Don Movie Reviews

Its funny how (to me) lines from movies sometimes bubble to the surface of consciousness from out of nowhere. I hadn't thought about "Alvarez Kelly" in years. Recently, in my minds's eye, I recalled the image of an eye-patched Confederate leader named Col.Tom Rossiter,(Richard Widmark) silently and solemnly inquire "Did you please her.....Kelly"? That simple line was so fraught with innuendo and suggestion that it always stuck with me. So on a rainy Sunday afternoon, I popped a widescreen version of "Alvarez Kelly" into my DVD and sat back to review and enjoy this 1966 Civil War oater (or should I say "beefer")? It was a decent ride. Alvarez Kelly (William Holden) enjoys pursuing the finer things in life, his earthly habits subsidized in part by trading as a cattle speculator or war profiteer depending upon your point of view. In this capacity, he has no particular loyalty to the North or the South. However, and as the opening credits point out, all armies in all times require food as well as armaments to prevail. As the Yankees and the Confederates fight for control over Kelly's 2500 head of cattle, he is unwillingly forced to provide his services to the boys in Gray. This fact in no way serves to curb his rather prodigious libido, and he continues the shameless pursuit of any woman who has the slightest physical beauty. Released in the mid-Sixties, Bond mania was in full swing and I would argue that this film was influenced by and shared some obvious similarities in attitude and tone with agent 007. Anyway, enter Liz Pickering (Janice Rule), the shapely but long suffering intended of Rossiter, a physically diminished yet gallant and honorable leader of the Southern cause. Liz is instantly drawn to Kelly's virility and earthly ways and inevitably, favors are shared. Her rather brief on screen appearance only serves to provide a convienient source of personal friction between Rossiter and Kelly. Inevitably though, the war intrudes and a battle for control of the cattle looms. Kelly, awarded with a battlefield commission takes charge of a desperate situation in his own unique way. The cinematography of this film is crisp. The strong performances by Holden and Widmark really play off each other well. All in all, this Western is elevated a notch or two above the average because of Edward Dmytryk's solid direction, an acceptable musical score although they could have lost the hokey song at the beginning, decent photography, good character actors, an interesting premise and manages to deliver all this in under two hours. Given contemporary standards, I can't help but wonder how Hollywood would handle a randy character like Kelly today.

This is an explosive civil war western that packs in a lot of story and character delvopment. Willam Holden stars as Alvarez Kelly a Mexican/Irish cattleman who provides beef for the union army and does not care who wins the war as long as he gets his money and enjoys a peaceful life. But things change quickly when Col. Tom Russleter(Widmark)kidnaps Kelly and inprisons Him. In one of the most memorable scenes in the film Russleter Shoots off Kelly's little finger to persuade him to help out with the confederate army, and if he doesn't he'll shoot off his remaininng fingers. Kelly relucteny agrees but gets back at Russletter by getting his girlfriend to leave him. Another memorable scene in the film was the heard of cattle charging through the Union Army's brigade, With Kelly & Russelter at the helm and by the end of the film both men end up having respect for one another. Along with "THE WILD BUNCH" AND "BUTCH CASSIDY & THE SUNDANCE KID" "ALVAREZ KELLY" is a classic Western film and may not be best remembered as the other two but it still packs in the same excitement and Story and it's a great film to watch!

This is a good American Civil War adventure film full of bravado and action. William Holden and an one-eyed Richard Widmark turn in credible performances as reluctant partners in a raid for Union cattle. It also features Janice Rule, a foppish Patrick O'Neal and a bawdy Victoria Shaw. There are some good skirmish sequences and a plot containing some witty dialogue. Some of the plantation sequence is a little reminiscent of John Ford's "The Horse Soldiers" also with Holden. It contains an adequate score composed by Johnny Green of "Raintree County" distinction and beautiful photography by Joseph MacDonald. The stalwart Edward Dmytryk leisurely directed it for pure cinematic enjoyment. The DVD widescreen images are as crisp as ever.

This is another movuie describing the 'lovelife' of 14 year olds.It seems parenting is not only more difficult but also reprehensible.I have a strong opinion that teenagers should concentrate on acquiring knowledge and discipline , instead of an emotional sex life leading to self destruction. Just a voice in the wilderness... And there is hope that they will all grow up in the end , parents and'children'alike. This movie shows that the problem is universal in the Western World.

At first I thought this movie was really slow but it picks up and become really emotional. The acting is good, and the plot seems real. One of the better German movies I've seen.

This film almost made me forget it was subtitled, it flowed so well, and the cinematography was outstanding.

Big Girls Don't Cry is a beautiful coming of age film out of Germany. Two adolescent girls struggle with the truths of growing up and realizing that ones parents can be even more flawed than their teenagers. Not for the faint of heart; but a touching film for all of us who have survived growing up.

Simon Hunter's remarkable British horror-thriller "Lighthouse" (1999) is one of the best kept secrets of the 1990's. Barely released anywhere outside of the festival circuit, even in the UK where (at the time of writing) it hasn't even been submitted for a censor's certificate, it was eventually picked up for US distribution by A-Pix, where the title was quickly changed to "Dead of Night" against Hunter's express wishes. "We know our market!" A-Pix offered by way of explanation, before proceeding to disprove their own assertion by dumping the film briefly into a handful of theaters with a poor ad campaign and then consigning it directly to the video graveyard. What's so galling about A-Pix' shabby treatment is that the film is one of the most brilliantly-realized horror movies in recent memory.

Hunter's own script tells the tale of a prison ship which strikes the rocks and sinks off the coast of a remote lighthouse-island 300 miles from the mainland. A small number of guards and prisoners escape the disaster and take refuge in the lighthouse where they're stalked by another survivor of the wreck, the monstrous psychopath Leo Rook (Chris Adamson). The basic premise is fairly familiar and prompts fond memories (perhaps deliberately) of Jim O'Connolly's equally outrageous "Tower of Evil" (1972), but Hunter's tightly-constructed script and dynamic visual style propels the narrative forward like a guided missile, pausing every so often for some truly gripping set-pieces, beginning with an early sequence in which the ship's captain (accomplished character actor Paul Brooke) becomes trapped in a stall in the lighthouse-washroom with Rook on the other side of the door, oblivious to the captain's presence. Then Brooke accidentally knocks a can of air-freshener from a shelf, precipitating a nail-biting cat-and-mouse confrontation which ends on a shrill note of genuine horror. But the real fireworks are reserved for the climax, a knock-down drag-out rollercoaster ride combining high-octane stuntwork and spectacular visual effects as the remaining survivors confront Rook at the top of the lighthouse. This incredible sequence contains more cliff-hanging thrills than a dozen serials and will leave most viewers completely drained, exhausted and thoroughly entertained.

Populated with a cast of familiar British faces (including Don Warrington, heroine Rachel Shelley and James Purefoy as the regulation handsome hero), all of whom invest their roles with character traits which prevent them from sliding into routine stereotype, the film maintains an impressive degree of logic, isolating potential victims through careful calculation rather than narrative contrivance. And while there's plenty of R-rated brutality on display, Hunter emphasizes the thrill of pursuit and the THREAT of violence rather than an excess of splattery gore, and Simon Bowles' impressive low-budget production design transforms the storm-lashed island and lighthouse into a shadowy, antiquated killing ground. Veteran cinematographer Tony Imi (whose career stretches back to the 1960's) gives the whole thing an expensive-looking gloss, and Debbie Wiseman's moody score is impressively grandiose. All in all, this is a tremendously exciting feature debut from a director who's clearly in love with his own material and completely in command of the filmmaking process. Together with a superb cast and crew, he's produced a minor masterpiece.

Image's region-free DVD runs 94m 55s, and while it's still a worthwhile purchase, the transfer leaves a lot to be desired. The full-screen presentation is OK, but there's some evidence the picture has been cropped from the original 1.85:1 ratio. Sadly, the 2.0 surround track is a downmix of the theatrical Dolby Digital format, and while the music and effects have a sumptuous dimensionality, large portions of the center-channel dialogue are so faint as to be virtually inaudible at normal listening levels. There are no captions and no extras except an extremely poor video trailer which sells the movie as just another routine potboiler. Four stars for the movie, two for the DVD.

Dead Of Night(Also known as Lighthouse) is one of the best thrillers I've ever seen. The story and cinematography are top notch. Leo Rook (Christopher Adamson) is one mean killing machine with a face that would stop a clock. The climax is as hard hitting as any I've seen and very original. Don't pass this one up! You won't be disappointed.

When purchasing this movie I was not expecting more than your typical stalk and slash movie with 80's cliches in it. Boy was I totally wrong!!!! This movie is up there with all the other classic serial killer movies like Phsycho, Silence of the Lambs, and Maniac, but I thought was the real winner with this movie was the two edge of your seat scenes (the bathroom and ending that you will have to watch to find out).
Leo Rook totally up there in the top ten serial killers IMO.
You must get this sleeper of a classic horror before it is no longer available and is OOP.

The story line surely has to be considered as the issue is a serious one. But the value of this movie has developed through the brilliant performance of Mr. Stoltz. Once again he brought his unique personality into a story, expressing deep emotion and uncomparable character traits. He appears as a very special person, fitting not only this part perfectly. As an actor and person one might put him in line with great and special actors, repectively personalities like Robert Redford and Kevin Costner.

This is an awesome movie the actors they picked couldent have been better Stoltz fit the part perfect along the three kids Steve(Brett Besselman) Morgan(fabio spacy) Jesse (Brian clark. This movie will keep you on the edge of your seat and you wount even want to get up to use the bathroom. I highly recommend it.

...Gripping... ...An emotional roller coaster... ...Billy Bob Thornton gives a tour de force performance... ...Dwight Yoakam thrills and delights... ...A twist ending that will blow you through the back wall of your living room... ...Whoever both executive produced and wrote the story for this baby knew what he was doing... ...I'll bet he had at least one other project sold and one other project optioned...

I originally saw this many years ago wondering what Lee Marvin was doing in such a high brow production and was rewarded with a memorable experience and new respect for the actors involved. I was surprised to find Fredric March in this. A movie star from the early days of the sound era, a two tme Oscar winner, I always knew March was a good and well respected actor, and there were two times when he shocked me and I realised HOW good he was: one was the original A STAR IS BORN where his performance surpassed the era it came from, playing more modern amidst the hokum and phony sentimentality that surrounded everything else in the picture, giving the film a lasting relevancy; the other was INHERIT THE WIND, where I was all geared up to watch Spencer Tracy in a great role and wound up picking my jaw off the floor at March in the Brady role. No Academy nomination, no lasting hossanahs, was anybody else aware of what March was doing here? Well his performance here surpasses those two. Amazing how his acting style kept changing, permitting him to give relevant performances for over forty years in quality films. His work here is fully shaded and from an aesthetic viewpoint, a joy to watch. But even his performance is not the outstanding one in the picture. That honor goes to Robert Ryan. ROBERT RYAN?! Always a solid performer, whether playing the hard-bitten good guy or the hard-bitten bad guy (usually), there is nothing in his canon of work that will prepare you for the magnitude or the depth of his performance here. Who knew there was a giant, and I do mean GIANT, talent lurking in that lean boxer frame. It will make you angry, and sad, that his talent was barely scratched in all those movies. But it is ultimately a blessing that in this, his last film, he was able to get a role that would utilize his full range as an actor. An incredible revelation. Since these AFT productions only played for 2 screenings, they fell under the radar of the Academy Awards' stipulation that a film must play for a week to be eligible for nominations, which is why you won't see any of these AFT productions in the Academy books on excellence. Marvin doesn't hit the mark of these two performances, but he is very good, at times excellent. Tough going, but a rewarding, memorable experience..

All the performances in this film are excellent. A fine example of cohesive ensemble playing. Lee Marvin has been described by various critics as being miscast as Hickey. I suppose this is based upon comparisons with Robards. I haven't seen any other versions of this play but I think Marvin's performance is fine. Certainly Ryan and March are brilliant and for these two performances this video is worth owning. For those of you who have seen this version on TV in the past note: this is the 4 hour uncut version rarely seen outside of the original season of 1973. Only O'Neill can sustain drama over such a long time. You Americans should be proud of him he was a genius and this is his masterpiece.

This excellent production directed by John Frankenhimer was part of the 1973 American Film Theater series of plays shown in theaters by subscription. This exceptional cast headed by Lee Marvin, Robert Ryan, Frederic March and a very young Jeff Bridges captures O'Neill's disillusioned band of "pipe dreamers" to a tee. Lee Marvin is especially impressive and dispells the tough guy image in a finely textured and layered performance. I recommend this as well as the 1960 Jason Robards production, also available on VHS and DVD.

This movie was a little long with not enough substance to warrant its length. But William Powell is an actor's actor in this one. Totally natural and believable as the detective who's just slightly a scoundrel himself. Very smooth.

S.S. Van Dine's Philo Vance is almost forgotten today but the dapper detective was adapted to film several times. The Kennel Murder Case is by far the best of the lot. Director Michael Curtiz used that early 1930's soft focus look and a well written and witty script to bring Vance to life in the form of William Powell, who was perfect for the part.

From the opening moments of Vance at the Long Island Kennel Club with his dog, Captain McDavish, this is a classy and breezily paced little mystery. The murder of Hilda Lake's dog escalates into a human murder with lots of suspects. But how was the murder commited since the victim is found dead in a room locked from the inside?

In steps Philo Vance, cancelling his boat trip to bail out Detective Heath (Eugene Pallet). A young and very stylish Mary Astor as Hilda Lake and Helen Vinson add greatly to the proceedings, as do Ralph Morgan, Frank Conroy, Paul Cavanaugh and James Lee Liang as the cook obsessed with Chinese treasures.

Shady business dealings, spurned affections and valuable Chinese artifacts all play a part in this tight little mystery. Powell's Vance is uptown, cool as a cucumber and fun to watch as he's always one step ahead of everyone else.

This is a great little rainy night mystery for those times you're in a nostalgic mood. Mystery lovers don't want to miss this little gem.

As with all good murder cases there is some nasty person (Archer Coe) that makes everyone he comes in contact want to murder him. ...
Of course Philo Vance (William Powell) does not believe it and has to unravel a complex "Who-done-it" and how?
The acting is well done. And you will find many of the elements (character portrayal, gimmicks, and subplots) in later movies.

This movie was a little long with not enough substance to warrant its length. But William Powell is an actor's actor in this one. Totally natural and believable as the detective who's just slightly a scoundrel himself. Very smooth.

S.S. Van Dine's Philo Vance is almost forgotten today but the dapper detective was adapted to film several times. The Kennel Murder Case is by far the best of the lot. Director Michael Curtiz used that early 1930's soft focus look and a well written and witty script to bring Vance to life in the form of William Powell, who was perfect for the part.

From the opening moments of Vance at the Long Island Kennel Club with his dog, Captain McDavish, this is a classy and breezily paced little mystery. The murder of Hilda Lake's dog escalates into a human murder with lots of suspects. But how was the murder commited since the victim is found dead in a room locked from the inside?

In steps Philo Vance, cancelling his boat trip to bail out Detective Heath (Eugene Pallet). A young and very stylish Mary Astor as Hilda Lake and Helen Vinson add greatly to the proceedings, as do Ralph Morgan, Frank Conroy, Paul Cavanaugh and James Lee Liang as the cook obsessed with Chinese treasures.

Shady business dealings, spurned affections and valuable Chinese artifacts all play a part in this tight little mystery. Powell's Vance is uptown, cool as a cucumber and fun to watch as he's always one step ahead of everyone else.

This is a great little rainy night mystery for those times you're in a nostalgic mood. Mystery lovers don't want to miss this little gem.

As with all good murder cases there is some nasty person (Archer Coe) that makes everyone he comes in contact want to murder him. ...
Of course Philo Vance (William Powell) does not believe it and has to unravel a complex "Who-done-it" and how?
The acting is well done. And you will find many of the elements (character portrayal, gimmicks, and subplots) in later movies.

Indie director Wayne Wang ("Chan Is Missing") was given a shot at a higher budget film and proved to be quite a stylish moviemaker with this largely ignored thriller from the late 80's. Almost universally panned by critics at the time of release (for no readily apparent reasons) this is one movie that deserves a second appraisal; I think it's one of the better of the 80's crop of stylish "neo noirs"--on a par with "Someone To Watch Over Me", "The Bedroom Window" and "Something Wild". Wang uses the classic Hitchcock "wrong man" scenario to push his hapless cartoonist turned murder suspect Tom Hulce through a twisty Kafkaesque nightmare with a Los Angeles backdrop.A fair amount of subtle black humor gives the film a unique flavor, as well as an excellent supporting cast. There's a bit of 80's rock star stunt casting with X's John Doe as a corrupt cop, Adam Ant (surprisingly effective) as Hulce's shady pal, and you'll have to look fast for a dreadlocked Mark Anthony Thompson in a cameo as a bartender. Not for all tastes, but a sleeper worth waking up for.

I originally watched this movie only becuase I'm an avid Adam Ant fan. I was totally suprised at what a sleeper hit this was. I'm not sure how a movie with Tom Hulce, hot off his Amadeus film, and Mary Elizabeth Mastratonio could have been missed at the box office. Adam Ant play his typical bad boy part with great zeal. A movie that will keep you watching and wondering. Also, a great part of the Police Detective played admirably by Harry Dean Stanton.

Charles Drood (Tom Hulce) is in the wrong place at the wrong time. By no fault of his own, he is caught in the middle of a tangled web of murder, deceit, and police corruption. With few clues to go on, he must untangle the web before it entraps him completely. The plot twists in this video wend unceasingly right to the end of the movie. If you like Hitchcock, you just might enjoy this video. It's one of my favorites.

Plot, drama, suspense, character development -- this western has them all, to reasonable measure. It seems awfully like other HBO movies I have seen. If you like westerns, this may be a candidate for an evening's entertainment. If you like exceptional westerns, try "The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance", "A Big Hand for the Little Lady", "El Mariachi", "Stagecoach" or the Clint Eastwood spaghetti westerns.

I bought this dvd on a whim... It is a great western and now one of my classics in my own personal collection.

Noble Adams (Kris Kristofferson) is a retired tracker. He runs a ranch and has a wife. He wants nothing to do with his former life. An old friend is calling in a favor and Noble must return to the hunt one last time. Noble's son Tom (Mark Moses) has just graduated from college and has come to tell Noble that he will be living in the east and practicing law. When he finds his dad is going on a track, he headstrongly joins the chase. They will be tracking Red Jack Stilwell (Scott Wilson), a self professed Morman Avenging Angel that just broke out of prison and has been on a violent rampage. He is travelling with a kidnapped women and child.

Noble doesn't really want his son along. He doesn't think the boy can handle the brutality of the land and is worried about the brutality that his son may see in him. Noble Adams is not just any tracker, he's the best tracker ever. The law's avenger, the army refers to him as Nemisis (The God of Vengeance). Even the indians fear him. So Noble, the aging sheriff and Tom Adams, the eastern college boy set out to hunt down the ruthless Red Jack Stillwell and his gang.

Far from a typical father son bonding movie, Tom sees Noble as a cruel, harsh and exceptionally unforgiving man. But he comes to understand that the land has made him that way. Tom turns out to be just as hard but not quite as cold blooded as his father. Hard men in a hard land, doing a hard job.

This unhearalded HBO production stands up as one of the great westerns of all time. More people need to see this movie. It is a classic with no shortage of action or suspense. Although filmed a number of years ago, HBO would do well to provide us with a sequel of equal caliber.

Watch it and enjoy.

People unhappy with their lives look for something better in the three episodes on Volume 34 of "The Twilight Zone" DVD series. First up is Rod Serling's wistful story, "A Stop at Willoughby." James Daly plays ad exuctive Gart Williams, who loses an important account. Riding the train home he has a dream of a restful little town called Willoughby. Williams believes that Willoughby is where he really belongs, but his wife ridicules the idea, forcing him to go back to the job he hates. This is Serling at his lyrical best. "Twenty-Two," was also written by Serling, based on an anecdote in Bennett Cerf's "Famous Ghost Stories." Barbara Nichols plays Liz Powell, a professional dancer who has recurring nightmares that make her associate the number 22 with death. Again, everybody she tells this to thinks she is crazy. This is a below average episode of the Zone. Finally, we have "I Dream of Genie," written by John Furia, Jr. Howard Morris plays bookkeeper George P. Hanley, who buys a tarnished Arabian lamp for Ann (Patricia Barry), the attractive secretary at his office. Too embarrassed to give it to her, he takes the lamp home, rubs it up and a genie appears! The deal, the genie informs George, is that he gets just ONE wish. But every thing George comes up with is not going to give him the happiness he wants. A great idea, especially given all the stories we have scene where the genie's wishes are traps, but the execution suffers somewhat, especially since it gets stretched out to an hour long episode. So what we end up with on this episode is one Twilight Zone classic and a couple of sub-par excursions.

Although I think that the first installment on this dvd is an absolutely fabulous episode, "twenty-two" is without a doubt my all time favorite episode of twilight zone. The line "room for one more, honey" has become a family catch phrase. This episode really achieves that eerie quality and the suspense that you come to enjoy from the better examples of the twilight zone, rivaled only by such episodes as "the after hours" and "to serve man". And the repetitive actions that the stripper goes through still don't prepare you for the final amazing twist at the end. I recommend that everyone see this, or you're not a real TZ fan!

Maybe it's because I AM in the advertising business. Maybe it's because I'm a nostalgic romantic who yearns for the "simpler days" of a hundred years ago (which is why I enjoyed Jack Finney's "Time and Again" novel so much). Maybe it's just because I enjoy Rod Serling's writing so much.

Don't know. All I know is that "A Stop at Willoughby" is one of my all-time three favorite TZ episodes ("Time Enough at Last" and "Walking Distance" being the other two).

Sharing a theme similar to "Walking Distance" (another episode about a burned out advertising executive who gets to step back in time), "A Stop at Willoughby" is the story of a harried, "average" man caught up in a lifestyle that pushes him to ulcers and dreams of days gone by. While on board a train returning home one evening, he dozes off only to be awakened by the conductor calling out the stop -- "Willoughby" -- a place not even found on the map. Of course, it's summer in Willoughby. And the townspeople are happy, slow-paced and friendly...a life the ulcerated ad-man wishes he could step into.

Of course, he does. And there's a typical TZ twist at the end.

I bought this DVD just for "A Stop at Willoughby." And it's a good thing, too. Althought the episode "Twenty-Two" is interesting (especially watching Lost in Space's Jonathan Harris in the role of a doctor), it's not even close to Willoughby's finesse.

The third episode -- "I Dream of Genie" -- is interesting only because Andy Griffth Show's Howard Morris stars. Other than that, it's nothing worth remembering.

If you're a middle-aged advertising executive, you need to see "A Stop at Willoughby." Or, then again, maybe not. That first step is a doozy.