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Reviews
Dracula (1958)
Enjoyable
This is my favorite Dracula movie so far. Christopher Lee plays the count as an aristocratic being who is both sensual and frightening. Peter Cushing is the intrepid Dr. Van Helsing who displays both an iron will and a compassionate, caring nature. Michael Gough is excellent as Arthur Holmwood and Melissa Stribling is my favorite portrayal of Mina. The look on her face the morning after the night she encounters Dracula is priceless.
This production by Hammer studios is top notch. Great sets, dramatic music, a focused script and wonderful actors all combine to make this one of my all-time favorite movies of any genre. If you believe that the power of suggestion is greater than graphic violence then this is the Dracula movie for you.
The Mummy (1999)
A movie you can watch over and over!
This movie is not Shakespeare, and it knows it. This movie is all about scares and laughs. Brenden Fraser is terrific as Rick O'Connell, soldier and adventurer. Rachel Weisz is delightful as the naive but knowledgeable librarian Evie. John Hannah is funny as Evie's ne'er-do-well brother Jonathan. Kevin J. O'Connor as the weaselly Beni almost stole the movie right out from under everyone. Everything else about the movie is top-notch, better than it has a right to be. Sometimes you just want to have a good time and enjoy yourself at the movies, other times you may want to watch something "profound" that explores the world as it is today. If you are looking for profound, avoid this movie at all costs. If you are "just looking for a good time", pop this movie in your player and hang on!
Anne of Green Gables (1985)
One of the best book adaptations I've ever seen.
I was about 12 years old when I found L. M. Montgomery's novel, "Anne of Green Gables" at a small community library. I was immediately taken by orphan Anne Shirley and her various misadventures, and grew to love all the characters of Avonlea. Prince Edward Island went to the top of my list of places to visit in the future. Anne was a girl with character-not a put-upon girl who was afraid to speak up for herself. That was a refreshing change from many books aimed at young ladies "back in the day". I have to say that this show was wonderful to see. Megan Followes "was" Anne. Colleen Dewhurst "was" the crusty but lovable Marilla. My favorite was Richard Farnsworth's portrayal of Matthew, the shy, sweet bachelor brother of Marilla. For those who aren't familiar with the story, Matthew and Marilla decide to adopt an orphan boy to help Matthew around the farm. The orphanage makes a mistake and sends Anne. Matthew doesn't have the heart to send her back, so they travel on to Green Gables, Matthew and Marilla's house. Needless to say, Marilla is not amused, but Anne eventually wins her heart. With a temper as fiery as her hair, and a quick mind and huge vocabulary, Anne quickly makes a friend of Diana Barry and catches the eye of Gilbert Blythe. Anne's adventures made for great reading. I am happy to say that this production catches the spirit of the story beautifully. I cried just as hard at the end of this movie as I did at the end of the book when Matthew died. Another 10 from me!
Captain Horatio Hornblower R.N. (1951)
Pure Enjoyment!
A great story, fine actors, a rousing score, lots of action and great costumes and sets-the key ingredients to a fantastic action/adventure movie. "Captain Horatio Hornblower,RN" has it all. Gregory Peck is terrific as the captain, Virginia Mayo is great as the lovely Lady Barbara. It even has Christopher Lee in a small part fencing with Gregory Peck! I have to give special recognition to the music score. Well done! The loud heroic battle music is counterbalanced with the soft wistful music that is played as Horatio reads his wife's last letter. The music score is the soul of a movie. It conveys what mere words or images cannot. Whenever I rate a movie, I rate it on how I feel after watching it. This movie gets a 10 from me because I feel energetic after seeing it. At long last this film will be out on DVD on March 6th. I'm there!
Mystery Science Theater 3000 (1988)
My eyes, my eyes!
I discovered this show back when it was on Comedy Central in the early 90's. The whole premise for the show is so original-movie watching as a form of mental torture. I look back with fondness upon the first episode that I watched. It was "The Human Duplicators" starring Richard Kiel. The horror! Since then, of course, I have seen nearly all of the episodes, including the granddaddy of all bad movies, "Manos: the Hands of Fate." My eyeballs were permanently seared after that one. Here's hoping that more episodes will soon become available on DVD. My favorites include "The Day the Earth Froze", "Danger: Death Ray!", "Daddy'O", "Outlaw", "Bride of the Monster", "Mitchell", "Girl's Town", "Santa Claus Conquers the Martians", "Killer Shrews", "It Conquered the World", and "The Thing That Wouldn't Die". Movie Sign!
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
This film brought me back to the movie theater!
When I first heard that there was going to be a live-action movie based upon J.R.R. Tolkien's masterpiece, The Lord of the Rings, I was curious. All right, maybe even a little skeptical. After all, these are my favorite books. No one could possibly do them justice in a series of films. It just can't be done. Boy, was I wrong! Usually if there is movie that I am interested in, I will look for books with photographs from the film, and I will purchase the soundtrack and listen to it before I go to the theater. This way I can get some idea about the direction the film will be going. After looking at the photos of the cast dressed as the characters, I had to give kudos to the casting department. The soundtrack was intriguing. So I went to the theater expecting to see a good film. What I got was excellence across the board. A great story, breathtaking locations and sets, a beautiful score, and characters that seemed like real people that you had met before. In other words, I felt the same way I did when I first read the books at age 16. It left me speechless. And it raised the bar for movie excellence, at least in my mind.
A Feast at Midnight (1994)
If you can find this movie, watch it. It is absolutely charming.
I happened to catch a look at this movie two years ago when it was shown on satellite t.v. What I saw impressed me so much that I made a special point of watching it again. Who hasn't experienced the "horror" of being the new kid at school? This film made me laugh out loud! The humor in this film is not as gross as some of the so-called comedies that are being produced today, but that, to me, is all the better. I was impressed by the veteran actors, especially Christopher Lee. His character, Major Longfellow, (or "Raptor" as he is known) was very well played. Although "Raptor" takes himself very seriously, he does seem to end up in some of the most absurd situations, especially regarding Miss Plunder. You might not guess that Mr. Lee, who is well known for his horror films, would have a great sense of humor, but he does. I have to say that the script was original and the child actors were excellent. The scenery was gorgeous and the music fit perfectly. It is a shame that this little gem is not out on DVD. Everyone that I have shown this movie to has loved it.