dflynch215 Reviews

Young Sheldon (2017–2024)

Best TV Show!

[10/10 · 7 January 2022]

The casting process is a vital component of a movie or TV show. Whoever did the casting for Young Sheldon deserves an award! Young Sheldon pulls the viewer into the fish-out-of-water, Southern Baptist world of a boy genius. The cast is wonderful. Annie Potts is a treasure.

The Hitcher (1986)

What The Hitcher really is about

[8/10 · 14 November 2021]

On the surface The Hitcher is a well-made thrilller about a very creepy guy who targets an innocent teen. However, just below the surface, The Hitcher is about sadistic, masochistic, homosexual sex.

Last Summer (1969)

The 1960s

[9/10 · 29 June 2021]

In 1962 director Frank Perry brought David and Lisa to the screen. Troubled teens struggled to cope with complex relationships. His disturbingly brilliant Last Summer (1969) ended the decade, a decade that began with optimism and ended with war and violent civil strife. The characters in Last Summer are a reflection of that turbulent decade. Innocence and friendship evolved into horror and rape. The film's performances are exceptional. Bruce Davison grew up near me. He graduated from a rival high school. It's hard to believe he's 75.

Cheats (2002)

Clever and Under-appreciated Teen Flick

[8/10 · 21 April 2021]

I wasn't expecting anything special when I first decided to watch another film about high school teen shenanigans. Was I surprised because Cheats is rather funny and clever. The cast is just right, too. If I were an actor I wouldn't want to have to share a scene with Trevor Fehrman because he manages to steal every scene he's in. He's also very good in Clerks 2.

Some Girls (1988)

Some Boy in Quebec

[7/10 · 10 April 2021]

Watching Some Girls makes one wonder why more movies aren't filmed in Quebec. It's beautiful there! Young Patrick Dempsey has an adventurous time in Quebec where he's the guest of his girlfriend and her eccentric family. He's a fish out of water and clothing is optional. Some Girls is a pleasant film with impressive scenery and very colorful characters.

My Cousin Vinny (1992)

Ham It Up!

[4/10 · 5 April 2021]

Hollywood never seems to tire of making fish-out-of-water themed movies. However, the fishing license should've been pulled on My Cousin Vinny. Wise-cracking New Yorkers find themselves stuck in the rural south. Time to ham it up! Ralph Macchio, surrounded by over-the-top acting, deserves credit for maintaining a level of acting professionalism.

Man on the Moon (1999)

Disappointment!

[4/10 · 28 March 2021]

At the local video rental store there used to be only one copy of Man On The Moon. It never got rented. It's no wonder that this film lost so much money. It's terrible. So many talented people were involved in the making of Man On The Moon. What a waste!

Over the Edge (1979)

Underrated Gem

[9/10 · 27 March 2021]

Inspired by actual events, Over The Edge is an incredibly disturbing film. It's also an exceptionally well-made film. Youthful rebellion erupts into insurrection. The cast is excellent, especially Matt Dillon in his film debut.

David and Lisa (1962)

Swedish Influence

[10/10 · 22 March 2021]

David and Lisa was big news where I grew up. It was filmed in nearby Wynnewood, PA. David and Lisa was voted best film of 1962 by TIME. It's brilliantly directed by Frank Perry who obviously studied Ingmar Bergman's magnificent work. The Swedish flavor is ingrained throughout with the perennial tug-of-war between the conscious and the subconscious. Symbolism, especially with clocks, is ever present. David and Lisa is a movie that film students should study. This is how a film should be made!

Five Easy Pieces (1970)

Rebel With A Cause

[9/10 · 23 February 2021]

When asked in an interview if he'd seen any good American films, Ingmar Bergman mentioned Five Easy Pieces. The excellent 1970 movie resembles a Swedish film thanks to Bob Rafelson's brilliant direction and the superior camera work of László Kovács. The cast is wonderful, especially Karen Black. Youthful rebellion is a common theme in cinema. However, in Five Easy Pieces, the subject is explored with complexity and sophistication. Despite the film's closing credits, the story really doesn't end. The next chapter in the life of Bobby begins.

Family Guy: The Tan Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2007) Season 5, Episode 11

My Favorite Family Guy Episode

[10/10 · 22 February 2021]

Young paperboy Kyle calls Peter a poop nose. Peter beats the snot out of Kyle and hides in a tree. This is funny stuff!

Turk 182 (1985)

You Can Fight City Hall

[8/10 · 4 February 2021]

Originally put on the shelf, Turk 182 finally got released thanks mostly to Timothy Hutton's Oscar for Ordinary People. Although Turk 182 isn't an Oscar-caliber film, it's still an enjoyable movie to watch. The cast is excellent. Timothy Hutton is fine as an indolent Irish-American lad, Jimmy Lynch, who decides to help his victimized older brother by exposing the mayor's scandalous ways. Jimmy uses the Brooklyn Bridge's colorful 100th anniversary celebration to demonstrate that you can fight city hall.

A Prayer for the Dying (1987)

Mickey Rourke's Performance

[8/10 · 2 February 2021]

Over the years films have featured the disquieting subject of Irish political unrest and terrorism. The Informer (1935) is still one of the best. The Devil's Own (1997) is one of the worst. Being forced to listen to Brad Pitt attempt to sound Irish is torturous. A Prayer For The Dying is a good film with a fine performance by Mickey Rourke. Mickey Rourke sounded Irish. I grew up surrounded by Irish kin. They didn't sound like Brad Pitt. They sounded even less like Tom Cruise (Far And Away - 1992). Mickey Rourke's performance as a conflicted IRA hit man is disturbingly believable.

Teen Beach 2 (2015 TV Movie)

Even Better Than Teen Beach 1

[8/10 · 30 January 2021]

The original Teen Beach movie was very good. When I heard that a sequel was in the works I thought that it would be difficult to match the original. However, Teen Beach 2 is even better than the first Teen Beach. The choreography is dazzling! Ross Lynch seems to defy gravity with his remarkable dancing skill. The cast again is fine with Mack (Maia Mitchell) in a perennial romantic tug-of-war with Brady (Ross Lynch). Teen Beach 2 is very entertaining!

Harry & Son (1984)

Paul Newman and Son

[8/10 · 24 January 2021]

Paul Newman wanted to make a film inspired by his troubled relationship with his own son. Scott Newman, 28, died in 1978 from an overdose of prescription drugs and alcohol. Newman, the film's director, co-producer and co-writer wanted Gene Hackman to play the lead role. However, the studio insisted that Newman also star as the father. Robbie Benson is fine as Newman's distant son. I was in Fort Lauderdale when Harry & Son was being filmed. It created some excitement when Paul Newman walked into a sandwich shop and ordered his takeout lunch.

The Swap (2015 TV Movie)

A Pleasant Surprise

[8/10 · 11 January 2021]

Over the years the body swap gimmick has been overused in film. Sometimes it works, however, it frequently doesn't. I wasn't expecting much from The Swap but was pleasantly surprised. The story actually seems fresh and the cast is wonderful. Peyton List is fine as the conflicted teen girl. However, it's the talented Jacob Bertrand who seems to carry the film on his shoulders. The Swap is a good film for the entire family.

Trainspotting (1996)

British Film Institute #10

[10/10 · 7 January 2021]

Trainspotting is ranked 10th on the British Film Institute's list of the greatest British films of the 20th century. The creative celluloid achievement pushed The Bridge on the River Kwai to 11th. Director Danny Boyle dives head-first into the sea of celluloid sophistry and saturates the screen with creative energy. Trainspotting was such an enormous critical and box-office success that actors fought for the lead in Boyle's next film. Leonardo DiCaprio won. However, The Beach was a major disappointment.

The Basketball Diaries (1995)

A Disturbing Biography

[9/10 · 28 December 2020]

Jim Carroll had a colorful life. Bringing it to the screen took courage. The Basketball Diaries' cast is perfect, especially with Leonardo DiCaprio in the lead role. Catholic school life in the '70s is accurately depicted with sadistic educators and lustful coaches. We had our own Coach Swifty. It's good that Jim Carroll kept a diary. The detailed accounts of his personal struggles and triumphs provide for an unforgettable film script.

If.... (1968)

1960s British Rebellion

[8/10 · 16 December 2020]

I saw "If . . ." on an American military base where I was stationed in 1969. It's hard to believe that a U.S. Army base would present a film about violent insurrection at a British boarding school. Somebody screwed up. The base's theater recently offered "Where Eagles Dare". However, the film "If . . ." provided a welcome diversion from the rigors of military life. It also triggered colorful conversations and head scratching back at the barracks.

Shattered Glass (2003)

Journalism 101

[9/10 · 29 October 2020]

I used to work at a newspaper before joining a financial publishing firm. There's a scene in Shattered Glass where a staff meeting takes place. The use of punctuation is the meeting's topic of discussion. I've been there. I remember those meetings. Shattered Glass is a remarkable film that draws the viewer into the turbid world of publishing. Some reviews suggest Shattered Glass is dry and bromidic. It's called realism! Hayden Christensen is excellent as the enigmatic and duplicitous dispenser of fake news. Shattered Glass should be required viewing for all journalism students.

King David (1985)

Embarrassing

[3/10 · 15 October 2020]

David was one of history's most interesting and important individuals. He was a poet, musician, soldier and ruler. He was the shepherd boy who slayed a giant with his slingshot. He penned the Psalms. He established Israel's borders. His remarkable battlefield acumen is still studied in military schools. Bringing to the screen his life story should've been a piece of lekach. However, King David is a major disappointment. So many talented people contributed to this cinematic disaster.

Europa Europa (1990)

Harrowing yet inspirational true story

[9/10 · 12 October 2020]

It would be understandable if Europa Europa were to be found in the fiction section. However, the all-encompassing film is based on a true story. Truth can be be stranger than fiction. Agnieska Holland adeptly wrote for the screen and skillfully directed the remarkable true story of Holocaust survivor Solomon Perel. Marco Hofschneider is wonderful in the complex role of a Jewish teenager who endures unspeakable horrors yet courageously manages to survive. The impressive camera work of Jacek Petrycki skillfully captures the horrors of war. Holocaust denial seems to be in fashion. Europa Europa should be shown in schools to educate students about what really happened in Europe.

Accepted (2006)

Accepted is amusing and clever satire!

[8/10 · 11 October 2020]

Whenever I try to describe this film to people, the typical response is "no way dude." Accepted is an under-appreciated film. The script sounds impossible, however, it works. Thanks to inventive writing and a talented cast, Accepted succeeds in satirizing the disconcerting college admission process. Justin Long is wonderful as usual. Lewis Black is perfect as a demented school administrator.

Midnight Cowboy (1969)

New York state of mind

[9/10 · 3 September 2020]

I first saw Midnight Cowboy on the William & Mary campus in October 1969. I'd never seen Jon Voight or Dustin Hoffman before. The film is very well done, however, Dustin Hoffman's performance often resembles an acting clinic. The film's talented British director, John Schlesinger, later directed the excellent The Falcon and the Snowman (1985). Both films tell stories about unusual friendships. Schlesinger described these relationships as possessing a latent homosexual component. Midnight Cowboy was the only X-rated film to win a best picture Oscar.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

The best Halloween movie

[9/10 · 2 September 2020]

Salem, Massachusetts is great place to visit, especially around Halloween. Salem's Witch Museum is a treasure! Hocus Pocus captures Salem's Halloween spirit and a talented cast transfers that magic to the screen. It's the wonderful cast that makes Hocus Pocus a special Halloween treat. Omri Katz is excellent as Max, an ex-California teen who finds himself a reluctant new resident of Salem. It's surprising that Katz's career didn't take off after the success of Hocus Pocus. Thora Birch is wonderful as Max's little sister. Bette Midler was scary and didn't need much makeup to play a wicked witch. Hocus Pocus is a must-see Halloween film!