Don Movie Reviews

"The Best Years of Our Lives" is an Oscar winning picture that, at the height of the dream factory in Hollywood, stooped to strip away the pretensions of glamor and expose the sad, sobering truth that faced returning soldiers after WWII. Dana Andrews, Frederic March and real life amputee, Harold Russell star. Their journey from war front to home front is poignant, heart-breaking, yet ultimately, life affirming. Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo and Myrna Loy costar.
TRANSFER: An absolute travesty. Not only is the gray scale poorly rendered, with insufficient black levels and low contrast, but there is so much film grain and age related artifacts present to make this movie look three times its age. Worse still, digital anomalies; aliasing, shimmering, edge enhancement, abound and are thoroughly distracting to say the least. The audio - remixed by CHACE sound is amply presented, however, the documentary on the making of the film - previously available through HBO home video (though there too the transfer of the film was pure junk) is absent from this MGM re-release! What a mess, shame and sham!
BOTTOM LINE: This film will get a better transfer somewhere down the road. On this journey however, the wise DVD consumer would do best to steer clear!

The Best Years of Our Lives is an often touching drama about three WWII vetrans returning home. Scenes such as a sailor who has hooks for hands flawlessly attempting to light a match to the amazement and discomfort of civilian familiy members are unforgetable. Also powerful is the slow dissolution of the bonds of these vetrans as the affairs of normal life begin to take over. Frediric March delivers a powerful performance as a Sargent who returns home to a well off life as a bank executive, giving loans to vets under the GI bill. He won the best actor oscar for his performance, beating even Jimmy Stewart in Its a Wonderful Life that year. Toland delivers fantastic cinematrography, the more often the camera leaves the studio, such as the rows and rows of mothballed bombers. An interesting performance is delivered by real life vet Harol Russell who truly had no hands and was performing in his first and only movie. Amazingly, he won the Oscar for best supporting actor - an award I found undeserving given he even botched lines in scenes such as his wedding. Nevertheless, this movie has plenty of emotion and plenty of great screenwriting to make it worth seeing.

What it is not, is one of the greatest movies of all time now. Much of the acting is dated - comprising the overdone, grandiose style common to the stage and 30s and 40s movies. The plot lines and reactions of the actors sometimes seem dated and not genuine in 2003. Screenwriters tended to boil down their characters to one dimentional entities in 1946. Air Force Captain Derry's wife played by Virginia Mayo is one such one dimentional character. She wants money and glamour being married to an officer, but when that offier becomes a 32 dollar a week soda fountain worker, she loses interest. And her loss of interest is obvious, unsubtle, repeated, and driven home in every scene over and over. Its this sort of dated style which makes Best Years of Our Lives a great movie in 1946 but it plays more like a well done AMC classic today and does not have the sweep of Cinematic giants and other Best Picture winners like Godfather, Gone with the Wind or even Schindler's List. I'm sure to vets or folks who remember 1946, the movie will pack more punch than it delivered to me.

Every now and then a book or a movie appears that tells the story of a whole generation. Some, like Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" and Hopper's "Easy Rider" tell the story of a segment of a generation. However, "The Best Years of Our Lives" eloquently tells the story of Americans at the end of World War II. The story is told through three returning veterans who come home together. Before their flight takes off, one of them wanders through a "graveyard" of military planes. The vastness of this airfield of defunct military equiptment brings home the message; the war's over and there's no further need for its' "leftovers". The soldier can either move on or become another "leftover". However, moving on is not all that easy to do. Not after you've been through what these three men have been through.

Ironicly, the sailor, played by Harold Russell, laments that he didn't see any action. The pilot and the soldier look at his two missing arms questioningly. Russell was, himself, a returning disabled vet and he won a special Oscar for his inspiring preformance. His role served as a reminder that it wasn't only the front-line troops that that came home with scars.

The three servicemen represent three different types of enlistees. The men who entered the services right out of school, the ones who were called as they were starting out in the world on their own, and those who left behind an established career. In turn, the ones they came home to represnted three different scenarios. The young sailor comes home to his high school sweetheart. She knows that this is not the boy who left her. She is ready to love the man who returned in his place if she can figure out who he is. The pilot came home to the woman he married just before he left for war. He discovers that she had married a uniform and wasn't the least bit interested in what was inside it. The third homecoming is to an established household of many years were there was still some uncertainty.

All three men found their perspectives radically changed by their absence and their experiences. The ultimate question for each of them to answer was the meaning of the movie's title. What were "the best years of our lives"? Were they they years of dedicated military service that they sacrificed for their country? Or were they the lives they came home to. The power of this movie is seeing them struggle with the question. The way they they and the vast majority of US servicemen ultimately answered the question was what made America the greatest country in the world.

"The Best Years of Our Lives" is an Oscar winning picture that, at the height of the dream factory in Hollywood, stooped to strip away the pretensions of glamor and expose the sad, sobering truth that faced returning soldiers after WWII. Dana Andrews, Frederic March and real life amputee, Harold Russell star. Their journey from war front to home front is poignant, heart-breaking, yet ultimately, life affirming. Teresa Wright, Virginia Mayo and Myrna Loy costar.
TRANSFER: An absolute travesty. Not only is the gray scale poorly rendered, with insufficient black levels and low contrast, but there is so much film grain and age related artifacts present to make this movie look three times its age. Worse still, digital anomalies; aliasing, shimmering, edge enhancement, abound and are thoroughly distracting to say the least. The audio - remixed by CHACE sound is amply presented, however, the documentary on the making of the film - previously available through HBO home video (though there too the transfer of the film was pure junk) is absent from this MGM re-release! What a mess, shame and sham!
BOTTOM LINE: This film will get a better transfer somewhere down the road. On this journey however, the wise DVD consumer would do best to steer clear!

The Best Years of Our Lives is an often touching drama about three WWII vetrans returning home. Scenes such as a sailor who has hooks for hands flawlessly attempting to light a match to the amazement and discomfort of civilian familiy members are unforgetable. Also powerful is the slow dissolution of the bonds of these vetrans as the affairs of normal life begin to take over. Frediric March delivers a powerful performance as a Sargent who returns home to a well off life as a bank executive, giving loans to vets under the GI bill. He won the best actor oscar for his performance, beating even Jimmy Stewart in Its a Wonderful Life that year. Toland delivers fantastic cinematrography, the more often the camera leaves the studio, such as the rows and rows of mothballed bombers. An interesting performance is delivered by real life vet Harol Russell who truly had no hands and was performing in his first and only movie. Amazingly, he won the Oscar for best supporting actor - an award I found undeserving given he even botched lines in scenes such as his wedding. Nevertheless, this movie has plenty of emotion and plenty of great screenwriting to make it worth seeing.

What it is not, is one of the greatest movies of all time now. Much of the acting is dated - comprising the overdone, grandiose style common to the stage and 30s and 40s movies. The plot lines and reactions of the actors sometimes seem dated and not genuine in 2003. Screenwriters tended to boil down their characters to one dimentional entities in 1946. Air Force Captain Derry's wife played by Virginia Mayo is one such one dimentional character. She wants money and glamour being married to an officer, but when that offier becomes a 32 dollar a week soda fountain worker, she loses interest. And her loss of interest is obvious, unsubtle, repeated, and driven home in every scene over and over. Its this sort of dated style which makes Best Years of Our Lives a great movie in 1946 but it plays more like a well done AMC classic today and does not have the sweep of Cinematic giants and other Best Picture winners like Godfather, Gone with the Wind or even Schindler's List. I'm sure to vets or folks who remember 1946, the movie will pack more punch than it delivered to me.

Every now and then a book or a movie appears that tells the story of a whole generation. Some, like Hemingway's "The Sun Also Rises" and Hopper's "Easy Rider" tell the story of a segment of a generation. However, "The Best Years of Our Lives" eloquently tells the story of Americans at the end of World War II. The story is told through three returning veterans who come home together. Before their flight takes off, one of them wanders through a "graveyard" of military planes. The vastness of this airfield of defunct military equiptment brings home the message; the war's over and there's no further need for its' "leftovers". The soldier can either move on or become another "leftover". However, moving on is not all that easy to do. Not after you've been through what these three men have been through.

Ironicly, the sailor, played by Harold Russell, laments that he didn't see any action. The pilot and the soldier look at his two missing arms questioningly. Russell was, himself, a returning disabled vet and he won a special Oscar for his inspiring preformance. His role served as a reminder that it wasn't only the front-line troops that that came home with scars.

The three servicemen represent three different types of enlistees. The men who entered the services right out of school, the ones who were called as they were starting out in the world on their own, and those who left behind an established career. In turn, the ones they came home to represnted three different scenarios. The young sailor comes home to his high school sweetheart. She knows that this is not the boy who left her. She is ready to love the man who returned in his place if she can figure out who he is. The pilot came home to the woman he married just before he left for war. He discovers that she had married a uniform and wasn't the least bit interested in what was inside it. The third homecoming is to an established household of many years were there was still some uncertainty.

All three men found their perspectives radically changed by their absence and their experiences. The ultimate question for each of them to answer was the meaning of the movie's title. What were "the best years of our lives"? Were they they years of dedicated military service that they sacrificed for their country? Or were they the lives they came home to. The power of this movie is seeing them struggle with the question. The way they they and the vast majority of US servicemen ultimately answered the question was what made America the greatest country in the world.

OK version of the William Inge Broadway play casts thirtysomething William Holden in the twentysomething role of Hal, a drifter who blows into a sleepy Kansas town on a Labor Day Holiday weekend. How does the movie shake up the sameness of the one set play? It goes on a picnic, literally showing what the play only eluded to, with an entire town celebrating an Americana holiday weekend, with much sly eavesdropping on the American conciousness. Picture Steven Spielberg's work with New England townies in "Jaws", and Director Joshua Logan accomplisshes much of the same with Mid-Westerners in a down home country state of being. I also liked the visual sky and corn stalks references of the farming industry governing, like a sleeping watchdog, over the rural community. The best thing about it though, and the best performance comes from the featured screen debut of Cliff Robertson who brings much spirit and sensitivity to the role of the lead character's best buddy.

Small town soap operas aren't really my cup of tea as a rule but this is definitely a superior offering. Although William Holden is too old for the role he's playing he injects his usual quota of sheer brilliance into the picture. Kim Novak is photogenic and ... well ... photogenic. The rest of the cast were all reliable and competent players who had been around for some time. Particularly noteworthy , however , is a very young Susan Strasberg who plays Novak's sister. She successfully creates one of the most interesting characterizations in the whole show as the intellectual tom boy who's violently jealous of her sibling's physical beauty. This "Boy Named Sue" turns in a great little performance displaying an extraordinary level of skill and versatility which is belies her tender years. Director Joshua Logan gets the best out of an adequate script although he seems to have insisted on a rather theatrical and slightly over the top style of delivery from one or two of his cast members - particularly Ros Russell. Holden , as usual, cuts straight throw all the superflous instructions and stays totally loyal to his own intense and restrained style of purpose built camera acting. That's what made him such an outstanding film talent. He knew what suited HIM and he stuck to his guns.Ms Russell does "Pour it On" pretty thick in some parts but when the scene calls for a "Big Performance" she's right there with the goods. One of the best moments in the movie is when she confronts Holden in a drunken rage and let's him know that SHE knows what HE'S up to i.e. that he's a drifting gigolo "On the Make". We all expect Holden to slap her across the face . Instead ,he totally breaks down. As it turns out, her assessment of him was all wrong . He's just an "Average Joe" who's down on his luck and is desperately trying to "Make a Go" of his life. As for the rest of the movie ... well ... there's some pretty colors and nice visuals and the memorable theme tune is very evocative of the era."Picnic" was a major box office hit and it provides a pleasant viewing experience for those who enjoy this type of picture. Nothing earth shattering but quite enjoyable .

This wonderful movie satisfies on many levels. It calls us back to a simpler time in our minds. It is Americana. It actually is a very strong love story, almost steamy at times (at least for it's day) - believable yet still cinematic. It is an excellent character study. It is funny, and it is sad. It is a movie THE WHOLE family can watch and enjoy, which these days is saying a lot. Although it is easy to see that "Picnic" was derived from a play, this point does not detract - in fact it enhances the film.

The casting is excellent. Rosalind Russell as the spinstery school teacher is flawless, and her hen-pecked boyfriend (Arthur O'Connell) is great too. As another reviewer noted, Verna Felton, who plays "Mrs. Potts", allows us to put everything into a peaceful perspective......even the "chaos" that ultimately ensues is a normal part of life, as her stable persona continually demonstrates. Cliff Robertson is fine as Alan Benson - he does not allow his role to overtake that of Holden and Novak....a lesser-known actor may have worked better for his role.

Holden (and I must admit to being a huge William Holden fan) is superb. Just enough cockiness and false-bravado contrasting with a genuine naiveté of the real world around him (he's "experienced" with football and women, inexperienced with just about everything else). So many of his scenes are gems - his first confrontation with "Bomber", his "women" stories to Alan, and my personal favorite, the scene where he and Millie (his "unofficial date" for the picnic) are driving to the fairgrounds. After singing a rendition of "Old McDonald" together, Holden turns to Millie and says "Hey kid, here's one my old man taught me". Then, after a pause (and realizing he is with a 15 year old girl), Holden shakes his head and instead starts up another verse of "Old McDonald". Priceless!!

If the movie has any "problems" at all, they are minor. Susan Strasberg ("Millie"), who is supposedly Kim Novak's bookwormy, unattractive sister, is anything but unattractive. It will take more than a pair of pointy horn-rimmed glasses to put her out of Madge's league! And there is something a little "stand-offish" about Novak's performance at times, although I have never been quite able to identify what it is.

But this movie is 5 stars all the way. Sit back and enjoy a movie for the ages, when actors could still act and a great and enjoyable story was still told. If you need violence or vivid sexual imagery to hold your attention, don't bother. Otherwise, you may love this film!

This is Chevy Chase at his best. The fast one liners are perfect and he manages to have one for every conceivable occasion. Yes, he does have a cynical and detached view of the world, but that sort of humor suits me. It's not everybody's cup cup of tea, but Chase at his best reminds me of (upcoming blashemy) Groucho Marx.

Yes I agree that Chevy has become a bit self centered these days but who can blame him after making this film. It is a true 80's classic that will stand the test of time. Irwin M. fletcher you choose. Buy it today!

Irwin Fletcher (Chevy Chase), or Fletch, as he is known to his friends, is an investigative reporter who wirtes under the name of Jane Doe ("Hey, it's better than Irwin"). While working a drug story at the beach, he is propositioned by Alan Stanwyk (Tim Matheson), a wealthy buisnessman, to kill him for fifty grand, claiming he is dying of cancer. Sensing a scam, Fletch goes undercover to find clues, and gets help from fellow journalist Larry (Geena Davis), in order to crack the case. He winds up in trouble with the police, finding the drug source, fiding out Stanwyk's motives, and in another man's suit.

The 80's Chase classic, with Chase in top form as Fletch. Matheson is great as Stanwyk, and everyone else does a great job. Direction by the late Michael Ritchie and writing by Andrew Bergman are excellent. The disc comes in widescreen, with very little grain. The sound is in Dolby Surround 2.0, and sounds great for a movie this old. The extras are lacking, with production notes, cast and crew bios, and a trailer. Not much, where's the SPECIAL EDITION?

FLETCH
(1985, PG)

Irwin "Fletch" Fletcher: Chevy Chase
Chief Karlin: Joe Don Baker
Gail Stanwyk: Dana Wheeler-Nicholson
Frank Walker: Richard Libertini
Alan Stanwyk: Tim Matheson
Dr. Dolan: M. Emmet Walsh

Director: Michael Ritchie
Writers: Gregory McDonald (novel), Andrew Bergman

MOVIE: 5
VIDEO: 4.5
AUDIO: 5
EXTRAS: 3
MENUS: 3
OVERALL: 4

This concert CD is awesome. Performance are Excellent, Her Staff/ Dancers and performers are just great (they all work well together). Plus the extra fottage and interviews really show the humanside (non celebrity) side to Cher. She is the Best Diva of all times. I strongly recommend this DVD to everyone. 5 stars all the way if there were more I would give her 40 one for each year she has been performing

I didn't know most of Cher's bulk of work until I saw this concert. I only owned "Believe", and while that album was spectacular in many ways, I wasn't sure about her older stuff. This video has it all... all the great songs, both old and new(er) to truly make you believe. It pretty much showcases every single outstanding Cher track... except for maybe, "One by One" and the tracks from her latest album, which was of course released after this concert. The show is pretty lively, to say the least! She's fun, cracks jokes when she gets the chance, the costumes are everything you've come to expect from her and it's just all-around fabulous. If you still have any doubts, do yourself a favor and get this! It's pure Cher extravanganza (in the purest sense of the word)!!

I really enjoy the above DVD but hope the Miami concert comes out on DVD, the show on TV was awesome, have adored Cher since I was a teenager, I now have four children from 25 to 11. Cher really rocks.

This is an incredible DVD. The images are absolutely the cleanest. As clean as you can get on an HDTV without an actual HDTV signal - almost 3D. The racing and testing footage was spectacular. I have an Hitachi 65" HDTV(WS) but the DTS and 16:9 function would not work on this DVD - each time I selected 16:9 WS and DTS it would lockup the DVD. I watched it in 4:3 fullframe in the 16:9 std mode on the TV and the audio in DD 5.1 EX with no problem. That is the beauty of Hitachi WS televisions. They will take a fullscreen 1.33:1 and expand the image without distortion in the 16:9 std mode - although I prefer movies in WS. Do not use the 4:3 expanded mode - it creates distortion. I have no idea why the 16:9 WS function would not work along with the DTS audio and I tried it several times. I am returning it for another. I know there is nothing wrong with my system because we watched Cheryl Crow - Rockin the Globe in DTS before watching SuperSpeedway and the Eagles Hell Freezes Over in DTS after that - it must be the DVD disk. If you like racing - it gives an incredible feel - at times "almost" as if you were actually driving...

This DVD is a must have for your home theater. I bought it on the recommendations here on the website and was not disappointed. The clarity is amazing. I am using an Optoma H56 projector onto a 92" Da-Lite screen and it is one of the sharpest programs I have ever seen. Nearly HD. The sound is even more mind boggling. The music and the sound effects are great.

This is a must see DVD. It's everything the previous reports have to say about it. It's simply AWESOME if you do indeed want to show off your HD surround sound system get this DVD NOW. The visual and audio propertys are breathtaking. Every audio visual dealer should be required to use this DVD as a selling point for its products. Very highly recommended.

The movie is funny enough, but the main reason to buy this DVD is for the pause function and the scene with Jamie Lee Curtis topless. This scene is probably the finest work she ever did.

I think this movie clearly shows that Jamie Lee Curtis is not a man and has a nice rack. Get it and hit pause.

This review refers to the Widescreen Collection/DVD edtion(Paramount)of "Trading Places"....

If you have already seen this fabulously fun film, then you know the scene I am referring to in my title of this review.It is just one of the many, many laugh out loud moments that Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd and the rest of the brillant cast treat us to. If you haven't seen it and you like to laugh..this is a must see, one that will brighten your holdiays and leave you grinning ear to ear whenever you think of it.

The very wealthy brothers Randolph and Mortimer Duke portrayed by legends Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche, are sitting around their exclusive club having a little tiff on the theory of Heredity vs. Enviroment. After bestowing a very generous Christmas bonus of five dollars to the man who sees to their needs year round, they make a little wager. The bet...take their most trusted employee(Aykroyd), and play with his life until he becomes an outcast. Take a street-wise con-artist(Murphy),and give him a taste of the good life. Who will prevail? Will the Harvard grad, still be the person he was, after losing everything, or will he turn to crime? And what about the con man? Will his new enviroment make a new man out of him or will he still resort to his old ways? Watching these two "Trading Places" is one of the most fun 2 hours you can spend. The story takes place between Christmas and New Years so it's a great Holdiay film to add to your collection as well.

The cast is marvelous.Dan Aykroyd is the perfect snob, and Eddie Murphy, well he's just great at being Eddie Murphy. Jaime Lee Curits is the hooker with a heart(who's looking to increase her bank account and get off her back),Don Ameche and Ralph Bellamy show they haven't lost what it took to become the legends they are, and Denholm Elliot is perfectly cast as the butler in on the action. Adding to the fun are Bo Didley,Paul Gleason, Frank Oz and James Belushi. Directing this wonderful cast is John Landis, who doesn't miss a trick and the music by Elmer Bernstein sets the tone perfectly as usual.The movie is rated R for some some scenes of nudity(do we expect any less from Jaime Lee?).

The DVD is a great buy. The anamorphic widescreen picture is gorgeous. Clear and bright with beautiful colors, the film does not appear to be 20 years old already. You have the choice of Dolby Dig 5.1 surround sound or stereo surround sound, both are excellent. There are English subtitles and it may be viewed in French(mono). There are no special feautres though.

So how much was the wager they made? A whooping one dollar! Who wins?.....I'll never tell!

Seen it?..you know you gotta have it!...Haven't seen it?....Go for it!...You'll love it!...enjoy....Laurie

This movie was just too cute! It is a simple romantic comedy. It has a lot of light humor and just brightens your day. The cast is spectacular, Johnny Depp is as handsome as ever. This movie is just wonderful.

great movie with Depp as Sam who falls for Joon played by Masterson who is mentally ill and who has an older brother played by Aidan Quinn. wonderfully acted with Depp doing great bits. for his loving women fans. a not to be missed Depp film I might add.

When you hit the Play button to start this movie, put all your expectations aside and prepare to be charmed by the entire cast of this delightfully quirky romantic comedy. Just watching Johnny Depp in this movie alone is well worth the price of the video! Two words: all good. Highly recommended!

Gilliam's follow-up to Brazil is a mess. It takes a long time for anything really interesting to happen. Once things get moving, they never really come together. One moment, the heroes are on the Moon. Then they're in a whale. Then they're in an industrial Hell --- and then the Baron dances in the air with Venus. Why is it all happening? I'm not sure.

Gilliam's idea is great. He's made a movie full of tall tales with an old man at the center. The Baron is sincere; he's not a liar. But no one believes him. The trouble is, you spend most of the movie watching the scenery and forgetting the plot. No particular bit of dialogue stands out. None of the characters are memorable (except Robin Williams' King of the Moon). The final moment, in which Death steals the Baron's soul, is played out with very bad special effects

It's a shame this movie is such a disappointment. Gilliam had good ideas, but they were poorly executed. It would have helped if the script put a different spin on the Baron Munchausen idea.

For those who can watch the film in the spirit in which it was
made, the experience is WONDERFUL. If you cannot or will not enter into the spirit of the (now dying) "TALL TALE", then the film must be an utter bore. I found it WONDERFUL. Like any work
of art, one can only get from it what one already brings.

This movie is absolutely a wonderful movie. I loved this movie very much. I haven't seen a fantasy movie like this. If you love fantasy movies, I sure you will love this movie,too. You won't disappointed. Scenes are unbelieverable!

It is really sad to see how cruel people can be out there. I will admit to you that this may be a little heavy for a kid's movie, but it has some excellent points to make. I continue to see this movie derided by people and press and it makes me very sad how people don't give it a chance. I wes very impressed with the music, I have all of the soundtracks, LP, Cassette and CD, I own the movie on VHS and DVD and it has always been my favorite movie of all time. Perhaps it's my favorite because it is such a step away from normal, lightheated children's movies. I read somewhere that Walt Disney was probably rolling in his grave when this movie came out, and I would like to say I believe that person to be sorely mistaken. While a bit flawed, this is truly an excelent Disney film. Remember, "There's Room for EVERYONE in this World" as the song states, give this movie a chance. This is a wonderful film to watch with your children and discuss afterwards, maybe even watch on your own. It is NOT strictly for children. While Pete's Dragon is based, derided, and generally forgotten, I urge all of you to at least rent this gem and bring it out of the obscurity it doesn't deserve.

One of my favorite Disney movies. I love the relationship between Elliot and Pete. The songs in the movie are unforgettable. I still find myself singing them now as an adult.

I Saw Pete's Dragon when it was in the movie theaters in 1977, I was 12 years old and my 25 year old sister took me to see it and even though she wasn't that impressed with it I loved it and thought it was an entertaining movie with cute music and I enjoyed the acting by Helen Reddy, Mickey Rooney and Sean Marshall plus many other good actors too and the animation of Elliot the dragon was good. This is a movie I could definitely see myself buying on DVD and I highly recommend it!