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AzRanger
Reviews
Nine Innings from Ground Zero (2004)
And if the Yankees had won the World Series...
...could the renewed strength and spirit that all New Yorkers felt possibly have gone even higher? It's doubtful. The city had already reached a zenith when the Yankees took all three home games during the series. What had started as continued mourning at the beginning of the series did indeed change to hope and cheering and even happiness for the people of New York. It was just what they needed. Just what the doctor ordered.
I loved the advice Derek Jeter had for George W. who was to throw out the first pitch for their home game... You can't stand in front of the mound... they'll boo you. And don't bounce it in... or they'll boo you. Left Dubba feeling a little insecure, but he did just fine with the pitch, after all.
And I didn't know that one of the umpires was really a secret-service agent. Not during the game, of course, just during the opening pitch.
This documentary is just short enough to have kept me interested. It flashes into new subjects quickly and tries to give a piece of information about everything. The world series is background for everything else presented. It contains no mushiness, no pro-America propaganda, not even any anti-terrorist themes... it just shows us how that world series was able to change the feelings of us all. To help us mend.
Scarecrow (1973)
Interesting - How this movie fits between "The Godfather" and "Serpico".
While `The Godfather' was not Al's first movie (it's his third), it's certainly the one that gave everyone their first look and feel of his talent. Then he made `Scarecrow'. At the start, we see him as a young drifter who immediately shares with Gene his attitude of humor as the way to take on life. I thought: Hey, he's giving himself a break from the very structured character he played in `The Godfather' and is going to have some fun in this movie. Well, as this movie goes on, we see that humor fading away, forced from him by some bad interactions with others. 'Course, about this same time, Gene finally grabs the humor bug that Al's character has been trying to get him to catch, so he's having fun now, right? So, did Al get a break from playing the serious character? No, so what's he do next? - He makes `Serpico'. What a downer. I'm not knocking that great movie, just saying that his character plays an extremely serious cop forced into awful situations. It's just that I was hoping, as `Scarecrow' started out, that I was watching the kind of movie that actor's enjoy making simply so they can have fun (they're entitled, aren't they?), but nope, the seriousness is all there. Still, it's interesting the order these three fall into, within a year of each other. If you're like most people (me included), you missed this one when it first came out. Watch it now. It's well worth it.
Chisum (1970)
John Chisum Meets Billy `The Kid'
As much as I like this movie
what its storyline does, especially as it gets further along, is simply to re-tell the story of Billy `The Kid' Bonney. It supposed to take place after Chisum has made that famous cattle-drive and shows the start of the Lincoln County war. Towards the end, the battle between Chisum and Murphy (the war) is completely set aside and we end up seeing all the same things happen to Billy that we've already seen in all the other movies about him, i.e., his relationship with Tunstall, meeting Pat Garrett and becoming friends (at first, then their falling out, well, kinda), him getting revenge on everybody, and the ol' shootout at McSween's store. The movie alters history in some interesting ways, though, like instead of the U.S. Army helping the sheriff (a fictitious character that replaces Brady) during the McSween's store shootout, Chisum becomes the cavalry and he and Pat Garrett help Billy out. The movie ends rather abruptly, never letting us know what happens to Chisum, Billy or the Lincoln County war.
The King's Guard (2000)
You Know It's Good When
when you can tell the actors are having fun! This movie was a real pleasure to watch. It reminded me of the original Saturday Night Live show where the actors literally lived their roles and didn't care about trying to outdo each other hoping to get noticed and move on to (supposedly) bigger things. The only exception was the character Talbert (Eric Roberts) who didn't fit in with the plain and simple fun that everyone else was having in this film. While all were enjoying their parts, he acted like he just wanted to get it over with and hammed it up every chance he got. His lines came out stiff and forced. Example: after he killed Lord Morton (Ron Perlman) and took command of the bad guys he made this awful speech trying to rally the troops. No heart in it at all. Because of him I gave it 9/10.
Popeye (1980)
Cartoon to movie - Perfectly!
By far, the best ever remake of a popular cartoon into a live action movie! I saw all the favorite parts of the cartoon I grew up with immortalized in this movie. `I would gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.' I gave it a 10!
Spawn (1997)
Fantastic (Large Screen) Visual Effects!
Especially the scene where Clown "John Leguizamo" loses his head and gradually disintegrates in bright green segments of ooze. The creators didn't hold anything back in the way the visual scenes impacted each bit of action. However, I'm really surprised at all the "1" votes this movie got. I mean, c'mon folks, it's based on a 'comic book'! Were these people looking for a plot that would make Alfred Hitchcock proud? Then why would they turn to (and obviously watch the WHOLE thing) a movie with the name of "Spawn".
Retroactive (1997)
You Won't Leave Your Seat!
I didn't! This movie is truly non-stop action, with the possible exception of during Frank's belt buckle joke. I can watch this movie everytime it's on. I remember it coming on once while I was visiting some peoples house and someone was passing through the living room just as it started, they stopped there, staring and didn't move from that spot until the credits rolled. This movie just keeps pulling you in, deeper and deeper, making you wonder where it's going to go next with all the twists and turns. Even with these plot twists and inside out/upside down turns, it's easy to stay up with what's going on.
Perfect Assassins (1998)
I Watched It Until The Helicopter Saved The Pickup...
...from the train, and almost all the way through the part where Ben (Andrew McCarthy, playing the FBI agent) is telling Billy's (Aaron Lohr, playing the really bad guy) sister (Portia de Rossi, playing the sister) about his mom dying because he was put in a room with an electric doorknob. Now, this was my second time viewing the movie. The first time it was on I wasn't able to pay much attention to it, but was able to catch the premise, and I made a mental note to watch it again and pay attention. Big mistake! Sure, it starts out OK, but when Billy's sister gets in there, it becomes completely implausible. In a matter of minutes we get... 1) FBI agent enters secure room to interview really bad guy and sister just walks in. 2) FBI agent gets in a pushing match with sister, totally ignores really bad guy, who escapes. 3) FBI agent jumps into car to chase really bad guy and sister gets in the back. 4) FBI agent gets into helicopter to chase really bad guy and sister gets in it. 5) FBI agent has a choice, chase running really bad guy or help fellow agent stuck in truck on railroad tracks with train coming. Sister says screw fellow agent and chase really bad guy.
The Collectors (1999)
They're So Smooth, You WANT Them To Get Away!
The on-screen interactions between Casper Van Dien and Rick Fox (I) are natural and unrehearsed. Their characters literally flow through the dialog. I wonder if they are close friends off screen, for them to make this movie look so easy. Now, I don't know if real 'Collector's' work like they portrayed the parts, but I bet they wish they did. It would undoubtedly make their job much easier.
I started out just turning to the channel for some background entertainment while I worked on a computer project. Well, the computer project didn't even get started because I stayed focused on this movie throughout. I gave it a nine, because I like to see movies where the actors/actresses don't look like they're trying hard, but instead, look like they are enjoying making it.
Family of Cops III: Under Suspicion (1999)
Sorry Charlie...
The Apollo Movie Guide was right. Since I hadn't seen the first two, I was lost during this one, but Blockbuster still has that "30-Rental's, $30" special running and I saw a title I'd never heard of, saw it starred one of my favorite actors (Bronson), so I picked it up.
Within the first few minutes I realized that this was not the Charles Bronson I knew. I really hope not to insult an icon I highly respect, but all I could think of was how the same thing had happened to Rutger Hauer (in "Tactical Assault"). Where had the lean, athletic, handsome, complex, and versatile man gone? Marlon Brando also came to mind for the same reasons. I know people do get older, but Charles seemed to be struggling to get out each and every line and his movements seemed slow and cautious, like he was afraid he'd fall and break. There wasn't even the slightest bit of the fire that has burned in him in every movie he's done since 1951. It hurt me to see him this way. In the same age group is Clint Eastwood. Now, he is visibly aged, but the edge is still there as evidenced in "Space Cowboys".
What has happened, Charlie? Will this be your last movie? Can you ever be Paul Kersey again? I sincerely hope so.
The Beast (1988)
Starz! vs. A&E? Subtitles?
Which version would you prefer to see? The one on Starz! that has subtitles for the Mujahadeen, or the one shown on A&E that did not. The first time I saw this film (1998, rented) it had the subtitles. Last year, I saw it was going to be on premium TV (A&E) and looked forward to watching it again! What a disappointment! The movie was shown without the Afghans dialog being subtitled. Sure, it was easy to understand what the actors were conveying with "RPG Kaput", "RPG Kaboom Tank!", or watching them move rocks around on the hilltop showing the tank dead-ended...but all the character development of the new Khan was lost. And the religious objectives; and their reason for letting the abandoned tanker live? This movie is much better with the subtitles, as Starz! is proving right now.
Wild Grizzly (1999)
Not Bad For a (Gasp!) Made-For-TV Movie
I'll usually just flip right by a movie when I see that it's "Made-For-TV". But this one kept my interest from start to finish. I had to see how the star (the grizzly bear) was going to end up. Everyone and everything was against her, except for the new boy in town, Josh (Riley Smith). He got the chance to help her through a job with the park rangers and within 30 seconds (and the internet) he figured out why the bear was so mean and set out to help her. The really unbelievable part of this movie was the interaction between Josh and a local girl, Terry (Courtney Peldon). She was sweet, charming and polite, but poor Josh took all his anger, about having to move to a strange town and the recent death of his father, out on her every time she came near him. The amount of abuse he laid on her, and the fact that she kept coming back for more was just plain too much to make that part of the movie anywhere near believable. I guess the writer, director, or someone in charge of the script hasn't got a clue about how real teenagers interact. That person needs to get out of the singles bars where rejection is a way of life and volunteer with the boy scouts, be a big brother or something to get back in touch with teenagers.
Simon Sez (1999)
An enjoyable Dennis Rodman film.
Shows him as he wants to be shown. Realistic motorcycle stunts and the action fighting showed his superior physical ability. The cool electronic gadgets, like the surveillance fly. Kept my interest throughout. Sidekicks behaved as they're supposed to, supported the star, didn't steal the show with the exception of Dane Cook, but he was the costar. I believe that the poor reviews were caused by Dane Cook's often vulgar displays of idiocy throughout the movie. It would appear his idol is either Jim Carrey or Adam Sandler. The only 'silly' parts were with Micro (Ricky Harris) and Macro (John Pinette), overall there was a serious 'let's get the job done' attitude. I didn't watch this movie expecting a '007' type of film, but that's closest to what it turned out to be, with the seemingly unrelated subplots and character introductions that appeared to have no ties, but as the movie progressed their purposes and relations were revealed. And we've seen movies where the lead is opposed by an ex-love interest (Emma Sjoberg) and later they wind up back together. I give it an '8' for being and doing what it was meant to be and do.
Looking for Mr. Goodbar (1977)
That's the way it was.
This movie does an excellent job of showing just how it was, at that time, in the location it's portrayed in. Most of you were never there. Or, if you were, you're just now 42 years old, female, and grew up in an urban city (American) location. The (real) average girl of that time only knew enough to look, listen and (maybe, if lucky) partake. Diane Keaton successfully played the part of a maturing women (17-20) who wanted to know what the world was hiding. In 1977 no one had VCR's, cable TV or passes to the corner adult theater. The only way to see the world was to get into it a little bit at a time. Starting with a teacher was as good a way as any.