Reviews

During and after Alive 2 Kiss lost of Peter Criss and Ace Frehley.

Kiss had lost their way. Drummer Eric Carr (RIP) and Vinnie Vincent injected new life into Paul and Gene.

Vincent played on 2 albums Creatures and Lick it Up. However for reasons beyond my knowledge he left.

The Creatures tour was a failure, Lick it Up tour faired much better.

So this is from their next tour Animalize. Not as good an album as either Creatures or Lick it. But the show was top notch. Gene, Paul and Eric now had Bruce Kulick as lead guitarist (brother Bob had played some earlier Kiss tunes.)

If you like the music of Kiss, it does not get much better than this. So

Lick it Up.

1980, A great year in Music, Genesis record Duke, The Police Zenyatta, and Rush - Moving Pictures.

This is a live record of Rush's live shows in support of that Album. From the opening 4th's of The Camera Eye, to the climax of Grand Finale.

It show cases 3 musicians that push the envelope of what 3 people can do LIVE, much like their friends The Police.

Make no mistake this is a Rock Concert, the only story is the songs, but they are great songs. But what a rock concert, the band play massively complex songs, perfectly LIVE.

A great inspiration to me as a much humbler musician. I've learnt to play (parts of) almost every song featured here.

I think this was the 2nd VHS I bought, The first Was The Police Around the World. Amazing that Neil, Lext, Geddy, Stewart, Andy and Sting could vanguard me into learning to be a respected musician.

As noted by other reviewers, in many ways this encapsulates the entire Thunderbirds series. Nice touch that the brave volunteer is called Bob Meddings, a homage to model maker Derek Meddings whose magnificent skills created the Thunderbirds, Stingray, SPV, SPC, UFOs, Shado Mobiles... and later went on to turn a Lotus Esprit into a submarine for James Bond.

The music isn't fully finished as this is the first episode, and Gordon and Alan don't feature much. However the drama is high and there is some killer dialog.

"Aircraft approaching from the South East, speed 7500 Miles per hour...." Voice fading.

"London tower, this is Thunderbird 1, approaching from the South East, speed 7.5 thousand Miles per hour. Fireflash is trouble, I believe we can help."

I was 2 when this first aired, I've just watched it again tonight. As said, the series has a timeless quality and inspired me into a love of technology, music and humanity.

Main point I want to make is this is now available on DVD. A good transfer, but sadly no extras.

To agree with the other reviewers this is a brilliant black comedy, and the use of archive footage adds to the authenticity.

One thought I had was Ian Richardson's multiple characters reminds me of Peter Sellers in Soft Beds, Hard Battles, and I note Rula Lenska is in both productions.

Of cause it would never be made in these sad PC days.

I don't think there is anyone that likes all of David Bowie's music. Indeed he himself later dismissed this tour and the album that spawned it. However it is my favourite Bowie era. The sound recording benefits from the then new digital revolution. However it still mainly analogue sounds, with minimal samples. Great song selection and a great band, the bassist Carmine Rojas really stands out. He influenced my own playing.

Choreography by Toni Basil and her troupe of dancers is pin point timing wise, but OTT, even for the era of Yuppies, Dinky's and Neon Suits.

My only gripe would be there were new songs played on this tour that are not on the DVD. They are on the double CD set that comes with the DVD release.

Pretty girls, pin sharp lighting and photography, stunning setting in Miami. Stupid plot, but what the hell, so had most of Roger Moore's Bond films.

Plenty of tits and bums from all three female leads and the occasional glimpse of pubic hair. The male characters are pretty pathetic, but hell I'm not interested in them.

A nice way to unwind after a stressful day.

And Heather Elizabeth Parkhurst does get them out for the lads.

As a total Police nut I bought this as soon as it was out on VHS. I loved it then and still do. Hell I learnt to play guitar because of The Police.

But beyond the superb music, it is great to watch how the music is made, the band becomes a band (even for the short time this was the band). Also how the songs come together as each persons part is added. But really it's how working with different people can reinvigorate you and how you can learn from each other.

As a film it is well paced starting with the rehearsals before moving to the first concert. The mix of soft and loud is very well balanced. It does get a little twee near the end.

Finally, it showcases the best songwriter/singer trying to find himself again. Only 2 things are missing, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers.

Sting never had a solo number one, The Police had 5.

The first video I ever bought, £20 in 1982 was a lot of money, but I'd rented (remember renting videos) it a few times so I saved up and splashed out. At the time Sting, Andy and Stewart were the biggest band in the universe, and for me still are.

The video documents their 1979 Reggatta De Blanc and 1980 Zenyatta Mondatta tours. A lot of the '79 tour was in the BBC 'Police in the East' special. I guess it was a shared project.

Moving into the 1980 tour you get to see the band at probably their zenith, tight as the proverbial ducks, and still with the fire of a true band. Sadly, as a band, they never surpassed this moment as it became the Sting show.

Although the Synchronicity Concert and 2007 reunion tour DVDs are technically better. The raw talent displayed here is outstanding.

Update after the new DVD version.

The sound and picture quality is greatly enhanced, however the show is cut as the whole fight during De Do Do Do is cut, and the topless audience fan during Roxanne is edited out.

That said the extras notably the full live version of Born in the 50s, mean both this DVD and the original VHS are essential for true Police fans.

Well in my opinion. I can't imagine why some feel the need to review a film about a subject they have no interest or knowledge about.

I love skiing and this film is one of the best about the sport I love. Get your juices going with some healthy competition in the outdoors with the prize of a hot date if you do well.

Damn sight better than maudlin drinking and smoking in 'of all the bars, in all the world.'

To be honest the only reason to watch Ice Castles is to enjoy Lynn-Holly Johnson's skating. Although her routines not maybe the most technically difficult. She certainly knows how to present them. She shines through as a real person, who knows what she is doing.

The other, established, actors are totally useless, Tom Skerritt, mumbles a lot, Colleen Dewhurst shouts a lot and Robby Benson's character is a complete hypocrite. Jennifer Warren & David Huffman play characters worthy of ridicule in a Jackie Collins book.

However the outdoor location scenes on the frozen lake are nice as is the score by Marvin Hamlisch, best known for his work on 'The Spy Who Loved Me.'

One particular point of interest for me was how they would treat Lynn's character's blindness. Having coached a blind swimmer and talked at length about their problem, I can vouch for the 'Looking through frosted glass' effect. N.B. this is not the only type of blindness.

As is mentioned in the trivia section Lynn was supposed to be the skating double of another actress? That didn't work so Lynn was made the lead and then pressured into doing the other girl's nude scene which she refused, repeatedly. However no one seems to know who this other girl was, but it perhaps explains the amount of cursing that other reviewers keep referring to. QED - the film was not meant to be a family weepy, but a harder exposé.

And, maybe, an excuse for the film industry to exploit a talented 19 year old athlete. Look who is the monkey now.

One of the few Up Pompeii episodes that is not entirely reliant on Frankie Howerd. As the name suggests agent 007 is transported back to the roman empire to battle the evil bad girl Pussus Galoria.

George Baker who was in On Her Majesty's Secret Service the previous year and was later in The Spy Who Loved Me plays Jamus, but is not the star. That honour goes to Patricia Haines as Pussus, much to Francis' delight as he repeatedly rolls her name around his tongue, 'Pussus, Pussus, Pussus. Again Pussus.' The fun between them is obvious and is translated well to the audience. But these talents spur Frankie on to an outstanding performance of his own and is my personal favourite.

The usual elements are not forgotten either, Ammonia is tasked to seduce Jamus, Nausius gets stuck for a rhyme, and in the final scene Senna predicts 'The end is nigh'.

For me this is the best of Up Pompeii, and Frankie Howerd.

In the first 35 minutes we get a very comprehensive history of the Auld Mug, with some welcome achieve footage stretching back to the start of moving pictures interspersed with a few features on (then) modern 12 metre yacht technology. Oh, and Peter De Savry asking his employees how much money they've made today.

Although this was clearly released as if it were a review of the 1983 competition. Only the final 10 minutes focuses on that event. The story is told competently enough.

However this video leaves you cold, there is no excitement at any point. John Bertand (Aus II) skipper is barely mentioned. Dennis Conner appears only in incidental footage and I can imagine a casual viewer wondering what all the fuss is about.

Overall an empty production, as empty as the room the Cup used to stand in, inside the New York Yacht Club perhaps.

Note, the UK VHS cover I've uploaded states a running time of 55 mins. That is false the credits have rolled by 45 on my tape. But this was before any UK legislation on video tapes.

As Croft and Perry had done with Dads Army. They decided to end this series definitively, as they would again in Hi De Hi. Both apparently were in concert parties during WW2 and then went on to work in British holiday camps.

That's why this and the last Hi De Hi work so well, for all the preceding foolery, the ending is moving and true.

That's one of British comedies greatest assets, knowing when to stop.

How on earth did Russ Abbot and Paula Wilcox get so desperate for work that they decided to to do this rubbish. The entire premise is that a bunch of old people keep saying the wrong thing an the wrong time.

Man gives old table to a charity shop, new next door neighbours buy it, wife accuses them of theft.

Couple get attacked by kids. Look I'll show you them, I recorded it. Why do their parents allow that. That's my son!

No fun, no entertainment, nothing to feel good about, just cringe-worthy embarrassment.

I'll remember Russ for Biddly Bomb, the noise of the train, not this.

Avoid

That line from Randolph ( Herbert Lom ) to Amanda ( Joan Crawford ) defines this film and probably the whole Man from U.N.C.L.E series.

A Stella cast join Solo and Kuryakin for another romp through the 60s world of spies, kitsch and groovy music. Culled from The 5 Daughters Affair it is a delight from start to finish. And for me is the best of all the Uncle films.

As others have mentioned, there are many future Bond references here. The Auto-gyro, the ski chase, Telly Savalas & Curd Jürgens. However it should be remembered the character Napoleon Solo was invented by Ian Fleming who died in 1964.

And when a father is not available, the next best thing is an Uncle.

To be clear, I saw this on stage before I watched the film. As a virgin I was amazed to see my boss' boss in tights and his wife (who was also a work colleague) displaying her over large breasts at the stage door. Later another colleague appeared in full Frank costume, beard gone for this special event. The sight of him in suspenders is not easily forgotten. And god, I've tried to forget.

Although some are offended by Trans-whatever story line, there is more to it than just the that. Allow yourself a couple of hours lunacy. Just don't forget your sense of the ridiculous.

The film is as good a version of the stage play as is possible in my opinion. The cast know how to play it and do so to the hilt (as it were). I hope nobody ever tries a remake, IT WILL NOT WORK, and there is no point.

It's very much a social thing this, so if the local theatre isn't showing it. Invite all your friends over, costume only of cause. Get them into the spirit, rice for the wedding, Kit Kats for the break and don't forget the cleaning squad for tomorrow morning.

As a final note the music is superb and well loved. I well remember playing guitar on the Time Warp for a charity concert years ago. Went down a storm.

Most of the last series of Allo Allo fell well short of the others. The change of actor for Herr Flick being a total disaster. However (with hindsight) it seems almost as if it was only made to lead up to this final chapter. This episode it split in time, the first half tidying up all the comic loose ends as Cafe Rene is liberated.

Then in the second half we see the view from many years later as Gruber, Helga and Eric return to Cafe Rene to meet again with Rene, Edith, Yvette and Mimi.

This has happened repeatedly since 1945. There are countless accounts in books, films and TV shows, of former combatants from WW2 meeting and finding out they were just ordinary people, doing the same job, with the same hopes and fears, caught up in something beyond their control. Even now their children and grandchildren continue to meet old, and new, friends.

Having cried with laughter for 9 series, reality finally reached Cafe Rene, and yes I still cried.

This film stands apart from the others in the series. Apart from the first film it is the only other one to involve the Pink Panther jewel and the phantom. The story is stronger and sharper. Peter Sellers does not dominate every scene. Mancini's score is a excellent and evokes the various country's locations well, much like John Barry's for James Bond.

Christopher Plummer plays Sir Charles better than Niven for me and Catherine Schell is excellent as Lady Litton.

Many love Peter Sellers slapstick, however I don't. He was brilliant in the Goon show on the radio, where your imagination could run riot. But I've never been a fan of his on film.

Most will be aware that Sellers and Niven appeared together in the spoof Bond film Casino Royale. But I see more Bond links here.

Nadim Sawalha went on from this film to The Spy Who Loved Me, where he played a very similar character, and then The Living Daylights.

The desert ruins scenes in the 2 films are very similar stylistically, as is the nightclub scene with one in The Man with the Golden Gun, and the car chase early on is reflected in For Your Eyes Only.

Not sure who was parodying who there. The case is unsolv-ed.

For some utterly boring contractual reason this film got sidelined from the others and so has had less publicity. However, I wonder if that 'contractual reason' was actually the making of this film.

Allo Allo was nicely established when this episode was made. The original cast were all still there. The viewers knew each characters catch phrase, so it was straight into top gear farce in this.

Adding all the rhyming verbal gymnastics so beloved by Ronnie Barker added a great amount of enjoyment and ensured it's place as one of the best loved. Note Sam Kelly was in Porridge with Ronnie B.

There was no better way to spend Boxing day 1985 than watching this, and it will be a damn sight funnier than anything new on British TV this Christmas.

As a winter sports nut, the idea of the USA hockey captain being reincarnated as female figure skater was to good to miss, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Although obviously made on a budget, it was well spent on a good script that needed few special effects.

The gender swap of the lead character is not the real story here. It just allows the film to appeal to boys (hockey) and girls (figure skating). But I agree it is an untold story.

The fun bits for me were Matt not knowing how to put a dress or bra on (bet he knew how to take them off). Trying to put on make up and assuming he could drive.

The more touching side was realising to live his (and Sarah's) dream meant hours of training to reach the top in another sport. And that is the real story, not being able to win at your chosen passion, but replacing it and winning at another. Even if you can't totally let go of the first.

There are a few weepy bits when Matt thinks his best mate has done the dirty on him, but then learns it's quite the reverse. And that leads me back to the excellent writing. There are several key pieces of dialog that make the film make sense. Without them you miss the full story.

I'm not going to tell you what they are, watch and Listen.

As the nurse says 'It's a miracle.'

Edit Rating upgraded. This has become a favorite watch of mine.

I didn't see this in the day, but I bought this recently partly based on the reviews on here. It's not what I wanted. Whilst you cannot fault the skiing, setting or photography of this film. It has a few things that let it down for me.

1. Far too much of the skiing action is shown in slow motion, accompanied by medium paced music. Hey these are high energy, world class skiers. A bit of slowmo, yes, but not this much.

2. The stunt sequences left me cold. How many real skiers go down a bob run, ski under a piste basher or through busy cafes. And we'd already seen Bogner film that for James Bond.

3. The music is, with 1 exception heavy europop synth based, there is no variation to appeal to those with other music tastes.

4. The plot, such as it is, detracts from the film. We don't need to see Suzy driving her car, or John washing his face. The truck chase lift from Cannonball run being the biggest waste of time.

5. The break dancing, sand surfing, space skiing sections smack of filler, especially when backed with more europop.

So for me I prefer Blizzard of Ahhs to this, as it stands. I'm sure the footage could be made into a much better film. Might even have a try for myself.

Many many years ago (late 80s) in a town near by I entered a record store and saw a sound track album by Mark Knopfler for a film called Cal.

Recorded at the same time and place as mega hit album Brothers in Arms, in the same way as Private Investigations and Local Hero the 2 albums had been done concurrently. Cal (the Album) contains the music that was not used on BiA, for what ever reason, wrong Vibe, too much like, whatever it is Mark's intimate music at that time.

Unlike Local Hero the film is a very sad, and much as I've tried to like it I cannot. Thankfully the cause of this story is now lost and hopefully forever.

I wold recommend the Album to anyone, but the film to no one.