The fundamental storyline is great and held much promise. The first episode starts great and you think this is going to be really good, but turns into an odd affair while you hang on wondering if things will get back on track. Each episode reveals a little more of the mystery, but unfortunately each episode add-on subplot appears contrived and uncoordinated. The acting is a bit sketchy, but Joan, Greta Scacchi, acting skills are head and shoulders above everyone else. Jack, Brian Brown, is his typical wooden self but it seems to work. Add it all up, it's fine for casual viewing but that's about it. Really unfortunate as it had real potential, a first rate storyline, decent lead characters, but lacks creativity to keep the storyline going. Blame the writers. The industry can better than this.
Reviews
15 Reviews
The Great Escape
(1963)
One of my favorite movies
22 May 2021
The Great Escape is not the best movie, the best war movie or the most accurate. Its the most entertaining. I saw it when it came out any many times thereafter. It's a movie Hollywood was meant to make.
In it's own way, by entertaining us, it enables some emotion or understanding of WWII so we can comprehend what happened. Our fathers and grandfathers could have been there, it was a matter of chance. Had they, we're sure that's how they would have acted. That's how we would have wanted them to be and some were.
All the character are portrayed larger than life, just as we envision they must have been regardless of who they actually were or which prison camp. Ordinary people, but to us extraordinary. Each character is presented to reinforce impressions we already have in our mind.
Although the movie is ultimately about terrible events and the grim fate awaiting some of the escapees, we are comforted by the thought that men like them actually existed. We take great pleasure in their discipline, maturity, unity and self reliance, exhilaration in their escape, panic in their arrest, shock and horror in their demise.
We want to watch it over again to relive those feeling. We are being entertained by the high drama of events as we become part of them. Seldom does Hollywood get the right combination of mood, story, actors and direction.
From another point of view, Saving Private Ryan is a far better movie in virtually every way, but I have only seen it once and have desire or need to see it again. It is one of the great movies, incredibly accurate and realistic, but does not make me feel the same way as The Great Escape. I cringe.
Saving Private Ryan is about how we fought, gritty, bloody, morally and emotionally chaotic, kill or be killed. The Great Escape is about why we fought. No prisoner in The Great Escape even had a weapon. War without weapons, a story only Hollywood could properly tell. When we think of Hilts, the Forger, the Scrounger and all the rest, we instinctively know they are the good guys. We're rooting for them. We always will.
In it's own way, by entertaining us, it enables some emotion or understanding of WWII so we can comprehend what happened. Our fathers and grandfathers could have been there, it was a matter of chance. Had they, we're sure that's how they would have acted. That's how we would have wanted them to be and some were.
All the character are portrayed larger than life, just as we envision they must have been regardless of who they actually were or which prison camp. Ordinary people, but to us extraordinary. Each character is presented to reinforce impressions we already have in our mind.
Although the movie is ultimately about terrible events and the grim fate awaiting some of the escapees, we are comforted by the thought that men like them actually existed. We take great pleasure in their discipline, maturity, unity and self reliance, exhilaration in their escape, panic in their arrest, shock and horror in their demise.
We want to watch it over again to relive those feeling. We are being entertained by the high drama of events as we become part of them. Seldom does Hollywood get the right combination of mood, story, actors and direction.
From another point of view, Saving Private Ryan is a far better movie in virtually every way, but I have only seen it once and have desire or need to see it again. It is one of the great movies, incredibly accurate and realistic, but does not make me feel the same way as The Great Escape. I cringe.
Saving Private Ryan is about how we fought, gritty, bloody, morally and emotionally chaotic, kill or be killed. The Great Escape is about why we fought. No prisoner in The Great Escape even had a weapon. War without weapons, a story only Hollywood could properly tell. When we think of Hilts, the Forger, the Scrounger and all the rest, we instinctively know they are the good guys. We're rooting for them. We always will.
North by Northwest
(1959)
Sheer Pleasure
17 July 2017
I've always thought Cary Grant was at his peak in North by Northwest. What a delicious pleasure watching him trying not to be Roger Thornhill, the stuff of movie legends. Hitchcock directs an outstanding action adventure with the remote corn field scene a cinema highlight, again the stuff of movie legends. Life is filled with tantalizing glimpses of immortality, North by Northwest as a movie comes as close as it gets.
Twelve O'Clock High
(1949)
The mechanics and emotion of total war
17 June 2016
Although I first saw this film many years ago as an adolescent, I have never forgotten it. It always reminded me of my aviation minded father who would reminisce about narrowly missing flying bombers in WWII due to being color blind. I couldn't help think that this would have been his fate. For me this is the greatest WWII film of all time, machine clad gladiators hammering the foe high in the clouds, cold, frightened, young, detached, alone, ordinary, facing death each duel until the battle is won and those that had to send them to their deaths. They will never make a movie like this again. No one will be left to understand when the sons and daughters of my father's generation pass away.
Roman Holiday
(1953)
Hollywood at its Best
5 June 2016
During a recent conversation about our visit to Rome we made few years ago, the movie came up. Some folks had never seen it so I tried to explain it, but realized that it was impossible. It's not an epic film. It doesn't have grit, intensity, realism or even a social message. Seemingly impossible, it delights and entertains in an almost childlike way without offense. You long to be part of it. You want to be there. You want to feel the same. This is Hollywood at its best. It is why Hollywood exists. Not to teach, preach or inform but to entertain, to make us feel good in such a way that we savor each moment of the actors on the screen. You wish the movie would never end. It is impossible to watch this film and not have a twinge of sadness knowing that Hollywood will never be able to make us feel this way again. In comfort we'll always have Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck as they were, forever remembered in those magical movie moments. And we'll plan to go to Rome or return hoping to catch a peek of Hepburn and Peck on their Vespa scooter in our dreams.
Cinderella Man
(2005)
Crowe and Howard Triumph Again
12 December 2005
Russell Crowe again demonstrates his total command of the acting profession. He no longer acts, he becomes the character. He is one one of the great film stars of all time, warts and all.
Many will consider this a minor movie, perhaps it is out of step with the digital youth market but don't compare this movie with the scifi, horror, comic book garbage that dominates the industry, or the the entertaining but kiddie Harry Potti stuff. Ron Howard, a great cast and a really great true story all combine to do the impossible, create a wonderful, enjoyable, memorable movie about people. It's not make believe, it's real.
Russell Crowe and Ron Howard link us with the great movies of the past. They didn't do any better back in Hollywood's heyday. Thank you Ron Howard, Russell Crowe, Rene and all for keeping dreams alive.
Many will consider this a minor movie, perhaps it is out of step with the digital youth market but don't compare this movie with the scifi, horror, comic book garbage that dominates the industry, or the the entertaining but kiddie Harry Potti stuff. Ron Howard, a great cast and a really great true story all combine to do the impossible, create a wonderful, enjoyable, memorable movie about people. It's not make believe, it's real.
Russell Crowe and Ron Howard link us with the great movies of the past. They didn't do any better back in Hollywood's heyday. Thank you Ron Howard, Russell Crowe, Rene and all for keeping dreams alive.
Ocean's Eleven
(1960)
The Movie that made Vegas
7 December 2005
I originally saw this movie with my folks as a baby boomer kid of eight. My parent who were in their late 30s seldom went to movies but went out of their way to see this one. This was a big deal at the time, everybody's favorite celebrities in Vegas, wow! This was at a time when few could afford to go there and it was considered a far away exotic world for adventurous or special folks. I remember we had only NBC and CBS black and white television for regular entertainment essentially from 7pm to 9pm for the real stuff. For us Vegas was a dream land. We didn't really know what it was all about. Frankie and Dino acted like it was their personal playground, knew the ropes, how cool.
From that time on my folks had it in their heads they someday would visit Vegas, when they had raised the kids and retired. And that's exactly what they did although it took another 20 years. Fank and Dino weren't there but they didn't seem to mind, they made it.
From that time on my folks had it in their heads they someday would visit Vegas, when they had raised the kids and retired. And that's exactly what they did although it took another 20 years. Fank and Dino weren't there but they didn't seem to mind, they made it.
Unforgiven
(1992)
Big Wiskey Big Ten
25 October 2002
I marveled when I saw this in the theater and ever since on satellite and cable. No excess dialouge, characters, scenes or sounds. Brings all the classic components of the Western together in Big Wiskey with brillant acting by Eastwood and Hackman. Eastwood would have gotten Best Actor if he wasn't slated for Best Director.
Although many great Westerns have been made, Unforgiven benefits from contemporary film standards. The glitches of earlier generation Westerns are gone. Moral arguments, philosophy, grand statement are also gone. A great story with neither a good or bad ending. Everything happening seems to make sense but again it's all so senseless. A quest, heroes, villains, comedy, tragedy, death. A film noir Western. Who would have guessed Eastwood would be the one to do it.
It's impossible not to sense the unusual feel of this movie. Art, genius, brilliance, Western - never before combined. Story telling - not telling a story but real story telling - a story no one has told before - but it all seems so familiar. Of course it all makes sense but we really don't understand why.
Although many great Westerns have been made, Unforgiven benefits from contemporary film standards. The glitches of earlier generation Westerns are gone. Moral arguments, philosophy, grand statement are also gone. A great story with neither a good or bad ending. Everything happening seems to make sense but again it's all so senseless. A quest, heroes, villains, comedy, tragedy, death. A film noir Western. Who would have guessed Eastwood would be the one to do it.
It's impossible not to sense the unusual feel of this movie. Art, genius, brilliance, Western - never before combined. Story telling - not telling a story but real story telling - a story no one has told before - but it all seems so familiar. Of course it all makes sense but we really don't understand why.
The Birds
(1963)
1963 Masterpiece
22 January 2002
Saw this when it came out and many times since. The film is so unusual even to this day. Somehow through the the whole movie everything is odd but rather than being disjointed it is smooth and flowing and wierdly calm except for the actual bird attacks. Hitchcock at work.
Everything today seems like a amatuer copy of Hitchcock with a bunch of digital crap thrown in. 10/10
Everything today seems like a amatuer copy of Hitchcock with a bunch of digital crap thrown in. 10/10
Apocalypse Now
(1979)
A MASTERPIECE OF GENIUS
5 July 2001
Only a handful of films can approach this masterpiece. This is way beyond anything we normally encounter in our movie world.
The genius required to bring this vision to the screen confounds me. No matter how long I lived I would never be able to create such art. That is the test of the film. Could you envision it?
Yes, yes there are much more accurate films about war and some are excellent, but that's not the point. This film is real in the mind of Francis Ford Coppola and it his creative vision.
The film is more real than any documentary because it captures everthing we love and hate and know and wondered about the characters of the War. You'll feel more in 3 hours than years reading about it. You may not learn anything but you will be convinced you were there.
No matter how insane Coppola gets we keep following him, just like Sheen following Kurtz. He takes all to THE END.
The genius required to bring this vision to the screen confounds me. No matter how long I lived I would never be able to create such art. That is the test of the film. Could you envision it?
Yes, yes there are much more accurate films about war and some are excellent, but that's not the point. This film is real in the mind of Francis Ford Coppola and it his creative vision.
The film is more real than any documentary because it captures everthing we love and hate and know and wondered about the characters of the War. You'll feel more in 3 hours than years reading about it. You may not learn anything but you will be convinced you were there.
No matter how insane Coppola gets we keep following him, just like Sheen following Kurtz. He takes all to THE END.
Gladiator
(2000)
Appollonio and Gotto
6 June 2001
A lot of strange comments on this film:
No plot - did you actually watch this move?
Not history - yes we know that - it's a s-t-o-r-e-y - just like Tom Clancey writes stories we like to see turned into movies
Russell Crowe isn't any good - no one in Hollywood could have done it - period
Joaquin Phoenix isn't good - any one else would have been laughable - his portrayal of madness, twisted love and power is extraordinary
Boring - it just happened a long time ago - guess you dropped Ancient History in school too
Glitches - of course it has - everyone has had problems with these types of films including Spartacus and Ben Hur
The one thing that is really different about this movie is that you feel connected with Crowe and Phoenix - I never connected with Kirk Douglas or Charlton Heston
Maximus - the classic warrior - his look, his command, his devotion - I didn't get that emotion from Gibbon's Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire - Maximus became real
Commodus fascinates with his mad driven emotions " we both loved my father that makes us brothers" - wonderful madness - we love to watch and hate him
An incredible insight into Rome - the powerful foreign general - the twisted murdering heir - triumphant armies - the tottering republic - conspiring senators - royal family love and hate - punishment and revenge - slaves and gladiators - swearing allegiance or death - magnificent achievements of the ancient world - blood and death for sport - long military campaigns and the wish for home
This film reveals to us why men from all over the known world fought and died for the Roman Empire - even though they may have never been to Rome - Maximus tells this to Marcus Aurelius - the world is dark but Rome is the light - all my studies and reading never helped me understand that - it's the same reason in WWII why someone from a Kansas farm would join the Army and fight in Germany even they had never been to Washington
The downside:
Russell Crowe may never find such a perfect part again
Juaquin Phoenix may never find such a perfect part again
Riddley Scott may never find such a great story to tell again
Hans Zimmer may never find such a tough movie to so brilliantly score
The upside:
Maximus Decimus Meridius will always exist in our minds
Commodus will always exit in our minds Ancient Rome will always exist in our minds We will always see the grain awaiting harvest when we hear that haunting sound
But I will always think of Appollonio and Gotto and wish they were my horses too
No plot - did you actually watch this move?
Not history - yes we know that - it's a s-t-o-r-e-y - just like Tom Clancey writes stories we like to see turned into movies
Russell Crowe isn't any good - no one in Hollywood could have done it - period
Joaquin Phoenix isn't good - any one else would have been laughable - his portrayal of madness, twisted love and power is extraordinary
Boring - it just happened a long time ago - guess you dropped Ancient History in school too
Glitches - of course it has - everyone has had problems with these types of films including Spartacus and Ben Hur
The one thing that is really different about this movie is that you feel connected with Crowe and Phoenix - I never connected with Kirk Douglas or Charlton Heston
Maximus - the classic warrior - his look, his command, his devotion - I didn't get that emotion from Gibbon's Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire - Maximus became real
Commodus fascinates with his mad driven emotions " we both loved my father that makes us brothers" - wonderful madness - we love to watch and hate him
An incredible insight into Rome - the powerful foreign general - the twisted murdering heir - triumphant armies - the tottering republic - conspiring senators - royal family love and hate - punishment and revenge - slaves and gladiators - swearing allegiance or death - magnificent achievements of the ancient world - blood and death for sport - long military campaigns and the wish for home
This film reveals to us why men from all over the known world fought and died for the Roman Empire - even though they may have never been to Rome - Maximus tells this to Marcus Aurelius - the world is dark but Rome is the light - all my studies and reading never helped me understand that - it's the same reason in WWII why someone from a Kansas farm would join the Army and fight in Germany even they had never been to Washington
The downside:
Russell Crowe may never find such a perfect part again
Juaquin Phoenix may never find such a perfect part again
Riddley Scott may never find such a great story to tell again
Hans Zimmer may never find such a tough movie to so brilliantly score
The upside:
Maximus Decimus Meridius will always exist in our minds
Commodus will always exit in our minds Ancient Rome will always exist in our minds We will always see the grain awaiting harvest when we hear that haunting sound
But I will always think of Appollonio and Gotto and wish they were my horses too
Fight Club
(1999)
don't analyze it - just watch it
18 March 2001
Sometimes a movie will remind you that film making is art and genius. It's pointless to break this film down and dissect it. It's not whether you like or dislike this film or a question of a good or bad. It's can you can get it this film out of your head? I can't.
Walter Huston - The finest film performance of all time
24 February 2001
Walter Huston gives the greatest acting performance I have every seen on film. They don't make em like that anymore. Wow! 99% of today's Hollywood actors are amatuers compared to Walter Huston. His performance alone gives this a 10 rating!
Alfonso Bedoya (stinking badges) as Gold Hat is brilliant! The entire cast works wonders on this film. You couldn't make this one today - not enough violence and action but somehow plenty of folks meet their end along the way.
Classic Hollywood - no sex, no foul language, no surround sound, no color, no special effects, no social statement, just a simple story line and great acting.
If your bored you deserve it.
Alfonso Bedoya (stinking badges) as Gold Hat is brilliant! The entire cast works wonders on this film. You couldn't make this one today - not enough violence and action but somehow plenty of folks meet their end along the way.
Classic Hollywood - no sex, no foul language, no surround sound, no color, no special effects, no social statement, just a simple story line and great acting.
If your bored you deserve it.
The Perfect Storm
(2000)
Excellent
16 February 2001
The movie is excellent 9/10 and one of the few from last year worth seeing in the theater. It was refreshing to see a quality film after so much hyped junk like MI2. No cutting off heads or juvenile sci fi crap.
We pretend we are have real jobs and important lives but the crew of the Andrea Gail and their likes make us all look pathetic - oh gee, I missed work because I had a cold.
I'm sure a lot people felt the film was boring and trivial but that's to be expected from people who have no idea of back breaking work or physical risks people accept to provide for their families or to achieve their dreams.
The Andrea Gail will be remembered, we won't.
We pretend we are have real jobs and important lives but the crew of the Andrea Gail and their likes make us all look pathetic - oh gee, I missed work because I had a cold.
I'm sure a lot people felt the film was boring and trivial but that's to be expected from people who have no idea of back breaking work or physical risks people accept to provide for their families or to achieve their dreams.
The Andrea Gail will be remembered, we won't.
They Were Expendable
(1945)
The Monkeys Have No Tails in Samboango
22 November 2000
Wayne and Ford at their peak.
Somehow I missed this film until a few years ago on a cable movie channel. Growing up with WWII as the dominant theme of modern history and an appreciation of the older film stars, this film is without question the most realistic in terms of the message and of just passed events with superb performances in the old morality style of the 40's.
The old Navy, surviving in the Asiatic backwater where promotions could take years, bears the brunt of the onslaught of total war for America. A heroic tragedy of holding the line to bide time for the Nation to recover.
A story for all time, the greatest war movie of all time. No matter how large the budget and digital special effects, they will never capture the texture and feel of this film. The dying of the old Navy from Yangtze to Cavite with gutsy sailors like "Boats" living hard in the backwater paradise of the Pacific on $20 a month.
The tragedy of continuing defeat, overwhelming catastrophic events, the ill prepared Nation, the dying of the old Navy, all combine to make this film, made with event still fresh in the actors and film makers minds, a statement of that war and of the heroes which the audience knew first hand. It says, we knew these men and boys and they were as fine a heroes this country has ever produced and they will live larger than life for as long as this film exists.
Somehow I missed this film until a few years ago on a cable movie channel. Growing up with WWII as the dominant theme of modern history and an appreciation of the older film stars, this film is without question the most realistic in terms of the message and of just passed events with superb performances in the old morality style of the 40's.
The old Navy, surviving in the Asiatic backwater where promotions could take years, bears the brunt of the onslaught of total war for America. A heroic tragedy of holding the line to bide time for the Nation to recover.
A story for all time, the greatest war movie of all time. No matter how large the budget and digital special effects, they will never capture the texture and feel of this film. The dying of the old Navy from Yangtze to Cavite with gutsy sailors like "Boats" living hard in the backwater paradise of the Pacific on $20 a month.
The tragedy of continuing defeat, overwhelming catastrophic events, the ill prepared Nation, the dying of the old Navy, all combine to make this film, made with event still fresh in the actors and film makers minds, a statement of that war and of the heroes which the audience knew first hand. It says, we knew these men and boys and they were as fine a heroes this country has ever produced and they will live larger than life for as long as this film exists.
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