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Reviews
And the Beat Goes On: The Sonny and Cher Story (1999)
Oh My Cher!
Whether it was the female script writer or perhaps a lawsuit threatened by the actual Cher, THANK YOU for giving Cher a voice in Sonny Bono's narrative. Fresh off reading The Beat Goes On by Bono, I entered this with less than zero expectations. But the actress who plays Cher is PHENOMENAL! Where is her Emmy?? I do not say this lightly. And this movie adds what is missing from Bono's tedious book: Cher's voice!!! Two sides to every story and Cher has hers. Somewhere in the middle of their stories lies the sad truth. Honestly, it ends up being a tragic, yet beautiful love story. Remarkable for a TV movie. Top marks across the board!
Muppets Haunted Mansion (2021)
Cue Jim Henson, Rolling in His Grave
I just think the original Henson would hate this. What are these backgrounds? It's like a bad YouTube video. Henson would have insisted on practical effects and innovative puppet design along with luxuriously detailed sets built from scratch! I can only imagine what his ideas might have been for the Fozzie Hatbox Ghost!! I mean, seriously, imagine what this could have looked like had it been made 30 some odd years ago. Disney once again proves they can do nothing with the Muppet brand other than trade on the Henson name and the familiarity of the characters. Nostalgia IS NOT quality! This is nothing more than a long advertisement for Disney theme parks. It's cute and sentimental if you don't look to closely and you only have a passing interest in the Muppet legacy. It's just shameful and it hurts my Muppet-loving heart.
The Shining (1997)
It's Good! It's really good!
This mini series is definitely worth a watch if you loved Stephen King's masterpiece novel. It's the closest adaptation I think we will ever get given the reverence bestowed on Kubrick's film. Rebecca De Mornay is a knock out as Wendy, like the character stepped right out of the book. What surprised me when reading the novel (after seeing the original film) was how much of a fighter she was. I think Steven Weber was poorly cast. Something about his acting always makes me feel he's trying to delivering sitcom laughs, not any real depth. He shows some promise at the very end when he attacks his family. But still, his casting remains the one sore point of this remake. I love the elements they brought back from the novel. I really feel the 1980 movie tones down the haunts, as crazy as that sounds. The mini series really plays, on one level, as a haunted house story. Several ghost scenes from the novel have great moments here. The mallet is back! The hedge animals are back! And wow, the ghastly make up effects are superb. I get the Emmy win! Yes, The Shining mini series is a definite must watch. It's probably one of the most solid all around adaptations that has been made from King's work.
Harriet Craig (1950)
Life Imitates Art?
This film felt at times like watching Joan Crawford in a home movie. One of her ex husbands could have written it. It was eerily like watching Joan in another version of Mommie Dearest (without the children.) She is brilliant as always, and saves what could have easily been a B picture with a lesser actress. The final scene, Joan alone, in her beautiful home but without anyone, broke my heart as I thought of her last days in New York. Not one of the best Crawford pictures, but still worth a watch!
I Saw What You Did (1965)
Truly Awful!
Wow, this movie does not deserve either Joan Crawford's or William Castle's name. Tonally, it's just odd, vacillating between an innocent 60s teen romp and a warmed over episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Add to that a score that goes from serious drama to rock n roll watusi and you've got a real mess! There's not a thing in this film that redeems it's mediocrity. Joan Crawford is given extremely little to do and she is not in the whole movie, just a little bit in the middle. She does have a decent scene where she really goes after one of the teen characters and let's her have it, but this also could have easily been Joan attacking people behind the scenes for getting her into this crummy picture. There isn't a jump or a scare or even a tense moment. There's no fun dialogue and no characters to either enjoy or invest in. The best thing I can say is the teen and child actors aren't too terrible. Please do yourself a favor and skip this one!
Bus Stop (1956)
Monroe Was Right
I read in Donald Spoto's biography of Marilyn Monroe that she heartily disagreed with the casting of Don Murray. This was one cause of upset behind the scenes and purportedly led to Marilyn slapping Murray with a sequined costume, scratching his face. Marilyn could be very astute and she certainly saw what nearly every other reviewer here sees: Don Murray is AWFUL in this movie. His performance starts at a 10 and he has nowhere to go. I actually found myself muting the TV during his extended scenes. It really makes you wonder what was going through the minds of the people behind this movie. He was an unknown actor. Sure, several major figures apparently turned down the role, but this was the only guy who would do the part? I won't even get into the groan inducing misogyny in the script. Marilyn is fabulous and I love her work, but it sure is a shame we will never see what this movie could have been.