie, which was crafted with intelligence, wit, and imagination.

Paul Mantee stars as the survivor of an ill-fated voyage to Mars, and he plays his role with zest, humor, and gritty determination to survive despite the long odds against him.

Nicely adapted from the classic tale, this movie stands the test of time; despite its being released in 1964, it has a uniquely authentic look and feel, despite the dated hardware.

It's a good movie for the kids (they'll probably fall in love with Mona the monkey).

Best of all, this movie leaves you with a satisfied, thumbs-up smile when the ending credits roll, and lots of movies with bigger stars and more lavish budgets just don't do as well.

I rate it 8.5 out of 10

...no kidding!

Take every hackneyed gimmick you've ever seen in bad science fiction movies, add in bad acting, cornball dialogue, extraordinarily amateurish special effects, silly 'Martians', and add a garish crimson filter for your 'Martian landscape' shots, and you have a monster of a movie like this one turned out to be.

On the other hand, the monster ameba with the rotating eyeball was fun to watch, as was the gigantic rat-bat-spider creature.

This was made in those grand old days before 'political correctness' was so common; the Astronauts waste no time in wasting the local flora and fauna whenever they get the chance. Hey, why conduct a serious scientific expedition when you can romp around roasting the locals?

All its faults aside (and there are many of them), this is a fun movie to watch, particularly if you enjoy screaming in delight at all the bizarre events depicted on the screen.

Go ahead and rent this one, just make sure no one sees you with the evidence.

This movie is best viewed on videotape, so you can fast-forward through all the boring parts...which comprise roughly 99.3 percent of this fiendishly bad movie.

The budget must have been tiny, and it shows plainly in the cheesy sets and bargain-basement wardrobe, which, by comparison, make Ed Wood's works look lavish in comparison.

Jack Palance ("Simon the Magician") steals the scenes every time a camera is pointed his way. Palance's wonderfully over-the-top, psychotic rendering here is amazing and extremely clever. His giddy flight from the top of an immense tower is extraordinary, and is the only bit of the movie really worth watching.

"Nero", too, had a few memorable lines, but the rest of the cast is miserably wasted. The dialogue is bad enough to elicit gasps, giggles, and embarrassed cringing from everyone exposed to it.

No wonder Paul Newman gets nervous any time this masterpiece surfaces....

I am being generous by rating it a 4.5 out of 10, and that is because I really loved Jack Palance in this funny flop.

Burt Lancaster, Gene Hackman, and Scott Wilson portray a team of professional sport parachutists barnstorming their way through small-town America.

The movie features some fine performances, particularly Lancaster's. I enjoyed the way the small town was depicted; it felt curiously familiar and yet distant at the same time. The movie holds its own, even 30 years after its initial release.

The jumping sequences are fantastic...truly the finest jump sequences ever captured on film at that time (1969). Pay particular attention to the 'cape' jumps, particularly the last one (Scott Wilson's) which gets me bug-eyed every time I see it (yes, I'm a jumper too).

Longish and slow-moving at times but well worth it.

Guy Madison portrays an Air Force flight surgeon who performs daring experiments in space medicine. He's somewhat of a cross between real-life researchers Col. John Paul Stapp (rider of the famous rocket sled) and Capt. Joseph W. Kittinger, who performed a free-fall parachute jump from a balloon floating at 102,800 feet in 1961...5 years or so after the release of this movie!

The planning and execution of the high-altitude balloon jumps is detailed in this movie.

Admittedly, it's not a film for everyone, and it has its share of cliches, but remember that this was released in 1956. It's an interesting movie, very dated now, but that actually enhances its appeal for those interested in the earliest days of the space program.

A thrilling movie that stands the test of time. Exciting, action-packed, chock-full of engaging characters, coupled with a lively and evocative soundtrack, all combine to make this a real treat.

One of those rare movies that you hate to see end...

I rate it a 9.9 out of 10.

Some movies are much more than the sum of their parts. This is not one of them. Despite some well-known actors and actresses in the cast, this movie is a total flop and richly merits the "Screaming Turkey" award. This fiasco makes "Plan 9 From Outer Space" look like fine art in comparison.

When these Civil War guerrillas (a very vapid version of Quantrill's Raiders is depicted) pull out Colt Peacemakers in the start of the film (a firearm that hadn't even been invented yet), I knew I was in for a real treat as far as authenticity was concerned.

Don't waste your time watching this silly waste of money, film, and talent.

I cannot overly praise this great motion picture. When I saw it on television, I was amazed at its quality and verve, and eagerly awaited it on video. I was not disappointed.

This is a fantastic motion picture on many levels. The scoring was perfect, and the painstaking, accurate attention to detail in period weapons, uniforms, and accoutrement was obvious.

Though the actual facts of the engagements depicted were a bit different than is portrayed in the film (due to time constraints and for the sake of lucidity), the movie has a genuine 'feel' for Teddy Roosevelt, his famous outfit, and the times they lived in.

Sam Elliott, as Captain Bucky O'Neil, was a standout and should have won an award for his performance. He's always a pleasure to watch on screen, but he infuses his part here with genuine toughness, a wonderful dry humour, and great humanity.

Then again, the entire cast was wonderful, particularly Chris Noth, Brad Johnson, Tom Berenger, Dale Dye, and especially scene-stealer Gary Busey. Watch for the actor who played "Indian Bob"; he has one of the funniest (and most human) lines in the film.

This is the only movie I've ever seen that I wanted to be in, in some capacity. It's that good.

Nick Nolte stars as the enigmatic hero of this little-known but highly interesting film. Basically at war with himself, Nolte evolves from Army deserter to a genuine jungle king.

He's an interesting actor, and never more so than in this movie, which is set in Borneo during World War II. It might just as easily been set in a Montagnard village during the Vietnam War.

This off-beat, under-rated movie is more of a psychological study than a mindless, run-of-the-mill action flick. This movie has a lot more depth and heart than that.

The locations are beautiful, the musical score is outstanding, and, as in most John Milius films, the uniforms, weapons, and other goodies are faithfully and accurately depicted with wonderful detail.

This is a thinking man's "war movie". If you enjoyed "The Man Who Would Be King", you will very likely enjoy this film, too.

If you can find it on video, snap it up fast!

In real life, Alan Ladd was scared to death of flying (he preferred trains), but you'd never know it in this exciting action adventure set in early World War II.

The old English method of training paratroopers by jumping from balloons is accurately depicted, as is the result of landing with an unopened parachute (the British, like the German airborne, eschewed the use of reserve parachutes).

It's actually a pretty standard war movie, though the score is exciting and memorable, and the combat scenes, though dated now, are pretty well done, considering this movie was shot in 1953.

Definitely worth watching!