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sagebrush5
Reviews
Ike: Countdown to D-Day (2004)
Another side to Selleck that is overdue
Tom Selleck has always been a favourite. Magnum, his westerns, the recent crime dramas. He always delivers. However I wasn't sure about him as General (and later President)Dwight Eisenhower.
Man, did he surprise me and I bet a lot of fans. The movie was great and we have now seen another side of Selleck that shows more of his hidden talent range. Who cares if he didn't look like Ike. The main thing is he showed the spirit of Ike and that is what is important.
My only disappointment is that this movie wasn't longer. There must have been so many other stories surrounding this massive plan of the invasion of Hitler's "Fortress Europe" But what we got in A&E's "Ike" was a pleasure to watch and as the son of a vet it still gives pause for thought on what those gallant soldiers did on those beaches 60 years ago.
Good going Tom. I'm looking forward to your next project.
Helter Skelter (2004)
The new "Helter Skelter" shows the other side of the story.
Helter Skelter 2004 really brought back all those events of August 1969. The new updated version made no attempt to out-do the 1976 television movie. Instead, it really showed more of the evil-persona of Charlie Manson and how he manipulated the members of his "family" to do his evil bidding.
Jeremy Davis was excellent as Manson. He had big shoes to fill over Steve Railsback's performance in 1976. Alison Smith's, Catherine Wadkins', and Margerite Moreau's performances really made my hair stand on end. The visuals of this film were well shown, right down to the reversed "negative" images when the killings were done. Who needs to see the actual blood and gore as there is to much of that detached violence portrayal.
You had to live in the era to really understand the impact of these disgusting crimes. The 1976 telefilm version was only seven years after the fact and it was frightening to watch back then. This new version was also frightening as it showed how an evil individual could have so much influence over certain people.
May Charlie Manson never get out of prison. If so, he could do this all again.