Change Your Image
rbrooksie12
Lists
An error has ocurred. Please try againReviews
All in the Family: Mike's Hippie Friends Come to Visit (1971)
Mike's Hippie Friends Come to Visit (#1.7)
In this episode, before asking Archie, Mike decides to invite a couple of his hippie friends, one man and one woman, to spend the night at the Bunker household. Archie upon seeing this becomes furious, and insists that because they are not married, that they would not be allowed to stay in his house. When Archie finally agrees to an arrangement where the men would sleep downstairs, and the women would sleep upstairs, Mike's friends refuse.
The topic in which this episode takes on was a very relevant one considering that Woodstock was only a couple years before. This episode does a great job presenting the conflict between the World War II generation and the Vietnam War generation. Archie, as usual as some very funny lines in this episode. Considering all the episodes of season 1, I would consider this an average episode. It is by no means the funniest episode of the season, yet it is not the worst.
All in the Family: Gloria Has a Belly Full (1971)
Gloria Has a Belly Full (#1.6)
This episode is a primary example of how this great sitcom took serious situations and issues and presented it with a mixture of comedy and drama to create very high-quality episodes. Although this show has its funny moments like the previous five episodes, this is definitely the first episode out of many where "All in the Family" has some very dramatic moments as well.
Gloria and Edith go to the doctor and find out that Gloria is pregnant. Initially, Mike is nervous because he does not know how he and Gloria are going to support the baby because he is still in school and does not have a job. This news does not go over well with Archie, who is already trying to push Mike and Gloria out of his house. As Mike sees Archie get more upset, he decides to quit school, get a job, and move out of the Bunker house.
When asked what the finest sitcom of the 1970's is, there no doubt is a lot of shows to choose from. At that time, there was practically a good sitcom on every night of the week. After a final verdict, I would have to choose "All in the Family". I watched every single episode from beginning to end about five years ago. Now I am starting to watch them all again. However, the second time around, I find that I am appreciating this show more than I did the first time around. This episode in particular shows what great performers each member of the cast was. There is a very dramatic scene towards the end with Archie and Gloria that is wonderfully acted by Carroll O'Connor and Sally Struthers. The comedic highlights from this episode for me is the scene where Lionel comes to visit. Lionel was a recurring character throughout the first couple of years, and was no doubt at his best here in this episode.
All in the Family: Judging Books by Covers (1971)
Judging Books by Covers (#1.5)
This episode is a great example about how the general attitudes of people towards various topics have changed in the past half century. I don't know of a television show that dealt with such controversial topics before "All in the Family" did. This episode, perhaps the best as well as the most famous from season one was one of the first, if not the first episode to deal with attitudes towards gay people.
Mike and Gloria announce to Archie that their friend Roger is spending the afternoon with the Bunkers. This does not go over well with Archie, as he believes that Roger is gay based on his mannerisms and appearance.
If you take a look at this episode, you will see how much the general attitudes towards gay people gradually improved beginning with the generation Mike and Gloria were in. You will see how much the attitudes have changed from what they were in Archie's generation when you watch the episode. The end features one of the best moments not only from season one, but from the entire run of the series. I would say that out of the first five episodes, the best episode of "All in the Family" is this one. The great writing in this episode gives the viewer a perfect look at how during the history of the show, "All in the Family" takes a controversial topic and presents it with humor that allows the audience to enjoy the episode even more, even if they may not agree with some of the things that were said by some of the characters.
All in the Family: Archie Gives Blood (1971)
Archie Gives Blood (#1.4)
This episode of "All in the Family" centers around Mike donating blood for a blood drive. During a game of Monopoly, Mike tries to persuade Archie to go to the drive and donate blood with him. However, Archie is worried that the person who would get his blood will not be the same race as him. Finally, after arguing for a while, Archie decides to go donate blood.
This episode again like "Meet the Bunkers" features a lot of funny lines from Archie, especially during the part of the episode in which the characters play Monopoly. This was a great improvement over the last episode because Edith, who barely had a role in the previous one, has quite a few good moments in which she shines through. Also, Lionel, who we were introduced to in "Meet the Bunkers" has some great moments with Archie during the second half of the episode. Overall, this was a good episode.
All in the Family: Writing the President (1971)
Writing the President (#1.2)
In this episode, Archie finds out that Mike has decided to write a letter to President Nixon criticizing him for being responsible for not doing enough about many of the worlds issues. This angers Archie, as because he is a conservative, Nixon is his favorite president. Archie decides in order to combat Mike's letter of criticism, that he is going to write a letter praising Nixon for his job well done in the White House.
Although this episode features many funny lines, I don't believe this episode as a whole was as funny as the first episode. However, like in the first episode, Edith has some funny moments, particularly one where she keeps interrupting Archie as he is writing his letter. A funny episode, but not as good as the first.
All in the Family: Archie's Aching Back (1971)
Archie's Aching Back (#1.3)
Upon coming home from his work driving the cab, Archie reveals to the rest of the family that he was involved in an accident that was nothing serious. However, after hearing Lionel Jefferson's parents opened up a dry-cleaning store with the money they won in a lawsuit, Archie decides to pretend to be hurt to see if he could receive some money.
This episode so far out of the first three is probably the worst. While Archie has his usual funny prejudiced lines, the other three characters do not really shine as much as they did in the first two episodes of this series. Although this was not a bad episode by any means, it was sure not as funny as "Meet the Bunkers" or "Writing the President" was.
All in the Family: Meet the Bunkers (1971)
Meet the Bunkers (#1.1)
This was the start of "All in the Family", one of the most important and perhaps groundbreaking shows of all-time. It was really one of the first shows to deal with important topics such as rape, bigotry, cancer, mental retardation, homosexuality, menopause, gun control, and many more.
This episode features Gloria and her husband Mike planning a surprise anniversary party for Gloria's parents, Archie and Edith Bunker. Archie right off the bat is introduced as a prejudiced man who clearly views the white man superior to all other races. Because his son-in-law, Mike is a liberal and Archie is a conservative, the two often get into arguments about many of the troubles that were facing the world at the time in which the show was on.
This episode is perhaps one of the best pilots that I've ever seen because it does a great job introducing the characters, yet throughout the course of the series, we see the characters develop. The writing in this episode, like most of the other episodes of this series is great, and all four of the central characters get some good laughs at one point or another.
Dirty Dingus Magee (1970)
Please
Don't watch this. It is such a waste of time. Sinatra was far too old to play in this movie, and a matter of fact, I would say this is by far his worst film. No wonder he only had one more starring role in his movie career. Dean Martin would have been a better actor to cast in this role. Dean featured the natural charm, wit, and humor, that did not come as naturally to Sinatra. Look at Dean and George Kennedy in "Something Big", a western from 1971. Not a bad film. As for George Kennedy, he doesn't do a bad job in this movie, but this plot, which is actually not so ludicrous, is made ludicrous by the unfunny and constantly overly forced humor. I've only given two movies before this a 1/10 on IMDb, and I've reviewed about 300 films, so trust me and skip it, even if you are a die hard Sinatra fan like I am.
Girl Happy (1965)
Brooks--Girl Happy Review
Girl Happy is a nice little movie starring Elvis Presley as Rusty Wells, a nightclub singer hired by Big Frank, a mobster, to watch his daughter, Valerie, who is played by Shelley Fabares.
The movie is nothing special, a usual Elvis Presley movie that is supposed to give us an hour and a half of fun. The movie features a nice soundtrack with Elvis Presley as the lead singer, and if you listen carefully to the soundtrack and follow along with the movie, the soundtrack carries the plot of the film. The movie has its moments and one funny moment in the movie was a part where Rusty is trying to romance a girl even though he is in a romance with Valerie, and he has to keep Valerie out of his motel room well he is romancing this girl.
I rated this the same as Jailhouse Rock, which is another Elvis movie that is perhaps more well-known than this one. I liked the soundtrack of this movie because I felt the songs were well-written and carried the plot of the movie. However unlike Jailhouse Rock, this movie did not require any acting. Any three guys around Elvis' age could have played the parts of Rusty's friends.
Girl Happy is a nice movie featuring silly situations and a good soundtrack. It is nothing special by any means, but manages to deliver an hour and a half of quality entertainment. This movie is highly recommended for any Elvis Presley fan.
The Fugitive (1993)
Brooks--The Fugitive Review
The Fugitive is a great movie based on the 1960s television series of the same name. The performances of both Tommy Lee Jones as Deputy Girard and Harrison Ford as Dr. Richard Kimble are great, but it is Jones who gives the best performance. He well-deservingly won the Best Supporting Actor for 1993 in the Academy Awards that year.
Dr. Richard Kimble is wrongly accused of murdering his wife. He is sent to jail, but when a security guard is stabbed and another one is unconscious, Kimble uses that chance to run away from the law. The great thing about this is that Kimble is not running away to be free, but he is running away to solve the crime. Tommy Lee Jones plays Deputy Samuel Girard who is trying to track down Kimble. He has one run-in with Kimble, but Kimble gets away.
The movie is great, and in my opinion it is one of the best films of 1993. There are however a few things about this film which are ridiculous. First, when Kimble is driving the ambulance and Girard and his men are going after him and they trap him in a tunnel. Despite at least ten marshals going after Kimble, he manages to crawl into the sewer without one of them seeing him. Also, when Kimble is in the sewer and Girard and his men are going after him in the sewer and Girard finds him and has him trapped and Kimble jumps approximately 100 feet off of a dam and survives. I mean come on can this really happen? Also, when Kimble is walking up the street and a woman stops next to him and asks him if he wants a ride. Would you go up to a stranger and ask for a ride? These things are minor things and would not affect your viewing on the film, but these are things that you stop and ask yourself can this really happen? This is a great movie and if you have never seen this movie and are fans of Ford and Jones or action films I encourage you to check out.
Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine (1965)
Brooks--Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine Review
This movie has only a few positive things about it. It is fun, very original, and The Supremes sing the title song. That is about it.
Vincent Price plays Dr. Goldfoot, a mad scientist who creates robots to go seduce rich guys and get their money. Frankie Avalon plays Craig Gamble, and Dwayne Hickman plays Todd Armstrong, a victim of one of Dr. Goldfoot's robots, and together they go and investigate Dr. Goldfoot's plant.
The movie is fun and original but by no means is it good. When the viewer is done watching the movie, he/she has nothing to wonder, or nothing to ask him/herself. It would appear by watching this that the directors/producers did not aim to make this movie good or memorable, but they aimed to make this 88 minutes of fun. When you ask somebody to name some good films from the 1960s, Dr. Goldfoot and the Bikini Machine does not come anywhere close to making that list. It might serve as nostalgia to some, but to younger people, I would encourage you to stay away from this one unless you are a fan of silly 1960s screwball comedies.
Taxi Driver (1976)
Brooks--Taxi Driver Review
Taxi Driver was the film that made actor Robert De Niro, director Martin Scorsese, and screenwriter Paul Schrader household names. This film is a trip into one mans hell. The movie stars Robert De Niro as lonely ex-marine Travis Bickle. The movie takes place in New York, and the movie seems to act like a character. Right as the film opens as we see a cab drive through clouds and hear Bernard Hermann's wonderful score we know this movie will be a dark film.
About twenty minutes into the movie, Travis meets Betsy (who is played by Cybill Sheperd). Travis is immediately attracted to Betsy and makes a great effort to be his girlfriend. Betsy plays a very key role in this movie because she is the one woman in Travis' life who he is close to, and even though she obviously doesn't want to be close to him, makes a heavy effort for her to be close to him.
About forty-five minutes into the movie we meet Iris (who is played wonderfully by 12 year old Jodie Foster). When we meet Iris it is kind of a surprise, her walking in front of Travis' cab forcing Travis to slam on the breaks and right as he does this, Bernard Hermann's great score comes in. It is a jumpy moment and a strange way to introduce her as a character, yet this brief encounter makes Travis learn more about her.
The ending is wonderfully done by filmmaker Martin Scorsese and Special Makeup Artist Dick Smith. It is a wonderful yet dark movie that will disturb some. De Niro gives a great performance in his second out of eight team-ups with Scorsese. A landmark in cinema and an unforgettable movie experience will make you want to watch this again. An important film. 10/10.
The Boston Strangler (1968)
Brooks--The Boston Strangler Review
The Boston Strangler was perhaps one of the most dangerous serial killers in American history. The Boston Strangler stars Tony Curtis in a career best performance as Albert DeSalvo and co-stars Henry Fonda as John S. Bottomly, and George Kennedy as Detective Phil DiNatale. All the acting performances are wonderful but the performance by Tony Curtis stands out.
One thing that a lot of people do not like about the film is the split screen camera that is present in this film. There are times where they show for example DeSalvo knocking on the door on the left side then on the right side they show a woman reacting to the door being knocked on. This is not distracting but it starts to get distracting when four or five different images are being shown because it is hard to concentrate on all of them at once.
This is a great film for anybody that are fans of Curtis, Fonda, or Kennedy, or a great film for anybody interested in serial killer biographies. However I wished there was more. It felt as if the film were missing something. After watching this film, you can assume that DeSalvo was guilty but he was never tried for the murders nor imprisoned for the Boston Strangler murders. I wish this film mentioned The "Green Man" rapes, which DeSalvo was actually sentenced to life in prison for. All in all this was a great film and I enjoyed it. The portrayal of Albert DeSalvo by Tony Curtis is not one that you will want to miss if you are a fan of him. It is a career performance and deserves recognition that he didn't get. I encourage you to see this film!
Casino (1995)
Brooks---Casino Review
Casino is one of the best films made by Martin Scorsese. Casino reunited Scorsese with Robert DeNiro, Joe Pesci, and Frank Vincent. Casino tells the tale of Sam "Ace" Rothstein (DeNiro) a New York bookie and his pal, Nicky Santoro (Pesci) who move out to Las Vegas and create an empire. However ones money hungry wife (Stone) helps to bring it down.
The first third of this film features almost constant narrations from Ace and Nicky. These narrations play a great role in the film because it takes you far in depth to Ace and Nicky's Las Vegas operation.
To those of you who really enjoyed Scorsese's 1990 film "GoodFellas" there is no doubt in my mind that you will enjoy this film. It features Joe Pesci playing almost the same character he played in "GoodFellas". This film also features Sharon Stone, who was nominated for an academy award as hooker Ginger McKenna. The film also features Frank Vincent as Frank Marino, Kevin Pollak as Phillip Green, James Woods as Lester Diamond, and Don Rickles as casino manager Billy Sherbert. If you are a big fan of Scorsese, DeNiro, or Pesci you will no doubt enjoy this film. This film deserves a 10/10 rating and is a must watch for any DeNiro, Pesci, Scorsese, or mob movie fan who has never seen this movie.
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Brooks--Saturday Night Fever Review
Saturday Night Fever is no doubt a film that paints a portrait of what the urban setting in the 1970's was like. Issues of the 1970's, such as homophobia, rape, and suicide are present in this film. However, this makes the film better because it paints a portrait of the 1970's. As soon as the film opens and you see John Travolta strutting down the street, you know that this picture has something. Travolta portrays Tony Manero, a nineteen year old boy who works a dead end job at a paint store. He goes home and continues his dead end life because he fights with his family, especially his father, who is unemployed. When Tony is not fighting with his parents or working at the paint store, on Saturday Nights, he forgets his weekday boredom and is the hotshot dancer at the 2001 Odyssey Discotheque. While he is there, Tony sees a girl who lights up the dance floor just as he does. Tony eventually meets this girl, Stephanie Mangano (Karen Lynn Gorney). Tony finds out that Stephanie is a person totally the opposite of him. Stephanie is smart, mature, and hard-working. While Stephanie eventually accepts Tony's friendship, and tells Tony that she will be his partner in the dance contest at the 2001 Odyssey, she stresses that they will not be more than friends.
A critical character in this film is Annette, who is played by Donna Pescow. Annette is a girl who will do anything to be liked by Tony and the guys in his group. Tony's friends (Joseph Cali, Paul Pape, Bruce Ornstein, and Barry Miller) are like Tony. They are immature and crude.
I will not reveal the end to the film because it is a must-watch to anybody of any age who has not seen it. Travolta displays his best acting performance of his career in his first major film of his career. Even though there is a lot of crude content in this film, what you will remember is John Travolta lighting up the dance floor in his legendary white polyester suit. This film deserves a rating of 10/10 and is a must watch for anybody who has never seen the film!