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Reviews
Night Sky (2022)
LOVED IT after a while!
Liked this series. Had some doubts at first; my wife rejected it outright until I convinced her to watch the first couple episodes and now she's a big fan. Just Googled to see when there'd be a Season 2; we're both VERY disappointed that it's already been cancelled.
AMAZON - PLEASE REVERSE YOUR DECISION AND FILM A SECOND SEASON!!! Lots of storylines left open at the end of Season 1, making for lots of creative possibilities in Season 2! We're anxious to find out what happened to Byron (assuming the stabbed dead guy on the ground without a 'space suit was not Byron) and how things will unfold with Jude and the granddaughter and what will happen with the discovery of others opposed to the Guardians.
It's a good, sound story that takes a little time to find its audience. DON'T GIVE UP SO FAST!
Schmigadoon! (2021)
A very pleasant surprise
Lorne Michaels and company hit this out of the park. Catchy songs, wonderful choreography and sets, very clever, funny scripts and plots, characters we care about; loved every minute of it! Thank you!
Unfit: The Psychology of Donald Trump (2020)
Reading my mind
This film states what I have been warning my adult children about for 4 years. They don't want to watch the news, they don't want to pay any attention to politics. I get it. I'm exhausted from 2017-2020, but to me the survival of our republic overshadows all else. Without it, nothing else matters. My grandchildren must have a strong, sound republic. How that's accomplished after the last 4 years is not at all clear to me, but I have been doing and will continue to do my part in seeing it happen.
The Master (2012)
Intriguing
The haphazard nature of this film kept my interest, but leading nowhere didn't make for a good film. Very good acting, but it's not a movie I can make sense of.
The Good Liar (2019)
Awful
The 'con' discussions between McKellen and his dupes were so ludicrously vague that only a complete idiot would have considered fallen for them. Not believable at all. And my wife anticipated the end within the first 15 minutes of the film. It's the writing, not the acting, that's poor. Fine actors in a mediocre film.
Chasing the Moon (2019)
Love the previously unheard background stories
I was 15 years old on July 20 1969 when my Dad put his Kodak Retina loaded with color slide film onto a tripod and positioned it for me in front of our TV to snap photos of Armstrong and Aldrin on the moon. I'd been following the Mercury and Gemini flights before this and knew the thrust of each stage of the Saturn V. I've closely followed all the subsequent stories from this time period over the rest of my life, but have been so enjoyably surprised by this beautiful 3-part documentary's tidbits, the background details that I was unaware of. It really humanized my astronaut heroes for me and often made me smile. Thank you so much for such a wonderful recounting of a very special time in my life.
Yentl (1983)
A great story!
An excellent film, it has a wonderful complexity in the characters' personalities and relationships that maintain a level of enjoyable tension and curiosity throughout the film for the viewer. Excellent performances given by Mandy Patinkin, Amy Irving and Barbra Streisand. Great songs throughout. Not a brainless ha-ha movie. It is a thinking person's film, in the same vein (in my opinion) as Fiddler On The Roof. Well directed by Streisand. And I'm a Republican! I have been waiting it seems for ages to buy the DVD (pirated copies sold on eBay a few years ago for $45+), but it seems legitimate copies are now available with special features to enjoy.
Spanglish (2004)
Surprisingly disappointing
I had pretty high expectations for this film after seeing excerpts and after seeing Roger Ebert's and this site's user comments rating. I've enjoyed Adams Sandler's (somewhat goofy) performances in past films, and have a high regard for Tea Leoni's and Cloris Leachman's acting abilities.
Why didn't I like the film? Two main reasons I think - first, in some cases the director failed to develop the characters sufficiently for me to take an interest (in particular Tea Leoni's character, but also Adam Sandler's). They seemed superficial. Secondly, the conversations between the characters often seemed very contrived and "unreal" - as though the words were there only to have something to say. I kept shaking my head throughout the film, thinking "they wouldn't really say that under these circumstances".
Both issues had me frequently checking my watch to see how much longer the film was going to be - it was really irritating. I seriously considered leaving early and waiting for my family outside the theater until the film ended. We all agreed it was a very disappointing film. Obviously others don't agree - hopefully you'll like it. Cloris Leachman's performance was the highlight for me, but she played a small role.
Dance of the Vampires (1967)
A very clever, very funny, very well directed film.
I first saw this film at my grandparents. I was about 15 yrs old, had just run away from my home after a fight with my parents, walked two miles to my grandparents home (they were on vacation, away from home), and climbed through their garage window to get into their home. I settled into their living room for the night, turned on TV, and there was "Fearless Vampire Killers". Well, 35 years later, I see the film for the second time on TCM two nights ago - and it was every bit as entertaining as I recalled from my childhood. I never heard of Jack MacGowran - he is a wonderful physical comedian in this film. Roman Polanski has had a checkered past, but his direction and his acting as the bumbling "Alfred" is nothing short of genius. The cinematography is beautifully arranged and done. You must appreciate slapstick comedy to enjoy it. It's worth watching. I'm only sorry it's not going to be rebroadcast soon, so I could tape it. It's not available for rental at the local video stores. Catch it if you get the chance!