Strongman Movie Reviews

Roughnecks is the BEST CGI Sci-Fi drama ever done for TV. Made for kids (I am 50) and botched by Sony/BKN from the start it has
nerver received a fair shake. Please INSIST that the last 3 shows and episode 31 (missing from Homefront)be included on a 2nd
Homefront DVD. I now have all 7 DVD's and 4 of the VHS tapes plus
all of the episodes I recorded during its short run on BKN. For a
show done in 1999 it is still TOPS in CGI Animation. Episode 31
is the exciting space battle between SICON and the Queen as she
heads for Earth, without it the first episode of Homefront makes
no sense! (The war is over????) NOT! Come on SONY...GIVE US THE
REST OF IT!!! It should have been ran in prime time. Great action
and characters, cool special FX and it is the only rendition that
even remotely follows the book! I honestly believe that Troopers
could give any prime time show in a family slot a run for its money! And lets not forget the "Clip Shows", Marooned, Court Martial and Boot Camp (These were how Sony got the magic "40" episodes without actually finishing the series. BUY THESE DVD's!!
AND MAYBE SONY WILL SEE DOLLAR SIGNS AND GIVE US THE REST OF IT!!

Another absolutely stunning adventure for the ROUGHNECKS, the "Zephyr Campaign" has long been referred to as the 'lost campaign,' seeing as it was skipped over in the DVD production schedule due in large part to what the producers had deemed 'questionable effectiveness' to their animation. Some of the imagery had been dubbed 'watery,' and there was thought that this campaign had a snowball's chance of seeing the light of day.

Thank goodness the kind folks decided to release it!

In the scope of the entire ROUGHNECKS series, ZEPHYR introduces some mighty fine species of new bugs for our heroes to fight, and the digital transfer is wonderfully done. The story also expands heavily upon the possible relationships between the principle characters, and the non-stop action continues from start to finish.

Please, please, please! Buy this product so that the producers will be able to justify completing the final three-episode installment to give us a fitting conclusion to one stunning series.

After almost a year of waiting, we finally have episodes 21 through 25 of this 40 episode series, bringing the total number available on DVD to 35 ... maybe we'll see the other five episodes some day.

This disk does not have quite as many features as the other disks in the series (multiple languages, for example), but they did go back to the studio and enhance the music and audio effects, and the full-length commentary track provides insights into the making of the series.

Even though the target audience was adolescents, I'm in my 50s, and have been anxiously awaiting this "missing week" to complete my collection. (I pre-ordered it as soon as it was available, as I did with the other disks in the series.) As different from the movie as the movie was from the book, it is still Very Entertaining, and I really enjoy watching the reactions of people who see it for the first time. :-)

As revealed on one of the other disks, the actors recorded the scripts of two additional episodes, but they were never animated ... budget constraints near the end led to the creation of two "clip shows" to deliver the promised 40 episodes (5 episodes a week for 8 weeks.) We now have 7 of what should be 8 DVDs, and if enough fans buy them, maybe the producers will complete the unfinshed episodes and include them on a final DVD.

Cast your vote for completing the collection by buying this disk ... and if you haven't purchased any of the others yet, get this one first, because it's a well constructed, self-contained story arc that stands OK by itself, even if it is out-of-context.

this is a must for star wars fans.darth catnip attacks princess kitty fluke see silo and hop2s ship.when catnip takes over caturn grandpa as obi wan takes thir ship out of the water. they go to a ice crem parlor where obi saves fluke with ice crem.after a metor shower they have a space battle.they blow up catnips ship and esacpe on parachutes fluke and darth have a fle duel.after they get rid of her fluke gets a metal.this is a must

I love how it is made in good condition and had very good episodes.

I'm a huge Hello Kitty fan and this is the first DVD that I've bought. I really like the DVD-ROM features like coloring pages and games. I thought that it was also a good value because it includes five episodes: K.T.-The Kitty Terrestrial, The Wizard of Paws, Kitty the Kong, Cat Wars & Paws-The Great White Dog Shark.

"The Pact" is a very amusing film. Rider Strong's character is a wonderful-and unexpectedly complex-villain; the viewer occaisionally finds himself/herself rooting for him by mistake, instead of the slightly less fascinating "good guy". Unfortunately parts of the movie can get downright cliché. Yet this movie pulls it off; the ending may not be much of a surprise, but it is quite entertaining and pleasing all the same. "The Pact" may not be ground-breakingly original, but does what movies should do: it entertains, and does it fabulously.

I think this is one of rider's best movies that he has done so far. It is really hard to play the bad person, so he did a excellent job. I loved the plot to the movie and the way there wasn't a dull moment when I watched it. The end really surprised me because I thought that Lennie was just some average bad person that was out to kill that kid for his boss. But when I got to the end it was more than that. And I am proud to say that nobody could have done better at playing lenny than Rider did. He was wonderful and the dvd is great and I can't wait until I get my copy of "the Pact".

This is a film perfectly scripted and directed for and delivered by Gregory Peck. This simple yet powerful story is so bright in its message of hope and honesty through good deeds of the human spirit. Gregory Peck the man seems so dedicated to his craft as an actor by putting his talents to such a sincere role as demonstrated in this film that one must take the time and give thanks that such a man as Peck ever walked this earth. This film is among Peck's finest as he demonstrates such dignity of this simple yet kind man.

One of Greg Peck's first movies. He's a little green at acting, yet completely sincere in his portrayal. This movie makes my heart ache.

This is an excellent old movie showing how a Catholic Priest (Gregory Peck) overcomes adversity while trying to establish a Christian mission deep in China. When first arriving, he refuses to use rice to "buy" converts as the previous mission director had, and as a result has no "converts"----only one true believer who comes to offer to be his helper. They pray constantly for God to show a way, and eventually God does answer that prayer and reveals to Peck another way to win converts and save souls----a way of truth and integrity and compassion. This is NOT some dry, stale, boring story----the movie is filled with gun battles, war, the burning of the village, and a lost love, as China is caught up in the policital upheavel of the early 20th century. The best part is the end....one last battle back in the States....and the fruit of all his years in China is revealed.

I was already quite pleased by the released of the Hydoran and Tophet campaign. This one is just as good. I look forward to the next one.

Second to last in the series, this group of five episodes is extremely fast-paced and nicely plotted.
Best of all, in spite of this being "juvenile" action (as Heinlein originally planned to market his novel), the Klendathu Campaign has more depth of character, gung-ho humor and just plain good old-fashioned story-telling charm than anyone would ever expect from a CGI "cartoon".

As I have said previously, the creators of Roughnecks deserve at
least one Hugo award for their efforts. Granted, the graphics and movement are not up to the Spirits Within level. But for all the reasons that really matter - the heart and soul of a story well told with characters that have some resonance - Roughnecks Chronicles has all the spirit that counts.
Let's hope the creators of this thing get to finish it someday. And go on to give us more quality science fiction CGI.
Live Forever, you apes!

Great dvd, however we are missing a story arc. I have loosely named it the Frozen (or Lost) Asteroid Campaign and it directly precedes the Klendathu Campaign.

The missing episodes are 121 - Ice-Olation", 122 "Mixed Signals", 123 "Hot Ice", 124 "The Inside Story", and 125 "The Ice Men Goeth".

Without revealing content, this arc introduces a new bug (Fireflies) and answers the question, what happened to Zander. We still have one more dvd to wait for...and that's a good thing.

This DVD is a wonderful supplement to the play. Read the play first, then buy this DVD. You'll be shocked at how wonderfully portrayed the characters are, and how close they are the the characters you've conjured in your mind. One of the best plays written, a great description of the hearts and souls of humankind. As the intro says, it is a play for people with mature minds and sensitive hearts.

All you have to do is look at the artists involved in this production to realize the landmark importance of this staging. Robards, considered the quintessential interpreter of O'Neill, reprises the role that first caused critics to sit up and take notice that a major league actor had arrived on Broadway. O'Neill roles were more like autobiographies for Robards. He faced the same alcohol-induced demons in real life as confronted such characters as Hickey and James Tyrone.

Though Lumet may not be in the same league as Jose Quintero as far as O'Neill directors are concerned, he nevertheless wrings solid performances out of every cast member involved in this historic production.

If you can, you may want to purchase this in conjunction with the 1976 Broadway Archive tape of William Saroyan's "The Time of Your Life." Both plays have similar bar room settings, about the same size cast, and similar themes. It's interesting to see how two major playwright's handle diologue and monologue, dramatic conflict and themes of dissipation. Personally, I've always felt O'Neill digs a lot deeper than Saroyan, but both productions are superb, as are most plays in the Broadway Theater Archive series.

About 17 years ago I was fortunate enough to see Jason Robards perform the part of Hicky live, in Los Angeles. Needless to say, it was a riveting 5+ hours of theatre. I knew about this televised version from readings, but had never seen it - until now. It's almost as good as being there! Purests might be upset that the script IS cut - but as much as I love O'Neill, I didn't really miss the cut sections. (Much as with Lumet's "cut" version of "Long Day's Journey"). In fact, this version may actually be more palitable to the less "hard core" watchers. Interesting to see Robert Redford's rather lackluster performance; he may be the weak link in the supporting cast. In any case, a MUST for any student of the theater!

I have been rereading Dorothy Sayer's Lord Peter Wimsey novels of late. A friend drew my attention to the availability of the Edward Petherbridge BBC performances of three of the novels that turn on Lord Peter's relationship with Harriet Vane, and I decided to purchase them. I never quite liked Ian Carmichael's styling of Wimsey on Masterpiece Theater, which always felt a bit out of character to me. Thus, I thought this would be an interesting change.

And a good change it is. Petherbridge's Wimsey is much more like Sayer's character, right down to the irritating bits as well as the admirable one's. And Harriet Walters playing of Harriet Vane is spot on. She is exactly as I imagined her. As we watch the tale of Wimsey's intense efforts to save Harriet from being found guilty of poisoning her ex-lover unfold, it is easy to imagine them eventual lovers. Despite shortness of the screenplay some of the brittle, the bits of sparkling dialogue which makes them a success on paper come through.

I am less comfortable with Richard Morant's version of Bunter, Wimsey's man. He acts well, but is too young by a decade or so. As the result, some of the books camaraderie between the two feels more like borderline insolence, which the real Bunter would never have done. Shirley Cain's Miss Climpson is spectacular, however, the perfect agent for Lord Peter's schemes. In addition, the comic relief scene at Blindfold Bill Rumm's is done to perfection. The old safecracker reborn as a hymn singing lay minister is another of Sayer's tiny masterpieces of caricature.

It is unfortunate that the screenwriters, having managed to navigate the plot until almost the very end with nothing to quibble about, should suddenly decide to deviate entirely from Sayer's own ending. And, in doing so, made Wimsey look sappy and Harriet rather cruel. Whether out of bad romantic taste or a criminal need to shave thirty seconds off the length of the screenplay, it will provide some distress to those of us who have read the book. Hence, a four star rating where I would normally have given a five.

Edward Petherbridge is brilliant!!

I recently acquired these DVD's (Strong Poison/Have His Carcass/Gaudy Night) and they are now my most treasured set. The performances by Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter are flawless!

This series is a MUST HAVE for all mystery buffs (especially Dorothy Sayer's fans!) For those who were disappointed in the Ian Carmichael series produced 10 years earlier, take heart--you have now found the answer to your prayers!

My only criticism is that there were no more titles produced in this series. I can't understand why they did not continue to make more of these wonderful productions. And furthermore, I can't understand why the BBC took so long to release this series onto Video/DVD. If I had known of the existance of this series sooner, I would have launched a campaign to demand that they make more episodes. Oh well...I guess we will just have to make do with the three gems that were made. (In fact you should probably buy two sets of these, as you may wear out your original DVD's from watching them over and over and over and ...ahem...oh yes back to the review...)

The first two films, Strong Poison and Have His Carcass, are faithful to the books and each is truly a pleasure to watch. The third, Gaudy Night (or "Gaudy Lite" as I have seen it referred to) skimps a bit in comparison to the novel. However, the extraordinary acting on the part of Edward Petherbridge and Harriet Walter more than makes up for this, ensuring that this version of Gaudy Night is a highly entertaining one. This series should have segued into "Busman's Honeymoon." However BBC dropped the ball on obtaining the rites and left us all hanging.

Perhaps it isn't too late for a continuation of this series after all. It has ONLY been 16 years since the last episode. Surely if Ian Carmichael could have the audacity to play Lord Peter Wimsey at his age, Edward Petherbridge could pull it off for at least another 20 years or so (and do it brilliantly I might add!)

Needless to say, I have become an instant fan of Mr. Petherbridge and can only hope I may find more of his work on film. (This is a daunting task since this distinguished stage performer seems to shy away from the camera. Something about acting for the love of the thing and not the money. Oh these serious actors!! By the way, isn't he WAY OVERDUE for some sort of Knighthood or something ...hmm??!!)

WARNING: Ordinary television will seem even more unsatisfactory after viewing these DVD's.

As I said before, you'd better get at least two copies of each of these DVD's (or to be on the safe side, you'd better make it three!!)

(NOTE: It seems that the UK version of the DVD's contain an interview with Edward Petherbridge as a bonus feature. Unfortunately for me, the American version does not. You lucky Brits!!)

Enjoy!

I never thought I'd see this series again, but miracle of miracles, The Powers That Be have released it and on DVD, no less! I first saw these episodes on PBS in the late eighties when I was entering junior high school. I've been watching those Friday night mystery programs on PBS for as long as I can remember, and no one can top these three adaptations of Dorothy L. Sayer's three most popular Wimsey novels: Strong Poison, Have His Carcass, and Gaudy Night. Absolutely brilliant performances by Edward Petherbridge as my quintessential Lord Peter and Harriet Walter as Harriet Vane. I hope that now this much-loved series will receive the long-awaited praise and recognition it richly deserves.

Going through some Paul McGann movies online, I ran across this little gem. Rarely do I buy dvds that I'm not familiar with, but this one grabbed me and wouldn't let go. I sat through the whole thing, not knowing where it was leading me. Rarely do you see in a mystery how a crime affects each member of the community and the relationships. This one has it all. Highly recommended!
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With the possible exception of Hetty Wainthrop, Forgotten is probably the most unusual production I've seen on PBS's popular Mystery! series. It is certainly not a cozy little mystery with brilliant detectives and happy endings, like Poirot or Cadfael (both of which I love, by the way); it is more deeply personal, steeped in realism, and will haunt you for many nights to come.

Several things strike me about this miniseries (movie, tv show? I'm not sure what to call it!). First of all, it is not typical Hollywoodized fare - the characters are all painfully real, down to the DCI who suffers from hay fever to the bookstore employee who walks with crutches. The relationships are scripted and acted so well that you feel like you're watching a slice out of their lives, not actors performing roles. And the acting is absolutely superb. Amanda Burton is both chilling and sympathetic (a hard balance to acheive) and utterly believable. The extremely likeable Paul McGann (Dr. Who, Horatio Hornblower) is such a perfectly bemused Ben Turner that you are left believing that this is what Paul McGann must be truly like. However, the show is stolen (at least in my opinion) by the very handsome Christopher Villiars as the tortured DI Andrew Cannon, whose role, like everyone's, is fleshed out extremely well. Also very notable is the fetching young Karis Copp, who gives an outstanding and surprisingly sensitive performance as 7-year-old Emmy.

Against the picturesque backdrop of a charming little Cotswolds village (a wonderful contrast to the ultimate evil of a murdered child) the story plays itself out at an unhurried pace, letting you savor the characters and live their lives alongside them as events unfold. With each new revelation the plot twists and turns, culminating in a conclusion so disturbing that it kept me awake half the night pondering it.

My only complaints are the COMPLETE lack of any kind of extra features on the DVD, and the full-screen presentation (it was broadcast on PBS in widescreen). But the story itself is without flaw, and these minor complaints do not take away from its impact.

Absolutely one of the most memorable and gripping stories you will ever watch.

This is an unusual murder mystery in the sense that it focuses on 2 eerily similar murders 20 years apart and emphasizes the families involved and how these crimes affected them. Most murder mysteries portray the detectives and the resulting quest to find the killer, with little attention given to the victims' families and friends and how the murder affects them. That is what makes this story different--yes, you do see the police questioning the suspects, but the sense is more peripherial than usual. What is depicted is the sadness of the parents who learn that their child has been murdered, how they cope with it, and how it changes the family and the relationship between the husband and wife, and the relationship between the parents and (surviving) children.
There are several twists and turns in the plot. Many of the characters in this drama are not what nor who they appear to be at first. This only adds to the overall uneasiness of the story. Is Ben Turner really who he says he is? Is Rachel Munro simply a grieving mother, unable to move on with her life after her daughter was killed 20 years ago, or is she more unstable--unable to accept that perhaps Ben did not murder her child. Her anger and horror when she learns how the police "helped" convict Ben turns to anguish--not only has she lost 20 years of her life hating the wrong person, but the real killer is still free.
There is also an interesting unlying theme of redemption and rehabilitation running throughout the story. If Ben did kill Rachel's child, he certainly does not appear to be the same person that he was 20 years ago. He now has a wife, a daughter, and a child on the way of his own. He and his wife seem to have a good marriage. It does not seem likely that he killed the little girl in his daughter's class. Yet, once his friends and neighbors learn that he is a suspect (and has been convicted of a similar crime in the past), those friendships are altered. The trust is no longer there. Rachel's role in this is also interesting--is she so set upon revenge for her daughter's death that she no longer cares whether she is persecuting the wrong person? Or is she just unstable?
The story does not neatly tie up loose ends. The revelation of the killers of both girls leaves more questions about the characters and the family relationships. You will not forget this mystery. Highly recommended.

I wanted to start to like Jackie Chan. I saw Shanghi Noon. I liked it so i saw Shanghi Knights. Charlie Chaplin was a character so I saw City Lights. That was the first Chaplin movie I saw. Then I saw monsieur verdoux, modern times,and the gold rush. Im going to see limelight. So far I loved every chaplin movie i saw!

... Charlie Chaplin was a character so I saw City Lights. That was the first Chaplin movie I saw. Then I saw monsieur verdoux, modern times,and the gold rush. Im going to see limelight. So far I loved every chaplin movie i saw!

This movie was well recieved in a time when sound was new and silent movies were being brushed aside for the new wave. This movie stands the test of time. Of all the silent movies I have seen, this music score suits the movie best, probably because Chaplin took the time to write it himself. The jokes are still funny, the characters are still likeable, and the end is still satisfying. I definitly recommend this marvel. You will not be disappointed.

this video is asousim i have never seen something so cool!!!!!!!

I have to say that I usually do not watch cartoons whether they be celluloid or CG but I make an exception here. Not only is this an action packed series but it also has intelligently written scripts. The characters are believable and you do end up actually caring for them and hoping that they don't get skewered by bugs. I have watched every episode to date except the last Chronicle which has yet to be released, the Zephyr Campaign was just released last week so we're almost there. I recommend this entire series to anyone who loves SST or sci-fi for that matter and I know anyones children will love it too.

I'm truly a fan of this series, and i thank myself for catching the first episode of this show. The CGI is stunning, something which i wished to learn... I'm bitterly disappointed with Sony for not producing the last 3 episodes, in which Humanity's last stand will be held deep underground in the core of the Earth. If Sony can't let us have the episodes, at least let us have the scripts... so we'll know what happened.

This campaign on Earth touched me quite a lot. Lt Jean Razak, a guy i have came to admire myself, died in line of duty. Why? Why must he detonate the grenade? Rico, Diz and Doc could have helped him! Frankly, episode 36, Funeral For a Friend, nade me cry... a great man, laid to rest. So, Sony, make it happen! Let's have the last 3 episodes!

P.S. To all the fansites up there, please petition for a release of the last 3 episodes. Look alive, Apes!