tcwaterford Reviews

The Song of Bernadette (1943)

Possibly one of the best movies ever made.

[9/10 · 2 February 2023]

The Acting is SUPERB!. Look through my history and see if I have ever written that before!.

BUT it's genuinely wonderful Acting in this movie, the very young Jennifer Jones though almost a complete novice (NO pun intended) at this time, is Wonderful in the part of Bernadette.

Her beauty shines through and adds wonderfully to the part, she so almost heavenly played. (OK, that was intended) . It was no surprise to anybody, when she took the Oscar for best Actor, one of four Oscars won by this masterpiece.

SHE played along side the very experienced & much admired Charles Bickford, who brings out the very best in her, it's clear to see an almost Father - Daughter relationship took place during filming.

I have to say that even as a critic, it's VERY HARD to find flaws in this wonderful tribute of sorts, to the woman who would become known even today worldwide, as Saint Bernadette.

OK, so yes there were minor errors, but frankly one could rightly be considered a total crank for highlighting them!.

Had it not been a movie about religion, or perhaps more precise, about the woman who would one day be canonised by the Catholic Church.

Then believe me, our youth of today would have posters decorating their bedroom walls, of this very movie!.

Again, in my humble opinion, one of the very best movies ever made!!.

Cowboys & Indians (2011)

DREADFUL, in a Word!!

[1/10 · 27 January 2023]

Had there been a minus scale, I would have given this abomination, a 7, that is a - 7.

The script could have been written by any 7 year old and would have had a higher score.

The Acting is Dreadful, YES I mean Dreadful!!, so poor in fact that Amateur could not describe it!.

As for the accents, the actor playing the Irish man, is so poor that he should be horse whipped by the HORSE itself!!.

This farse has ZERO redeeming aspects whatsoever!, apart from the ending credits, which in my humble opinion, should be hugely applauded as it signals the end of this attempt at a Western!.

FINALLY as there appears to be no director, no Actors, no productction to speak of.

I suggest that the Horse should keep that Whip in its hand for the Bankers who financed this!.

Ocean's Eight (2018)

Not a masterpiece but no mess either!

[7/10 · 28 December 2022]

We seem to have moved away from the long held tradition of rating a movie for script, acting ability and so on and so on. Instead we now tend to react to A in comparison to B comparison, instead of rating the movie on its own merit! .

Was this movie a Masterpiece?, Hell No!.

BUT it was far from the flop claimed by some here!.

My humble opinion :.

The script is not great, especially when one considers the calibre of Actors.

For me it was all held together by Helena Bonham Carter who was excellent, as was Cate Blanchett and Anne Hathaway was simply devine!.

This is not to say that Mindy Kaling, Rihanna & Sarah Paulson & Awkafina were poor, but rather it was more the weakness of the script and the script writers inability to bring out the best of the support actors!.

Of course this could be placed at the feet of the Director and producers also!.

Even the Wonderful Sandra Bullock didn't seem to be at 100 %. Though in all honesty, She really shone in parts and her German was PERFECT!!.

The script lacked action and any kind of suspense, leaving the viewer wondering if they were watching a thriller, a comedy or a docu-drama of sorts!.

The Ladies were well chosen!, if underutilised, the script was poor and the production leaves one wondering if there was gold left on the cutting room floor. (So to speak).

Move beyond the, oh it's Women in an Ocean's movie and it's worth the ticket price, despite all which let it down!.

My opinion is it's a worthy 7 out of 10.

I so wish it had a better script!

Poirot: The Labours of Hercules (2013) Season 13, Episode 4

Hercules Versus Hercule Poirot.

[8/10 · 23 October 2022]

I confess to being a huge fan of the many works of Agatha Christie, then again who could not be a fan.

Even though Christie was mocked and slandered for her creation of the Belgian Master Detective and his rather ungentleman like approach to detection.

She was considered by many crime writers of the time, to be crude and unfair, in her writing and in her use of a foreigner (God Forbid) as Britain's greatest detecting mind.

Nevertheless, we can be so grateful for her insistance and her determination to stick to her guns, with the great Hercule Poirot.

I always try to avoid writing anything which might spoil it for the next reader or perhaps the next new generation of Agatha Christie readers! .

With this in mind, I will simply say, that I have had the pleasure of the company, of many Ladies over the years, all who carried hand bags.

In all, I never met one, who could not tell if they had forgotten even just their lipstick, by the weight of their bag!.

I will leave it there, and suggest you investigate for yourself!!. :-)

Merci 🙏

Broken Arrow (1950)

One of the best Westerns of the time.

[8/10 · 2 October 2022]

I have never been a fan of James Stewart, though I have always said that nobody could have replaced him in the excellent, It's a Wonderful life.

I do genuinely like him in this movie, mainly because of his ability to show compassion. Something which might not have worked with John Wayne or even other big Western stars of the time.

Though it can be quite slow at times, the script is extremely good. The acting is genuinely wonderful except for only one or two weak parts.

The movie does very well what many before it, and since, have failed to do. It shows the Savage Indians, as simply humans fighting their own struggle in the wild West.

YES, there are flaws, some obvious bloopers, But then I would ask you to name just one movie which has none.

In all honesty, I have now lost count of how many times I have seen this movie, perhaps over 30 times. Yet even today in 2022, it still holds it's own among classic Westerns!.

La Brea (2021–2024)

Dreadful script and poor acting

[5/10 · 8 August 2022]

I really looked forward to this, because the Idea is fantastic.

BUT the script is worse than bad and the acting is no better.

Perhaps the poor acting is due to the dreadful script, I don't know but there are some well known actors in this.

WHY invest so little in script for such a fantastic idea? And how the Hell did the first episode sell this farse to TV executives?.

Jesse James: Lawman (2015)

Dreadful!.

[2/10 · 28 June 2022]

Without doubt the worst attempt at a Western movie, I have every seen.

There are simply very few positives, it's genuinely that bad.

I could point to some awful scenes, but I don't like spoiling it for others, EVEN something this badly made.

The acting is appalling!, the script should be saved for education purposes, to show film writers what not to do. "Let me tell ya!" it's just dreadful.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999)

Star Trek deep space 9, Good but slow!.

[8/10 · 24 May 2022]

I know STDS9 has exceptionally strong following and is considered by some to be as good as STNG & STV.

I have to say, it's an opinion I do not share. IMO, STDS9 though beyond doubt, a great inclusion to the Star Trek universe, was for me sometimes very slow and the script writing was at times poor to boring.

I am not saying that I didn't enjoy the show, just that at times, I might have given up on some episodes.

I have given STDS9 8 out of 10, which I hope shows that I did appreciated the show despite my criticism of some scripts in the series.

To conclude, Great actors with the occasional appearance of actors from STNG, such as Miles O' Brien (Colm Meaney) & Lt. Worf (Michael Dorn).

Special effects / CGI was excellent and in general the script writing was very good with the occassional episode poorly written.

Almost as good as Star Trek Next Generation & Star Trek Voyager, but not quite there.

Star Trek: Voyager (1995–2001)

Voyager was far better than ever given credit for.

[8/10 · 24 May 2022]

OK, when Star Trek Voyager (STV) was announced, I have to admit to being very unsure about the format!.

That said, I am very happy to say my original uncertainty was gone by the 5th or 6th episode!.

Kate Mulgrew (A great actor) literally grew into the character of Captain Janeway, within the first few episodes of Voyager. She has a definite commanding presence and easily filled the role, despite not being the first choice as Captain.

Robert Beltran (Cmdr Chakotay) became Jane way's NO. 1 and the interaction between the two was genuinely good! .

Of course, there were some who scoffed at the appointment of a Female Captain in charge of a starship.

However, Mulgrew very quickly removed all doubts and questions, as she quickly set herself firmly in charge! .

IMHO, STV is not as good as STNG. However, it must be said that Voyager runs a bloody close second to Next Generation!.

Overall, Voyager is an exceptionally good series! And undoubtedly deserving of it's place along with Star Trek (the original) and Star Trek Next Generation!.

Sadly, Voyager does not get it's due recognition as a genuine Star Trek series. Why? , I Genuinely do not know nor understand.

IMO, Star Trek Voyager is literally only seated just below STNG and Star Trek the original, in it's rightful position as the second best ever Star Trek series since Star Trek the original.

For the true blooded males among us, who could ever forget the wonderful Jeri Ryan (another great actor) in the role of 7 of 9, a former Borg collective member!.

Even today her figure sends pulses of young men & even a few my age, sky rocketing!.

Voyager deserves a good 8 out of 10.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987–1994)

Beyond doubt, STNG was exceptionally good!

[9/10 · 24 May 2022]

In fact, Star Trek Next Generation (STNG) was & continues to be IMHO, the very best Star Trek series since the original Kirk / Spock series.

I Genuinely believe that STNG, Unlike Star Trek Discovery, Picard, and Star Trek Strange new worlds, was / is far better, due to the fact that it stuck firmly to the original writing and ideas of the great Gene Roddenberry!.

Yes, it is true to say that STNG did suffer somewhat script wise, after Roddenberry's death.

That said, generally speaking the script writers did return to the Roddenberry original Next Generation format.

Actors such as Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean- Luc Picard), Levar Burton (Geordi Laforge), Marina Sirtis ( Deanna Troi), Michael Dorn ( Lt. Worf), Gates Mc Fadden ( Dr. Beverly Crusher) Colm Meaney ( Miles O' Brien) and the ever annoying Jonathan Frakes ( Lusty Cmdr Riker), Brent Spiner (Lt. Cmdr Data) and Wil Wheaton (Wesley Crusher).

Brought together some exceptionally great actors, some more annoying and some who, like Colm Meaney and Michael Dorn were given far less good lines, than their skill set and characters actually deserved.

Despite this, Star Trek next generation was generally well scripted, with only few exceptions to the rule.

Nevertheless, over all STNG was and even in 2022, continues to be watched by Trekkies and holds a very important place in the hearts of fans!.

It is considered to be the ONLY genuine Star Trek series which comes close to the original series!.

All in all, a very deserving 9 out of 10 for Star Trek Next Generation the series.

A final Thank You!, to one actor who is sadly very often overlooked, when it comes to admiration of STNG acting skills.

I therefore mention Majel Barret, as without her wonderful voice STNG would NOT have been such a great experience. Majel was the voice actor, who voiced the vessel computer and her unmistakable voice is constantly heard throughout 104 episodes.

Sadly, Majel passed away in 2008 at the age of 76.

She had multiple Star Trek-related roles, though she is mostly remembered for her roles as Nurse Christine Chapel in "Star Trek: The Original Series" (1966-1969), as Lwaxana Troi ( Mother to Deanna Troi) in "Star Trek: The Next Generation" (1987-1994) and "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" (1993-1999).

Mannix (1967–1975)

Connors as P. I. Mannix, was pure quality!

[9/10 · 24 May 2022]

I recall watching Mannix in the early 1970's, as a young teen.

It was considered so violent at the time that there were constant complaints and Mannix was almost cancelled after the first season!.

I can even recall my own Father objecting to me watching Mannix!.

Another issue for some critics was the flirty relationship between Joe Mannix and his secretary the beautiful Peggy.

You see, not only did Mannix introduce a more realistic and yes more violent (for the time) detective series to viewers, but it also introduced a flirty yet innocent (certainly by today's standards) relationship between Mannix, a white man and Peggy (his Secretary) a black woman.

Something extremely rare at the time, in fact, If memory serves me, at that period in time, there were only two shows which dared to show a relationship between a black person and a white person.

Apart from Mannix (Mike Connor) and Peggy (Gail Fisher), there was also Jim Kirk (William Shatner) and his flirting with lieutenant Uhura ( Nichelle Nicholas) in Star Trek the original series.

Back to Mannix:

It was much like Star Trek, the New age of TV. It brought realism and a more gritty feel to viewers and of course, it brought with it some backlash!.

That said, beyond all doubt, if it were not for Mannix and the superb acting of Mike Connor, We would never have seen such shows as Starsky & Hutch, the Streets of San Francisco and would never have witnessed true to life Detective and Cop shows, which we so enjoy today .

YES, some of the story lines were poor, some scripts writers let down the show.

But, all that stated, Mannix was ground breaking for so many reasons and in the main, was an exceptionally good show.

Acting was always good, both Connors and Fisher were genuinely always way above average!, and their relationship was genuinely worth watching, they played off each other as good actors should, which made Mannix really special.

I gave Mannix 9 out of 10.

This accounts for above average acting at all times and it's ground breaking production.

Call the Midwife: Episode #5.1 (2016) Season 5, Episode 1

Liz White and Laura Main are Exceptional!

[9/10 · 23 May 2022]

For younger viewers this episode has been greatly misunderstood!.

As usual I will avoid spoilers, except to say that being of a certain age, I and others born in the '40's,' 50's and the 1960's WILL know only too well, just how real and desperately sadly true!, this story line / script really is!.

I watched this particular episode with MY Ex- Wife and some kids (now young adults). The general opinion from the kids and their friends was that the episode was far fetched and definitely unlikely to have ever happened in the UK.

My Ex-wife was literally crying throughout most of this episode, our marriage may have ended years ago, but the pain and heartbreak we suffered and shared as, a young married couple has never ended nor completely healed.

I do not wish to describe what happened to us as a family nor do I wish to resurrect dreadful & hugely painful memories.

Suffice to say, for my Wife and I, this episode was not only NOT FAR FETCHED, but instead painful reality!.

This was a time when the man (the Husband) was very often only told about the suffering of his Wife or the loss of his child after the fact!. Many (in fact the majority) of the hospitals completely denied the Father All access to the Mother (Wife) until (as one Nurse described it to me) After Mother Has Done Her Job!!.

The Younger IMDB contributers here, will wonder why I keep using words like Husband and Wife, this is because unmarried couples were unseen and unheard of back then.

IF a young woman found herself pregnant, she had two choices, either get married immediately or pretend to be married, buy a ring and use the Fathers name.

Unmarried Mothers were shunned by their Parents, extended Family members and their siblings and literally blanked and shun from their neighborhoods.

Sounds terrible and unlikely nowadays, but this was the cold hard reality!.

In fact, a Mother relied on the Nurse or Midwife / Doctor in charge in her ward, simply to have access to her own child!.

If the Midwife or Doctor considered a Mother to be overly emotional or suffering baby blues, then the Midwife / Doctor could and DID refuse to allow the Mother to have her child.

In all cases the baby was brought to the Mother's bedside only! And was often given a timescale like 20 or 30 minutes with her baby.

Please foegive me, I have taken up so much time on this subject!.

Back to the episode:

Liz White as the Mother, is genuinely Exceptional in the part!. Believe me when I say her acting is definitely of at least Awards standard!.

Having witnessed first hand this situation, I was bloody impressed by Liz, it was almost as though she had lived through it!, though she is of course far too young. Just Wonderful!!.

Laura Main, an actress also far too young to have heard of, never mind experienced such a situation, was equally impressive.

Her ability to show compassion and empathy for her Patient (Liz White) was something to behold!.

IMHO, both Ladies are great actors and sadly, both are greatly under appreciated!.

If this rather odd world of Acting was a more equal society, then these two wonderful actors would be so much in demand that even sleep would be an issue for both ladies!.

No, I don't refer to inequality among the Sexes, but rather inequality among acting abilities, as we all well know of certain actors who though dreadful, are pulling huge paychecks, while greats such as White and Main go on doing exceptional acting roles with little recognition, SADLY!!

IN general, the acting quality in Call the Midwife is always somewhere between Excellent and Exceptional!. There have been few in the greater or extended cast who one might consider to be any lower than simply Good!.

Such is the quality of actors which Call the Midwife has always been able to obtain!.

To conclude, I have gladly given Call the Midwife 5.1 an easily earned 9 out of 10.

Again apologies for the lengthy statement above.

ExTerminators (2009)

It's OK, Nothing to write home about.

[5/10 · 23 May 2022]

Acting in general is very poor, however, Jennifer Coolidge is good in this and stands Head and Shoulders way above the other actors!.

I confess to not having seen Amber Heard in many movies, except Aquaman in '17 or' 18 and one or two other movies.

Certainly in this She could have stayed home!. Her acting (as we must call it) is dreadful and much like the remainder of the cast, one finds oneself hoping the scene will end soon, the sooner the better!.

Heather Graham is also poor in her part and much like Heard, both look like deer caught in the headlights.

To conclude, I gave this 5 out of 10.

None of which is for script writing, direction or production.

As stated above the acting is very poor, some might say career ending in fact.

I gave 5 out of 10 simply because of the acting quality of Jennifer Coolidge, who IMHO held this movie together on her own!.

The Day the World Stopped (2010 Video)

God Almighty above, WHY?

[1/10 · 23 May 2022]

I am SO sorry to be so negative, BUT THIS IS DREADFUL!.

WHY not simply give the money invested in this abomination, to the poor, the homeless or simply invest it in Cancer research?.

At the very least the money could be used for some good.

It's IMHO, a total waste of money! AND frankly embarressing and genuinely Insulting to the movie going or DVD watching public.

The Acting is Awful!, Genuinely AWFUL!. It is not even deserving of Children's theatre or infants school productions, some of which I have seen over my 50 years plus, which were wonderful, genuinely Wonderful, in comparison to this waste of money.

I will waste no more time on this farse, except: Acting = Dreadful!, Direction / Production = ABSENT, Script Writing = Career Ending!. The ONLY POSITIVE I could find was the Camera Work = About Average.

I have this THING 1 out of 10, however if there was a minus scale available, it would have gotten - 7 (Minus 7).

They Rode West (1954)

A Good and above average Western

[6/10 · 23 May 2022]

Donna Reed is particularly good in her role of love interest to half of the Officers in this movie.

It plays on the usual, good intentioned Army Doctor versus Indian hating officer.

Reed as usual plays the love interest, though in this case the Doc fails to see her initially.

I try always to avoid spoilers, so suffice to say the Doc has his head turned by another.

In general a good movie, that said the choice of lead was not a good one. The acting is only average with very few exceptions, one of those exceptions being Donna Reed who literally (as usual) shines in all her scenes.

Overall, not an unmissable movie, a weak script & some poor acting really does not help the movie.

That said, I have seen this movie about 4 or 5 times (A big Western fan) yet each time my opinion has not changed.

It's good, but not unmissable, 6 out of 10 IMHO.

Gunman's Walk (1958)

A genuinely good Western!.

[7/10 · 23 May 2022]

Van Heflin in the lead, is genuinely good!, in fact overall the acting is far above average.

The script writing does let the movie down in parts, but the acting makes up for it, no doubt!.

It IS a movie which is very much worth seeking out, if you have not already seen it!.

The storyline and background to the movie is genuinely very good, acting is way above average, direction, production and camera work (IMHO) are the key to this movie.

Despite a lacking (yet not a bad) script, the combination of good actors and direction / production makes this movie well worth viewing.

IMHO, it deserves a good 7 out of 10.

Four Fast Guns (1960)

A low budget, yet enjoyable movie

[6/10 · 23 May 2022]

OK, it's definitely not True grit, the acting is not great but the story has solid background.

It's good for a low budget movie and will be enjoyed as a Sunday afternoon Western.

Sadly, since the early 1980's the Western movie has been frowned upon and assigned to the B shelf ever since, there were some exceptions, though the investment which such movies enjoyed in the 50's, 60's and the early 1970's is now sadly a thing of the past.

For this very reason even the lesser quality B Westerns are enjoying somewhat of a come back among true Western fans.

Overall it's not a bad movie, the script is actually quite good, acting on the other hand is below average, with few exceptions. Direction and production seem to have suffered due to lack of funding.

All in all, a 6 out of 10, Not unmissable, but still worth seeing!.

Stargate: Atlantis: The Real World (2006) Season 3, Episode 6

Only my 2nd ever 10 out of 10!.

[10/10 · 23 May 2022]

I must totally agree with Sheila 85119, it was indeed a refreshing change from the norm!.

Don't get me wrong, I do so enjoy the battles in S G ATLANTIS and genuinely looked forward to each episode!. However, this episode showed the human struggle/s of mankind versus Mentall illness in an exceptional way, after all it is beyond all doubt that most of us humans will at some point suffer mental illness on one level or another, in our lifetime.

While I of course, recognise the fact that SG Atlantis is a show & the issues were caused by Nanites, it did however show the struggle with mental health issues in a far more positive light.

Sadly, today in 2022, one is not viewed as having an obvious illness, such as a broken leg, back issues or other more obvious sickness which are treated in a far more positive light.

To the lay person this episode (though fictional) went IMHO, A long way in helping those who do not understand mental illness, to see it as an illness and not something to be feared or worse, Ridiculed!.

Higginson is a wonderful actor who is sadly less recognised for her exceptional acting skills than some Male & Female actors, who are far more successful and far, far less skilled as actors.

Over all IMHO, this is one of the top 3 best episodes of StarGate Atlantis and very much worthy of genuine recognision from the industry!.

I DO NOT state this very often ( recently far less in fact), but the script writing on this episode was exceptional!. In general SG1 & Atlantis has genuinely great script writers, but IMHO this one really stands out as being genuinely great!.

As always the acting is great, direction very good & production values as usual, are excellent.

Nothing left except to give this episode a rare 10 out of 10.

Grace (2021– )

It's OK!

[6/10 · 22 May 2022]

I am not sure what exactly I had expected, however with John Simm in the lead role, I expected much better.

It's OK is about as positive as I can be, the acting is genuinely good! Though it lacks very much due to weak script writing.

I have given it lengthy consideration as I am a huge fan of Simm, that said it feels middle aged, slow and lacking in quality writing, direction and only average direction at best!.

Sadly it's only a 6 out of 10, I do hope it improves.

Charlie's Angels (2019)

God Awful!

[1/10 · 21 May 2022]

It's so bad that I can't help thinking that some actors put money way ahead of their career history and future prospects..

I struggled to find something nice to say about this attempt at destroying yet another brand favorite from the past.

The Acting is pitiful, it's almost as though the director left after the first five minutes an never returned!. The script writing is OK, I mean it might have worked, just not for this farse.

SERIOUSLY why even bother?

Gave it 1 out of 10 Begrudgingly!.

Jet Stream (2013 TV Movie)

God Awful and the acting is as bad!

[1/10 · 17 May 2022]

WHY? WHY?

Is this some kind of disguised benevolent fund for bad actors and incompetent script writers??.

WHY else would any sane person make such an Awful attempt?.

NO SPOILERS, just a Dreadful Script, dreadful acting and the most inept attempt of direction and production!.

WHY BOTHER?, I gave it 1 out of 10, only because I couldn't give it less!.

Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)

Voyage of Greatness.

[10/10 · 14 May 2022]

Star Trek IV, the voyage home, is in MHO the best of all the Star Trek movies.

It was the very best of the very best!.

I know there was a lot of talk about the script being good, but the inclusion of the whales was considered by some to be overly relied on!.

I disagree!, Leonard Nemoy (Spock) IMHO, played upon human feelings and their (human) spiritual connection to these most wonderful creatures, giants of our oceans who no doubt have a genuine connection with us humans which goes far beyond our current knowledge! And many believe far beyond our connection in the tree of animal kind, as Mammals.

I always attempt to avoid spoilers in my comments, therefore I will say no more,

I rarely give any movie or TV series more than my absolute maximum of 9 out of 10.

However, in only my second occasion, I happily gave Star Trek IV, The Voyage Home 10 out of 10. Absolute excellent!.

Star Trek: The Next Generation: Unification II (1991) Season 5, Episode 8

Spock made it so!

[9/10 · 10 May 2022]

IMHO, the very best episode of Next Generation.

While STNG was a huge success in it's own right, the inclusion of Leonard Nemoy as Ambassador Spock in these past two episodes, have made them truly magical!!.

The simple presence of Spock made these episodes very special, for those of us who are old enough to remember and treasure the original Star Trek.

9 out 10, Loved it!

District 9 (2009)

Very over rated Alien / human adventure

[7/10 · 29 April 2022]

I have seen this movie several times. It's in my opinion a good, but not great movie.

IMHO, the script is quite weak which makes it all feel amateur.

Acting is definitely good and special effects excellent, the production values are also very good!.

For me, this movie suffers badly from a weak script, which makes the movie feel extremely long. There are times during the movie when I went off to make coffee, something I never do.

I have watched this movie several times, usually because friends were watching it as I visited them.

It's a good movie which could have easily been great, though sadly easily forgotten.

I have given it 7 out of 10.

Oblivion (I) (2013)

A genuinely good Sci-fi movie.

[9/10 · 29 April 2022]

I am not a Tom Cruise fan, but I just happened upon this movie and Cruise is excellent in this part!.

Special effects are extremely good, Acting IS wonderful!. Production values and the script writing deserve 8 out of 10 alone.

I Genuinely recommend this movie to All Sci-fi fans, IT IS THAT GOOD!