mgoodlan Reviews

Pottersville (2017)

Absolutely delightful!

[9/10 · 29 December 2021]

I do not get the bad reviews on this movie. My daughter recommended I watch because I'm a fan of Michael Shanahan, Ian McShane and Ron Perlman.

I loved this - it's a perfectly hilarious take on It's a Wonderful Life and with (spoiler alert) a happy ending to boot.

The Terror of Hallow's Eve (2017)

Good to a point.

[4/10 · 31 October 2020]

The last ten minutes of this was total nonsense. It was decent up to that point but the ending was stupid.

The American President (1995)

A wonderful film for these times

[9/10 · 19 September 2020]

First: Michael J. Fox steals this movie. Louis' dialogue toward the end, when he lectures the president, is to me the heart of this movie.

You can tell this is a work of fiction because this is a president with backbone, willing to scrap a major item on his agenda and redo it. That kind of political courage does not exist in these modern days.

I've watched this movie several times in the past year, and while I think it's very well done, it also makes me sad. Sad that we don't have people with this kind of courage and values leading our nation.

7 Days in Entebbe (2018)

Disappointing

[4/10 · 18 August 2018]

I don't know what I liked least about this-sympathetic portrayal of murderous terrorists or the bizarre inclusion of modern dance. The 1976 made for TV movie was much better.

Breaking Away (1979)

Family film

[10/10 · 4 March 2003]

This is almost like a family home movie for me in many ways; I knew Steve Tesich when he lived in Colorado and worked with him on several charity projects; my stepmother's family owned the house in Bloomington in which the main character lived; and her brother-in-law was a race announcer (for the Cinzano race).

All that aside, this is a fun, happy movie that everyone can enjoy.

The War at Home (1979)

Recommended for students of the 60s

[10/10 · 26 September 2000]

This is an excellent film for those who are interested in the 60s war resistance movement or who lived in the Madison, WI area during that time. It uses a great combination of interviews with the leaders, both student and other, of the time, and archival footage. A good reminder of a time when people took a stand for what they believed in.