jakeev67 Reviews

The Nanny (1993–1999)

cool comedy that could have been better.

[9/10 · 15 July 2008]

Fran Drescher as Fran Fine was pretty brilliant as the Nanny. Once Roseanne left the air, she was pretty much that last funny lady on television.

Great gags and crazy plots allowed the show to get better with age. But one major factor kind of put a slight dent on the show.

It never really focused on the kids and thus you really never got to know the three talented stars, Nicholle Tom, Ben Salisbury and Madeline Zima(the latter who has made a name for herself as a more popular actress in movies)with any real character development.

Still, the show was infectious, especially with Renee Taylor who nearly stole many scenes as the Fran's food crazy mom Sylvia and Lauren Lane got funnier and more appealing as the show went on as the conniving but sometimes sensitive C.C.

Great show to watch in the world of syndication.

Destination Truth (2007–2012)

Total great entertainment

[9/10 · 3 April 2008]

Cryptozoology might be considered a crackpot science, but no show makes it so entertaining like Destination Truth.

Headed by photographer Josh Gates and his young and hip production crew, they get the travel the world in search of the unknown creepy crawlies and creatures nearly every country seems to have in its culture.

The show has been around for about a season and half and we still don't know if lake monsters or Bigfoot actually exist.

So if you want exact science stay away from this show but watch it if you just want a have a good ol entertaining time.

To Kill a Killer (2007 Video)

One gem of a low budget movie

[9/10 · 2 July 2007]

If To Kill a Killer had been made with a big budget but with the same actors in their roles, it probably would have been some sort of hit.

The premise is pretty simple: Salomon Caramona and Lyndsey Jimenez are a hit-man and his wife who have to flee Mexico to Chicago when Caramona doesn't finish a hit.

Unknown to him, the man that hired Caramona for the original hit, tracks him down in Chicago and is willing to forgive the original hit if the former assassin will find a serial killer that tortured and murdered his daughter.

Uneven at times, the suspense still keeps you enthralled to what is going to happen next. Many twists and turns keep the film from being another boring snuff film.

And Jimenez, wow, in her debut role is outstanding as the cold, callous and even more dangerous wife Annabel.

She could be a star in the making.

For low budget film making, this one was pretty masterful.

Taken (2002)

Uneven but great story

[8/10 · 22 December 2006]

Hopefully people that watch the movie Taken get exactly what they are looking for: entertainment and conversation about it afterward.

Taken is no X-Files rip off, but it really doesn't give the audience anything new either.

The story, albeit a little too long, focuses on two families routinely kidnapped by aliens and another one that are after them.

The biggest turnoff to the miniseries is the conception that the government is filled with murderous villains trying to "protect" the country from "invasion" which is led by the creepy Crawford family.

The actors are great in their roles but come on, three generations of bloodthirsty family members? Creepiest moment of the series is the sex scene between Matt Frewer and Heather Donohue in which Frewer's character admits, "I have been wanting to do this since you where 13," and Donohoe's character exclaims, "So have I." Blecch.

Kudos though for the real star of the show, the young Dakota Fanning. She's simply great as the Alien hybrid Ally who also narrates the entire series. Definitely her best role too date.

Night of the Living Dead (1968)

still one of the low-budget greats

[10/10 · 19 November 2006]

Seems like every time you watch Night of the Living Dead, it still scares the daylights out of you.

Although not exactly ahead of it's time, the film still gives every generation the creeps about zombies coming to life with one soul purpose: to eat the living.

The actors were all unknown and Judith O'Dea, who has returned to screen in the 2000's, still steals the show as Barbara, the-in shock almost first victim who eventually becomes one anyway.

100 years from now, George Romero will still be remembered for this horror gem.

Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967)

feel good musical still fun today

[10/10 · 7 November 2006]

As a kid one of my favorite musicals was Julie Andrews and Carol Channing in Thoroughly Modern Millie.

The plot was simple and the acting not exactly that great. But it was FUN FUN FUN.

A great supporting cast included Jerry Fox, Mary Tyler Moore (who new she could dance?) and Beatrice Lillie as the bumbling but mean old Mrs. Mears who runs a hotel for women by day and a white slavery ring by night.

If you are looking a rather feel good musical that is all about music, dancing and light-hearted comedy than this movie is definitely for you.

Beyond the Forest (1949)

It be a smash today.....

[9/10 · 11 May 2006]

Beyond the Forest is often considered one of Bette Davis' worst choices of roles in her career. Even she said so.

After all, she was to old for the one film's lowest of characters in Rose Moline.

But after 60 years, what may have been a bad choice for Bette actually turns out to be a cult, camp classic.

After all, Rose was a despicable, careless woman who had no qualms killing her own unborn child.

It might have the role that should have got away, but despite the junk, nobody could have done it better than Bette Davis.

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

above average horror film

[8/10 · 23 April 2006]

Let's face it, Jeepers Creepers wasn't meant to be a masterpiece. But in terms of creepiness and originality, Director Victor Salva definitely came up with a wicked little gem that despite some of it's flaws, still becomes one of those horror films that get you thinking.

A brother/sister combo are driving through rural country when they see what looks like a transient throwing bodies in a sink hole.

What they find out later is that the murderer turns out to be an ancient demon that only lives for 23 days every 23 years.

But in those 23 days, it feeds it's insatiable hunger on the surrounding citizens.

Good news is, the "Creeper" is a discriminate killer, only going after certain humans it "smells" out and of course killing those that try to get out of it's way.

The stunning ending shows you why the demon relentlessly chases after the hero's.

Veteran actresses Eileen Brennan and Patricia Belcher were thrown into the cast in different scenarios: Brennan got one of the creepier scenes as the "Cat Lady" whom the hero's come in contact with on the lam from the Creeper. But Belcher is overwhelmingly annoying as the psychic Jezelle, who sheds light on what the killer is after.

The plot is uneven at times, but for sheer horror, Jeepers Creepers often delivers the goods.

Roseanne (1988–2018)

A true classic comedy

[10/10 · 7 November 2005]

When all is said and done, Roseanne will probably be known as one of the classics of Comedy.

It wasn't a perfect 9 seasons, and with all the rumors and brouhaha about on-the-set squabbling thanks in part to it's Diva title star, it was amazing how professional and excellent the show actually was.

But Roseanne was great at mixing comic elements with serious topic matters. In season six for instance, Roseanne deals with her abuse as a child when she spanks her son D.J. (Michael Fishman in one of his best moments on the show)for stealing a car.

The moment was very serious, but the show's sidebar of her rival Leon (the hilarious Martin Mull) trying to rally Jackie and Nancy (Laurie Metcalf and Sandra Bernhard in equally comic moments)against Roseanne in decision making was just hilarious: Nancy: "And we decided our official bird of the diner is the Toucan." Roseanne "Oh really well this mine." (she proceeds to give Nancy the bird, with her other hand covering it of course.

The Show lost it's focus in coming seasons with it's frequent use of flashback scenes using classic t.v. shows for a episodes catalyst, but still had glorious moments in certain episodes.

Many thought the show's finale was a slap in the face to the entire show's premise. But after watching it a few times over the years, it becomes easy to understand Roseanne's issues with the series in its latter days and her decision to end the show in the manner she did.

Roseanne was definitely a comic gem for it time and in the new millennium, it still a relevant show even in today's world.

All That Jazz (1979)

an underrated masterpiece

[9/10 · 2 March 2005]

Through the years I have only seen pieces of All that Jazz. I finally rented it and when it was over, all I could think of was "WOW." I have always read it was not well received when it first opened in 1979, but I think after 25 years, it's definitely what I would call a classic.

It's not secret, the movie's dancing numbers are amazingly brilliant. Ann Reinking and Leland Palmer, Roy Schieder's principal characters of his own character's life, are absolutely dazzling in dance sequence after dance sequence.

And there is the final number. The scene I have watched many times over the years. Well, it's still makes me teary-eyed after all this time.

All I can say is, where ever Bob Fosse is right now, thank you for a truly exhilaratingly brilliant musical.