Gloucester Man Reviews

Tin Men (1987)

One of My Favorites

[9/10 · 2 February 2005]

Tin Men is one of my favorite movies of all time. The thing that always strikes me whenever I watch this movie is that while the characters of Richard Dreyfuss and Danny DeVito are seemingly feuding non-stop throughout the movie, in reality they are actually kindred spirits. It's like they see themselves in the other but don't really like what they see. Barbara Hershey is great as the haggard housewife who looks for something more fulfilling in her life. All the supporting cast is excellent. I love the diner dialog which is reminiscent of Barry Levinson's previous film "Diner." The background scenes of Baltimore landscape add to the realistic atmosphere of the movie. Overall, I think this movie is vastly underrated. I'd love to see a sequel with Dreyfuss and DeVito as partners in a VW dealership.

The Living Daylights (1987)

One of the Best

[9/10 · 11 January 2005]

I just spent the weekend watching nine Bond movies, many of which I hadn't seen in years. When you see that many back to back, it makes comparison easier and each movie's strengths and weaknesses stand out.. After finishing, I realized that The Living Daylights was much better than my memory had perceived it. (I also felt the same about OHMSS). The plot is great with many twists and turns. Tim Dalton brings a very intense Bond to the screen and in this movie it works. I thought MaryAnn D'abo was a very good female lead. We also see a new Moneypenny. The only drawback to the movie is that the villains were somewhat weak. Overall, I now feel The Living Daylights is in the very top tier of the Bond movies.

Dogtown and Z-Boys (2001)

Fascinating Even for an Outsider

[26 December 2003]

I never surfed or skateboarded but I still found this documentary fascinating. I accidentally stumbled on it while channel surfing (not sidewalk surfing) and watched it a second time later in the day. The Z-Boys made me think of the early days of rock and roll when young kids with no formal musical training basically "invented" rock and roll as they went along.. It seems the Z-Boys did the same with skateboarding.

Pump Up the Volume (1990)

Remake With a Dark Theme Added

[17 December 2003]

I saw the low budget 1979 movie On the Air Live With Captain Midnight and I feel Pump Up the Volume takes the basic premise of Captain Midnight and then adds a dark theme and a bigger budget. It's similar to the way the studios took The Return of the Secaucus Seven, added a bigger budget and a somewhat darker theme and created The Big Chill. I feel Captain Midnight is more fun than Pump Up the Volume and Tracy Sebastian's character is more fun than Christian Slater's character.

Hope and Glory (1987)

Wonderful Film

[17 December 2003]

I must have seen this movie a dozen times and I never get tired of it. Every character is brilliant and even the most minor characters add something to the film. All events look different through the eyes of a child. This is an exceptional movie and I recommed it highly.

Desert Bloom (1986)

Great Slice of Life Movie

[7 August 2002]

I thought this was a great period piece and a great slice of life movie. The early atomic era was a haunting time and I thought this movie really captured it. I really felt like I was back in the early Fifties. Great performances by the whole cast. We see Annabeth Gish before she did Mystic Pizza.

Short Circuit 2 (1988)

A Very Touching Movie

[10/10 · 11 June 2002]

I thought this was a very touching movie. Johnny 5 is a very sympathetic character with real human-like qualities. I enjoyed the romantic angle and I could identify with all the characters. I bought this video for my Mother and she loved it. Overall, I think this is a very underrated movie and I think this is an instance where the sequel is better than the original. Remember, it's a fantasy - it's good escapism.