Reviews

As other reviewers have alluded to, this is a wonderful story that needs to be told, so in that sense, I'm glad to have learned more about it. But from a movie/script standpoint, this is just mundane. Probably in the hands of a good director, this could have been and would have been a movie that told the story well.

If you've seen and appreciate Chariots of Fire, this is simply a disappointment. The acting is not bad, but they didn't have a worthy script to begin with, and the direction followed suit with the script. I did give it seven out of ten only because of the story itself. Maybe one day, someone will write a script worthy of the story.

I am finding this documentary to be very powerful and enjoyably enlightening. Howard Suber has taught film classes at UCLA for 50 years, and he offers insights into writing, directing, characterization, fate and destiny, heroes and villains.

There are numerous clips from all kinds of movies as Professor Suber himself talks directly to the camera about whatever the subject may be. I was a TCF (telecommunications and film) major myself while in college in the mid-1970s, and I had some excellent professors, but listening to this man actually makes me want to take a class from him even today.

This is a superb documentary on TCM and hosted by Dave Karger, who is able to speak to director of the series, Laura Gabbert, and to writer, Doug Pray, both of whom had Suber as a professor in college. Simply well done all around.

June Allyson is one of those actresses who just by being on screen can make a movie better. She does so in this movie with cuteness, comedy, and acting ability. Kathryn Grayson does a fine job here also showing her singing talent in particular. Then, unfortunately, Peter Lawford shows up, and there goes a good script.

Lawford is one of those "actors" who simply by his presence in a movie makes it that much worse. It's unusual for me even to watch a movie knowing he's in it, but the plot looked good as well as the other cast members, so I forced my way through his scenes. He has all the acting chops of a rogue marionette, so at least when he's not in the movie, there are many good moments making it overall a worthwhile watch.

I've been around long enough to have been watching police shows since the 1960s, and it is a genre I surely enjoy very much. THIS episode of Major Crimes is in the top 3 of all the police shows I've watched. The story is so very believable, the acting is superb, the direction is superior. The plot induces a classic dilemma and because of the nuances of the story, several different LAPD units are required to be involved. From people who were in the witness protection program being murdered at close range, to missing children, to various possible suspects, right to the very end this script had me on the very edge of my seat. As a fan of this show I grew to love these characters even more from this episode. Yes, I will watch it again at some time.

As my title states, I am a retired high school SPED teacher and I was also a Special Olympics coach for several years in different sports. When I read an interview with Woody Harrelson about this movie, I was intrigued to see it because I wanted to see how Hollywood would portray these very real people with intellectual disabilities.

While there are certainly and understandably elements of Hollywood in this movie, the realness of the Friends team was very authentic. And all throughout the movie it's the authenticity of the Friends team that makes this such an enjoyable movie. Personally, I thought it was just a bit too long, but that aside, I just kept saying to myself, "Yes, that is exactly what probably would happen in that situation." The absolute clincher of this was at the very end of the championship game and the team's reaction to the final shot. I promise you, that was very realistic. I've seen that play out in my classroom and in the field or court dozens of times. So, I hope many will watch this movie and enjoy these folks for who they really are, warts and all. Isn't that really what we all want?

I had never heard of this movie until very recently, and I managed to catch it on YouTube. Also known under the title of "Ill Met by Moonlight," this is a fun adventure done with a nice touch of humor while never losing sight of the objective. The movie has a wonderful sense of realism in the characters, the setting, and the adventure itself. As the plan to capture and kidnap the German general unfolds, one gets a view of the on location setting in Crete and the personalities of the characters begin to evolve. There's a lightness to the whole thing, which I found to be quite attractive, and the lead actors do a fine job in carrying out the plot. It was a thoroughly enjoyable movie for me.

I am 67 years old as I write this, and I have been a follower of Jesus since I was 11 years old. I have a Master of Divinity seminary degree (1983), and was in full-time church ministry for 20 years. It is with this prelude that I highly unequivocally recommend this wonderful portrayal.

As my headline states, the script is absolutely biblically accurate, not infused with the usual Hollywood fiction or extra-curricular items. Anthony Hopkins as Paul and Robert Foxworth as Peter are particularly outstanding in this unbelievably well-made TV movie from 1981. The costuming, scenery, and other characters are all well done.

Amazingly, this is my first time seeing this movie, but I'm sure it's one that I'll go back and watch more than once. It's an entirely enjoyable movie, and it's message is too important to overlook.

Sadly, this is just one of those scripts that can't be saved by good actors like Bogart and Greenstreet. It's a good proposition for a script, but it just doesn't piece together very well. I can't remember the last time I heard so much foreshadowing in the dialogue. One hears a line and knows what to expect next, and one is not disappointed throughout the movie. There are many holes in the script that simply can't be overlooked. Too bad, but not all script-writing is equal, even with good actors trying to make it work.

This is such an authentic, real, and personal look at what was actually going on that horrible day in 2001. It is viscerally compelling in its content and just a very emotional documentary. I cried at least once in every episode as these peoples' stories touched the depths of my heart. You will never see anything like this, and I hope you will be able to watch it.

I love this show and have been looking forward to this new season. However, after watching this episode, I can only hope the drama picks up the pace. Jerry's character seems lacking in honesty right now to me, and the storyline itself feels contrived. But it's only one episode, so I hold out much hope for better as the season progresses.

I really love the Heartland show and have developed a good appreciation for horses that I would not have if not for this show. However, this movie just is not up to the same standard, though I'm sure it's not for lack of effort. It is totally predictable with just about every Hallmark Christmas movie concept written into it. The script is simply melodramatically over-the-top, but the acting is still excellent in the midst of the poorly written script. I don't think it's worth the time spent to watch it.

The first word that comes to mind for me about this series is "eccentric," i.e., unconventional and slightly strange. That is not always a bad thing, but it doesn't always work in one's favor either. In the case of this series, most of the acting is well done, but some of the characters are just over the top and, in my mind, unnecessary. The Hunters, a mixed band of Jews and non-Jews, are on a mission to rectify the atrocities of the Holocaust in 1977. Some of them, including the leader Meyer Offerman (Al Pacino), were actually in Auschwitz-Birkenau while others have been recruited by Offerman to help eliminate Nazis now living in the United States. The problem with the series for me is the fantasy part of the writing, which seems at times to a feeble attempt at being humorous is really more lame caricature and not only doesn't add to the story, but detracts from it. And the ending is the absolute worst attempt at a plot twist I think I've ever seen. I made it through all 10 episodes, but I would not watch this again.

As one who grew up in the South, loving college football in the 60s and 70s, this series is a slice of wonderful memories. It is amazing how many different people the producers were able to round up and interview from all over the SEC. Nothing is left out, including the segregation issues which are addressed quite directly and honestly. So, if you love SEC football, you can't miss with this excellently produced series.

As a long-time fan of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and his life story, I found this film, a mix of reenactment and documentary, to be quite accurate in its depiction of the real German resistance. Bonhoeffer and the other noble resistors of the Nazi regime stood their ground against the evil of Nazism, and when Hitler found some documents that showed what he had been doing, he couldn't bear it and ordered these people "liquidated." If you're looking for Oscar-winning acting, you won't find that, but that's not the point of the film. The point is what they were doing for the German people, trying to resist and even assassinate Hitler. Focus on the story, that is where the treasure is found in this well done film.

I do like the fact that this is a clean, family show. And if you like formulaic writing along with drama by recipe, you'll really enjoy this. I managed to get through the first two seasons, suffered through the third season opener and finally had had enough. It's too bad because the settings are excellent, the period is wonderful, but there was enough sap in this show to give me a sugar buzz.

While there are attempts at character development, for the most part these people are pretty one dimensional. I must have predicted a dozen lines before they were delivered because of the lack of creativity in the writing. The word that kept coming to mind as I watched was "trite." I had high hopes when I began this series, but as time wore on, it began to wear thin.