Don Movie Reviews

Those who remember back to the good old drive-in days where a number of horror films played might recall this film being a big hit, along with "Last House on the Left", which it constantly played with as a double-bill. Now that we've grown up we can see what amateurish, zero-budgeted tripe this was. Few characters are of any interest (I liked Sam, the black popsicle-sucking half-a-mind and the cynical telephone repairman who is wary of the goings-on) but this is certainly not worth your time other than curiosity value.. worst of all, the titular basement doesn't come into play until the very end!! Although that's around when the best scene happens, when the mastermind of all the murderous mayhem gets a most bloody comeuppance, followed by most of the psycho cast getting theirs. Not much else to recommend, but the DVD transfer is good. Gore fans won't be overly pleased overall, but this was 1973, after all.

"Don't Look In the Basement!" is one of the funny horror movies that you don't mind watching every once in a while. I remember watching this film for the first time when I was in college and my friends and I decided to go to the video store because we were bored. We happened across this film, rented it, and had a very good time watching it.

The film takes place in a mental institution where each patient has his or her own special story. When the director of the institution is killed, his "assistant" must take over. A new nurse is hired and you watch as she has to (quickly) become acclimated to the disturbing and often scary patients.

There is a twist at the end, even though the movie hints at this throughout most of the film, it will leave you thinking twice about trusting people at an instituation such as the one in the film.

I would suggest this film to someone who is the mood for a good laugh and fun scare!

A classic movie about an insane asylum. A new nurse comes to work at the asylum, but moments before she arrives, a tragic event happens. The 'judge' chops up the only doctor with an ax! Another patient, an older female, who was allowed to act and dress up like a doctor welcomes the new nurse.

What a range of characters we have here. There's 'Sergeant' who is a Vietnam shell-shock victim who stands firewatch every night and watches for 'incoming' outside his window.

Ben, a giant black man who has the mentality of an 8 year old after a botched lobotomy.

Another chick who treats a doll like a real baby.

A tormenting and ugly red-haired white dude with a huge fro. His only lines are shrieking and laughing.

The 'Judge' who has clearly lost his mind and is in tune with nothing but the court he runs within his mind.

A disturbed young girl who falls in love with any man who pays (or doesn't pay) her the slightest attention.

The hot nurse who is a bit skinny but looks a lot like Cheryl Ladd.

The most disturbing scenes are the mass murder of the patients by Ben, and the nympho in bed with the murdered telephone repairman.

Not a movie to watch steadily on a heavy rotation, but fun every now and then.

Those who remember back to the good old drive-in days where a number of horror films played might recall this film being a big hit, along with "Last House on the Left", which it constantly played with as a double-bill. Now that we've grown up we can see what amateurish, zero-budgeted tripe this was. Few characters are of any interest (I liked Sam, the black popsicle-sucking half-a-mind and the cynical telephone repairman who is wary of the goings-on) but this is certainly not worth your time other than curiosity value.. worst of all, the titular basement doesn't come into play until the very end!! Although that's around when the best scene happens, when the mastermind of all the murderous mayhem gets a most bloody comeuppance, followed by most of the psycho cast getting theirs. Not much else to recommend, but the DVD transfer is good. Gore fans won't be overly pleased overall, but this was 1973, after all.

"Don't Look In the Basement!" is one of the funny horror movies that you don't mind watching every once in a while. I remember watching this film for the first time when I was in college and my friends and I decided to go to the video store because we were bored. We happened across this film, rented it, and had a very good time watching it.

The film takes place in a mental institution where each patient has his or her own special story. When the director of the institution is killed, his "assistant" must take over. A new nurse is hired and you watch as she has to (quickly) become acclimated to the disturbing and often scary patients.

There is a twist at the end, even though the movie hints at this throughout most of the film, it will leave you thinking twice about trusting people at an instituation such as the one in the film.

I would suggest this film to someone who is the mood for a good laugh and fun scare!

A classic movie about an insane asylum. A new nurse comes to work at the asylum, but moments before she arrives, a tragic event happens. The 'judge' chops up the only doctor with an ax! Another patient, an older female, who was allowed to act and dress up like a doctor welcomes the new nurse.

What a range of characters we have here. There's 'Sergeant' who is a Vietnam shell-shock victim who stands firewatch every night and watches for 'incoming' outside his window.

Ben, a giant black man who has the mentality of an 8 year old after a botched lobotomy.

Another chick who treats a doll like a real baby.

A tormenting and ugly red-haired white dude with a huge fro. His only lines are shrieking and laughing.

The 'Judge' who has clearly lost his mind and is in tune with nothing but the court he runs within his mind.

A disturbed young girl who falls in love with any man who pays (or doesn't pay) her the slightest attention.

The hot nurse who is a bit skinny but looks a lot like Cheryl Ladd.

The most disturbing scenes are the mass murder of the patients by Ben, and the nympho in bed with the murdered telephone repairman.

Not a movie to watch steadily on a heavy rotation, but fun every now and then.

I just read many of these reviews and have to completely disagree!

Sure Don Knotts acting is fine but many of the other actresses are just too over the top. The story line is terrible. It's too serious to even just be able to laugh at it.

DON"T WASTE the 2 hours of your time!

And I would not recommend it for kids either. It is a PG movie. Young children would not get it and be bored. And older kids would pick up on the mixed marriage message. (Yes you should honor your marriage vows but if you grow apart just give up on the marriage.)

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Don Knotts plays a namby pamby, fish-loving, bookish bookkeeper in Brooklyn, married to a lively wife who doesn't relate to his habits. Unable to join the navy in anticipation of WWII, Knotts' character lands in the waters off Coney Island and turns into a fish, finally able to help the US war effort.

It's a cute blend of animation and film, carefully steered by a director who was involved in such efforts as "Mr. Ed" and the Francis (the mule!) movies. You'll recognize the blend of animation and film if you've been watching Disney movies with your kids (although this comes from the Warner Bros studios), and the media jump won't seem as silly as when Sponge Bob surfaces from Bikini Bottom.

The younger kids will like it, but it took a little cajoling to get some nine year olds to stick with it until the war scenes - - initially it was beneath them. But adventure developed, and the movie actually brings up themes regarding roles which they were familiar with from movies like The Little Mermaid (is Limpet a fish? a man? what's this mean for his old relationship with his wife, and new relationships with other sea creatures?) I hate to wax overly philosophical about this, but these are the parts which make it interesting for adults. As Limpet-the-fish says, "There's nothing like realizing your importance to the world to make a man out of you. Even if that man is a fish."

Yes, it has a bit of pathos, but it also has submarine battles, jokes, a crusty hermit crab, cute animation, and a great group of B-grade actors who are somehow able to keep a straight face through the whole exercise. (What may surprise you -- or disappoint you -- is that Knotts' character is never the frenetic, shrill Barney Fife. But he is very good nonetheless, and you shouldn't typecast him.)

Anyone who loves Don Knotts has to have this in there collection. I bought it as a gift and he loves it.

The Swarm was a very realistic movie about the attack of the Afraican Bee's. It shows realism and what we can face in the future ahead of us. It was a really intersting plot.Micheal Caine was at top notch performance, also Irwin Allan did a fantastic directing job. the last 20 minutes was a great the best 20 mintues in the ending

This is a must have movie for all lovers of bad movies. The film manages to include bees of incredible power that appear nearly invulnerable. An quasi-all star cast livens the movie up with their absolutely astonishing attempts to act convincingly.
The premise is, of course, completely believable (assuming you're on a 2 week drinking binge).

And be sure to watch carefully for the single most politically incorrect scene ever seen on film.

For some reason this film left me with an incredible craving for breakfast cereal.

Enjoy!!

"The Swarm" is one of my all time favorite movies. Basicly because it scared the tar out of me when I was a kid. But nowadays I've gotten to where I really like it. The story about Killer Bees approaching Houston was a good premise. I also like the fact that the expanded version on the dvd answered some questions I'd had for a long time. For example, What ever happened to the kid whose parents were killed at the beginning?
The expanded version is a tad long. But watchable and in my opinion, better than the original theatrical release. Which is why I gave the film such a high rating.
See this movie for yourself and enjoy.
It comes highly recommended for Irwin Allen fans!

first like alot of folks I know I was Stunned by the sudden passing of John Ritter.I have always Been a Big Fan of His.this film was pretty basic but thanks to John Ritter it had some real funny moments.it was corny in spots but John Ritter saved it as He usually did whenever he was Performing.He had that Gift.the film is pretty average but John Ritter made it worth seeing.

Synopsis:
John Ritter stars as Roy Knable, a true couch potato whose life and marriage is disintegrating around his ears as he watches TV to escape it all. On the same night that his wife Helen (Pam Dawber) intends to leave him, a mysterious salesman named Spike (Jeffrey Jones) appears to sell Roy a new television set, complete with a gigantic satellite dish that will beam 666 channels right into Roy's living room. Yet something goes awry when Roy and his wife get sucked onto the satellite dish and enter the hellish world of Satan TV. From there it is a frantic rush to survive before time runs out.

About the Movie:
Stay Tuned is probably one of my favorite comedic movies. I first saw it in the early 90's and when I saw that it had come out on DVD I jumped at the chance to get it.

Stay Tuned is filled with slapstick humor, a great many very twisted comic plays on classic television clichés and TV shows. Among them are Saturday Night Live, Star Trek The Next Generation, Three's Company, WWF, and classic cartoons. The cartoon is presented in a wonderfully delightful animated sequence that was actually supervised in production by the legendary animator Chuck Jones (who did many of the Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck cartoons.)

This is truly at the top of the films John Ritter starred in. Ritter's comic timing help make this film. While this film never got much notice, it certainly is an excellent example of why John Ritter's comedic career managed to span over 2 decades. He was very good as what he did.

Veteran comic Eugene Levy ("SCTV" and "American Pie") also plays a major role in this film as Crowley, a down and out Hell TV Exec who helps the Knables on their journey. He manages to play the lovable slimeball quite entertainingly.

Jeffrey Jones plays the bad guy, Hell TV's CEO, Spike. He's a great actor for the bad guy in a comedy, and he manages to be convincingly evil and funny at the same time without making the role look stupid, as tends to happen to bad guys in slapstick comedies these days.

With John Ritter's comic timing and Pam Dawber playing the straight-man as they tumble from demented channel to demented channel, this film is great for a lot of laughs.

About the DVD:
Stay Tuned comes in a cardboard DVD snap case, marking it as budget fare. It is presented in widescreen format with Dolby Digital 5.1 sound. Both the picture and sound are pretty good. I did not notice any issues with either. The DVD comes translated into French (why no Spanish?) and has English, French and Spanish subtitles.

For special features, the DVD comes with an extended theatrical trailer, cast info and a behind the scenes featurette look at the movie. The cast info is simply a list of actors in the film. They don't even provide bios for them, making this a clear case of beefing up content with minimum effort.

The featurette is the type that they used to show on television just before the movie came out, with interviews with the cast that are completely unenlightening if you have seen the movie. It's only mildly interesting. The bad side is that the music which plays behind the commentator is outright annoying through the first quarter of it.

This DVD release is a pretty standard no frills release.

Overall, a great movie on a standard unexciting DVD release. 4 stars

I loved this movie so much just because of the original idea. Plus, Ritter is awesome. I actually own this on DVD and I cannot express how much I love this movie. I love the tie-ins of Three's Company, plus Wayne's World and other popular, yet cliche & stereotyped television visuals.

A fading light that illuminates the day, when it's too late to change anything about it, is the Afterglow. In the gray city of Montreal, two couples prance in its dim daze, uttering writer/director, Alan Rudolph's highly stylized dialogue: Lucky (Nick Nolte) and Phyllis Mann (Julie Christie) have been married for over twenty years. He is a philandering fix-it man, she is wittily morose ex-B-movie actress. They have an arrangement about his philandering that goes back to a painful incident in their past, one that is clear in the present's Afterglow. More upscale, and younger, are the Byrons, Jeffrey and Marrianne, a miserably rich yuppie couple. He entertains his suicide fantasies by stepping out onto his high-rise office ledge, sticking his knee into the air, waiting for a strong wind to push him off. She is a semi-hysterical, insatiate housewife, who is building a baby room for a baby her husband promises they will never have.

The plot mechanics of what follows would be farcical if it weren't for the pace. In the yuppie's lavish house (similar to the one Al Pacino called "post-modernistic bull#*%^" in Heat), Lucky goes to build the frustated housewife nursery for the phantom infant. Given their respective marital status, an affair, especially in film with jazz dominating the soundtrack, is mandatory. By sheer coincidence, or by the writer's desire for contrast, Jeffrey and Marrianne meet. Suicidal he maybe, but as his well complemented secretary would attest, he does have an attraction, albeit non-sexual, to older women. This is their first exchange:

Phyllis: I noticed your wedding ring.

Jeffrey: Its removable.

Phyllis: Does your wife know that?

Jeffrey: If we find her, we'll tell her.

Rudolph is so fond of such rhythmical gesticulation of dialogue that instead of the above standing out, it could be a random selection from his script. The whole thing is written this way, hence defeating any dramatic aspirations the film might have had; if these people talk like this ALL the time, then what planet are they from?

This is that part where I'm supposed to say why I thought the picture is not what it might have been. It is true that the actors, with the exception of the Oscar nominated Christi, struggle to create anything special under the director's pretense; Miller is fun in role that is virtually opposite to his Sick Boy in Trainspotting, but the character is one note. Boyle brings nothing new to frivolity and neurosis. And Nolte is just Nolte. But if you were familiar with the films of Alan Rudolph you'd know that he hasn't failed here. Afterglow is, probably, exactly what he wanted it to be. A small scale drama with a slightly skewed sense of reality. He is the patron saint of the slightly off-key film (his underrated 1990 murder mystery Mortal Thoughts was realistic only because every other murder mystery was not). So Afterglow is no surprise, just another part of the man's repertoire. The only thing that might make Rudolph's oak-lined, smokey, booze drenched creation worth visiting is a jewel of performance by Julie Christi. She is able to sell Rudolph's silly non-jokes, as when she calls her husband Lucky Mann (which is his real name, ho ho), without letting on if she is loving, mocking, hurt or disgusted by him. She is the enigmatic, fascinating mystery the rest of the film only thinks it is.

Here's Julie Christie more beautiful, more enchanting, sexier than she has been since her role in Doctor Zhivago thirty years ago. She's an ageless wonder, delicate and sweet while also being smart and tough. Her performance as Phyllis Mann, a washed up B-Movie actress is entrancing, so much so that when viewing the film, I found myself ignoring the other actors while she was on screen. I couldn't take my eyes from her for a moment, though that's no slander at her co-stars. Nick Nolte is as watchable and likable as ever as Christie's philandering husband. Lara Flynn Boyle and Johnny Lee Miller have never really been my cup of tea, but perform complex parts with admirable skill. They are a young couple with all the material possessions in the world but separated by an emotional iciness between them. Boyle wants a child while Miller does not, so she turns to handyman Nolte. Miller happens to meet Christie and becomes fascinated by her while she allows herself to be seduced as much out of revenge as curiosity. The film is stylishly directed by Alan Rudolph and I give special credit to cinematographer Toyomichi Kurita for his excellent camera work, though I envy him for getting to stare through his lens every day to see Julie Christie before him. A touching film with fine performances all around, with Christie the standout(yet again).

When a Key Repairman (Nick Nolte) cheats on his Attractive Wife (Julie Chrsitie in a Oscar Nominated Role), a has been actress for a younger woman (Lara Flynn Boyle) but when his wife cheats on a handsome young man (Jonny Lee Miller), who dates the younger woman and the Realationship gets Complicated.

Written and Directed by Alan Rudolph (Mortal Thought, Breakfest of Champions) shows a Strong Dramatic Comedy about Love and Redemption. Julie Christine gives a Strong Role gives the film:Best Asset. Grade:A.

I give this one star because I'm way more bent out of shape than the previous poster -- the theme songs and intros WERE THE WHOLE REASON I BOUGHT THIS DVD TO BEGIN WITH! Let's face it, none of these cartoons were well-written or animated like the classic shorts of the 20s-40s, they basically serve the sole purpose of being boomer-nostalgia. Lacking the parts we all remember best, this DVD is stripped of all charm. My baby girl even hates this stuff, so the DVD is totally worthless as nostalgia or entertainment for kids. Wish I'd have read the reviews before buying this. Don't waste your money.
One last thought: I'm Jewish and that earlier post about these cartoons being anti-semitic is one of the stupidest things I've ever read in here. Hate this DVD for being a crappy rip-off, but let's not fabricate bigotry where none exists.

The quality of picture and sound are excellent, but because the cliffhanger episodes are chopped up and are not matched up with their theme songs, it is very cumbersome to navigate. It would have been much better had they kept the episodes in tact as they were origionally seen. Also, no person in their right mind should find Underdog offensive. The cartoon series is gentle and fun and being a teacher of small children, I wish children today had shows like this to watch on television!

I recall as a child watching every episode of Underdog.
my favorite episodes were the one's with Simon Barsinister and Riff Raff.

also, as a Jewish person I see nothing anti-Semitic or racist in any of the Underdog episodes.

the politically correct person who referred to Underdog as "racist/anti-semitic" is obviously the type of individual that probably sees everything as racist in society.

in my humble opinion, Underdog was nothing more then a very entertaining cartoon for kids that was basically a spoof of superman with Sweet Polly Purebred representing Lois Lane.

I give this one star because I'm way more bent out of shape than the previous poster -- the theme songs and intros WERE THE WHOLE REASON I BOUGHT THIS DVD TO BEGIN WITH! Let's face it, none of these cartoons were well-written or animated like the classic shorts of the 20s-40s, they basically serve the sole purpose of being boomer-nostalgia. Lacking the parts we all remember best, this DVD is stripped of all charm. My baby girl even hates this stuff, so the DVD is totally worthless as nostalgia or entertainment for kids. Wish I'd have read the reviews before buying this. Don't waste your money.
One last thought: I'm Jewish and that earlier post about these cartoons being anti-semitic is one of the stupidest things I've ever read in here. Hate this DVD for being a crappy rip-off, but let's not fabricate bigotry where none exists.

The quality of picture and sound are excellent, but because the cliffhanger episodes are chopped up and are not matched up with their theme songs, it is very cumbersome to navigate. It would have been much better had they kept the episodes in tact as they were origionally seen. Also, no person in their right mind should find Underdog offensive. The cartoon series is gentle and fun and being a teacher of small children, I wish children today had shows like this to watch on television!

I recall as a child watching every episode of Underdog.
my favorite episodes were the one's with Simon Barsinister and Riff Raff.

also, as a Jewish person I see nothing anti-Semitic or racist in any of the Underdog episodes.

the politically correct person who referred to Underdog as "racist/anti-semitic" is obviously the type of individual that probably sees everything as racist in society.

in my humble opinion, Underdog was nothing more then a very entertaining cartoon for kids that was basically a spoof of superman with Sweet Polly Purebred representing Lois Lane.

There are some things about this movie and then there are some not so good. The cinematography in this movie is wonderful to look at. There are some cute moments in the film, including the polar bear cub that my wife absolutely adores and wants to take home. The not so good are the young actors in the film that are so syrupy that it's not funny. If you can with stand them, your kids from the ages of 8 and up will enjoy this adventure.

Overall, I really liked watching this movie with kids from 10-13 years old. The bear cub is a cute idea to keep younger children interested but not very believeable since polar bears don't live in the mountains. There is some character development as the boy, Sean, regrets mean things he said to his father and appreciates and uses the skills he has learned from him. There is a strong femaale, the sister, good to see in a kids' movie. The special effects are really quite well done.

I only have two real gripes. First is the needless swearing of the "bad guys". Lots of "dammit" all through the movie.

Second,the climax, where Cubby takes the end of the rope and supposedly saves the father, is a disappointment. Up until then Cubby has just been a distracting side bar. Just when we are engaged in the most exciting part of the movie and there is an opportunity for the children to really pull off a heroic deed, it is Cubby who grabs the tail of the rope and gnaws on it to save the dad.

The scenery is beautiful. There are wonderful shots of a glacier, kayaking on open water, canoeing on a river, and rock climbing that just make me want to hop a plane to Alaska. The writing and editing are well done. The characters are believable for the most part (it is a children's movie, after all).

There are a few other minor problems. The father is in the open on a snowy mountain for 3 days with no blanket but doesn't seem to suffer from hypothermia. The police give up the search way to early. And the kids don't leave a note or anything about where they are going when they take off for the Devil's Thumb Pass to find their father.

I think parents should watch this with their kids and point these things out as they watch the movie. This can be a good way to teach critical thinking.

This is an exciting, beautiful movie with something for everyone in the family. Have fun with it.

Jake Barnes (Dirk Benedict) crashes his Piker Cub during a storm around Devil's Thumb in the Alaskan wilderness. His two children Jessie (Thora Birch) and Sean (Vincent Kartheiser) decide to find him themselves, when it seems the search and rescue are gong to give him up for dead. They rescue a captured bear cub earning its gratitude and the poacher's wrath. Between the poachers and coping with nature there are some harrowing moments.

Quite frankly, a great many of these reviewers really upset me because they devalue children and the potential contribution they could make. Nathan Futrell was only SEVEN YEARS old when he served as a drummer boy in the American Revolution. The music relayed the officer's commands, which made them targets; age didn't make a difference in a war. Now if he can do that, I certainly can believe that two children, one with survival training, can go on an expedition to rescue their father after his plane crashes.

The cinematography is breathtaking. This is a wonderful action adventure family movie that adults and children alike will enjoy!

THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE (1981) serves as a cautionary lesson to anyone who's considering renting or buying a film on the strength of its starring leads, and then proceeds to plunk down dollars after asking the rhetorical question, "With that cast, how bad can it be?"

Jack Nicholson is drifter Frank Chambers, who washes up in a rural roadhouse run by Nick Papadakis (John Colicos) and his too young (for him) wife, Cora (Jessica Lange). The time is the 1930s, and the place somewhere in the coastal mountains between Los Angeles and San Francisco. After Chambers is employed by Nick as a mechanic in the outpost's garage, Frank and Cora soon ignite a spark of mutual lust that eventually spreads into a conflagration of betrayal, attempted murder, murder, violent sex, insurance company venality, blackmail, and bad driving.

There's a good story here somewhere, so how did it go so badly wrong? Most damaging, there's no likable character for the audience to champion. Nicholson's character is as sleazy and vicious as any role he's ever done. Cora, married to an unsuitable older man for reasons we never learn, initially gains some audience compassion, perhaps. But then, after she demonstrates a cold-bloodedness worthy even of Frank, I ceased sympathizing with the character. Of the lot, only Nick is blameless, but he's such an old fool that it's hard to care.

The supporting cast is no better. The award for Worst Performance In A Negligible Role (Female) has to go to Anjelica Huston as Madge, a lion tamer and manager of a traveling wild cat show, who sports a goofy accent and hairdo worthy of Natasha (of "Boris and Natasha" on the old Bullwinkle TV series). The same award for a male actor is due William Traylor as Sackett, the Los Angeles DA out to nail our heroic couple.

There are only three reasons to view this film. First, if you're a diehard Nicholson fan. I'm not. Second, if you're a diehard Lange fan. I am. But, while she's undeniably gorgeous and indulges in tempestuous sex that would make my Mom blush and fuels my personal fantasies, prurient interest isn't enough to carry the day. Lastly, the scenery surrounding the roadhouse is beautifully pastoral.

I haven't seen the 1946 release of THE POSTMAN ALWAYS RINGS TWICE, nor do I intend to because Jessica isn't in it. This 1981 version is over-acted, over-scripted, under-edited, and implausible. It's just silly in a lurid sort of way.

This movie was much closer to the book than the original movie, which for me was a treat. Filled with torrid sex and self centered reckless abandon, the two main characters convey those in the book as they were meant to be. This fleshes out the story quite nicely and keeps it moving through the twists and turns in the plot. Though there were a couple of minor changes in the story, what surprised me, and really let me down was the very ending. Though viewers should pick up on the irony of the situation, it is really driven home in the book!

Darn good Film-Noir if you've never seen the 1946 original. This version stars Jack Nicholson and Jessica Lange. Jack is a drifter who comes upon this backroad cafe. Here he meets Jessica Lange who is the wife of the owner of this cafe. She cooks, she serves and then has fast, rough, torrid and spontaneous sex with Jack. The sex scenes are way too hot for broadcast television and will be edited for content. So see this movie on DVD to see it all. This murder-mystery is fast-paced and has many twists and turns along the way. (Incidentally, Angelica Huston (the circus lady) and Jack Nicholson "knew" each other at the time)