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Reviews
John Adams (2008)
Could Not Finish Watching this Boring "History" Series
After watching and being totally engrossed in the 1986 mini-series George Washington recently, my interest in the American Revolutionary era took me to buy the much more recent John Adams HBO series. It has been so frustrating to watch, I could not finish it. Adams seems to whisper most of his lines which made it very difficult to understand, losing much of the dialogue.
But as it progressed, I guess I didn't miss much, because it was just so ridiculous and boring. I think the casting was poor for some characters. I really got NO sense of Jefferson from this. The actor was just no at all believable. Was he hustling Abigail? History should not be entertaining, but factual. For the true story, read well-received books instead of Hollywood do-overs. Wasted my money buying the DVD. My condolences to David McCullough for crediting this series to his book.
Virgin River (2019)
No HOPE for this Series
I learned to binge on this series in the first episode a while back. Enjoyed the three main characters of Mel (kind of a generic Jennifer Anniston), Jack who's acting seemed real (but notall of his actions), and I have always liked Tim Matheson down through the years. He is a fine actor and has aged well. Many reviews here bash Charmaine, who is a real piece of work. But I kept wanting the show to kill off Hope. Never, ever have I disliked a character OR the acting of Ms. O'Toole like I dislike this person who wrecked the series. Yes, the doctor must be mad to want her in his life. Every time she came on screen, I wanted to scream! Yes, near fatal injuries, houses burning down, young adults acting like young teens, pregnancies without a hint of a baby bump...And did anyone find the constant focus on smart phones in hand as annoying as I did? The prop was a little over the top!
It all started unraveling in Season Three and I think I will pass on the future drama in this little town on steroids. I don't want to waste my time. This once-promising series will have to go in the trash bin (trash binge?) like most of the other Netflix shows I've tried to watch.
The Glory Guys (1965)
Rather Silly
I watch tons of Westerns so am no snob to watching some B horse operas, which are often really good and entertaining. This picture was pretty boring and silly. It seemed older than a film from the mid-1960s. The fight scenes were over done and the love triangle seemed to go nowhere with no winner in sight. So I turned it off. The highlight of this movie was watching James Caan. His character nuances were superb and his acting so real and remarkable. It gave me a whole new appreciation for this budding actor from 1965.
Reunion at Fairborough (1985)
A Very Realistic & Truthful Story
While most reviewers here laud the on-screen talents of Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr, I found their acting was NOT what made this movie special. Actually the great Mitchum seemed stiff and just going through the motions of this role. The point of this drama was because it was REAL. These WWII veterans, from the-1980s (when this film was made) to the early part of our new century, did indeed return to England year after year for reunions and to commemorate what they did there. The townspeople scenes welcoming them were very real. I know because my father helped co-ordinate these Eighth Air Force soldier reunions and I went to some of them. The English people loved those soldiers (not the younger generation--as depicted in this movie) because these boys saved Merry Ole England's ass. The socializing in these scenes was just as I remembered seeing, and it was all very touching. The writers and producers did an outstanding job of showcasing these events. Note that few of these air bases have any buildings left standing anymore, as shown in this movie. The airstrips and fields are a very eeiire thing to see. The ghosts are everywhere and you can feel that living history when you walk upon those grounds. I thank the producers and the cast & crew for making this picture for others to see. It was an important chapter in American history that should not be forgotten.
A Ticket to Tomahawk (1950)
Blazing Tomahawks
While Blazing Saddles was one of the Western genres most successful comedies, A TICKET TO TOMAHAWK could have been a precursor to it. While the Mel Brooks blockbuster was stuffed with corny jokes, Tomahawk's humor was more subtle. And its writing therefore to me was more impressive, especially when you least expected it. When Dan Dailey kept shouting at his Indian chief friend, Crooked Knife, during an uprising, trying to identify himself, the Chief continued to shoot arrows at him. Character Madame Adelaide asks him--in the line of battle--"A friend of yours?" He replies, "Fair weather."
This title tries to suck you in and use Marilyn Monroe's name value, but of course she had a very bit part. It had a fun cast, and besides the action and comedy, the bonus was the gorgeous Colorado scenery. I'd watch it again for all of that.
Albuquerque (1948)
Too Much Orange!
I watch old Westerns 3-5 per week. I know my genre, and this had the oddest visual appearance. Seems everyone was wearing ORANGE. It was so distracting that I could barely watch it through. It was very unnatural. Some reviewers have noted the second-rate color filming technique used here, which explains this I guess. But it was a total failure. It was so annoying, that is why I have only given this film 5 stars. I also find Gabby Hayes so annoying, that he ruined the picture for me. Have never understood why these old coots are so popular on screen. Their "humor" is extremely juvenille and silly. Enough said.
Go West, Young Lady (1941)
Knock Out Hit
As a connoisseur of Western films, this one knocked me out. It was totally charming! I rather detest musicals, but this one featured such dreamy tin-pan alley songs and first rate Western Swing music from Bob Wills & the Texas Playboys, it's in a class by itself. And the town of "Headstone"--what a marvelous spoof on Tombstone!
The bonus for me was Glenn Ford, one of my very favorite all-time actors. In this early show of his talent, I saw a strong vocal resemblance and mannerisms to that of Henry Fonda, which Ford soon went on to develop his own magnificent style.
Never has a Western featured better saloon talent than that of Ann Miller's.
She was incredibly entertaining--especially that dynamic dancing upon the bar.
How many takes did that number require? I thoroughly enjoyed her talents!
And the cat fight with Penny Singleton was one of the best. That scene beats out
my memories of Dale Evans fighting off the bad girls while Roy is off fighting off the bad guys.
This is such a unique western and in a class all its own. I feel so thankful we discovered it streaming on You-Tube.
This Is Not a Test (1962)
Totally Horrible
This is the worst movie I've ever seen, hands down. Feet down. I LOVE old movies and appreciate the era very much, but this was just unbelievably bad. Done in 1962, it looked more like 1952, with even less sophistication of acting, dialog, script and set. The cop was worse than bad. The budget must have been about $300.