jbartelone Reviews

My Amityville Horror (2012)

Interesting. But it Doesn't Tell us Anything New

[5/10 · 17 March 2024]

The Amityville Horror has spawned many dozens of books, movies, TV series, social media accounts, on whether or not we should believe the Lutz's allegations of happenings in an supposed haunted house from approximately mid December of 1975 to Mid January 1976. The problems is that from the information that is out there,there are so many allegations and confusions that to this day, no one knows what to believe anymore. I am going to express what I know in numbers and letters form to make the review easier to follow and give my own interpretations:

1.) The real horror in Amityville was the murder of the Defeo family by their son Ronnie "Butch" Defeo. A mother and father shot to death in their beds while they slept on November 13, 1974. People tragically have spent more time debating the validity of the Lutz's claims than on the whole information involving the tragic murder itself.

2.) This documentary is more about the personality and trauma that Danial "Danny" Lutz claims to have experienced in the house and the allegations that George Lutz was abusive to the family. (Making the kids call him, "Sir" or "Mr. Lutz", the kids allegedly beating beaten with wooden spoons. George Lutz, an ex-marine forcing the kids to do military exercises, George's interests in the supernatural with Danny discussing books that George studied, and the claim that George had the ability to use telekinesis- The ability to move objects by thought.) Also Danny discusses his troubles with school, lack of friends, how the whole Amityvillle experience scarred his whole life.

3.) I saw a very bitter and angry man prone to high level mood swings over small things. Those looking for a review or new insight into the alleged Amityville Horror hauntings won't find any new information. Danny recounts the foul odors in the house, the sewing room window smashing his hands, some new information of a spiritual presence walking through the room and his hands, which he claimed were swollen to the size of a baseball glove, were inexplicably "healed", spare for a disjointed knuckle, which he shows to the camera. The priest coming to bless the house, hundreds of files in rooms, and the beds levitating, and Harry the dog one night almost hanging himself by trying to jump over the yard fence and his chain got caught. Much of it also centers around the abuse allegations by George. I wanted to see more and know some new things. The film says the other kids declined to be interviewed for the documentary

4.) There are missing pieces of the puzzle that will never be known, as only the Lutz's know what really happened. But what did they really see? What did they only think they saw? And how to make sense of it all? With both George and Kathy Lutz deceased and just as much confusion as before, what actually happened may never be known. The following are my thoughts:

A.) I believe in the supernatural and I believe that there was a negative energy that existed in the house, but it came from the impact of the Defeo murders. Ronnie Defao Jr. Was a very bitter person who was really messed up, and there were stories that the father was abusive to his family. This was long before the Lutz's moved into the house I think that George Lutz and the kids were impacted by this negative energy and definitely saw and heard some unpleasant things, some may have happened, some may have been hallucinated. If I moved into a home where six people had been murdered, I would certainly feel, hear, and see some bad things as well!

B.) I have an issue with the Lutz's claiming that the spirits followed them. Jay Anson's book which is leaded with inconsistencies and has its own issues does claim that "spirits can not extend their power across water." The Lutz's moved from New York to California and if that quote is true, they would no longer be able to experience the haunted events. However, I think that the family may have been plagued by hallucinations, night terrors, and uneasy moments where they have never been able to rid themselves of the terrible memories linking back to 112 Ocean Avenue, and the negative energy from the Defeo murders.

C.) I have issues with Ed and Lorraine Warren, because every single case that they have investigated for decades, they always find some supernatural phenomenon, where other paranormal investigators don't. This fact questions their validity. At the very least, I think they exaggerated their alleged supernatural activities for media attention.

The movie doesn't answer any questions. But it does paint a strong portrait of a disturbed and bitter man. The events that caused this, and the extent of them unfortunately the real truth will forever be unknown.

Diff'rent Strokes: A Growing Problem (1983) Season 5, Episode 13

Powerful Episode with an Ending that will Move You to Tears

[10/10 · 16 May 2023]

This episode of Diff'rent Strokes, "A Growing Problem," deals with Willis' anger over Mr. Drummond's house rules. He decides to move out, and move in with his friend Jerry, who is an alcoholic. This may be the most powerful episode on alcoholism that you will ever see in any sitcom. The story is firm, honest, and believable. In all my decades of watching television, This is the one episode that pulls no punches in showing the severe consequences that can occur when one turns to "The Bottle." I cry at the ending's emotional impact! Please see this episode! It is timeless in its message and heartbreaking. Along with an ending that you will remember for the rest of your life!

Piranha (1978)

"The Piranhas are Eating Your Guests!" - Fun "Jaws-Type" Flick

[6/10 · 12 February 2023]

Piranha is not a great film by any means. However, it is still a fun film. Nowhere near the quality and suspense of Jaws. However, if you approach Piranha as a decent B-grade popcorn movie horror flick, you will laugh at the stupid dialogue, the lame decisions made by the main characters, ( Such as rescuers going into water full of piranhas to save swimmers getting eaten alive by Piranhas!) You will have fun with this movie!

Director Joe Dante, best known for Gremlins, has created a movie with suspenseful music and tension, which compensates for the cheesy acting of many of the characters. If you are at late night horror movie buff, you should give Piranha a watch. It is a better than average horror movie.

Night Shift (1982)

Awful! Like Fingernails on a Chalkboard!

[1/10 · 18 January 2023]

I saw Night Shift many years ago, and could not remember much of it at all. Rewatched it tonight and could not even get past the first hour. It's about two guys who run a morgue. They are board working the night shift, so they turn their business into a call-girl operation.

Henry Winkler plays the boring by the book guy. Micheal Keaton is the nut-case that never stops talking. Shelley Long is one of the call girls. The movie is loaded with typical, vain and shallow humor with no style, substance, or believably from its characters or plot development. We have seen all of this before in many other superficial humor, goofball romance,sexploitation flicks.

Director Ron Howard has made some good films. However, this certainly is not one of them. It belongs in a morgue, and should not have even seen the light of day. Please don't waste your time!

Wednesday (2022– )

Great Music and Special Effects. But Family Background is Very Wrong

[5/10 · 27 November 2022]

I only watched the first episode of Wednesday and feel uncertain about continuing with the series. The music and special effects are amazing! As well as the actress who plays Wednesday. The huge downfall is that in the series, Wednesday and the Addams Family are seen as "mean spirited." That is not how the original series was at all. In the original series, The Addams Family, the family loved being weird, and could not understand why a normal society, (seen as strange to the family) could not accept them. They still loved each other, and were kind and considerate to each other. The pairings of John Astin and Carolyn Jones as Gomez and Mortica, along with Ken Weatherwax as Pugsley. And Lisa Loring as Wednesday showed a family that loved and cared about each other. Who all liked to do strange things. But they almost never had evil intent to hurt others. In contrast, they would feel puzzled about why a visitor's behavior in their home would feel strange to them. To the Addams Family, they saw their world as perfectly normal, but very rarely would they act or react with threats of violence, unless a visitor was really a threat to them. However, the Netflix series, Wednesday tries to compensate the flawed premise of Wednesday Addams being evil, by using great music and special effects. The result is brilliant CGI animation and music. But this can't save the flawed characterization of Wednesday as mean-spirited, when the real Wednesday Addams was not. Fans of the classic 1960's show may want to stick with the original series for these reasons.

Dear Evan Hansen (2021)

Sad to Say this, but this film is painfully aweful!

[1/10 · 21 June 2022]

I have the utmost respect for Ben Platt and Noah Galvin who portrayed "Dear Even Hanson" on stage. Both are fine actors and great people. However, this movie is a train wreck.

As a fellow sufferer of chronic social anxiety I wanted to love this movie and had tremendous hopes for this. I wanted to empathize with Evan's pain and struggles, in the same way I felt about the movie Ordinary People, which is an amazing film about suicide, guilt, and grief. But Dear Evan Hanson does not even belong in the same universe as a powerful film like Ordinary People.

The problem is that Ben Platt is too old to be playing a high school teen. The other problem is the constant singing. Someone is breaking into song every ten minutes and it turns nauseating. I am a caring, emotionally sensitive person and I felt nothing from this movie. There is poor flow, weak continuity, and situations involving relationships stressed in this film are totally unbelievable. This is so painful to watch, I turned it off about fifty minutes into the film.

Watch or re-watch Ordinary People for a real emotional movie! Dear Evan Hansen is a movie to avoid. The formula for this film is an absolute disaster.

The Founder (2016)

Ray Kroc's Arrogence Hurts this Movie!

[5/10 · 26 February 2022]

The Founder tells the story of McDonald's entrepreneur Ray Kroc, who helped transform a local McDonald's, owned by brothers, Mac and Richard McDonald into a billion dollar franchise. The film takes a hardcore look at how persistence and strong opportunities for advancement can generate a great American dream, turning Kroc, a small town salesmen, into a multi-millionaire.

Although I found the movie's pacing and storytelling to be very interesting, learning a great deal about McDonalds that I did not know previously, a huge downfall of the movie will hit the viewer like ice water in his/her face. Ray Kroc is not a likable person. A self driven perfectionist looking to use other people for his own self, (and selfish) business advances. In the way that actor Micheal Keaton plays him, Ray Kroc comes across as a manipulative self absorbing narcissist where it is his way or the highway.

SPOILER ALERT: The most painful of Mr Kroc's arrogance, can be seen when he tells brothers Mac and Richard MacDonald, since Ray Kroc is President and CEO of McDonalds, they can no longer keep the McDonald's name on the local restaurant that they created and opened. They helped Ray Kroc early on by providing him with the history of the business, the techniques used, the quality control methods, all of this created by Mac and Richard. Yet Mr. Kroc comes along with his multi-millions throwing the funding brothers under the bus. That scene, and realizing the type of man that Ray Kroc was, left an angry, bitter taste in my mouth.

When a man's greed for profit makes him spit in the faces of those who got him there in the first place, it forces me to give The Founder a mediocre review 5/10.

The House That Screamed (1969)

Poor Quality Audio and Video Makes Plot Difficult to Follow.

[3/10 · 19 January 2022]

I saw the "Elvira's Movie Macabre" presentation of this film. It is about a reform school in France for girls, run by a cruel headmistress. The students are mysteriously disappearing. A young boy shows a love interest in one of the girls.

There is not much story or substance here. The film goes from no violence to several disturbing scenes in the second half of the film particularly toward the climax. The quality of the audio is terrible. The video looks like a print that really was made in 1969, when this film was released in Spain. The ending saved the movie from being a total dud. The movie needs a restored print, badly. Closed-Captioning should also be added to this restoration to understand what is being said.

Step by Step (1991–1998)

Dana's Arrogence Hurt this Great Series!

[8/10 · 19 December 2021]

I am a huge fan of this funny, witty, charming family sitcom. The writing represents the trials and tribulations of two step families, the Foster's and the Lambert's trying to adjust to daily living with several kids on each side.

Suzzane Summers and Patrick Duffy do a remarkable job as the parents. The conflicts are realistic, the situations genuine, and the viewer feels a genuine concern and sensitivity for the characters. Frank Lambert (Patrick Duffy) is a construction worker. Carol Foster,( Suzzane Sommers) is a beautician.

The kids on each side have similar behavior patterns as their biological parents. Carol is obsessively organized and committed to routines and schedules. Frank goes with the flow and has a love of stereotyped man things, such as power tools and sports. In addition to their own kids. Frank's nephew Cody (Sasha Mitchell) is an off-the-wall bizarre guy who does strange things, lives, and sleeps in the family's driveway inside his van. It should be noted that Cody has a heart of gold, and has strong moral and ethical values. My favorite sibling is on Frank's side, his son J. T (Brandon Call) a jock, a slacker, but also very funny.

The series represents in my view similarities to The Brady Bunch but with a more realistic approach to 90's-style parenting and conflicts, Step by Step has a biting edge that makes it for the most part very worthwhile to watch and repeatedly enjoyable to view.

The huge flaw in the series is the personality of Carol's oldest daughter Dana (Staci Keanan.) Like Carol, Dana strives for perfectionism and excellence in everything she does, and clashes with Frank and his kids all the time. The problem is literally every time she opens her mouth to speak it is a cruel and arrogant insult to the people or situations around her, There is nothing redeeming likable about Dana. She sees the world through rose-colored glasses and comes across as this pretentious little princess. Nothing against Staci Keanan, who acted her role very well. The problem is that the writers and producers made Dana's character too mean-spirited to be likable, and a series that I would otherwise give a 9/10 to, is brought down to an 8/10 because of Dana's character.

The French Connection (1971)

Continuity Problems in the Film Cause a Failed Connection

[5/10 · 1 December 2021]

I was very excited to see The French Connection for the first time. Always enjoying cop movies and the great talents of Gene Hackman, it is hard to see where this film could go wrong. Unfortunately, there are problems:

One of the biggest issues is that there is no continuity in the film. Actors and scenes pop up out of nowhere with very little dialogue, making it hard to understand what is happening. In this film, cops pursue a drug smuggler. However, the movie alternates between chase scenes, to quiet stakeout scenes, often showing jumps in locations. One minute viewers are in New York with the main cops, "Popeye" and "Cloudy." The next minute we are in France with the drug smuggler, or some other unknown character. Then we are back in a bar with "Popeye" and "Cloudy." The dialogue is almost non-existent, and when words are spoken, their meanings do not translate well from scene to scene.

Another problem is that many of the actors look alike, so you can't tell the good guys from the bad guys. They all often wear hats, making their appearance even more camouflaging. Furthermore, the cops in the movie are racist, constantly harassing minorities. They provoke fights without cause and roughly search and frisk people, violating many police Codes of Ethics.

The best part of the movie is the car chase scene and a good music soundtrack. But there is nothing really new or innovative about these sequences. The movie is not horrible. However to have a great movie, you have to have a solid script with the proper character development, pacing, continuity and a storyline that the viewer can follow. I even watched The French Connection multiple times to try to rate it higher. Unfortunately, because of the above problems it is nothing more than an average cops chase the bad guys movie. Only a 5/10.

No Sudden Move (2021)

Too Confusing! Stopped Watching an Hour Into the Film

[1/10 · 4 July 2021]

Considering the talented cast involved, this film is one pf the most boring and discombobulated messes that I have ever seen. I thought that I was going to see a tense crime thriller about manipulative power and discrimination in the auto industry. Maybe the film was supposed to be this, but the pacing and directing is a Titanic disaster!

I did not know if I was watching a gangster flick or a mystery movie. There was no pacing or substance to this film. I did not care about any of the characters. Nor could I follow any of their predicaments. Too many people and confusing situations make this monstrosity of a film impossible to follow and too difficult to even remotely enjoy. Don't waste your time!

Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971)

Horrible Teen Sexplotation Flick. Don't Waste Your Time!

[1/10 · 6 August 2020]

I tried to watch Pretty Maids all in a Row, with the mind-set that the film was going to follow along the horror mysteries and thrillers such as Halloween, Carrie, and Nightmare on Elm Street. However all I saw , instead was another teen-sex obsessed flick. Vain and shallow characters are forced into a poorly dumb-downed script that destroys any kind of continuity and credibility. Viewers will be bored to death waiting for something to happen.

Even worse, some movie search databases spoil the ending. If you search for the movie, there is no actual murder mystery. The ending is given away in program guide search results, The real mysteries are what great talents like Rock Hudson, Angie Dickinson, and Telly Savalas are doing in such an awful picture? What inspired the normally talented Gene Roddenberry to write this trash?

I turned this off about forty minutes into the film. Avoid at all costs!

The Peanut Butter Falcon (2019)

Starts Out With Great Promise. But Believably is Strained in Second Half

[5/10 · 9 May 2020]

The Peanut Butter Falcon begins with a great premise. A boy with Down Syndrome leaves his nursing home with a dream of becoming a professional wrestling while meeting an outlaw. The two form a great friendship bond! A beautiful chemistry develops between actors Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen.

Emotionally, there are some heartwarming and magical scenes reminiscent of such films as Rain Main, Dominique and Eugene, and Midnight Cowboy. If only the film had stayed with that kind of emotional intensity, we would of had a modern classic!

Instead, the film starts falling apart when the caregiver of the home Eleanor (Dakota Johnson) where Zack is institutionalized, finds Tyler (LaBeouf) and Zack (Gottsagen) and completely violates her roles as a care giver. She doesn't take Zack back to the facility, she doesn't report Tyler for breaking the law, and worse, no one with Down Syndrome would be able to survive for days without their medication, being able to swim, walk around in their underwear without being noticed and reported by the authorities. The unbelievable actions of Zack's caregiver, even falling in love with Tyler without explanation, and the whole wrestling scenes turn a potential classic film into a kind of "Hee Haw" movie. I found the country music to be very annoying. And the ending was really rushed. "OK we made it to Florida" end credits. Where is the memorable tug at your heartstrings ending that makes movie magic like the movie examples listed above? It is only found in the first half of The Peanut Butter Falcon.

A more believable script would have given The Peanut Butter Falcon the classic status that Shia LaBeouf and Zack Gottsagen try so hard to give to the film! However, actors can only do so much with a flawed story. What a classic this could have been with a more believable screenplay!

Vacation (I) (2015)

Excessive Profanity and Predictability Spoils This Vacation

[5/10 · 10 August 2016]

The original National Lampoon's Vacation movie withstood the test of time because of the brilliance of the acting, comic timing, and the very realistic situations that could happen to a family on a vacation where "Murphy's Law" that "Anything could go wrong, will go wrong." is proved. The original Vacation had the proper settings for comic build up, with some levels of raunchy behavior, but at least there was a reason for the behavior, and there was great humor that led up to that behavior.

This Vacation shows that the writers main premise was to have a twelve year old kid drop F-bombs and have the main characters often engage in sexual situations for little more than shock value. This story has Rusty as an adult looking to bond with his wife and sons by taking them to Wally World to reconnect with them. Continuity is incorrect as Rusty tells his family what a wonderful time he had at Wally World as a kid. As most know from the original film, this is incorrect, Rusty's trip to Wally World as a kid was a series of disasters one after the other along the way. It is as if the writers of this remake forgot that main point!

Some of the situations are funny, but others are not. A scene where the vulgar twelve year old younger brother tries to suffocate his older brother by putting a bag over his head goes too far. Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo who had such classic chemistry in the original film exist in pointless cameos, reduced to being cold and lifeless.

Having said that, there are some funny situations, the writing however is not original at all. There was so much profanity, even in the end credits song, and that was sad to hear. Much less profanity and less forced sexually suggestive dialogue would have made this Vacation a much better film.

When You Remember Me (1990 TV Movie)

A Wonderful Film! With Some Thoughts on the Real Michael Patrick Smith Case

[9/10 · 11 September 2015]

This is a dramatization of real life events in the case of Micheal Patrick Smith, a young adult who suffered the effects of Duchenne Muscular Distrophy and lived in several nursing homes through the coarse of his too-short life. The actual nursing home, on which this film is based, was called Heritage House, where Mike Smith resided in the early 1970's. The film chronicles the terrible conditions that Mike suffered, showing him at two facilities, the later one called Heritage House. (Named Hesperia House in the movie.) It also shows how Mike and a compassionate Recreational Director named Wade Blank, (In the movie called "Wade Black.") sought to bring about better living conditions for the disabled, as well as showing the patients how to advocate their rights to make their lives as comfortable and independent as possible. I found some real-life information below about the actual case doing on on-line Google Search about Wade Blank.

Wade Blank worked at the home from December of 1971 until 1975. When he went to the center for the first time, it was just before Christmas of 1971 and the place was in his words " A morgue." Wade remembered what they ate the first night. Scrambled Eggs, Baked Potato, and Applesauce. The food was cold. Other reports were that cockroaches were found in cereal bowls, Colostomy Bags were not changed regularly, flies buzzed constantly near a patient in a full body cast, patients were shoved into cold showers.

Wade worked for four years to help improve conditions at the home. I learned that he took the kids to a rock concert, just like in the movie. Wade sought to let the young residents have music, such as radios, stereos, and TV's in the rooms. They were allowed to have pets, they could evaluate the nurses. However, when Wade tried to help the kids move out of the home to become more independent, he was fired. All of the reforms that he put in place, such as animal control coming to take the pets away, no music in the rooms, was literally changed overnight. I also understand the abuses at Heritage House and the resulting lawsuit got the whole staff fired! This shows the amazing impact that Wade and Mike made to help the disabled lead better lives!

When You Remember Me is a composite of the above events, with some names changed and some of the above omitted from the movie for legal reasons and time constraints. In the movie, Micheal Patrick Smith, is Micheal Mills. Fred Savage plays Mike Mills and gives an amazing portray of him! Kevin Spacey is wonderful as Wade, and Ellen Burstyn is chilling as the insensitive and "By The Book" rule authoritarian head nurse, Mary Cooder. The best impression of Louse Fletcher's, Nurse Ratshit from "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" that you will ever see!

You feel the pain and agony that these patients endured in this movie, and see the darkness of the facility. It's amazing to observe the energy and feeling that Fred Savage puts into Michael's character, as he tries so much to help change an apathetic and abusive system. Sadly, despite the movie saying at the end that conditions have improved at institutions at this kind, in some regards that may be true. However, in other facilities, it is not. When You Remember Me will make you think about the struggles both physically and emotionally that disabled people experience each day. Highly recommended viewing!

The Odd Couple (2015–2017)

Thomas Lennon is good Felix Unger, However, show is mediocre

[4/10 · 11 April 2015]

There will never in the history of TV be another Felix like Tony Randall or Oscar like Jack Klugman. Furthermore, the Odd Couple movie with Jack Lemmon as Felix and Walter Matthau as Oscar was very good, the original series was golden. My take on the remake is below.

I think Thomas Lennon is a very good Felix. The voice, mannerisms, and personality reflect Tony Randall's legendary performance well. Matthew Perry, as other have stated, does not cut it as Oscar Madison. He's too nice. Matthew's not angry enough as Oscar, and sees Felix as more of a mild annoyance rather than the intensely disliked Felix that Jack Klugman as Oscar gave to Tony Randall's character, and especially Walter Matthau, showing Oscar's hate of Jack Lemmon's Felix in the Odd Couple movie.

Also, none of the names of the main supporting characters make it into this modernized version of the classic series. Too many episodes seem to focus more on the love interests of the roommates and not their annoying opposite personalities and habits that made the classic Odd Couple series and movie so memorable.

There's too many flaws and differences in the script for Thomas Lennon to carry this remake alone. He is really making a solid effort as Felix Unger. However, too many differences from the classic series, and Matthew Perry being miscast as Oscar will not likely improve this series remake to anything higher than an average rating.

I actually lowered my rating from five to four stars. Too many sexual innuendo jokes that are totally out of place for this show.

Dead Poets Society (1989)

One of The Most Beautiful, Inspirational, Films Ever Made!

[10/10 · 8 December 2014]

I absolutely love this film! Everything from the beautiful cinematography, to the pacing and the directing is purely magical and awe inspiring! There are many powerful moments in this film. Dead Poets Society motivates me intensely, with its message that you have to have the courage to follow your dreams, to live your life the way you want. Be willing to stand up to authority, if that authority stifles your dreams.

Robin Williams is brilliant here, but so is Robert Sean Leonard! In fact, all of the young actors are outstanding! Especially for Robert Sean Leonard and Robin Williams, viewers are drawn into this film as if you knew the characters they play and the emotions they feel. You envision John Keating, (played by Robin Williams) as the inspirational teacher you once had, or wish had. You automatically empathize with Neil Perry (Played by Robert Sean Leonard) dreams of becoming an actor, against the wishes of his ultra-authoritarian father.

I indirectly know someone who had an ultra-strict father like Neil, and sought a free-spirited life away from his demanding father and his family's rigorous lifestyle and demands of academic success. This person devoted his life to reading, philosophy, the hippie movement, writing, and humanitarian efforts. He was troubled by inequities and hypocrisy in society. He loved to help people, everything he did was for humanity. Both Neil and Mr. Keating would move him to tears! They would understand this person I knew, and I think of him every time I see this movie. It moves me, deeply.

Dead Poets Society encourages others to become free, independent, thinkers. To believe in yourself, and to show how writing and the power of poetry can inspire you and others around you. The sensitivity that this film shows is stunning! This movie will make you think and melt your heart! It is very emotional! "Carpe Diem! Seize the Day! Make your lives extraordinary!" See this landmark film!

Brighton Beach Memoirs (1986)

Very Funny Movie With Wit and Insight!

[7/10 · 12 August 2012]

I like Brighton Beach Memoirs very much. The pacing of the movie and the character's delivery really draws the viewers into the time period. While Johnathon Silverman's accent may be a bit forced at times, he reflections about growing up in a bitter dysfunctional family are very natural, honest, and direct.

Brighton Beach Memoirs balances comic wit with the trails and tribulations of family values without being overly sentimental or preachy. Some sensitive moments are lightened with Johnathon's character, "Eugene's" audience narration. However, the narratives are never forced nor overly done. They really help the viewer see the types of struggles that a depression-era/pre-World War II family might have seen, even if members of the audience might not have lived in that time period.

The only critique I have is that Eugene's "sex fetishes" were too overdone and brought the movie down a little bit. These suggested dialogs make the movie inappropriate for children under 13, (It's rated PG-13) I would probably wait until my kids were 15 before letting them see this movie for the suggestive sex dialogs. Note that some are strong, especially in many of the conversations with Johnathon and his brother, Stanly. If you're over 15 and aren't bothered by suggested sex dialog, you will find these scenes to be very funny, as is most of the movie! I enjoyed Brighton Beach Memoirs and would recommend it, even for repeated viewing.

Rebel Without a Cause (1955)

It's Good, But Not The Great Film That Has Been Believed

[6/10 · 17 June 2010]

I have heard about Rebel Without a Cause for years. It was a cult classic that withstood the test of time and spoke to past and future generations about troubled youth. I also remember how James Dean was such an icon in pop culture, and I loved Blackboard Jungle, which came out about the same time, so I was hoping for a similar classic in Rebel Without a Cause. I prepared myself to be blown away.

Unfortunately, all I saw was a slightly above average movie that was not so much about rebellion but a failure between teens and parents to communicate. In Rebel Without a Case, each of the main protagonists has pain in his/her own family life, ranging from an abusive father,(the parent of Natalie Wood) a young teen (Sal Mineo) with no parents being raised by a housekeeper, and another teen who lives with an over-protective mother, and a hen-pecked apathetic father. (James Dean's parents.) The story involves Jim Stark (Dean) trying to fit in at school. A very difficult task as his family has constantly been moving from state to state because Jim can't seem to stay out of trouble. He quickly (almost too quickly) befriends several students at the school and also makes several enemies, all in a very short period of time.

Jim quickly becomes provoked into a knife fight by another group leader while on a class field trip to a planetarium. He retains his cool for the most part, but is goaded into another dare by some bad apples to participate in a car race known as the "Chickie Run." Each member of the group dares to risk death by speeding his car up to a cliff, stopping as close to the cliff as possible by jumping out. Whoever jumps last is "Chicken." The rival member "Buzz" gets his jacket caught in the car door and can not jump out as the car topples over the cliff and Buzz is killed. The rest of the movie involves Jim and his friends debating if they should go to the police, as well as the fears and repercussions faced by Buzz's friends who are out looking for Jim because they believe he is responsible for Buzz's death.

No one can talk to the parents so the group hides in an old abandoned mansion. Jim befriends, Plato, in an excellent performance by Sal Mineo who has a troubled past of his own. He was picked up by the police shooting puppies. (Thankfully not shown.) However, there is a certain empathy and sensitivity about Plato that makes him more empathetic as the movie goes on. Each of Jim's friends see the seriousness, lack of communication, and disconnection that their friends have with each one of their parents.

There are some good moments of suspense, but Jim's parents especially Mr. Stark, payed by Jim Backus (Thurston Howell III from Gilligan's Island) display no solid acting qualities at all. It's almost like they were picked off the street, given a script to read for a week and just go through the motions. James Dean had the macho and charisma of a leading man actor who died in a horrible car accident before this movie was released. However, I think his Hollywood looks at the time were better than his acting. The talented Natalie Wood, as Dean's love interest has no time to develop because she jumps into his arms for support too fast. This quick timing renders their relationship to be unrealistic. Sal Mineo does the best acting job of the trio who shows the most believable actions and reactions to the movie's events and how they affect both his friends and him.

The problem is that Rebel Without a Cause has an interesting premise, but a muddied superficial story that needs better character development for the viewer to empathize with these troubled teens. Instead of being blown away by what this movie was supposed to represent, I got, at best, a strong breeze.

Rebel Without a Cause is a good movie for a one-time viewing. But for all-time classic repeated viewing status, it's just not there. Blackboard Jungle blows this movie away.

Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love (1979 TV Movie)

A "Beautiful and Heartfelt" Movie!

[10/10 · 5 May 2010]

The story of Raun Kaufman in Son-Rise: A Miracle of Love, is one of the most heartwarming and inspiration movies I have ever seen! In contrast, many other "Made For TV Movies" often rely on fake-emotions and soap opera themes to interest the viewer. There is nothing artificial about this movie! The parents, who overcome the cold, apathetic, professional staffers who say, "Your son will never be able to function on his own. He's too young, bring him back when he's older. He's going to need institutionalization for the rest of his life," don't want to hear any of this and set out to "home-school" Raun by creating a nurturing positive environment out of their home, through everything they do, and everyone who comes in contact with their son for three straight years.

The controversial methods that they used involved mimicking Raun's autistic behaviors in an attempt for go into his world to enable Ruan to communicate with them. Through movements, sounds, games, puzzles, and positive reinforcement, literally 24x7, Raun not only develops into someone who showed no traces of autism by the time he was about six years old, but the end of the movie goes on to say that he graduated from an Ivy League School! His parents and he have established clinics around the world to help autistic children through the program that they and Rawn inspired, "Son-Rise." The movie's ending scene in the park has a line that you will remember for the rest of your life! The same is true with the beautiful song that begins the film, "Is There Room in Your World For Me?" There were controversies about Raun's case in real-life. After reading father, Barry Kaufman's books and millions of viewers saw this movie, many tried the methods and the specific home-treatments on which the film was based. People looked for "Miracle Cures" and did not see the remarkable improvement that people saw in the movie. Further reading on the case showed a top-doctor had examined Raun before his parents began their "home training" program, and found him to be a slow-learner, who had problems with language development, but was not "autistic." The issue that the medical experts say is that there is no "base-line" for determining autism verses cognitive slow development. Other specialists, to this day, share concern about mimicking the autistic behavior to reach autistic children. There is no-question that what the Kaufman's did with Raun was remarkable! However, doctors have said that Raun's case is extremely A-typical of only about 4% of people diagnosed with autism.

In summation, the program for the most part works, but the degrees of success will certainly vary from child to child. It takes an incredible amount of time, money, patience, love and positive reinforcement to do what the Kaufman's did for Raun. The only flaw is that this movie seems to send a message that "Since the treatments worked for Raun, they will work for all autistic kids." And sadly, this is not the case.

There are very painful moments in the film when Raun's parents see the terrible way that kids are treated in the facilities, when they visit them. Set in the early to mid-70's, the Kaufman's observe that staffers are rough with them, kids are tied down, given shock-treatments to "quiet them down." Truly heartbreaking and upsetting, as the children were just treated like objects instead of nurturing, lovable human beings. The insensitivity toward the way professional staffers viewed their son's case and the questionable "treatments" used were the main reasons why the Kaufmen's chose the positive reinforcement environment and family members within their own home as Raun's intensive, learning and therapy sessions. This movie will move you to tears every time!

National Lampoon's European Vacation (1985)

Proves That Sequels Never Equal Great Originals

[5/10 · 28 February 2010]

I will never forget the wit and great comedy of the ORIGINAL Vacation movie! The lines, pacing, and timing of events in that film are outstanding! However, this European Vacation sequel is a major let down.

In this sequel, the Griswalds win a European Vacation on a game show. The problem is that many of the jokes in the film are little more than mild, "ha-ha" laughs. For example, a Flight Attendant on an airplane asks Clark, "Do you want your Coke in the Can?" Clark answers back, "No, I'll have it right here." A few other mildly funny bits put this movie, average at best. No where near the greatness of the original Vacation movie!

European Vacation's humor is strained. As if the writers borrowed all the jokes from the first movie, tried to re-hash a script that had been done before, and relied on a ridiculous slap-stick chase scene sequence toward the end of the picture just to kill time.

Worse, the natural comic standouts like Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie and the original kids who played Rusty and Audrey from the first movie so well are nowhere to be found. Their replacements are not funny, can't act, and just look like they are going through the motions most of the time. There are also a few crude sex jokes and comments that are not only not funny, they are in bad taste.

The Griswald's should have stayed in Wally World. The place that made them legends! Don't join them on this European dreadful adventure. Viewers should re-watch the original Vacation movie in place of this! You'll be glad you did.

I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang (1932)

One of the Most Powerful Movies About an Inhumane Criminal Justice System Ever Made!

[10/10 · 19 February 2010]

This moving is spell-bounding! It has an incredible effect on me to this day about the harsh realities and injustices of our criminal justice system. So many people are tempted to not watch this movie because "It's so old." Don't be fooled by it's age! I am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang is one of the most moving and heart-breaking prison pictures you will ever see! Paul Muni gives a landmark, jaw dropping, performance with great sensitivity and wit as one man's struggle against a criminal justice system gone insane.

You will not believe that a movie THIS GOOD goes back to 1932! This movie is unforgettable! This is a landmark film that because of its age, does not get the treatment it deserves! See it! It is a gem! You will remember it for the rest of your life!

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)

Good Film. But Various Different Edits Taint its Enjoyment

[6/10 · 5 December 2009]

Bedknobs and Broomsticks is often compared to Mary Poppins and rightfully so as both films have a similar story line. A magical nanny is sent to look after children, both have the same leading protagonist (David Tomlinson,) both feature live film and animation, with songs by the Sherman brothers, and both came out of the Walt Disney studio.

Bedknobs and Broomsticks involves an apprentice witch who wants to complete her correspondence course in beginning witchcraft, but to do this, she has to search for a magical spell called Subsitutiary Locomotion which will complete her training. The story involves Angela Lansbury, playing the witch, who flies on a magical bed with Tomlinson and her three caretakers, to an animated land attempting to retrieve the spell. In addition, the film is set in World War II, where a mixture of live Nazi's and animated creatures both try to help and hinder Lansbury, Tomlinson, and the children on their adventures. The five characters control the bed through a magical bedknob that transports them from a reality world to a fantasy world and back again.

Years ago, I had a record that had the Songs From Bedknobs and Broomsticks on it and loved it! However, when I saw the film on Turner Classic Movies and later researched it, sadly I learned that this film, which could have been a classic, suffers badly because of editing and failed restoration work.

The original release of the film played in limited areas and ran about two and a half hours. Disney decided to make its first cuts to the film several months later when it went into wide release. The wide release version is what I saw on Turner Classic Movies. While this film was trimmed by over twenty minutes, most likely to cater to the shorter attention spans of children at the time of wide release, you can easily spot the edits. The Eglantine number is shortened, only a few words of With a Flair remain, The Old Home Guard seems to start in the middle of the second verse of the song, and the wonderful perhaps best song in the film "A Step in The Right Direction" is not there. However, you can hear the instances of the instrumental on the soundtrack.

In 1979, the film was re-released again and ludicrously cut even more to about ninety five minutes. For years this is what was played on Standard Cable and Broadcast TV. Only two songs remain in this version. In 1996, Disney attempted to reconstruct the film, but were successful only in spots. About twenty minutes of footage was found and added back into the movie. However, the song "A Step in the Right Direction" was mysteriously not found and remains "Lost." The audio track for the song was recovered, and you can hear this on the Special Edition DVD, with still shots from the film showing what the scenes looked like as the song was song.

However, the discarded footage soundtrack was not recoverable, because it had been damaged or lost. Many actors were too old or had passed away and could not re-do their speaking and singing parts, so Disney had to hire extras to dub their voices over the restored footage. The dubbing is horribly bad, especially for the voice-over of one of the children, Charlie, and the voice-over for David Tomlinson, sounds nothing like him! You would think Disney could have at least found actors with voices that resembled the tones, accents, and pitches of the original dialog. It is great that several songs were recovered, but without "Step in the Right Direction," restored back to the film, which is such an uplifting and encouraging song, and the terrible dubbing, the film will be a mixed bag.

Why Disney cut "Step in the Right Direction" is criminal! I think Disney should have taken more time to look for it when they did the film restoration project for the 1996 DVD. What SHOULD have been shortened is the animated soccer match, which remains a sequence that does not help the film at all. The "With A Flair" song, as well as "Eglantine" are at their full lengths on the restored DVD, as is the Portobello Road dance sequence. However, some critics feel that the extended version of Portobello Road is too long. The restored DVD has a new song called "Nobody's Problems For Me." My vote would be a choice of versions on a double-sided DVD for future release. Side 1 would contain the widespread DVD release that Turner Classic Movies plays. Side 2 would be the extended version, but WITH the originally undubbed dialog found and remastered with "A Step in the Right Direction" added in if it is ever found! The loss of "Step in the Right Direction" and the bad dubbing in the extended version hurts what could have been a great film. Bedknobs and Broomsticks has the important plot of searching for a missing spell. Tragically ironic that Disney took out bits and pieces of this film that may never be recovered. It is sad to think what this film could have been if the limited release had been LEFT ALONE!

Born Free (1966)

Superbly Filmed and Acted! Very Moving Movie and Amazing Song!

[10/10 · 20 November 2009]

Born Fee may be the greatest and most beautiful animal film ever created! It is the true story of Elsa, the lioness whom a Kenyan couple, George and Joy Adamson, raise as a cub, take in as a pet, when George is forced to shoot Elsa's Mother in self defense as she charges at him. Shortly afterword, George leans that the reason why the Mother lioness tried to attack him, she was protecting her cubs.

The Adamson's take in the entire liter of three cubs and grow very attached to them. When the cubs are on the screen, the emotional bond that the viewer feels is unforgettably blended with the beautiful backdrop of Africa scenery. Filmed in Kenya, where the real story happened, the Cinematography and music are spell-bounding! You really feel drawn into the lives of the couple and the lion cubs, and especially Elsa! Joy becomes most attached to Elsa, the smallest of the liter. When the other cubs become too difficult to manage, in a heartbreaking scene, they are sent to a zoo. George and Joy decide to keep Elsa. However, as she matures, the couple's friends and villagers become concerned, because Elsa has been frightening off villagers and livestock. The couple are dedicated and determined that Elsa would never be happy in a zoo or any other captivity environment, as Joy through tears says, "She was born free, she deserves to live free!" The couple than must do what has never been done before. Take Elsa from a domesticated pet and train her how to be wild. They spend hours, months, teaching her how to hunt, deal with conflict, and courtship. This film tags at the heartstrings big time, because there are scenes where she chases the truck after they are forced to leave her alone for the first time and she starts chasing the truck. Or the heartbreaking scene where she comes back to George and Joy's camp starving or hurt because she hasn't yet learned how to take care and hunt for herself.

Finally, after Elsa kills a warthog, the Adamson's learn that she can be on her own. The movie ends with George and Joy reuniting with Elsa and her own family of cubs in a beautiful mountainous, hillside view, with the unforgettable title tune by Matt Monro that will send emotional chills up your spine and bring tears to your eyes. This is a landmark film that is flawless! A beautiful film for families and children to learn about the importance of kindness to animals and the difficulty that it can take making a wild animal into a domestic pet.

Tragically, the real Elsa only lived about five years. She died of what appeared to be a severe tick disease similar to what is called "animal malaria." The work of Joy and George Adamson's devotion to protecting and preserving animal life remained for many years after Born Free. They showed that animals were just as important to be card for and loved as humans and that human contact and compassion with them can create a bond, lasting a lifetime.

However, in 1980, Joy Adamson who was known to be very forceful and demanding with her camp staff, was tragically found stabbed to death near her camp. Originally, authorities belied that she had been mauled by a lion, but the autopsy reports showed that her wounds were not consistent with an animal attack. The story is that a disgruntled worker, alleged that Joy had not paid him for two weeks, and they got into a fight. He alleges that Joy shot at him but no evidence has surfaced to support this. Angered over not being paid, he stabbed her to death and was sentenced to life in prison, escaping the death penalty by hanging,since Joy's attacker's age could not be proved, the judge sentenced him to life in prison.

George Adamson suffered a similar tragic fate when in 1989 he was shot to death by poachers who were attacking a tourist who had been visiting him. George was able to save the life of the tourist, in an incredible heroic effort for an over 80 year old man! However, George himself did not survive the shooting. In news that shattered hearts around the world, both he and Joy died terrible, painful, and senseless deaths.

However, their love and devotion to animal preservation and support was so internationally impacted, that many wildlife preservation societies today are a result of their work. Film stars Virgina McKernna and Bill Travers, the real-life British couple (the real life Adamson's were not British) who portrayed the Adamson's in the movie helped establish the Born Free Preservation Society in 1984. Working with the Adamson's on the set of Born Free so moved Virgina and Bill that they continued to work with helping wild animals. Bill did it for the remainder of his life and Virgina is still active in wildlife preservation to this day.

Born Free, is a movie, an experience, and a song, that will move you for the rest of your life!

The Parallax View (1974)

Good. But Bites Off More Than it Can Chew

[6/10 · 11 October 2009]

The Parallax View is a political thriller. A combined mystery, who-done-it? that starts Warren Beatty as an investigative news reporter who gets incredibly involved with someone or some group who are out to assassinate prominent politicians.

Beatty, and the high-profile drama that one might expect from such a thriller, are supposed to grab the viewer into this picture. I think the intent of the writers and directors was to create such a powerful movie that the viewer is left stunned and blown away thinking, "WOW, This is an amazing movie!" However, the problem with The Parallax View is the amount of information that the viewer is asked to absorb is so overwhelming and characters, in addition to plot sequences, do not take place in a very logical or coherent way. Furthermore, believability is strained in several moments of the picture. The main protagonist has enough personal problems and turmoil in his own life. I did not believe that he had the experience, knowledge, or foresight to know how to get involved in stories and events of such worldly importance. Some questions are answered. Unfortunately, there are far more questions that remain unanswered.

I wanted to review a masterpiece here, because I have heard so much praise for this film over the years. Unfortunately, I have to agree with the other comments that I don't know what to take from this movie, failing to understand its morals, its values. I question its purpose. However, I must give some credit to the writers for giving a good effort. What is disappointing, is that the effort is not the great, incredible, jaw-dropping, mystery and political thriller that so many believe.

The problem with The Parallax View could be akin to someone creating a cake recipe that they said "try this, it's the greatest cake you have had!" It appears that in the effort to follow the recipe for what was supposed to be a great movie, there are one or two main ingredients missing. Due to the plot holes, and lack of continuity in characters and scene developments, I am not sure what those ingredients should be to make the movie great.

However, something is missing that prevents this film from being great.