none-85 Reviews

Ruckus (1980)

A Really Cool Movie

[10/10 · 29 July 2007]

The lead, Dirk Benedict, is really cool. There is a lot of comedy in the way he makes monkeys of all of the country rednecks that try to take him out. There is nothing he doesn't know about how to defend and take care of himself. His relationship with the young and delectable Linda Blair is tender and cute.

The country songs, especially "One Day at a Time," complement the hokey, but cool and entertaining story perfectly. The supporting actors, including Ben Johnson and Richard Farsnworth, are great. I've watched the film dozens of time, first when it came out on cable in 1982, and then after 2000, when I bought the VHS tape. You'll really enjoy this film.

The Ring (1996 TV Movie)

The Greatest Tear-Jerker Ever

[10/10 · 31 March 2005]

This movie has got to be the greatest tear-jerker I've ever seen. Natassja Kinski is magnificent. She is one beautiful and talented actress. All of the supporting actors and actresses are excellent and well cast. The re-creation of the environment in Nazi Germany in the 30s and 40s is right on; the cinematography is very good, especially for a TV movie.

The film is a little long- 180 minutes- as it was originally shown as a two-part TV movie. However, it moves fairly well, and you're always wondering what will come next. The only negative (minor) is that Nastassja's character could have been aged more realistically.

It's one of Nastassja's finest roles. I recommend it highly.

A View from the Bridge (1962)

An Outstanding Poignant Drama

[10/10 · 25 February 2005]

I just watched the film after not seeing it for more than 40 years. The screenplay, the acting, the B&W cinematography are excellent. All of the actors- lead and supporting are excellent, especially Raf Vallone and Carol Lawrence.

The only negative is not the film, but the quality of the VHS tape. Perhaps I shouldn't complain, since the video is listed as unavailable. I bought the tape, listed as new, from Movies Unlimited through Amazon. It presents the film in total, but there is bad static in certain places and the picture could have been sharper. Nevertheless, it is very worthwhile to buy.

The Aviator (2004)

Disappointing

[5/10 · 27 January 2005]

The story was interesting and the cinematography was excellent. Scorcese did a good job of accurately relating many of the events of Hughes' life. My disappointment was in the casting. DiCaprio looked and acted juvenile. I thought I was watching Titanic again. Hughes was 6'4'' and rangy. Leo looked nothing like Hughes. I felt he looked like a little boy, and sounded like a young Tom Cruise. He looks less than his age anyway, and he certainly didn't look anything close to the 41 that Hughes was in 1947. He tried hard, but was just miscast. Cate Blanchett gave her all as Hepburn, but in my view, was over the top. Jude Law looked little like the tall and powerful Flynn, and his accent was extreme. Gwen Stefani, at 35, looked her age and certainly nothing like Jean Harlow in her early 20s. I thought Alan Alda and Alec Baldwin were OK in their supporting parts.

Fortune and Men's Eyes (1971)

Very Graphic and Daring for its Time

[9/10 · 25 December 2002]

Theme of homosexuality and rape in prison was very daring for its time (1971). You could feel the pain of the lead character as he succumbs to the brutal advances of his cellmate, while longing for his girlfriend.

I saw the movie when it first came out, and I still remember the line uttered by a prisoner as he observes a gang rape- "Nobody's going to stop a man from getting his oats." It's one of my all-time favorite quotes from films.

Thick as Thieves (1999)

A really great and underrated film.

[10/10 · 5 April 2002]

This is a very warm, comic and enjoyable film. It's set against a gangster, "pay-back" theme, and it must be classified as a drama, but it has a lot of funny and warm scenes. Baldwin's love for his dog is both comic and tender. The way the black hoods talk to each other is also funny. There is the usual violence, but in this film it is not excessive. Baldwin is an underrated actor. The actors who play the black hoods and the actor who plays "Riles," the second-in-command, Italian gangster from Chicago are also very good. I recommend this highly.

Charley Varrick (1973)

A really enjoyable film.

[9/10 · 17 December 2001]

I especially liked Jo Don Baker as "Molly", the heavy. My favorite line of his is "Not too many people talk to me that way. A few caucasians. No negras.

Matthau and Vernon were excellent. Also, the actresses- Felicia Farr and Sherry North were beautiful and sexy.

The Eddie Cantor Story (1953)

Not as good as The Jolson Story, but a very entertaining musical bio.

[9/10 · 1 January 2000]

While this film is not as good as The Jolson Story, it is nevertheless very entertaining. Eddie Cantor dubbed the songs for Keefe Brasselle, and it is Cantor's great voice and the exciting songs that make the movie. Songs like Ida, Sweet As Apple Cider, If You Knew Susie, Potatos Are Cheaper, Margie, and I'd Like To Spend each Sunday With You are just great. Brasselle has taken criticism for his portrayal of Cantor, but he really does a pretty good job. Parks was better in the Jolson bio, but in fact, Brasselle resembled Cantor in appearance more than Parks resembled Jolson.

My Wild Irish Rose (1947)

The movie just makes you feel good.

[9/10 · 10 May 1999]

One of the better musical bios. Dennis Morgan is great as the singer/composer Chauncey Olcutt. The supporting cast is very good, especially Andrea King as the glamorous Lillian Russell. The turn of the century atmosphere is the perfect setting. The technicolor is excellent. A simple plot, but the movie just makes you feel good. Morgan was always underrated as an actor and a singer.

Casino (1995)

A great gangster movie in the Goodfellas/Godfather tradition

[10/10 · 22 January 1999]

Very violent, but also very entertaining. Pesci, DeNiro, and Stone are great-also the supporting players- especially Rickles and Vincent. Pesci is the great little tough guy of our generation. The movie is certainly a drama, but there are also many comic components. I like the continuing interplay across several movies between Pesci and Frank Vincent. In Raging Bull, Pesci attacks Vincent. In Goodfellas, Pesci kills Vincent and buries him. In Casino, at the end, Vincent kills Pesci with a baseball bat and then "ships" and buries him. I believe most people like the violence- they just don't want to admit it.

The Towering Inferno (1974)

One of the greatest disaster movies ever.

[10/10 · 14 January 1999]

The cast is great, especially McQueen. Of course it's fascinating to see all those people burning up and falling out of windows. McQueen really seems like a fire chief. My favorite line is Newman's- "We got a fire here." Also, Holden to McQueen- "Everything under control?" McQueen- "You know, one of these days, there going to kill 10,000." I also like Vaughan as the dapper senator. Of course, how can anyone watch Simpson without thinking of more recent events?

Love Me or Leave Me (1955)

A great drama/musical; Cagney and Day at their best.

[10/10 · 8 January 1999]

A great great biopic of Ruth Etting and Martin, the "Gimp" Snyder. Day is in great singing form and also holds her own as an actress. Her rendition of the title song is tremendous. Was there ever a better actor than Cagney? Did he ever make a bad film? His style will live forever. When you think of the films he made- White Heat, Yankee Doodle Dandy, Man of a Thousand Faces, and Love Me or Leave Me - I mean, who can compare? Joe Pesci is in some respects a good successor- as a little tough guy. But Cagney is great in all kinds of films- not just gangster films. And he could dance.

The Jolson Story (1946)

Thrilling songs from the world's greatest entertainer.

[10/10 · 2 January 1999]

One of the best musicals ever. The incomparable and thrilling voice of Al Jolson is lip synched by Larry Parks in a masterful way. After seeing the movie I became a lifelong Jolson fan. Swanee, April Showers, Rock-a Bye Your Baby, California Here I Come are only four of about 25 songs sung by Jolson. Parks earned a well-deserved Oscar nomination for Best Actor. The supporting actors- Evelyn Keyes, Bill Demarest, Bill Goodwin, Ludwig Donath, Tamara Shayne, and Scotty Beckett give memorable performances. Rudy Wissler dubbed the voice of Beckett as the young Jolson. The movie revived Jolson's career.

Caught (1996)

Very erotic, but tastefully done.

[9/10 · 28 December 1998]

A fairly common theme- a young drifter has an affair with a bored older married woman, but somehow special. Very erotic, but not an X movie and tastefully done. Alonso is great, as are Olmos and the newcomer- Vereen. Also has a little bit of comedy. Alonso is very sexy, and also very realistic. You can actually feel what the three leads are feeling. The setting- a fish market is perfect. The characters of the three leads are all sypathetic and likeable. I have watched the movie several times.

An Innocent Man (1989)

An underrated prison movie-Selleck and Abraham are great.

[10/10 · 27 December 1998]

One of the best prison movies in recent years. Selleck is very good and Abraham as the hardened con is excellent. Abraham has some great lines- " Don't you be turnin your neck at me when I'm trying to give you a solid." "Yea, he didn't know enough, did he." " You did a piece of work and you kept your mind."

Spartacus (1960)

Ranks with Ben Hur among the greatest biblical epics.

[10/10 · 26 December 1998]

With Ben Hur, one of the two greatest biblical epics ever. Douglas is at his peak as the hero. The other stars- Simmons, Olivier, Curtis, Laughton and Ustinov are perfect in their roles. Simmons is absolutely gorgeous. Also, look for John Gavin( as Caesar) and John Ireland in key roles. One of the rare movies where Olivier did not get top billing. I will always remember two lines at the end: Olivier-" They will fight here now, for me, and the winner will be crucified." Douglas-" He'll come back, and he'll be millions." Ustinov won Best Supporting Actor.

Shane (1953)

A classic, understated western- great cast.

[9/10 · 26 December 1998]

Ladd should have been nominated for an Academy Award.This was Arthur's last movie- and one of her best. The attraction and near love between Ladd and Arthur is touching, as Arthur so obviously loves her husband- Heflin. Palance is at his evil best as the tall, lanky gunfighter. DeWilde( who was nominated along with Palance for best supporting actor) is perfect as the hero-worshipping young boy. Johnson and Meyer are also great in their supporting roles. The ending bar-room-gunfight scene between Ladd and Palance is a classic. Even the dog was great, e.g., the way it and Dewilde watched the last gunfight.

Scent of a Woman (1992)

Heartrending; one of the best movies of the 90s.

[10/10 · 22 December 1998]

Pacino received a well-deserved Oscar. An excellent blend of drama, comedy and heart-rending sympathy and respect for a blind man who wrestles with and overcomes adversity and his own demons. The Tango scene with Pacino and Anwar is one of the greatest scenes I have ever seen and will tear your heart. The scene at the Thanksgiving dinner table is a little sad, but also very funny in certain respects. Anwar is delectable as Pacino's young Tango partner. Pacino's speech defending O'Donnell at his school disciplinary hearing is searing and uplifting.

A Perfect Murder (1998)

Extremely entertaining; Douglas and Paltrow are great.

[10/10 · 21 December 1998]

I liked the movie a lot because the two leads- Douglas and Paltrow look and are great. Douglas looks good for a middle age man, and I like the idea of his being married to a gorgeous young highly intelligent woman. Paltrow is young, very beautiful in a sexy sleek Audrey Hepburn way. The plot is kind of obvious, but the script and dialogue are good, and the movie pace is fine. Douglas and Harrison Ford are the two best male actors today. Maybe it is a little uncommon for a young, beautiful very wealthy woman to be married to an older man, but that doesn't affect my enjoyment of the movie.

Cape Fear (1962)

Better than the remake; Mitchum is the best.

[10/10 · 20 December 1998]

DeNiro is a great actor, but Mitchum is better as the villain in this original version of a chiller. Mitchum is just cool when he says things like, "You're gonna be old and gray before I ever leave this town." also, "Standin right here mindin my own business- man comes right up to me and starts beatin the...- how bout that." Mitchum was a tremendously underrated actor who should have at least been nominated for an Academy Award. The other leads- Peck, Bergen and Balsam are also excellent. Telly Savalas appears as a private eye (with hair); Kojak fans will appreciate him.

Kitty Foyle (1940)

Outstanding- Rogers and Morgan are great.

[10/10 · 20 December 1998]

A love story, mostly drama, some comedy, set in the backdrop of Philadelphia main line society in the 1920s/1930s. Rogers is great as the working girl heroine- Kitty Foyle, but so is Morgan as the wealthy socialite, Wynn Stafford. Rogers won the Oscar for her role. I don't know why Morgan doesn't get more recognition for his role; he was always underrated. James Craig is perfect as the other man in the triangle- the earnest, struggling young doctor. A warm, romantic movie- the kind which is rarely made today.

The Young Philadelphians (1959)

One of the great movies from the 1950s.

[9/10 · 19 December 1998]

Set in Philadelphia society in the 1940s/1950s. The two leads- Newman and Rush are excellent, but it is Vaughan as Newman's alcoholic buddy who gives the best performance- he was nominated for an Oscar. Billie Burke as the rich, eccentric little old lady is a delight. Alexis Smith as the attractive frustrated wife married to Newman's elderly boss gives a great performance. Several of the other supporting players- Keith, Picerni, John Williams as Rush's father, and Krueger as Newman's boss are excellent. I own the video and have watched the movie numerous times.

12 Angry Men (1957)

The greatest movie I have ever seen.

[10/10 · 19 December 1998]

One of the all time greats. The cast is incredible. Everyone has a unique personality. My favorite is Lee J. Cobb. " Rotten kids- you work your life out." The dynamic between certain of the actors is great. Edward Binns to Lee J. Cobb: Why are you talking like that to him for? Man talks like that to an old man really ought to get stepped on. You ought to have more respect mister. You say stuff like that to him again; I'm gonna lay you out." I own the video and have watched the movie dozens of times. The remake in 1997 pales by comparison.

The Razor's Edge (1946)

One of the best; the cast is near perfect.

[10/10 · 19 December 1998]

One of the great classics. After reading the Maugham book, I can easily picture the movie cast as the characters in the book. I particularly like Tierney, Marshall and Webb. How could anyone play a sophisticated English author better than Marshall? Webb is perfect as the snobbish, elegant, judgemental and prissy Elliot Templeton. Tierney is Isabel- beautiful, elegant, a little spoiled, sweet and a little conniving. Payne is Gray- loyal, pleasant, big, hulking, undemanding. Baxter won the Academy Award for her Sophie. One of Power's better roles. I own the video and have watched it at least a dozen times.

Laura (1944)

Entertaining; Tierney is beautiful, but movie is overrated.

[8/10 · 19 December 1998]

Interesting, entertaining and unusual as a classic film noir of the 40s, but,frankly, overrated. Tierney is breathtakingly beautiful, Webb is at his suave and prissy best, and the title song is a classic. The supporting actors- Price and Andrews are very good in their roles. However, the plot is kind of obvious and the pace is slow. I liked the movie well enough to buy the video (mainly for Tierney), but like two other Tierney movies better- Son of Fury and The Razor's Edge.