carpentersfan2003 Reviews

Star Trek: Enterprise: These Are the Voyages... (2005) Season 4, Episode 22

What An Insult...

[1/10 · 20 June 2008]

All I can say about this finale is that it was complete and utter trash. Bringing in Troi and Riker was a mistake of monumental proportions. Not to mention having two "ledgends" on the show stole the thunder from the cast of the Enterprise.

I have heard that Jolene ( T'Pol ) has stated that the final episode of Enterprise is "total crap" and that she was embarrassed to be a part of it, this is an opinion that is shared by both Scott Bakula and Connor Trinneer.

Personally I think Braga's comment about this episode as being a " Valentine to the fans" is total B.S. and he can shove his Valentine where the sun don't shine.

In a word... SHAMEFUL!!!!

The Karen Carpenter Story (1989 TV Movie)

A Star On Earth... A Star in Heaven..

[6/10 · 18 February 2007]

This was the movie that started an all out love affair with the music of the Carpenters for me. I was 15 at the time and one of my teachers show this movie to us as part of our week long study on both anorexia and bulimia.

I fell in love with Karen's voice and continue to this day to expand my ever growing collection of CD's. However back to the movie.

Personally when I saw this movie the first time I thought what a tragic loss the world suffered when Karen passed on after thinking she had gotten over her illness. But at the same time this movie also spurred me on to do more research in to her life. As I read more and more I came to realize that this movie does NOT do justice to Karen's story either as a singer or her personal problems. It just skims over her life giving use very little actual facts in loo of telling the viewer a sugar-coated version of the events leading up to Karen's premature death at the age of 32.

*** Spoiler Warning ***

For instance, Karen's wedding and marriage is reduced to about 5 minutes of film time. There is next to no dialog between she and he. Notto mention that they changed his name. Karen was married to Tom Burris not Bob Knight. Also she was not divorced as the movie shows her to be. Karen was in the process of divorcing Bob (Tom) at the time of her death. She was set to sign her final divorce papers on the same day that she had her heart attack. She was still a married woman at the moment of death. In real life Tom went to Karen's funeral and during the visitation took off his wedding ring and threw it in to her casket much to the shock of her grieving parents and brother.

Then there is the issue of just what sort of abuse Karen was doing to her body during her more then 7 years suffering with anorexia. At the time that she seeked out help in New York the singer was ingesting up to 100 laxatives daily and compounding it with abusing thyroid medication to speed up her heart and thus burn more calories.

Karen's solo album witch is touched on when Richard goes in to rehab for his sleeping pill addition is all but dismissed. Karen in real life like in the movie did seek her brothers blessing before starting the project. Richard grudgingly gave it to Karen but he did ask her to get help instead for her eating disorder. When the solo album was complete Karen was very proud of the songs on it. But A&M ( Karen's label) was not. So she choose to shelve the album and back to working with Richard on what would be come their final studio album during Karen's lifetime.

Another glaring false part of the movie is where Karen is on stage and she collapses. THAT NEVER HAPPENED IN REAL LIFE!!! That was pure fiction to get the viewers attention.

The music in this movie is all of Karen's actual recordings and for that fact alone this movie is worth watching. Cynthia Gibb does a wonderful job of lip-syching. I was also told that she took drumming lessons from Cubby O'Brian ( He was Karen's shadow drum while on stage just so she could look like she knew what she was doing.

While not a movie I would tell you to watch it's worth a boo for the music content alone..

Diana: Her True Story (1993 TV Movie)

Serena Scott Thomas Is Spot On As Princess Diana

[10/10 · 17 January 2006]

Now I know there are few people out there that have seen this movie since it was broadcast years ago in 1993. And I have to say that I for one was very entertained by the story of a shy young girl that in her own words was " a lamb to the slaughter ". Those words are uttered by the Serena Scott Thomas ( the Late Princess of Wales) as she talks the women playing Lady Diana's sisters Jane and Sarah just before her wedding to Prince Charles. This was just after Diana found out that Charles had given Camilla a gold bracelet embossed with the letters "F" and "G"...

*** Spoiler Warning ***

There are number of good scenes in this film that show us the true hell that Diana had to endure while she was part of the Royal firm. To name a few.

Diana was an animal lover. " I cant bare all this Charles." As she watched her husband shooting grouse on grounds of Belmoral. The Prince's pithy remark. " You once told me this was the best place on Earth..." Diana is left feeling both hurt and dismayed at Charles total lack of feeling for her emotions.

Of course there are a number of good points in this movie in regards to Camilla and her on-going relationship with Charles. Diana seeing the "Charming little cuff-links with the "C's inter-twined" while they are alone dancing on the Royal yacht. " You PIG!!!" Diana says. And later on while the Royal couple are having breakfast and looking over their day planner's a photo of Camilla falls out of Charles' diary. It is scooped up by Diana who rightfully asks. " What kind of a man BRINGS A PHOTOGRAPH OF ANOTHER WOMAN ON HIS HONEYMOON!?!?!"

Later on we see a pregnant and openly tearful Diana all but begging the Prince to stay at her side for the the day. " Watching you shoot innocent animals is not my IDEA of spending time together..." Charles continues to walk away from her. " They will not start the hunt without me." in a dismissing tone of voice over his shoulder. Diana ups the argument by shouting " But I'm your wife..." it's at this moment that we see Charles actually snap at Diana. " All I had to do was get married, produce an heir and wait my turn to be King..." The very next thing we hear is Diana call out her husbands name and then she throws herself down the stairs.

Of course Diana's bulimia is well documented in this movie as well and first time we see this is just before the wedding when Diana learns from Camilla that Charles is going to Australia for five weeks. After confronting the Prince and his staff Diana makes a beeline for the kitchen where she begins to tuck in to a plate of cold chicken. She eats a number of bites hardly chewing and then when she realizes that she's been watches she looks about and then smiles. " Oh my God. I won't fit into my clothes. I must be mad.." And into the bathroom she goes.

The only thing that I was upset about was the fact that they did use stock footage at points in this film and if you look closely you can see the real Princess making a cameo appearance here and there. ( Watch the Glass coach scene at during the ride to the chapel for the wedding. You can see The real Diana Spencer waving to the crowds.)

Other then that I have to say that this movie is one of the best I have ever seen and I do recommend it to anyone. Well done Serena...

Whatever Love Means (2005 TV Movie)

Not Bad... But NOT the WHOLE story...

[7/10 · 16 January 2006]

I have been a avid Royal watcher since I was a little boy. And in fact I remember gathering around a portable TV to watch the wedding of Charles and Diana with my family while we where camping. From what I can say about this movie is that it gives us more of a background into Charles' relationship with Camilla and their undying love for each other. However it barely scratches the surface of Diana's story and the hell she faced with in the Royal "firm". While this movie is a good starting place for those unfamiliar with the history of the current royal family to get the entire picture you really need to get your hands on a copy of the movie " Diana: Her True Story " starring Serena Scott Thomas as the Late Pincess of Wales.

The actors all fit the roles that they play well and this is a watchable and entertaining movie start to finish. Definitely worth the time take to watch it...