Burt Lancaster, Audrey Hepburn, Lilian Gish, and Charles Bickford kept the movie watchable, but the background music was nauseous!!
Reviews
14 Reviews
An icy/banal documentary
1 July 2009
Boorish and banal.
The last vestiges of societal outcasts and the futile attempts to justify their relevance by chasing obscure theoretical evidence of the origins of life and the finality of global warming.
This film does more to elevate the hypocrisy of their scientific ideologies rather than it does to support their theories.
Herzog aimlessly wanders the periphery and interiors of Antarctica with little to no coherent theme. The inhabitants of the Antarctic outposts prove to be less than desirable subjects for interviews. The only common bond that they seem to emote is the fact that each has a story of disassociation from society and Antarctica is their last hope for relevance before they fall into an ash heap of obscurity.
The last vestiges of societal outcasts and the futile attempts to justify their relevance by chasing obscure theoretical evidence of the origins of life and the finality of global warming.
This film does more to elevate the hypocrisy of their scientific ideologies rather than it does to support their theories.
Herzog aimlessly wanders the periphery and interiors of Antarctica with little to no coherent theme. The inhabitants of the Antarctic outposts prove to be less than desirable subjects for interviews. The only common bond that they seem to emote is the fact that each has a story of disassociation from society and Antarctica is their last hope for relevance before they fall into an ash heap of obscurity.
And Justice for All
(1979)
Pacino's Best Role
27 March 2007
When we think of the great roles over Al Pacino's career, we automatically conjure up images of The Godfather I and II, Scent of A Woman, Carlito's Way and Serpico among many others. What gets little mention and is oft forgotten is Al Pacino's performance as Arthur Kirkland in "
And Justice for All." From days past and as I would watch Pacino classics, I always think back to 1979 and his portrayal of an ethical lawyer fighting for truth and justice in a not so ethical legal morass.
Thanks to AMC for bringing this movie back for new generation of movie watchers and also for a reminder of how great an actor Al Pacino is. If you have not seen " And Justice for All," you are in for a treat. Far and away this was Al Pacino's best film role and possibly one of the greatest film roles of all time.
Too bad Hollywood was so engrossed in the morbidly depressing and cynical Kramer vs. Kramer in 1980. Head to head, Dustin Hoffman's role in Kramer vs. Kramer could not hold Al Pacino's water, but alas, the Hollywood types on most occasions vote with their backsides and not their heads.
See this Movie!!!!!
Thanks to AMC for bringing this movie back for new generation of movie watchers and also for a reminder of how great an actor Al Pacino is. If you have not seen " And Justice for All," you are in for a treat. Far and away this was Al Pacino's best film role and possibly one of the greatest film roles of all time.
Too bad Hollywood was so engrossed in the morbidly depressing and cynical Kramer vs. Kramer in 1980. Head to head, Dustin Hoffman's role in Kramer vs. Kramer could not hold Al Pacino's water, but alas, the Hollywood types on most occasions vote with their backsides and not their heads.
See this Movie!!!!!
King Arthur
(2004)
If you liked it, its on sale!!
1 January 2005
I know why this movie didn't catch much press and is now on sale at the local discount store for $9.95, a bitter disappointment and 139 minutes of fighting to stay awake on the couch watching the DVD.
Now before you say, "well why did you buy it?", I didn't. My dear sweet wife of 21 years saw it on sale at the local Target store, and knowing I am a big fan of the King Arthur legend, she thought I would enjoy having this in my DVD collection. Wrong sweetie, I love you but you could have spent our money more wisely.
Expecting to see an updated version of John Boorman's 1981 classic, Excalibur, King Arthur is somewhere out in left field, way beyond the fence. Maybe I was expecting too much, or then again, maybe King Arthur missed the mark all together. The legend of King Arthur and his knights of the round table are just that, a legend. A place in the mind for fantasies about good versus evil, right versus might and all of those other clichés of the land of Camelot.
By somehow trying to add a bit of historical credence to an otherwise fictional story was abysmal at best and a waste of 2 plus hours of my time. Fans of the King Arthur legend will find King Arthur the movie, boring, confusing and down right sacrilegious. If somehow as a child, you missed out on the Sword in the Stone, Excalibur, Camelot and other cinematic depictions of the legend, then perhaps you will find King Arthur entertaining.
In defense of the movie, the cast is superb, locations and cinematography of Oscar quality and a nice job of direction by Antoine Fuqua. But that is it. For the price of a DVD rental plus a couple of days of late fees, you can own King Arthur for your very own, but then again, why pay the bucks to have it collect dust in your DVD cabinet. After all, with one viewing, that is probably where it will wind up anyway.
Now before you say, "well why did you buy it?", I didn't. My dear sweet wife of 21 years saw it on sale at the local Target store, and knowing I am a big fan of the King Arthur legend, she thought I would enjoy having this in my DVD collection. Wrong sweetie, I love you but you could have spent our money more wisely.
Expecting to see an updated version of John Boorman's 1981 classic, Excalibur, King Arthur is somewhere out in left field, way beyond the fence. Maybe I was expecting too much, or then again, maybe King Arthur missed the mark all together. The legend of King Arthur and his knights of the round table are just that, a legend. A place in the mind for fantasies about good versus evil, right versus might and all of those other clichés of the land of Camelot.
By somehow trying to add a bit of historical credence to an otherwise fictional story was abysmal at best and a waste of 2 plus hours of my time. Fans of the King Arthur legend will find King Arthur the movie, boring, confusing and down right sacrilegious. If somehow as a child, you missed out on the Sword in the Stone, Excalibur, Camelot and other cinematic depictions of the legend, then perhaps you will find King Arthur entertaining.
In defense of the movie, the cast is superb, locations and cinematography of Oscar quality and a nice job of direction by Antoine Fuqua. But that is it. For the price of a DVD rental plus a couple of days of late fees, you can own King Arthur for your very own, but then again, why pay the bucks to have it collect dust in your DVD cabinet. After all, with one viewing, that is probably where it will wind up anyway.
Fahrenheit 9/11
(2004)
Goebbels would be proud of Michael Moore
17 November 2004
I'm usually insightful and objective with my comments and reviews, but I find it difficult and futile to do so with such a horrid example of something that is neither insightful nor objective.
Okay, okay, knowing well in advance that objectivity is not part of Moore's vocabulary, I should not have been surprised by Moore's latest example of shameless self-promotion, but this drivel takes the cake.
What is even more distressing is that there are a lot of people that really believe Moore. Oh Please!
For the benefit of my sanity, I must force myself to stop here before I'm banned from the IMDb for life.
Okay, okay, knowing well in advance that objectivity is not part of Moore's vocabulary, I should not have been surprised by Moore's latest example of shameless self-promotion, but this drivel takes the cake.
What is even more distressing is that there are a lot of people that really believe Moore. Oh Please!
For the benefit of my sanity, I must force myself to stop here before I'm banned from the IMDb for life.
The Day After Tomorrow
(2004)
Only in Hollywood
12 October 2004
Only in Hollywood could thousands of centuries of global climatic changes occur in the span of a few weeks (or for the sake of this movie, in less than two hours). How senseless and naive can one be?
Okay, I admit that The Day After Tomorrow does tend to keep one on the edge of their seat with a steady dose of action, but come on, this plot is so hokey that even a whacked out environmentalist would be scratchy their heads.
They could not even get the cataclysmic weather sequences right. I'm from the Midwest and believe me, those tornados that struck LA were pure Hollywood fabrications. I suggest the director and special effects supervisor spend a little time in Tornado Alley before doing another storm scene. The massive storms were called super cells? Wrong, super cells are large isolated thunderstorms not inland ice age cyclones. Watch the Weather Channel a little more, please!
On the positive side, I was impressed with the special effects in The Day After Tomorrow, as improbable as they are. My wife spent more time with her eyes covered than not, so kudos to the effects.
Would I recommend this movie, sure, as long as you take its socio-commentary with a grain of salt. The earth is not going to end as a result of global warming by this weekend, honestly!
6 out of 10 from Tornado Alley!
Okay, I admit that The Day After Tomorrow does tend to keep one on the edge of their seat with a steady dose of action, but come on, this plot is so hokey that even a whacked out environmentalist would be scratchy their heads.
They could not even get the cataclysmic weather sequences right. I'm from the Midwest and believe me, those tornados that struck LA were pure Hollywood fabrications. I suggest the director and special effects supervisor spend a little time in Tornado Alley before doing another storm scene. The massive storms were called super cells? Wrong, super cells are large isolated thunderstorms not inland ice age cyclones. Watch the Weather Channel a little more, please!
On the positive side, I was impressed with the special effects in The Day After Tomorrow, as improbable as they are. My wife spent more time with her eyes covered than not, so kudos to the effects.
Would I recommend this movie, sure, as long as you take its socio-commentary with a grain of salt. The earth is not going to end as a result of global warming by this weekend, honestly!
6 out of 10 from Tornado Alley!
Envy
(2004)
Envy Should be Vapoorized
9 October 2004
Jack Black's character, Tim Dingman the "Dreamer" in Envy, finds wealth and success in the idea of a aerosol spray "Vapoorize" that when sprayed on doggie dung, makes the poo disappear into thin air.
For a moment I was hoping that Vapoorize was a real product so that I could spray it on this "stinker" of a movie and make it disappear into thin air as well.
Although Envy is not the worst movie that I have seen in the past 12 months (that honor goes to The Cat in the Hat), it does get the honor of a close second.
Not funny, not sad, not anything. A real "Stinkeroo"!!!!!
A 0.2 out of 10!!
For a moment I was hoping that Vapoorize was a real product so that I could spray it on this "stinker" of a movie and make it disappear into thin air as well.
Although Envy is not the worst movie that I have seen in the past 12 months (that honor goes to The Cat in the Hat), it does get the honor of a close second.
Not funny, not sad, not anything. A real "Stinkeroo"!!!!!
A 0.2 out of 10!!
Twisted
(I) (2004)
Predictable and uninspiring
5 September 2004
Twisted was definitely twisted from a plot perspective. It was easy to ascertain the villain (Samuel L. Jackson) after the first scene. The director's attempt to cast some credence to the possibility of Andy Garcia or David Strathairn characters as the serial killer of Jessica's one-night-flings was anemic.
Ashley Judd, although always a draw for her sex appeal, is uninspiring and ineffective in the role as Inspector Jessica Shepard. The attempt to create a visage of a heavy drinking cop with loose morals fell flat on its face as Judd just does not fill the bill, no matter how hard she tried.
Even for the Ashley Judd junkies, this is a big disappointed.
Ashley Judd, although always a draw for her sex appeal, is uninspiring and ineffective in the role as Inspector Jessica Shepard. The attempt to create a visage of a heavy drinking cop with loose morals fell flat on its face as Judd just does not fill the bill, no matter how hard she tried.
Even for the Ashley Judd junkies, this is a big disappointed.
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
(1984 TV Special)
How could you not love Red Skelton
26 May 2004
Red Skelton did not need to lace his routines with foul language and four-letter words to solicit laughs from his audience. The only comedian that I know of today who can make the same claim to fame is the great Sinbad.
In this Royal Command Performance, his last to be recorded, Red Skelton joins the audience by laughing at himself and his own jokes, one of the unique qualities that this comedic genius had. I still can't remember whether I laughed harder at his jokes or at Red laughing at himself.
His comedy was for all ages and will endure as long as the act of laughter. I miss you Red!
In this Royal Command Performance, his last to be recorded, Red Skelton joins the audience by laughing at himself and his own jokes, one of the unique qualities that this comedic genius had. I still can't remember whether I laughed harder at his jokes or at Red laughing at himself.
His comedy was for all ages and will endure as long as the act of laughter. I miss you Red!
The Cat in the Hat
(2003)
In all my 40 plus years of movie going......ZZZZZZZZ
28 November 2003
I have never, ever fallen asleep during a movie in my 40 plus years of going to the show. This theater was about half full with young children and all during the movie (and I'm assuming while I was asleep)you could have heard a pin drop had it not been for the sound from the movie. No laughter, no giggles no ooohs or ahhhs from the audience, just stone silence.
Conclusion, if a film targeted at an audience of 5 to 10 yearolds cannot get a whimper of a reaction, it totally missed the target.
Bad movie, tasteless humor (Alec Baldwin picking his nose and picking lint from his navel belongs in an Austin Powers movie, not a kid flick) horrendous acting and so on and so on. They should be giving out refunds to anyone who can sit through the entire movie as a reward for enduring the pain.
Stay home, watch a video or go for a walk instead of wasting your time on this pathetic excuse of children's entertainment.
Conclusion, if a film targeted at an audience of 5 to 10 yearolds cannot get a whimper of a reaction, it totally missed the target.
Bad movie, tasteless humor (Alec Baldwin picking his nose and picking lint from his navel belongs in an Austin Powers movie, not a kid flick) horrendous acting and so on and so on. They should be giving out refunds to anyone who can sit through the entire movie as a reward for enduring the pain.
Stay home, watch a video or go for a walk instead of wasting your time on this pathetic excuse of children's entertainment.
Mystic River
(2003)
Non-mystic dissappointment
27 October 2003
The movie drags, the plot line makes no sense,and even though the acting was above par, the casting was abysmal. Unfortunately, these are the highlights of Mystic River. I came away totally confused by a simplistic (we figured out who done it about 20 minutes into the movie) and moving target of a plot. The correlations presented as clues to the plot were poorly placed and lacked continuity.
Penn, Bacon and Robbins as three childhood buddies who went their separate ways after Robbins abduction and sexual assault and whose paths conveniently cross as a result of Penn's daughters murder is weak at best and unconvincing at worst. It's just too convenient to be coincidental. Lastly, the character of Celeste Boyle played by Marsha Gay Hardin was so annoying that you wished for a joystick to maneuver her into the path of an oncoming trash truck just to get her out of your hair. Ms. Hardin tried her best to salvage the Celeste character, but there was no hope.
Clint Eastwood has directed some fine movies in the past, but M. Night Shyamalan he is not. Stick to Westerns Clint!
Penn, Bacon and Robbins as three childhood buddies who went their separate ways after Robbins abduction and sexual assault and whose paths conveniently cross as a result of Penn's daughters murder is weak at best and unconvincing at worst. It's just too convenient to be coincidental. Lastly, the character of Celeste Boyle played by Marsha Gay Hardin was so annoying that you wished for a joystick to maneuver her into the path of an oncoming trash truck just to get her out of your hair. Ms. Hardin tried her best to salvage the Celeste character, but there was no hope.
Clint Eastwood has directed some fine movies in the past, but M. Night Shyamalan he is not. Stick to Westerns Clint!
Miracle Mile
(1988)
This was by far the worst movie I have seen the last 10 years
14 July 2003
I was intrigued by the storyline, as I was surfing the cable channel late one night; an apocalyptic tale of two lovers trying to escape to Antarctica to avoid a nuclear holocaust! What entailed, however, was one bumbling misstep after another by two young lovers who were not exactly the sharpest tacks in the box. How I made it through from beginning to end in itself was a Miracle! Don't waster your time on this horrible flick unless you are being paid large sums of money to watch it!
The Apostle
(1997)
Interesting and accurate depiction of the holiness church.
27 November 2002
As one who was born into and raised in the Holiness Church, I can attest to the accuracy of the content of this movie. Robert Duvall, as always, does a masterful job in portraying the charismatic bible-thumping evangelist Sonny (Prophet E.F.) Dewey. Not only is this an interesting introspection into the Holiness Church, but also a reminder as to the methods, hypocrisies and life styles of those who are members. How Robert Duval was able to solicit the cooperation of actual Holiness Church members to partake in this movie is an achievement in itself as many of those in this movement view Hollywood and movies as instruments of the devil himself. If you have ever been part of or know someone who was involved in the Holiness Church you will thoroughly enjoy this movie. For those of you who have no knowledge of this movement, sit back relax and become educated.
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