sandra836 Reviews

Mandingo (1975)

I thought I was going to like this movie

[7 January 2002]

I learned about this movie by going to this website. I had wanted to see it afterward. I read the reviews, crtics especially said it was trashy, racist, and offensive. I let it go with a shrug of a shoulder, thinking that they were just being overly critical like critics usually do. But this time, I have to believe them! :( This movie SUCKS. I purchased it about 6 weeks ago. Whoever said it should be taught in the school system should have their head examined. The acting was over the top. And straight out horrid. Especially George. She goes over the top with her acting, it's funny. The only person that did good was Mason. It's just that the whole idea that EVERY black woman was used as a bedwarmer is just a little over-the-top and far-fetched. There is also senseless nudity. There were parts in which the women did not have to be nude. I truly believe that ---because this is the seventies---that this is porn disguised as a slave movie. They are just explotiong slavery, using it as an excuse. If you purchase this movie, you will regret that you did, as I did. You will also feel guilty for even watching this. As I did. (Believe me, I've been there. I thought critics who bashed this movie were just hatin'. But they were right. Take it from someone who's been there.) All the characters are annoying, especially the old mans' son and his crybaby wench. He is such a dolt. He aggrivates me. DUMB/OFFENSIVE/UNINTENTIONALLY FUNNY QUOTES/SCENES IN THIS MOVIE:(they should of had them in the memorable quotes section!)

[Hammond and Blanche at at their honeymoon.] Blanche: What do we do now? Hammond: Well I do not know. With the wench I'd know, but with the white lady.....

Hammond: I reckon we gotta remove some clothin'!

Hammond:[To Blanche] You sure are a strange kind of white lady.

[Hammond's cousin Charles starts taking out a whip, strips a slave girl of her clothing and starts whipping her for no reason.This scene is senseless.]

[Hammond is at a house of prostitution when he is supposed to be at his honeymoon. Also senseless.]

Hammond:She's gonna be muh bed wench. [Ellen, the "wench" smiles contendedly.]

[Hammond tells Ellen if she wants to go, instead of have sex with him, she says:] Ellen: No, massa. I wanna please you. (I'm sorry but if I read history correctly,slave women did whatever they could to STAY AWAY from massas bed! The fact that she was all willing was all to fake!)

Hammond:[To Blanche]You think I don't know a virgin when I sleeps with one and pleasures?!

0/10.(Sigh.)

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman (1974 TV Movie)

Good Film

[19 September 2001]

This film is very rare to find. I saw it with a friend at her house. The picture looks very old, looks like it was made a thousand years ago, but I just found out it was made in 1974. This is a very good film. It tells the tale about an ex-slave woman named Jane Pittman who is 110 years old; at the time it was 1962 Louisiana, so she must have been born around the 1850s. She is as black as night and coal, and her skin is mighty wrinkled. It's hard to believe they put make up on her, I assumed the woman who played her would be long dead by now, but she isn't. The woman playing her is Cicely Tyson, (who was about 30-something at the time) who also played "Harriet Tubman" four years later. She tells a New York reporter about her life as a slave and when she turned eleven in 1865, all the slaves were set free. Whoever played young Jane did an excellent job as the bold, sad looking waif girl. Jane Pittman narrates this story sitting down in a chair. It has flashbacks, such as if she'd be telling one incident in her life that happened long ago and then they'd go back to that incident, then the screen would black and and go back to her sitting on the chair with her black, coal self. Good script, acting, everyone did well, underrated, it should show on TV and have people know of this movie, but oh well.

Jeepers Creepers (2001)

Stupid and so Predictable **ALL THE WAY SPOILERS-DON'T READ THIS IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE SPOILED!**

[3 September 2001]

SPOILERS WARNING!_________________________________I'M WARNING YOU!-___________I just saw it! (I'M WARNING YOU!!)))))))_____SPOILERS!____For some reason I knew this was going to be a non-scary, typical, boring piece of soap right from the begining when the two friends are driving in the car. Jeepers Creepers---what a predictable and dumb movie! First of all it's not scary, and the whole movie is just melodramatic. Every second there's predictable trouble--like for one, they try to drive away from the monster who eats people------but then-------the car won't start! Oh my, god! How original! I'm so scared! (Sarcasm) Can you spell "YAWN?" Second of all, what the hell was the Trish girl running in the car for? I mean, firstly, she sees that deadly brown truck that's always coming after them one night, so she jumps right into the car! The stupid broad KNOWS that the car has trouble starting---so what the hell is she doing going in the car for? And the big, ugly, scary- monster- coming- after-people-eating-your-flesh--because-they-need-it-for-whatever is quite cliched. It goes back to Freddie Crougar, for god's sake!

And why in holy Hell did that monster have wings?



WHY?

All I'm saying is, people, if you think a scary movie is going to be corny, it most likely is. ESPECIALLY a scary movie. Don't waste your money to see this. Especially if you have a feeling that this is gonna be cornbread. ESPECIALLY for those who are tired of that scary movie sterotype---don't see this garbage!

a fifth of a * out of four stars.

S Club 7 in Miami (1999–2000)

What the hell?

[31 August 2001]

This has got to a be one of the most fatuous shows on television. This show is all about 7 members from Merry Old England trying to hit it big in the USA. I mean, okay, grant that it has some funny moments and everything, but sometimes when the people talk, I can't even understand there articulation! Even sometimes when they begin a sentence , I don't get what is at the end of it ;so at the end before a break if they say a smart-aleck line, I can't even understand it, so I don't even know what they're saying because of their heavy english accents! People who have watched it know what I'm talking about. Example: (Not to say this quote was actually in the show, but they talk exactly like that!) `Teee-nu---w'yon't yu' he'v the lo' 'f it now!' See people! Things that are also not so funny is how they treat the black guy, Bradley. His character is so racist and stereotyped. He's the black guy who is cocky and egotistic---, he the only one that raps in the songs, he's stupid, not too bright and foolish and the most ridiculed. And all the other white S Club 7 members patronize him on a daily basis. He also druels over and flirts with every white girl he sees. I guess that's what everyone expects of him. My summary Is that this show is dumb. The songs are dumb and are just as unoriginal as the other teeny-bobber songs out there. Either like it or you don't. Well, tah-tah and crumpets!

Watermelon Contest (1896)

Disturbing--but that's what it was like back then.

[7 August 2001]

It is in black and white. Short. About 13 seconds.Four black men participate in a watermelon contest---I guess there trying to see who'll win. This short film is disturbing. It's how they eat the damn fruit. Especially the man in front (who irritates me more than the rest) is chewing on his watermelon so savagely and lustfully you'd think there was no tomorow. The black man in the far right corner is laughing and smiling. The dipiction that African Americans love watermelon and that people are laughing about it--is just.... real disturbing! Also, I want to know why the hell these men offered to do it? Why they wanted to be ridiculed? For the money? That's sad. But that's what it was like back then.What really bugs me is that this short clip was intended to be a comedy----to be fun. But like I said, that's what it was like back then in the 19th century and that's the way it always was.

A Nigger in the Woodpile (1904)

It could have been funny if they didn't use "black" people...

[7 August 2001]

........But maybe I'm being too touchy. Filmed in black and white, about 10 seconds, this is about a man dressed in blackface. (For those who don't know, BLACKFACE is a term used for white actors who painted their faces black. They then do skits or act in short films that are usually racist and stereotypical towards black people, that's why I put quotation marks around the word "black". They weren't even black!) He steals a woodpile(whatever the hell a woodpile is---probably a pile of wood) from some farm. There then is a big explosion. A black lady(most likely in blackface too)comes out and she seems to be yelling or something. Then, some white farmer guy comes out, and thanks to the after math of the explosion, he catches the black man that stole the woodpile. Why was it necessary for them to use a black person? They could have used white people! But you know what, for it's time, it was pretty good----with the fake explosion and whatnot. But I still think caucasoid actors could have been used.

Dancing Darkey Boy (1897)

Allllrighty then!

[7 August 2001]

"Dancing Darkey Boy" was what I saw on the internet. It's very short, about ten seconds. I did not hear sound. It is in black and white. There are people all around a table [all white] and they are clapping to a young black boy dancing on a table. Don't hate me people, but I see nothing racist about this short movie--(I don't know what else to call this) except the name."Dancing Darkey" Well, I would see how it would be racist because of his dance moves. He dances like some kind of hillbilly ----- and he's laughing and smiling while dancing on the table.The white people behind him are smiling and clapping for him as well. I guess having a black boy dance the way he does would be racist as the producers who directed it are assuming that all negroes dance like that. But then again, this was filmed in 1897! Of course it's gonna be racist. I think people should see it for a good history lesson. It would only be 10 seconds of their time. It would really teach them how afro americans were treated in the classic days of the movie theater.

Do the Right Thing (1989)

Y'all better "do the right thing" and see this movie!

[7 August 2001]

Do the right thing is a 1989 movie. It couldn't be more dated. The techincolor style is so old. And the sayings and clothes and the music are old too. But that's what makes it a classic. I saw this movie on the FX and Bravo channel. Mookie, a black guy, is a guy who works at Sal's Pizzeria, an Italian store. Mookie has a go-nowhere job as a pizza delivery boy. Pino and Vito are his sons. Pino is the older, racist son. He seems pretty decent at first----pretty-------but then his racism develops as the time goes on, but then on the other hand,all his favorite persons are black. I believe Mookie when he says he wishes he was black. Mookie: "Who's your favorite athlete?" Pino: "Magic Johnson." Mookie: "Favorite actor?" Pino: "Eddie Murphy." Mookie: "Your hair is kinkier than mine. And you know what they say about dark Italians. You wish you were black." Coincidence. I think not. I think people who love/hate blacks wish they were black themselves. Especially if everyone they admire is black, and set their hair to look black themselves. Vito is the decent, younger son. His face is hideous but he's a pretty nice guy. He's friends with Mookie and everything. Sal---he's very mysterious. I mean, it appears that he's decent since he considers Mookie his son, but then the way he talks to Buggin' Out (Mookie's friend) is inacceptable. Buggin' Out: "Why don't you put some brothas up on that wall!" Says he when he sees there are only Italians up on Sal's "Wall of Fame" Sal: "Hey, when you have your own store, you can put up all the brothers, sisters, neices, and nephews you want. But this is my store."

As the movie goes on, people become less tolerant. Sal seems to get more bitter towards black men by the day, but when Mookie sister Jade, a black woman, comes in the store. He goes blank as if he's been flashed by a ray. He falls for her like a sack of bricks, and Mookie dosen't like it one bit. "Stay away from my sister," he says. Story lines good: Actings good: Except for Spike Lee, for he, like in Jungle Fever, says words out of his mouth but he has no expression. Everyone else did great. Especially John Turturo and Danny Aielo. Go see it. Buy it at a store or look for in in the Bravo or FX channel. That's what I did. And I can't wait to see it again!

Pocahontas (I) (1995)

One of My Favorite Disney Movies Of All Time

[6 August 2001]

When I bought Lion King in 1994, and saw the Pocahontas Movie commercial, I really really hated her. When her commercial came up, I fast forwarded it all the time. Then, a year later, I was hooked like hell! I wanted to get the movie very badly! When I got it finally in April 1996, I was hooked like holy hell! The plots just beautiful and the songs are incredible, I'd hum them and sing them in my head all the time. The eighth time I saw it late at night, I cried, and believe me, I am NOT one to cry. It is about a beautiful Indian princess by the name of Pocahontas who falls for an English white sailor named John Smith. They fall for each other and admire each others' culture. Especially John Smith, who is dazed at Pocahontas' long hair and "copper skin" and exotic Native American culture. (I guess it's because he's so white) And Pocahontas seems dazzled at the English culture. It is kind of like Jungle Fever (in which I also commented on, just click on my name), but less sexual and the "victims" of the "fever" are more "in depth" with each other. Anyway, five years later, I still think it's a lovely movie, but now I'm more grown, and I grew out of it.The plot just seems less lovely and more sappy and sentimental, but when I was 10 I loved it! It will always be my favorite movie, though. I read her biography and I know that the movie couldn't be more off in accuracy. First of all, Pocahontas was only eleven when she met John Smith. He was an old raggedy man with red hair. They were not lovers, John Smith was her honorary brother. When she was barely 21 she married John Rolfe and moved to England. They had a baby boy named Thomas, she died at 21 But still, I understand they had to make it Disney material for the children. And the plot is definetly meant for children. Five years ago I would have given it an 11 on a scale of 1 to 10. Now I'd give it about a 7 or 8. Go see it!

Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)

Funny story with a lot of clever lines

[6 August 2001]

This movie I saw on TV. It is the autobiography of Bruce Lee, a Chinese born-American karate man and actor. I had no idea that Bruce had to struggle through racism, even though that sounds a little naïve of me. I always thought Bruce Lee was just some judo Guy just doing KOONG FU!; but he was more than that. He was a man that just wanted to be accepted in American society-but since He was so suppressed by the racism of the whites, he couldn't.

Also this movie has a lot of smart aleck remarks-----just read the `memorable quote' section, and there's plenty more Where that came from. The acting is good, I give all the actors---Jason, Lauren----two thumbs up. The plot, however just seemed inadequate to me, but that's just my opinion. I give it a 7/10 only because I felt the movie maybe should have had more on the guy, and because of all the factual errors this movie caused. Like for one, Bruce Lee in the movie said that `Linda---you are my inspiration'(meaning opening up his integrated karate store) when in reality he had already opened it up and Linda had nothing to do with it. There are plenty more errors also. Too see them, go to the `Goofs' section. This movie is recommended to all those Bruce Lee fans out there, although I still feel the movie should have been more sufficient and accurate, but I definitely recommend it for the action and fighting scenes. KOONG FU fans who admire Bruce Lee and couldn't care less about how `Sufficient' it is should definitely see it. Worth watching twice.

A Bronx Tale (1993)

My analysis on "A Bronx Tale"

[4 August 2001]

I only knew about the Bronx Tale by going to this website and reading about it. I've really wanted to see the film after. There were some good reviews, and some not-so good reviews, but I wanted to see for myself. I personally found this to be a very good movie. The cast is Francis Capra, (Who plays Calogero when he is nine), Chazz Palmeterri;I'm sorry if I spelled it wrong but this is a long name!; who plays Sonny, the mob boss, the guy that "owns" the town, Lillo Brancato, who plays the seventeen year old Calogero Annelo,Taral Hicks, who plays Calogero's colored love interest, the nice, but bad-acting Jane Williams, and Robert De Niro, who plays Calogero's father, who is a bus driver. And Katherine,(I forgot the actresses' name) who plays the mother.

This is a film all about a boy named Calogero Anello, who is caught between two worlds. Sonny, the guy he looks up to, and his father, the guy he dosen't look up to that much. You could tell he was kind of ashamed of his father. THE FATHER: "My mother and father came to this country with nuthin'" CALOGERO: "And they died with nuthin'! We ain't gotta a cah, man. Don't blame me cus your a bus drivah. The workin' guy is the suckah." He respects Sonny, a guy who works in the mafia. Sonny is very insecure, to me. He dosen't trust anyone. But he is very fond of Calogero. "Fu** those guys. They're not your friend. I'm your friend," Sonny says.

Calogero cuts school sometimes to smoke with his friends and holler at hott italian girls. (Well not him, his friends.) When they see a car filled with blacks pass by, his friends get mad. Especially one in particular called "Slick" ("What the fu**! What th fu**! What the fu** ah these motherfu**ing nigg** doin' in our neighboorhood!) "Why don't you leave them alone?" Calogero says. "They ain't botherin' nobody." "The fu**ing bothering me!" "They ain't botherin' me!" In the black neighboorhood, it's basically the same, one of the black kids see Calogero, throw and objectile at him, and call him a "white motherfuc****" In the midst of all this chaos, he meets a black chick on his bus who you can tell he's in love by the way he stares at her all blankly and hazy at her. He is in love with her. His friends don't know about it,thank god, he only tells Sonny. Who seems the only other tolerant person in the movie. He assures him that when Calogero and the "colored broad" are together, under the covers, that's all that will matter." There is no sex between them or anything, but they do kiss twice, with tongue.

I've read the other comments and news reviews and they've stated that lillo brancato(the boy who plays the grown up "C") did a horrible performance. Not true! He did great, in fact, everybody did. Except Taral Hicks, the girl who plays Jane. She's a horrible actress, and she's no Tyra Banks either. Not too say she's ugly, she's a little bit of a looker, but she's no Halle Berry.About her acting;everything thing she says does sounds soooooo phony and planned. In one scene when a bunch of guys die in a fire (I'm not telling you who and why! That would be a spoiler!) She runs all fake to the fire, pretending to be all concerned. Even when Calogero, (Lillo, who did good job, at least in my opinion.)offers to walk her home, she walks all fake and annoying and whatnot.

8/10, good acting, good script, good story,but I agree with the guy that said the interacial love scene sounds a little unrealistic.I didn't grow up in the sixties, but still. Maybe I would have been more convinced if Taral Hicks, had acted better I think they should of cast someone else. Hicks should stick to Motown and singing.

Jungle Fever (1991)

Very realisitic: Like most of Spike's Films

[4 August 2001]

Jungle Fever is a great flick! I was kind of young when it first came out in 1991, so I didn't remember it, either that or I've never heard of it before I saw it. When I first saw it on the FX channel, I thought it was some kind of documentary or something because of the camera angles and the people and their dialect. As I thought with "Do the Right Thing", which I also saw on FX. I had no idea that people knew about this movie though! What spoke to me was how real this film was. It's set in New York, two people, one a white woman and a black man, have forbidden ppaffair which sparks anger with both sides of the color barrier. The conversations the people have seem so realistic. The only thing I thought that bugged me was that maybe the over-exaggerated Italian accents in some white people were a little racist; but I don't know! Maybe that's just me! But anyway, this whole movie is about interacial relationships.It doesn't even seem to be about a white/black thing. I think it suggests that when people lust after another of a different race, it's not because they love the other race, oh no. It's because the racial stereotypes about the other race. That is basically what Jungle Fever is. It also has a catchy song at the beginning, I'll take you through an excerpt:

"I've got jungle fevah She's got jungle fevah We've got jungle fevah We're in loooove She's gone black boy crazy I've gone white girl crazy Ain't no thinkin' maybe We're in looove!" You can see it on BRAVO and FX, for those people who have cable. **** out of ****

The Wizard of Oz (1982)

Good movie, not great, but good. WARNING*SOME*SPOILERS**!

[26 July 2001]

`The Wizard Of Oz' (1982) is basically the cartoon version of the original Wizard Of Oz Movie, (1939) the plots are basically the same, except on a few slight exceptions. I'm not certain if the fans of the original '39 movie, (or was it '38?) will like this version, since fundamentally, it doesn't have such memorable songs such as `The Wonderful Wizard of Oz', but these sanguine pop pieces are just as good and just as memorable (i.e. `Wizard of the Day,' and `It's Up To You') (I BELIEVE that's what it's called), if people will just give them a chance. If you hate the `Wizard of Oz' period --- you won't get much out of it. But for everyone else, it's a good movie, it's not great, but it's good. It stars Aileen Quinn (Annie) as the voice of Dorthory, and other additional characters. My Raiting 6/10.