allenblank Reviews

Insight: Sam (1969) Season 1, Episode 316

Classic episode

[10/10 · 1 November 2009]

This is my favorite episode of this series. The great Jack Albertson plays the last human alive in a world populated by computers. He plays Sam an actor. The reason he is kept alive by the computers is they can't understand how Sam can act with such style which these logical computers can't copy. They don't understand how emotion can bring about a staged performance. They gave SAM a computer wife who tries to make his like tolerable but she is programed to love him, it's not natural. He has a big fight with his wife and kills her and he is arrested.

But as it turns out they are more interested in how Sam gives a performance than his killing his wife. The arresting officer even says, "To murder your wife is one thing, a wife can always be patched up or replaced. But refuse to give information to the Central Information Bank, that's very serious Sam, that's a felony". Sam then escapes from the police and finds refuge in an old theater, when a small boy shows up, who seems to know one of Sam's old routines. Sam is curious of the boy and suspicious. I don't want to spoil the rest of the episode for anyone, but the ending of the show is very memorable

This is a very interesting episode, almost like a Twilight Zone allegory. I must of watched the one show like 200 times and it's never bored me. Jack Alberson gives the best performance of his career and he's given many great ones. If it ever shows up anywhere I think it's required viewing.

Everything's Ducky (1961)

A childhood favorite

[7/10 · 9 July 2008]

This was a favorite of mine growing up. I watched many times whenever it cropped up on a local TV station, and even went to see it when a local church showed it one Saturday morning. It's plot is about two misfit sailors (Mickey Rooney and Buddy Hackett) who become friends with a talking Duck named Scuttlebutt. The duck was a favorite of a brilliant scientist, he decided to speak just like his scientist friend. Now the Navy after the scientist's death need to find a formula the late scientist had developed and realize that the duck might have the formula in his brain and want to kill him to read his brain. So our two sailor heroes try to save Scuttlebutt from that fate.

Yes, it is as silly as it sounds, but the actors and direction by Don Taylor actually make it somewhat believable. There is a wonderful scene with Rooney alone on a park bench, where two other sailors and their girls are making out on each side of Rooney. Rooney plays the scene well and it's very funny. After watching it again today i can see why I loved it so much as a young boy, and it's still fun for me today. Don't expect a great movie here, but if you are a fan of Rooney's or Hackett's, they are in fine form and show the promise of a great comedic team, just like they did a few years later in "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. I wish that they actually made more films together. But as i said it is worth a look, especially if you have small children around.

Have I Got a Christmas for You (1977 TV Movie)

A Christmas gem that deserves to be seen again

[8/10 · 18 April 2007]

For years I only remembered bits of this special, but I also remembered how heartwarming it was. It was about how a Jewish congregation decided to help there Christian neighbors by that over their jobs on Christmas eve, so the Christians could have the evening off. I remember clearly Howard Gould volunteered his son, Barry Pearl, to take Wolfman Jack's place as DJ for the evening. Then his son who didn't want to be be volunteered, didn't show up, Gould himself took over, But the son, after hearing his dad's disc patter, decided to come down and do the job himself. I also remember a couple taking over a local pub, where the regular customers loved the Christmas stew that was always served. But an accident happened, and they only have a small amount of it. But the wife recognized the stew as some Jewish dish and made replacement stew and everyone was happy.

I would really like to see this special again, especially around Christmas. Maybe Halmark will finally release their old specials on DVD. I can only hope.

The Paper Chase: War of the Wonks (1984) Season 2, Episode 12

Kingsfield Vs. Machine, guess who wins

[10/10 · 9 April 2007]

This is one of the funniest episodes of the entire series. When the head of the Law Review, Gerald Golden, has his parking space taken by a computer geek, called a wonk, he has the wonk's car stolen This starts a war between the law review and the wonks. The war reaches the high point when the wonks takes over all of the law reviews hours on the schools mainframe, as well as the wonks dismantling Golden's car and putting it back together inside the law review office. That's when Professor Kingsfield takes over and challenges the wonks, him versus the computer. If he wins the law review gets their hours back.He also comments that Golden's left front tire needs some air. Will Kingsfield win and get the precious hours back so Golden can finish this months edition of the Law review, or will he lose. That's all the fun in the episode. The performances are wonderful, especially Michael Tucci as Golden. His despair and almost falling into madness are wonderful to watch. I just love it when they lose all access to the computer mainframe, so he walks over to his car, closes the windows and then screams.

There also is a nice subplot between first year law student Soloway, (Steben Peterman) falling in love with a wonk girl, and having both sides trying to pull them apart. A wonderful gem of an episode is just one gem in an excellent series, that should be put on DVD one of these days, as more people should know how great this show is.

Off to See the Wizard: Who's Afraid of Mother Goose? (1967) Season 1, Episode 6

I wish I could see this childhood favorite again.

[8/10 · 11 September 2006]

I saw this when I was like 8 and 9. It was about a District Attoney played by Fred Clark, who died shortly after this film aired, who decides that Mother Goose is a bad influence on our nation's youth and is prosecuting into baning Mother Goose from our country. Mother Goose then appears and changes him back into a child and then sends him off to Mother Gooseland where he meets and interacts with all the characters and stories. All the mother Goose characters are played by stars, but the only ones I remember are the 3 Stooges, Moe, Larry, And Curly Joe who play the 3 men in a tub. We also see all the guest stars as real people at the beginning at the trial where they are mad at Fred Clark for what he is doing.

This aired as a 2 part episode of the '60's ABC series Off To See The Wizard which featured classic MGM family films cut to two parts with wraparound animation of Dorothy, Toto, The Wizard, The Scarcrow, Tin man, and Cowardly Lion. This aired twice and then a year later as a movie in syndication. But I haven't seen it since.

La Cage aux Folles 3: The Wedding (1985)

Much Better than La Cage Aux Folles II

[8/10 · 23 August 2006]

While I liked La Cage Aux Folles II I was a little disappointed that instead of focusing on the characters that made the first one so good, they focused on stock plot number 9: getting our heroes involved in a spy plot.

This go-around Renaldo is having money problems with La Cage and all his hopes in pinned on Alban's inheritance from a rich Scotish uncle. The problem is that Alban can only inherit his uncle's fortune if he marries and has a child within a year. After engaging a matchmaker and other problems, they mean an unwed mother who is willing to marry Alban. Will Alban marry the girl and they and Renaldo live happily ever after, and what about Renaldo's in-law Deputy Charrier? Watch and enjoy. This film will fill you with a lot of laughter.

La Petite Parade (1959)

One of my all time favorites

[10/10 · 8 August 2006]

This was a favorite cartoon from my youth. I not only remember seeing it on TV but also one night at our local drive-in. For years I feared that I'd never see it again. Just my memories of the little matchmaker in front of various officials, recreating the morning parade, "Every morning at 7, Rattatata rattatata, rattatata, tam Ze King, rattatam La premier, rattatatam the lord ministers, boom boom, ratatatam the army, ratatam navy, ratatatam, the department sanatair, boom plop, Filthy, disgusting".

Then about 8 years ago I got it when the Family channel had a daily showing of Harveytoons one. I taped it every morning, getting a bunch of Herman and Katnups, Little Audreys, and Casper's when one morning they showed, a modern Madcap called, "La Petite Parade". More recently I transfered this gem to DVD so I can always have it.

Keep the Faith (1972 TV Movie)

I wish that I could get a copy of this on DVD

[10/10 · 8 August 2006]

This was a failed pilot that aired twice on CBS in the spring and Summer of 1973. It was about Rabbi Miller (Convy)trying to establish himself at his first synagogue. Giving him advice is his mentor, and older Rabbi Mosman (enjoyably played by Howard Da Sliva. Miller has his first problem when he fires the temple's caretaker, Rosenthal (Henry Corden, the second voice of Fred Flintstone). Rosenthal is related to members of the temple's board, especially the pretty Miss Ross (March). Miller then makes things worse by hiring the completely incompetent Mr. Pink (Milton Seltzer, in an hilarious performance). It was very funny funny with a lot of funny dialoge which I still remember so many years later.

Texaco Presents Bob Hope in a Very Special Special: On the Road with Bing (1977 TV Special)

Wish this was on DVD

[6 August 2006]

Bob Hope was planing a big special called "Bob Hope: The Road To Hollywood", which was the title of his latest book, that he co-wrote with Bob Thomas. This special was to be hosted by his friend Bing Crosby, and to be filled with clips and all of Hope's friends. When Bing suddenly died on a golf course, Hope delayed that special and instead quickly put together this special. Which is filled with clips from a lot of Crosby's appearances from previous Hope Specvails. Not just clips mind you but the full sketches. We have Hope renting Crosby's home while his own house is being painted. Then after Crosby makes Hope sign a lease and pay rent, he gets a call from a realtor saying that a couple want to come over to buy the house and now Crosby has to get rid of Hope before the couple shows up. Then there is a spoof of Bonanza where Crosby plays Pa Cartwheel, Hope plays all 3 sons and Juliet Prowse shows up as a traveling saleslady. We also see Hope fighting champ Rocky Marciano at the new Madison Square Garden with Crosby as the referee. Wealso have them doing the old routine they used to do at parties and even sing each other's songs. There also is a number of clips from the Road movies. It all ends with a clip of Crosby singing, "Have you heard what I heard" and then Hope's final rememberences about his good friend. It was a wonderful special, and one of the best TV tributes of a star that I ever saw. I wish the Hope estate will finally release his old specials especially this one.

Alcoa Premiere: Seven Against the Sea (1962) Season 1, Episode 20

Dramatic pilot for McHale's Navy

[22 April 2006]

This episode served as the original pilot for McHale's Navy. But don't expect Tim Conway nor Joe Flynn here. In fact Lt. Commander Quinton McHale (Ernest Borgnine) is the commanding officer of the navy PT boat island base, Taratupa. In the late spring of 1942 the Japanese bombed the base, when it was over it was devastated, only out 150 men, 18 survived. They kept in hiding of Japanese patrols, till Lieutenant Durham (Ron Foster) parachutes onto the island. His job is to get Taratupa back into action, but it's an up-hill job.

The men have gone native and one of them has even started a native laundry service, and McHale has a still and makes moonshine for the men and the natives too. McHale is buddy buddy with the native chief and even bathes with him.McHale is afraid of losing any more men, he's just concerned about their survival and getting rescued. That is till they receive orders about protecting a Marine battalion pinned on a beach and an enemy cruiser is planning to attack the beachhead in the morning. They are ordered to use all boats they have to protect the beachhead. But since the Japanese has sunk all their boats, what McHale does capture a Japanese PT boat, who has come to patrol the island. McHale doesn't plan to use the boat to evacuate the battalion, but to attack and destroy the Japanese cruiser. His plan is that since they're on a Japanese boat, flying a Japanese flag, that they can get close enough to torpedo the cruiser.

This is a dramatic war story interlaced with humor. Only the relationship with the local native chief, and their still and laundry businesses are retained in the show that eventually made it on the air as "McHale's Navy". Beside Borgnine the only other actors that made it to the series were Gary Vinson as Christy and John Wright as Willy. Other than those three actors this is a completely different cast. It's very good and while the show it will eventually be is an old favorite of mine, I wonder why this pilot didn't get picked up. It would have made an interesting series.

Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Unlike other Robin Hoods I do it with an English accent

[15 April 2006]

This was a very enjoyable spoof, but when watching it one thing stuck in my mind. It was when Robin said, "Unlike other Robin Hoods I do it with an English accent" which of cause was said as a joke to Kevin Cosner's "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". But as I was thinking of other past Robin Hoods, I was reminded of two other Robin Hoods without English accents. One was Dick Gutier on a TV show called "When Things Were Rotten" and the other was George Segal in a TV movie called, "The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood". Both projects were produced by a short Jew from Brooklyn born with the name of Melvin Kaminsky. I wonder if Mel Brooks knows of this man.

The Sunshine Boys (I) (1975)

One of my favorite Stage to film transfers.

[10/10 · 30 March 2004]

The Sunshine Boys is one of my favorite feel good movies. I first saw it when it as the Christmas attraction at Radio City Music Hall when it first came out and loved it ever since. I ended up seeing it 6 times in the theaters, and if it was playing today I'd go out to see it again.

Now a lot of the reviews here mentioned the wonderful performances of the leads. Matthau was brilliant, but had the misfortune of being nominated against Jack Nicholson's Oscar winning performance of Randall P. MacMurphy in "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's nest. Burns did win, though Richard Benjiman deserved at least to be nominated as well. Even the smallest roles were played to perfection, like Fritz Feld auditioning for the potato chips commercial.

Which brings me to my reason for reviewing this film, the direction of the greatly underrated Herbert Ross. Ross who previously brought a two person play, "The Owl And The Pussycat" to the screen and made a full movie out of it, does it again. He opens the plays out without making them look like a photographic stage play. He fleashens out the story and the characters.

Here we're 20 minutes into the film before we get to the scene that opens the play, where Ben Clark comes to see his uncle and tell him about the comedy special. Though there are dialogue from the play during the first twenty minutes, the sequence itself is totally new. A few years ago I did see at the broadway revival of the play with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall, which was wonderful. But I think that Ross and screenwriter, playwright Simon improved on it. It's just a wonderful film.

If It's Tuesday, This Must Be Belgium (1969)

A fun film filled with a lot of great character actors

[31 May 2003]

I was nine when I first saw this film, when it first came out, and loved it ever since. Funny even with it's vintage 60's songs, and an appearance of pop star Donavan, it hasn't dated at all. In fact it's more like a time capsule of it's time, which was 1969.

The film is about a bunch of Americans taking a european tour is ten days. We have a large assortment of characters played by some expert character actors. There's the WWII veteran played by Michael (My Big Fat Greek Wedding) Constantine who has taking the tour because it goes to the same places he went to in the army. Then there is the typical ugly American (Murray Hamilton) who was forced to come on this tour by his wife(Peggy Cass), he hates every minute of it till Rome where.. no you got to see it for yourself. There is a poor husband, Norman (Mr. Roper) Fell who gets separated from his wife (Reva Rose) when she gets on the wrong tour bus and tries to find a way to get her back. Then there is Miss Sam (Suzanne Pleshette) who has decided to take a vacation from her fiancé, to get her head straight, but then becomes the object of tour guide Charlie(Ian McShane)'s advances. Also wonderful in the film is Sandy Baron, Mildred Natwick, Pamila Britton, Marty Ingles, and Aubrey Morris.

It was directed by Mel Stuart who followed this up with the classic, "Willy Wonka And The Chocolate Company". I ended up seeing this film three times in the theaters.It gets better with every viewing.

Privates on Parade (1983)

A wonderful bitter sweet comedy-drama

[9/10 · 9 May 2003]

After reading a bunch of negative reviews of this film I thought I should post my own. This is a comedy-drama, based on a theatrical play/ It is funny, sad, and serious, sometimes all at once. It has made up it's mind what type of film it's trying to be. It's about a theatrical unit doing a touring variety show in the Malayisan jungle at the very end on WWII.

It's also about a commanding officer who had missed the war and is now trying to get his taste of the war by using this unit he's in command of to fight some kind of enemy. It's also about an unscruplous sargent who is using this unit to arm the rebel soldiers and make some money on it. It's also about a poor eurasian woman who is pregnant by this sargent and has to trick another soldier to get an abortion to lose the baby.

The film does this by using humor which is something I do in my everyday life to get thru a trying day, and what's wrong with that. The one character that holds the film together is the non-military head of the acting troupe, Terry Dennis (Denis Quiley, in a award callibar performance). Terry who changes all male names to female including "Jessica Christ", and has a heart for everyone in the troupe is the glue that holds this film together. He is not a stereotype performance but a flesh and blood character. John Cleese is the colonel Blimpish officer in charge of the troupe, who doesn't really understand theatrical types, nor does he want to. Cleese is fine in the role, so is the rest of the cast including Nicola Pagget as the eurasian woman and the always wonderful Simon Jones as Eric Young-Love. Jones created his part in the original stage production, and later on played the Cleese part in a production Off-Broadway here in New York with Jim Dale as Terry Dennis. Denis Quiley and Joe Melia also created their parts in the original Royal Shakespeare production of the play.

Don't listen to the negative reviews, try this for yourselves, I think you'll like it. You may, like me, shed a tear or two before it's over, and then laugh so hard you'll fall out of your seat during the end credits.

The One and Only, Genuine, Original Family Band (1968)

Underrated and underseen Disney musical

[8 January 2003]

When Walt Disney died, he had various projects in the works and at various stages. After the success of Mary Poppins he wanted to make more big budget Roadshow musicals. A year after his death the Disney company released "The Happiest Millionaire", a wonderful film that originally ran 2 hours and 45 minutes. After the LA premiere the company afraid of a huge loss kept cutting the film down till it lost one whole number and parts of other ones and finally was cut by a whole half an hour on his general release, which was done with minimal publicity, and didn't do much at the box office.

A year later they had another Roadshow musical to release, "The One And Only, Genuine, Original Family Band. But after the failure of "The Happiest Millionaire", the company that Walt let behind were running scared. They decided to premiere the 2 hour and 15 minute film At Radio City Musical Hall for it's Christmas Show. But because of their stage show among other concessions, they told Disney that they will only show the film as their Christmas Attraction if they cut the film to under 2 hours. So for the Music Hall premiere they cut the film to 1 hour and 50 minutes, but still were going to release the long version as a Roadshow attraction. But the shortened film didn't do well, plus other Roadshow attractions that did have a Roadshow release failed at the box office. So Disney decided to release the shortened version of the film in general release the following spring, without much fanfare. The film died at the box office and was then shown as a two parter, cut even more, on the Wonderful World of Disney the following year.

This film didn't deserve it's fate. At it's current state it's still a fun musical about Grandpa (Walter Brennan) a devout Democrat who organised his family into a band to play at the Democratic Presidential convention for the current US President, Grover Cleavland. But his granddaughter (Lesley Ann Warren) has a teaching job off in the Dakota territory for a man(John Davidson)that she's fallen in love with. So Grandpa made the ultimate sacrifice and instead of going to the democratic convention they went to Dakota, a primary Republican area. Grandpa stirs up trouble and the two loves fight, then on the eve of election, everything comes to a head to a great climax. One interesting trivia in the film is that one of Warren's bothers is played by young Kurt Russell and a girl that Davison uses to get Warren jealous is a young dancer named Goldie Jeanne Hawn, yes Goldie Hawn.

In the wake of the release of the DVDs of the restored Roadshow version of "The Happiest Millionaire" and the restored version of "Bedknobs and Broomsticks", maybe Disney will dust this film off and restore it as well for a future DVD release. I can only hope.

Hey There, It's Yogi Bear (1964)

It's smarter than the average movie from TV show adaptation

[10/10 · 6 January 2003]

"Hey There, It's Yogi Bear" was Hanna Barbara's first feature venture to the big screen and along with "A Man Called Flintstone", it's one of their best. Yogi, Bo bo and Ranger Smith haven't changed from the cartoon and this just feels like a regular Yogi Bear cartoon.

Once again Ranger Smith is trying to stop Yogi from stealing Picnic baskets, only he finally grown wise to Yogi's tricks. Poor Yogi just can't win so he give's the ranger an ultimatum, either the "Do not feed the beers signs'" go or Yogi is leaving. So Ranger Smith decides to send Yogi to the San Diego zoo. Yogi tricks another bear, Cornpone into taking his place, so Yogi becomes the masked avenger, stealing all the camper's lunchs. Meanwhile poor Cindy bear, heartbroken over her love Yogi being sent to San Diego, that she gets Ranger Smith to send her off too. But unknown to her she's being sent to St. Louis zoo instead. Then her cage falls off the train it was on and she is captured by some evil circus men who use her as a high wire bear act.

Yogi finds out about this and he and Boo Boo escape from the zoo in search of Cindy. They rescue her from the Zoo, and then end up in New York City, being chased by the police. Leading to a wild climax in a building under construction.

As usual in this kind of film, there are songs. But these are all quite good. There's the title song sung by David Gates, then Cindy's Song, "I Love A Parade", Veni Veno Vene where Yogi's voice sounds suspiciously like James Darren, and my favorite, "Oh What a Wonderful Feeling". They almost all fit in the plot and enhance it as well.

Daws Butler is just wonderful as Yogi and Don Messick does double duty as both Boo Boo and Ranger Smith. Julie Bennett is fine as Cindy. Plus we have Mel Blanc and Hal Smith does a fine job with various voices too.

I saw this at a kiddie matinee when I was 10 and loved it ever since. I still enjoy it, and for all you Yogi fan's out there, give it a chance, you'll love it too.

Side by Side (1988 TV Movie)

Three TV Icons together for the first time.

[22 December 2002]

This film united for the first time Mr. Television, Milton Berle, Sid Caesar, and Danny Thomas. They play three men who retired from the garment district who decide to make a line of sports clothes with senior citizens in mind. The three leads are all uniformly great. It was strange to see Thomas' TV wife Marjorie Lord as Caesar's wife, but it was great to see her and Thomas on the TV screen together again. Also there's Morey Ansterdam as their friend who runs the neighborhood deli, at one point he brings out his cello and plays, just like on the Dick Van Dyke Show.

An interesting footnote to this film, is the Summer after it premired on CBS, Berle, Thomas, and Caesar went on tour together. I saw them in Atlantic City and they were great. I'm glad I got to see these three giants together in person, but if this film shows up on some cable station, watch it, it's a lot of fun.

The Ballad of Cable Hogue (1970)

Sam Peckinpah's Best Film

[10/10 · 12 September 2002]

When people mention Sam Peckinpah, the film most mentioned is The Wild Bunch. While I'm a big fan of that very violent film, I find out that most people don't even know about The Ballad Of Cable Houge, which I feel is his finest film.

The film is about a would be prospector named Cable Houge (Jason Robards in his best performance and that's saying a lot), who is left to die out in the desert with no water by his too partners (Strother Martin and L.Q. Jones). After almost dying out in the desert Cable actually finds water. He then buys the land and makes it a stop in the desert for stagecoaches to stop and refresh the horses. He becomes friends to a traveling and lecherous preacher (well played by David Warner) and a sweet prostitute, Hilly (played by the sweet faced Stella Stevens). But what Cable is mainly doing is lying in wait for the time that he runs into his former partners again.

It's a simple fable told with very little violence, and it's well told. It's definitely not the film that you would expect from the man who made the Wild Bunch. Warner Bros. who released it didn't know what to do with it and just threw out at the public with very little publicity, and the film never go the attention that it should have. Hopefully future film scholars with rediscover this gem and lift it from obscurity.

Adolf Hitler: My Part in His Downfall (1973)

A slapdash MASH variation, that should have been funnier

[3/10 · 9 August 2002]

I never heard of this film till I saw it's listing in the TV guide. I'm a big Jim Dale fan and love comedian Spike Milligan, so when I swa this movie was based on Spike Milligan's sidesplitting autobiography and that Jim Dale was plying Spike and the wonderfully demented Spike was playing his father I was looking foward to this film, but was very disapointed.

The film is about Spike being drafted into the army at the beginning of WWII and covered his basic training. There are some wonderful set pieces like Spike being conned into fighting a much bigger oppenant and when should have been a sidesplitting war games adventure, but the comic payoffs aren't there. It's like director Norman Cohen was influence by two then recent films, "MASH" and "Oh What A Lovely War", both anti war comic looks at war and what he should have done was a Carry On type of film.

The cast had a lot of potential too, We have Arthur Lowe of Dad's Army playing a similar role as the base Commander. There is also Bill Maynard as the sargent and fellow recruits Tony Selby and "Keeping Up Appearences" Onslow, Geoffrey Hughes but they don't do much with them Lowe who know's his character well comes off best of the supporting cast and Dale is wonderfully demented as Spike, but the film doesn't take off. It's just there, going from one situation to another with very little payoff. Like the potentilly funny scene where Spike and his sargent are being chased by a bull but find out that it's really a cow. The director let's on the joke from the beginning so when Spike and the sarge find out it's just not the belly laugh it should be. The direction and lackluster editing really let them down.

It is a pleasent hour and forty minute diversion, thanks to a fine cast, but what unfulfilled potential this film had.

Happy (1983 TV Movie)

A little gem of a film

[3 August 2002]

Happy is a wonderful little TV movie about a former kiddie show host named Happy (Dom Deluise) who keeps his old show alive by doing public appearences in character. One day while doing a supermarket opening with his sidekick (the always wonderful Jack Gilford, the supermarket is robbed by a man (Henry Silva) masquerading as an African-American). His sidekick is killed in the robbery. But Happy goes on TV to say that the robber was white, not African-American, but the police don't believe him, the only one who does is the robber himself, who has decided to kill Happy.

Dom DeLuise is nothing short of excellent in the title role. He gives the performance of his career in this film. He's funny, sad, and convincing. Dee Wallace-Stone is very sweet as a girl who falls in love with happy, Henry Silva is very menacing as the Killer, and Jack Gilford steels the film in his small but important role. This is also an opportunity to see him to his famous imitation of pea soup coming to a boil. If you haven't ever seen that, then you're in for a treat. I highly reccomend this film.

The First Nudie Musical (1976)

There was Woody and Mel and then there was Bruce Kimmel

[25 June 2002]

I first saw The First Nudie Musical when it first came out and thought it was very funny and extremely outragous. Now I have to say it still holds up. It's a wonderful little film. It's about a porn producer who in order to save his little studio decides to make the worlds first porno musical. The songs are outragous especially the one called "Dancing Dildos", which has to be seen to be believed. This was all the brainchild of one man, Bruce Kimmel, who now is a record producer. He's the one responsible to putting some of the best old albums on CD. For this film he got all his friends involved, including a cameo from one of his stars, Cindy Williams good friends. I won't spoil this cameo though it does come early in the film. Get the new DVD which I just watched. The print has never looked too good plus the DVD has two wonderful commentary tracks, a 54 minute documentary which is outragous in itself, and two deleted scenes. This film is a treat for not only those who love cult films, to the lovers of old time musicals, because this film really does send up the old Mickey Rooney/Judy Garland let's put on a show films. Do yourself a favor and add this to your DVD collection.

The Funny Side (1971)

A very funny under-rated show that deserved a longer life

[8 February 2002]

This is a very under-rated program that many people don't even know about. It was hosted by Gene Kelly and basically many comedy situations were played out with a major guest star and the regular cast. The regulars were five couples from different racial and social areas. There was the African-American couple played by John (Happy Days) Amos and Teresa (Get Christie Love) Graves, The Upper class couple played by comedy writers Dick Clair and Jenna McMahon (Who together created the Mamma and Eunice sketch on Carol Burnett Show), the middle class couple played by Warren Berlenger and Patty Finley, the senior citizen couple played by Burt Mustin and Queenie Smith and the young teenage couple played by Michael Lembeck and Cindy Williams.

I remember one week in particular where the guest star was Jack Benny. In one sketch he buys something thing with a dollar bill, which goes from one couple to another till it comes back to Jack. He turns to Gene Kelly and announces that it's the same bill that he started with. Gene asks him how does he know that. Jack explains, "From the serial numbers". Gene then says, "You memorized the serial numbers" to which Jack replies, "Doesn't everybody". The episode ends where Gene Kelly announces that for the first time on any stage, Jack Benny and a Million dollars. We see Jack alone on stage with the money which had to be seen to be believe. I only wish I had a VCR back then because I'd love to see that episode again.

It was a fun show that I only wish had lasted a while longer. I'd love to see it again.

Avalanche Express (1979)

A Big Disapointment

[7 February 2002]

I am a big Robert Shaw fan. I was very sad when I heard that he died at a very young age of 52. So when I learned that he made two films before he died, I looked foward to seeing them, so I could spend some more time with that great acting talent. The first "Force 10 From Navarone" was a fun adventure film with Shaw still at the top of his game the second was "Avalanche Express"

It came out some 14 months after he died, and I went quickley to my local movie theater to see it. Imagine my disapointment when I first heard him speak and realised that majestic voice was dubbed. It hurt alot that I would not hear that wonderful voice for the next 88 minutes. The voice didn't sound anything remotely like him.

As for the film itself, what can I say about a film where Joe Namath givves the best acting performance. As the other review says, if you love watching bad movies this is the film for you. The biggest laugh is at the end where the Robert Shaw character is singing a sad Russian song (Another sadness as I wouldn't hear Shaw's own wondeful singing voice_ and then the film cuts to an exterior shot of the airplane and while the "Shaw" voice is still sing he is joined by the croaking silver tomes of Lee Marvin. Who could ever forget his rendition of "Wandering Star"in "Paint Your Wagon". What was to be a pogniant moment was turned in to a laughfest instead. I left the theater wishing I followed the ushers advice as saw Meteor instead.

Sunset (1988)

Great chemistry between to top Stars in a very underated moviee

[9/10 · 17 January 2002]

After reading the other user comments I felt a need to write about this wonderful film. Sunset is a fictionized account of the meeting of two famous cowboys, Marshal Wyatt Eurp and Western film star Tom Mix. This is the second time that James Garner played Wyatt Eurp as he played the part in John Sturges' under-rated film, "Hour Of the Gun" which told the story of what happened after the famous Gunfight at The O.K. Corral. Though in that film Garner played him very downbeat, and here he is his usual likeable cowboy.

Eurp and Mix (played by Bruce Willis in his second staring film)getting involved in an complicated mystery involving a Studio head played by Malcom McDowell (playing a sort of evil Charlie Chaplin). It's not only the wonderful chemistry between th two stars that makes the film enjoyable, but it's all the situations that they go thru.

Also a high point in the film is the score by master composer Henry Mancini. Mancini has score most of Director Blake Edwards films, since they first teamed up on the TV show Peter Gunn. Here Mancini shows why he was such a great composer, adaptable to any film genre, his western theme is as good as anything done by Elmer Bernstein and Dimitri Tiomkin, two of the highly regarded composers of western movies.

While parts of the film are a little uneven, and Director Edward should have not casted his daughter Jennifer Edwards in such a crucial role. She was totally miscast as McDowell's sister. She worked much better in Edwards "S.O.B". and "That's Life" and even more in a film not directed by her dad, called "The Perfect Match".

The main reason to watch this film is that it's fun and it's fun watching two legends getting together, I mean both Garner and Willis as well as the real men they portray, Erup and Mix, and remember like the film says, "it's all true give or take a lie or two.

Amazing Grace and Chuck (1987)

The Frank Capra film of the Regan era

[10/10 · 13 March 2001]

In the 1980's a number of films tried to capture the feel of a Frank Capra type film. But the only one that successfully managed to do it was "Amazing Grace And Chuck"

It's plot has young Chuck deciding that nuclear weapons is bad, deciding to protest by not pitching for his little league team in their important playoff game. Famous basketball star Amazing Grace Smith (Alex English) decides to join Chuck's protest and stops playing basketball. He then moves near Chuck. Then other athletes join the protest. The President of the United States (Gregory Peck in an excellent performance) gets involve so does Amazing Grace's agent (Jamie Lee Curtis). When a tragedy strikes Chuck adds to his protest and refuses to speak. This protest is carried on to all the children of the world.

This is a real feel good film like Frank Capra made Sure it's corny in fact it's Capracorny, that's why it's so good. It was made by Mike Newell who went on to direct "Enchanted April" and "Four Weddings And A Funeral" The critics at the time of it's release were unkind. They just put it down as overly sentimental, but what is wrong with that. Remember that same criticism was made against most of frank Capra's films including "It's a Wonderful Life". Now everybody thinks it's a classic. Watch it, you'll thank me, plus keep a box of tissues handy. This film will bring tears to your face, not unlike the ending of "It's A Wonderful Life".