Reviews

The movie is based on the book "The Reincarnationist Papers" by D. Eric Maikranz. The alternate title could have been "The Egg and I."

We start out with an explanation of wat the movie is about. Then an immediate car chase. It would be good if it was not over noised with unrelated rap noise. It is best to turn off the sound and read the subtitles until the hideous rap noise has passed. It only takes seven minutes then you can turn the sound back on.

I guess in Mexico it is o.k. To chase and use automatics against fast red cars in public. If you like the car crash scenes then it is better to watch "The Blues Brothers."

Wait, now that they start interacting, we see maybe that gawdawful back ground noise at the beginning is why the film is watched. Before the movie is half over you see all the holes that a truck can drive through and probably found a better solution. It would be embarrassing to try and relate this movie to "The Matrix" or other similar CGI trickery movies. Other than the trickery there is nothing in common.

Gratuitous gore and more gore. The kitchen sink. Wait no Al Gore.

They would never stoop so low as name recognition like "Alexa, music off." Ho, they just did. I wonder what they were paid to say that?

Memories Light the corners of my mind Misty watercolor memories Of the way we were Songwriters: Marvin Hamlisch, Marilyn Bergman, Alan Bergman.

I have a sneaky suspicion that this is an intended pilot for a movie or a series.

What is there positive to say? They have made a 4K version. Now this subpar movie can be seen more clearly.

This is an interesting (1996) series broken down into 26 episodes. It has been reorganized into a shorter number of episodes.

In this Ted Newson documentary, it is divided into subjects that overlap as you find out when you try to shelve the DVDs. Such as Dracula and His Disciples, Frankenstein's Friends, Girl Ghouls, etc...

Narrated by Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (1922-2015) you may remember him in The Stupids (1996) as Evil Sender as mail is posted return to Sender.

I learned a lot about missing and overlooked films from the clips and interviewees. I will not go through a list as that is why you will be watching this. However, in one of the first episodes they showed a clip of Drácula (1931) the Spanish version with Carlos Villarías(1892-1976); Carlos looks just like Nicolas Cage in Renfield (2023).

If you stick with this presentation, you will notice that many of the clips are repeated. You may also notice that the movies are selective and may not include your favorites. Still, you cannot have everything in the limited time available. They did take the time to mention many of the TV shows and not just movies.

Hopefully someone will pick up the gauntlet and make an UpToDate version.

George Zucco (1886-1960) is not at his best in the short thriller. George Zucco plays a mad scientist, Dr. Lorenzo Cameron, who was shunned and ostracized by his fellow scientists. He must prove himself and get revenge at the same time. So, he moves to a secluded house with a secret laboratory. There he lives in seclusion with his daughter Lenora played by Anne Nagel and his hulking gardener Petro played by Glenn Strange.

He proves to the world that his theories are sound and swears revenge on those who ostracized him.

The moral of this story is do not play with nature or you may get burned.

See George Zucco again as the besmirched scientist in Fog Island (1945).

Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr (Steve Martin) has a problem choosing between brain waves, Anne Uumellmahaye (Sissy Spacek), and "Body Heat", Dolores Benedict (Kathleen Turner). The whole premise is can love be found in a bottle.

I thought 'The jerk' was bad until I saw this movie, both mysteriously directed by Carl Reiner. All he does is make faces with no real acting or thought behind them. A few faces are o.k. But over and over of watching grins and grimaces can get monotonous. I almost stopped watching Steve martin that is capable of making very good movies like "Housesitter" (1992) with Goldie Hawn.

John Carter... Oops, Mark Watney (Matt Damon) is part of the team of astronauts on Mars. Due to unplanned high winds, the mission is scrubbed. Unfortunately, on their way back, Mark gets what appears to be dispatched by flying debris and does not make it back to the ship.

Is Mark dead or alive?

If alive, how could he possibly survive all the perils, including the Martian trials and tribulations? Is it even possible to save them?

This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat.

------ I could not wait for the movie to hit the rentals so I went ahead and read the book first.

They did an excellent job of following the structure and feel of the book. Each scene was played out well enough that you didn't have to guess what they were doing.

Including most of the potty mouth; this is not necessary and distracted from the movie with maybe one or two exceptions such as where he broadcasts a negative word throughout the world.

The acting was excellent the seams were spectacular Mars never looked more real. The technology was very close to real; you will not find yourself saying that's impossible.

Naturally being a movie though they dispensed with a few of the disasters; however, because this is a disaster after disaster movie you won't notice the missing ones unless you've read the book.

The story is more of a series of progressive short stories of the attempts to colonize Mars. Each landing encounters a different situation. Aside from the technical aspects of the story and the cheap effects of the film the real purpose of the movie is the message. I will not repeat the message here, as this is why you need to watch the series.

I found the ending satisfying but wondering if there should not be more.

Ray Bradbury is not as thrilled with the mini-series, calling it booooring. Nevertheless, you have to expect a few adaptations if you are going to have a relevant mini-series.

This may seem like a vehicle for out of work actors. Yet I can assure you that each actor played his/her part well enough that you are looking at the character, not the actor.

Be aware that the version I watched was complete but the first two parts were on side A and B of the same DVD. Part 3 was on a separate DVD. The good thing was there were no coming attractions to work around with some fancy button-pushing. The only thing missing was a voice-over commentary that we have come to expect.

Disney mutilates a remarkable story by Mary Stewart. Will we ever learn?

Nikky Ferris (a rather pudgy and blotchy Hayley Mills) is on holiday with her aunt Frances (Joan Greenwood). They find themselves unwanted by the local hotel owner (the famous Greek actor Irene Papas) and her abrasive brother (Eli Wallach). Little do they suspect that they will be involved in a nefarious international plot; One in which you cannot tell the good guys from the bad until it is too late.

On the plus is a lot of good scenery. And how they could pay Irene Papas "Electra" (1962) to be in this movie one can only guess.

The real problem with this film is that Disney got a hold of it and turned a mystery into a farce. Nikky spills the beans more than once and is bratty when called upon to be decisive. She is naïve and quite bratty for her age. The other characters are quite sophomore most of the time. Too many times, we must suspend any logic in figuring out where the runners are hiding and how the hunters know right where to get them. The story has a swift and inconsistent sort of ending.

Based on the book "The Plot Against The President" by Lee Smith. Lee Smith is a Middle East correspondent for The Weekly Standard. He has written for a variety of Arab media outlets.

Directed by Amanda Milius. Amanda attended the USC School of Cinematic Arts and completed her thesis film, The Lotus Gun, for her USC MFA program in 2015.

Past production facilities Stonewood Entertainment.

This is a careful collage of sound bites; these soundbites are carefully edited and taken out of context and rearranged to express a mythical plot. Investigate anyone of those soundbites in its original context and you will have to scoff at any of the soundbites that you do not recognize.

This is not a must watch or must see.

They mention deep state.

It is well done.

Not just every American can watch this as it is universal.

They wish it was a Russia Hoax.

There is background music giving it a dramatic feel or dramatic shape. (well done) It has that comes out of Hollywood feel.

Lara Brennan (Elizabeth Banks) is convicted of murdering her boss. Overwhelming evidence proves this. Her husband John (Russell Crowe) naturally assumes she is innocent of the dastardly deed. They go through the court system and run out of appeals; so that is that.

Well maybe not. No one realizes whom they are up against. John is a junior college instructor and knows a little bit about human nature. Soon he hones some new skills needed to extricate Lara. What looks like bumbling attempts may alert the authorities prematurely. However, most of what looks like mistakes may be part of the big plan.

A small but crucial highpoint in the movie is John's father George (well played by Brian Dennehy) who knows about the plot but is closed-mouthed.

Can John outwit the authorities and escape their containment skills? We get the thrill of being part of the chaser and the "chasee."

In the end button, button who has the button.

Everywhere you hear the phrase "I see dead people". This goes to show how popular the movie is.

The basic story is Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) Is a child psychiatrist that goes on one more try and chooses a new child Cole Sear (Haley Joel Osment) to help with his tendency to see dead people.

After watching the movie, the first time, you will want to watch it again to see the clues you missed. It was well shot so you will be surprised at the movie from view of seeing it a second time with what you know.

M. Night Shyamalan seems to borrow his stories from existing books or movies. The claim is that this is original. Not sure where this one came from but it is suggested The Lady Vanishes (1938) ("Are You Afraid of the Dark?" season 3 episode 10.)

Bruce Willis brings this story to life.

Caroline Ellis (Kate Hudson) is a hospice caregiver living in New Orleans. She still feels guilty for letting her father die alone. She feels that xxx is just a money factory and sets out to find someone that she can take care of at the ending g time of his/her life.

An opportunity arises in an old mansion located in the swamps of Louisiana. There Mr. Ben Devereaux (John Hurt) has had a stroke and only a few months to live. Mrs. Violet Devereaux (Gena Rowlands) does not want Caroline to be there but is convinced by her estate lawyer to keep Caroline on.

Soon Caroline is given a skeleton key that opens every door in the house. However, she finds that a hidden door in the attic does not open. Ben had his debilitating stroke in the attic and Violet seems suspicious so Caroline turns to the estate lawyer Luke (Peter Sarsgaard) with her suspicions.

Will Caroline be a good girl and just leave Ben while he is dying?

Will Caroline get too nosy for her good and try to open the hidden door?

Are Caroline's suspicions founded or is she just being melodramatic?

This movie is just jam-packed with great actors. After you get over how Kate Hudson looks like her mother and her miraculous recovery from her recent pregnancy, you realize that you are watching the movie and the character of Caroline. And how did John Hurt make it through the whole movie and you did not note that he did not say anything except a one-liner" Ca-ro-Line! Help me!"? We get our first ominous warning from Jill (Joy Bryant) whose character gives the original feel of normalcy to the story. The whole film is glued together and hinges on the character of Violet played to the hilt by Gena Rowlands.

If you like this maybe it is and maybe it isn't type of story then you need to watch a movie based on "Conjure Wife" by Fritz Leiber. His story has the same feel "Night of The Eagle, aka Burn Witch Burn" (1962) with Peter Wyngarde as Norman, and Janet Bliar as Tansy.

For those people that found Tell Your Children (1936) intriguing. Now realized the folly of consuming forbidden weeds, they will see the same story played out with unsafe sex.

This movie bugged me as it starts with a dissertation about the inevitability of our world due to the inability to control global warming.

From there quickly goes down Hill. The film deteriorates into ancient bugs from the cold north that like you and you are about to be bug-chow.

The story was much better done in a movie called The Thing from Another World (1951) where people become plant food. For that matter, it was much better done in the movie called The Deadly Mantis with better screams.

This animal should be relegated to midnight television. I can't believe they gave it the blue Ray treatment. But it's good to see Val Kilmer playing older parts. And there were a lot of lose parts in this movie.

Looks like the Mayans were right. Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) is starting to put two and two together. Yep sunspots, neutrinos, and planet alignment spell kaput for the world. However, wait doomsayer Charlie Frost (Woody Harrelson) finds the governments of the world have found a way out. Can Curtis same his estranged family and the doctor/pilot that usurped his wife and half a dozen other assorted characters? Alternatively, do they learn what dust to dust means? We hope this is not one of those wimpy movies wherein the end the people of the earth hold hands and sing Kumbayah.

I only saw the Blu-ray version so I cannot compare. However, you are treated to a seemingly endless Blu-ray and BD live commercial. Then you are bombarded with choices that have nothing to do with the film. All I wanted to do was see the film, not press buttons every time it was flagged.

The fun part is recognizing the different actors and saying, "Now where have I seen him/her before?"

Most of the words are Shakespeare and the names are the same. This is Derek Jarman's rewrite. Then we go downhill from there. Most of the people have gratuitous birthday suit scenes; Toyah Willcox gets to show off what her 21-year-old accouterments looked like at the time.

There is an immediately recognizable actor; Peter Bull who played the Russian Ambassador Alexi de Sadesky in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964).

Elisabeth Welch sings "Stormy Weather" - I wonder what Shakespeare would have made of that?

Even though this is supposed to be a primitive island that Prospero was just dumped on, the house even if old is too Gothic. The environment just does not fit the play in any age or place or fantasy.

I do not believe there is a version of this movie floating around out there that has "Closed Caption."

Still this needs to be added to your collection.

You may find a few of your favorite lines missing in this version.

You have seen it a million times from "Freaky Friday" (Disney) to "Vice Versa" with Judge Reinhold. This movie is one of the most formula stories around. So now it boils down to if you like the acting style and the "one-liners." Or if you just like to ogle young girls and extra hairy guys.

The basic story is simple. A person who is intentionally rude, but unconscious of the rudeness, soon will find tables turned (gaining or losing an appendage in the process) and learn to feel for the other person. Then again it is the story of making mugging and dancing a little easier if you have the right body.

For an excellent version, that excels at exchanging bodies, watch Goodbye Charlie (1964). Debby Reynolds did not have to act like a baseball player to emphasize the change.

Writers - Arthur Conan Doyle and Peter Bryan "It's elementary my dear Watson; there are no tarantellas in South Africa."

We know the story from the book by Arthur Conan Doyle and the many movie versions some of which are: The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1988), The Hound of the Baskervilles (2002), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1983),

André Morell (Watson) is a more than competent colleague of Holmes than other actors such as Nigel Bruce. This tradition is carried on in the series Elementary (2012) with Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson.

Basic story is that Sir Henry Baskerville (Christopher Lee) comes to occupy the family estate after his uncle is mysteriously dispatched; this is supposedly by cardiac exhaustion. We get told a tale of the Hound from Hell that has a habit of dispatching the offspring of Sir Hugo Baskerville, for being a tad rough with women. But poor Henry is not like that. Will it make any difference and can Holmes and Watson figure out a diabolical plot in time? Or will Henry become dog-chow?

This is a well-produced version and should be the one that all other versions should be measured by.

Due to a sneeze Capt. Wilton Parmenter (Ken Berry) becomes "The scourge of the west." He is sent out west to command F Troop. We find the real command of F Troop is O'ouke Enterprises. Always deceiving the military leaders that there is an ongoing war.

It tries too hard to be campy. There are lots of slapstick and ridiculous situations. Off-color jokes as she is a "She is a blue-nose redskin" or "If not work, me sue. No, me not Sioux, me Hakawi" - the Hakawi chief.

It leaves great memories and has surprising guest stars. Some of the stars are Milton Berle, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Harvey Korman, Don Rickles, Vincent Price, and Edward Everett Horton. You will have to watch the whole series to spot the actors not mentioned here.

Frank Oz and others had a huge debate over making this movie dark, menacing, or light, fluffy, and it shows. One minute it has Mathew Brodrick making hidden malice faces and the next moment they are cracking jokes about AOL. However, by not trying to follow the formula of a strict remake they came out from the shadow of the original and made a stand-alone movie on its own. The commentary track was just as good, if not better than the movie itself.

The actors themselves were quite good: Nicole Kidman of "Natural Magic" fame, as usual, can look so emotional.

Mathew Broderick looked like Farris Buller with a secret.

Bete Midler was just being herself(s).

Christopher Walken adds that sinister touch. Nothing mechanical.

Faith Hill adds a real spark to the movie.

Glen Close can keep a straight face.

Joanna Eberhart (Nicole Kidman) has it all and puts her whole life into her career. Through a series of miss events when she goes into what she expects would be a raise is let go. The trauma sends her over the deep end. Her husband quits working for the same network to care for her. He only wants the BEST. So they moved to the quainter environment of Stepford. There, men can be men and women can be women. Joanna being her cantankerous self has trouble adjusting to life and the people around her that only wanted to help. Her husband threatens to leave her if she does not change her ways. So, she does and solicits the help of two other disgruntled friends.

Will she change?

If not what can be done?

Why is the mechanical dog asking for help?

Stanly (Tom Arnold) unencumbered by common sense logic can see the evil underlying plots surrounding his family. And being a man of action is determined to get to the "bottom" or at least stop them. Someone is stealing his garbage in the middle of the night and letters are being pilfered by the Evil Sender (Christopher Lee). On the way, he meets many interesting people and even The Lloyd (Frankie Faison). Worried about his being and where abuts the rest of his family follow in his footsteps. Worried that Stanly knows too many aliens pick their nose.

One of my favorite scenes is where Stanly connects with a car battery and gets his brain cells charged; for a fleeting moment, he sees everything as we do and wonders how he got into the fix.

It had to take the logic of Brent Forrester to tie all the elements together leaving no loose ends. Brent also wrote for "The Simpsons" and "King of the Hill."

You may have recognized Christopher Lee as the bad guy. He has been in over 200 movies including "The Lord of the Rings" as Saruman the White.

This movie directed by and starring George Clooney is about protecting art objects from being pilfered or destroyed by the NSDAP towards the end of WWII.

The presentation has a good selection of actors to play the various characters needed to tell the story. The pacing is a bit strange; I would not call it slow as much detail was needed to keep the story from looking like a cardboard documentary. Speaking of the selection of actors, Cate Blanchett was great as Claire Simone, the spitting French art protector.

Shades of Ayn Rand George Clooney makes one or two of those nice long rallying speeches about the virtues of protecting art at any cost. Then he vacillates about the cost after a participant or two has been dispatched.

This is one of those movies that has lots of clues and inferences mixed into the story so you will need to watch the film a second time to pick up on the nuances that you missed while you were thinking about the ones that you saw.

Overall, this movie is everything that you would expect. It is not exceptional, but I doubt it could have ever been any better and I cannot think of a better director for this presentation than George Clooney.

The basic story is the kid that grew up 40 years after "The Shining" has to help the new kid on the block protect herself from becoming Shining-Chow.

Yep, we know why sequences are bad. The ones that are just bad are the ones that duplicate the formula and hope people just want more of the same. Then there are the real stinkers where they lose the formula of the original and just add car chases, guns, or ninjas or in this case cheap mind tricks.

This is supposed to be the extended story of the shining. You can see that they peppered elements of the original movie "The Shining" here and there throughout the movie. But it has been pared down to good guys Vs. Bad guys and who has the best tricks. We are not too shore just who are the bad guys as no one is out to get your little dog too.

The acting, props, and location are well done. It is just the story and its execution that is a waste of time.

Looks like a setup for a sequel to the sequel - not again, please.

Of course, you will have to see this as cultural information. However, save the viewing for a time when you have nothing better to do. Also, watch the Extras on the DVD as it explains what they were trying to do with this movie.

The basic story is of Ben (Ben Affleck) is getting marries to Bridget (Maura Tierney) and has to put up with a batcher party. It has its complications and this is just the beginning. The bulk of the movie is how Ben has to overcome complicated travel plans that go awry. To add to the complication, he keeps being thrown in with a strange woman Sarah (Sandra Bullock). The question is will he go astray with this exotic woman or hold true and make it to the wedding on time?

The "forces of nature" may be a double entendre; they go through storms and a stormy relationship.

The fun in this movie is we get a chance to think "what would we do in the situation?'

An effort to pack the movie with known bad guys and standard plots but with fresh view and story fails miserably.

Smart move to locate this story in 1984 (sorry George Orwell) that way we can show old times with new technology. However, they deny the use of excess graphics. Using the metamorphic DC characters distracts from the movie. Most of the movie is fluffed out with action scenes that they took too much trouble to make the action look different than the action in a previous film.

The basic story is Wonder Woman lives past WW2 to 1984 and just as cute. Now an opportunity to make wishes is leased upon the world by a mischievous god. This may even involve Wonder Woman. This is a covert message that may involve you (the viewer of the movie.)

The film is not worth the digits it was made with.

The only thing of value is the 36 minutes extra trying to justify the film.

Yep, we are confronted by a dog-splitting being from the great beyond. Being isolated we must evaluate track and kill this most obviously menacing "Thing". But what, who, and where is it?

In an attempt at graphic surprises, we have sacrificed character and mood of the book "Who Goes There" by John W. Campbell Jr.", and the original movie "The Thing from Another World." Ah, you say what if you do not compare? Still, it is a sticky blob story that has no personality of its own.

If you are looking for Adrienne Barbeau, you will not see her because she is just the voice, great voice, of the computer (uncredited).

The story is fluffed out with Carpenter-Esque storytelling and misses the point of the book and the film spends too much time with blood and guts to focus on the people's interaction. Sure, there is some interaction or we would not have a movie at all.

The "Thing" in the book was psychic and could read and manipulate the minds that the film overlooks.

This is a tale of a young Jack Ryan and how he became to be involved with the CIA. We also see how he met his wife. Soon we also see how he uses his negotiating skills to save the world from a nuclear attack and nails the bad guys.

I was surprised that the character of Jack Ryan was handled so well by Ben Affleck. Many great actors are so believable and do not overwhelm their characters. Even though the whole story was great and well balanced, my favorite scene is the one where Jack has to explain to his girl that the reason, he is not at their date location is that he is helping the CIA with a nuclear count in Russia. Jack says that he cannot tell her what he is doing. DCI William Cabot (Morgan Freeman) said to just "go ahead and tell her the truth" so Jack does tell the truth and his girl (Bridget Moynahan) hangs up in frustration and disbelief. William Cabot snickers. Morgan Freeman is just good at whatever he touches.

The moral of the story is cigarette vending machines can kill you.