Reviews

This is a really good film and one that I've enjoyed watching several times. Michael Caine's awesome as always. Michael Caine has received kind of a reputation for taking any role in any movie no matter what the quality or lack of same but he does a good turn in playing Sidney. From the start it's so well written. Who would have thought that Ira Levin who wrote such creepy stuff as The Boys from Brazil and Rosemary's Baby could write something this witty. Let's face it - Michael Caine, Chris Reeve, Dyan Cannon, Henry Jones... how are you going to go wrong with a cast this good directed by Sidney Lumet.

I'm really reticent to go on because if anyone were to give away anything about this film it would be a crime. Just watch it and adore it.

I watched this film because I liked the first two seasons of the series. I liked the casting, the amazingly un-scary monsters, the bad special effects and the really good music, especially the second theme song that they used. I liked the casting of Matt LeBlanc. I thought Lacey Chabert was just pretty much annoying, which is strange because I was a big "Party of Five" fan but she brings nothing to the table in this film. Her part could have been played by anyone. William Hurt seems more than a little bored in the film. He looks like he's thinking "Is it five o'clock yet? Can I go home now? Who's got my check?" Gary Oldman is very, very good as Dr. Smith. Then again, Gary Oldman is always very, very good - this guy needs an Oscar for something. He should have been nominated for Supporting Actor for "Murder in the First." I can't remember much about the kid that played Will, which is a bad sign.

The music's great. The sets are great. The scenery's great. June Lockhart is really good. The first half hour of the film is fantastic and totally memorable. That's really the best part of the film. And a good story. But there's too much about this film that just drag it down by being average or sub-par.

So, a decent movie to see but you can do much better.

This movie has several moments to it - unfortunately it has way too many moments - it goes on forever! Fortunately it's interesting and enjoyable. But I think the length is Alistair MacLean's style. I've read some of his other books and for novels of action they're kind of slow paced. But I admire that in a way. It's almost Stanley Kubrick-ish in that he lets the story develop.

So here are the good points and the really good points. Richard Burton - okay, now who decided to put him in an action movie again? He's more convincing when he's doing the acting or throwing off pithy lines. I think they hired Richard Burton because Clint Eastwood, love him as I do, his acting chops weren't quite developed yet when this film was made. He pretty much runs around shooting people and looking menacing.

The scenes at the fortress are the best. The scenes on the tram are incredible. I've probably seen this movie three times and they still have me on the edge of my seat every single time. Pretty much from the tram scenes to the end is great - definitely the better part of the film.

Also, the music is great - thundering almost - although you hear it over every scene. Yes, it's great but it ain't Mozart - could we have one scene without it? Oh, but getting from the start of the movie to when they're getting up to the top of the meeting. Slow. I mean like getting frozen syrup out of the bottle slow or at least that's how I remember it.

So, over all, a good movie. Watch it on a rainy day. Then if you want to see Richard Burton in a really great movie, watch "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf."

This is a great film. Pure and simple. It grabs you right from the start and holds on to you tight all through the film. I saw this on television in the 70's and thought it was amazing and then rented it about five years ago.

This film is so finely acted by a cast of really great actors. Walter Matthau proves that he's a very versatile actor in this film. I've heard that he didn't like to be described as a comic, that he liked being referred to as an actor and for good reason. He can play anything. Look at this film, "Charade," "The Fortune Cookie," "Fail-Safe," and "The Laughing Policeman," the latter made a year before this film and a really bad and incredibly dull movie in my opinion.

Other actors are great in this film. Robert Shaw is great. Tony Roberts has a great part. Jerry Stiller proves he's more than a comic actor. Martin Balsam, an actor whom I can't remember really getting his due, is great in this film. Hector Elizondo doesn't really get a lot to do.

The film really captures the sense of a confined space with the subway. Directing a film in a tight space is probably pretty difficult. The music's great. The film's very well made and very well written - plus it's got one of the best endings of any film ever made.

I totally recommend this film. I think you'll really enjoy it.

This is really an outstanding movie. I saw this film before I stopped watching "R" rated films. This film has so many layers and so much texture and so many amazing things about it that you can watch it over and over and over again and see amazing, new things each time. The scenes are so beautifully developed that you forget you are watching a movie about pornography. What I like about this film is that it takes it's own sweet time to develop a scene. Sequences that are like a dance almost because they work so well together. Mark Wahlberg gives a great performance, one that really should have been an Oscar contender. You know who really deserved a nomination, right along with Burt Reynolds? Robert Ridgely as the Colonel. He was awesome. Does anyone else agree with that? Also, the biggest snub in Oscar history. Why didn't he win? What was up with that? I can't even think of who was nominated that year but he was awesome! Phillip Seymour Hoffman? Great as well. William H. Macy? Alfred Molina? Amazing. Another thing in this film I really like is the music. It fits the story so well - anyway - it's a great film.

"The Shootist" is a great film. I really, really like this movie a lot and have liked it from the first time I saw it. What I really admire about this film is it's cast, who knew that it was probably going to be John Wayne's last film. They brought out the best for this film.

Let's look at the director, Don Siegel, a really top notch director of action films that are more than action films, like "Dirty Harry" and "Escape from Alcatraz." Mr. Siegel seems to really have the talent to blend a story with action.

Let's look at the leads. John Wayne - what can you say the man always will be known as an icon. A true professional - he had little patience with actors who did not show up on time and did not know their lines. Look at the standing ovation he got for his Best Actor Oscar for "True Grit." Hollywood loved this guy! Lauren Bacall - awesome, as always. She always delivers in any part. She's such a reliable, remarkable actress. She's a direct link to another era of Hollywood, when stars weren't jockeying for position at the Sundance Film Festival or showing up in "Us Magazine." Bacall shows up prepared for a role and she gets the job done. And done well. Lauren, you're a great actress and great in this film! Bogie would be proud. Ron Howard - good to see him leave the comfort zone of Happy Days and play a really great character with many facets to his character. You can see the real admiration and respect he has not only for Wayne but for the other actors.

And then there's the rest. I mean, come on - where are you going to find a film like this in the '70s with so many really good actors. Not Charo, John Davidson, Jimmie Walker - people trying to survive a disaster - this is a real movie with an awesome story. Jimmy Stewart, Harry Morgan, Sheree North, John Carradine, Richard Boone - awesome! Awesome! What's really touching about this film is that you know that major, major actors took smaller roles in order to be in a movie with Duke Wayne. Amazing. Enjoy the movie, it's great!

This film isn't a little bad. It's not even kind of bad. It's horrid. You know you're in trouble when Charo shows up in a film. She must have had the week off from "Love Boat." George Kennedy, at least he's a gamer - he's in there trying. Actually, he's all right. And it's good to see Martha Raye. Jimmie Walker's okay. There's slightly better acting than in Airport '75 but what film doesn't have better acting than Airport '75? One thing I liked about this film is that it had more going on than a lot of other disaster films plot-wise. At least they made an attempt at subplots. What really hurts this film is the special effects - ugh! Not too special if you ask me. This is the kind of film that at 2am is truly, truly funny if you've been up having fun with your buddies and you're looking for something to laugh at.

This is a classic ensemble film. It has an amazing cast of very talented people. I wonder how they got so lucky to get so many really good actors together with such varied films behind them. Steve Martin does a really good job and never has a bad moment in the film but the rest of the cast is great. Easily, one of Keanu Reeves' best early films. Joaquin Phoenix is great in his role. Dianne Wiest is priceless and has some really good scenes, including those with her daughter Martha Plimpton. Whatever happened to Martha Plimpton by the way? She was great in this and in "Running on Empty." Who plays that grandmother? She's great! Mary Steenburgen, Rick Moranis... Goes on and on. And the great Jason Robards. One of the finest actors this world has ever known. This is really a good movie about families - the good and bad side of them and some great moments about fatherhood. This is really, really a good movie and one that can be appreciated by so many people. A good rental - a good family movie. Go for it!

Okay, now this is an interesting case. The movie does open with a pretty bad crash on a coaster and it's not for the meek. It's not horrific but it's hard to imagine. That said, if you watch the violence in this movie compared to shows like C.S.I., Roller-coaster is nothing. This film has really good performances by George Segal, an actor who is consistently underrated. Why hasn't this man received better roles? Look at "A Touch of Class." That movie's great. Look at the original "Fun with Dick and Jane." He really shines. Timothy Bottoms is quite good as well - very chilling. It's interesting to think of one of his other better known roles in "The Paper Chase," this role is totally different. There are some good twists. It's nice that Henry Fonda has a decent role in this one - in comparison with "The Swarm" a year later - why did Fonda make that movie? Irwin Allen must have been writing some humongous checks for that turkey. This has great music, too. The scene at the start when George Segal is getting the shock therapy to give up smoking is interesting, too. This is a good film to watch but maybe not with the six year olds in the room. Overall, I say see it! Eight stars out of ten.

All About Eve is simply the perfect film. Fact follows fiction in the casting of Bette Davis, a star who was an incredible actress but fighting the inevitable - the passage of time. First off, Better Davis was always an incredible actress, no matter what part she took and this was the perfect part for her. Anne Baxter is tremendous in the part of Eve - she plays the part well. It's multi-faceted and challenging and she definitely rose to the challenge. Celeste Holm is great, too. She's got a smaller part but does a great job with it. Celeste Holm is an actress who has incredible stature, even in the later years of her career, like when she was in that television show "Promised Land." But Addison DeWitt - takes the cake. I can see why he won the Oscar. I don't want to say much about the story. The film is one that has to be taken in as a whole to be truly appreciated. Enjoy it - it's as tasty as honey! One thing - please never let them make a re-make of this film - it's perfect. It's off limits. It would be painting a new version of the Mona Lisa. This one is perfect!

I thought this was an interesting film with this cast. I think Ryan does a good job and I admire the fact that Tim Robbins doesn't just phone it in. He gives a good performance. Plus, any films shot around Seattle are amazing. I liked the scenes with Ryan's girlfriend. She plays her part well and it's a good twist toward the end. This is a good film. I think Ryan P. was better in Cruel Intentions but this is definitely a watchable film. I wonder what kind of box office take this film had? Probably not too well since it was his only starring role on his own. I like the scenes in Robbins' house - those were well done. Also, I like Ryan running around in the movie - good suspense - decent acting.

This film is laughingly bad. Gloria Swanson looks like she's wearing a makeup factory. Charlton Heston wears some frightening looking outfits. Karen Black, the best actress of the cast, is trying to take it all seriously but you know she's thinking "Just think about the money! Just think about the money!" The effects look like they were shot in someone's garage. George Kennedy says lines like "He dropped his old fashioned wrench," which are apparently supposed to bring down the house. Dana Andrews looks like he's incredibly bored. And Larry Storch in a serious role? Larry Storch? A mistake has been made here. Granted, the shots of the full plane in action are pretty good. But for all of this, I watch it, I am drawn to it like a moth to a flame every time it's on. I even bought the video tape. You know why? Because it's so bad it's good. Gloria Swanson's last line in the movie is the best. Why did they wait until her last line to have a good line in the movie? Myrna Loy is good - actually, she really shines with this crowd.