Reviews

Many good reviews here have discussed the plot and the comparisons with the well-known DeNiro version--and I must agree with the majority who rank this original higher.

Mitchum's riveting villain is capable of employing considerable charm, which creates a contrast to his monstrosity-- he would've walked away with the picture if not for Peck's own performance (and those of a good supporting cast) along with a tight script and direction. It's more dated and lacks the profanity and graphic violence of the remake; and the daughter, written as a teenager, is played by an actress who looks barely past twelve--but that makes Cady's villainy even more despicable. And somehow it all looks even more sinister in black and white. Don't miss it.

Well, it took me a coupla decades to catch up to seeing this--and it was worth the wait.

I had a doubt or two in the first 20 minutes or so, as Lindsay Lohan, one of my favorite young performers, seemed at first a little too convincing as the troubled daughter. Also--my being of the Boomer generation (no, we're not all dead) I thought I'd quickly tire of the music portions of the story.

But when the switch took place, Lohan's talent took off, full speed ahead--as did Jamie Lee Curtis'. They're both so good portraying mother-and-daughter-at-odds that they're irresistible when they become each other. (The music portions didn't scare off this old Boomer either.) It's neatly packaged with a good supporting cast, a smart script and direction. I ended up buying it. It's a keeper, so if you haven't seen it--remedy that!

Many of us Yanks sort of just stumbled upon this import, often described as 'quirky'. It is--and it's funny, uncomplicated, and acted with such naturalness that you almost get the feeling you're watching the proceedings from the other side of the room or the gas station's security camera.

It's over a decade-and-a-half old now, but it's refreshing to find such gentle and entertaining fare in a medium overloaded with blatant sex, violence, and general weirdness. (The commercials are more likely to contain all of that, so you can get your fix if you need to.) Check out 'Corner Gas' for some respite from the crazy.

It's kind of amusing, scanning the remarks of those who have their goiters in an uproar because this isn't "The Philadelphia Story". But this is a musical, kids.

The original's emphasis was on its witty dialogue, sophistication and sparkling performances, even in the supporting parts. When such classics spawned musical remakes, some compared badly because the studio thought it could get away with skimping on the story if it were filled in with a nifty score.

Even when new versions were well done, some people found fault simply because they weren't the original.

In actual fact, 'High Society' is one of old Hollywood's better remakes of a non-musical original. The story remains tight, well-directed and well-acted by a skilled cast. It's dignified but not highbrow, with just the right amount of lightheartedness; Sinatra and Crosby step into the Grant-Stewart parts effortlessly, and, though surrounded by these musical legends (as well as Louis Armstrong) Kelly holds her own as Tracy. They create iconic moments with "Did You Evah" and "True Love". It's funny where it needs to be; lovely to look at; and importantly, the score is one of the best of MGM's Fifties'-musicals.

If you've missed this, and love Old Hollywood, give it a watch. I'm betting you'll like it, so kick back and enjoy it.

The makers of the BTTF trilogy accomplished their goal: they tie up the McFly/Brown saga very entertainingly with this Old West scenario.

Another review mentioned the 'studio look' of the Old West sets, but I didn't see that; they're actually not too bad for this type of movie--especially when compared with Universal comedy-westerns from the 60's and '70's (where everything from the costumes to the horse troughs in front of the saloon looked spotless and brand new, and the women all had perfect, lacquered, teased hair.) Fox and Lloyd continue their unique chemistry, and the supporting cast is fine: the writers, wisely, didn't overuse the talented Mary Steenburgen and kept the character of Clara from intruding too much into the Marty/Doc dynamic. Thomas F Wilson gets to give a new spin as the antagonist Tannen -this time Western style, and it's my favorite of his 3 villain appearances. All this put together with whiz-bang special effects and deft direction, it's a fine conclusion to a timeless trilogy.

Both reviews of this super episode give it a 10, and a 10 it should be. Grant Shaud gets some well-deserved time in the sun here--amusingly assisted in later scenes by Yeardley Smith as an adorable nuisance.

The rest of the FYI team are on tenterhooks as they do their best to talk Miles through the crisis-in-the-making at the airport. Shaud handles the scenes and tightly-wound comic deliveries deftly, as Miles earns his newsman's stripes.

(It's not easy dealing with a potential mad bomber and a lovestruck Yeardley.) All ten original seasons of Murphy Brown really need to be more widely distributed. If Warner Brothers and Motown can't work out a music royalty deal, they can release the series with alternate music dubbed at the beginning of each episode. It's been done.

BTTF is one of the movie series you just have to revisit every now and then. Part 2 is a bit less lighthearted than its predecessor, but the plot requires it: Marty and his family are in considerable peril at the hands of vile Biff Tannen (Thomas F Wilson is as effective a villain as Fox is a good guy) and it takes complicated procedures in order for them to prevail--but Marty and the doc are nothing if not persistent. They handle time-warping easily, although it can be a challenge for the viewer: where the heck are they NOW??? But pay attention. It's worth the watch, if only for the special effects and the mentor/mentee chemistry between Fox and Lloyd. A fun time at the movies.

No doubt some of you may be checking this movie out because you're fans of its inspiration, "Libeled Lady". Me too. Seeing "Easy To Wed" for the first time now, I must agree with those who found it a slightly above-average effort, as remakes go.

The musical elements are standard MGM fare, here given a Latin flavor. My take is that they tend to slow the story down a bit--but back in the day, audiences liked their movies interrupted by sudden bursts of brass or strings (or conga drums.) The four leads tackle the difficult task of following Powell, Tracy, Loy and Harlow in the original. While they don't quite match them (no one can, to be fair) they do hold their own and stay afloat, with Ball and Wynn the standouts. It's an amusing story, ably played, in the trademark MGM color-splashed style. Worth a watch.

So one night X number of years ago, before a kajillion different channels were available (on our one and only tv) my wife saw that this was being shown on PBS. Would I mind if she watched that, rather than the more testosterone-driven movie I was going to tune in on?

"No problem" sez I, as I planned to ignore it and do something else (because, of course, "Anne of Green Gables" sounded like the last thing I'd be interested in.) Long story short, it's so well-made that I ended up watching the whole thing with her. It's beautifully put together; well-written, great scenic locales, and the acting by the whole cast is out of this world--Ms. Follows, especially. Her performance should be given a place of honor among the great family-themed movies. If you like this genre, don't miss it.

If you're like me, you somehow let 50-something years go by without having seen "Bonnie and Clyde" (hey, it can happen.) I remedied that this evening, and overall have to agree that it's a must-see if you lay any claim to being a movie buff.

Most everything that can be said about the plot has been covered in many reviews here, so I'll just add that: -it is a splendidly crafted and acted depiction of an American Legend. Watching it is like being back in the 1930's, even with tiny oversights like Dunaway's suspiciously 1960's teased blonde bangs and--another of my little nitpicks with many period pictures--long King-size cigarettes that didn't exist at the time.

-the main characters are romanticized....rather unfair considering the damage and death they caused. Still, they're superbly portrayed by the talented cast, in realistic period settings.

-in spite of that, the Supporting Actress Oscar win that year seems a bit odd; Blanche is written as a high-strung church girl gone bad, and the character could have been written much more interestingly considering Estelle Parsons' talent. But the movie is about Bonnie and Clyde, after all, so the script pretty much has Blanche as a hysteric who runs around and screams a lot.

-keep in mind its R rating was assigned over 50 years ago. It isn't for kids (especially the ending) but the mature content and violence is a far cry from today's productions. "Bonnie and Clyde" is realistic but not overly gory, compared to the almost mindless lack of restraint in 2024.

But it does allow the viewer to focus on the story, the performances, and realistic 1930's atmosphere, rather than an overkill of sex and bloodletting. Most definitely worth a watch.

This has big-time Hallmarky vibes all the way through, but that's not really a bad thing--it's nice to see a movie once in a while that doesn't have to be muted when the kids or Grandma come in the room (if people even have the propriety to do that these days.) I'd been unable to find this particular movie on any of the 12 zillion tv channels we get--there are others with similar titles---so I bought the dvd, and was impressed with the crystal-clear print and gorgeously photographed locales.

Speaking of gorgeous: even portraying a senior citizen, Ann-Margret's beauty still stuns--and, talented lady that she is, she's convincing as the imperiled but strong-willed widow. She has good chemistry with Gary Sandy as the local doc.

(Rusty Martin and Andy Travis? Who'da thunk it?) Main nitpicks from my viewpoint: the rest of the characters, good guys and bad, are a tad one-dimensional and their dialogue (much of which is spoken too fast, especially by the young father) tends to be drowned out by nearly-constant background music. The wandering-dad-and-kid schtick also leaves you wondering why social services wasn't on to them long before. But those things aside......it's worth a watch, for an old-fashioned 'feel-good' story, beautiful scenery, and Ann-Margret.

Ten-star reviews are usually given for big budget classics that are on everybody's must-see list.....but I have no problem awarding one to 'Charlotte'. As noted in other reviews, Robert Aldrich and company went through many hoops in order to get the picture completed, but the end result was worth it. It isn't remembered as much as its predecessor Baby Jane (which kicked off the 'grande-dames-go-bananas' craze of the '60's) but it should be. It's even more atmospheric, with the whole cast fully in tune with the spirit of the movie, and Moorehead's Oscar-nommed Velma-a true bayou redneck- is an underappreciated gem.

If you're a fan and have ever been curious about what Vivien Leigh's film career was like pre-GWTW (or Rex Harrison's, decades before My Fair Lady) this is a good one to check out. It's a modest-but-cute little film. Many good plot synopses are found here at IMDb, so I'll add that if you're mainly used to Leigh's and Harrison's performances in bigger-budget classics, you need to be prepared for the vastly different style of movies like 'Storm in a Teacup'. Once you get used to it, the story moves fast, as does the clever dialogue. Depending on the condition of the print, you may want to opt for subtitles--both for the leads' clipped British delivery and the thick accents of the others (Sara Allgood speaks at the speed of light, but she's wonderful in the part.) All told, it's worth a watch.

Here's a little oddity that doesn't run too long, so it may be worth a peek on a quiet evening. The story proceeds slowly (if you have a short attention span, look elsewhere) but it's one of those with an ending you probably won't see coming. Our tortured artist is a mystery man, for sure, and it's hard to know whether to root for him......which is the way it's supposed to be. Those who remain awake as the scenes progress will recognize the familiar faces of Gail Patrick and Anne Rutherford (who has a scene with her fellow "Gone with the Wind" alumnus, Leona Roberts) so talent isn't in short supply. The drag lies in the talky script. But if you hold out till the end, you will find a most unexpected twist.

Y'all know the movie's plot, sufficiently rehashed in the reviews........and you wouldn't be checking it out if you don't like Thirties classics. You're prepared for some elements that will date it: MacDonald's character is molded into a talented, pure-as-the-driven-snow small town girl, come to the roughest strip in Frisco (of course) to embark on a musical career. Her musical style, while brimming with talent and popular in 1936, is one that hasn't aged well with the average modern audience; the tough characters don't seem too dangerous and spew nary one swear word thanks to the Hays code, (which in hindsight wasn't that bad of a thing, considering the near-complete lack of restraint in 2023.) Still, this movie's pluses far outweigh a few old-fashioned moments and it still tells a great story, brisk and well-played by the leads and supporting cast. Spencer Tracy's buddy-chemistry with Gable is natural. And oh, yeah.....those impressive special effects. Give it a watch.

8 of 10 for its being a different Davis role; it's certainly not splashy like "Jezebel" or "All About Eve" but she nails the prim, proper and (way repressed) Nanny just right. I recall seeing this on tv as a kid in the late 1960's and being really creeped out.

Years later, it's easier to appreciate the quiet fineness of Davis' performance. In this outing, she undertakes no running around in theater circuits, setting her cap for eligible bachelors, or even torturing wheelchair-bound relatives--she is the epitome of the proper British nanny , and she manages to convey affection for her charges even as she gradually unhinges. The other adult characters are a bit on the two-dimensional side, but the young boy--her nemesis throughout the film--is convincing, as is his sometime-sidekick from the flat upstairs (a young Pamela Franklin.) Worth a watch if you haven't seen it.

If, like me, you happen to have missed this much-lauded, true-life tv-flick, you owe yourself the favor of taking in the story of Francine Hughes and her experiences. It's one that affects too many women still. Farrah's performance was justly lauded, and the rest of the cast is fine--Paul LeMat's work here should be mentioned as well; he's chilling as the wife-beating Mickey, who pivots from childlike to monstrous in seconds. The violence is overlooked by his coddling parents, particularly his mother (a very effective Grace Zabriskie, whose skill at playing emotionally-detached-mothers-of-attractive-psychos is also on display in the excellent 1980 "East of Eden" tv-miniseries, where Jane Seymour took the Golden Globe as the malevolent Cathy.) Glamorous stars like Fawcett and Seymour absolutely shine when they get to really show their acting chops, and Farrah earned the great reviews she got for this.

What's really sad is how long it took the real Francine to get help. The movie generally concentrates on the horrific treatment she received, though in interviews years later, her children mentioned that she was by nature positive and helpful. A resilient woman whose story is worth watching.

A movie can be a 10 for more than one reason. It may not entirely tickle the fancies of your upper-crust, professional critics. But if you find yourself seeing it again--then again, and again--as the years go by and its comic performances consistently gives you those "little jabs of pleasure" that James Mason's Norman Maine talked about, it doesn't need to tickle all the critics. "Miss Congeniality" does that for our family. The script isn't Noel Coward and it doesn't try to be; but the dialogue is clever and delivered with comic gusto--it entertains and supplies good laughs, thanks to a highly talented cast. That's what a good comedy should do. And every once in a while, when we're in the mood for a funny movie and are poring through the channels or the dvd shelf, we give "Miss Congeniality" another run. It never disappoints.

The plot is oft-mentioned in the reviews, so I'll go straight to my take re: the performances-frankly, Ann-Margret and Ms. Colbert rock.

They give life to their characters, making them believable in spite of the soapy elements around them. Ann Grenville is rather a pop-tart in soufflé's clothing, but Ann-Margret is an actress with ability. She brings real emotion to the character, that rises above the script and deservedly got her an Emmy nom.

Likewise, Miss Colbert, as the society icon-slash-mother-you-really-shouldn't-mess-with, deserved the award she ultimately took home.

This is a well made tv-movie with performances that make it worth wading through the sudsy but true-life subject matter.

There's a lot of talent involved in this project, in front of the camera and behind the scenes.

I remember when it was first released in the Seventies but had only seen bits and pieces over the years. Finally watching the whole thing recently, I understand why it won't make many Ten Best lists, in spite of its cast and creative team. Attractive stars carrying out lighthearted capers was done a hundred times in the Thirties and Forties because audiences liked it. By the late Seventies, it was harder to buy the sight of two privileged social climbers diving into a crime spree and never getting caught or hurting anyone. (A remake, with Jim Carrey 30 years later, was even more out of place.) But bottom line: if you enjoy the considerable talents of Jane Fonda and George Segal, even when they're coasting, you just may find this amusing---if you can put up with Ed McMahon as Dick's boss.

Plot synopses abound here in the reviews, so by now you know what it's about. What else can be said about this curiosity of a low-budget sci-fi pseudo-stinker that is somehow quite watchable? Well, something I couldn't help noticing is that except for the young leads and a couple of other characters, almost everyone else in this town looks like they're pushing 70--including the head cop who takes charge of the situation. (Also, at the risk of sounding snarky, he could use some serious ear work. It's very distracting.) But in spite of the stereotyped characters and plot, you just want to see what happens. When the girl and studly boyfriend find her father quite wounded on the beach--with the extent of his injuries unknown --she is understandably horrified. The cop and her boyfriend carry Dad inside and plop him on the couch. No medical treatment is applied, of course, but they do have a serious discussion about the situation and the girl inquires if they'd like coffee. (They would.) She appears roughly fifteen seconds later, armed with a fresh pot, cups and saucers on a tray. That's hospitality. Eventually, Dad's injuries vanish into thin air. These and many other implausibilities aside, give it a look as a fond tribute to a more innocent (as monsters go) era.

The story is well rehashed in the other reviews, so I'll add that many of them are accurate in describing the actions of the young wife/mother--who looks a lot like a young Diana Rigg, but isn't-- and her husband's old nurse; I found their chemistry to be uncomfortable. Even before strange things start to happen, the wife has a tendency to go from polite to snippy and back again. (And for a brand-new mother, she doesn't seem to have a second thought about hopping over to Europe for a few months, leaving the infant with someone she never met. But that's just me.) As the story goes on, the psycho is revealed and the young wife snaps into imperiled-leading-lady mode. Hitchcock's commercial bits are the best part.

This may well be one of those early 2000s lightweight comedies that you skipped over, in spite of Robin Williams' presence. (I did, too.) One lazy evening a decade-and-a-half later, the wife and I decided to give it a watch.

It was what we expected: another reworking of the Disastrous Family Vaca theme, headed by a comedy icon, but we stayed with it to the end without wishing we'd watched something else.

That's hardly a rave review, granted--asking the audience to buy things like Williams' wildly impossible acrobatics and his ability to remove a motor home from a lake bottom and then drive it home are pretty far-fetched-- but it's all done with such cast likability (including performing heavyweights Jeff Daniels and Kristen Chenowith in supporting parts) that you can buy all the Looney Toons slapstick. It's actually kinda fun, waiting to see if there's any kind of terrain that the indestructible motor home can't traverse. Give it a watch with some nachos and salsa on a lazy evening.

This could be one of the Streisand movies you haven't seen. I remember when it was released in the '70's but somehow I let it slip by. As her comedies go, this is no What's Up, Doc (which is truly inspired lunacy) but it tries hard. Despite the talent of the cast, and the sheer energy expended by its star (the last person on earth you'd expect to see rustling cattle) it lacks "Doc"s cleverness and sparkling dialogue, but I'd still recommend giving it one look some lazy Sunday afternoon--if only as a tip of the hat to Miss Streisand's gameness. I never pictured her trying not to be upstaged by cattle. 😂