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Reviews
Hamilton (2020)
An Unintelligible Mes
Is it History? Is it Comedy? Is it Tragedy? Nope, it's someone who has a "woke" fantasy of making an all-inclusive musical based around an American Historical figure that is completely disrespectful. I couldn't finish the first scene. The Producers should be ashamed. I know good theatre. I have run successful plays for many years. This is not even mediocre theatre. It is trash. I may unsubscribe to Disney + in protest, it is that bad.
The Matrix (1999)
The Matrixis Overrated
I really did not enjoy "The Matrix" when it first came out. It was not my kind of film. Too dark for an anemic story line. Stunts were predictable and overdone. The interminable slowed down action sequences made that part of the film almost pornographic. But I am too old to swallow the "computer" world concept. A computer is a glorified toaster and always will be. There is no explanation about who set up and controls the Matrix. It s be impossible and irresponsible to promulgate these kinds of story lines. 22 years after my first viewing I was not able to complete the story. Simply put this is a flawed work. It based acceptance on a poorly structured story and preposterous constructs. Should have never been made. Not my line of country. Effects should support the story, not the other way around.
The Entertainer (1960)
Stellar performer doing a Classical Modern Tragedy!
Laurence Olivier gives perhaps the finest single performance as a true tragic hero, an "English Musical Comedian" in the mid 20th Century, Archie Rice. He is surrounded by a loving yet dysfunctional family members who through Fate brings him low, to the threat of prison. Tony Richards directs, an absolutely fantastic artist. The movie has so many first time cameos in a major film. Albert Finney. (One scene launched his career, who was cast As "Lawrence of Arabia" Peter O'Toole showed up), that happened a year later.). A young Joan Plowright (just married to Olivier at 22. Writing is wonderful,,everyone is at their finest. Don't miss it!
Epoch (2001)
A Wowser of a Bowzer Epoch is a measure of time, not a race.
Pretty sad effort. Stilted acting, mediocre directing, pathetic visual effects and a lot of misuse of words like "Torus" and "Terraforming". Possibly a good idea for a Sci-Fi Doomsday Thriller, but I can think of only a few hundred Sci-Fi movies better than this. One of them is "Plan 9 From Outer Space", directed by the legendary Ed Wood. When James Hong overshadows Ryan O'Neal in the acting department you have big problems. Just a lot of no-name people doing nothing of any significance. Watch it if you have no other options, but I suggest reading some Classic Science Fiction. Wells, Verne, Heinlein, Asimov, Crichton just to name a few.
The Hummingbird Project (2018)
A Total Waste
Oh wow! How original. Another banal movie with terrible acting, anemic directing all about greed and abuse of technology for quick, meaningless profits. These people are ignoble and the acting portrays that accurately. Nguyen should go back to Starbucks.
Autumn Blood (2013)
Don't waste your time
Scenery does not a movie make. You need a believable story and three dimensional characters. Another example of how filmed entertainment has declined into commercials put to insipid music.
Free Enterprise (1998)
Free William Shatner, Please!
Okay, you know William Shatner defined the "Star tTrrk" playing the inimitable Captain Kirk. But did you know he was a well-respected Shakespearean actor in Canada? He also cut his teeth on The Twilight Zone series with bravura performances in several episodes. "Nightmare at 20,000 feet" and Devil Doll". He also shone next to the Old Master, Spencer Tracy in "Judgement at Nuremberg"
In "Free Enterprise", Shatner is playing himself, warts and all. His acolytes are two star-struck movie director wannabes. They indulge all his worst appetites and the hilarity of this trio's escapades will have you crying with tears of laughter. The film is crowned with a bit of film and theatre history when Shatner launches his self-prized rap version of Shakespeare's Tragedy Julius Caesar. You know, the funny part is: it works! Don't miss this one! It deserves, as the famous Robert Osbourn would say, "a look".
The Twilight Zone: A Stop at Willoughby (1960)
Pure Serling Genius! And in the first season!
This is a frank look into the heart and soul of a Madison Avenue executive who doesn't want to play anymore. He's sick of his job, his wife, his boss, his house and even his country club. He wants to throw it all away (apparently he will be throwing his wife away as well as everything else) include his wife) because he longs for a simpler life in the elusive "past". In this case it is a longing for "Willoughby", a town no one can find on a map or a railroad timetable, but one that Garth swears he visited. (A similar theme was explored in the timeless "Walking Distance" earlier in the season, reviewed elsewhere.)
Garth goes through a couple of bad days at the
office and on his way home he resolves that, "This time I am going to get off!" And he does just that, he jumps from the train to his death. The ambulance that picks up his body belongs to Willoughby Funeral home.
Sterling performance by James Daly as Garth Williams.
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
One of the Last True Epics, filmed by perhaps the greatest film director of this or any time!
Filmed in a two year period, this picture took decades to be realized. It's not easy to tell the story of the Arab uprising against the Turks and the Ottoman Empire, especially during this fragmented time period in World War I
The script by Robert Bolt paints an accurate and painful portrait of T.E. Lawrence, both the good and the bad. The source material is both"The Revolt in the Desert" and "Seven Pillars of Wisdom".
The music is a multidimensional character that enhances every scene where it is used. Maurice Jarre has given us a juggernaut of a score. He can write the major musical interludes for a Symphony Orchestra or a Military marching band. He can even write music for the ancient Arabian stringed instruments that echo the unheard sounds of the desert.
This is Peter O'Toole's first major film part. As David Lean said during his screen test, "Stop, the boy is Lawrence!" O'Toole doesn't disappoint.
Jack Hawkins as Allenby, Anthony Quayle as Brighton, Omar Sharif as Sherif Ali, Anthony Quinn as Auda Abu Tay, Arthur Kennedy as Jackson Bentley (actually Lowell Thomas and Alec Guinness as Prince Fiesel all give Oscar caliber performances. But let's talk about the Production Design, which may never be surpassed even using CGI. Lean had his staff and local Spanish labor construct the city of Aquaba, right down to the last of three hundred plaster buildings, all done in an ancient riverbed on the coast of Spain. Just for good measure, they built a complete Army camp for the Turkish army. Lawrence and his Arab army destroy the Turkish camp and army and then "take their boots".
As a yardstick, Steven Spielberg was asked what this picture would cost to make in today's dollars. Without missing a beat, Spielberg said $260,000,000.
Lean only spent $6,000,000 in 1962
The Twilight Zone: Walking Distance (1959)
An amazing achievement for all of the Twilight Zone people!
As unbelievable as it sounds Rod Serling produced 36 shows of amazing philosophical quality in the First Season. This may be one of his finest. He captures the character and tone of Martin Sloan, the harassed Madison Avenue Media Specialist. perfectly portrayed by Gig Young. Little touches like watching him walk away in the reflection of a mirror is genius! He is walking through the looking glass like Alice, in search of his long lost past. Throughout the story we see Martin reflected in mirrors as he relates to his past in his childhood surroundings and himself as a boy, eleven years old.
He encounters his father expertly played by the erstwhile actor, Frank Overton. The Director of "To Kill a Mockingbird, Robert Mulligan, had to have seen this performance when he was casting the part of the understated, wise and caring Sheriff of Macon County. Father Sloan doesn't believe Martin at first, but as he looks at his wallet he realizes Martin is who he says he is, just thirty-five years older. That is the central theme of the story. Just like Frank Capra "It's a Wonderful Life", Serling puts his main character right in the middle of his past and let's him discover a meaning to his frantic existence. The story ends where it began in Homewood, in the Malt Shop where Martin attempts to get an ice cream soda with "three scoops". Disappointed by the extra cost, which he didn't pay when he first got to town he leaves the shops down Homewood to head back to New York.
The last conversation he had with his father outlines the poignant nostalgia that Martin has for his lost youth. His father tenderly suggests that there are band concerts where he comes from. He just hasn't been looking in the right places.
Bernard Herman's score is legendary. It has been recorded by every major Symphony orchestra. Fragments can be heard in many contemporary scores and most of the music cues have been used in other productions.