Reviews
Isn't She Great (2000)
"Isn't She InEffective?"
It's no mystery why this movie was a flop. I've watched it more than once & I never feel like I'm watching a film about author Jacqueline Susann. Just a movie starring Bette Midler (in a dark wig) playing Bette Midler, or a standard Midler character. It's obvious Midler did no research into Susann to portray her. There is plenty of footage around (game shows, talk shows, etc.) where Midler could have studied her a bit. She adopts none of her mannerisms, speech, anything. I think Midler's ego & persona are so gigantic, she just isn't equipped to play a real person. She was fine in "The Rose", but she wasn't actually playing Janis Joplin, just an over-the-top singer loosely based on her. I don't know why she even bothered with this?? I don't know enough about Irving Mansfield to make an opinion of whether Nathan Lane's characterization was effective or not, but as a whole his character was watchable. Stockard Channing was very good as friend Florence Maybelle (a hybrid of different people). But I would have preferred to see Susann's friendship with Doris Day displayed instead. You know a movie's in trouble when the plot's so thin, they toss in a useless fashion show. Another silly aspect of the movie is that the producers tried to make it look like a movie based on one of Susann's novels (Dionne Warwick theme song, bright jelly bean colors, etc.) This is like a slap in the face to Susann who hated the movie versions of her books. I give it three stars for costumes, sets, automobiles, Stockard Channing, & it's attempt at camp value.
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
Rupugnant Pig Swill
I wasn't expecting much & I got even less. Watch this movie if you enjoy looking at a bunch of useless, selfish, snarling brats mouth off & sabotage their parents goals & aspirations. This film pulls out as many clichés as it can. We've seen all of this before. It's so boring! Like a too long, awful sitcom. Bonnie Hunt really annoys me, & Steve Martin is as tired as the day is long. His schtick is way past it's expiration date. Another thing that irked me was casting Tom Welling & Ashton Kutcher who look too similar. The laughs are non-existent & the "feel good" moments will make you nauseous. Check out "With Six You Get Eggroll" (with Doris Day), or "Your's, Mine, & Ours" (with Lucille Ball) instead.
Imitation of Life (1959)
Filled With Illusions...
The movie starts off with the somewhat obscure Earl Grant sounding like the popular Nat King Cole as he croons the film's theme song. The star of the film is Lana Turner (dismissed by some as a studio invented "movie star") playing a serious stage actress. Then we get wholesome Troy Donahue, playing a dirt-bag, beating up the black character Sara Jane (played by white actress Susan Kohner) for pretending to be white in the plot. Annie's (Juanita Moore) death scene is so long it emotionally drains you. Then, once Annie has finally plotzed, there's a shot of a very goofy looking photo of Sara Jane at Annie's bedside smirking. This is sort of a wake up call that it's "only a movie" & the last laughs on you for shedding tears & getting wrapped up in all of this. All my observations aside, this is a great melodramatic soap opera. Mahalia Jackson's vocal performance, at Annie's funeral, is a high point! John Gavin is very pleasing on the eyes! My only complaints are 1)That annoying, sickening sweet dimwit character Suzy, played by Sandra Dee. Most, if not ALL of her scenes are hard to stomach! 2)Sara Jane wanted all the benefits & advantages of being white, yet opted to sing in that "low down dive" Harry's Club for a bunch of leering old goats. That never made any sense to me.
You Light Up My Life (1977)
A Sincere Effort With A Choppy Plot...
Here is a coming-of-age film that embodies everything 70's. It especially appeals to me because I was born in 1960 & was a teenager in the 1970's. If a teen watches this film today it would seem hokey, the cloths especially odd & unattractive, the music sappy, & the storyline threadbare. But if you were there, it has a special nostalgic quality that is undeniable. This is an interesting story about a young woman finding herself & her way through life. Instead of padding the story out with too many unnecessary shots of Conn driving her car, they should have fleshed out the characters a little more. The storyline was also choppy. One minute she's told she has a major part in a film & the next minute a deadpan blonde is hired instead. This sudden shift in the story is too abrupt a transition. Also, when she tells her dad about the offer from Columbia Records to record her songs, it came out of left field. (Perhaps this should have been something her character struggled with. Should she stay in California & contemplate making the film & starting a new a relationship, or go to New York & record?) DiDi Conn is very likable in the lead & the music adds just the right romantic touch.
Stonewall (1995)
"I Don't Do Tears" - La Miranda
I love this movie! The mixture of fact & fiction works very well. The music of the girl group The Shangri-Las immersed into the storyline is also an asset. These characters are so appealing & they feel like friends, so you just can't wait to see what happens next. The acting of Guillermo Diaz as La Miranda is so natural & relaxed it makes him so likable. Sexy Fred Weller as Maddy Dean is adorable. His character's faults make him all the more appealing. I get choked up every time I see him sing & play the guitar, with the others on the bus coming back from their rally, not exactly defeated, but far from being winners either. Mizz Moxie & Helen Wheels add just the right touch of campy, comic relief. Duane Boutte as Bostonia is excellent & insightful. His interaction with his homophobic homosexual lover, the Italian/American Vinny & owner of The Stonewall Inn, is passionate & sparks fly between them when they are confronting each other concerning their relationship issues circa 1969. The only character I'm not too crazy about is Brandan Corbalis as Ethan. I found him pretentious & condescending. Aside from his nice butt in the shower (if in fact that was his butt) there's nothing appealing about him really. The riot scene is fast & somewhat clumsy, yet it's electrifying & very exciting to view. All gay people should watch this film & get a feel for what happened on that hot summer night in '69. It gives you a sense of your history & what others before you endured. (The premature death of icon Judy Garland adds a bittersweet footnote to the precedings).
Ricki Lake (1992)
"Ricki Fake"
Ricki Lake started out as an actress parlaying her obesity into a novelty. The fat novelty could only last so long in films & TV fare. So she lost some weight, but still acting jobs were scarce. So she decided to become a hip talk show host. The concept was fresh & innovative in 1993. "Ricki" even spawned the rip-off "The Tempestt Bledsoe Show". This "hip" show stayed on the air way past it's expiration date. The show got stale quickly. One annoying aspect towards the end was the lie detector dynamic. Ricki really beat this one into the ground like a dead horse. It was like watching the same exact show daily. Dolts take a lie detector test & their partners find out whether they cheated or not. UGH! Another major problem with this show was Ricki Lake herself. The woman is as fake & plastic as the day is long. You'd never know she was an "actress" by watching this slop. The idiotic faces she'd make to show "concern", "understanding", etc. were appalling, false, & calculated. She'd also shed a crocodile tear or two, & laughed that phony laugh. She was also a puppet-head. Any fool could have been doing her job, because 90% of the time she was reading cue cards. Thank goodness this trash finally ended up in the TV dumpster in 2004! (If you'd like to see my thoughts duplicated, practically word for word with some extra gibberish thrown in, read what Raysond had to say).
The Cosby Show (1984)
Detestable!!
I absolutely DETEST this show & Bill Cosby. This swill has aged about as well as the horrendous clothing & hairstyles on it. I never understood what was so hilarious about Cosby. There isn't anything funny about a grown man rolling his eyes, jutting out his big behind, making dumb faces & noises, & acting stupid. He is an overrated hack. He is also arrogant with a holier-than-thou attitude which is a major turn-off. This show was sugar coated slop. Lisa Bonet was dead weight, with no personality or presence whatsoever. The premise was unrealistic, & the situations were nonsense. Episodes that were especially sickening were the ones where these dolts would find some farkakteh reason to dance, or burst into song! Cosby was as believable as a doctor as Bea Arthur was as an Italian-American on "The Golden Girls" (but at least she was funny). It amazes me that this garbage stayed on the air so long. It must have been it's time slot.
Maid in Manhattan (2002)
"Working Girl" (2002)
Since fourteen years had passed, Hollywood decided to recycle the successful "Working Girl" story once more. This time instead of a secretary from Staten Island, we get a maid from The Bronx. Both women have career advancement on their minds. Most of the action for both woman takes place in Manhattan where they work. They both pose as upper class woman, wearing someone else's designer clothes (in the $5,000.00 price range), as they set their sights on a handsome man whose out of their league. They both have a wisecracking friend to confide in & co-workers to cheer them on. All sorts of mistaken identity mishaps ensue for both working girls. "Maid In Manhattan" throws in an appealing, cute kid. Both films have happy, fairy tale outcomes where they get their men, & advance in their careers. The only thing is "Working Girl" (with Melanie Griffth) did this much better. The premise is tired & stale at this point. It all seems to make "Maid In Manhattan" look like a very long mediocre sitcom, & you can't help but compare it to all the other films it spawned from, which is very distracting.
Life with Elizabeth (1952)
Sold In Dollar Stores On DVD As "The Betty White Show"
I purchased this DVD at The Dollar Store. It has three episodes on it (#'s 4, 6, & 8), & it's digitally remastered & "sound enhanced". Although there's an appropriate 1950's, black & white photo of Betty White on the cover, it says "The Betty White Show" & it gives a synopsis for her short lived 1970's sitcom which also starred ditzy Georgia Engle. So I was expecting "The Betty White Show" from the 70's. Instead I got "Life With Elizabeth" which I never even knew existed. I must admit the picture & sound quality are excellent for a $1.00 DVD! But the shows themselves are corny, forced, & not very funny. They're interesting for nostalgic, pioneering sitcom purposes only, & to see a young, dark-haired Betty White.
Monster (2003)
Aileen Carol Wuornos (2/29/59 - 10/9/02)
This movie is not for everyone. It's hard to take & depressing. It's the story of a lost, tortured soul who was certainly "walking wounded". She was a serial killer & by all accounts only the first killing was justified & the lowlife deserved his fate. The film tells the story of Aileen (Lee) Wuornos without justifying what she did. The viewer actually gets to know her as a human being & I sympathized with her to a degree. It's the humanization of her that made me sympathize with her. Otherwise, she'd just be another nut-job/hooker/murderer who also got what she deserved. There are some insights into her here & there in the film (molested as a child, raped by a family "friend", beaten by her father who later committed suicide, discarded by her siblings, became a prostitute at 13 to survive, battered by partners & cops, alcoholism etc.) that make you feel that this somewhat powerless & uneducated woman actually became addicted to killing once she started because it was a release of anger & hatred that had built up inside of her for so many years. I also felt sympathy for her because she wanted to "go straight" & work but she set her sights too high & was knocked down once again. Granted, the attempt to straighten her life out was mostly out of fear of being caught after she killed the first guy in self defense, but she also loved Selby & possibly wanted more "nomalcy" for them as a couple in that respect as well. I know the movie takes liberties with some facts. For example, the real Selby was not a whiny, naive nineteen year old, but a big bruiser who enjoyed instigating & egging Wuornos on into fights with others. Charlize Theron deserved her Oscar for portraying & transforming herself into this complex woman with so much passion & dedication.
Notting Hill (1999)
"Notting Swill"
Just another horrible movie with Julia Roberts playing the same annoying character...again. It's really tired. That stupid laugh, the toothy horse faced grin. The long, ratty hair. Everything about this woman is annoying. This film is regurgitated slop we've all seen a million times before. Hugh Grant does not help this hackneyed situation at all. I don't know what Roberts is going to do now that she's getting too over-the-hill to play the "All-American Ingenue" character she's beaten into the ground like a dead horse (no pun intended). She has no range or depth to advance into more meaty, mature characters. Early retirement for motherhood would be a welcomed relief for many.
A Stranger Among Us (1992)
"What's New & Exciting?"
Melanie Griffith is an underrated actress. She shows emotions well with her eyes & facial expressions. I give her credit for attempting a different kind of role in 1992. I imagine this was considered "career growth" in her opinion, knowing she could not play the ingénue, hooker, bimbo, Goth-girl forever. So I don't see her miscast as a cop at that point in her career. This film tries to be many things at once & has some loose ends. Initially, one would think this is a love story, but it really isn't. Emily (Griffith) & Ariel (Eric Thal) look at each other a lot but there aren't many sparks flying. As a police drama it falls short there too, because we don't see Emily doing much investigating, just living among the Hasidic Jews & getting a feel & appreciation for their lifestyle. The depiction of the Hasidic Jews, shot in sepia tones, may be inaccurate at times but I feel it's the film's strongest point. The characters also tend to be too stereotyped. Emily's father appears to be an Irish alcoholic, the gangsters (James Gandolfini & Chris Latta) are Italian. Det. Levine (John Pankow)is an anti-semitic Jew calling the Hasidic Jews "an embarrassment" while showing ignorance of their customs, & the rebbe sounds like he's doing an impersonation of Jackie Mason. I also think the scene when Emily first arrives in their neighborhood while "Fiddler On The Roof" type music plays on the soundtrack is a bit over-the-top. She also seems in awe of the area which is far-fetched since she's a New York cop who must have driven through it more than once. As for the loose ends, we never find out who helped the killer & assisted her to place the body where it was found, & was Emily really at the wedding or just "in spirit"? Also, when Emily realizes who the killer really is, it just seemed like an afterthought to the love story that never materialized. I still recommend this movie because it has Melanie Griffth & shows a culture that is not often depicted in films.
Fortune and Men's Eyes (1971)
"If I do fix him up, it'll be with a star!!!" - Queenie
This movie is entertaining exploitation, but not very realistic. It's filled with every prison movie cliché you can think of & then some. What's unrealistic is the way these men act when they've only got six month sentences. You would think they were in for life considering the sexual role playing going on here. Queenie (the late Michael Greer) would be slapped down & pounced into the ground the first five minutes into his flaming, limp-wristed carrying on in a real correctional institution. No one would tolerate such behavior. Yet, he calls himself a "politician" solely on the fact that he's a flamboyant, loud, obnoxious homosexual. I don't think so. His Christmas drag show is ridiculous. It's as though he's planning a performance for the local gay bar, not prison, prancing around the hoosegow looking for high heels & bleach for his curly locks. C'mon!!! It's outrageous. His eventual song & dance routine is insufferable. I could have also done without seeing full frontal nudity from this man! Pug nosed Wendell Burton is perfectly cast as first time offender Smitty. This character is also a major cliché. He "hardens" up as the movie progresses as though years, not months are passing. Rocky is far from intimidating. I feel that's because slight, pretty boy Zooey Hall was a poor casting choice. He comes off as effeminate at times & Smitty could have successfully defended himself against him right from the get-go. The actor who plays Jann (Mona Lisa) is dreadful, & is incarcerated because a crime was committed against HIM (it makes no sense). Watch this if you enjoy prison films, but don't take one minute seriously.
Grease 2 (1982)
Nothing Works In This Drawn Out Dud!
What worked in "Grease" falls flat in "Grease 2". Aside from the fact that all interest in this concept had virtually depleted in the four years since "Grease", there's nothing here that could resurrect it for an audience. All the fun, & magic of "Grease" is missing. Uncharismatic actors do not help the situation one bit. They tried hard but failed miserably! Adrian Zmed is no John Travolta & you can't help but think that every time the schlub is on screen. Michelle Pfeiffer is beautiful & at least they had the good sense to pair her up with Maxwell Caulfield, who's just as pretty. Yet he's a wet noodle with zero personality & no screen presence whatsoever, despite his good looks. Poor Didi Conn gets thrown into this madness for familiarity, then is tossed aside & forgotten about. This movie is not a pleasant experience. The motorcycle-heaven hallucination sequence that Pfeiffer falls into during her "Girl For All Seasons" number is murky & disturbing. They were going for an exciting "Beauty School Dropout" number & ended up with a big, hot mess. There's also one too many endings & the lame finale leaves a bad taste in your mouth with that unclimatic, ho-hum, wishy-washy, watered down "We Go Together" wannabe "song". Lorna Luft gives her all but a Marilyn Monroe sex symbol type she ain't. The dancing is clumsy, & the songs are quickly forgotten. This movie just makes you want to watch "Grease" (& appreciate it) & forget you ever sat through this in the first place.
From Justin to Kelly (2003)
"Where The American Idols Are"
Let's face it, if you like teen exploitation/Spring break movies this will appeal to you. If not, why would anyone even bother to watch this, in the first place, & expect something substantial!?! If a movie was going to be made with the inexperienced Kelly Clarkson & Justin Guarini (to cash in on their "A.I." popularity) this type of film was a perfect vehicle for their "talents". This genre of film is not known for great acting or substantial storylines & that's why they're the perfect leads. I think Justin & Kelly deserve a lot more credit than they have received. One minute they walked in off the street to audition for a TV show & the next minute a huge spotlight is on them. And then they are thrust onto a movie set to star in a film!! For two young virtual nobodies I think they handled themselves pretty well considering the pressure, & overwhelming excitement they must have felt. Yes, they wanted it & they GOT IT FAST!!!!!!!! The movie has it's flaws. Kelly Clarkson is no great beauty, so special attention should have been made to make her appear as pretty as possible. She looks downright homely in some scenes with little or no makeup, unflattering photography, & horrible clothes. She could have looked so much better. Justin is photographed in an unflattering fashion in some scenes too. They also have absolutely no romantic screen chemistry at all. The movie's flaws can be overlooked because it achieves what it strived for: FUN! The music is lively, the dancing is pretty good, there's romance, hot bodies, beautiful Florida scenery & festive colors. This movie is no worse than any other film in this mediocre genre ("Where The Boys Are '84", "Spring Break", "Girl Happy", "Lauderdale", etc.) & that's why it should be cut some major slack.
Men Don't Leave (1990)
Good Drama With Humorous Moments...
I like this film. Jessica Lange is very good as a wife/mom of two sons. She abruptly finds herself a widow after her husband dies in a work related accident. This is a woman who is used to having a partner to help deal with family life & issues & suddenly everything is on her shoulders. She's deep in debt & overwhelmed. (The adorable) Chris O'Donnell is great as the older boy, playing a typical bratty teenager arguing with Lange over choices & decisions she must now make. He's very convincing in a scene with Arliss Howard, later in the film, that shows just how much his mom means to him. Charlie Korsmo is the younger, more agreeable boy. Yet he's filled with many issues, underneath the surface, dealing with his dad's death & their relocation to Baltimore. He takes to a new buddy's home life because he misses the conventional family he was used to, much to Lange's dismay as she tries desperately to keep her family together. Joan Cusack plays a quirky, domineering neighbor & "older woman" interested in O'Donnell. A leaner than usual Kathy Bates (almost unrecognizable because she's all farpitzed with makeup, trendy clothes & hairstyle) plays Lange's bitchy, bitter boss when she must now enter the workplace. Arliss Howard is also on hand as a love interest for Lange. Not that much emphasis is placed on their relationship because the main focus of the film is on Lange & her son's. Now for that title. IMO it can be taken two ways, as a plea or a statement. "Men Don't Leave" because you're family needs you, or "Men Don't Leave" a family's mind's & hearts after they've gone.
Elvis (1979)
TV Movie That Falls Flat!
This could of & should of been a much better movie than it is. When one watches a movie about an entertainer as thrilling as Elvis, you expect a certain energy level that this movie never reaches. It's actually very dull at times, & didn't keep me very interested. Kurt Russell was an excellent choice for Elvis. He's handsome, resembles him, & had the moves & mannerisms down pat without seeming like a parody. His hair & clothing were also very authentic, but his lip synching was mediocre, at best! Shelly Winters was a good choice for Elvis' mom, Gladys Smith-Presley appearance-wise, yet her Southerness left alot to be desired. The depiction of their relationship is a poignant high point. When Elvis makes the "big time" I sat there waiting to be excited, but it's portrayed in such a ho-hum fashion, I felt nothing. If you're expecting a movie biography that's interesting, moving, exciting, & holds your interest throughout leaving you wanting for more ("Sweet Dreams", "Coal Miner's Daughter", "Great Balls Of Fire", "Stand By Your Man") then skip "Elvis:The Sleeping Pill"!
Where Love Has Gone (1964)
"When You're Dying Of Thirst...You'll Drink From A Mudhole!" - Valerie Hayden-Miller
This film wanted to cash in on the Lana Turner scandal involving her daughter murdering her boyfriend. Susan Hayward (somewhat of a hambone, but still great!) plays a San Francisco sculptor (with a thick Brooklyn accent) who's work is good only when she's sexually promiscuous. Bette Davis (just 10 years older than Hayward) plays Hayward's domineering, buttinsky mother. She's got a pot belly & wears a "white" George Washington wig that starts turning green as the film progresses. Mike ("Mannix") Connors plays Hayward's boozehound husband who wears more makeup than Hayward & Davis combined (it's disturbing because he looks like a corpse)! Joey Heatherton (20 at the time) plays the murdering "15" year old daughter of Hayward & Connors. She plays the part squinty-eyed, whiney, & child-like one minute, & sassy with a smart-mouth the next while smoking. This is an annoying, unlikable character! Part of the film is told in flashback, yet there's no difference anywhere to be seen from 15 years prior, or the present. Absolutely nothing changes, clothes, hair styles, the sets, etc. This is a great film for Susan Hayward & Bette Davis fans, & soap opera lovers, but I doubt anyone else can sit through this.
The Ryan White Story (1989)
A True Tale Of Courage & Determination...
This is the story of the late Ryan White & his family. After contracting AIDS from a blood transfusion, he's refused the chance to return to school (in his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana) after he becomes well from an opportunistic infection. Since it's the early 1980's not much is really known about HIV, so ignorance is rampant in this hick/redneck town & people make their lives miserable. Judith Light is excellent as Jeanne White, Ryan's mom. Fighting along with her son for his right to an education. The expression on her face as she watches the welcome reception he receives, at a new school after they move to a different town, conveys the happiness only a mom could feel for her child.
Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss (1998)
A Love Story...
If you watch this movie expecting Sean Hayes to play a Jack McFarland ("Will & Grace") type character, you'll be disappointed. His portrayal of Billy is low-key & pensive. He's adorable (instead of obnoxious & swishy) with a little boy twinkle in his eyes. Billy is a photographer from Indiana who has relocated to Los Angeles. He comes across a waiter/bass player (Brad Rowe as Gabriel, a character I'm not too crazy about) working in a coffee shop, who becomes his model & the object of his affection. Supposedly, Gabriel is straight & has a "girlfriend" in San Francisco. The sexual tension between these two can be cut with a knife (it's nerve wracking.) I especially like the scenes where Billy opens up to Gabriel about his life & experiences. Telling him the types of things you'd only share with someone you truly feel connected to. Is Gabriel gay?? Will they get together??... (The film has great sets, & beautiful colors. There are also hideous drag queens on hand. The one who lip syncs Petula Clark tunes is horrendous looking & it's amusing hearing/seeing Pet Clark's voice come out of that face!)
A Sensitive, Passionate Man (1977)
Released On Video As "Hooked"...
"My Sensitive, Passionate Man" was originally an NBC TV movie, released in 1977. I have a video of this movie (released in 1994) retitled "Hooked." The video is trimmed down to 90 minutes, leaving two key scenes out. The first scene is Janssen tossing Dickinson into their pool, during one of his drunken stupors, while having a party. The following scene was cut as well. It's where the couple are having a heart-to-heart talk & she tells him how much he means to her, & expresses that she's his 'best friend' (this aided in character development). The video is not edited very well. They also had the nerve to put the "Retail" price of $59.95 on the box!!! Aside from the video's shortcomings, this is a compelling story of an alcoholic's downfall & the effects it has on him & his family. Angie Dickinson leaves her saucey Pepper Anderson ("Police Woman") persona aside to play a devoted housewife, & mom to two boys. David Janssen plays her tortured soul/boozehound husband who gives up on life after he's fired from his job in aerospace. He refuses to seek other employment or get long term help for his alcoholism. He's supposed to be 42 years old, but looks about 52 (I don't know if this was intentional but it works in this movie, showing what alcohol abuse can do to someone). In one scene he slaps her, but he's really the one you want to see smacked across the face & knocked some sense into! You know his character is sick, yet he's so obnoxious, pompous, & unlikable it's hard to really feel sympathy for him. (Also,much of Janssen's dialog is mumbled, which can get annoying). It's Angie & their sons you feel bad for. Angie Dickinson is very good in this film. She's a sexy forty-something & looks great! The two kids who play their sons are also good. This was unusual for the 70's because so many child actors were horrible, or annoying (remember Quinn Cummings & Glenn Scarpelli?!) I recommend this movie if you like thought provoking dramas about family life & relationships. (The theme song, sung by Melba Moore & released as a single, is also memorable).
Superman and the Mole-Men (1951)
"It's Almost As If They're Saying, You Live Your Lives & We'll Live Ours"
"Superman & The Mole Men" tells a story that's way ahead of it's time for 1951. Clark Kent & Lois Lane go to the small town Silsby to do a story on "The World's Largest Oil Well". When they arrive they find out the well is being shut down due to complications that have come about. They had drilled 6 miles down, & realized the earth's center is hollow, & there may be life down there. Their suspicions are correct when small (possibly radioactive) "mole men" start coming up & roaming around the town. (They aren't very frightening, but may have been by 1951 standards). One old man, at the well, sees them & has a heart attack & dies. Lois sees them too & describes them as having, "the bodies of moles with big human heads". A child encounters them in her bedroom & plays ball with them. She demonstrates the innocence of unjaded youth who sees someone without prejudice. The majority of the small town goes ballistic & wants to destroy the unknown "visitors". This is an excellent portrayal of small town ignorance ready to snuff out something that they don't understand, is different, out of the ordinary, or "strange" in their opinion(s). These "mole men" not only signify 'out of this world' beings, but people in one's own society as well (ridiculed for one's race, sexuality, etc.) The movie "Powder" represented the same premise in 1995! I can't write this review without mentioning that Phyllis Coates was the BEST actress to play Lois Lane! She portrayed her as feisty, sassy, independent, & resilient.
The Birds (1963)
Thriller/Romance/Suspense/Drama/(Unsolved)Mystery Introducing 'Tippi' Hedren...
This is an interesting film about different species of birds attacking a small California town called Bodega Bay. The attacks begin when Melanie Daniels (Tippi Hedren) arrives with two love birds as a gift for a resident of the town. Did those two caged "love" birds stir the whole mess up in the first place? Will their horror continue because they take the "love" birds along with them in the end? There are no answers to be had at the film's conclusion & what's next for the characters is left to the viewer's imagination. 'Tippi' Hedren was an attractive female lead for this role. Her appearance was obviously more important than her acting skills. Rod Taylor is beefy, & sexy. Suzanne Pleshette is like a dark haired Susan Hayward. Jessica Tandy (was she ever young??) plays the possessive, widowed mom with fears of abandonment well. (She's so wrapped up in her own angst & weaknesses, in most scenes Melanie, who's a virtual stranger, comforts her daughter when she's horrified.) Although the movie holds up very well (especially the diner scene where everyone is pontificating about bird attacks) some scenes are very hokey, & unintentionably laughable now. Those still close-ups of 'Tippi's' facial expressions before, during, & after the gas station explosion are jaw-droppingly hilarious! I'm not sure this movie should be remade. Unlike the unnecessary "Psycho" remake, at least "The Birds" could benefit from modern day special effects. It would be great to see Hitchcock's original ending realized: The Golden Gate Bridge covered with "The Birds".
Oliver Beene (2003)
"Oliver Beene" (Good Show)
I like all the characters on this show except the mom. She's too much of a whiney dimbulb. Oliver is chubby & likable. The dad is a big, lovable dolt in a crass, enjoyable way. Andy Lawrence is adorable. He's more of a dizzy himbo (male bimbo) than a monster like the older brother on "The Wonder Years". Oliver's pals (effeminate boy & nerdie girl) are also fun to watch. The colorful, 1960's setting is very nostalgic, but producers should pay more attention to details. In many ways it is a hybrid of "The Wonder Years" (which took itself too seriously) & "Malcom In The Middle" but I was never crazy about either of those shows, but I like this one.
Adventures of Superman (1952)
Episodes With Phyllis Coates Are The Best...
I like the early episodes of this show the best. They were more gritty & adult-oriented with better writing. Each episode was like a mini-movie, even though it had a very small budget. The later, color episodes were more like cartoons. Pretty Phyllis Coates was also a much better Lois Lane than the long-in-the-tooth Noel Neill (who was supposed to be in her mid-twenties!!) Phyllis' Lois Lane (a single career woman) character was way ahead of it's time for 1952. She was a tough cookie, you couldn't push around. The show definately suffered a loss when she left. Noel Neill portrayed Lois as a smart mouth wuss, with nothing to back it up. Phyllis' Lois had a smart mouth, but she'd slap you around if you messed with her! Although the show only ran for 5 years, George Reeves sure aged during that time! By the final season he looked bloated, very tired, puffy, lethargic, & ready to plotz any second. It was definately time to turn in his padded suit & cape by 1957!