Reviews

I agree this movie could have been better but looking back now I'd say it was exactly what people were looking to see on the screen.All the films with Black cast had the same feel to them and we ate it up.Two of the best that strayed from all that were not talked about as much as the action pictures."Sounder" and "The Learning Tree" which also need to be shown more on TV.As for this film I liked the actor who played the lead.Lawrence Cook who I see died 3 yrs ago was exactly what I pictured Dan Freeman to be like.I recommend this film and i'd love to see a Black film channel that gives you some commentary along with the films as TCM does.Where's Max Julien? How about all the black actresses who paved the way for those working now.Not Hattie McDaniel but Gloria Hendry,Brenda Sykes,Shelia Frazier and Judy Pace just to name a few.I know Vonetta McGee who was with Max Julien on screen and in real life for a time ,married Carl Lumbly.Lonette McKee was on TV often at one time and Rosalind Cash has passed away.Anyhoo see this movie and then see another black film and another.Then pick up a book.Or do both read the book "Native Son" then watch the film "Native Son"-any version."The River Niger" is on DVD in the dollar bin but it's good.If only because James Earl Jones and Glen Turman are in it.

I remember when the "Ladies Night" in clubs with male strippers became popular.One scene in "Mr Mom" and this entire movie made the male stripping industry for females really take off.Afterwards Every TV sitcom of the 80's on had at least one episode with the male stars doing a strip and the females stars catching them and dragging them off the stage or going crazy and spending tons of money like Peg Bundy. That said this movie was corny.Only because Christopher Atkins was the boniest,non-dancing male stripper I've ever seen.Clearly he was chosen to capitalize on the "teen hunk" factor and "The Blue Lagoon" movie which he starred.Lesley Warren is dressed like a school marm in the 1880's until she gets a make-over up by a girlfriend to hit the club and snap!She's a hot mama in a snazzy red dress with her hair down and plenty of make-up on.What she doesn't know is a student she flunked recently (Chris) is the star stripper in the club she goes to and he knocks her off her feet with a super sexy kiss.Oh yeah-She's married to a fuddy-duddy older than she is. It's an okay film to catch on cable.Just don't expect any deep acting by anyone and you'll be fine.

Great cast,great songs and great dancing without a gooey story and bursting into song at inappropriate times.I thought the director and choreographers did an amazing job with the kids.The two leads seemed perfect for their parts I can't imagine anyone that would have done a better job.I loved the choreography and song on "Get'cha Head In The Game".Kudos to the associate choreographer,Charles Kaplow who put it together.He was also in the movie as one of the basketball players/dancers The use of the basketballs just flowed with the moves of the dancers.As for "Stick To The Status Quo".It brought back memories of "Hot Lunch Jam" in "Fame" the movie. With a little more story Disney could have released this in theaters.More catchy songs were "Breaking Free"," Start Of Something New", and the hook that sold the picture "We're All In This Together".Next star ready for a lead with his Side-show Bob style is Corbin Blue who was all over the place with his great smile.I read where he went to Debbie Allen's Dance Academy.Ms Allen who was the dance teacher in "Fame" the movie and the choreographer as well as sometimes director of "Fame" the TV series is a very hard teacher.If you work with her YOU MOST DEFINITELY CAN DANCE! A very enjoyable movie musical.

A very moving film for its time.I'm a big Paul Robeson fan and I'm glad TCM shows a lot of films with all Black casts.I think it should be shown along with the 1929 film "Hallelujah".It also has an all Black cast and has religion as its theme but it's not a silent film.This film ran a little too long but I never stopped watching.Touchy subject matter even today.Right on point even today!Even though Robeson found fame who knows what talent the others had that skin color stopped from them also becoming well known.That's why I love these films.The Black Church must have shunned this type of film back them and the actors couldn't have had an easy time of it.I'd call this a silent soap opera.The mother really loved her daughter a whole lot.Mercy!The daughter was the ultimate tragic figure.The Minister.One word-Sinister!

This was a Saturday morning show on NBC probably to take advantage of the teen market that watched "Saved By the Bell" and other teen shows. I have a VHS tape of videos from the show I found at a flea market The guys were cute,it was as funny as any show on now if not funnier and the music was pretty good.It reminded me of "The Monkees".Lots of skits,jokes,songs.They all lived together and a video was shown each show with them singing.Who knows what fame they guys would have found if it had been a hit.I know Patrick Dancy who was the only African-American in the group guested on many shows and at one time in real life dated Tina Yothers who played Jennifer the youngest daughter on "Family Ties".

*btw I heard that the show was axed because the management representing New Kids On The Block threatened to sue.

The Fox Movie Channel showed all three versions of this story today starting with "That Night In Rio" then "On The Riviera" and ending with "Folies Bergere" I live Danny Kaye and Don Ameche so I won't pick a favorite I just like the idea of seeing different versions of the same film all at once.I also love old movies so this one was enjoyable too. Great musical numbers.No one misses the old movie houses more than me it's just not the same watching the films from the 30's,40's and 50's etc on VHS or DVD.My wish would be to have a bunch of same titled movies run on the same day in an old theatre and then turn up the lights and talk about them.This one is a great start.

I liked this film for a number of reasons.The big budget,cgi films of today cost mega bucks yet are tiresome,with no story,and so music video fast-paced that you can't see anything worth seeing.The old black & white low budget films are campy fun.You get to see famous people in early roles or maybe at the end of their careers.The clothes,cars and music take some of us back to times that were the happiest for us and our country.I hadn't seen this film before yesterday when I saw it on cable and it is a hoot.One minute your listening to corny dialog then a musical performance pops in.Jackie Wilson(a favorite of mine )does a great Elvis impersonation singing a song with the same moves and all or was Elvis imitating Jackie? Loved the song too.As some one else commented it was am early version of a music video.Now for a correction The Jack Larson in this film is not the same guy that played Jimmy Olsen on the Superman TV series.I made the same mistake with a TV show. This Jack played a horrible nightclub performer whose uncle hires Rob,Sally and Buddy to write his act in an episode of "The Dick Van Dyke Show" I noted on a website for "Superman" that this Jack had changed so much it was hard to believe it was the same guy yet he had mentioned the part in his autobiography.Well someone noted they are are in fact two different men hence the reason they look nothing alike! Just 2 guys with the same name.As for Jimmy Clanton he looks like a young Donald O'Connor to me.He should have made more films no worse than any other teen singing sensation turned actor.A great find for anyone loving 60's B films.

"The Women" is one of the true treasures of old black & white movies.There was not one role miscast and the snappy,witty script has not been duplicated in another all female movie and still holds up today!That said this movie is 100% miscast,misdirected and the script is dull & flat even though it includes many lines from the original play & movie.I really felt sorry for Ann Miller,wasted in the Paulette Goddard role who neither gets to sing nor dance in this musical remake! While the tone-deaf, off-key June Allyson(Norma Shearer she ain't) gets to sing a few songs while having no chemistry with Leslie.Another thing, who the heck decided to let the Sylvia Fowler character played here by Delores Gray and in 1939 by Rosalind Russell,hook-up with Buck Winston instead of the Countess played by Agnes Moorehead? Another great actress was wasted in her part along with Joan Blondell and Gray too for that matter.I agree with all previous comments that adding men did nothing and actually helped make a dull film duller if that's possible.Skip this tin horror and go for the 1939 gold medal original.

Embarrassing beyond all reason for a movie shown on a major network in a sweeps month!Who the hell owes a favor this big to put this boring-beyond-words movie on?He/She must have killed somebody's first born or they owe the same person who thinks Tina Fey is funny and handed her the reins to SNL! Anyway, YEAH THIS MOVIE STINKS!I only watched because I couldn't believe it was as bad as the review in Friday's paper.I now know that person was kind.Boring plot dragged out to the point I could careless about anybody in this movie-not even the hero!Mythology should be fun and dramatic,example:"clash of the Titans" This mess had me wishing the GODS would rise up as one and put us and this bomb out of OUR misery!

Soylent Green is people!

I see that many comments about this film mention the Brad Pitt version but not the made-for-TV 1971 film that had the same title as this one.It was good at the time but never came close to this jewel.That version really dealt with the fact that no one was dying and how all over the world no matter the catastrophe the sick,hurt,and injured lived on.For6 months I talked about getting a copy of 1934 movie off amazon.com with prices between $45-$130 all used.Passed but to my good luck I read a "Meet Joe Black" review and found out this movie was on the 2nd disc in the Ultimate Edition version.Best $11 I ever spent to see a classic 30's film.Fredrich March was wonderful and all the supporting players reminded me of the horror films classics of 30-40's that also had standout cast. I just love them.Since I'm not a Brad Pitt fan I probably won't watch his film-no offense but the super nova A-list actors just don't make me believe their character.All I see is Brad Pitt,Tom Cruise,George Clooney not the roles but that's just me -and yes I didn't see the Ocean films for that reason.I love this film!10 stars and if you like black & white classics like this watch Dodsworth,State of the Union & the earlier versions of Backstreet,Imitaion of Life and The Front Page.Funny thing is a movie from 1939 "On Borrowed Time" with Lionel Barrymore had a similar theme of Death walking the earth to collect someone but I didn't care for it. Funniest recent take on Death visiting is the "Family Guy" animated series.The shows with Death alone are worth the cost of the DVD collection.

I loved this show when I first started watching it but after I saw all the episodes for the 3rd time I realized so many things either don't make sense or the characters are dumb.Take Lorelai,she's supposed to be so smart and witty yet successful in business and happy with home and daughter.What business person goes thru the trouble of getting their kid in a snobby private school then appears shocked the school wants tuition money when the application's approved?The same successful person has no other means of raising said tuition than asking her snobby rich parents for the money knowing there'll be strings attached.Fine that happens but then the show pulls the same stunt when the kid's ready for college after applying to ivy league schools-again no savings,no money-and apparently no scholarship possibilities for the daughter who btw was the VALEDICTORIAN of her class!Oh, and her love life.She doesn't bring men home to protect her daughter then proceeds to sleep with her daughter's father in her parents home,her daughter's TEACHER who she made out with in his classroom on parents day which the kid's arch rival saw and told.She also left him at the altar.Enough about her the smart daughter became unlikeable to me after awhile.Quiet,pretty and smart in school she put up with snobby bullies at school,a clingy best friend and a pretty decent first boyfriend.Does she attack the bullies no!She treats the boyfriend like a piece of gum under her shoe and when a poor man James Dean wannabe comes to town she drops Mr Nice Guy WITHOUT bothering to tell him and has the nerve to bitch when he dumps her in public.The grandmother who is a combination of all the Disney villains is at least herself.Lorelai is clingy,nosy, and she treated the one guy in town who's always there for her since he loves her, like a servant and an ATM,while dropping EVERYTHING when Rory's absentee dad feels like showing up since he's her one lost true love.He treats both of them like gum under the shoe not even bothering to come to Rory's graduation and hey why didn't Lorelai ask HIM to kick in a few bucks for the college fund? The witty banter and folksy folks of Stars Hollow-in one word-ANNOYING-after repeated viewings.Ms Gilmore did buy the Inn she's always wanted and it's lovely so why does her home look like it was decorated entirely by the Salvation Army.The best thing on the show is Luke.You'll like this show in the beginning.It's the repeats that'll have you grabbin' the aspirin.

This movie is frequently on a basic cable channel this month but I had seen the movie years ago.It still holds up.I think Eartha Kitt captured the personality of "Anna" completely and Sammy Davis Jr. did a good job in the role of "Danny." I felt like I was watching a stage play and I was never bored.Since it was practically unheard of for an all Black cast to do a film where the characters weren't all servants,slaves or criminals ,I enjoyed the actors being like actors in most movies.Some better than others etc."Rudolph" was the weakest role,"Stella ","Kathy".and "Stanley" barely had anything to do but "Frank" was spooky since he kept smiling all the time even when he was hitting and abusing "Mr. Lucasta."The previous poster was incorrect when he said "Rudolph" was the son of evil,shifty "Frank."He was the son of "Mr.Lucasta's" very religious friend from down south who wanted the "Lucastas" to find a wife for his farmer son."Frank" was "Stella's" husband and the son-in-law in the family.I would love to have this movie on VHS or DVD.Eartha Kitt was on TV today and she is still very pretty and youthful looking.Funny since the movie was black & white you can't tell that Miss Kitt is very light-skinned as was the mother,"Kathy",and "Stanley" and another prostitute.The actress playing "Stella" years later would play "Mother Winslow" on "Family Matters." I have never seen the version with Paulette Goddard playing Anna but I would like to just to compare the two movies.

This is a very interesting movie to me.I don't remember seeing it back when it came out and I would have.Claudia McNeil(Mu'Dear) is a favorite of mine ever since I saw her in the movie version of "A Raisin in the Sun."With all the shouting and bickering through this film it was nice to have her calm everything down at the end.I couldn't figure out where al the anger came from in the household.It seemed like the movie started in the middle of the story being told.The youngest daughter has quit school and is dancing in a bar,the mother(Mama Rose) is working as a maid to support the household yet everybody is grown.The two oldest daughters don't live at home,the grandmother has a man living with her and btw that seemed very out of character like something the mother would be doing instead.Also for all the preaching Mama Rose did when the father(a pimp?) of the two oldest comes back for a visit he makes a vulgar comment about the youngest(Billie Jean)saying he'd take her to Detroit and turn her out. She isn't his child and everybody except the boarder thinks it's funny.Billie Jean wants to study dance and buy her mother a house while the two oldest are the meanest and most hateful characters and both got on my nerves throughout the whole film.Neither were doing anything but having children and talking about their husbands yet both were very jealous of Billie Jean and Netta(college student) who their mother had taken in.They seem to exist to spew poison about both girls and use Netta to drag Billie Jean down to their hateful level which happens.A basic cable channel that features African-Americans shows this movie regularly and I'm sad to find out after he passed this week that Ossie Davis directed it.His wife Ruby Dee plays Netta disturbed mother that couldn't care for her.Netta comes into the movie so late you almost forget she's involved.The plot is Mama Rose can only talk about how proud she is of her daughter Netta and with mother's day coming up she's looking forward to her coming home.Her three daughters are sick of their mother praising a stranger while having nothing good to say about her blood children.All three hide Netta's letters to Mama Rose and she has no idea about it.Norma and Ruth Ann tell Billie Jean their mother is giving Netta her room and that she'll probably have to move out.Turns out Billie Jean had already been hiding Netta's letters to her mother and all three hide the last one annoucing Netta's homecoming.From then on it's a lot of bickering between them all and Earl(father) when he gets there that really about how all of them did nothing with their lives like Netta did.Earl throws money around and even asks Rose to take him back but she's too proud and he leaves.Netta comes home and finds out she needs her real mother after all and helps Billie Jean find get on the path to an education and dance career.The movie showed mainly what was the normal acting style in the 70's for blacks.Eyes popping,pronoucing every syllable,shouting and glaring at the other actor.This movie should be viewed by students that want to be actors to see how far we've come.Or have we? I said it was interesting because in the 70's every black movie was a drug/prostitute/pimp/police/detective plot movie. mojo2004

Thanks to TCM I saw this film again today, now my 3rd time. I love the fact that it has a fantasy theme yet the actors performances are so good you think it was just a drama. I want this movie on DVD along with "Death Takes a Holiday" starring Fredric March which is also an outstanding fantasy movie.I rate it 9/10 and can't wait til it's on again!My favorite characters were Stubby but isn't Edmund Gwen always going to be Stana Claus,along with Tim and the rich old couple.My least favorite were the young couple they kind of bored me but that's not to say the actors weren't good they were very good.Just like with soap operas the bad folks stand out.John Garfield, did he ever give a bad performance.THE PLOT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED SO MUCH I SAY JUST WATCH IT,YOU WILL WATCH TIL THE END!

I know few agree with me but this film went on too long with before any magic or spark appeared.I can count on 1 hand the amount of magic this guy did in the 1st film and half of the secod film.The girl did a lot of spells but not Harry.No I didn't read the books and I don't want to but when these blockbusters come out you feel like something is wrong with you when you feel the movie wasn't all that.I felt like the plot was taken from "Star" Wars,"Gremlins",Mrs Danvers from "Rebecca","Annie" man I could go on.I didn't find any of the characters lovable and most weren't likable for a kid's film.Way too much talk,this guy is so special wizard yet the teachers know he suffering child abuse at home? Plus they send him back and he goes??In the second film a cat is terrorized and sentences are written in blood on a wall yet while Harry and friends deny doing it none of a SCHOOL of wizards can conjure up who did it when they are blamed? Sorry but it was just dumb and made me turn the movie off.Oh yeah the ending to the 1st film was lame,did anybody remember the bad guy when he showed up?I know I had forgot about him!I rate the first film a 5/10 and nothing for 2 &3 since I will not finish them.

I want to thank TCM for showing this movie and all others that wouldn't see the light of day. Yes this movie is crude in all phases of a movie coming together today. Since it took place in 1928 it's wonderful. My mother grew up down south in N.C. so yes a lot of Blacks were poor,picking cotton,living in shacks and finding release in either the church and or what was called the "devil's business" ,vice. The first time I saw this movie I wanted to cry, everything was so sad,and ugly but it held my interest. I hated how Zeke abandoned his family and I wanted them to hate him too.The "hootchie mama" Chick was very pretty and had a natural performing talent. I felt sorry for her when she died since she only wanted to be free. Funny thing about the movie is all over the U.S. the same story about Church,Sin, the Man of God, and the Heathen Woman is still going on.I love old movies with shaky film,missing dialouge,unskilled actors and all. It's a walking, talking bit of history unfolding before your eyes. I think as I watch the movie, did any of the actors make something of themselves? was anyone shunned for even doing this? did any church come out for the movie since I know many churches probably were against it. I saw the remark about it being racist and I disagree. It's a fact that Blacks sang as a release from the real world and all the misery that awaited them day after day. What would have been racist is if the actors had been White but in blackface. TCM showed this yesterday 10/5/04 and it's the 4th time I've seen it.I rate this 8/10.

I tried, really really tried from commenting on this abomination.The movie was bad in so many ways.I've seen better acting from a class of 1st graders in a Xmas play.Why is it that movies taking place in the future have the actors speaking like Indians in western movies?"When yellow fire ball is no more, my people ride!" Yet if the movie takes place in an ancient civilization the actors speak the king's English. "Our survival depends on this place being kept secret"quoting Michael Clark Duncan "The first man who touches her will have to come through me" quoting The Rock Also it had so many unrealistic moments that could have been done better with all the technology and CG out now.The Rock shoots an arrow with a rope attached from his camel all the way across the enemy's camp.I've seen clothesline strung tighter,you can even see it dangling from the camel yet the bulked up Rock slides in on it-truly funny.Oh and the all-seeing-all-knowing sorceress didn't even know a string was attached to her leg when she tried to run off-funnier.I'm not going to say anything about how she was abducted by the rock naked except for a piece of material yet when she went back to the bad guy's stronghold she was wearing the elaborate but skimpy costume she had on at the beginning of the movie-hilarious.Oh I forgot when the Rock slid into camp he has a sword fight that had so much clanging of the blades it should have awakened a mummy but none of the hordes of soldiers that could have killed him in one second heard it saving all of us precious time better spent contemplating world peace-funniest.Did I say when Michael Clark Duncan and the Rock were brawling I expected any minute that a wrestling ring would appear and a WW Smackdown banner would drop down?My final dig is about the Rock escaping the camp with his hostage and again hordes, well maybe 1 horde of soldiers riding horses chase after him.However my man Rock is beboping along on a camel! Come on a barely moving c-a-m-e-l.If you ever want to watch an unintentionally funny movie this is it.10/10 for that,3/10 for a real rating cuz it was a hoot but this movie is worth about a dollar in the bargain bin.

Homefront is powerful television that simply is not seen on TV today.Yes it was a soap opera but it covered all the bases like no other soap ever did.It takes place right after WW II ended in a small town, River Run,Ohio. Not one actor or actress is miscast, the African-American race is neither ignored nor invisible as so many shows do yet the writers don't beat you over the head with good or bad race relations.Housing shortages,labor problems,foreign war brides,loss of jobs all these topics are covered beautifully in a show that was only on two lousy years!The pairing of couples was also well done with a few pleasant surprises.Kyle Chandler(jeff)& Tammy Lauren(ginger)were only supposed to get together one time with a pregnancy scare involved.They became a breakout super couple that stole the show and whose love affair had us all laughing & crying til they wed on the very last episode.In the meantime an older actor came aboard as a love interest for Jessica Steen(linda) who is Jeff's sister.He immediately clicked with the actress playing her mother and they were paired up and also married and had a baby on the show.Two great surprises.ABC totally mishandled this show and never appreciated the audience that was watching.However ten years later folks still say this was one of the great ones and I'm glad I have my copies of the show to take me back down memory lane.Now if only we could get the show on DVD!!!!

I loved this movie from the start and I still love it.Fifty times no make that 100 times beter than "Parenthood" it had good actors that matched their character's personalities to me.I'm a huge fan of Mathew Modine but the two best actors were Randy Quaid and Janeane Garofalo.Both were adorable and funny.All the kids were good too and kudos to Paul Rieser for a heartwarming performance with screen daughter Eliza Dushku.One bad thing-the pairing of the best friend with his buddy's ex-wife.Bull! They didn't have to go there.I bought this movie and I can watch it everyday.Funny,sweet, and I'm sure all families of divorce wish it was as easy as the movie made it.

9/10 stars

There are no fitting words to aptly describe how truly horrendous this

crap was.I'm no fan of M.J. as I've believed for years he shows signs

of being a pedophile or a raving lunatic or both!The only reason I saw

it was VH1 showed it so much I got tired of switching channels on it

and gave up.I t seemed like a long Mad TV skit with the most cornball

dialouge ever.It was beyond being campy fun because the actors seemed

to be competing for worst performance of the decade.Oh my god who in

the heck hired the guy playing JOE JACKSON? He was a scream! And mama

Jackson came off as a day player from the local theater group.This TV

movie has now elevated "Glitter" and Mariah Carey to a level of

acting on par with such greats as Stalone,The Spice Girls,and Eve.As

for Flex, was I the only one who noticed he kept changing color thru

out the movie.Now I know Michael has changed over the years but I've

never know him to change skin color on a daily basis.The movie had no

dancing and no music,oh I know steps were flashed,you could barely

see, but to have generic music in a M.J. story?? If we ever needed a

show back it's Mystery Science Theater 3000 to attack this baby!God

awful,pure s#%!I'll bet an all roach revue is more entertaining!

I saw this movie back when I used to get the "Encore" movie channel. The movie to me was campy at first but the more I saw it the more I loved it.Great dancing,likable kids,and songs you just don't hear in

every teen 60's movie.I was heart-broken when I read Orion Studios went broke and this movie was never released on a big scale.I'm not saying the acting is great in fact most of the actors are bad but the spirit of teen dance shows is alive and making you want to get up and boogie. Betten than the show "American Dreams" to me and picking Bob Dylan's "Like a Rolling Stone" to end the movie was perfect.I, like others also found this movie in the dicount bin and it made my day.Again kudos to whomever picked the songs used in the movie."When You're Young and In Love", "Cast Your Fate to the Wind"..... oh it made me cry.......