Change Your Image
loujg-241-81969
Reviews
Citizen Kane (1941)
Doesn't hold up well
I have never seen this movie until now. I always heard it was one of the best movies, if not THE best movie ever made, so I finally decided to check it out.
The story line itself is rather weak and nearly two hours of flashbacks to determine what his dying word meant makes the entire picture drag on.
The acting is not very good aside from Welles and the rapid pacing of the dialogue is of its time but does not age well after 80 years.
I will say the cinematography is very good but the only interesting part is the last 10 seconds and sitting thru two hours to get there was difficult.
Nightmare Alley (2021)
Not worth the wait
The story just plods along without any tense moments until the last half hour and even then, there's no shock factor. How this was nominated for Best Picture is a mystery to me.
The Wonder Years (1988)
Teenage nostalgia for any era
Watching The Wonder Years makes you long for a simpler, more innocent time. We all experienced the middle and high school issues that Kevin faced at one time or another.
The producers did a great job with the period music, decor and issues. However, one thing was overlooked. Wardrobe. The majority of actors wore modern day clothing 80's/90's and didn't really have 60's/70's hair styles, either. Young girls (and boys for that matter) didn't wear tapered jeans in 1970. Bell bottoms were all the rage in the early 70's. The only character to wear period clothing is Karen, the resident hippie.
It's too bad some of the music, including the opening theme, has been replaced on DVDs and streaming. Publishing companies strike again.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Disaster (1991)
The Enterprise Adventure
As a fan of the original Poseidon Adventure, this episode was thoroughly enjoyable. It had all the hallmarks of that movie. Survival tactics, disagreements, comedic moments and great interaction. This could have easily been a two-part episode to flesh out how they recovered and regained control of the ship.
The Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (2020)
Very good documentary, but what did it miss?
There have been many documentaries over the years on The Bee Gees which all contain their own special moments. This latest entry will be known amongst fans for containing the most unseen footage of the band at home and at work (studio footage from 1976 is rather amusing).
The majority of the film concentrates on their classic era of 1967 through 1979 and it does a very good job at discussing things that other docs didn't. But there are some disappointments as well. In order to tell the story of a band that existed for nearly 40 years, some things will be missed, such as the Cucumber Castle TV movie, the mention of several albums including an entire unreleased album from 1973 (Barry does speak of two dismal albums from that time but that's it), unseen footage from their 1976 tour, the Sgt Pepper movie (which is not really missed), the all-star UNICEF concert they organized (big omission) and their post 1980 career as The Bee Gees missing hits like You Win Again, One and Alone.
My biggest complaint is how their most successful album and tour were juxtaposed with the events from Chicago led by a radio DJ. Too much credence was given to an embarrassing event that should be long forgotten. No mention of six straight number one singles that tied The Beatles record which led to the hottest concert tour since The Fab Four. It was overshadowed by negativity. Yes it happened, but it shouldn't dominate the story.
All in all, it's a must see for fans but it's not the definitive biography, which has yet to be made.
Star Trek: The Next Generation: Remember Me (1990)
Star Trek meets The Twilight Zone
Dr. Beverly Crusher enters an alternate reality thanks to her son's experiment gone awry. This theme was explored several times by Rod Serling on The Twilight Zone. Space travel was a common theme on TZ and this episode could have easily been one of TZ episodes.
Seinfeld: The Merv Griffin Show (1997)
Beyond ridiculous
This is, by far, my least favorite episode of Seinfeld. The series was always praised for the comedy of everyday situations that we can all relate to, but this episode contains some of the most outlandish circumstances the cast ever encountered. The whole story with George and his girlfriend trying to save a squirrel is just stupid. Why would George continue to date this girl who is making his life miserable when he keeps reminded Jerry that "he's getting' nothing"? Jerry's attempt at playing with his girlfriend's toy collection is so lame that even Seinfeld's childish act can't save this script. Elaine's "sideler" sub-plot wasn't bad, since that is something many people can relate to. As silly as this episode is, Kramer's fantasy talk show with the Merv Griffin set does give us a few classic moments when Newman joins the 'show' and they introduce and new format: "Scandals and animals". Having Jim Fowler make a cameo in the final moments further pushes the bounds of absurdity. Would he really go to a residential apartment building thinking it was a television show? And then stay when he sees its only a figment of Kramer's imagination?