I remember when this movie was first shown on HBO...it had the kind of gripping action that made you sit, watch, and fear for your life...the actors did a great job of realistically portraying their roles...with special kudos to Patrick Watson as Don Tobin and Helen Shaver as Dorian Waldorf...Watson's uneasiness at the end of the movie does not spoil the ending, which will set the hair on your neck straight up and send chills down your spine...but it does provide a view into what might face the American public should the unthinkable occur...add this movie to the growing list of selections that should have been out on DVD way before now...it is dated to some extent, but the overall premise still rings true...and will scare the daylights out of you...
Reviews
13 Reviews
The Missiles of October
(1974 TV Movie)
A fine job...
1 May 2007
One of the more difficult tasks when filming a subject whose outcome is already known is making it believable and exciting...Ron Howard did it in "Apollo 13", and this movie accomplishes the same goal...the story never really stops, with fast-moving discussions and back-and-forth scenes between America and the USSR...the producers excelled at presenting an all-star cast for this movie, with Martin Sheen an eerie choice as Bobby Kennedy...who knew the West Wing was in his future...an intriguing element to this topic is watching this version, and then viewing "Thirteen Days"...the differences are striking, with some characters in either film not showing up in the other...and you won't seen LBJ at all in "Missiles"...while only in two or three scenes in "Thirteen Days"...an amazing occurrence when you consider that most of the documents and info on the Cuban missile crisis have been declassified...this movie is available on video...I purchased it online...so get it and enjoy a look back at how close we really came...
Shia shines and so do they all...
8 March 2007
Shia LaBeouf has impressed me before with his acting ability, but I can honestly say that I very much look forward to his next efforts...his portrayal of Francis Ouimet, a 20 year old caddy who ignores his father's insistence that golf is not his place in life and enters the 1913 US Open tournament in his hometown...the beginning of the movie does drag a bit, but it's necessary to set up the underdog subplot that Shia works so well...the entire cast is well-chosen and they work very well together in a story that, based on the actual event, has an ending everyone can discover before seeing the movie...but even knowing that information doesn't spoil the fun...Josh Flitter is delightful as Eddie Lowery, Francis' caddy, who keeps him grounded and loose while at the same time proving to be an invaluable part of Francis' effort...Stephen Delane is outstanding as Harry Vardon, the legendary British golfer who Francis idolizes yet does not fear...and who knows the background Francis comes from as he, too, had humble beginnings...Bill Paxton takes a formulaic movie and makes it worthwhile...bravo Mr. Paxton, and bravo to the cast...from the imagery to the story to the people who bring it alive, this is a movie to get, enjoy, and revel in...it's nice to have movies like this that we can feel good watching...
Running
(1979)
Flaws, sure,but it was still fun...
16 February 2007
I saw this movie in the theatre while stationed in Germany, and a few other times on Armed Forces Network, and while it isn't an award-winning effort, it was a perfectly cool movie...Michael Douglas is convincing as Michael Andropolis, a long-distance runner who had the potential to be great, but always found a way to mess it up...his cynical coach gave up on him, as did his wife, played well by one of my favorite actresses, Susan Anspach...and then Michael lucks into a chance to compete in the Olympics, once again coming up short at the end of the race...and then...you'll have to see the movie to get the finish...but I can tell you that it's worth the effort to see...Douglas plays the role of a non-conformist runner very well...in fact, this role is not unlike a lot of other roles that Douglas has played...yes, there are some flaws...there are some elements that are kind of goofy, but if you take this movie for what it is...entertainment, not documentary, then it's fine...
Up the Academy
(1980)
Ron Leibman took his name off...need I say more
30 January 2007
Mad Magazine may have a lot of crazy people working for it...but obviously someone there had some common sense when the powers-that-be disowned this waste of celluloid...the editing is el crapo, the plot is incredibly thin and stupid...and the only reason it gets a two out of ten is that Stacy Nelkin takes off some of her clothes and we get a nice chest shot...I never thought I would feel sorry for Ralph Macchio making the decision to be in this thing, but I do...and I REALLY feel bad for Ron Leibman and Tom Poston, gifted actors who never should have shown up in this piece of...film...at least Mr. Leibman had the cajones to refuse to have his name put anywhere on the movie...and he comes out ahead...there are actually copies of this thing with Mad's beginning sequence still on it...if you can locate one, grab it cuz it is probably worth something...it's the only thing about this movie that's worth anything...and a note to the folks at IMDb.com...there is no way to spoil this movie for anyone...the makers spoiled it by themselves...
California Dreaming
(1979)
Pleasantly nostalgic and cool
30 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Like a previous commenter, I too saw this movie when HBO was young and willing to play movies that seem antique now but were actually a lot of fun...this is one of those movies...what is now considered a star-studded line-up of actors filled the cast of this film, which features Dennis Christopher as TT, an Eastern youngster sent out West to "grow up"...and boy does that happen...along the way, he runs into an at-first hesitant Glynnis O'Connor, who does look fetching in a bikini... and Seymour Cassell as Duke, a BSer extraordinaire but with a good soul if not bad heart...and along the way, TT learns to adjust to California life and actually does well...there are a few other subplots in the movie, including Ned Wynn as Earl, Alice Playten as a snobby Corrine, John Calvin as Rick the token stud bad boy, and Tanya Roberts as Stephanie, the girl who loves Rick...and since Stacy Nelkin, the "queen of the B movies" is in this one, it makes it even better...not sure if it's available via rental, but I have seen it online for purchase...it will bring back memories of movies gone by...and it's worth having...
My Favorite Year
(1982)
Must see movie
29 January 2007
Very few movies have the overall excellence of this one..."My Favorite Year" melds together a superior script, outstanding ensemble cast, and outstanding direction from Richard Benjamin...and the crowning achievement of it all is the tour de force performance by Peter O'Toole...Mr. O'Toole takes a character that potentially could have been a buffoon and creates a hilarious yet touching portrayal of an aging action film star who has to do American TV for his "new business associate- the IRS"...assigned to watch over our British invader is Mark Lynn-Baker, who is lucky to still have hair by the end of the show...which by the way is one of the cooler endings ever...and ya gotta get the movie to see it for yourself...I could say something wonderful about each member of the cast...and you'll want to pay particular attention to Joseph Bologna as "King Kaiser"...in fact, rent this movie, enjoy it, then buy it...you can watch it over and over again and love it each time...one note...the scene with the firehose on the roof is one of the funniest movie sequences ever...but it is all good...and I loved it!
Whiffs
(1975)
A waste of some good actors...
23 January 2007
Warning: Spoilers
I actually saw this movie 1st run in a theatre...and apparently it has not gotten funnier since...nor have I seen it as a rental anywhere...so that might indicate that it ain't gonna garner any post-production love...Elliott Gould is wasted as a private who is cut loose from the Army where he was a human guinea pig for testing chemical warfare agents (there is one scene that may be squeamish to some as Gould is testing an agent as a needle moves up and down in his arm)...and he decides that using his knowledge and supposed immunity to commit a bank robbery is a good idea...hiring Godfrey Cambridge as a pilot, however, is not...although Cambridge's portrayal of Dusty is the funniest part of the movie...and it all wraps up unneatly at the end...but it is a comedy, so figure it out...it is amazing to me how many poorly-made films are on the Net, costing more than they should...and Whiffs! is right there...Gould can be excused for this one since he made 'MASH'...an Army movie that IS good...if you stumble upon Whiffs!, and you have about 100 minutes to kill with no conception of any socially redeeming value, then by all means rent it, check your brain and common sense at the door, and enjoy it...but Gould, Cambridge, Eddie Albert, Harry Guardino, and others are misused...and that is sad...
FM
(1978)
Find it, watch it, and enjoy....
16 January 2007
As someone who works in "the business", I did notice that FM has its share of inaccuracies and things that don't quite work...big whoop...do not let those deter you from enjoying a movie that has been underrated and under-appreciated...with a cast that works well together and a killer soundtrack, FM tracks the musings of a station in LA that takes its music and its audience seriously...without commercial interruption...Michael Brandon is superb as the hero, Jeff Dugan... Martin Mull is great as an over-the-top DJ, Eric Swan...Eileen Brennan as Mother, the late Cleavon Little as the Prince of Darkness, and Cassie Yates as Laura Coe make up an air staff that I would love to work with...the bad guys are Albert Driscoll, a company exec who doesn't understand anything beyond the bottom line, Regis Lamar, a "flunky" salesman who is doing what he's being told- even though he tries to understand what the radio people are doing, and Michael J Carlyle, a greasy radio exec not unlike a few in radio...and all through the movie, the fact that it is fun to work in radio is very evident...one note...Alex Karras as the Cowboy is a little bit of miscasting...not sure why he was put in there other than his character was in the book...but overall the quality and flow is excellent...and, as its catchphrase goes, "no static at all"...for those of you who are historians of radio, you will love the dual mikes they use at QSKY...brings back the memories...you're probably going to have to find the movie online somewhere, since it's unusual to locate it in a rental store, but it is a nice addition to a library...and try to find a brand new copy...WITH the poster!
The Pentagon Wars
(1998 TV Movie)
Oh...to understand the military...
30 December 2006
Anyone who has ever been connected to the military understands the great oxymoron that it is...and probably always will be...but this movie is a classic example of how the military can run amok if it isn't closely monitored...although the humor in this movie does help to make it easier to take...there are a few notable performances that elevate this past the "TV Movie Of The Week" stereotype...Richard Schiff as the put-upon colonel who gets the Bradley project dumped on him 1st, Cary Elwes as the Air Force lieutenant colonel who ends up with the task, Kelsey Grammar as a smug and pompous Army general...all spice up the film and make it better than it should have been...at the end, there is a scene involving the enlisted men on the testing team and Elwes that could be considered semi-sappy...unless you served in the military and understand the relationship between the men and Elwes and how it evolved...then that scene is strikingly important...you will love the part about the sheep...and I can assure you, having been in the Army, yes, this is how Army people talk and act...get this movie, watch this movie, enjoy this movie...it's a nice vacation from today's headlines...and you will roll your eyes at the end...
Surviving Gilligan's Island: The Incredibly True Story of the Longest Three Hour Tour in History
(2001 TV Movie)
Historically cool!
25 November 2006
If there was ever a show that actually is a "social microcosm", as Sherwood Schwartz stated, Gilligan's Island is it...the history and background of the show is gold to classic TV buffs...and this movie's format is perfect to tell the story of the "3 hour tour"...if the company that produced the film was thinking straight, they would re-release the DVD...after all, there's a whole new audience to inform...there are so many side stories that add to the aura of the show, it's as if you are at the set and behind the scenes, right there watching TV history being made...as a side note, Sherwood's book about the show is also a find...search the used bins, online sources, etc., and see if you can find the DVD...the search will be worth it!
Tru Confessions
(2002 TV Movie)
wow...a Disney original with substance
24 October 2006
Disney is in the entertainment business, and the concept behind Disney original movies is just that- entertainment. But this movie is different...and the main reason is Shia LaBeouf. This kid, if guided the right way, has got a future and a half...the premise behind the movie could have been sickly sweet, but the actors did a great job of portraying the situation of a developmentally-challenged young adult(played superbly by Shia) and how it affected his family...the other subplots helped add to the movie's substance...subjects like peer pressure, parent/child conflict, even parental guilt, are dealt with in a realistic and meaningful way...and Shia's performance is nothing short of amazing...he creates Eddie Walker as a real-life person trying to make his way, with wonderment at times and frustrating behavior at others...this is a Disney original that should be out on video...so those who haven't seen it on TV can see it now...and, an added benefit, listen closely for the song played during Tru's video...it's "Secret World" by Robbyn Ragland...and it's great...it's nice to know that Disney is still capable of this kind of quality production...
Forget the topic...this is just plain bad
13 October 2006
The subject matter notwithstanding, this picture is a colossal waste of time and film...I cannot for the life of me figure out why anyone decided to actually sign a contract to do this...the ONLY reason to give it anything more than a 1 is because there are enough scenes of Elke to elevate it to a 2...and spoiling the ending wouldn't come into play here...it would be a patriotic duty to tell everyone how it ends...so they can skip watching it...I think it is a tribute to the other members of the "Hogan's Heroes" cast that they didn't either agree to make this piece of trash or weren't asked...in which case they should thank their lucky stars or buy a lottery ticket...and what is really astonishing is that you can actually find this pseudo-feature on the Net...I found a copy on Half.com...so if you're in the market for one of the worst movies in cinematic history...my suggestion is you go trolling there...
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