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Reviews
The Alphabet Killer (2008)
This movie is an insult to the 3 Little Girls killed over 40years ago.
I was force to check "Contains spoiler:" for my review but anything that anyone writes that may keep you from watching this piece of crap is really doing a public service.
This weekend I watched the movie the Alphabet Killer for the second time after a year or so just to make sure my original impression was wrong
. It wasn't.
I do live in Rochester New York and even though I was only child, I do remember vividly when these Scary crimes were committed.
I've always been a fan of true crime dramas. and when I first heard they were going to make a movie of these killings, I was looking forward to learning more of the details surrounding these crimes, as back in the 60s-70's our local news didn't supply a lot information, out of respect to the familys and the public in general.
I was very disappointed in the way the creators of the Alphabet Killer choose to use bad taste and total disregard to the facts of the case if the people involved. Example: · These crimes took place in the early seventies. Not present time or in the day of DNA testing. · The victims were small children. And their tragic story deserved to be handled with respect and dignity. Portraying their broken bodies as Zombies or Ghost was in worse taste possible. · The linking of the "Double Initial and Town name" didn't get noticed till the 2nd or 3rd murder happened. Why would anyone make this connection based on 1 instance alone? Very poor writing. · Lastly, the end of the picture, it implies that there were more than three victims. And the murders continued. To the best of my knowledge this is not true. After the murder of the third victim, the murders stopped in the case eventually went cold. Since then these crimes have become a tragic piece of Rochester's history.
The producers of this picture totally missed an opportunity to make a very good, crime drama. It was very sad to see truly talented actors waste their skills in a poorly written script. This movie was done with such bad taste, and in such a heartless way I feel sorry for the families that still reside in Rochester. The producers should be ashamed of them self's.
Don't waste your time with this one
The Mystery of the Mary Celeste (1935)
Hollywood Dropped the ball with Bela
Well I woke early this morning and just finished viewing Image Entertainment's "Phantom-Ship" Bela Lugosi (1935). I must say I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was a pretty good. Especially since the only copies I've every seen for sale are unusually @ 'The Dollar Store" or in the Walmart 2$ bin, sandwiched in a triple feature combo DVD with the likes of "Coffin of Dr. Blood" and "The Screaming Skull".
The DVD transfer was pretty good. I suspect it was made from a good 35mm print. I would have like to seen a special feature or 2 (Commentary, Maybe a small Feature on the "Making of" or the "Restoration of", like Image did with Kino on some of the other older films. On a Side-Note: Is it just me or is Edmund Willard (who played Toby Bilson) a spitting image of Lon Chaney Sr. I bet that wasn't by accident.
I must say that the more Odd-ball rolls I've seen lately that Bela did in his lifetime. The more impressed I am with his acting. And the more disappointed I am in the Hollywood of the 30's. I single out the 30's from the 40's - 50's because that was where I think they missed the boat. (no pun intended) Bela had so much more to offer us.
Today's Hollywood is always giving actor's a 2nd or 3rd chance to show us the greatness they are capable of. Look at Mickey Rourke in "The Wrestler". If Tom Hanks work in the 30's would we have ever seen anything from him after "Turner & Hooch"? He would be stuck making "Beethoven 6 in 3D" or "Marley & Me, Pt.II".
Im not saying it's a great film, It has many flaws. But it was enjoyable to watch. As I watched the "Phantom Ship" especially Bela in the (I've killed one of my fellow men) scene. It started me thinking, what could Bela have done with the Spencer Tracy roll in "Captains-Courageous"? I suspect Hollywood owes Bela and the rest of the "Viewing Public" an apology.
Arsenic and Old Lace (1944)
So Good You Can Almost Smell the Apple Cider!
Whenever it gets to be close to October, I start to reminisce of Halloween with its (Cool brisk air, Apple Cider, Pumpkins, Spooky Decorations), and of course all the great television Specials I enjoyed as child.......... Who am I kidding? I still enjoy them. Thank God for DVDs and Videos.
Of all the Halloween Specials and Movies I have seen the best I think by far is Frank Capra's `Arsenic and Old Lace' 1944. I bought the DVD release and must say it never gets old. I know all the criticisms for this movie, Cary Grant's Double Takes, The weak script, The over acting. To all the negative critics I say `LIGHTEN-UP'. You have to take this movie for what it is. A Frank Capra 1940 Movie Classic.
The movie is closely based on the hugely successful Broadway play. Cary Grant plays Mortimer Brewster a dramatic critic who's written many books about the pitfalls of marriage. The movie takes place on Halloween night. And starts with Grant getting married. Together he and his new wife Elaine played by Priscilla Lane go tell his two aunts (who raised him from birth) about is marriage. What he finds is that his spinster Aunts are in fact Serial Killers and have been poisoning lonely old gentlemen and burying them in their basement. Its what they call their charity. This sets Grant in to a whirlwind of double take after double take. When you add his 2 brothers Teddy (who thinks he's Teddy Roosevelt) and Jonathan (Mortimer's Lunatic murdering brother) to the mix you get a Madcap Halloween Romp that with tickle your funny bone! Or as Teddy says in the movie `BULLY', ` DELIGHTFUL'!
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)
The Way Family Comedy Should Be!
I just finished watching The Ghost and Mr. Chicken for the 2nd time since purchasing the newly released DVD. I must say that that Universal did a great job with the DVD conversion. The image is sharp and the colors are spectacular. I think they could have done a better job with the interactive menus and more special features would have been nice. Perhaps commentary by Don Knotts. Or maybe some other Trailers from the Don Knotts collection.
This underrated Movie stars Don Knotts as Luther Heggs (a nevus jerky typesetter for the local paper) who gets the opportunity to become a full-fledged report if he spends the night in the local haunted house. What transpires is pure comic genius. It has some very creepy moments and music score by Vic Mizzy is perfect to set the mood. Any fans of the Andy Griffith show will no doubt spot some very familiar faces (Aunt Bee's friend Clare and Otis the town drunk. This movie captures the innocence of a time gone by (not all that long ago) but gone nonetheless.
Today the studios don't seem to be able to create an original story line that can come close to this without pushing the limits of good taste. I'm not a prude And I enjoy Eddie Murphy but if Eddie were to do one of his remakes of this movie it would probable start by letting the audience know that Luther was a Virgin and end him `In The Sack' with female lead. And would carry a PG13 rating, And for what reason? Does the studio think that the parents or the viewing audience are incapable of sitting though a movie like this one without innuendo or crude jokes?
This movie is a must for anyone who likes Don Knotts or old scary movies. This will be shown at my house on Halloween! Boo!