Home Movie Reviews

This episode really educates children while entertaining them, as well. The host does an excellent job of teaching children about real-life adventures of buses, airplanes and trains. The style of this program teaches children on a real level that can be understood by people of all ages. I even learned things about these vehicles that I didn't know much about.

This review refers to the Goodtimes (NBC Home Video)DVD edtion of "Little House on the Prairie...Remember Me".....

You'll spend more on the Kleenex you use watching this touching episode of Little House than on the actual DVD itself. And if your a fan of this series, you'll love every minute of it and you'll have it to watch over and over again.

Every episode of the series is a touching and inspiring experience, and this one is definatly no exception. Oscar winner Patricia Neal(Hud) guest stars in this 2 parter(shown in it's entirety)and she is wonderful.

A widow(Neal) learns from the Doc that she is very ill and has little time to get her affairs in order. The only thing on her mind is finding a good home for her three children, all of which will pull at your heartstrings. Charles promises he will do his best and try to keep the kids together. But times are hard and it's almost impossible to find a home that will care for all the children.Time is running out..will Charles be able to keep his promise? It will take a miracle, and you know that on this series we expect miracles and love them! You won't be disappointed.

The DVD is pretty nice. It presents and nice picture and colors(just a little dated), although there are occassions where it flickers a bit. The sound is clear and always distinguishable.

So kick back for the entire hour and half presentation(and NO commercials!) with Ma and Pa Ingalls, Laura, Mary, Carrie, and good ole Mr. Edwards and enjoy.....oh and don't forget the kleenex!.....Laurie

This is a fascinating film- a documentary of the Aleutian Islands campaign during WWII which focuses on a US bombing mission from Adak to Kiska- which was in Japanese hands. Remember this is a documentary- the real thing, and shot in color. We start off in Adak's central command base and get a sense of patriotic life in this harsh and forlorn corner of America. We meet brave young US Armed Servicemen at the forefront of the 'Ring of Fire' campaign. Then we are taken aboard a bomber and embark alongside a bomber squadron for the majectic but intense flight to Kiska. We are there during final onboard tactical considerations and through the entire bombing mission. This is very intense stuff- because it is real. There is a rattling of the plane and a whistling sound as we see the bombs falling onto the Japanese port base of Kiska and see anti-aircraft fire whizz by us in return. Phew!

I am not an alpha-male, 'go-get-em Rambo' combat freak by any means. That's not what this film, or WW II was about. This film captures the essence of true American struggle, risk, and heroicism, and, as a matter of fact, was up for the academy award for best documentary when it was firt released back in the 1940's. Its really that memorable.

This is flick is alright for two reasons: mr. madsen and the fact that it was filmed in my hometown.The film does strike an erie tone at the end when the killer tells (his or her) reasons for killing the victims, but it could have been better.The movie looks better than it should, but it needed a stronger story.not a bad film if you like the star.

This John Wayne show is where John Wayne is going to be arrested because of a murder he didn't commit. So he impersonates a gang of outlaws and makes friends with the gang, and the leader, who is the murderer, is the man that really likes John Wayne. Well, I'm not telling you any more except that this was a totally fun movie. I was really cold when I watched this movie, but the action really warmed me up. I recommend this to any John Wayne fan, wether you're a big fan or not.

Sagwa: the Chinese Siamese Cat...from the book by Amy Tan, is the best new children's series on PBS. Never fails to entertain, educate and charm your little ones.

My four year old loves her and her adventures so much, he wants a Siamese cat! (The Old Fashioned Kind!). After all, Sagwa and her Siamese family are the most intelligent of cats....10 out of 10 scale.

Your children will learn, laugh and enjoy Sagwa! She's the Best Cat!~~~

Set 7 features seven episodes, of which only one is based on a story by Saint author Leslie Charterlis. Three of the other six use scripts contrived from the writers' perceptions of Charterlis' basic plot: Templar encounters a gentleman with daughters who dote on Daddy who need to be rescued from evildoers or evildoing with their evil Daddy. After watching these three, I concluded that one needs the Charterlis' touch to truly make the Charterlis' ingredients work. Nevertheless I believe the overall quality of the acting and directing talents of The Saint cast make up for any lack in these scripts.

(As an Avengers' fan, I could not help but note how Set 7, like the other color episodes, feature several also The Avengers' co-stars, hereafter identified with an asterisk.*)

In particular Volume 13 features two episodes that each has two unique treats. The first, "Where the Money Is," features Moore as actor-director. (As a music performer-educator, I became intrigued by Moore's directing philosophy that music should enhance, and not overshadow, action and dialogue.) Kenneth G. Warren* does an excellent job playing a bossy American film director. Sandor Elis* plays the head of a kidnapping trio that includes Derek Newark*. These actors are among the many superior co-stars who made this episode work - in spite of Templar's cheesy last line that perhaps could have been scratched.

Episodes 2 and 3, the Leslie Charterlis-based "Vendetta for the Saint," stars the late Ian Hendry*, who played "Dr. Keel" of The Avengers 1961-62 season. "Vendetta" gives us Avengers' fans, who feel loss over having only two of Hendry's episodes available, an entertaining look at this dynamic actor. In "Vendetta" Hendry plays the Italian-American Mafia don Alessandro Gestamio. Templar, upon reading about the death of a British banker at Gestamio's hands, sets out on a one-man war against the Mafia itself, and discovers Gestamio himself has a secret he dare not let the Mafia know. Look for star performances from several actors including Aimi MacDonald*, Steven Plytas*, and a young Rosemary Dexter.

Volume 14 begins with "The Ex-King of Diamonds" (Willoughby Goddard) whose baccarat skills have a sinister core and even more sinister purpose. In this episode Templar is assisted by a mathematical genius (Ronald Radd*), his available daughter (Isla Blair), and a Texas oil billionaire (Stuart Damon). Helpful to me was the explanation by the math professor of baccarat to an inquisitive American tourist (Araby Lockhart). Jeremy Young* continues his excellent character work as a chauffeur/co-conspirator.

"The Man Who Gambled with Life," millionaire scientist-megalomaniac Keith Longman (Clifford Evans*), seeks to lure Templar into a chilling (no-pun intended) experiment. This episode features a hilarious nod to the Emma Peel Avengers' era by Templar and Longman's younger daughter Stella (Jayne Soffiano). It is also the weakest in Set 7 due to its rushed ending. In addition, the timing during the dialogue between Templar and Longman is rather slow. If the producers had made this a two-part, two-hour movie, I believe it would have flowed better.

In "Portrait of Brenda" Templar searches for the killer of an avant-garde artist, and takes a trip through "hip" 60's London that includes the recording scene and Far Eastern philosophy. Templar also gets to cross swords and words with his nemesis, Chief Inspector Teal (Ivor Dean), who, as always, ends up assisting him in spite of himself! Two additional treats are the songs written for this episode - "You Won't See Me No More" by Gary Osborne and "Out to Get You" by Chris Andrews - delightful spoofs of 60's rock-and-roll. Trevor Bannister* plays a very convincing record producer.

Set 7 concludes with a bang as Templar drives "The World Beater" in a car rally with high stakes for a desperate father-son car-building team (James Kerry and Eddie Byrne), an auto mogul (George A. Cooper*), and a former girlfriend named Kay (Patricia Haines*), who has secret schemes behind her need for speed. As always, Templar wins the race that puts mogul, father and son in pocket, uncovers the truth, and beats the villains at their own game. Those who like racing will not be disappointed: the excitement on and off the road are for all to see, as well as some hilarious moments when Templar makes Kay push and dig his car out of the mud!

For the 60's Simon Templar-Roger Moore fans, I believe Set 7 of The Saint is an overall good buy. In our day where acting talent seems based on violence, voyeurism and vulgarity, today's mass media producers should take note that companies like A&E can revive and sell these quality classic shows, and still profit substantially. For people like myself who seek alternatives, the rebirth of The Saint, The Avengers, and other like shows on video and DVD have granted us a welcome refuge, and provided us entertainment redemption.

Hume Cronyn appeared in many wonderful motion pictures but I will remember him always as Saint Nicholas (on his way to becoming Santa!) in "Santa and Pete". James Earl Jones and the entire cast made this a most memorable story. Congratulations to all involved in this truly wonderful rendition of the St. Nicholas story.

I saw this at a friends house. It's pretty funny, but some is not.

You gotta love a film that starts off with scenes from Reefer Madness: the Musical and that's just how this fantastic new documentary Schlock! The Secret History of American Movies begins. Directed by film maker and journalist Ray Greene this is a very thorough look at exploitation films and filmmakers between the forties to the early seventies starting with the road show days and ending with mainstream acceptance of exploitation. It's full of rare film clips, interviews and artwork.

The film tracks the many phases of exploitation films spawned through the years from early roots of drug, sex, hygiene and birthing road shows to nudist and nudie cutie films, the Roughies, Gore films of H.G. Lewis, AIP films to the end of the golden age of exploitation when Hollywood started to make the same kind of films with bigger budgets. It's all covered in way to enlighten the viewer rather than ridicule the films for any perceived shortcomings.

Besides the wealth of information to be garnered from the films collection of movie clips it also features a multitude of insightful interviews with many of the key figures of the exploitation film era including sexploitation king Harry Novak, the late Doris Wishman (one of America's most prolific female directors) Sam Z Arkoff of AIP (who sadly has passed away) Roger Corman one of the most successful men in Hollywood, and David Friedman who started with road shows and is still hawking films to this day. These interviews paint an interesting picture of a time when filmmakers made films to please a core audience and make their own mark rather than please the whole world.

The only disappointment for me was the lack of coverage of blaxploitation, zombie (and cannibal) and Ilsa films. Other than that it's a great film for those with an interest in exploitation films or a good introduction for those unfamiliar with the subject matter.