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Deep Sea Detectives (2003)
Don't bother.
Don't bother to waste your time on this show.
I believe each episode is one hour in length, but all the history that can be learned is presented in 15 minutes. The rest is just constant restating of already presented facts and suppositions.
In addition, there seems to be a lot of 'look how talented I am' ego tripping by the show hosts.
If you got an hour to kill, go read a book, you'll get more out of it. At the end, I just felt like I was waiting and waiting for something interesting to happen, and it never did. This show reminded me of the "Al Capone's Vault" fiasco.
The episode I watched was "U352."
The Long Kiss Goodnight (1996)
A good movie with great characters.
The characters in this movie don't (all) come straight out the the "cool spy/slick badman" school. I really thing this is the best work Gena Davis has done. It's a shame there is no sequel.
Sam Jackson played a very refreshing part that was against character, and the Spymaster was not only believable but also very entertaining.
There was only one line in the movie that I feel was not right for a character, and that is the profanity from Gena while driving the truck... (I won't describe the scene in detail because I think it would be a spoiler)... It just didn't seem to me to be something a strong confident woman would say. In fact then I think about it, this probably the line used because for her to say something more anatomically correct about herself would probable not pass the censors.
I rate this an excellent spy movie.
To Live and Die in L.A. (1985)
Not what I thought it would be
This movie was long, but it had the extra advantage of being boring too.
When "To Live and Die in L.A." first was released twenty years ago, it came with a lot of hype. It was supposed to be THE cop movie. It would change everyone's perception of what a cop drama should be.
I wonder if I would have liked it more if I had seen it when it was originally released - in the context of the times - but watching it today, I couldn't accept it as anything more that a TV drama with a lot of swearing and nudity.
The only burst excitement in the film comes in the chase scene which again I admit - might have been fresh 20 years ago - but has since be eclipsed by movies like "Ronin" and just about any other modern chase that goes against traffic.
Willam Defoe did well with his character - he gave a good performance; but the character was one dimensional with no explanation for why he did anything he did. I never understood why he was into the crimes he was. I never understood his girlfriend, or his lawyer's motivations were. If fact the only really interesting character was the partner played very well by John Pankow.
All in all I have to say that this movies just doesn't stand up to time and is not worth the time.
Conspiracy Theory (1997)
It works against type.
Trying to write a review of this movie is difficult without adding any spoilers, but I'll give it a try.
Just like Mel is cast against type, there are many things about this movie that go against type. The hero isn't really the hero and the bad guys aren't really bad guys. At least some aren't. And for a dark movie with lots of mystery, it is amazingly light and amusing. The dark lighting is well balanced against the energizing music.
For a thriller and a who-done-it, this movie just makes you feel good all the way through.
Watching Mel here shows the broad range of his talent. Its fun to see him in a role where he is not the perfect man, with the perfect smile, super cool, with all the martial arts and macho skills.
I kind of think of this as a companion movie to Payback. It has the same feel and tone. And you just want to root for someone here that in real life you would just dismiss.
I like this movie and recommend to anyone who appreciates a well-crafted movie.
Oliver Beene (2003)
This is a very poor attempt
The Wonder Years meets Malcolm in the Middle. Not quite as good as the wonder years, and nowhere near as good as Malcolm. This is FOX at it's worse. The kids in this show have absolutely no appeal at all. They are not anyone you might want to meet in real life.
Crossing Jordan (2001)
You've seen it once, you've seen it all.
This show has great potential, but it seems that in only a few weeks of production, it has already fallen into a rut. I won't put any spoilers here, but you can almost tell what time it is by what stage of the investigation she has gotten to. And every week, there is the reenactment of the crime that is supposed to be cool and incisive, but it just seems to come off as a way to hurry the plot on the next stage of the show without having to go through the bother of any real detective work.
This show seems to me to be a low grade "Quincy".
Live and Let Die (1973)
The best of the worst
The Moore films are so bad, I wouldn't even classify them as Bond flicks. They are more like "the Saint come to America" only more boring than the TV show ever was. Roger Moore (or the producers) obviously wanted to lighten up the series, but it neither needed or was meant to have this levity.
Live and Let Die is the best of the worst of these movies. I rate it a four out of ten and it only gets the four because of the great Boat chase... Other than that it is not worth watching.
Crossing Jordan (2001)
You've seen it once, you've seen it all.
This show has great potential, but it seems that in only a few weeks of production, it has already fallen into a rut. I won't put any spoilers here, but you can almost tell what time it is by what stage of the investigation she has gotten to. And every week, there is the reenactment of the crime that is supposed to be cool and incisive, but it just seems to come off as a way to hurry the plot on the next stage of the show without having to go through the bother of any real detective work.
This show seems to me to be a low grade "Quincy".
Gone with the Wind (1939)
Wow, I was wrong.
Maybe it is that it is because it is so steeped in "southern tradition." I certainly don't like to see the way African-Americans are portrayed. Maybe it is because the last time I saw the film it was on TNT(?) and they mercilessly cut and subdivided the movie - putting freeze frames in prior to commercials.
Today, I just watched the movie from beginning to end - uncut and I must say that I enjoyed it. It is very well written and a powerful romance.
I recommend this to anyone who wants to see a good movie - as long as they too watch it uncut and uninterrupted.
Maximum Overdrive (1986)
Simply a waste of film.
The setting is Earth after it passes through the tail of a comet. For some reason that I have never understood, this causes all machines to come alive. Don't bother, you'll regret the waste of film and the waste of your time.
Conspiracy Theory (1997)
It works against type.
Trying to write a review of this movie is difficult without adding any spoilers, but I'll give it a try.
Just like Mel is cast against type, there are many things about this movie that go against type. The hero isn't really the hero and the bad guys aren't really bad guys. At least some aren't. And for a dark movie with lots of mystery, it is amazingly light and amusing. The dark lighting is well balanced against the energizing music.
For a thriller and a who-done-it, this movie just makes you feel good all the way through.
Watching Mel here shows the broad range of his talent. Its fun to see him in a role where he is not the perfect man, with the perfect smile, super cool, with all the martial arts and macho skills.
I kind of think of this as a companion movie to Payback. It has the same feel and tone. And you just want to root for someone here that in real life you would just dismiss.
I like this movie and recommend to anyone who appreciates a well-crafted movie.
The Postman (1997)
Better than you thought
This movie is much better than its reputation. Somehow Kevin Costner movies have become some sort of joke in Hollywood - it is 'IN' to joke about how bad they are. But aside from a cheezy moment or two, and the overuse of the word "Postman" this is a good story and an above average movie.
Give it a look and you may be surprised.
Nurse Betty (2000)
A interesting concept in directing, not not a success.
Of all the movies I have seen, this is the one that I would most like to speak with the director about. Had Freeman and Rock played their parts less straight, I could envision this movie being a break out comedy maybe even a classic. Had the minor characters played their parts more straight, I could envision this a tight drama with a captivating story. Unfortunately, the movie straddles the line between comedy and drama, never falling onto either side of the line for more than a few moments. For me, the apparent lack of true vision makes this movie a failure. I would love to speak with the director to try to learn what it was he was shooting for.
The Art of War (2000)
Can I please have my money back?
Good production, good direction, interesting story, clever plot twists, characters that you care about and want to follow. All or certainly almost all of these are the qualities found in most good movies. My opinion is that almost none are present in `The Art of War.'
The staging is such that most of the time you are trying to see through the fast cutting and fades to make out what is happening. The plot is basically unbelievable and too predictable. The characters are all caricatures (except for the FBI agent, who I thought was the only interesting element in the movie), and what's with these guys jumping off of 50 or 100 foot buildings without even thinking about it?
It is very strange to me is that this movie -- which has at its base the Asian culture and philosophy -- does not delve into Asian culture at all. The exceptions being the cliche pretty girl, triad gangs, slavery sweatshops and sex clubs fronted by food stores which appear in the movie for no apparent reason. If I were Asian, I think I might feel abused and insulted by the producers of the film.
I'm sorry I paid to purchase this DVD. This was definitely a renter and not a keeper.