reviewId
int64 363k
588k
| userId
int64 33.9k
15.9M
| itemId
int64 1
1.42M
| rating
float64 1
10
| title
stringlengths 1
10.9k
⌀ | content
stringlengths 81
11.6k
⌀ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
490,407 | 33,913 | 80,974 | 9 |
Missing Info ! but faithful to the Glaspell's play !
|
It should be Trifles which is faithful to the Susan Glaspell one act play of the same name . It would have been nice to have the cast and crew names to note and compliment or criticize them there but I don't know their names or I would do the deed . Anyway , the short film is faithful to the one act play and it's superbly done . Susan Glaspell would be proud to see this film . The actresses do an admirable job in portraying the local townswomen and the actors do an adequate job in probing the case against an unhappy married woman who kills her husband but why . I won't spoil it . You just have to watch if possible . I was lucky because my college professor , Ellen Gruber Garvey , worked on the film with the director in the film crew but even she's not listed nor is the cast and crew which is a terrible shame because they deserve to be recognized .
|
490,594 | 33,913 | 71,351 | 9 |
It's Johnny Cash !
|
When Academy Award nominee Joaquim Phoenix was researching Johnny Cash , he mentioned this Columbo episode in particular . Johnny Cash plays a man who is very similar in some respects to his real personality . They're both musicians and singers but that's it . Johnny's character is a recovering criminal who married Ida Lupino's character who is overly zealous about God and religion . When her character learns of her husband's straying with younger girls , he decides to off them on the plane but survives . Anyway , I love watching Johnny Cash and Peter Falk together . I love the scene where Columbo researches parachutes and goes into the sewing room where the woman thinks she is losing her mind . Anyway , I remember that scene in particular as he tries to figure out how he did it . In the end , it's just worth watching . It's for Johnny Cash fans especially . He would have been a wonderful actor as well as singer .
|
490,548 | 33,913 | 90,406 | 9 |
God Bless the Cavanaughs !
|
I remember the Cavanaughs particularly Barnard Hughes and Christine Ebersole playing father and daughter . I apologize but my memory could be wrong . Anyway , they did a very good job on the show . The sitcom could have been a hit but CBS had too many other sitcoms on the air at the time . Unfortunately , I don't remember it being about stereotypes about being Irish Catholic . I'm Polish Catholic so I related to the family relationships . I was a kid when this show aired on television . It was one of the few shows that ever gave us Catholic characters at that time . Maybe they wanted Barnard Hughes to be the Catholic Archie Bunker , the show didn't last long because there were too many shows and not enough airtime . It may have succeeded in syndication if given that opportunity . It was just another good show that never really evolved on it's own .
|
490,405 | 33,913 | 42,702 | 9 |
An Almost Perfect Biographical film of Holmes !
|
First , the casting of Lewis Calhern as Oliver Wendell Holmes and Ann Harding as his wife , Fanny Bowditch Holmes , is perfect together . The film is set around Holmes ' life as a Supreme Court Justice with the late Louis Brandeis who was the first Jewish member of the supreme court . The film is first rate and the script could use a little work . This film is an example of old Hollywood at it's brilliance with class , style , and a terrific cast and crew . The film's historical basis allows the story to be told easily . You can't help but enjoy Harding and Calhern on the screen as a loving couple . They don't make such high quality films anymore where it's character driven . I watched this film this morning and I couldn't take my eyes off Calhern as he played the late Oliver Wendell Holmes nor Ann Harding as his wife . The film is a perfect example of what thrived in Old Hollywood in it's golden era . It's never recovered from days where veterans like Harding and Calhern and many others worked five films per year .
|
489,851 | 33,913 | 115,291 | 9 |
Oh Canada !
|
I would love to see more comedies out of Canada . Most of today's American comedies are downright dumbed down to the audience of the young and the restless . Anyway , I was surprised that I actually enjoyed watching this show mixed in with the British comedies on NJN . I love Canada . I was watching the episode which was well-written about pretty boy anchorman who enjoys doing stories on pets in Kabul . I love his school teacher who said that he had a great voice and looked great enough to be doing something that wouldn't require too much thinking or intelligence . Anyway , this anchorman gets kidnapped while on assignment . The ransom was 2 million American dollars not Canadian but it was brought down to 1700 Canadian dollars because the reporter captured wasn't anybody worth keeping . Of course , his boss was on the shortlist for an Order of Canada . If you don't know what the Order of Canada is , it's like the Order of the British Empire or Order of Australia with no knights or dames . Well the boss was on the shortlist until his anchorman gets kidnapped and he gets bumped . By the time the shortlist comes out after Jim Walcott's unflattering tapes of his past surface and he gets bumped off . Who gets on the list is the substitute female anchor . It's all political but it shouldn't be in the Order of Canada . Oh well , God Bless Canada .
|
490,720 | 33,913 | 410,966 | 9 |
The Answer to Our Prayers !
|
The Blue Collar Comedy Tour has launched a successful comedy show not filmed in New York or Hollywood but in Atlanta , Georgia at a local theater . Sadly , the yuppies in New York and Hollywood don't understand the rest of the country . We're not all ignorant , bigoted blue collar trailer trash as the elite might think about when it comes to audiences . The reason that these comedians have become famous and rich without losing their touch with middle America . I've loved blue collar humor because I grew up in working class union community . I don't know what country clubs are like nor do I plan to join one . The Blue Collar TV show is the answer to our prayers when we feel down about our personal , financial situation . At least , we can expect to see these guys around a lot more making fun of themselves , their families , friends , and of course , it's audience without malice .
|
489,737 | 33,913 | 90,417 | 9 |
A Classic Canadian Show !
|
I always wished that Degrassi Junior High admitted that they were set in Canada . They always seem to omit the city location . I remember spending my weekends watching Degrassi Junior High on our PBS stations with my friends . We were about the same age as the cast . Let's not forget those awful clothes that the cast of characters wore . The show never ignored away from serious subjects such as teenage pregnancy , homosexuality , poverty , drugs , abortion , alcoholism , etc . It was the kind of show that teens should be shown to show that they are not alone in the world nor are they alone in getting trouble . I have to say that the first season with Arthur and Stephanie was worth watching . I remember the identical twin girls , Spike's pregnancy , Snake's brother who comes out of the closet and gets disowned , etc . The teens were never treated like superstars . They dealt with big topics in ways that I wished adults would deal with . The show was a big hit .
|
490,255 | 33,913 | 90,425 | 9 |
A Great Cast but missed opportunities !
|
This show had a great cast featuring Oscar Winner Ellen Burstyn with Elaine Stritch playing her mother and Megan Mullaly playing the daughter with a young son . Sadly , the show never caught on to public attention . But with great cast , how could you go wrong ? Well , this was the era of nothing but sitcoms and now we have nothing but reality shows and dramas . In the 1980s , New York City tried to bring back comedy shows to prime time . Unfortunately , New York City never accomplished in even a close victory aside it's main rival , Hollywood or Los Angeles . The network lost a good opportunity but not allowing this show to grow and expand . It had a talented cast and the writing could have gotten better in time . Sitcoms take time to develop an audience .
|
490,353 | 33,913 | 900,672 | 9 |
Cuckoo for Cocoa Puffs !
|
That's what nurse Linda said as she brought in Sean's next patient . At this rate , Sean feels second best , his ego hurt because a client preferred Christian over him for surgery . Anyway , Willy Ward is ventriloquist who wants plastic surgery to look more like his dummy Ralphie . I know what you're thinking and just remember the episode with Catherine Denueve as a widow who wants her beloved ashes placed in her breasts . So Willy's sad , pathetic and lonely but then who isn't ? Sean feels like Christian's puppet and wants to separate from the hand that seems to control him . Anyway , Willy is well-played by this actor . It's kind of sad that he treats Ralphie as real with his own bed and locked up in the closet as if not to see Willy . It's a powerful moment in the show . Anyway Christian and Michelle have other worries like Gina , Wilbur's birth mother , and James , a far more dangerous friend . Well in the end , we find out who James was really working for and now Michelle is going to wish that she hadn't gone away at all . Anyway , Matt and Kimber are having problems in the bedroom and that has some laughs for us .
|
490,728 | 33,913 | 811,026 | 9 |
Almost Perfect ! Left Wanting More !
|
Dame Helen Mirren ends perhaps her most famous role besides that of Queens . Jane Tennison DCI is one of the most original female characters that television has produced in recent years . She is almost unforgettable . When Dame Helen Mirren first started , few people knew who she was and now everybody knows in the world that she is one of the finest acting talents from Britain . I knew she was in 1986 when I saw her play a maid in a Titanic film . As Jane Tennison , Helen Mirren embodies the role with such complexity that it seems so easy and natural . Jane approaches retirement with one last case but you know that Jane has lived for this job . They have this marriage between them . In the final installment of this legendary series , Helen and Jane bow out gracefully in the end . Jane battles alcoholism , loneliness , and her father's pending death . She reunites and befriends AA member , Bill Otley , played by Tom Bell shortly before his death . I felt the parents of the missing girl were quite believable in their roles . Jane's pending retirement is beset by loss , wonder , and disappointment . In the end , she bounces back , makes a shattering discoveries about the case , and you wonder what would happen to Jane Tennison that you want more . Maybe she is lecturing on crime techniques at a university or other British police officers . One can only hope that this is not the last we see of Dame Helen Mirren as Jane Tennison .
|
490,470 | 33,913 | 75,296 | 9 |
Sally Field and Joanne Woodward's Best Film
|
Forget Sally's other movies , Sybil is her best performance to date even though it is a television miniseries . It beats film . Sally and Joanne give compelling performances as patient and psychiatrist relationship . Sybil's no ordinary person , she has 16 personalities inside her . Dr . Wilbur has to help her dig out the painful memories from her childhood . For people who do not understand multiple personality disorder , people like Sybil have suffered early childhood torture and horror at the hands of adults . Sybil's personalities help her exist in the present world even though she would be considered crazy by normal standards but she's not . She's a tragic human being who was tortured by her mother as a small child . She took an alternative route by creating her personalities to survive the painful torture and exist in the world . People like Sybil do exist in our world unfortunately , they should be treated with kindness and understanding rather than prejudice and poor judgment . Sybil's mother was classified as a paranoid schizophrenia but she was untreated herself in the small town . She spent most of her days abusing Sybil . We must not allow this to happen again . Sybil is the story of a survivor .
|
490,600 | 33,913 | 70,991 | 9 |
Let the Good Times Roll
|
Good Times was a groundbreaking comedy about the first nuclear black family living in the Chicago projects . Whether or not , you live in the inner cities , ghettos , suburbs , or rural countryside , this show is still a treasure to watch and observe a family being just a family rather than a show about a poor black family . But they don't dwell on it . They find humor and have strong family values and morals . Despite the story behind the scenes , this show was worth keeping on the air except I didn't like them killing off the father which I agreed with Esther Rolle who fought hard to keep the family together . But despite all the fights behind the scenes , Good Times was a show about a family . We all loved JJ's dynamite and his antics . We watched Janet Jackson's Penny grow up a little . This show was groundbreaking to show despair in drugs , gangs , and alcoholism . Without being to preachy , The Evans always tried to do the right thing rather than do something wrong to get out of the ghetto .
|
490,153 | 33,913 | 898,704 | 9 |
Interesting Look into the Future !
|
Joely Richardson had to leave the show for family reasons . Her daughter Daisy was having surgery so she had to be with her in London . Anyway , the show's producer who I think is wonderful because he planned the season to accommodate her . The episode is powerful with Dylan Walsh giving his finest performance yet this season as Sean McNamara . Of course , the season is not finished yet . A few more episodes to go and then we will inherit Dirt for the spring season . Anyway the episode takes place 20 years into the future , Sean and Julia have split up and divorced again . Annie is a complete wreck and brother Matthew is now a surgeon . Christian is in a polygamous marriage but gays and lesbians cannot get married . Liz is nowhere in this episode . I guess she doesn't make it to 2026 . The episode has a hurricane named Lenore devastating Florida as Julia takes Conor and Annie to New York to visit Grandma . We have not seen the wonderful Vanessa Redgrave this season . Anyway , the future looks bright literally and bloodless procedures are the norm . Conor grows up to be a beautiful man . It's nice that Marlowe met and married a woman named Sally and they have a son , Zach , who is star baseball player .
|
490,215 | 33,913 | 81,857 | 9 |
First Entertainment Show and Probably the Best ! ! !
|
Okay , Entertainment Tonight may have lost it's way with the whole Anna Nicole Smith baby , Dannielynn Birkhead , and about her life . But for most part , Entertainment tonight was a classic must-see television experience for those of us who study entertainment and those of us who wanted to be part of the business . Sadly , it's not for everybody because I never got to Hollywood or New York City for that matter to work as an actress . I'm a terrible actress but that's okay . Entertainment Tonight has been a Hollywood mainstay but I think over the years that the show has deteriorated because the audiences prefer listening and watching celebrities like Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears . The celebrity class has definitely gone downhill since the millennium . I don't blame Entertainment Tonight because they did provide rare interviews and stories with those golden age of celebrities . For years , I watched it as a source of information and entertainment . I loved watching the show's relationship with the old celebrities of the past and present . Today's celebrities don't have the same class as their predecessors and it's a tragedy because the show did pay attention to everybody from soaps , radio , television , music and film . You know you've made it in Hollywood when they announce your birthday on entertainment tonight .
|
490,641 | 33,913 | 57,729 | 9 |
Creepy & Spooky !
|
Okay , the Addams family is not for everybody . It was kind of the first family on television to be different . First , you have a beautiful seductive mother , Morticia , with lovely long black hair and dressed often in black , and her equally strange husband played by John Astin . Carolyn Jones devoured the role of Morticia that you didn't recognize her at all later on in her years . Mr . and Mrs . Addams have two children , a girl named Wednesday and a son who were both equally strange . Their home had characters like Uncle Fester and their home was equally frightening as well as enchanting . This show is perfect for Halloween marathons . While the Addams ' family was strange , it showed that not all families were like the others on television like the Cleavers , the Nelson , and others . My biggest complaint is that they cancelled the show prematurely which didn't let it grow and the reruns are never tiresome .
|
490,681 | 33,913 | 57,731 | 9 |
Sorry , Mayor Giuliani , I can't forgive you for this cancellation !
|
This Friday is the last episode of Another World . A show beloved by a significant number of fans of all ages comes to an end after 35 years . Another World will be missed so much . It was a show character and story driven . Sometimes silly , sometimes touching , funny , and poignant . The love affair between Mac Cory and Rachel Hobson was one love story that could have lasted forever was cut short by Douglass Watson's untimely death . Vicky Wyndham has been the courageous matriarch of this show ever sine 1972 . She has made Rachel Cory Hutchings , from a plain outcast to the lovable socialite . I'll miss so much about Another World . I think Cass WInthrop , Frankie Frame , and Kathleen McKinnon would have had such a wonderful threesome together . Felicia Gallant was truly another fun character . My favorite moments are with Carl Hutchings and his son , Ryan . Before the truth of Ryan's parentage , their relationship was great . Then the truth , I wished I had saved those episodes of the realization and Ryan's reluctance to accept this criminal as his father . He arrested his own father and that night in prison together . I'll also miss Grant and Cindy ' s relationship too . I wished that I had saved those tapes and watched them from the beginning . They were my favorite couple to love and hate one another at the same time . So long Another World , you have a very special place in my heart . Right now , I will never forgive Mayor Rudolph Guiliani who allowed his former wife to make a cameo on the show but never bothered to save the show itself . 35 years of television history in favor of another Law and Order spin off . I don't care that anybody thinks I'm crazy for not forgiving Mayor Giulani for not lifting a hand . Now there are only 4 one hour daytime dramas filmed in New York City out of 9 on American television today . Every time , a show like Another World is cancelled , cast and crew members lose their jobs and face unemployment like the rest of us . Of course , a daytime actor lacks respect and payment compared to the wining babies over at ER . Sorry , Mayor Giulani , I can't forgive you for not saving this show from cancellation . But I guess you really wanted to host Saturday Night Live which is only live 20 times a year . Another World had an average of a 180 episodes per year .
|
489,992 | 33,913 | 115,167 | 9 |
Why everybody loves this show ?
|
Everybody loves Raymond was a labor of love for the cast and crew for nine seasons . It maintained a steady helping of humor , love , and family relationships without missing a beat during those nine seasons . The whole of adult actors like Ray Romano , Peter Boyle , Doris Roberts , Brad Garrett , and Patricia Heaton really brought about the lives of the Barone family with both humor and love . Each episode is worth watching from the first to the last . During those nine years , Emmys went to both Patricia Heaton and Doris Roberts who both earned them multiple times . Patricia as Debra is almost flawless as is Doris playing Marie at times . No matter how many times that Marie can irritate us , she's playing the role of mother very well . Peter Boyle who is no longer with us was wonderful as the Barone patriarch Frank . Him and Marie were fabulous together . Ray and Debra's relationship was believable . Don't forget the endless guest appearances by the likes of Robert Culp and Katherine Helmond as Debra's liberal parents , Fred Willard and Georgia Engel as Amy's WASPy Pennsylvania parents who would become family at Robert and Amy's wedding , Chris Elliott who plays Amy's weird brother , Jean Stapleton appears once as Marie's sister , Sherri Shepherd playing Robert's professional police partner , and others too mention . They once took the gang to Italy for a couple of episodes . This is one of the last great family comedies on the air that did not spend enormous amount of time with the children as the central part of the show . Everybody Loves Raymond will remain forever in syndication now .
|
490,773 | 33,913 | 63,518 | 9 |
The near perfect adaptation of Shakespeare's classic !
|
This adaptation is probably the finest involving Romeo and Juliet . Olivia Hussey is superb and so is the young Michael York as Tybalt . Milo Shea plays the friar who helps Romeo and Juliet . It's a tragedy . We all know the story but after viewing it in my high school days , I can't imagine a better film to show adolescents about Romeo and Juliet who were doomed from the beginning . The story of Romeo and Juliet is as old as time . The director does a superb job in recreating the magic , fire , and romance on screen in this film . We believe that we are transformed into their world of Verona , Italy . After seeing this film many times , I tried to watch other adaptations but anything fails in comparison to this classic Romeo and Juliet . The costumes are precise and beautiful . The scenery is lovely and of course the acting is all done seriously and brilliant at the same time . This film deserved it's nominations and awards . It's not easy to take Shakespeare and make it unforgettable but the director has sure done his job .
|
490,222 | 33,913 | 749,289 | 9 |
Rest in Peace , Lana Clarkson !
|
Oh what might have been if Lana Clarkson had finally gotten the break she deserved in this cruel industry of Hollywood . In only a couple of minutes , she plays Janine who works for a Nantucket plastic surgeon . Even in only the couple of minutes she was on the air , she was radiant , funny , and talented . She had it all except the opportunity to strut her talents . She was no dumb blonde at all . In fact , she was beautiful , smart , and funny . I only wished that her death wouldn't overshadow her career which was her life . Anybody could have done the job but Lana in this episode gives a hundred percent . I wonder what might have been if she had gotten the dream job that she richly deserved in life . I only wished there was more of her in this episode or that the producers brought her back to play one of Brian Hackett's many girlfriends . She was great .
|
490,747 | 33,913 | 97,082 | 9 |
Very Entertaining !
|
Soap stars Ian Buchanan from General Hospital and the always beautiful Deirdre Hall from Days of Our Lives are involved in a disappearance and possible murder of a publisher . Of course , this brings a slew of much needed publicity for a starving magazine . Gigi Rice has a role as well . It's a familiar story with Ian playing a British Hugh Hefner style younger man and his empire in financial ruins . His partner is played by the beautiful Deidre Hall ( she hasn't aged in years ) wants out of the business . Of course , the motive is about money . Columbo episodes try to use simple motives rather than complex and the crimes are always pretty simply done whether it is done with a gun . We are never truly left with a gruesome crime scene in Columbo episodes and that's a good thing because Columbo has always been light-hearted at heart and his interactions with the prime suspect is always fascinating . When he thinks he's wrong , he's not .
|
490,339 | 33,913 | 81,912 | 9 |
Good for the ultimate British comedy fan !
|
I was in London over the holidays and I finally got to see this show . At first , I was hesitant about it . I felt it was too dry but I learned to like the humor and relationship between Sir David Jason O . B . E . and Nicholas Lyndhurst as brothers . It was realistic and worth watching again . Buster Merryfield should not be forgotten as the third in this odd trio of characters trying to get ahead in life . I was kind of sad when they finally got there . It seemed that their life before money was far richer and more interesting than when they had little and was struggling like so many of us . You can see why David Jason was knighted and honored for his services to drama . He is a gifted comedian . His fellow cast members , Nicholas Lyndhurst and Buster Merryfield were also perfect to play his brother . I began to really like the show when the three men went away for a weekend and ended up in the worst hotel across the street . The writing is pretty dry so you have to develop a very good taste to watching this show . When there was nothing else on , Only Fools and Horses was worth watching for the laughter , memories , and great cast .
|
490,351 | 33,913 | 900,671 | 9 |
Please no More Rosie O'Donnell
|
All I can say is that Nip / Tuck never disappoints but the idea of Rosie O'Donnell getting a series based around her character is quite appalling . She just plays herself and she has never really acted before in the same context as the others . I don't know why she came back twice . Just leave her to the View and those talkative hens over there in New York City . If you want to make a series around a guest star , think of Brooke Shields , Larry Hagman , or Ruth Williamson not Rosie . Just put a giant blob in her place . Anyway this episode has Escobar Gallardo returning with his beautiful wife who was mauled and disfigured . Anyway , the scene in the post-operative room will answer some questions about the future of the show . Although you are going to have wait an excruciating nine months for the next season which is just torture to think about it . Anyway , Sean decides to relocate to Hollywood , plastic surgery capital of the world . I won't say much more because I don't want to spoil any surprises for the fans out there . You will just have to watch and see and you won't be disappointed .
|
490,640 | 33,913 | 57,773 | 9 |
An Alternative to the Addams family !
|
I was more familiar with the Munsters than with the Addams family . I thought the Munsters were more friendly and less threatening and less spooky . The show had a first rate cast that featured Fred Gwynne as Herman Munster , the lovable Frankenstein father figure , Yvonne De Carlo as Lily Munster , the vampire's daughter , and Grandpa played by Al Lewis . Lewis and Gwynne were also in Car 54 together so they worked quite well on this show . I thought the relationships between these characters were more authentic and less serious at times . While they scared their neighbors or would be visitors , the laughter was on the audience because we fell in love with this odd-looking family . Who cares if the grandfather is a vampire who can turn himself into a bat ? Or that the father works as a gravedigger ? Or that lovely Lily Munster looks like a vampire herself ? or that little Eddie Munster looks like a future wolfman ? As long as the family was functional , that they loved each other despite society's disapproving views and looks upon them . The show is still being shown to a new audience and maybe today's audiences will amuse themselves inside the Munster estate at 1313 Mockingbird lane .
|
490,350 | 33,913 | 866,231 | 9 |
He's Back !
|
I never watched the premiere episode but I think I'm going to watch it on DVD of Nip / Tuck . Anyway , Escobar Gallardo played wonderfully by Robert Lasardo should get a best supporting actor in a drama Emmy nomination for his appearances . He's always well worth watching . I think Ryan Murphy hates not having him around . Well finally he is in prison and so is mutual friend of Troy / McNamara who he marries in a prison ceremony . When Merril returns to the office for a procedure after being in prison and being abused by the other inmates , the look on Troy's face when he realizes who Merril's been serving is quite unforgettable . Anyway , Merril is sent by his husband to get the services of Troy and Sean to fix his face because it was lit on fire . Galardo knows how to play Sean and Christian as always and gets what he wants and they get to keep a secret that could destroy their business . Poor Merril , I don't think we'll see him again anytime soon .
|
490,172 | 33,913 | 970,525 | 9 |
An Excellent Short Film !
|
The acting is above average . I liked April Nicholson playing Mrs . Wright , the grieving mother , and the young man who played an aspiring reporter . The young man's role is that he just lost his mother and is on assignment to ask a grieving mother about pictures of her dead son from a car accident . There is a third character , Tamara , who is like a mentor to the journalist . The cast does a fine job in their performances and I wish them well for the future . The film has a surprising twist without an explanation which is why I am only giving it a nine . The film is short enough to play this story and three characters is defined very quickly . I think they should be proud of this short film but I want to ask what really happened at the end . I am wondering what happened if at all . I think that is what the director wants us to do and discuss what happened .
|
490,217 | 33,913 | 590,925 | 9 |
Send in the Clowns ! ! !
|
I don't know why we haven't heard of Judy Cohen since this episode . She can break your heart singing Stephen Sondheim's Send in the Clowns . She plays herself as an aspiring singer who beats herself down very much because she is overweight and not the classic beauty . J . J . takes to her because he is need of a good act in the music business . His previous act fell apart and he takes on Judy as a client . They have a short working relationship because even though everybody loves Judy so does a powerful agent who forces J . J . to make a decision about Judy's career . The episode is powerful and quite interesting to see how Judy interacts and treats J . J . with the same respect and loyalty that he did for her . But for her career , J . J . had to make a difficult decision . Where are you Judy Cohen ? I hope you're still singing your heart out .
|
490,329 | 33,913 | 304,636 | 9 |
It's a fascinating look at Bundy & Ridgway
|
I had just bought the book , The Riverman , in Ketchikan , Alaska . I was on vacation and I bought it at a drugstore . It is perhaps one of the best books ever written about Bundy . Keppel does not leave anything out regarding Bundy or Ridgway in the book but the film version is conduced to keeping the important facts and information . Those pictures of Bundy's murder victims are real authentic . What other films about Bundy fail to express is what he did with the bodies of his murdered victims afterwards . In order to catch the Green River Killer , he had to befriend Ted Bundy , played admirably by Cary Elwes . He does such an excellent job that it's frightening and often chilling . Cary Elwes is the best Bundy I have ever seen in television movies . He even brings out a sympathetic side to his human monster never before . No , this movie is not for children or squeamish adults . If the viewers watch without much information , they may not be able to grasp the horror of both the Green River and Bundy's legacies . But watch how Bundy uses his knowledge to try to solve one of the world's biggest mysteries . While Bundy did not live long enough to see the Riverman's capture , he died a complete coward and confessed to all his crimes with hopes of saving his own life .
|
490,802 | 33,913 | 310,357 | 9 |
Quite good !
|
I have to say Crispin Glover was born to play the role of Williard Stiles , a lonely disturbed man beaten down by his boss at work . His mother does not even like his name and changes it to Mark . I like the usage of Bruce Davison's role in the film as Williard's father . Poor Williard , he never had much success with women , work , or friends . So he befriends a white mice that he names Socrates and he chooses him to be his sole companion and friend . That is eerie enough . Big Ben is a huge brown rat who is jealous of Socrates ' place in Williard's life . Williard uses the rats and trains them to become his weapon against his vile soul-less boss , Mr . Martin . First , he uses them to seek revenge . When Socrates is murdered , Williard uses Ben and the thousands of rat followers to seek vengeance on his killer . When Williard loses his mother , we see his loneliness in life and in death . Poor Williard , he is friendless except for his Socrates . It is amazing how the rats know how to behave in this film to be dangerous and murderous . I liked the supporting cast which includes Jacie Burroughs playing poor Mrs . Stiles and Laura Elena Harring , the only human friend Williard has at all . The ending makes us want more and a sequel could just do that . Crispin Glover rarely gets to use his acting ability in other works until now . He allows the audiences to see his potential as a lead actor and not just a supporting actor . I am giving the film a 9 score because I think they could have explored Williard's painful childhood and explain the man that he becomes in this film .
|
489,870 | 33,913 | 112,305 | 9 |
Take out your handkerchiefs !
|
I think this film is a very good television movie that did not receive a lot of credit or attention . Interracial romances have always been controversial from L . A . Law to All My Children . Remember Michelle Greene got more hate mail regarding her kiss of African American actor , Blair Underwood , than when she kissed female Amanda Donohoe and that was in the early nineties . Courtney B . Vance plays an African American soldier during World War II who meets and falls in love with Kerry Fox's character , an unhappy wife of a British soldier and mother . The casting is excellent with Ned Beatty and Rolf Saxon reminding the African American soldiers to keep their hands off the British women . I felt this film showed another side of the war . It was just as ugly . The segregation of black and white soldiers is unforgivable part of American history . I disliked the unhappy ending so I gave it a 9 but other than that . I felt this is a movie that should be seen and discussed about for years to come .
|
490,829 | 33,913 | 138,083 | 9 |
Bring back the after school specials ! We Need Them !
|
Seasonal Differences had a great cast including the wonderful , incomparable Uta Hagen as a Holocaust survivor Omi and family matriarch . Her Jewish American granddaughter played by Canadian actress Megan Follows who is under-rated , is dating a non-Jewish boy . Friction occurs at school when the nativity scene raises highbrows and causes problems among religions . What I remember most about this after-school special was the seriousness and delicate approach that was made to understanding two people from different religions , Judaism and Christianity . The special was special because it taught and displayed religion as a positive rather than negative around the holiday time . When her boyfriend and Omi talk about Christmas presents , he makes a negative remark but Christmas is about miracles in general . We need miracles no matter what faith you are in this day . Seasonal Differences was a great example of teaching students and teens like I was about respecting and tolerating differences and sharing them and celebrating them too .
|
489,963 | 33,913 | 75,511 | 9 |
Another Classic Britcom ! 4 C . B . E . ' s !
|
When I heard of Good Neighbors , I didn't think much of it . Then when they began airing it after Waiting for God on WLIW Long Island last year . I became enchanted by a star cast , Richard Briers , Felicity Kendal , Penelope Keith , and the late Paul Eddington . Paul , Richard , and Felicity have been honoured with a C . B . E . ( Commander of the British Empire ) . Richard and Penelope also received the O . B . E . ( Officer of the British Empire ) and now have C . B . E . ' s as well . It's so amusing to watch these four talented actors at work . Richard and Felicity's roles as Tom and Barbara Good are wnderfully portrayed with such charm . Felicity has such a wonderful musing face to watch on screen . You can't take your eyes off her . No wonder Richard Briers is one of Kenneth Branagh's favorite actors . He is simply likable . Paul and Penelope's Margot play their neighbors who prefer offices and modern technology to Tom and Barbara's new lifestyle of pigs and crops . You wouldn't know it if you knew that Penelope actually is an avid gardener herself and lives in Surrey from her performance as the socialite , Margot Ledbetter . Good Neighbours actually had a command performance for the Royal Family who were big fans of the show . No wonder , it's a great show .
|
490,416 | 33,913 | 68,611 | 9 |
Not one of the Master Hitchcock's Best but not the worst either !
|
Watching Frenzy from Sir Alfred Hitchcock is quite fascinating . The cast features the great Billie Whitelaw C . B . E . , Clive Swift ( Keeping Up Appearances ) , Jean Marsh ( who should be awarded Damehood by now ) , the unforgettable Vivian Merchant in a great small role as the cop's wife who likes to cook French cuisine . Of course , Anna Massey who plays one of the victims . In the murder sequence featuring Barbara Leigh Hunt ( another British actress worthy of a British honor and is one of Dame Judi Dench's very best friends and the godmother to her only child ) was difficult but yet unbelievable to watch . Just when you think he might let her live , you are wrong . She is the first murder victim and the whole rape and murder is shown explicitly . We know who the killer is all along but we don't know how they are going to catch in the act . The murder of Anna Massey was done differently because once they entered his character's apartment . The door becomes closed to us as the spectator . We don't know how bad it is until later . So watching how the murderer escapes from this one is quite unforgettable . You think he'll get caught and the movie is worth watching because of the London locations alone .
|
490,441 | 33,913 | 138,097 | 9 |
Yes , Saving Private Ryan got robbed ! But it's still a fine film !
|
Shakespeare in Love is an alright film . I like the casting of Tom Wilkinson , Imelda Staunton , Judi Dench , Anthony Sher , Gwyneth Paltrow , Ralph Fiennes , Ben Affleck , etc . It really is a first cast . The script is better than good , almost great . The directing is also first rate . But this is where I agree that another film by Steven Spielberg should have won the Best Picture for the Oscar . What Shakespeare lacked , Spielberg well provided for in his triumphant film of the Normandy landing . Yes , Tom Stoppard is a wonderful playwright , very cerebral , and it is a good love story . I don't think it was Paltrow's finest performance to date but then I like Shallow Hal better . The film is worthy to watch for historic and educational purposes . It is also a very entertaining film as well . It has a humorous moments . First of all , Judi should have won an Oscar for a role earlier in her performance in " Her Majesty , Mrs . Brown . " Like another film , she gets honored a year later for an 8 minutes performance ( a record ) . Maybe they forgot Beatrice Straight's performance in Network which won an Oscar as well .
|
490,710 | 33,913 | 417,731 | 9 |
A Promising Director's Impressive Debut Film !
|
Scott McKinsey is the son of the late soap actress , Beverlee McKinsey . Scott has worked as a director behind the soap scenes for years to earn his status . In this film , he takes a true story of Eddy Patterson , an 18 year old autistic but intelligent and likable sports adult . The actor who plays Eddy does a brilliant job in bringing this character to life . He is played by Brian Presley who could have easily earned nominations if the Hollywood community would pay attention . All Eddy wants to do and dream about is playing for the Los Angeles Clippers so he takes a bus to Los Angeles where he doesn't know anybody or have any money . Thank God for Anna Maria Horsford's character , Carol , who runs the homeless shelter downtown . She relays the task of mentoring to Mike Jeffreys , a former pro basketball player , who is doing community service within the shelter . He is reluctant to be big brother . I was hoping to catch a glimpse of Scott's mother , Beverlee , who retired from acting since 1994 officially in any role capacity . Regardless , Scott is an incredible director and has a promising future .
|
489,747 | 33,913 | 312,081 | 9 |
The show is going on for John !
|
ABC has done more for this show by allowing television veterans James Garner and David Spade to join the cast of this show . At first , the show was watchable and even predictable with John Ritter and Katey Sagal . John's loss shocked the world . Katey and the three kids are really a solid professional cast . The hour lesson after John's death in real-life struck home to me . I lost my father at 17 years old and could sympathize and understand their pain and agony . ABC should be proud to maintain this show and even preserve this as John's final wish . This show has matured and developed because of such impossible circumstances . They should be rewarded with Emmys .
|
490,151 | 33,913 | 888,288 | 9 |
If the Walls Could Talk , They would tell such stories !
|
What a season for Nip / Tuck with guest stars like Catherine Deneuve who flew all the way from Paris , France to appear in this show , Brooke Shields who played the stalking psychiatrist Dr . Wolper , Jacqueline Bissett as James , the pimping body part stealer , and the wonderful Larry Hagman who played Bert Landru who died under the wrong circumstances . In this episode which also featured Brenda Vaccaro , Diana Lubay is a European woman who has lived in Miami for 15 years . Well , she wants the doctors to place her husband's ashes into her breasts . Once they do the deed , they learn that she was not married to the man but his longtime mistress . Vaccaro who is always worthy to watch plays the dutiful wife . Anyway the cast also notice Sean's sudden behavior change over Julia's departure . The show also had Christian selling his condo . If only the walls could talk , Christian starts seeing the women in his life like the blind woman , Kimber of course , and the woman who had to put a bag over her head because he didn't find her attractive . Well , Mario Lopez reprises his role as the fit plastic surgeon . I liked the scenes with Christian trying to close the door on his past . I don't care for his relationship with Michele . I'm sure the end will come soon enough for the season but I can't wait 9 months for the next season . It's too long .
|
490,576 | 33,913 | 425,395 | 9 |
A Very Funny Movie !
|
The movie is first rate with a great acting ensemble like Ron Livingston better known for his leading role in Office Space , Emmy Winner Christine Baranski playing his adoptive mother , Edward Herrmann as his adoptive father . His adoptive parents are conservative WASPY and prominent country club member folks living in suburban Chicago . Neve Campbells plays his loving and supportive fiancé . Beverly D'Angelo is almost unrecognizable as his tacky future mother-in-law . Of course , the movie gets wild when he is introduced to the Menures played by Oscar winner Kathy Bates and Danny DeVito as the traveling carnival trailer park folks who are the complete opposite of his adoptive parents . It brings the argument of nature v . nurture . Bates and DeVito really liven things up after only a weekend which lasts longer when their trailer is destroyed by a tornado in Illinois . There is a moment where he imagines his birth parents to be intelligent , elitist , and left wingers only to get the Menures . The movie was just shown on Comedy Central and I'm sure we'll be seeing it again and again if Comedy Central knows what it's good for !
|
490,628 | 33,913 | 1,104,392 | 9 |
Okay , you won me over !
|
First , let me say that I am not big on dramas of any kind . There usually is more drama behind the scenes that is far more interesting than on camera but somehow I am won over by this show's different take . It's filmed and set in Albuquerque , New Mexico with two U . S . Marshalls . The female U . S . Marshall , Mary Shannon , is a tough broad who acts more masculine but her femininity is clearly coming through . If the character was played by an unattractive or homely actress , she would come across as masculine . I think because she is attractive that she is more likely to get away with beating up on men while her male partner watches her . The actress , Tony nominee Mary McCormack , has produced a character that is not always likable at times . She's rough and aggressive especially towards the men . Some critics might argue that she hates men even though she is clearly drawn to her partner Marshall Mann played equally well by Fred Weller . He has to play straight man to Mary Shannon's quirks . Regardless , I keep thinking of Mulder and Scully in the X-Files . There is clearly a deep attraction with their characters that hasn't reached the surface . Okay besides that , this episode has guest star Dave Foley as Horst something who is taken into custody by the Marshalls . During this time , Shannon learns that her partner has put in for a transfer . There is a shootout and they are somewhat stranded in the middle of the desert in an abandoned gas station / restaurant . Shannon's younger troubled sister and equally troubled mother played by the wonderful Lesley Ann Warren bond over drinks . In this show , Mary Shannon's character is more than just a tough U . S . Marshall but more of the family caretaker and leader . We don't know much about Father Shannon's character or if Jinx , the mother , is widowed or divorced but I'm waiting to find out . I am surprised that this show is a hit on USA .
|
489,802 | 33,913 | 356,999 | 9 |
Almost Perfect ! It Should be in the West End or Broadway !
|
In my opinion , I didn't know that this was a musical comedy . The French make the best films around with character driven story lines . This film has a first rate cast but I didn't care for Lambert Wilson's performance as the American , Eric Thomson . I did love Isabelle Nanty as Arlette , the old maid . She was perfect and memorable . Arlette's sister , Gilberte , has a problem . She has three men in her life including her unsuspecting second husband who thinks he's her first , her first American husband , Eric Thomson , who comes to Paris on business , and a young male artist / teacher Charly who prefers older women . The film is first rate in art direction , costumes , music , casting , and writing . I felt Lambert Wilson was out of place and out of tune as the American . But still , this film has memorable characters and can cheer you right up .
|
490,170 | 33,913 | 775,529 | 9 |
Excellent Film about Contemporary Family Relations !
|
Savages was written and directed by Tamara Jenkins . Oscar nominee Laura Linney and Oscar Winner Philip Seymour Hoffman play estranged siblings , Wendy and John . She is an aspiring playwright in New York City and he's an aspiring author / literature professor in Buffalo , New York . The chemistry is perfect between them two as siblings with messed-up lives . They are called when their ill father played beautifully by Philip Bosco needs them the most at the end of his life . There are questions about dementia and his health after an unfortunate incident with his girlfriend at her home in Sun City , Arizona . Wendy wants better for him but is forced to confront reality . John is the realistic of the two siblings . Both are childless except for their literary contributions and for Wendy's cat , Genghis , and dog , Marley as they both approach middle ages . I barely recognized Debra Monk but enjoyed seeing Nancy Lenehan and Margo Martindale who are always a treat as character actresses in their roles .
|
490,277 | 33,913 | 79,417 | 9 |
A Movie Still Relevant Today !
|
I saw Kramer v . Kramer on video and it still touches my soul . The original score is excellent . I love the fact that they filmed in New York City by showing the sights and sounds of New York in 1979 . I thought Meryl Streep showed that she's a scene stealer in this film and deserved her academy award as well as Dustin Hoffman did for Best Actor . Jane Alexander is superb as the supportive divorcée and single mother Margaret . Justin Henry proved his acting abilities as a young ten year old in this special role . The direction of the film moves quite decently for this melodrama . Films about divorce have come and gone but this film is still a classic because it seems so genuine , real , and authentic . If you have a first rate cast , writing , and a great director , Robert Benton , the film is an American classic in the same sense as Ordinary People . It's still a movie that everybody can relate too .
|
489,956 | 33,913 | 54,198 | 9 |
Never on Sunday ! That's my day of rest !
|
It is easy to see why I am fascinated with Greece . It is not because of it's role in this film . Melina Mercouri plays a self-made woman of the world's oldest profession in one of the world's greatest civilizations . She is beautiful , intelligent , and independent from men . In fact , she entices men to her rather than play subservient and inferior . Melina Mercouri was perhaps Greek's best known actress . While American born and bred , Jules Dassin's character , Homer , tries to capture his vacation in Greece . He tries to change her like Professor Higgins in Pygmalion and My Fair Lady . He cannot change what is special and unique about her . Ilia is a force to be reckon with and returns to her glory as the best person around , herself . She is a strong woman who makes no excuses for her lifestyle . The men adore and worship her like a Greek Goddess . Perhaps , that's what she is - - a Greek Goddess ! It makes you want to go to Greece ever more . It is no wonder that in real life , Jules Dassin and Melina Mercouri fell in love .
|
489,741 | 33,913 | 105,943 | 9 |
It's a likable show !
|
As Time Goes By is actually a mediocre show . Sometimes , I can't believe the stories including when Dame Judi Dench's character , Jean , informs her sister-in-law played by the wonderful Moyra Fraser about Lionel being a psychiatrist . There are lots of wonderful moments in this show about their reunion and relationship . The casting of Joan Sims ( who was never awarded Damehood herself should be considered a crime ) and Frank Middlemass added an interesting touch that you're never too old to fall in love . I thought Joan Sims was simply wonderful and did not know about her until this role as Madge , Rocky's wife . She died before the series ended in 2001 and her death was written into the show . Geoffrey Palmer should get the O . B . E . ( Officer of the British Empire ) for his services to television comedy which he did in the 2005 Queen's New Year's Honours List for his services to drama . That award is long overdue . After all , Dame Judi Dench is one of Britain's most beloved actresses and acting treasures . If the show ended with him reading his letter to her , it would have been perfect . In fact , they came back and were stronger than ever .
|
490,270 | 33,913 | 66,932 | 9 |
Classic Columbo !
|
This Columbo episode is probably noted more for the director , Steven Spielberg , as one of his early films . It should be looked at for Jack Cassidy's role as the murderer who kills his partner in writing to maintain his lifestyle . Jack Cassidy would appear in a later Columbo . After all , Columbo meets his match in Jack Cassidy's character . He is a mystery writer who plots to perform the perfect murder . After his first murder , his next victim would be the annoying general store owner / widow who would blackmail him for money . Rather than losing more money , he kills her . It is very entertaining to watch Cassidy and Falk as always . Falk's familiarity as Columbo makes him watchable after viewing this episode repeatedly over the years . What television today forgets about the success of years is that people will want to watch the shows again and again if they like the characters . It's not about who does it , how and why , it the familiarness of Columbo and his likability which scores high with viewers like myself .
|
490,319 | 33,913 | 88,128 | 9 |
Still worth watching again and again !
|
I too remember seeing this film in the movie theater with my dad and sister . The film is typical John Hughes fare . It's about a 16 year old girl played of course by Molly Ringwald . She does a superb job as the girl who is never really embraced in the high school life . She is rather treated more like an outcast than actually accepted . She is part of the crowd but not as popular as her sister Ginny played by Blanche Baker . She is lone and forgotten on her sixteenth birthday . Her family is too busy dealing with the wedding of her older sister , Ginny , and out of town relations crashing for the weekend . What a cast too , you have Carlin Glynn playing Mom Baker and Paul Dooley playing Dad Baker . Justin Henry plays her annoying younger brother , Mike . The in-laws are played by Billie Bird and Carole Cook . The laughs just roll in too . Liane Baker plays Sam's best friend . Anthony Michael Hall plays the Geek . Havilland Taylor plays the girl of every boy's dreams , and Michael Schoeffling plays the beautiful Jake . Anyway , the writing is pretty good , the cast is excellent , and the scenes are unforgettable . Also John Kapelos plays the hunky groom and Zelda Rubenstein plays the pianist . ALl in all , it's a great film with a happy , unrealistic ending .
|
490,325 | 33,913 | 256,380 | 10 |
A Wonderful Heartfelt Movie to be watched over and over again !
|
I read somewhere that Gwyneth Paltrow wore her fat-suit around to see people's reaction . Almost unrecognizable , she received negative , malevolent treatment from total strangers . People were not giving her the time of the day . Obesity is seen as a weakness or an embarrassment by the general population . Even though , the American population is getting more obese each day and not just by eating the wrong foods . One of the reasons I love this movie is that Gwyneth Paltrow's performance as Rosemary gives her a heart and soul . You cannot help but like Rosemary . When Hal sees her under Tony Robbins spell , you begin to see a pattern . He sees other people in the same light . Their inner beauty comes alive . The most heart-wrenching scene is at the pediatric burn unit where he is comforting Cadence . It is perhaps my favorite scene in the movie . Hal becomes more human and falls in love with Rosemary even though he does not see the actual person until the end of the film . I cannot help but like this film for not trying to change Rosemary nor anybody else . It was Hal who needed to be changed . Love is blind until you see the inner beauty of your soulmate . This film is also good to watch to gain a better tolerance and understanding of obesity . You do not have to be physically beautiful to have inner beauty . Inner beauty remains long after the physical beauty has faded away .
|
490,495 | 33,913 | 221,425 | 10 |
Thank You , Bob Ballard ! But People , Leave Titanic alone now !
|
Dr . Bob Ballard is one of my favorite people of all time . It is he who helped discover Titanic's location . I remember watching this special after TBS aired the film S . O . S . Titanic from 1979 . During this special , you can't help but be moved and touched . Dr . Ballard never wanted Titanic to be seen as a place for scavengers . He wanted it preserved from it's legacy . Sadly , every since the discovery 20 years ago , people like film director James Cameron and others have visited this holy site where over a thousand people died , some of their bodies have never been recovered . I remember the film that aired right before the special and I still have that tape believe it or not . I have a couple of the Titanic copies by the National Geographic Special . I also have A Night to Remember tapes as well but I can't watch any of them . I even have James Cameron's Titanic but I can't watch it neither . Titanic has always had a place in my heart . While the film , S . O . S . Titanic , never spent so much money , I remember the closing shot of the film and Titanic's deck chairs in the snow-capped ocean . It reminded me of her and all those lost among them . Anyway , Bob Ballard brought a lot of respect and dignity to the ship itself . He never forgot the thousand of people who died . He never picked up a souvenir . His souvenir to all of us was finding her as she deteriorates more and more each day . Like a one time beauty queen who left the limelight , Titanic has become older , frail , and taken by time and the elements . We will never forget the legacy of Titanic . As Susan St . James ' character said in the film before the special ; " I won't feel safe again . "
|
489,947 | 33,913 | 102,926 | 10 |
Definitely not for the Squeamish or Easily frightened !
|
The Silence of the Lambs is one of the most frightening yet intense and intelligent films from the early nineties . The casting of Sir Anthony Hopkins as the evil Dr . Hannibal Lector was a perfect choice and he won an Academy Award for his 16 minutes of airtime . Jodie Foster deserved her second Academy Award for Best Leading Actress in this film . Jodie's Clarice Starling is perhaps one of the best female heroine roles of all time . I enjoyed watching this film again on AMC with tidbits of information on the bottom of the screen about the film-making . I would have like to have seen more Diane Baker on screen . I would have like to have known more about Dr . Lector's past too . The film always packs a punch when you least expect it at the end of the film . Besides great acting , directing , and writing , there is something unforgettable about this film . You walk away wondering about why this happens and about the monsters inside of them .
|
489,746 | 33,913 | 61,240 | 10 |
Still my favorite show !
|
I loved the Carol Burnett show when I was a child . It was in half-hour reruns . After spending the last weekend watching TV Land marathon , I just learned why . It was one of the most entertaining experiences in television history . This was a great cast of highly talented people not just the beloved star , Carol Burnett . Her former husband Joe Hamilton produced the show . Her friends like Harvey Korman , Tim Conway , Vicki Lawrence , and Lyle Waggoner were all uniquely talented and gifted . We can see why this show thrived . Most of the cast were there from beginning to end . After 11 years of superb Emmy winning and golden globe episodes , the show is available on DVD and can be seen on TV Land where it belongs with some of television's classics . It is still a classic . Sometimes Saturday Night Live and MAD TV can embrace the wholesome comedy as a risk in itself .
|
489,812 | 33,913 | 89,960 | 10 |
Still the Vagabond !
|
I can't believe that I saw this film ten years ago in Dr . Flitterman-Lewis ' class on Women and Film at Rutgers in New Brunswick , New Jersey . It was probably one of the most memorable films from that class . I thought Sandrine Bonnaire did an absolute brilliant job as playing Mona . I felt so sorry for her . She was never really home anywhere and nothing ever worked out for her . Maybe she just didn't fit in anywhere and longed for something better but she was getting worse . She lived anywhere in the fields , etc . She needed the kindness of strangers who never forgot her as they told her friends . She needed a bath to be washed away from the dirt of her existence . She never belonged anywhere . We didn't know her parents or where she came from . She just came and left without answering questions .
|
490,498 | 33,913 | 80,319 | 10 |
So Funny that you'll cry laughing !
|
What a combination of great talent in this cast and that includes Oscar nominees Lily Tomlin and Dolly Parton with 2-time Oscar winner Jane Fonda and Dabney Coleman playing their despicable boss . Remember when typewriters were the computers of our time and on every office desktop imaginable . Anyway , I liked Peggy Pope and Marian Mercer as well but you can't top Tomlin as divorced mother of four Viola , Dolly's Doralee happily married to a country singer , and Jane's Judy who is not always goody two shoes . The three women become friends and smoke a joint after their boss played brilliantly by Dabney Coleman . I think the cast just had such a grand old time making this movie that there is still talk of a reunion and the four major cast members reunited last year for Jane's charity benefit in Atlanta , Georgia . I loved the scenes where they imagined giving Hart played by Coleman , a taste of his own medicine . The kidnapping is also worth watching as well . I can't forget Sterling Hayden . This comedy is one of the all-time classic comedies especially about working environments and women's rights . When these three women take charge , they make changes that brought differences to the working place where their employees became better people which means happier employees . I guarantee if you are an employer and you want a productive environment , you have to have a happy working staff regardless of the cost .
|
490,049 | 33,913 | 80,306 | 10 |
Stellar Cast , Crew , and Writing !
|
Yes , Minister explained the intricacies about life as a member of parliament . Paul Eddington CBE ( The Good Life ) is the minister of parliament elected by his district or constituency . His new adviser is played by the brilliant Sir Nigel Hawthorne and Derek Fowlds is also brilliant in his role . The cast and crew did a remarkable job in trying to entertain and yet inform it's audiences all about the politics in their government at the Parliament . Much like a good situation comedy , the show is smart and funny without talking down to the audience . This show explains the importance of voting and taking part in elections . Tim Russert probably loved this show since he loved politics and we miss him so much . It's still a show worth watching for kids and adults . Maybe kids in Briton could enjoy and understand the policies of their own government by watching this show and appreciate their member of parliament more .
|
490,438 | 33,913 | 68,327 | 10 |
One of the Greatest All Time Musical Films !
|
Cabaret was far different that the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical films like The Sound of Music or Mary Poppins or Oklahoma . This film was decadent for the time of Berlin before Hitler's rise to power . As the Nazi movement was gaining power , Berlin residents like Sally Bowles played by the one and only Liza Minnelli had relationships with men and lived on her singing at nightclubs until she meets Michael York ( When will he be knighted ? ) anyway he plays the writer . Joel Grey won an Oscar as the Maestro . I loved the movie and won't bother to see the musical whether it's Judi Dench or anybody else playing Sally Bowles . THere was only one person who played Sally Bowles to me and that was the divine Liza with a Z . She totally becomes the character . When you see this film version , any musical whether the West End in London or Broadway in New York City will always be second rate to this cast . Of course , the fact that Bob Fosse directed this gem and changed the musical films forever from light and happy to dark and sad like in Cabaret . It's eerie to think that the people in the Cabaret have no idea of the horror that lies ahead with World War II and that's terrifying in general . I won't give away much but that this is Liza at her finest and best .
|
490,768 | 33,913 | 65,088 | 10 |
A heartbreaking adventure of a film !
|
I have to say that this film is quite difficult to watch sometimes . I believe Jane Fonda gave one of her best dramatic performances as a desperate woman . She earned an academy award nomination for her performance and it was worth it . Her co-star Michael Sarrazin won an Academy Award for his role in " West Side Story . " I think this was a great performance that followed his success but he never went anywhere . I like watching Bonnie Bedelia as the pregnant dancer . I have to confess that the main reason that I rented this film wasn't for any of the listed actors but for one of my all time favorite soap opera actresses , Beverlee McKinsey . I would give anything to see her act again whether it was a commercial or reading the phone book . SHe had a non-speaking role but her facial expressions was priceless . The dance telethon is cruel at times . The dancing goes on forever with breaks where the characters get to know each other a little better . The film also has Gig YOung who I believe won an Academy Award for his role .
|
490,375 | 33,913 | 250,581 | 10 |
The Story only a daughter could have written about !
|
Lorna Luft was the daughter of Judy Garland and her husband , Sid Luft . The mini-series stars the brilliant Judy Davis as the older Judy Garland while the younger Judy is portrayed by Guiding Light alum Tammy Blanchard . Both actresses would win Emmys for their performances . Judy Davis brings her to life once again as a brilliant but troubled performer , Judy Garland . The film displays Judy's drug and alcoholism as well as poor choices in marriages except for Luft and Vincente Minnelli . The film also shows Judy's estranged relationship with her stage mother played by Marsha Mason while doting on her beloved homosexual father . Frances Gumm was Judy's birth name and she was born to be a star by her mother's determination . Vincente Minnelli , Liza's father , was played by the wonderful Hugh Laurie OBE long before his role on House MD . Anyway , the film is a great tribute to Judy's legacy and Lorna has done a commendable job bringing the story to life and it was probably not that easy anyway .
|
490,040 | 33,913 | 108,981 | 10 |
Better than Absolutely Fabulous !
|
Dawn French who believed it or not turned down an O . B . E . ( Officer of the Order of the British Empire ) with her comedy and professional partner , Jennifer Saunders in 2000 , is worth watching alone . She is one of the funniest women in the United Kingdom or worldwide . The show is funny and worth watching over and over again . I love watching Emma Chambers who is better known to audiences for her role in " Notting Hill " with Julia Roberts . As Alice , she is purely divine and innocently funny . The popular Liz Smith ( not the gossip columnist from New York City ) is better known to audiences as the grandmother and has appeared in " Charlie and the Chocolate Factory " and " Oliver Twist " is also memorable for her role as Letitia . Why they took her away , I'll never know because she's still working at 85 years old . They have an Easter episode worth watching again and again and a Christmas episode that you won't believe . I don't remember the other cast members but Geraldine as the Vicar is one of the most memorable and familiar faces to have made an enormous dent in this British comedy . Forget Absolutely Fabulous , this show is absolutely fabulous and better than that show than it could ever could .
|
490,780 | 33,913 | 433,383 | 10 |
The Best Film of the Year !
|
I am amazed that this film does not get the same attention at Brokeback MOuntain . It is simply an incredible achievement for director George Clooney . My biggest complaint is that it is too short . There is so much going on during that time . I am reminded of how the news changed since the days of Edwin R . Murrow . I am reminded of how much I dislike my local and national news . There is too much softness regarding on reporting abroad . Major international news stories go unnoticed anyway . Maybe our society has become content to worry about our own problems . Murrow was an unsung hero of his time . He went against McCarthy who orchestrated a mass witch hunt unprecedented in American history since the Salem witch trials . I don't care for our news system today . It has become a sad commentary . This is a first rate cast with David Straitharn sure to earn a Best Actor NOmination at the Oscars . I would like George Clooney to get one for director . This film is a triumph over controversial yet an important time in American history . We must not forget the communism witch hunt of the 1950s . Today , there is another kind of witch hunt going on . I don't care about other films . Nothing has made a strong impression on me this year but this film . I left wanting more of it . The black and white cinematography added a film noir to it . It could have been done in color but not as effective . Bravo , George Clooney . Your Aunt Rosemary would be so proud of your achievement .
|
490,655 | 33,913 | 116,581 | 10 |
One of My Favorite Movies !
|
I saw this film first on my way home from Paris to Newark aboard Air France in August 1996 . The film itself I believe is quite a masterpiece . It's the kind of film that people should be making . I still think Daniel Auteuil is one of the sexiest actors around . In this French film , he plays a divorced father and businessman who has lost his zest for life until he across a Down Syndrome man who lives in an institution with other Down Syndrome patients . The actors including the actor who actually has Down Syndrome create a believable friendship and relationship between these two unlikely men . Daniel's life and ours changes forever with the Down Syndrome man . He realizes that life is not just work and not play but for the living and loving and that's what life should be all about . The ending is kind of silly though but I still think it's one of my favorite movies . It's enough to bring a tear to your eye .
|
490,777 | 33,913 | 21,884 | 10 |
A Classic Frankenstein !
|
This was really the first film about Frankenstein . While it is over seventy years old , it is still amazing to watch . It's one of those early cinematographic achievements that remind us the origins of film-making . Colin Clive is superb as Dr . Henry Frankenstein . Unfortunately , he died of alcoholism . He could have accomplished so much more in his acting career if he had stayed off the sauce . The monster of Frankenstein has poignant moments like the scene with the little girl by the lake . I don't think he knew his own strength when he threw her into the water . I think he thought it's what she wanted . He didn't know any better . There is a great morality in this tale about cloning and playing God . Doctors today still play God by creating monsters . The cloning issue is a today issue and this film can remind us of the consequences when you play with God . You have to feel sympathy for Frankenstein . HE did not asked to be born or created . I am sure that there will always be remakes but this is the best original Frankenstein . The other version was silent . I felt that this film transcend time and reminded us of the early golden days of Hollywood where they were just happy with speaking in films . Maybe our film industry has gone too far , they have forgotten about language and character development .
|
490,494 | 33,913 | 75,866 | 10 |
One of my all time favorite Columbo episodes !
|
I love this episode of Columbo . Maybe it's because Ruth Gordon is in it and she is wonderful as successful mystery writer Abigail Mitchell , an American version of Dame Agatha Christie . She is delicious to watch as the perky , lovable author who suffered a terrible loss when her niece died in a drowning accident . She blames her niece's husband , the nephew . She plans to kill him to avenge her death since the police have abandoned her . I would have loved somebody else than Mariette Hartley to play Veronica . I never really like Hartley in anything personally . And of course with Columbo , there are some laughs like when he questions Veronica at a belly-dancing class . Ruth's Abigail is a smart sleuth herself and she matches wits with Columbo always played wonderfully by Peter Falk .
|
489,900 | 33,913 | 72,500 | 10 |
Twelve Episodes isn't enough !
|
Fawlty Towers sadly should have been more than 12 episodes or two seasons by British standards . John Cleese who turned down an C . B . E . ( Commander of the Order of the British Empire ) in 1996 should have been knighted but if he refused the C . B . E . then why bother but he is a comedic genius and brilliant intellectually . Sadly , he and his partner , his then wife American playing British woman , Connie Booth was also a major part . SHe played the only sane person among a sea of lunatics . Basil Fawlty is one of the most memorable characters in British television history . Who can forget the German episode or the wedding episode where the unmarried couple believe he is fooling around with Manuel played perfectly by Andrew Sachs . Prunella Scales C . B . E . is quite the opposite of her actual personality . I still love her and think she should become a Dame soon by now . Her performance as Sybil Fawlty is etched in stone . The cast including the older two women who are probably a lesbian couple which was never talked about on the show broke barriers even though they played it straight and Ballard Berkeley's performance as the Major in the moose episode is unforgettable . Twelve episodes is not enough . It should have ran for a 100 .
|
490,652 | 33,913 | 68,103 | 10 |
Then There's Maude !
|
Unfortunately , I never saw Maude until I got the DVD first season of her show . It appeared nowhere in syndication maybe because it was too controversial and might offend too many people . Compared to other shows today , Maude is quite mainstream and ahead of it's time . I loved Beatrice Arthur in this role of Maude , forget Dorothy Zbornak . Bea plays a terrific Maude Findlay , the cousin of dimwitted Edith Bunker , from All in the Family . Anyway , the casting of Bill Macy as Maude's fourth husband is genius . They work so well together . Adrienne Barbeau is terrific as her divorced daughter , Carol . Of course , we never see Philip , the eight year old dimwitted grandson . Then there is the supporting cast which is stellar like Conrad Bain as the conservative Republican right wing doctor neighbor and friend to Walter's character and Esther Rolle who plays the African American maid , Florida Evans who is fawned over by Maude's character in the beginning that she doesn't get much work done . Don't forget Rue McClanahan as dimwitted Vivian and friend of Maude . I can't help but like Maude . For all things that she gets wrong , she gets a lot of it right . Today's television writers and developers should learn from the sitcom master , Norman Lear , that a great show like Maude's can be both controversial and funny and genius too . Most sitcoms today lack the balance between left and right . Lear's sitcoms provided both sets of opinions without winning the battle . I'm sure if the sitcom people today would watch , they might learn something about developing quality sitcoms . Remember it's not quantity but quality and it's a shame . They think we want to see beautiful people like Friends in sitcoms with minor problems and the same point of view .
|
490,665 | 33,913 | 363,352 | 10 |
Come to the Magic Garden !
|
When I was five years old , it was my favorite television show . I remembered it was on channel 11 at 2PM everyday . The show's premise was simple with Carole and Janis as the hostesses of this children's television show . They sang songs and read stories to us as children . It was done in a studio with only 54 episodes which was re-broadcasted over and over . I remember Sherlock , the puppet , in the tree . The show taught us how to count , add , subtract , and the alphabet . For thirty minutes a day now , I learned something new with Paula and Janis . I remember those days as pleasant memories and now I hope the children of today can learn to love simpler things like hearing stories , inexpensive props , riding the swings , and talking to puppets . The set was ideal and simple but it was Carole and Janis who made it worth while while . I miss my childhood and those days where the most important thing was watching the Magic Garden . Life seemed so much simpler and better . Now , I hope the kids today enjoy the show .
|
489,928 | 33,913 | 68,098 | 10 |
What Made Television Great !
|
This show , MASH , is one of television greatest sitcoms . Based about life in the Korean War , the medical unit with a stellar cast like Alan Alda , Loretta Swit , Mike Farrell , Maclean Stevenson , David Ogden Stiers , Jamie Farr , and others maintained a show that would last a decade and be more popular than the original film . In fact , I can't imagine seeing the film because it would be something else to me entirely . The gang at 4077 maintained a great sense of humor in time of war . There weren't silly , ridiculous , and insensitive . Rather they were the complete opposite . This show should be studied for students of sitcom production to show how a good show can be done with a stellar cast , writing , and directing . Sometimes , this show can be addictive to watch and makes you long for those days of Grade A golden age of television where sitcoms were of the finest caliber . A show like MASH today would never survive the harshness of Hollywood's war against quality sitcoms .
|
490,578 | 33,913 | 66,193 | 10 |
Better than the Remake !
|
I didn't appreciate this film until I saw the updated version . This film starring Jack Lemmon and Sandy Dennis as Ohio visitors to New York City . The trip is nearly disastrous from the moment that they get off the airplane . Of course , this film is one of Neil Simon's better works . The couple lose their luggage , get robbed , and don't have a clue about the way that the city works . George is here for a job interview and has high hopes of moving to the city with his wife , kids , and dogs . He has a romanticized notion of New York City that he sees in the films and television shows . Being there is different from just the movies , I think the ending speaks for itself . New York City is not for everyone but it's how they came to the realization of how tough it is to be New Yorker and even the ending is something that could have generated a sequel .
|
490,199 | 33,913 | 68,120 | 10 |
Won't Be the Same Without You , Bob !
|
I can't imagine anybody else than Bob Barker hosting the Price is Right . After all , he has been hosting for decades . Now in his youthful eighties , he is retiring . No longer will he be the game show host or retired . The game show is based on the normal people , randomly chosen by the show's announcer to come on down to be one of the four bidders . Once you win the closest bid to the item , you win the item and get on stage with Bob Barker which must be a thrill in itself . If you're lucky , you make it to the final round and get a chance to bid on possibly a new car , expensive vacations , etc . You can win both showcases if bid under a hundred dollars on your showcase . The show won't be the same without him . He's the heart and soul of the show . They named the studios after him . Nobody could fill Bob Barker's spot now or never !
|
490,756 | 33,913 | 17,423 | 10 |
Brilliant even without sound !
|
Before sound and talkies became the norm in the film industry , we had to settle with black and white cinematography and an original score to understand the story . Mary Pickford was a brilliant actress and one of the first true movie stars who made the transformation from the silent films to the talkies . This film should be considered one of the true classic silent films of all time . Mary Pickford was one of Hollywood's earliest stars and it was a time when the film industry appeared innocent and so new . Everything surprised audiences with delight and films were scene over and over until they knew it by heart . It's a shame that today's films forget the brilliance of simplicity and work on shocking us or losing the role of actors and actresses . Great films don't have to be spectacular spectacles . They could tell simple stories with great acting and writing and you have a great film .
|
490,155 | 33,913 | 442,685 | 10 |
A Dame is Announced !
|
Dame Geraldine McEwan ( since she refused becoming a dame in 2002 and an O . B . E . or Officer of the British Empire in 1986 ) , I am going to call her that anyway . Geraldine is a finely trained actress and her role as the new Jane Marple of the new century is a welcome delight . This is a first rate production with stunning visuals of post World War II country life . She is on vacation at a spa and visits her friend's lesbian daughter , Amy , and her partner , Lizzie . Jane probably knows about them from Lizzie's masculine attire . In the first part , they hold hands but not much more . They are discrete in uncertain . Of course , watching the rest of the cast is delightful with Zoe Wanamaker C . B . E . as the prime target who survives being shot and her sister played by the wonderful Elaine Page who mostly does musicals with her excellent singing voice . Like in the previous Miss Marples , I remember her saying " Murder is never simple1 ! " I am excited to see Geraldine McEwan . I am sure Dame Agatha Christie is smiling down upon her with approval . I am sure that the previous actresses like Dame Margaret Rutherford and Joan Hickson are delighted to see an interest in Miss Marple Mysteries . Oh , I can't forget the music .
|
490,608 | 33,913 | 72,519 | 10 |
They don't make them like they used too !
|
The Jeffersons happened to be a spin off from All in the Family . I loved the relationship between George's mother played the wonderful Zara Cully who passed away during the series long run and Louise known as Weezy played by the wonderful Isabel Sanford . Then they brought in Florence as the maid played by the hilarious Marla Gibbs , the sparks flew between her and George . Not those kind of sparks but a funny rapport between the two to last for years . The show explored everything like interracial relationships and race with tact and dignity . My most memorable moments from the show were about George being secret Santa to a Harlem family who now lived in his building . But then who could forget George opening the George Jefferon Museum . I am glad to watch this show again one night a week on a local station which pays homage to the seventies shows like the Jeffersons . The show had a stellar supporting cast like Roxie Roker and Franklin Cover as the interracial couple , the Willises , who become dear friends of the Jeffersons . Isabel Sanford passed away about a year ago . She was the first African American woman to win an Emmy for Best Leading Actress in a Comedy Series . She was very worthy to be a pioneer for the rest . The fact that Sanford was twenty years older than Helmsley is fascinating . Isabel always looked fabulous and younger than her actual age . I miss Isabel . She was one of a kind !
|
490,680 | 33,913 | 83,483 | 10 |
The Best of the Best !
|
After watching St . Elsewhere on Bravo , I realized that it is truly a superior show even now . It took chances that nobody else is willing to take . It is even more multi-ethnic than most dramas today . It makes ER and other medical shows look like they written by first graders . Even after all these years , St . Elsewhere has aged like fine wine . It is fresher now than ever before . Too bad , it struggled in its day . What a shame . It is truly one of the finest dramas on television today even in syndication . ER could learn a lot from watching St . Elsewhere . Too bad , ER's stars are ruining their own show . Maybe if William Daniels joined the cast , I would start watching it again . St . Elsewhere is one of the finest hours on television . Even now , it will blow you away . I miss the chemistry among it's characters and it's controversial but yet compassionate way of handling some situations . I still think Christina Pickles should be recognized with an MBE ( Member of the Order of the British Empire ) because it would boost the show's genius and brilliance all around the world . I dislike the fact that she will be more remembered for her role as Ross and Monica's mother on Friends than her days on St . Elsewhere as Nurse Rosenthal , a British woman with a love for Jewish men . Anyway , it was a show that just gets better in time . It's classic television and every medical show should watch and take notes .
|
490,532 | 33,913 | 212,346 | 10 |
A Fun Movie that will leave you in stitches long after !
|
I have to admit that I wasn't first crazy about this movie . But I watched it a couple of times on television and I still laugh about it . Sandra Bullock is perfect and I can watch her in anything anyway . She is one of the down to earth of today's crop of stars . Well , she plays Gracie Hart or Gracie Freebush ( an F . B . I . agent turned pageant contestant ) representing my state of New Jersey . I love Benjamin Bratt in the role of the other F . B . I . agent . I love Sir Michael Caine as the flamboyant pageant consultant . It's nice to see Ernie Hudson working again . I love watching William Shatner as the pageant maestro and the multi-talented Candice Bergen as Miss Morningstar . Both Shatner and Bergen are pretty good at their roles in this film . Maybe that's why they work so well together in Boston Legal . This movie has it's moments . I didn't care for the scene which Miss New York comes out of the closet . I felt that was silly and useless . They could have edited it out . Then the guys asked " Is it okay we say lesbian on television ? " Then the female ( let me guess that's she a lesbian too ) retorts " Do you have a problem with that ? " It's kind of the worst part of the film for me and embarrassing overall . But then you get to the crowning which I can't imagine a funnier moment in the film which I won't spoil for those who have yet to see it .
|
490,531 | 33,913 | 112,641 | 10 |
It's like a roller coaster ride ! It's addictive , fun , and entertaining !
|
I love Casino especially if I watch it from the beginning . Robert DeNiro should have won an Academy AWard for this performance along with Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone . The film is perfectly entertaining about casinos before it became Disneyland . There were other great performances by Don Rickles , Alan King , etc . The film is a Martin Scorsese film with two of his favorite actors - - Robert DeNiro and Joe Pesci giving Oscar performances . The script was fresh and entertaining . I also have to say that James Woods ' performance as Ginger's pimp was worthy of being nominated for best supporting actor . THis film has several fabulous scenes and moments . By the end , you really don't want it to end because it's that good . I love how Ace and Nicky ( Joe Pesci's character ) narrate and explain the on-going activities between the Las Vegas Casino and it's connection to Kansas City , Missouri . I really enjoy watching the scenes of Ace being in control and the corruption that occurs . But it's that kind of film . You know what happens but you enjoy the ride anyway and I do enjoy this film . I always look forward to seeing it on the cable stations . Of course , Ace and Nicky's friendship is the crutch of this film .
|
490,156 | 33,913 | 441,885 | 10 |
What a sheer delight to watch Dame Geraldine McEwan
|
She should have accepted one of England highest honors bestowed upon a woman , Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2002 . She declined to accept maybe just for the same reasons that she declined an O . B . E . ( Officer of the British Empire ) in 1986 . She is very well deserved of any honor . I am going to call her Dame Geraldine anyway because she is truly a great Dame of the British theater , television , and film . I remember watching her performance on Mulberry , a British comedy . Here she is perfectly cast of Jane Marple . She is a Marple for the twenty-first century like Joan Hickson O . B . E . was in the eighties and Dame Margaret Rutherford was in the sixties . Everybody's favorite sleuth is back . I think Dame Agatha Christie would be thrilled to have such a talent like Geraldine McEwan to play this role . The filming is exquisite . The setting is an English country village . The cast is also filled with some of Britain's finest theatrical actors like Sir Derek Jacobi known as the Lord Lawrence Olivier of our time , Janet McTeer , Miriam Margolyes O . B . E . , Jane Asher and others . The costumes are perfectly set to fit in picturesque English village . I loved the countryside in this adaptation . It makes it so inviting for us all to enjoy . The Murder at the Vicarage is entertaining from beginning to end but so much more with Geraldine McEwan as Jane Marple .
|
490,636 | 33,913 | 118,375 | 10 |
The Best Cartoon Family on Television !
|
Ten years after the Simpsons first debuted , Fox took another chance and gave us the Hill family from the Office Space guy , Mike Judge . At first , I grew to prefer the Hills to the Simpsons because I liked the Hills better . I identified with them more easily . Hank and Peggy Hill are a nice Texas couple who live with their never aging son , Bobby , in Arlen , Texas . They have neighbors who think they're just country bumpkins or hicks . Hank's friends are your neighborhood guys . Peggy Hill is an aspiring Spanish teacher / substitute teacher who has plenty of good ideas and believes in the best of people . This cartoon comedy has gone on for ten years because the characters never age and the story lines have ranged from serious to downright hysterical at times while dealing with serious issues at hand .
|
490,782 | 33,913 | 116,477 | 10 |
A Classic Film !
|
William Shakespeare would be proud of Kenneth Branagh's work in this film adaptation . Granted the uncut version is long and tedious but it is visually stunning and extremely well directed by the star as well . Maybe KEnneth Branagh is not only Laurence Olivier but our Orson Welles of this generation . They spared no expense in casting the finest actors around for pivotal roles . Sir Derek Jacobi was casted as King Claudius and Julie Christie was casted as Queen Gertrude . I guess Judi Dench was busy . Kate Winslet was casted as Ophelia . I'm sorry but I never did care for her in this role or in any other role . Besides Derek Jacobi who is also Kenneth Branagh's mentor . He casted Richard Briers ( The Good Life or Good Neighbors ) as Polonius or Ophelia's father . He does a fabulous take on the supporting role . Besides Briers is often casted in Branagh's films and if you knew him , you would see why . He is one of the most popular chaps in this business . The costumes are colorful . The scenery is also magnificent as well as the art direction . I am sad that Kenneth Branagh did not get an Academy Award nomination for this role . It's one of the best film versions to date . His only weakness is that he does not appear to go mad enough like Nicol Williamson in an earlier version who was really going mad . I liked the fact that he casted American legend , Jack Lemmon , in a small role . Also American legendary actor , Charlton Heston is also unforgettable in this film as Fortinbras . And Robin Williams in a small role . It is nice that he chooses talented American actors like Jack , Charlton and Robin to play roles . He could have chose anybody else . It's probably one of Charlton's last grat performances since he is suffering from Alzheimers . If you can , please watch and treasure this film classic .
|
490,196 | 33,913 | 246,430 | 10 |
A Fantastic Adaptation of Anne Frank's Diary !
|
Let's face this fact that Anne Frank's diary is almost as well read as the Bible , Torah , and Koran . We all know about Anne Frank , the Dutch Jewish girl , who hid in the attic with her family during World War II from the Nazis . She wrote in her diary about life in the attic and how they lived under constant fear and terror . The cast has Sir Ben Kingsley as Anne's father , Otto Frank , and lone survivor . Brenda Blethyn OBE is also in the cast . It's chilling when they get to the concentration camp of Bergen-Belsen , the separation , hair-shaving , and ritual act of dehumanizing everybody there . There was no talk among them as they sat with their hair being cut off for another purpose . We know who made it and didn't . After visiting Auschwitz in 2000 , I didn't feel what I supposed to feel like ghosts and hauntings which I feared the most because it drains you emotionally . Even 60 years after the Holocaust , I fear that people are forgetting about it and not learning from it . We haven't learned because there are other Anne Franks out there . It is still a haunting and chilling testament of survival and the human spirit .
|
490,706 | 33,913 | 640,623 | 10 |
Don't call her that !
|
Yeardley Smith guest stars as a runaway from the juvenile hall that Bubba was in . She runs to his house after seeing him tee-peeing the neighbors house . Bubba is equally afraid of her since she is considered to be one of the nastiest girls at reform school . Of course , things couldn't get worse since Mama Harper is planning to be the next president of the Church Ladies League and is expecting Reverand Meacham and his uptight wife , Alberta , for dinner . Earl Boen and Anne Haney are always memorable as the Reverand and Alberta , the older couple . Of course , Bubba's unexpected guest is starving and hungry and will do anything to eat or she'll ask the good reverend to pass the potatoes at the dinner table .
|
490,364 | 33,913 | 640,619 | 10 |
Mama Goes Dirty Dancing !
|
When Vint and Naomi sign up to go Dirty Dancing , Mama , Bubba , and Iola tag along to the dance contest . There Mama Harper reunites with a man who is now a widower . It turns out that Thelma and Carl and him and his late wife used to go dancing all the time . In this episode with the popularity of the film , Dirty Dancing , at the time of this episode , Thelma and the widower sign up for the contest while Iola and Bubba sign up too . When it comes down to the final round of the contest , it turns out that Mama and her dance partner are in the running for first place against Vint and Naomi . You have to watch and see who is the best dancing couple of dirty dancing in Raytown if possible .
|
490,817 | 33,913 | 640,615 | 10 |
Classic Episode !
|
When Bubba come home drunk and causing trouble , Mama Harper gives him a hard punishment . It's not until Iola explains about Thelma's experience with Eunice years ago . In this episode , Thelma and Eunice were scheduled to perform a mother-daughter act at the mothers and daughters luncheon at the church . Iola played amazingly unrecognizable by the actress , Nikki Cox , as a young girl who needs Thelma . Meanwhile older Eunice has already planned to be used and abused by Duke Reeves and his friends . They already have her making their sandwiches for the picnic . The actress , Heather Kerr , who plays Eunice does a brilliant job . Unfortunately because Vint's a boy , he can't go to the luncheon . Anyway , Eunice is brought by Duke Reeves , the love of Eunice's life , and she's wasted away . Thelma has to get her sober enough for their solo . Thelma sends Duke Reeves away . When Eunice sees Duke gone , she blames her mother for sending the love of her life away .
|
490,537 | 33,913 | 418,689 | 10 |
Restores my Faith in American Cinema !
|
I read the book a couple of years ago . When I was watching in the film in the smaller theater of the cinema , I kept remembering the names like Strank , Franklin Sousley , Iggy , James Bradley , Hank Hansen , Rene Gagon , and of course Ira Hayes . The movie can only do so much that the book is a great resource for learning more about Ira's life especially losing siblings at an early age . I remember Franklin was from Kentucky and his mother's name was Goldie Price Sousley Mitchell . Of course , James Bradley's son learns his father's life only before it's too late . I have to say that this film should be a front-runner for the Academy Awards easily . I predict Ryan Phillipe will get a Best Actor nomination but I don't think he would win . I think Jesse Bradford and Adam Beach should get Best Supporting Actor nominations . Judith Ivey was on screen for only a few short minutes . Clint Eastwood proves that he can direct something as emotionally challenging as Million Dollar Baby and something as riveting and complicated as the Flag Raising at Iwo Jima . I recommend to anybody who is interested in history to see this film and stay until the credits have finished rolling because you see the original photos of the men next to the actor's name and photos from Joe Rosenthal who just died recently . I hope he saw this film and gave his approval . The flag raisers of Iwo Jimo never considered themselves heroes , it was the public and press . They became icons and legends . Melanie Lynskey as a supporting role as Rene's girlfriend / fiancé / wife in the film . She is worth watching for in the future . This film is a must see on your to do list . Screenplay adapter , Paul Haggis ( Crash Oscar Winner ) and Clint Eastwood are going to win more Oscars to add to their crowded mantelpiece .
|
490,440 | 33,913 | 120,815 | 10 |
Spielberg's best film to date !
|
I first saw this film in the movie theater . The beginning of the Normandy landing has not left my mind . It is one of the most spectacular introduction to the film . You have a cast that includes Spielberg's favorite actor , Tom Hanks , Matt Damon , Paul Giamati , one of my personal favorites-Rolf Saxon in a non-speaking role . This film is mostly a male-dominated film with little or no romance . SPielberg's best asset is creating a spectacular image and this time , the landing on Normandy was not for the easily sickened . You will see the graphic display of the horror on that day which is what we should see . HE does not shy away from showing us human brutality at its worst but he later shows it at it's best . I didn't care much for the title about them rescuing one soldier to bring home . I wanted Steven Spielberg to know that this is his best film to date about World War II even surpassing Schindler's List which I felt was inferior to this film . The script was superb , the movie is just a breathtaking spectacle to date . It still should be seen in the movie theaters to show the effects and brutality and to remind us about how cruel war is on any level . he won the Oscar for best director but after seeing Shakespeare in Love , there is no doubt in my mind that Saving Private Ryan was robbed of Best Film . Sorry , Shakespeare in Love !
|
490,017 | 33,913 | 640,600 | 10 |
Think Positive !
|
Carol Burnett delivers her best performance as the miserable Eunice Harper Higgins in this episode . When her nephew Buzz comes in with news and help about the power of positive thinking in an audiotape , Eunice reluctantly buys a tape player and listens to it . Believing in the tape's message , she manages to get a small part in the local play . Eunice has never been happier nor has Mama ever been suspicious about her daughter's change even though it's far more positive . When Mama attends the rehearsal with Eunice , she sees that her daughter is getting stepped on by an over-possessive actress Sally played by Gloria DeHaven . There is a scene that is unforgettable in the Pepperpot Playhouse that I won't get into . We do see a bit of Ed Higgins played by the late Harvey Korman .
|
490,684 | 33,913 | 98,837 | 10 |
Absolutely Hysterical !
|
This show is Britain's greatest export since Faulty Towers . Patricia Routledge is truly a great physical comedienne to the like of Lucille Ball . Her character , Hyacinth , is one of a kind creation by Harold Snoad . He deserves all the kudos for creating a show with such intelligent humor about the class and family . Clive Swift compliments Routledge as her long suffering husband who takes orders from his wife . Why ? She doesn't listen to anyone . Her neighbors , Elizabeth , have understood her . Elizabeth is terrified of spilling coffee in her friend's kitchen or living room . She is so nervous of ruining her friend's table . Not that Hyacinth makes a fuss about it . She'll only say " we were thinking of getting another table anyway . " Emmett , Elizabeth's brother who runs the local operatic society and plays the piano . Hyacinth believes her voice is great enough to belong but rather break glass and cause him to hide from her . She believes he has a crush on her . Did I mention her sisters , Daisy , Violet , and Rose . Violet is the wealthiest sister with a cross-dressing husband who shapes ice in the form of naked ladies . Rose has been with almost every married man in town . She wears mini skirts to the disapproval of her big sister , Hyacinth . Daisy is the married sister with a strong sexual drive and a bone idle lazy sloppy husband , Onslow , who prefers to drink beer and watch racing on the tele . They live to the embarrassment of Hyacinth . She says " 50 years after the blitz . . . what do the garbage men know what to take . " Rose , Daisy , Onslow and Daddy all live together with a broken car sitting in front of the yard and a dog living in it . Daddy is senile and a dirty old man . He is picked up by Richard at a department store wearing a spacesuit one day while Hyacinth ditches the Councillor Nugent . Daddy says little but he is always going back to the war . He digs trenches in the yard and the commands the house . He even becomes a naturist or nudist . He goes after women all the time . He likes Mrs . Zbygn , a Polish immigrant who speaks no English . Why ? He says there's something mysterious about her . Hyacinth tells a huge dog that he can't sit in front of her house . " Go . You can't stay here . Go . " Hyacinth experiences with a horse aren't much better . Watch this show ! ! !
|
490,107 | 33,913 | 640,588 | 10 |
Classic Mama's Family !
|
I loved Mama's Family when it remembers the past . In this episode , Mama wants to clean the attic . Since everybody has an excuse but Buzz , he assists and asks her about her thirtieth birthday party . Mama remembers being younger and with three kids , Ellen , Eunice , and Vint . The kids who play younger versions of them are wonderful . First , Thelma is excited because if her husband Carl gets a promotion then she could get a freezer of her dreams . With more money , they could spend more . Of course , Thelma gets no encouragement from her mother who is also played by Vicki Lawrence who calls to inform her that she can't make the cake or come to her party . Grandma Crowley says it as she opens a can of beer and criticizes her daughter for being a terrible cook and her son-in-law as a loser . The party is not going so well when she has to use a fruitcake to substitute for a cake and Carl doesn't get the promotion .
|
489,915 | 33,913 | 640,590 | 10 |
Be ready for Mama's girls !
|
Aunt Effie needs to exercise according to her potbelly chain-smoking doctor . Mama has some suggestions but they don't work until Iola brings by tap-dancing shoes of her mother who can't because the class runs during her soap opera . Effie remind Thelma of her tap dancing days . With interest , they decide to enroll in the tap-dancing class for the senior ladies at the center . They find out that the teacher Bambi offers a few steps and leaves . They learn that insurance companies think tap-dancing senior ladies are a liability . Mama takes over the class and soon it's Mama's Girls on stage . Unfortunately , they learn that the insurance won't cover them tap dancing and wants to close down Mama's Girls . Well , let Mama handle it .
|
490,119 | 33,913 | 338,348 | 10 |
Classic Christmas Film !
|
Chris Van Allsburg best selling children's book is considered by many to be classic children's literature . The film version is an animated which benefits the story further . Tom Hanks plays the narrator , producer , and the train conductor . The animation is first rate , award winning , and breathtakingly realistic as well . Of course , this is a children's story and there are some dark moments like the girl who didn't have her ticket and the main character who found it and planned to return it to her so she doesn't get kicked off the train and the ending . Of course , I am surprised that there was negative criticism . If I had children , I would love a classic film like this about the true meaning of Christmas . The act of being the giver and the receiver is what the story is about . Let's not talk about the nativity , that's for another story . If It's good enough for Chris Van Allsburg , it's good enough for me .
|
489,976 | 33,913 | 65,329 | 10 |
Better than the film version !
|
For some people , Felix and Oscar will always be Jack Lemmon and Walter Mathau but not for me . To me , it will always be Tony Randall and Jack Klugman . They always seemed perfect together . The writing was always crisp and fresh . I never thought Tony Randall was gay . Just because you socialize or befriend Rock Hudson does not mean that Tony is gay . In fact , Tony was married to the same woman , Florence , for 54 years which is unbelievable nowadays . In fact , their marriage was stronger than most marriages today . When he lost Flo , he never thought that he would get married again much less become a father in his seventies . Tony Randall was the unsung hero of theater , television and film . He deserved America's highest honor to be inducted into the Kennedy Center Honors . He founded the National Theater Company with his own money . His love for theater was obvious . He loved to act also even on television . The Odd Couple was one of the best television shows of the seventies . It was a better adaptation from any comedic film and it's most successful series as well . Tony Randall hosted a weekend salute to this show on a local channel . I forgot how fresh and alive comedy could be . A great supporting cast like Al Molinaro , Elinor Donahue , and Penny Marshall . Even though they film in Los Angeles , it was very much a New York television show . I can't imagine a better odd couple and I will always regret not seeing them on stage in London in 1996 . Rest in peace , TOny . We miss you .
|
489,807 | 33,913 | 1,010,048 | 10 |
Absolute Best Film of the Year ! The one you can't miss !
|
Truthfully , I didn't want to spend a couple of hours in a movie theater on Christmas Day but my sister wanted to see this film . It was a remarkable experience because it far exceeded my expectations . The casting was perfect with three actors playing the main role of Jamal Malik who goes from the slums of India to possibly becoming the first person to win the grand prize in Who Wants to Be A Millionaire ? In the beginning , he is suspected to have been caught cheating and is interrogated for the night quite harshly but it's nothing compared to his life . He works as a gopher for a telemarketing office in Mumbai which is India's Hollywood . There is a reason for everything and the film is well-thought out and executed to perfection . The young actor who plays Jamal is brilliant in the role . Everybody in the film really delivers as well as the thousands of extras . Of course , there are difficult scenes to watch but I won't go there and spoil it for those who haven't seen it . I can see why this film is a front-runner for the Oscars . It has everything going for it including a great cast , a great script , and directed brilliantly with the perfect edited portions .
|
490,110 | 33,913 | 640,584 | 10 |
Mama for Mayor !
|
Mayor Tutwiller is now Ellen's boyfriend . They are a perfect match . She gets Mama to have a press conference at her home with the Mayor , the press , and the Seniors . Mama makes some comments regarding the Mayor's lack of leadership and ends up as a front-running candidate for Raytown's Mayor . In this episode , Fran cooks up a great theme song with everybody in the family helping out except Ellen of course who believes her mother can't handle the job like her boyfriend who has interests in becoming Governor someday . There is even a debate and Mama has a book about running for president . Of course , the episode ends with the election results which by then , Harper House has all fallen asleep .
|
490,109 | 33,913 | 640,585 | 10 |
Mama as Mayor !
|
The second part has Mama Thelma Harper as Mayor of Raytown with a hysterical inauguration ceremony . Ellen is still with Tutwiller while her family stands firmly behind her . Of course , Mama hasn't read up on all the paperwork regarding bills , laws , and politics that go on . She attends her first meeting with the city council unprepared and lost regarding rules . Of course , her secretary is played by Marian Mercer and has been around for years tries to help her . Things get ugly when Mama doesn't reform to the ways of politics . The bus drivers go on strike , the garbage men are on strike , and everybody else in the city is upset and angry with Mama Harper as Mayor in two weeks . Ellen realizes that her mother is in trouble and does her best to get her out of it .
|
489,843 | 33,913 | 65,335 | 10 |
I just miss this show ! ! !
|
Phil Donahue was the alternative to the Oprah Winfrey Show . Sometimes , all it would take to pick one over the other was the topic or show's guest . I felt Donahue was better than Oprah as a talk show host because it tackled the controversial , difficult , emotional , and celebrity guests without being so cautious as Oprah is with celebrities . Phil tackled issues such as homosexuality , divorce , atheism , politics , religion , and others . The show had Phil running up and down with a microphone in the audience . While I have a great respect for Oprah , Phil was the alternative until he could no longer compete with the competition . I always felt that Phil tried to understand a person's point of view , lifestyle , or choice as well as a person's mistake be it a celebrity or your neighbor . Phil never really treated his guests with preferential treatment . He may have married Marlo Thomas but I don't recall an episode with her . The show's legacy was that it was cut short of Oprah's phenomenon and I wonder what might have happened if we were allowed to choose between the two hosts . I have to say that Donahue holds a special place in my heart and nobody could take that away .
|
490,604 | 33,913 | 151,738 | 10 |
There are lot more Josies out there !
|
It is nice to see a good girl like Josie Geller finish first for a change . I am happy to watch this film . It brings back memories of high school . Rather than dwell on being unpopular and a social outcast , I now look back at my high school days fondly . I am a college graduate who is going to Graduate school to teach high school students . I work in a high school and I always identify with the outcasts and misfits . I cannot imagine fitting in anywhere which is why I understand Josie's plight and trip into being popular at the risk of selling soul to the devil . The popular ones makes the self-sacrifice of creating us to be the outcasts in society . Eleanor Roosevelt's famous quote was " Nobody can make you feel inferior unless you give them permission to do so . " This film is one of Drew Barrymore's best performances . I loved to see Molly Shannon in something different for a change too . While the film acts more like an unrealistic fairytale , it still is a gem of a film and worth watching . Just imagine Shakespeare's own role in this film with the backdrop following his classic comedy , As You Like It , about disguises working better for one in the costume just like Drew's character , Josie , who becomes somebody else .
|
490,729 | 33,913 | 59,026 | 10 |
Still a Classic after all these years for all ages !
|
What can I write about a Charlie Brown Christmas that it is still a classic around the holiday . It's still viewed by millions around the holidays whether it's aired on network television and one of the few specials to maintain a regular audience . It is right up there with It's a Wonderful Life and White Christmas . Well it's a story for people of all ages and faiths around Charlie Brown who is lonely , doubtful , and questioning the purpose of the holiday season . While it's only 25 minutes , it was created to be aired on television . Whether you see it once or a hundred times , it never gets old , dated , or out of style . It's one of the best Christmas classics out there .
|
489,883 | 33,913 | 640,577 | 10 |
Thelma's dream comes true !
|
In this first part of a two part episode , Mama wins a trip for four to Hawaii and takes Bubba , Vint and Naomi . IOla manages to tag along on her own payment to go to Hawaii . Thelma has always dreamed of going to Hawaii and actress Vicki Lawrence and her family lived in Maui after the Carol Burnett Show ended before coming to Mama's Family . In this episode , they throw their flowers and pray that love will come true . In fact , Bubba finds a Hawaiian girlfriend , Iola finds a suitable Norwegian sailor , and Thelma who threw her whole lei in the waters is being chased down by Bill Fields , a beach bum . She saves his life and he falls for Thelma . Of course , their Hawaiian dream vacation is that for them a dream come true . It's memorable about Naomi getting burnt when Vint puts the wrong cream on her . Vint takes up golfing and makes unlikely friends with golfers and businessmen who talk business . Once Vint gets talking about what Naomi does for a living as a cashier . The businessmen thinks she's another market broker and not a supermarket cashier but when they start making money . Vint's not so silly after all .
|
489,917 | 33,913 | 640,568 | 10 |
Married or Not ? Just Imagine !
|
In this episode with Joseph Campanella as the teacher and Amy Benedict as Bubba's girlfriend , the family imagines what life would be like if Mama married her teacher . Just think of the film Rebecca to give you an idea . Iola imagines herself married to Vint . In that scenario , Iola and Naomi switch roles completely . Then Bubba imagines being married to Amy , she is very pregnant , Grandmother Harper is impossible , and there are babies while Bubba is working 3 jobs to support his growing family . It's a great episode and one of my favorites . I thought Amy Benedict is great as Bubba's girlfriend , Amy Johnson , while Joseph Campanella is brilliant and underused as Mr . Hanson in this episode .
|
490,436 | 33,913 | 103,241 | 10 |
It's not the patient that's going crazy but the doctor !
|
This film will make you smile and laugh . Bob Murray is brilliantly funny and wonderful as Bob Wiley , the compulsive addictive man who is afraid of germs and people . His relationship with the wonderful Dr . Leo Marvin played wonderfully brilliant by Richard Dreyfuss is great as well . I can't forget the supporting cast of characters . Leo's wife Fay played beautifully by the talented Julie Hagerty . I always she deserved better roles . This role shows her talent in comedy as well . Kathryn Erbe plays the daughter , Anna , just as well . I always forget the actor's name who played Sigmund Marvin , the younger son . I love Fran Brill as Lily Marvin and I wish she did more stuff . The film is written with a lot of wit and sensible humor . Doris Belack has a nice small role as a psychiatrist in the film as well . It's not the patient who's crazy but the doctor who goes ballistic . I love the Guttmanns who own a café in town and whose wish was to own the summer home that the Marvins spend at Lake Winnipegsaukee . The scenes in New York City never really bother me . It could have been in Boston as well . I love the lake and the story and the characters to watch it again and again .
|
490,106 | 33,913 | 640,574 | 10 |
Uncle Roy visits !
|
Uncle Roy played brilliantly by Jaws ' Murray Hamilton is an old sailor who returns home to see his brother on his birthday . He doesn't know that Carl has passed on . Instead , he brings stories , tall tales , and himself to Mama's house as well as oysters or some seafood for them to enjoy . Of course , the episode begins with Vint complaining about nothing ever changing around . Ellen is in this episode with Fran out of town or something . When Uncle Roy arrives , he helps Vint , Buzz , and Sonja but Thelma has a different reaction . He helps Sonja in preparing for her big night out in a local pageant . Buzz is cooking or baking or both and Vint had dreamed of being a fireman . As Uncle Roy , Murray Hamilton was brilliant and easy to take as an estranged family member .
|
490,108 | 33,913 | 640,565 | 10 |
Quiet in the Courtroom !
|
When Mama's vacuum cleaner is broke , she uses her daughter-in-law to vacuum the rug which is a family heirloom . It also turns out that a key which belong to Naomi was on the rug which ruined her vacuum cleaner and the rug as well . Well , Naomi and Mama decide to take it to court . Michael Constantine is memorable as the judge who must decide who is right and wrong . Of course , Mama makes references to Judge Wapner and People's Court and offhanded comments . Naomi uses her husband Vint to testify on her behalf . I loved it when Aunt Fran makes a confession to the judge regarding the tag on the rug . Of course , nothing works out as it should for everybody involved but it's still one of the funniest episodes in the series .
|
490,619 | 33,913 | 640,555 | 10 |
Probably one of the best if not memorable episodes !
|
I think Betty White's voice must have been hurting while she was filming this episode . It was a bit coarse at times and not like it normally is . As Ellen , she is now divorced but she has returned from traveling the world and showing slides of her trip to her long-suffering family . Then one night , she decides to go to Quitters and Losers singles group . There are lot of great lines . Well , Ellen meets a guy who turns out to be younger than her . She avoids telling her family and when Vint wins a dinner for four at Chez Ray , Raytown's French restaurant , he takes Naomi , Mama and Aunt Fran . There they see Ellen without her new boyfriend . When Ellen introduces him , the lines come out like fireworks especially from Mama . In this episode , we see Ellen and Mama bond over unlikely situation .
|
489,920 | 33,913 | 640,551 | 10 |
Mama's Problem Child !
|
When the Harpers get home from their weekly church service , they talk about the boy causing all the trouble . It turns out to be Reverend Meecham's grandson , Eugene . The Meechams played by Earl Boen and Anne Haney stop by to ask the Harpers to look after Eugene for the afternoon while the Reverend goes to the hospital . Eugene can't go because he gets in trouble . During his afternoon at the Harper house , Mama has to tolerate him drawing on the tablecloth , his insults , and his desire to eat at a fast food restaurant . When he dumps tabasco sauce and ruins the family dinner , Mama is trying not to break down and spank him . Things only get worse when Eugene has to spend the night when his grandfather has broken his leg at the hospital . The boy who played Eugene would get nominated for his performance . It's one of the better episodes .
|
Subsets and Splits
No community queries yet
The top public SQL queries from the community will appear here once available.