anthrogail Reviews

The Engagement Ring (2005 TV Movie)

Good, funny, romantic...

[8/10 · 6 December 2005]

I'm not a big fan of Patricia Heaton, I think she is only an average actress; but I am a big fan of Vincent Spano, ever since 'The Return of the Black Stallion'. While I can't swear to have seen everything he ever did, if I have a chance to see something he's in, I will usually take it. It was great to see Tony Lo Bianco, and I also like Lainie Kazan. Some of her scenes in this movie were priceless.

I enjoyed this movie, it was funny and sweet too. And it was a chance to look at Vince for a while, which is never a bad thing. Nice storyline, good acting, and the scenes between Patricia and Vince were good. Having more romantic but not too syrupy movies like this on TV might actually make me watch more romantic movies.

Mister Roberts (1955)

Well done story of the under-appreciated support personnel who also serve during times of war.

[9/10 · 12 August 2004]

'Mister Roberts' is one of two movies that I sometimes name as my all-time favorite movies. The other is 'The Adventures of Robin Hood' with Errol Flynn. I definitely believe that this is one of Henry Fonda's finest roles.

When my now nineteen year old nephew was younger, he would ask to watch my copy of 'Mister Roberts' on VHS just for the hilarious scene where Pulver blows up the laundry and the ship starts to fill up with soap suds. I have a copy of the play which includes pictures from when Fonda played the role of Doug Roberts on stage, and there are some differences from the play, but those differences certainly work in this movie.

I can't imagine better casting for any of these parts--

Henry Fonda as Doug Roberts

Jack Lemmon as Ensign Pulver

Ward Bond as Dowdy

William Powell as Doc

This is an excellent story of a man who yearns to serve in a war, but yet not to be a hero. He just wants to do his part, and he thinks that in order for his part to be important he has to be in combat. It takes him a while, and a few lectures from Doc, to realize that what he and the crew on the 'bucket' on which they serve do a necessary and important job even as they sail from boredom to tedium and back again, as Roberts says in his letter to Pulver in one of the movie's last scenes. The men are bored, and they can't stand their captain; and during the scene where the captain calls them to their battle stations after finding his special palm tree missing most of them aren't even sure where their battle stations are! The character of Doc has never even seen a battleship and he's in the navy. The entire movie is worth just the scenes of the crew returning from liberty, the making of the scotch, and the soap suds incident.

For a while when I was up at Northern Arizona University I had these lines from the opening scene as part of my answering machine message:

"Now here this. Now here this. Revelry. I repeat...revelry! Attention all hands..."

I recommend this movie very highly and rate it nine out of ten stars!

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Well done version of the story of the legendary British outlaw.

[9/10 · 12 August 2004]

Every time this movie shows on television the description includes the words 'Brilliant, imaginative version of...". Those words are not at all far off.

This movie is brilliant, it is imaginative, it is just plain terrific. I am such a fan of this movie that I bought a bound copy of the original script from the archives that are held at I forget which university. The script includes interesting notes on various parts of the story that are parts of the actual legend and are suggested by the ballads. I can't wait to get my hands on the DVD (haven't been able to afford it yet!) of this movie!

I love Errol Flynn, and I love the way that he plays this character. There are some things that make the movie not quite perfect, but they don't at all detract from the overall enjoyment of the picture. The chemistry between Flynn and Olivia de Haviland is perfect, as it is in some of their other screen appearances together.

I would rate this movie as a nine out of ten.