Don Movie Reviews

A truly enchanting video i watched as a child and occasionally dig out of the cupboard on rainy days now (i'm 17!)
The story is classic Dahl and thus complex enough to keep even adults interested (especially if they look for analogies of daily life in children's entertainment) and yet perfect for children of all ages who want some excitement that isn't quite nightmarishly frightening and all ends well, with some bravery and boldness from a down-trodden orphan and the Queen of England being rather forceful with her pompous Armed Forces Cheifs.
worth the price asked for here, and more

My sister introduced me to this enchanting tale of little Sophie and the BFG when I was just 9. I fell absolutely in love with it then and now, 8 years later, I am still in raptures. You will simply adore this movie, I highly recomend it.

My four year-old loves this well-done animated version of Roald Dahl's BFG book. She enjoys the animation (with a great, pleasingly spooky beginning, though not too scary) as well as the story itself.

The Big Friendly Giant visits children's windows each night and sends them pleasant dreams; his other job is to catch the bad dreams out there and bottle them up so they don't frighten children, as well as prevent the evil giants from eating children! A lonely girl, Sophie, is one day whisked away from here dreary orphange by the BFG to help him with his task. Thereafter the plot thickens and in the end the two must enlist the help of the Queen of England to make all well again.

This is a wonderful show. Made in the UK, the only difference I can see from the usual Disney fodder is that Big Friendly Giant is not nearly as loud, yet it captivated my child throughout, the songs sent her into peals of laughter. As far as I can tell this tape has not been dubbed or the voices altered in any way for the American market (a la Bob the Builder, Brambly Hedge, etc.)

I also recommend (based on my child's response): William's Wish Wellingtons, Noddy, Old Bear Stories, Rupert and the Runaway Dragon, Postman Pat, Brum and the Baby Carriage, The Secret of Roan Inish, The Borrowers, Thomas the Tank Engine, the Princess and the Goblin.

A truly enchanting video i watched as a child and occasionally dig out of the cupboard on rainy days now (i'm 17!)
The story is classic Dahl and thus complex enough to keep even adults interested (especially if they look for analogies of daily life in children's entertainment) and yet perfect for children of all ages who want some excitement that isn't quite nightmarishly frightening and all ends well, with some bravery and boldness from a down-trodden orphan and the Queen of England being rather forceful with her pompous Armed Forces Cheifs.
worth the price asked for here, and more

My sister introduced me to this enchanting tale of little Sophie and the BFG when I was just 9. I fell absolutely in love with it then and now, 8 years later, I am still in raptures. You will simply adore this movie, I highly recomend it.

My four year-old loves this well-done animated version of Roald Dahl's BFG book. She enjoys the animation (with a great, pleasingly spooky beginning, though not too scary) as well as the story itself.

The Big Friendly Giant visits children's windows each night and sends them pleasant dreams; his other job is to catch the bad dreams out there and bottle them up so they don't frighten children, as well as prevent the evil giants from eating children! A lonely girl, Sophie, is one day whisked away from here dreary orphange by the BFG to help him with his task. Thereafter the plot thickens and in the end the two must enlist the help of the Queen of England to make all well again.

This is a wonderful show. Made in the UK, the only difference I can see from the usual Disney fodder is that Big Friendly Giant is not nearly as loud, yet it captivated my child throughout, the songs sent her into peals of laughter. As far as I can tell this tape has not been dubbed or the voices altered in any way for the American market (a la Bob the Builder, Brambly Hedge, etc.)

I also recommend (based on my child's response): William's Wish Wellingtons, Noddy, Old Bear Stories, Rupert and the Runaway Dragon, Postman Pat, Brum and the Baby Carriage, The Secret of Roan Inish, The Borrowers, Thomas the Tank Engine, the Princess and the Goblin.

"Bikini Beach," "Beach Blanket Bingo" and "Beach Party." Most people when asked to name a beach movie, immediately refer to this Frankie Avalon and Annette Funicello '60s trilogy ( I don't include the affshoot "Muscle Beach" flick as part of this authentic ouvre).

In 1963's "Beach Party" Annette went by the name Doris (an homage to Doris Day?). The plots, I use the term loosely, were almost interchangeable -- mostly surf, sand, rock 'n roll and sex -- well, mostly innocent tease really. But what's most remembered is the hope -- false as it turned out -- that the voluptuous Annette would reveal a tad more skin. And then there's Bob Cummings in a patently false beard, Harvey Lembeck as the hyper and astonishingly old juvenile delinquent Eric Von Zipper. And of course the tassled Candy Johnson shaking her bikini'd booty over, or is it under, the credits.

In "Bikini Beach" Annette is now Dee Dee (must be an homage to Sandra Dee) and Frankie stretches his chops by playing two roles. He is his standard sex-crazed surfer guy and also the gap toothed (a nod toward Terry Thomas?) Brit singer potato Bug -- apparently a spoof on the Beatles (remember, this is 1964). A drag race is part of the action and there's an ape that surfs.

"Beach Blanket Bingo" what a great title) is probably the best of the bunch. The dialogue is almost witty. And of course there's the great stone faced silent clown Buster keaton doing his timeless bits of busines. (A burned out alcoholic's sad, haunting and poignant farewell to the genius of his youth.) Don Rickles gets a major break with a part that sealed his antagonistic comic persona. Annette show a little more flesh and Frankie has a tan. The rear projection surf shots are still laughable but the over-all photography is much better. Les Baxter's score is full of energy and the title tune is actually memorable and fun.

Annette Funicello and Frankie Avalon are back for a second dose of beach frivolity in this sequel to the smash-hit BEACH PARTY, the aptly-titled BIKINI BEACH.

Dee Dee (Annette Funicello) and Frankie (Frankie Avalon) are about to settle into a romantic summer when the beach that they occupy comes under the scrutiny of a stuffy retirement-villa owner (Keenan Wynn). There is also the arrival of the new British pop-superstar Potato Bug (played as a cameo by Frankie Avalon), and the ever-annoying Eric Von Zipper (Harvey Lembeck) to contend with!

Soon, Dee Dee finds herself being romanced by both Frankie AND Potato Bug, while Von Zipper challenges Potato Bug to the drag race to end all drag races!

Featuring great guest appearances by Martha Hyer, Don Rickles and Boris Karloff in his walk-on bit as the art collector. There are also great musical numbers performed by Stevie Wonder (under his original name of "Little Stevie Wonder") and Donna Loren.

With Candy Johnson, John Ashley and Jody McCrea.

The DVD includes both full-frame and widescreen versions of the film, as well as the trailer. (Double-sided, single-layer disc).

Almost all reviewers list "Beach Blanket Bingo" as their favorite movie in the beach movie series. I have to give a slight edge to "Bikini Beach" for my personal favorite. Frankie Avalon does double duty very well, playing the English rock star known as Potato Bug, as well as his familiar Frankie character. Potato Bug is a very British caricature, and his maniacal laugh is infectious. Keenan Wynn makes for a formidable villain, decrying the surfers' lack of moral values in the local newspaper he publishes. Clyde, his pet ape, drives his car, surfs, and even drag races like a champion! He gives Candy Johnson a run for her money as a dance partner. I swear, at one point it looks like the ape is break dancing! Don Rickles is very funny playing Big Drag, the owner of the local drag strip. To win the affections of Dee Dee, Potato Bug challenges Frankie to a drag race. The night before the big race, Eric Von Zipper and his Rat Pack decide to sabotage Potato Bug's dragster, so everyone will think that Frankie cheated. The only problem is that they end up sabotaging Frankie's car instead! The big race is a dead heat until Frankie crashes his dragster. Amazingly, he emerges from the wreck unhurt. When they discover that Eric Von Zipper is the cause of the crash, a comical chase ensues. They all end up engaging in a pie fight at the local nightclub. Even Keenan Wynn is won over by the surfers and decides to join their side! This is the silliest and funniest beach movie in the whole series, in my humble opinion!

What is this video? It is part first-person documentary, and part appreciation, made in the mid-90s when Wilson finally seemed to be finding the peace of mind that stays with him today. (His obviously devoted new wife stays beside him for much of the footage. Dr. Landy, who basically saved Brian's life according to Brian's 1991 autobiography, is now out of the picture and is never mentioned by name.) The entire thing is filmed in very arty, hard-lit black-and-white. There is no narration except for that of the inteviewees, and not much archival footage of the Beach Boys. What we get instead is Brian himself giving us brief, converstional summaries of periods of his life and songwriting inspiration, supplemented by comments from his mother, his ex-wife Marilyn, and his brother Carl (who died a few years after this film was made in the mid-nineties.) There are also some enlightening musical analysis from someone (I'm not sure who he is), and appreciative comments from fellow musicians ranging from Wilson collaborators Tony Asher and Van Dyke Parks, to David Crosby, John Cale, Tom Petty, and Linda Ronstadt. Wilson's daughters also comment briefly on their relationship with their Dad, and sing with him at the end. Throughout the film, certain excellent old songs of Brian are briefly discussed and then we get good footage of Brian performing the songs with a new studio band in Hollywood. (The performances, produced by Don Was, are very good, and fans might want to consider buying the soundtrack CD of this film. Fans expecting to hear the original Beach Boy recordings will not find them here.) Parts of the film feel like surreal arthouse filmmaking - silent closeups of Audree Wilson's face behind sunglasses as she gropes for words, odd footage of Brian and his mother and brother singing "In my Room" at the piano, Linda Ronstadt in a spotlight dressed in a puffy costume for some unknown theatrical show... Overall this is not a definitive documentary of Wilson's life or work by any means, but it does give you a good idea of why this odd man is so beloved and why his work is so important.

Powerful and riveting documentary. I was captured by his youth and it kept me interested throughout. Very Good rating for use in a research project or just entertainment purposes.

This documentary captures Brian Wilson as he is today -- mature, brilliant, still disturbed but clearly holding it together and still making music. Brian comes across as human and vulnerable, a modest man who quite literally changed the world. The unabashadly glowing tributes afforded him by such rock luminaries as David Crosby, Graham Nash, Tom Petty, Linda Rondstadt and others demonstrate the high regard Brian is held in by people who understand rock and roll music and its impact on our culture. These folks know the score and they're here to tell you that Brian Wilson is the man.

Any Brian Wilson or Beach Boys fan should enjoy this wonderful film. More to the point, anybody who thinks Brian Wilson or The Beach Boys are lightweight or irrelevant should invest a couple of hours watching this film. It is simply outstanding.

Ed Wood, the worst director of all time; strikes again with this sequel to his "classics" PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE and BRIDE OF THE MONSTER. NIGHT OF THE GHOULS (a.k.a REVENGE OF THE DEAD) has the inimitable Tor Johnson reprising his role as the hulking henchman Lobo; now hideously disfigured following the lab fire at the climax of BOTM. Criswell also narrates the film from the comfort of his coffin: "... a tale so astounding that some of you may faint!"
Once again Wood wears multiple hats as writer, producer and director of another awful but fun "horror" movie.
The story takes place in the small town of Willow Lake, where in the now familiar creepy old house Lugosi's successor, a mad Swami named Dr Acula (Kenne Moore) is raising the dead from their graves- one of which is a man in a cape with a high neck which is supposed to make him appear headless!- and setting them on juvenile delinquents, kids who do nothing worse than rock 'n roll dancing. Enter bumbling police Captain Robbins (John Carpenter- not the director) to try and make sense of and put an end to the madness, once and for all. But inside the house he has to contend with joke shop skeletons which are seated at the dining room table and possessed floating trumpets that play by themselves; as well as taking part in Acula's seance to raise the dead: the conjured spirit turns out to just be a guy covered by a bedsheet! Wood's attempt at a climactic plot twist is just as awful as the rest of the movie... which is good. Right?
What makes Wood's movies so funny is that he always made them with serious intentions, here he tries to tackle "serious" subjects such as the aforementioned delinquency and road deaths, the results of which are (naturally) inept and wholly innocuous. There are also references by characters to BRIDE OF THE MONSTER as well as several shots from that movie being reused- notably the lightning storm. NIGHT OF THE GHOULS went unreleased for 25 years because Wood couldn't afford to pay the printing lab.
DVD extras includea bio and filmography for Wood, as well as trailers for PLAN 9, GLEN OR GLENDA, BRIDE OF THE MONSTER and JAIL BAIT (which I haven't seen yet). A must-have for film buff and fans of bad movies.

Night of the Ghouls, the last film in Ed Wood's horror cycle, (following Bride of the Monster and Plan 9 from Outer Space) borrows elements from both of those films but, while inhabiting a similarly wacked-out world, isn't really a direct sequel to either. Kenne Duncan (struggling to maintain his tough-guy persona while wearing a silly-looking turban) plays Dr. Acula, a phony medium who has set up shop bilking wealthy octogenarians in "the old Willows Lake place where the mad doctor made monsters," a veiled reference to Bride of the Monster. Duke Moore (Plan 9, Sinister Urge) is Lt. Dan Bradford, undercover "spook chaser," investigating reports of mysterious goings-on at the mansion. You know you're watching an Ed Wood movie from the first scene: the clearly identified East Los Angeles police station is shown while Criswell describes the location as "Anytown U.S.A."; cut to the interior of the station where a 'Wanted' poster on the wall displays none other than the director himself. (He also appears in some brief "JD" footage.) Night of the Ghouls is actually somewhat controversial in bad film circles; some rank it as one of Wood's best, while others claim to find it boring. True, it does share a slower pace and relative lack of dizzying incompetence with Jail Bait, Wood's other neglected and similarly maligned 1950s feature. But all the requisite elements of an "Ed Wood movie" are here for the faithful: the florid Criswell narration and convoluted, mind-numbing dialogue; the wildly contrasting acting styles, from complete indifference to rampant scenery-chewing; the lurching, paradoxical continuity and non-sequitur edits; the poverty-stricken sets (darkness stands in for scenery a lot and Dr. Acula's makeup mirror is missing half its bulbs); and Gordon Zahler's cringeworthy stock music cues (also featured in Monstrosity, Astounding She Monster, and Beast of Yucca Flats). On balance, William C. Thompson's cinematography looks terrific, as usual (especially considering the schedule). Wood 'discovery' Valda Hansen emotes strangely as the White Ghost; Paul Marco does his so-unfunny-it's-amusing Kelton the Cop routine; Jeannie Stevens stalks and stares Vampira-like as the completely unexplained Black Ghost; zero-budget producer Anthony (Yucca Flats) Cardoza has a bit part; Wood's chiropodist, Tom Mason (who doubled Lugosi in Plan 9), appears as a Ross Perot-look ghost; and narrator Criswell (looking uncharacteristically rough in the intro) abruptly shows up at the climax, well-scrubbed and spit-curled, as an undead avenger, complete with 'sepulchral' vibra-tone vocal effect. Big Tor (in his third and final outing as "Lobo") sports what is perhaps makeup man Harry Thomas's wildest gross-out creation ever: he's got a creepy white eyeball and the other half of his face and shoulder are a mass of scar tissue (??). Unfortunately he doesn't get that much screen time (apparently Tor walked off the set at least once over money!) Check the scene where Lt. Bradford encounters Acula and Lobo and doesn't even seem to NOTICE the hideously scarred hulking brute standing right next to him! Actually improves with multiple viewings. CAUTION: Enjoyment of Night of the Ghouls is probably proportional with one's appreciation of Wood's previous work. While veteran Wood-heads will find familiar, if perhaps subtler, delights to groove on, I would advise the uninitiated to start with the more notorious films in the Ed Wood canon (Plan 9, Glen or Glenda, Bride of the Monster); first-time Wood viewers may not "get the references," and find Ghouls boring and confusing. To take the whole movie to another level, find a copy of Rudolph Grey's out-of-print Nightmare of Ecstasy, which contains some incredible anecdotes, particularly from Ms. Hansen and assistant director Ronnie Ashcroft (director/producer of Astounding She Monster), several of which concern Kenne Duncan's lecherous on-set behavior.
Presumably the last major release in the Image/Wade Williams "Edward D. Wood, Jr. Library," Night of the Ghouls looks spectacular on DVD. Williams supposedly rescued this film from oblivion by paying Wood's outstanding lab bills in the 1980s, so the elements are virtually pristine. You have to look really hard to see even the occasional speckle, and the brightness, contrast, grayscale, sharpness, and shadow/highlight detail are simply terrific, especially for a movie of its age and pedigree. The main menu is animated and the DD 1.0 mono sound is clear. Since the picture was never released theatrically there is no accompanying trailer, although five of the usual suspects are included in a cookie. Twelve chapter stops are the only other extra, but for hard-core Wood fans this is still essential. Others reread my cautionary statement.

He's back again... clear the stage, dispose of the unwanted groundlings...this sequel to BRIDE OF THE MONSTER (He heh! Bet you didn't think I knowed that!) will hold your attention like nothing else since the last quasi-threatening set of visuo-audio-clues assaulted your otherwise profitably engaged senses.

You'll love the girl's snakey fingers. You'll love the 'Mundo-Mundo' voice coming from the spirit-head that can only smile open-mouthed and wag its thick protruding tongue back and forth during seances. If you like skeletons, you're all set. If you like trumpets/trombones and slide whistles orchestrated from beyond the grave, there is that here also. If you like disfigured, wheezing, bullet-headed monsters, this flick's for you.

If you like 19th century, chestnut-haired, smiling ghostesses, hiding peculiarly in warehousey sorts of attic areas of a house, this is also your film. A comical cop alternately plays coward and brave man, as he battles the co-stars he resents the most: the ones who get to wear their street clothes.

I think you need but little more encouragement. Intuition should have taken over from information by now, and been leading you on to a fuller life, brimmed to the bursting with Ed Wood, Jr., and NIGHT OF THE GHOULS.

May be purchased online, or perhaps surreptitiously at a town some miles away, where nobody knows you. Hair dye and a small disguise might help. A young go-between or intermediary might be useful in your stead for such trips, but it would be best if you had something on him first, so as to compel his cooperation.

Assignment: Earth-This episode, which featured the crew returning to Earth in 1968 to observe a rocket launch, was certainly unusual. it becomes much more than an observation once they are forced to decide whether Seven's role is a positive or negative one in the prevention of nuclear war. Any viewer unaware that this was a pilot episode of a proposed spy show would be forgiven for wondering how the crew ended up in a such a mundane setting. While Robert Lansing and Terri Garr are a big step up from your average Trek guest stars, there is a reason the show was not picked up. Nevertheless, the plotline is entertaining enough to yield one quirky episode.

Tidbit: Kirk was never any rounder than he was right here; well, not until the Trek movies anyway. (3 stars)

Spectre of the Gun was the first third season episode to be produced, and one need watch no more than the teaser to sense that the show would have a very different feel during the 1968-1969 season. First off, those shiny, synthetic-looking uniforms that replaced the corderoys of the first two seasons. A minor point, yes, but perhaps a metaphor for other changes. The third season shows have a slick quality about them, an emphasis of style over substance. There is a sense that everyone is somehow in the know, no longer willing to invest themselves in the simple morality tales so common in the first season. This process was certainly well underway by the midpoint of season 2, when we began to see action (and high camp in the seminal case of I, Mudd) episodes that were light, devoid of moralizing, and somewhat tongue in cheek. By the third season, it could no longer be reigned in. Gone was the moral foundation of the show, but also gone was the feeling that the actors were having fun. What's left is highly formalized episodes.

It should be added though that stylistically season was 3 was by far the most developed season. Musically, scores became more florid and psychadelic, unusual camera angles and cuts became more common, and character' actions became less predictable. I for one enjoy the fluidity, trippyness, and dark tone of the third season. I know I'm in the minority (to say the least) here though.

But this is supposed to be a review of Spectre of the Gun, in which the crew are forced to participate in the events leading up to the gunfight at the OK Corral. Overall this is a pretty good episode, with more action than most 3rd season shows. Better though is the fact that this episode is very atmospheric, with a stong score, wind, and effects contributing to the sense of unreality and futility. But this too is an illusion. We end with the positive message that the crew were tested, and found worthy, for not killing. They are not judged on the basis of wanting to kill, but rather for not killing (although upon scrutiny even this worthiness is undermined somewhat by the fact that at that point the crew knows the Earps are unreal).

This episode doesn't hammer the moral theme as earlier seasons did. Surprising is the extent to which the crew must focus on their own survival, even to the extent of accepting demeaning abuse the Earps.

This episode has it's flaws though. Most notably, only Kirk seems phases by Chekov's death; of course the others were no doubt constrained by the new production team. (3.5 stars)

REVIEWED ITEM: Star Trek® Original Series DVD Volume 28- Assignment: Earth © / Spectre of the Gun ©

ASSIGNMENT: EARTH © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into the Ground: Messin' with the space-time continuum; trusting the motivations of complete strangers

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: Three incapacitated

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

Was 'Assignment: Earth' just another rip-roaring Star Trek adventure, or was it the teaser for a possible spinoff show? Well, let's see now... the guest stars (Gary Seven and his not-so-trusty receptionist Roberta Lincoln) are given an extensive amount of screen time and character development, much more than what most other guests have been granted on classic 'Trek. The screen time that Kirk, Spock and company use up is minimal, with most of the celluloid dedicated to Gary Seven embarking on and completing his mission, and Roberta getting in the way in a supposedly humorous fashion. And if those two bits of evidence don't seal the deal for ya, there's Mister Spock's statement at the end of the show where he predicts "interesting experiences in store for them (Seven and Lincoln)". I dunno 'bout the rest of ya's but it definitely looks like a set-up to me...

Sadly, 'Assignment: Earth' didn't grab me as a show that would've had much promise if it were made into a series. Robert Lansing's portrayal of Mister Seven could have used a bit more charisma, especially during his bizarrely comic exchanges between himself and the rookie receptionist. Speaking of which, Teri Garr didn't impress me as the young and slightly dense Roberta Lincoln, whose personality consisted of an annoying meld of ditzy naivete and "whoa, far out, man"-style hippiness. She also has way-too-easy access to her new boss' hi-tech equipment, which she always seems to discover by accident. The addition of the shape-shifting feline Isis and her pathetically fake meows (what, they couldn't record a real cat meowing and dub it in where needed?) adds the final death knell to any hope of seeing these folks venturing beyond the confines of the original Star Trek series. Which is probably just as well...

SPECTRE OF THE GUN © PRELIMINARY BRIEFS:

Moral, Ethical, and/or Philosophical Subject(s) Driven Into The Ground: Reality versus unreality and illusions that kill; Humans dealing with and overcoming their instinct for violence

Historical Milestone: Star Trek's second temporary death of a core cast member (Mr. Chekov). This is also one of the small handful of eppies where a crew member other than Kirk (Chekov again) bags the babe-of-the-week. Hah, take THAT, you overacting, starship-commanding horndog!

Notable Gaffe/Special Defect: During the climactic scene at the OK Corral, the lightning strikes cause the trees to cast shadows on the "sky" (back wall) of the indoor set where the scene is being shot.

Expendable Enterprise Crewmember ('Red Shirt') Confirmed Casualty List: None

REVIEW/COMMENTARY:

The Melkotians told ya to stay away, but no-o-o-o-o, that wasn't acceptable to you, was it Jim? You just had to butt in where you weren't welcome! I guess "boldly going where no man has gone before" includes disrespecting the wishes of other beings, as well as trespassing on their territory! And then you had your three head specialists and Chekov beam down with you on the Melkotians' home planet so they could share your punishment! It's a good thing Mr. Spock had special abilities that helped save you and your fellow crewmen's sorry hides from certain death in the end (except for Chekov of course) or else you'd have been-- well, dead I guess. Or would the death have been merely an illusion? Wow, man... that's kinda deep. I gotta sit down and think that one through...

Taking into consideration all of the other historical eras and characters the Enterprise has encountered during its three-year run (Nazis, mobsters, a modern-day Roman empire, the Great Depression, hippies, 19th-century American Indian tribes, an angry Greek god), it was only a matter of time before the wild west got its day in the Star Trek spotlight. Throw in Gene Roddenberry's past work as the self-proclaimed "head script-writer" of the classic western series 'Have Gun, Will Travel', and the status of this episode goes from "destined-to-happen" to... um, "destined-to-happen-and-then-some" I guess. I wish I could describe the whole thing better, but I'm still tryin' to wrap my mind around that whole 'illusionary death' thing I brought up at the end of the previous paragraph...

'Late

Volume 28 of The Star Trek DVD series may be the most bizarre DVD in the series. Partly because it contains the last episode of the second season and the first epiosde of the third. These two episodes differ greatly and it is interesting to compare and contrast between them however both of these episodes are above average Trek tales despite their strange differences.

ASSIGNMENT: EARTH was the season finale of the second season. Essentially it was a pilot for a proposed series by the same name. At the time Star Trek was going to be cancelled and it was quite apparent that Roddenberry developed this to have something to fall back on once the network had made their decision. I'm assuming Roddenberry was planning to have Robert Lansing and Terri Garr as the main charcters in this new series and have the Star Trek cast make various guest appearnaces. Anyways as it turned out Star Trek managed to stay on for a further season and Roddenberry and the network ditched the whole 'Assignment:Earth' idea. All we were left with was this strange episode of Star Trek (which makes you wonder if the show had been cancelled and Assignment:Earth had been accepted by NBC). The episode finds the Enterprise crew travelling back to 1968 (at the time this was aired: modern day earth). Upon arrival they cross paths with Gary Seven (Robert Lansing) and he has come to earth in order to slow down it evolutionary process to put a stop to destroying themselves. He does this by sabotaging U.S. rockets and Kirk feels he will change the course of time. However Seven insists he is doing this for the good of mankind. The episode is rather strange and complicated as most of the screen time is given to Lansing rather than Shatner which is quite a change. The rest of the episode involves Kirk and Spock chasing Seven around trying to stop him. In the end everything turns out fine as usual and the course of time is not affected but many viewers may be left scratching their heads after this episode is over. It is good but rather hard to follow. Terri Garr makes one of her first appearances as Roberta Lincoln a hip chick who applies for a secretary job for Mr. Seven. The casting was great in this one (Both Lansing and Garr are excellent) and perhaps Roddenberry should have salvaged the Assignment: Earth idea after Star Trek was cancelled in June of 1969? Sadly this was never done.

The other episode here is SPECTRE OF THE GUN which kicked off Star Trek's inconsistant third and final season. There is such a big change between this and ASSIGNMENT:EARTH. It's amazing that Star Trek was able stay on for a third season but it's obvious that the production budget was way tighter (which explains the true reason why there are incomplete sets in this episode). Still this is one of the better episodes in Star Trek's haphazard final season.
The Enterprise is abducted by a mysterious alien race called the Melkotians Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty and Chekov beam down to their planet only to end up in a situation where they are the Clampetts in the middle of the historic 'Gun Fight At The OK Corral' against the Earp's. This episode is ironic because Deforest Kelley did play Morgan Earp in the classic 1957 film. Despite being another bizarre Star Trek outing SPECTRE OF THE GUN is an awesome episode of Star Trek in my opinion especially for the majority of lackluster scripts submitted in the third season. Besides the casting of the Earps is impressive and the gunfight at the end is kinda cool.

Overall a bizarre pair of episodes but both are wonderful and interesting in their own ways. SPECTRE OF THE GUN is more enjoyable to watch than ASSIGNMENT:EARTH in my opinion but they are both special. Highly recommended.

Patrick Swayze worst movie ever you hardly ever seen him in the movie pluse you had to read the whole thing, Forest Whitaker scene's was probobly the best thing about the movie maybe This movie would of been much better without the Letter box Verson and that's a big maybe

Patrick Swayze worst movie ever you hardly ever seen him in the movie, Forest Whitaker scene's may been the the best thing about the movie pluse you had to read the whole movie it may been better if it wasn't in a letterbox verson i gave it a 2 star instead of one just because it was base on a real war

This is a wonderful and often overlooked film that deserves more attention than it received. It explores an entirely different side of the Vietnam war and uses a moving story and terrific characters to do so. The film follows several Vietnamese refugees in Camp Pendleton in California who have fled from Saigon in the closing days of the war and their struggles in adapting to a new life in a foreign land. Performances are great all around and you will barely recognize Patrick Swayze as the overseer of the refugee camp. The story following a young boy in the camp and his friendship with Forest Whitaker's characters was especially moving. If you like good stories and are tired of mindless action and explosions, this is a great film to check out.

Noir's second installment is a grab bag of boredom and intrigue. As many fans of anime have noticed, directors tend to strive for implied meaning and subtlety more so than outright explanation. Flashbacks, and even intense repetition of flashbacks, can be an extremely useful tool for conveying intense emotional feeling or unraveling mysteries building up to the next level. Unfortunately, as many have attested before me, this formula is getting pretty stale in Noir. The same scenes, with no revealing variances, are played over and over and over throughout each episode. But, thank the stars for the fast forward button.

Overall, the writing of these episodes is pretty good. I originally wondered why this series was referenced to (in the liner notes) being inspired by Film Noir when, other than femme fatales, there was little to visually indicate this. But like the plot, you can now see the visual style of "Noir" becoming more intricate, especially with the play of light and shadow. I agree with the previous reviewer who stated that there is nothing really to sympathize about the characters in this particular installment. Character development feels out of whack: "Noir" seems to be progressing into her identity, while for seemingly no good reason Mireille seems to be regressing into an angst-ridden trigger happy nitwit. The chemistry, albeit odd chemistry, between the two characters in the first Disc seems to be totally lost in this one.

The DVD features included sketches, a "clean" opening and closing, promotional spots, and trailers for other DVDs. Nothing great, but certainly more than many anime DVDs include, which is nice.

The hard thing about watching non-giant-robot anime in the US is that for the most part you have to either a) Be a member of an anime society in order to know people who have what you're interested in checking out, or b) go out and buy it. Very few places have everything for rent, and then only specialize in the major releases. I'd definitely recommend a rental over a purchase of this series, but would also encourage you to try it at least once. With all the repetition, it certainly stays with you. Like a good soap opera, you want to know what happens next, although you're thinking to yourself, "This is borderline drivel. I hope there's a good payoff!"

This is the 2nd DVD of the Noir series, with four complete episodes.

As expected, the story is unraveled slowly as the series progresses. We are given 4 very good episodes here, and I loved the 2 parter.

This is the same Noir that you saw in the first volume, with all of the style intact. Unfortunately, the repeated flashbacks are also intact, and for that I must doc 1 star.

Still, this is a great series for the spy/action crowd.

The second volume of Noir shows me that this series is continuing to evolve into a deep, engrossing Anime drama; and that is a good sign. DVD #2 contains stories that delve deeper into the origins and motivations of the series' two main characters. It is more enterttaining than the first DVD due to the "more action, less flashbacks" formula, thankfully.

Fans of this genre should love this series since it contains core themes in common with all good Anime titles: Decent to Good animation, an interesting story and characters and well constructed action sequences.

The story line was interesting and intriquing at first but than it became to predictable. It also seems a bit far fetched that each man that gave him the white feathers, for what they took as pure cowardice, were all in such dire needs of rescue. How could he be there at the exact time they were in need and be the only one who could take over the feat of saving them from their eventual demise. The ending was to much of a predictablility. If I were the man, even if I am a woman, I don't think I would want to see the girl again, the girl he was in love with betrayed him and also gave him a white feather for cowardice. The one thing that I did get from the movie was how a parent can take something that a child finds interest in, being a soldier, setting up strategy for wartime, as witnessed in his childhood playtime, and making it seem inferior. He seemed to not be able to reward his child's imaginings but almost to compete with them. This in turn tainted the boys interest and replaced it with fear or negative energy. The movie only touched on this at the beginning and at the very end. This was what made the movie worthwhile to me. Also I like Jane Seymore as an actress and she is quite beautiful in this film. Beau Bridges does a good job in his role, seemed different as compared to other films I have seen him in.

First let me say that this movie DOES NOT use footage from the original. This is a rumor that has been spread for some reason and it is incorrect ... It does depict the fuzzy wuzzies in a very realistic light and their assault on the british square is quite good. They really look the part and they are actually bounding which as any good reader of kipling knows they did quite well,, "The Bounding Beggars!" Their hair really fits their nick name to ;)

Although this modest TV movie lacks the big budget and huge numbers that make up the 2002 cinematic version of the A.E.W. Mason novel, it is nonetheless superior in terms of casting and storytelling. The strength of the casting is self-explanatory. As for the storytelling, it is more straightforward and stays closer to the focus of the novel - a young man trying to prove his courage to others after evading the call of duty. Whereas the recent theatrical adaptation goes off into tangents, such as showing audiences the harshness of the Sudanese slave trade and desert climate, this TV movie takes these realities as a given and prefers to concentrate on the European characters instead of the African ones. I personally prefer this TV movie because it gives much more attention to the relationship between a proud soldierly father and a son who never wanted to follow the family tradition. In sum, a simple but effective visual treatment of a basically simple story of bravery, romance, and coming of age.
However, the DVD has less than ten tracks, picture quality that is not really enhanced, and some rather poor sound quality. I watched the DVD with headphones and heard slight hissing that one would expect from a dated VHS recording. For these technical reasons, I can't give full stars to this DVD recording.

"Beverly Hills Cop" meets "Shaft" with wise-cracking Wayans as a private investigator who must track down his former love interest to bring down a drug dealer he thought he killed many years ago. Jada Pinkett joins the ride as Shame's sassy assistant, Peaches.

Shame has two days to find Angela (the beautiful Salli Richardson), his former fiance who is now working as a federal witness against crime boss, Mendoza (Andrew Divoff). Under the guise of his mentor, Sonny (Charles Dutton) and with the help of his female sidekick, Shame goes back to work with action-packed results.

"Low Down Dirty Shame" is a little bit of everything. Wayans' script provides action, comedy, and a little bit of romance into a nice homage to 70's black action pics. The cast in "Low Down" does its job and does it well. Wayans has fun playing the hero as he bungee-dives out of an exploding sporting goods store, uses James Brown routines to thwart a group of attacking guard dogs, and leads a Coloumbian nemesis through a KKK convention. Pinkett is surprisingly good as the comedy sidekick. What can one say about Salli Richardson? Well, let's just say her performance is very, very easy on the eyes. The concluding cat fight with her and Pinkett is a nice touch.

A Low Down Dirty Shame is a great movie that pays homage to the blaxploitation films of the 70's. Keenan Ivory Wayans does a great job of mixing action and humor in this cool detective story about a PI looking for $20 million in stolen drug money. The supporting cast is very good here; Jada Pinkett and Salli Richardson aren't just eye candy, they give good performances too. However the only fault is with the film is Charles S. Dutton who overacts as usual. ALDDS is a great popcorn movie that will leave you smiling. Definitely buy it.

for any lover of comedy and action, this is the movie u must see. Jada is sassy, and Keenen is a scream. both combine and some crooked friend with the mod to handle.....equals fun!