Reviews

It's not what it's advertised to be. Not a horror or a haunted house film. The house set in Wales was actually filmed in New Jersey. The film just fails to deliver and there is no mention of Kevin Bacon's character "Theo" being a screenwriter or his having writer's block. It really goes nowhere and is slow throughout. It was also co-produced by Kevin Bacon. Amanda Seyfried's character is off screen for much of the film and it primarily involves Kevin Bacon and the actress playing their young daughter. Based on a novel. Disappointing effort.

Charles B. Pierce wrote, produced and directed this terrible sequel to his own 1972 cult classic "The Legend of Boggy Creek". Pierce also made the very good fact-based 1977 film "The Town That Dreaded Sundown". That film benefited greatly from the casting of Oscar winner Ben Johnson and Andrew Prine in the lead roles. Pierce wrote a part for himself as a bumbling police officer in the film, perhaps to provide comic relief. The film didn't need it. He simply bogged down an otherwise top-notch and suspenseful thriller. Unfortunately Pierce didn't have Johnson and Prine to save this sequel. And he gave himself a prominent role as a college professor. Oddly enough, he gave his much younger then wife Cindy Butler (about half his age) top billing in the credits. Her character was a college student with an out-of-control frizzy hair-do who whined and complained non-stop. Suffice it to say she was no Meryl Streep. Pierce also gave her a small role in "Sundown", which didn't establish her as leading lady material. She had a beautiful face and sexy body, but was quite talentless as an actress. In the end credits of this sequel, Pierce gave himself top billing, with Butler second. His own name was placed several names down in the opening credits however. His son, Chuck Pierce, Jr. was also given a prominent role in the film, as his college student assistant. He spends most of the film shirtless, apparently thinking he had the physique of Adonis. He was also quite talentless and bland. He and Butler looked about the same age, despite her brief real life marriage to his father. The only good things about this sequel are the cinematography and the performance of Jimmy Clem, who turns up late in the film. Clem also had a role in "Sundown". Pierce himself in the film role he played was obnoxious. He did have some talent as a filmmaker. But he should have stayed behind the camera. This film drags and feels much longer than it really is. Perhaps a different lead and better script might have saved this sequel. But Pierce obviously had quite an ego and thought he could do it all.

I just watched this never aired pilot on You Tube and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I felt that most of the casting was excellent and it is an extremely enjoyable and pleasant show. It certainly came much closer to the comic book versions of the world of Riverdale, in my opinion, than the very poor 1990 NBC TV movie "To Riverdale and Back Again". Aside from a few of the characters not being very similar to their comic book versions (Mr. Weatherbee and Mr. Andrews), I feel they did a splendid job with the casting of the principal characters. It is difficult to know if John Simpson (Archie) had red (like the comic book version) or blond hair, but he was otherwise very good in the role. The casting of Jughead was acceptable. The casting of Cheryl Holdridge as Betty and Mikki Jamison as Veronica was also excellent. I personally loved the era (1964) when this was made and it is a very nice and nostalgic window to a simpler past watching this show. I am just sorry that a series was never made, because I think it would have been very good and a lot of fun.

Although this 1990 remake of the scariest film I have ever seen is not anywhere near as scary as the 1968 original, it is still a very good film and has improved with age and repeated viewings. I first saw the original NOLD upon the initial 1968 release at a drive-in, again in 1970 at a drive-in and then not again until around 1980 on VHS video. In the interim I was lucky enough to find and buy the original paperback edition of the 1974 Warner Books novelization. In the remake, Tom Savini does a fine job with the director's chair and the film benefits hugely from two very strong performances from Tony Todd and Patricia Tallman. The make-up effects, on-location filming and music are also all first-rate. It is a very worthwhile film despite being a remake of a true classic. It does not attempt to be equal to or better than the original. It doesn't copy the original scene-for-scene and dialog-for-dialog. Although the plots are indeed very similar, the remake offers some very unexpected twists and enhances some characters while it somewhat changes others. And for those who have seen the original film but not the remake, steer clear of reading spoilers for the remake's ending. It was a touch of pure genius and won't be at all what you will be expecting. See the remake but don't compare it to the original classic. It stands very well on its own merits and even compliments and pays homage and tribute to the 1968 version.

I celebrate the release of the entire series of Route 66 on DVD. It has long been one of my favorite shows ever since I first watched it in the 1980's on Nick-at-Nite. I was sad when they took it off in 1987. Although the series was originally aired on CBS-TV during my lifetime, I was a young child at the time and have no memory of it. The Cruelest Sea of All has remained in my memory ever since I first saw it and it has been my favorite episode ever since. I will be visiting the area of Florida where filming took place (Weeki Wachee Springs and Crystal River) in less than a month from now and have long wanted to do so. Route 66 is the only show of its kind, in that it was filmed all over the USA and even in parts of Canada. It remains a unique and worthwhile series to this day. While some may view it as being very dated, it offers a look at the early-to-mid 1960's and with each episode you not only meet new characters (many played by well-known stars of the day and many by later to become well-known stars) but also ride along with Tod and Buz and later Tod and Linc as they travel the roads of America in a classic Corvette. No show has ever compared to Route 66 before or since and it is doubtful that any ever will. To me Route 66 is much like The Fugitive in one sense, the main characters in both shows travel from place-to-place, meeting new people and getting into new situations, but for different reasons. It remains unique however that Route 66 filmed each episode on real locations all over the country. And finally, to me Route 66 in this context represents the highway of life, as the main characters travel and meet new people and have new experiences.

No Country for Old Men is one those rare films that I not only never tire of watching, but actually seems to improve with each viewing. I have found that some people have not taken the time to see it simply because of the violent content. What a great shame and pity that they would miss out on and deny themselves a truly marvelous viewing experience. I don't recall people staying away from The Godfather because of the violence. To me it is not the violence but the sense of menace and dread that makes No Country for Old Men such a tension-filled nail biter and a truly edge-of-your-seat film. Everyone I have talked to who has actually seen it used the words " very tense" and "it kept me on the edge-of-my-seat". Javier Bardem's "Anton Chigurh" is the greatest screen villain since "Hannibal Lecter". Tommy Lee Jones played a very understated character in "Sheriff Ed Tom Bell", who is the conscience of the film. Josh Brolin was also excellent and vastly underrated as "Llewelyn Moss", the hunter who unwittingly becomes the hunted. The lovely Scottish actress Kelly Macdonald is also great in an all-too-small role as "Carla Jean Moss" ("Llewelyn"'s wife). She does a flawless West Texas accent. Woody Harrelson is also superb as the somewhat mysterious "Carson Wells", who we never really learn a lot about. Gene Jones is so superb and so memorable as a country store proprietor in a truly unforgettable scene. The Coen Brothers did a splendid job of adapting the book to the big-screen and their casting of even the smallest roles was flawless. I would not recommend reading the book by Cormac McCarthy before watching the film, as it would spoil some of the film's surprises. However I found that the book did clear up some of the things that the film did not explain in full detail. A great film based on a great book. It has fast become one of my favorites and I always recommend it to everyone I know who hasn't seen it. And the film's Oscar-winning cinematography by Roger Deakins makes it well-worth getting the Blu-Ray version and watching it on a big screen. The harsh and inhospitable West Texas landscape makes for a stunning background. No Country for Old Men may not be a perfect film but it comes as close as any I have ever seen in my nearly 53-years.

I read the poor reviews before I watched this for the very first time, but I always try to keep an open mind and actually watch a film to decide for myself if it is good or bad. Admittedly it is still a far cry from L & H's glory days at Hal Roach Studios, but this film is still funny and very entertaining. I have seen many modern-day comedies that I would very easily rate well below this one. It is never a hardship to watch Laurel and Hardy together and the supporting cast is good and very capable. I urge any fan of the two great comedians to give The Big Noise a chance and watch it. You won't regret it. It is great that these long neglected films are finally being made available.