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Reviews
Quest for Love (1971)
. . . But I Like It, Too!
As a lifelong Tom Bell fan, I was drawn to this film but was mostly surprised by something you never, ever see: a SYMPATHETIC role for Joan Collins! And that lovely name--Ottilie (note spelling, everyone!). If only she had done more of this type of role instead of all the "Dynesty"-clone CRAP which ruined her career and her credibility as an actress of any merit. I also wish "Quest for Love" were available on VHS or DVD. (Apparently it was not released in theaters in the United States.) As for the story line, it is intriguing, and I think it's interesting that it is being classified as science fiction. It just goes to show that that genre comes in all shapes and sizes with, perhaps, something for everyone.
Theatre 625: Talking to a Stranger (1966)
This British Mini-Series Will Never Find Its Equal
I was 17-years-old when I first saw "Talking to a Stranger" on (then) National Educational Television's "NET Playhouse," and again a year later as I was about to enter university. Like that other viewer who commented on it, it was the first time I had ever heard of or seen Judi Dench and was blown away by this feisty, complex character with the gravelly voice who raged out against God while vehemently declaring she does not believe in Him (and liberally quoting scripture throughout) and mucking about in her self-made squalor called a life. What strength of character! As for the other leading roles, I had long admired British character actor Maurice Denham as the father (he is so marvelous in "84 Charing Cross Road" for a recent example), and first saw Margery Mason as the harridan housekeeper for Albert Finney in his small self-directed film "Charlie Bubbles" (1967). Michael Bryant (another totally new face to me--he played Lenin in 1971's "Nicholas and Alexandra") is incredible as the sensitive and self-denying son who lives a life 180 degrees from his sister Terry's; his is responsible, directed, mature, respectable but somehow unfulfilled. Thrusting the four of them together as members of the what we would call "disfunctional" Stephens family over one seemingly ordinary turned fateful weekend made me sit up and take notice of acting and scriptwriting as I had never seen them before. If you get to see this quartet of masterpieces (and I implore you to do so, there is nothing even close to it and you owe the experience to yourself), you will especially never forget the closing lines in the second and fourth episodes and realize the truths spoken by these people will change you forever. The series speaks volumes about relationships between parents and their children and the unsatisfactory aspects of marriage, even longtime ones. Finally, allow yourself closure by sitting through the end credits, with their melancholy, Brahms-like music and the profiles of the four protagonists framing the screen. You'll find that Terry, Alan, and Mr. and Mrs. Stephens have become people you came to know intimately, intensely and for whom you have come to care about very much indeed. Kudos to writer John Hopkins and director Christopher Morahan. (By the way, "Talking to a Stranger" was nominated for a collective Emmy Award for excellence in American television in 1969 and for whatever reason did NOT win; go figure!)
I Heard the Owl Call My Name (1973)
"Owl" Is a Must-See Experience
This film was first shown in the United States as a special as part of the CBS television network's "GE Theater" series in December of 1973. It was so profoundly moving and a beautiful and faithful adaptation of Margaret Craven's acclaimed novel, I'm amazed that it did not receive even one Emmy nomination for quality television programming. The remarkable British stage and film actor Tom Courtenay ("Doctor Zhivago") stars as Father Mark Brian, a young Anglican priest sent by his superior (the late Dean Jagger, in a fine performance) to minister to the inhabitants of a remote native American village in British Columbia, where the movie was filmed on location utilizing local residents. What he learns during his short time there (about his charges and about himself) makes for an unforgettable viewing experience. Native American actors Paul Stanley and Marianne Jones give wonderfully understated performances, and Courtenay has never been better. The use of the hymn "Amazing Grace" adds poignance to the music score. Daryl Duke directed for Tomorrow Entertainment, Inc. Highly recommended.
Muscle Motion (1983)
Review of "Muscle Motion" (1983)
This is a direct-to-video movie editing individually filmed exercise segments with actual footage from a California nightclub featuring members of the famous Chippendale male dance troupe, and attempts to introduce the viewer to each one "up close and personal". The club sequences are pretty ho-hum, as is the tiresome Master of Ceremonies, but some of the exercise segments are well-filmed and, well, let's say VERY relaxing to watch. This film is well worth your time if only to take in the breathtaking details of the superbly-constructed Sam Cupae, a very handsome, tanned and mustachioed muscleman with a great smile and real charisma. He is featured in one memorable sequence as "Doctor Sam," wearing scrub pants, tennies and a stethoscope. Dennis Landry, the little hairy-chested dancer, isn't too bad either.