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CARTOON FAVORITES - - You Have To See These Films & TV Shows!
Murder & Mayhem of the 1990's
Christmas FEEL GOOD Movies - You Have To See These Films!
Murder & Mayhem of the 2010's decade
This is a list of films that were released in the 2010's that are either based on real people who were murderers or serial killers, and/or actual events, or are made for television mini-series and/or thrillers that are stories of fiction all of which include murders.
Ladies with > Guns > Knives & > Swords
Murder & Mayhem of the 1980's
Italian Heritage ~ Mob Bosses
Murder & Mayhem of the 1960's
Oh what a feeling…what a rush! ♫ ♬ ♪
Reviews
Undercover Cheerleader (2019)
For teenage high schoolers only
A shallow soap opera for a targeted teenage high school audience. The kids want to pull a fast one on the absentee mom and similar to the old Disney story line, trouble ensues. Is this a mystery worth solving. Not at all.
I give it a boring 4 out of 10 IMDB rating.
Debris: Pilot (2021)
If Dr. Fauci had watched this series I am sure his response would be "Follow the Science"
This is the Pilot Episode which first aired on March 01st, 2021
I am not sure why these two thirty (30) something's one a British MI6 agent named Fiona (Riann Steele), and Bryan Beneventi (Jonathan Tucker) an American CIA agent are told to team up by their respective superiors in a joint nation/country effort to investigate some strange phenomena that are popping up in various places on planet earth as a result of a foreign aircraft's debris gradually falling to earth over the past six (6) months. It would appear that the falling debris consists of elements from another planet and unknown to scientists. This debris has a very strange hold on people, their tear ducts bleed blood as they are witnessed being unassisted and elevating two feet from the ground defying the laws of gravity as they lay in a state of comatose sometimes causing earthlings to lose their life.
Agents Fiona (Riann Steele), and Bryan Beneventi (Jonathan Tucker) obviously have to get to know each other, and so as TV viewers of this science fiction series I hope we will get to understand what special skills these two wet behind the ears agents have that allows them to lead the investigation to decipher what special abilities this space debris possesses and how do they control it? They also need to understand where this spaceship debris originates from?
There are many unknown avenues that this science fiction series Debris will take its audience as we are exposed to successive episodes. More importantly is there an underlying message that the producers are trying to communicate to us, their audience, as we absorb the activities, inter relationship interactions and emotions of the two lead agents? Are the producers trying to create a more thought provoking kinder and gentler society?
I give the series a respectful 8 out of 10 IMDB rating.
Debris (2021)
If Dr. Fauci had watched this series I am sure his response would be "Follow the Science"
I am not sure why these two thirty (30) something's one a British MI6 agent named Fiona (Riann Steele), and Bryan Beneventi (Jonathan Tucker) an American CIA agent are told to team up by their respective superiors in a joint country effort to investigate some strange phenomena that are popping up in various places on planet earth as a result of a foreign aircraft's debris gradually falling to earth over the past six (6) months. It would appear that the falling debris consists of elements from another planet and unknown to scientists. This debris has a very strange hold on people, their tear ducts bleed blood as they are witnessed being unassisted and elevating two feet from the ground defying the laws of gravity as they lay in a state of comatose sometimes causing earthlings to lose their life.
Agents Fiona (Riann Steele), and Bryan Beneventi (Jonathan Tucker) obviously have to get to know each other, and so as TV viewers of this science fiction series I hope we will get to understand what special skills these two wet behind the ears agents have that allows them to lead the investigation to decipher what special abilities this space debris possesses and how do they control it? They also need to understand where this spaceship debris originates from?
There are many unknown avenues that this science fiction series Debris will take its audience as we are exposed to successive episodes. More importantly is there an underlying message that the producers are trying to communicate to us, their audience, as we absorb the activities, inter relationship interactions and emotions of the two lead agents? Are the producers trying to create a more thought provoking kinder and gentler society?
I give the series a respectful 8 out of 10 IMDB rating.
Olive Kitteridge (2014)
Olive shows she is "A glass half empty" kind of woman
After watching all four (4) episodes I can say without a doubt that Frances McDormand is in a class of her own. Mrs. Shullivan and I have seen Frances McDormand in various roles and she invariably stands out from her co-stars as you believe she is exactly the type of character she is playing.
In this mini-series made for TV by HBO, I was yelling at Richard Jenkins to leave this witch of a woman, which is what some of the children were calling her, a witch. Olive is a high school teacher by trade. Richard Jenkins who plays Henry Kitteridge a Pharmacists who owns his own pharmacy is brimming with kindness and empathy, whereas his miserable wife Olive, has no filter and says whatever she feels like to whomever she wants to insult.
We learn from watching this mini series that Olive's father blew his own head off, and although Olive does not want to broach the subject of her fathers own suicide it weighs heavily on her mind. Olive and Henry have one son named Christopher, who does not get away with anything at the stern hand of his mother Olive. You can sense the tension around the Kitteridge's evening dinner meals.
Olive only shows a remote sense of human feeling of empathy when in the presence of a neighborhood boy she teaches named Kevin Coulson (Cory Michael Smith) whose own mother suffers from a mental illness. On a few occasions you can sense that Olive's own son envies the care and attention his own mother provides to this neighborhood disturbed boy named Kevin, than she does towards her own son Christopher.
There is a great cast on screen including the always impressive Bill Murray whose short appearances on screen are always captivating. It does not take a Psychiatrist to recognize that Olive suffers from depression to which she takes out much of her frustration on both her husband Henry, and her son Christopher, simply because their family dynamics does not include a lot of visitors to their home.
This is not a warm, touchy, feely romance/comedy type of TV mini-series. Quite the contrary this series tackles suicide and depression with meticulous care and caution through the eyes and mouth of Olive Kitteridge and Frances McDormand's demons were all front row and present for her audience to witness.
This series won 29 awards not for its entertainment value but more for the significant and delicate way the mini-series discussed and handled depression and suicide within a family unit as well as the surrounding small town community in Maine.
I give it a decent 7 out of 10 IMDB rating.
Assembly Required: Bring the Heat (2021)
Grab yourself a coffee, sit back and relax and watch these crazy inventors entertain us
Hosts Tim Allen, Richard Karn, and their own internal disturber April Wilkerson, welcome their audience each week to watch how they pit three (3) inventors, mechanics, welders, hobbyists, and down right wack-a-doodles compete in building some very unique contraptions that no one but Tim Allen and Richard Karn could ever think of, let alone be responsible for testing these contraptions to see who wins their weekly grand prize of $5,000 each week.
In their very first episode the hosts find three unlikely guinea pigs to test their skills in first building a projectile fire extinguisher that must be able to put out a candle's flame from ten (10) feet away. the contestants have a defined timeline of five (5) days to build their contraption and then we get to see whose device/contraption worked the best. The one contestant does the worst is eliminated and then the two surviving creators are pitted against each other to commence their next assembly.
In this first episode Tim and Richard have assigned the two remaining contestants to build a leaf blower turned into a flame thrower that must be able to melt a block of ice attached to a chain in record time. These two contestants are provided a shipment of objects, a motor, and some other apparatus to help build their unique "leaf blower turned into a flame thrower" or they can choose not to use some of the shipped container and use what's available in their own workshops. Again, they are given five (5) days to complete their task, but for this the final event after the five (5) days have elapsed, the contestants are required to ship their creations back to Tim and Richard and this is where the fun REALLY begins. Oh and by the way, when the two contestants receive their packages from Tim and Richard ,April tells us that she has provided another challenge via sabotage for these two contestants that will show us if they can repair their contraptions before they can actually complete the contraptions.
We then get to witness how brave (or stupid) Tim and Richard are just like when we used to watch them test their own contraptions/creations on their previous TV comedy show (1991-1999) Home Improvement,
This show is a blast no pun intended. Mrs. Shullivan also was captured by this shows "what's next?" approach so I am giving it a much deserved 9 out of 10 IMDB rating.
Assembly Required (2021)
Grab yourself a coffee, sit back and relax and enjoy some wacky inventors
Hosts Tim Allen, Richard Karn, and their own internal disturber April Wilkerson , welcome their audience each week to watch how they pit three (3) inventors, mechanics, welders, hobbyists, and down right wack-a-doodles compete in building some very unique contraptions that no one but Tim Allen and Richard Karn could ever think of, let alone be responsible for testing these contraptions to see who wins their weekly grand prize of $5,000 each week.
In their very first episode the hosts find three unlikely guinea pigs to test their skills in first building a projectile fire extinguisher that must be able to put out a candle's flame from ten (10) feet away. the contestants have a defined timeline of five (5) days to build their contraption and then we get to see whose device/contraption worked the best. The one contestant does the worst is eliminated and then the two surviving creators are pitted against each other to commence their next assembly.
In this first episode Tim and Richard have assigned the two remaining contestants to build a leaf blower turned into a flame thrower that must be able to melt a block of ice attached to a chain in record time. These two contestants are provided a shipment of objects, a motor, and some other apparatus to help build their unique "leaf blower turned into a flame thrower" or they can choose not to use some of the shipped container and use what's available in their own workshops. Again, they are given five (5) days to complete their task, but for this the final event after the five (5) days have elapsed, the contestants are required to ship their creations back to Tim and Richard and this is where the fun REALLY begins. Oh and by the way, when the two contestants receive their packages from Tim and Richard ,April tells us that she has provided another challenge via sabotage for these two contestants that will show us if they can repair their contraptions before they can actually complete the contraptions.
We then get to witness how brave (or stupid) Tim and Richard are just like when we used to watch them test their own contraptions/creations on their previous TV comedy show (1991-1999) Home Improvement,
This show is a blast no pun intended. Mrs. Shullivan also was captured by this shows "what's next?" approach so I am giving it a much deserved 9 out of 10 IMDB rating.
Dateline NBC: The Widower: Part 3 (2021)
NBC Dateline - Slow, boring and painful to watch. Wash, rinse, repeat. Five minutes of story line, then five minutes of commercials
I do feel great sympathy for the families who lost their three (3) beloved mothers while being married to the suspected and yet to be convicted Thomas Randolph.
Having said that murder is a vile crime and should be punishable by execution upon convicted the producers did a lousy job of editing this special three (3) part series. This was a three (3) part series but what is most evident is that of the four (4) hours of coverage almost fifty (50) percent of the content was heavily laden with commercial fillers. That is pure abuse by NBC to sell this quasi documentary as a three (3) part series and then populate it with five (5) minutes of story line then (5) five minutes of commercials, wash, rinse, and repeat, with five (5) minutes of story line then (5) five minutes of commercials.
A total bore with very little insight into the ego maniac and unproven serial killer named Thomas Randolph.
Dateline NBC: The Widower: Part 2 (2021)
NBC Dateline - Slow, boring and painful to watch. Wash, rinse, repeat. Five minutes of story line, then five minutes of commercials
I do feel great sympathy for the families who lost their three (3) beloved mothers while being married to the suspected and yet to be convicted Thomas Randolph.
Having said that murder is a vile crime and should be punishable by execution upon convicted the producers did a lousy job of editing this special three (3) part series. This was a three (3) part series but what is most evident is that of the four (4) hours of coverage almost fifty (50) percent of the content was heavily laden with commercial fillers. That is pure abuse by NBC to sell this quasi documentary as a three (3) part series and then populate it with five (5) minutes of story line then (5) five minutes of commercials, wash, rinse, and repeat, with five (5) minutes of story line then (5) five minutes of commercials.
A total bore with very little insight into the ego maniac and unproven serial killer named Thomas Randolph.
Dateline NBC: The Widower: Part 1 (2021)
NBC Dateline - Slow, boring and painful to watch. Wash, rinse, repeat. Five minutes of story line, then five minutes of commercials
I do feel great sympathy for the families who lost their three (3) beloved mothers while being married to the suspected and yet to be convicted Thomas Randolph.
Having said that murder is a vile crime and should be punishable by execution upon convicted the producers did a lousy job of editing this special three (3) part series. This was a three (3) part series but what is most evident is that of the four (4) hours of coverage almost fifty (50) percent of the content was heavily laden with commercial fillers. That is pure abuse by NBC to sell this quasi documentary as a three (3) part series and then populate it with five (5) minutes of story line then (5) five minutes of commercials, wash, rinse, and repeat, with five (5) minutes of story line then (5) five minutes of commercials.
A total bore with very little insight into the ego maniac and unproven serial killer named Thomas Randolph.
I give each of the three (3) part series an abysmal 4 out of 10 IMDB rating. Hardly worth the effort of having to fast forward every five (5) minutes to ignore another five (5) minutes of just more commercials. NBC you should be embarrassed with this production.
Southland (2009)
The cast needed to stay in great shape for a ton of foot chase scenes - realistic without any glitz
Mrs. Shullivan and I watched the entire five (5) seasons and 43 episodes over a two week period and we certainly enjoyed them all. There were several police officers and detectives that were highlighted and their job and personal lives were on full display each episode. Adding to the value and realism of this cops and crimes television series were a number of high profile cameos by A-lister stars such as Gerald McRaney, Bokeem Woodbine, Susan Blakely, John Heard, Lou Diamond Phillips, Kay Lenz, Clifton Collins Jr., and sometimes these A-lister stars extended their cameo into a full season and/or several episodes such as with Lucy Liu and Tom Everett Scott.
Each episode provided new and/or continuing storylines. The one constant ion the series was you could expect quite a few of these criminals would try and take off either by car and/or by foot. The series main stars such as Regina King, Ben McKenzie, Shawn Hatosy and Michael Cudlitz needed to stay in top physical shape throughout the five year duration of this series as invariably each of these fine actors would have to take up a foot chase through the hills, valleys and laneways of seedy areas of Los Angeles.
As we got to know each of the main characters it became quite apparent which of these stars were good cops, bad cops and/or living on the edge cops. Kudos to the writers and directors of this series because it was very hard for the audience to be able to predict what was going to happen next. This is an action/drama crime series and the series stars who were all fine performers giving up their bodies to maintain that realism that somehow never got the recognition on the biggest stage (Emmy's) that it justly deserved and I can figure out why the Emmy voters deliberately overlooked it. This show was under minded by the voting academy for five (5) consecutive years as the series content portrayed the city of Los Angeles more seedy side and disregarded the fake sexy, glitzy and glamorous that is usually on full display with other L.A. crime TV series such as with (2019) L.A.'s Finest, and/or (2003) NCIS.
Mrs. Shullivan and I appreciated the constant realism in each episode, how each cop/detectives character evolved and I am sure this was not a great endorsement for the Los Angeles police force employment strategy. Who would want to be an L.A. cop after watching these 43 episodes of real cops/detectives doing their job each day helping victims find solace in the arrests they make and taking bullets to their bodies and fists to their face.
A special shout out to actors Regina King, Tom Everett Scott, Lucy Liu, Shawn Hatosy, Ben McKenzie and especially to Michael Cudlitz whose performances were memorable and greatly appreciated. They must have worked especially hard off camera working out at the gym and endless miles of road running to maintain the physical demands of this series. Your superior efforts were reflected on the TV screen in each episode and I think the Emmy's are bogus as none of the aforementioned series stars received ANY recognition which they obviously deserved.
I for one would give each of you an EMMY for delivering great performances and for the most part showing what an L.A. officer of the law is engaged in every day on the seedier streets of Los Angeles, the city of (so-called) angels. I give this crime/drama series a most favorable 9 out of 10 IMDB rating.
Superman and Lois: Pilot (2021)
This is a great start packed with adventure and this new series will appeal to a broad audience
This is a great start packed with adventure and this new series will appeal to a broad audience
It appears the writers put an extra effort into the Superman and Lois storyline and the pilot episode is brimming with adventure. Initially it tells the story of how Clark Kent has spent the past thirty (30) plus years and now he is married and he has a family of his own. This new adventure series has introduced us to an all new cast of characters as well as some old reliable ones that seemingly broadens the series scope to appeal to a new generation of Superman fans as well as some of us older generation fans as well.
The series has not fallen far from the original concept of the 1938 original story first created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster and as such they are still credited with this the latest Superman version. I believe they just improved the storyline. My only negative about the series is the producers and editors are using a blue/grey filter which seems to be the rage nowadays. I personally would prefer they remove the dull color filter and in its place provide a brighter and crisp color for the series.
Clark Kent has moved to Metropolis and he has now married the love of his life in the Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane, and they have two teenage boys Jonathan and Jordan. The pilot episode prepares us for Clark losing his father first, and when his mom falls ill he hears her voice calling out to him from Smallville "to come home Clark".
I see great potential for this the latest TV Superman and Lois adventure series. In fact with Clark and Lois now having two teenage boys of their own, what genes did these boys inherit from both their parents?
Superman and Lois (2021)
Good series which is packed with adventure and the content and story lines will appeal to a broad audience
It appears the writers put an extra effort into the Superman and Lois storyline and the pilot episode is brimming with adventure. Initially it tells the story of how Clark Kent has spent the past thirty (30) plus years and now he is married and he has a family of his own. This new adventure series has introduced us to an all new cast of characters as well as some old reliable ones that seemingly broadens the series scope to appeal to a new generation of Superman fans as well as some of us older generation fans as well.
The series has not fallen far from the original concept of the 1938 original story first created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster and as such they are still credited with this the latest Superman version. I believe they just improved the storyline. My only negative about the series is the producers and editors are using a blue/grey filter which seems to be the rage nowadays. I personally would prefer they remove the dull color filter and in its place provide a brighter and crisp color for the series.
Clark Kent has moved to Metropolis and he has now married the love of his life in the Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane, and they have two teenage boys Jonathan and Jordan. The pilot episode prepares us for Clark losing his father first, and when his mom falls ill he hears her voice calling out to him from Smallville "to come home Clark".
I see great potential for this the latest TV Superman and Lois adventure series. In fact with Clark and Lois now having two teenage boys of their own, what genes did these boys inherit from both their parents? Stay tuned as i see a few seasons of new and creative storylines heading our way for years to come.
The Moonshine War (1970)
This would have to be the third film that would be shown in a 99 cent midnight Drive-In triple bill
There are quite a few Hollywood A stars such as Alan Alda,Richard Widmark, Patrick McGoohan,Will Geer,Harry Carey Jr., and Bo Hopkins but even this all star cast could not provide any razz matazz to this late, late night 1970 clunker. Some local southern townsfolk in Prohibition-era Kentucky survive on making bootleg booze which a federal agent decides he can take over the entire venture and make his fortune just by using the long arm of the law to his benefit.
If it sounds interesting and maybe the story did have some opportunity but this director, Richard Quine was unable to capitalize on it just like the Kentucky moonshiners of the Prohibition time. I found the entire film boring. the only appeal to me was the good looks and allure of the local sleezy hotel owner of 37 year old actress Melodie Johnson.
I can only give this clunker a 3 out of 10 IMDB rating, and if it happened to be made available again at a late night Drive-In triple bill, and/or on the late, late night archive films I would pass and hit the hay, as this film would certainly put me to sleep anyway.
Adventures of Superman (1952)
I can still dream big because of the Adventures of Superman
Thank goodness the producers had enough common sense to put this adventure TV series on right after school had ended and in time for dinner . The bonus was when this 1952 TV series went into TV syndication reruns in the 1960's and it continued showing every day after school. Boy I hated it if I ever missed the series opening monologue, now commonly known as The Superman March went as follows: "The Adventures gf Superman! Faster than a speeding bullet! More powerful than a locomotive! Able to leap tall buildings at a single bound!" Truly a new adventure for any pre-teen which I and my two (2) brothers and two (2) sisters were. We were all quiet for that half hour each evening giving mom and dad sufficient time to prepare dinner and speak without any of their five children chattering incessantly.
Even some seventy (70) years later I as a senior citizen still retain some of the original story lines in my old memory bank and Superman's iconic red and blue head to toe Superman suit and especially his red cape and yellow belt is emblazoned in my mind of what the image of a true super hero was during the 1960's.
What is especially remarkable that the television media was still in it's infancy and the first few seasons of the Adventures of Superman were filmed in black and white as color did not transition into TV land until years later, and most families like our own were unable to afford a color TV until the 1970's when prices and quality improved.. The producers nailed it so early in the history of television with an adventure series that every young boy and girl could only dream of becoming, a "super hero".
I give this series a perfect 10 out of 10 IMDB rating. The series is iconic and I am proud to say that I own the complete series on DVD. One day the producers will release it in 4K high definition quality I am sure of it.
The Equalizer: The Equalizer (2021)
Some young girls may find this empowering for their future goals
This is a great show for young girls and it seems that every young girl can find a reason to fit into this fight club nowadays who are looking for a heroine that they can somehow relate to as a champion for the underdog.
Queen Latifah is the third actor playing the Equalizer role which was first created by actor Edward Woodward which lasted four (4) seasons from 1985-1989, then by Denzel Washington in two (2) feature films in 2014, and 2018.
Adding to the copycat characters actor Adam Goldberg who plays the technical software wizard Harry Keshegian who seems to have no firewall he can't infiltrate played the exact same role in a previous TV series titled Taken in 2018 when he played another tech wizard simply named Kilroy.
As for TV viewers like myself who are looking for a decent crime/drama TV series that is good drama with a gritty story line we will have to look elsewhere.
I give it a higher than deserving 6 out of 10 IMDB rating so that the younger generation have a heroine to look up to, but it ain't me babe.
Kenan: Pilot (2021)
Group Hug! Group Hug! It's about time Kenan Thompson got his own show.
I enjoyed this pilot episode with its cast of characters that include Kenan Thompson who is a recent widower, raising his two (2) daughters with his stepfather Rick (Don Johnson) who is living with them. I don't understand some of the other reviewers who want to shelve this show after one episode? Kenan Thompson deserves better than that.
Kenan plays the co-host of an early morning TV show called Wake Up With Kenan who appears to still be processing his grief about his dead wife. Everything and anything Kenan seems to say this one particular morning on his morning TV show is coming out the wrong way so his show is going through a little rough patch at the moment. The kids have an uncle who is Kenan's brother named Gary (Chris Redd) who tries to convince his brother Kenan that it is time he starts living his own life and enjoying himself a little bit.
His two daughters are cute kids and this new formed family seems to have some great on set chemistry. What I really like about this TV series though is "what it doesn't have" and that is that awful canned laughter. Thank you producers for realizing that I can smile and/or laugh when something the cast says is humorous without having to be prompted by that annoying canned laughter on so many other sitcoms.
I for one would like to watch another dozen or so episodes to determine how entertaining Kenan and his new family will be. Kenan Thompson has paid his dues and deserves this opportunity alongside Don Johnson and Chris Redd.
I give it a more than respectable 8 out of 10 IMDB rating.
Kenan (2021)
Group Hug! Group Hug! It's about time Kenan Thompson got his own show.
I enjoyed this pilot episode with its cast of characters that include Kenan Thompson who is a recent widower, raising his two (2) daughters with his stepfather Rick (Don Johnson) who is living with them.
Kenan plays the co-host of an early morning TV show called Wake Up With Kenan who appears to still be processing his grief about his dead wife. Everything and anything Kenan seems to say this one particular morning on his morning TV show is coming out the wrong way so his show is going through a little rough patch at the moment. The kids have an uncle who is Kenan's brother named Gary (Chris Redd) who tries to convince his brother Kenan that it is time he starts living his own life and enjoying himself a little bit.
His two daughters are cute kids and this new formed family seems to have some great on set chemistry. What I really like about this TV series though is "what it doesn't have" and that is that awful canned laughter. Thank you producers for realizing that I can smile and/or laugh when something the cast says is humorous without having to be prompted by that annoying canned laughter on so many other sitcoms.
I for one would like to watch another dozen or so episodes to determine how entertaining Kenan and his new family will be. Kenan Thompson has paid his dues and deserves this opportunity alongside Don Johnson and Chris Redd.
I give it a more than respectable 8 out of 10 IMDB rating.
Crossing Delancey (1988)
Oy Vey
Single men and women in a Jewish neighborhood of New York city struggle to find their soul mate. Amy Irving plays a 30 something single women named Isabelle Grossman who works in a dinosaur Book Store in which she and the stores owner hold book review parties upstairs where wine is served and the pompous party guests gloat about how shallow their miserable lives really are as they tell meaningless stories that no one will remember the next day.
When Isabelle is set up by her grandmother on a blind date to a nice Jewish man named Sam Posner (Peter Riegert) who inherited his fathers Kosher deli which specializes in kosher pickles, Isabelle must have had to much wine to drink at her latest book party as she brushes the classy Sam Posner and his pickle cart off as being beneath her. When Isabelle realizes she may have been to quick to brush Sam off she agrees to go out on a second date with him, but as with many couples when one of the two love birds is still looking for something better she stands Sam up. That happened to me one time when I was a young man and trust me I can relate.
This scene where Sam gets stood up for all the wrong reasons by Isabelle is critical to the films context about relationships, and it will keep your interest if you have not yet seen the film to see for yourself how Sam handles Isabelle's brush off.
I give the film a 5 out of 10 IMDB rating. I give Isabelle a 2 out of 10 and I would dump her fast than a slippery kosher pickle.
Young Rock: Working the Gimmick (2021)
Dwayne Johnson tells his own life story as only the Rock cam
I previously read some of Dwayne Johnson's Life story and this pilot episode for his new TV series is allowing him to re-tell his childhood and his rise to stardom as an athlete and movie star bar none from his early wins and losses with his own words. Dwayne Johnson grew up in a professional wrestling family and as we all know the World Wrestling Federation is where the Rock first rose to stardom and then went on to become one of the top movie stars of the past two decades. The Rock tells his own story from his humble beginnings with his father's own wresting ring feats and defeats. More to come each week the Rock assures us.
Some reviewers may scoff at the retro feel of the Rocks young adult life and his stylish clothes of the 1980-90's but for those IMDB reviewers who are far too fast in mocking the Young Rock I have just one question for you? Can you not smell what the Rock is cooking?
I give it a 9 out of 10 IMDB rating and yes, I want to see more.
Young Rock (2021)
Dwayne Johnson tells his own life story as only the Rock can
I previously read some of Dwayne Johnson's Life story and this TV series is allowing him to re-tell his childhood and his rise to stardom as an athlete and movie star bar none from his early wins and losses with his own words.
Some may scoff at the retro feel of the Rocks young adult life and his stylish clothes of the 1980-90's but for those IMDB reviewers who are far too fast in mocking the Young Rock I have just one question for you? Can you not smell what the Rock is cooking?
I give it a 9 out of 10 IMDB rating and yes, I want to see more.
Convicts 4 (1962)
Convicted 19 year old killer John Resko may have been one of the very first to benefit from social justice
This film was based on a true story and of course the filmmakers took liberties with the story line to pique the movie goers interest. I do believe though that prisons are a necessary form of punishment to save many lives that would otherwise have been destroyed if these convicted killers were never imprisoned and left to continue with their criminal activities, especially when there was a depression going on across the world.
This film depicts the internal struggles of one such young man named John Resko (played superbly by Ben Gazzara) who at the age of 19 was already the father of a young child when he was apprehended rather quickly, and convicted to life in prison for his crimes of armed robbery and first degree murder. There is a strong and deep supporting cast such as Sammy Davis Jr., Rod Steiger,Jack Albertson, Ray Walston, and Stuart Whitman, to name just a few that all added great value to reflecting the harshness of the time of prison life. Not shown in the film was the fact that John Resko had an older accomplice in the robbery who convinced John to hold the gun and pull the trigger when confronted by the store clerk who was murdered. This other accomplice in the crime with a more extensive criminal record was also convicted and put to death. John Resko received what some may consider a lighter sentence of a life in prison.
In the 1930's convicted felons were subjected to much harsher conditions in prison life than they are today, so the film does show that even during the trying decades of the 1930's through the 1940's, there were some in the criminal justice system who attempted to find redemption for their prisoners. This is one of those successful true life cases that when presented on the screen in 1962 a decade or so after John Resko was released from prison shows that prison reform is possible and can succeed. So why some seventy (70) years after John Resko's release through prison reform are the United States prisons still over populated and disproportionately by African Americans?
The answer would appear to be that it is a multi billion dollar dirty business that employs tens of thousands of lawyers, judges, parole officers, prison guards, psychiatrists and of course racists.
I give the film a healthy 7 out of 10 IMDB rating.
Clarice: The Silence Is Over (2021)
I smell a great pilot episode and recipe is slowly simmering on the stove with Clarice
Be patient folks. This is not a feature film but the pilot episode of a new crime/mystery TV series. All good recipes are cooked slowly and we have to wait with great anticipation and some hunger pains as the smell of a good dinner wafts through our households before we get to taste any of it.
I for one liked this the pilot episode that aired on February 11th, 2021, which was used to outline who FBI agent Clarice Starling (Rebecca Breeds) is, with snippets exposed of what she previously went through with her first big capture and kill of serial killer Wild Bill before she is called back into front line action by her new boss Ruth Martin (Jayne Atkinson).
Clarice is struggling being in the field once again, and she has little trust of any of her fellow FBI agents, and especially her direct Supervisor, Paul Krendler, (Michael Cudlitz) who tells her in no uncertain terms, speak only when you are told to speak. It doesn't take long in this pilot episode for the bodies to start piling up and a new whodunit series is born. If viewers are expecting from this TV series as great a film as the 1991 film Silence of the Lambs, then don't bother watching.
This one hour TV series has that required suspense, mystery and good writing that I believe will allow it to grow on us just like a new favorite home cooked meal that smells good and tastes even better.
I give it a delicious 9 out of 10 IMDB rating
Clarice (2021)
I am beginning to smell a great recipe slowly simmering on the stove with Clarice
Be patient folks. All good recipes are cooked slowly and we have to wait with great anticipation and some hunger pains as the smell of a good dinner wafts through our households before we get to taste any of it.
I for one liked this the pilot episode that aired on February 11th, 2021, which was used to outline who FBI agent Clarice Starling (Rebecca Breeds) is, with snippets exposed of what she previously went through with her first big capture and kill of serial killer Wild Bill before she is called back into front line action by her new boss Ruth Martin (Jayne Atkinson).
Clarice is struggling being in the field once again, and she has little trust of any of her fellow FBI agents, and especially her direct Supervisor, Paul Krendler, (Michael Cudlitz) who tells her in no uncertain terms, speak only when you are told to speak. It doesn't take long in this pilot episode for the bodies to start piling up and a new whodunit series is born. If viewers are expecting from this TV series as great a film as the 1991 film Silence Of the Lambs, then don't bother watching.
This one hour TV series has that required suspense, mystery and good writing that I believe will allow it to grow on us just like a new favorite home cooked meal that smells good and tastes even better.
I give it a delicious 9 out of 10 IMDB rating
Witness to Murder (1954)
Remember the GEICO TV commercial "Let's Hide Behind the Chainsaws" well it must have been based on this film
I have never been a fan of Barbara Stanwyck's and this suspense film initially left me with a better than expected impression of her acting chops, but then when the last ten minutes of the film rolled around I was reminded of that recent GEICO insurance TV commercial where a bunch of young men and women are being hunted and to avoid detection one of them yells out "Let's Hide Behind the Chainsaws" which are hanging en masse from inside a garage roof where the bad guy is waiting for this bunch of fools.
Now I felt like one of those fools after sticking with this film to the bitter end, and believe me when I say it was a bitter ending. It was a very disappointing ending to an otherwise decent murder/suspense film.
I give it a better than deserving 6 out of 10 IMDB rating merely because I cannot blame Ms. Stanwyck for the writer's inability to develop a more creative ending.
Desperate Search (1952)
Has the "look and feel" of a Disney adventure film
Two very young children who were on vacation visiting their father and stepmother are scheduled to be sent home by a commercial airline to their mother. Unfortunately the plane disappears and their estranged father who is a pilot immediately goes into search mode. The kids birth mother also is a pilot and she flies her own plane to the site where her children disappeared from.
The two estranged parents, both seasoned pilots, very quickly come to terms as to why they got divorced when the argument escalates regarding which is the best plan to find their missing children.
While the parents travel on alternate flight patterns searching the sky for their children in case they survived the crash, the audience sees how these two young children who miraculously survived the crash are now laid bare to the whims of the wilderness and the wild animals who hunt to kill. I felt this film had the look and feel of a family adventure film that the Walt Disney studio may have released.
The acting was good, the story line holds true to being an adventure film, and the ending which I will not give away was worth waiting for. I give this near seventy (70) year old film a decent 6 out of 10 IMDB rating and would recommend it to others as a two thumbs up film.