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Reviews
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Beast in View (1964)
SPOILERS!! **** IT WAS RIVETING ...
SPOILER ALERT!!!
It was riveting only if you didn't know in the first few minutes that Helen and Dorothy are one and the same (but the unexpected twist makes you feel foolish), a split personality (or is it two women?) and that the demise of BFFs' friendship was based on a cruel and selfish lie. That's not to say that it was not an excellent episode, but that ending that seemed to go on and on.
Since I'm sure you've read reviews and synopses already, so I've decided to grace you with a short list of scenes that either irked me or made me chuckle. Again, the episode was really good; these are my observations.
1. The elevator - Look at the lights that indicate which floor the elevator is in. It is traveling upward at a high rate of speed for an elevator. It seems quite capable of blasting through the roof of the penthouse floor. It's going so fast that in one scene the lights are go up one more floor as Paul and the detectives exit the lift.
2. When Dorothy calls Helen's Mother and tells her that she is in Helen's apartment with a gun, Helen's Mom thinks quickly to save her daughter! She puts the receiver down gently while Dorothy babbles away nonsensically, goes to another phone line and makes that call. Hooray!! Scratch that. She calls Paul, who is at the photographer's studio with police. The detective calls for backup to meet them at the hotel. Wait. No they don't. They go themselves wasting valuable time.
3. Heels! - Don't you just love watching women wear heels and running like Flo-Jo? And I think Dorothy had on peep-toe pumps!
4. Helen's Apartment Door - Paul and two detectives arrive at the door - and they KNOCK! They know gosh-darn well that Dorothy is holding Helen hostage with a gun. Dorothy shoots through the door. BLAM! POW! Paul and the cops move to each side of the door to avoid being shot. Meanwhile, the real Dorothy shows up, explains that Helen is off her rocker. Cop asks Dorothy to talk to Helen (through the door, natch!). What do they do? Place her square in front of the door.
5. Dr. Detective - The detective explains schizophrenia and multiple personalities as if he had an M. D. on his badge. He even explains the rarity of Helen's illness like the possible psychiatrist he may be
6. The End Already! - oh my goodness! I think the end of the program lasted 5 mins or more! That's when I started getting irksome. It dragged on forever!
The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: A Nice Touch (1963)
WHAT AN IDIOTIC ... SPOILERS THROUGHOUT THIS REVIEW!!!
...woman. In what world, even in 1964, would give up a successful career (hell. She had a career and no babies in 1964! That's gotta count for something!), a husband she loves who is rich and who adores her, power to make or break anyone's career and, supposedly a good head on her shoulders to lay up with an out-of-work, no class, dumb-as-hell, no-prospect-having, probably homeless, lunkhead nobody? Why?! Apparently he has other talents we cannot speak of, but still! WHY?!
Here's the synopsis: Married working woman with rich husband with whom she has a mutual love, falls for the aforementioned wannabe. She loses her husband, her job and her luxurious life to settle for a man who had nothing when first they met and is only successful because of her. If only her husband would sign those darn divorce papers, she could be with the love of her life. What to do, what to do?
The script is predictable, but it was interesting and well-acted. That's my review.
Perhaps if all involved in this ridiculous play might have made the gap in the characteristics between Wife and Lover to even it out (bored housewife with blah hubby falls for an up-and-comer), it wouldn't be so unbelievable. It wouldn't have made me mad. If your secretary has to pull you aside to say "Gurl! What are you doing (Ok. She didn't say that. You get the gist)?!
Curse of the Fly (1965)
SPOILERS!! Should have stopped at #2
I decided to just shorten my review on this waste of celluloid to the same number of stars that I rated it:
1. No explanation of WHY the movie is a curse of the fly until 7/8 into the movie. What fly? If one hadn't known about the original with Vincent Price, then why the heck waste your insomnia on this.
2. WHAT the heck were those creatures that had been locked up. Not one looked like a fly in any of its phases birth to death. The half-disfigured face of wife #1 is later just her hair covering her face. The bandage wrapped on said Wife #1's to hide whatever it is going on with her left leg does not a creature make. At the end of the film, she seems to be The Mummy. The other failed fly was seemingly costumed all in latex not that much different from Kim Kardashian's outfit on the red carpet at the Met Gala.
3. OH so boring. WHO wrote the script? Pat (Wifey #2) is an asylum escapee. She's not mentally ill; she had a nervous breakdown upon learning of her father's death. Not a killer psycho/sociopath. Just a woman who was stressed out. Everyone is looking for her! The writers could have done a lot better, for instance - leave all that out and come up with something that's not going to have us on the edge of our seats waiting for the tie in with lunacy
4. Lastly, it just seems that someone came up with a concept threw some ideas in a hat and wrote, produced and directed by putting slips of paper. If this was improvisation, then I'd given it a 6. Maybe.
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: Strange Miracle (1962)
God Don't Like Ugly
"I am weak, but Thou art strong ... I'll be satisfied as long as I walk ... just a closer walk with Thee" could pertain to any number of characters in this teleplay.
Oh! This episode starts out slow and actually ends slow but with a couple of somersaults and maybe a triple lutz thrown in for great measure.
Hubby is in an on the job train accident and is paralyzed - he will never walk again! He is brought back to his village in Mexico to live out his life in a wheelchair. Or is he? Believe it or not, this is not the spoiler. We are all let in on what transpires next - he can actually walk. He's fooled them all; his company, his neighbors and up until this little "milagro", his own wife. If they can continue this ruse, Hubby is in for a fat settlement if he and the Missus can keep up the ruse a while longer. And they succeed! Wifey won't be miserable and can live her life in truth (and money), but Hubby has one last convincing public show for the whole thing comes together. Will it work?
This is an episode of compare and contrast. The two parties both have perseverance, faith, a hard work ethic for each to obtain their goal of a grand reward. In contrast, Your miracle isn't my miracle. At film's end, the contrast is stark. Both parties seemingly pass one another without seeing the other, one in the light, the other an even deeper darkness than at the beginning.
The Nanny (1993)
Style, Class and Sass!
SOOO incredibly funny!! Just started watching again in reruns. Any show that makes me laugh out loud while watching alone definitely gets a 10 (I probably said that about "Everybody Loves Raymond". Wait! That cool theme song - "watch out CC!"
You've read the premise of the show by the other reviewers, so I'll not get into that. First thing - The voice! It's real folks! I've worked with women from New York who are Jewish. They sounded like ambulances. Don't get offended. When Fran was doing stand up, she said so herself.
The cast is likable, the scripts are crisp, the plots are ridiculously funny. In every episodes, you know that Fran is scheming and dropping hints to "Oh" Mr. Sheffield. CC is clever, cunning and unfulfilled (she wants Mr. Sheffield as well), the Butler - you just have to wait for his comments, Mom, Yetta ... and then there is clueless Mr. Sheffield. Youll just have to watch for yourself.
Wicked Stepmother (1989)
I just cannot ...
Watch nor listen to this movie 44 minutes in. Actually, pretty much right after my gurl, Bette, makes her appearance. I know that it's a horror-comedy, but it is neither. Bette looks simple, the acting is over-the-top, script is sucky and the film is just terrible. The pan-flute soundtrack didn't help. The only spoiler in this opinionated review is that I rated it a 1. Where's my remote?
Cinderella (2015)
Sweet
How magical, even for a 60+ woman who has seen many iterations of Cinderella (Cindy, Cinderfella) since childhood. I felt like that little girl again. With all the cynicism, I half expected at the end for Ella to tell her step-family to kick rocks. Who's expecting to be forgiven with all the cruelty one has dispersed? A lesson for us all. Not the love story "happily ever after" stuff. Kindness and forgiveness.
East of Eden (1955)
Boring
I am not a film student nor critic. I won't break down the musical score vs. Climax, method vs. Classical acting nor how great a director Elia Kazan or James Dean is as an actor. But I could do it if I wanted. I'll just review the bigger picture.
The music was at times overly sweeping for scenes that weren't all that dramatic. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for James Dean to wow me. He never did. The whole thing played out like a very long soap opera where you can pick out which actor is the newbie who has yet to learn how to give a performance. The most exciting part was at Dad's birthday party " what gift would Aaron give to one-up Cal? Would Dad appreciate Cal's gift and what would his reaction be? Will Abra share her true feelings? When will they cut the cake?!
If you want to see a really good version, view the 1981 mini-series' "East of Eden". I think watching the mini-series caused me to dislike the movie version. All these years later, the 1981 version is still impactful. I can still remember Jane Seymour's performance.
Shadrach (1998)
Sweet
I stumbled upon this movie, bored and flipping through channels. I can't give a review on scenery, music, direction, acting, etc. Because I viewed "Shadrach" after viewing "12 Years a Slave", binge-watching "Underground" (the one with Jurnee Smollett), and seeing update after update about the Capitol Insurrection and the George Floyd trial. I was left exhausted, sad and angry because truth hurts. So I'm watching "Shadrach" and was curious about Paul's curious summer with the Dabney family and Shadrach. And it was just - sweet. It draws you in. The fact that most of the cast were newcomers made it all the more special. Is it a believable story? I don't know. Can a woman in an impoverished marriage with 7 kids and guzzles beer like Gatorade still look so great? If only. But there is love winning over hatred, privileged and dirt poor folk worshipping together and civility over law. Take a break from the world and watch something sweet.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Bedtime (2010)
Two words:
Ann-Margret. Whew! She went through every emotion possible. And she cleans up well after a boozy soliloquy. And she still looks great. A review here on IMBD stated that Jacklyn Smith was out of her league. She always was.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit: Disabled (2010)
Powerfully Educating & Emotional
Lisa Arrindell, Quinton Aaron and Jill Scott. My goodness! SVU, as usual, struck a nerve with me.
Lisa Arrindell is Aunt Cara, a former opera singer who has MS. She is under the care of her bitter sister played powerfully by Jill Scott. Cara's nephew, played by Quinton Aaron, disapproves of his mother's treatment of Aunt Cara, but is forced to choose between his love for both. Aunt Cara's MS is aggressive and has left her paralyzed and unable to communicate with the exception of blinking (once for YES; two for NO) and a very powerful finger. She has been sexually assaulted by by an attendant and is the only one who can testify against him.
I was wowed by Jill Scott's performance as the evil sister; I'd never seen her perform outside of avTyler Perry movie. She gives all of her in this episode. But I have to give the highest praise to Lisa Arrindell! She said not one word and deserves an ovation. Her "words" were communicated by her eyes so filled with a range of emotions.
My Mom passed December 1, 2019. She was in and out of short hospital stays, but then had a month-long stay at a rehabilitation center after she'd suffered a stroke which made her unable to walk or use her right hand. She also had dementia. My fear was always that someone would harm her and she couldn't fight back or recall. My sister and I would spend nights and she had a stream of visitors all day. I felt for aunt Cara as I did my mother and wished I could change the script so that I would have been Aunt Cara's caretaker. No harm would have come to her. Once COVID restrictions are fully lifted, I think I'll adopt a nursing home and visit the unvisited. Someone should have the residents' backs.
Sparkle (2012)
So boring
OMG! I felt nothing for any of the characters. And maybe because I saw the original as a teen drooling over Philip Michael Thomas as Stix, I couldn't really get into it. I felt nothing in "Giving Him Something He Can Feel" because it just seemed like 3 women dressed well rehearsing a song they'd rather not sing.
I guess the hunger for stardom when you're middle-class with no apparent struggles felt like kids disobeying Mom's rules.
Sparkle's speech she gave to convince the record producer a reason to sign her was drab and unconvincing.
The music is good, the story is actually good and if I had never seen the original all those years ago I could have enjoyed it more (thank goodness Philip Michael Thomas wasn't in this version. He was just pretty to look at back then!)
One last note: This is a great family movie. I don't recall any bad language and the most "salaciousness" was the choreography when the group sang.
Every Girl Should Be Married (1948)
LOVED LOVED LOVED THIS MOVIE!!
Why did I love this movie?
Light-hearted, funny, sweet and quite true. Oh, not that every(one) wants to be married, but just about everyone wants to be wanted by their heart's desire. Anibel's over-the-top antics makes the movie more sweet than fall-out funny and Betsy Drake handled her part in such a way that it didn't turn into a screwball comedy in the hands of another actress. And Cary Grant? Need I say more?! The entire cast was great including all of the background actors. Eddie Albert's pop-in part equally as great.
Don't look at it with 2021 eyes with stalking laws, boss/employee relationships, TMZ (ok, there is a bit with tabloid fodder), or goldiggers. Laugh!
B Positive (2020)
I'm trying to give it a shot
I like the characters, but the scripting, direction, some of the acting, pace and writing (ok, the show) about 5 episodes in seems like a pilot or really good high school play. Now that I realize that the laugh track is due to COVID, I can forgive it.
But here's the thing. It could be funny, but it's taking too long. And I understand that renal failure or any disease is unfunny (a family member had a kidney transplant. I bawled when I wasn't a match; we bawled that someone had to die for him to get better), but my family uses humor as a coping skill. We don't know why we're like that, but it draws us away from the seriousness of any bad situation. Some transplant survivors on the review see a humor others of us can't can't see because it's an inside joke. My sister and I certainly poked fun at my Mom's dementia. She'd ask "Who's your Mother?" One of my responses, I asked how she could forget cramping, a gush of water and me sliding out of her *birth canal* How do you forget that, Mom?! And she'd laugh. Hell, I forgot something and she said "maybe YOU'RE the one with dementia!"
Now. I can't see this show going past 1 season! How?! Heart transplant? Brain bleed. Not a great show, but it makes one corner of my mouth go up
First Sunday (2008)
Worth watching Katt Williams
As a whole, First Sunday follows every feel-good/do the right thing of this comedic drama, the comments of race aside but I'll get back to that. This is more a review of reviews.
It's a rather simple story: Two buddies come up with a crazy scheme to rob a church's first Sunday collection. Buddy #1 owes money to a nefarious sort, Buddy #2 needs the money to keep his family together. Hilarity and mishaps happen. Second thoughts and redemption follow. Forgiveness wins, everything works out for everyone (except the police). That's it!
This really isn't that type of movie where we're rating it for best director or best original script. I'm assuming that at the inception of First Sunday folks were not thinking it would win any awards. But folks who like a particular genre, actor, director, etc will enjoy this movie and rate it differently. Isn't this what we're doing here? Two-line comments about "if it were a white movie/characters" or "I guess I didn't understand because I'm not Black" is baseless. I dislike fantastical, war or space movies so I don't submit a review and call it boring.
Back to the movie. Meh. That's because I'd rather watch an old movie or something with substance. I tuned into it because of Katt Williams. Everything he did and everything he said was hilarious. If his dialogue was unscripted, then it makes him even more funny. And my heart filled with fondness just seeing Ms. Olivia Cole's warm face. It's such a simple formulaic movie (not stupid; easy) that you know from the beginning that one of the congregates has stolen the collection, our main characters won't go to jail and that there is a joyous kumbaya moment at the end. Just like a Lifetime movie. Without Katt (Williams (Ricky) the movie would have dragged. Tracy Morgan is comedic and just okay to me. Shoutout to Ice Cube's barber - his 'fro and beard are always tight.
Gigli (2003)
Watched For Sh!tz & Giglis
I've always heard that this movie was awful but I like to judge things for myself. So let's go!
Maybe I missed all of the good parts what with having to let the dogs out and gather my dried laundry so that I could fold and watch. I kept waiting for Gigli to turn out well somewhere in the midst of it. The foul language made no sense. It's as if it was used in this movie as filler for some of the gaps in conversation and obvious bad script. It was as if I were listening to a Quentin Tarantino movie (pick any one). The look and feel of Gigli was of a mishmash of movies pieced together to give us this mush of a film. It was "Rainman", "The Other Sister", "The Godfather" and any Muppets escapade. In fact, "The Happytime Murders" has better plot, script and love scenes. I gave it 2 stars. One for effort and the other for allowing me to get my laundry done without missing ...anything.
Brendan Schaub: You'd Be Surprised (2019)
Father Knows Best
I've never heard of Brendan Schaub before tonight. That was the longest hour of comedy I have ever experienced. Perhaps he said something comedic when I went to the bathroom or let the dogs out or was playing solitaire. He's that person at a friend's house who's funny as hell, but isn't even ready for amateur night. You know - living room funny.
Brendan's Dad was right to steer his son away from comedy and into MMA. He obviously wasn't funny in HIS living room