qman-87635 Reviews

Shakedown (1988)

80's Schlock at its best...

[10/10 · 25 December 2023]

This film was dynamite, the best of 80's schlock.... unlikely buddy pairing (Peter Weller / Sam Elliot), horrific soundtrack, gritty 70's ish New York, cops on the take, bad boxy cars, Antonio Fargas of course as a drug boss, ghetto blasters, and the lawyers...Plus the absolutely ridiculous over the top "action" sequences that seem to pop up randomly. If you are in the mood, it's a must watch. Always Sunny in Philadelphia level of Lethal Weapon remake!

It drags a bit at the beginning as you get to know the characters, but once it gets going, it's an out of control train wreck. Oh... and there is a love triangle! Hurray!

Rollerball (1975)

Not impressed....

[3/10 · 16 June 2023]

Well, this movie seems to be on heavy rotation recently, finally was able to watch it. The era of 1975 was a time of high fuel prices, inflation, urban decay in the USA, leading to pessimistic futuristic films like this one and Death Race 2000. I loved that one, as an avid B movie fan. But this one not so much, I generally hate it when A listers try to make "good" B movies, it rarely works. There are plenty of love it or hate it reviews here already, I won't repeat, but I really felt this film said nearly nothing new even for 1975. Perhaps,they were mostly going after the "violence" of the NFL. Enjoyed the heavy 70's fashion, that's about it.

The Satan Bug (1965)

Expected an edgy 60's B Movie, with a title like this...

[2/10 · 1 August 2022]

But it was certainly not a B movie... big time cast, expensive sets, production, sorry to say nearly all a total waste! Literally nothing happens for the first hour, the script based on a book, seems to have been shortened to about 1 page.

Maybe for the time, the plot was novel, but it's been done much better many times since 1965.

Back to the few positives, cool sets, fashion, cars, and plenty of expensive helicopter overhead shots.

Too bad the pacing / editing / story was so thin.

It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia: Charlie's Home Alone (2018) Season 13, Episode 8

For the hardcore fan only...

[3/10 · 16 April 2022]

Well not much to add here, the other reviews say it all, except you should know this episode is a nested clip of what happened to Charlie while the rest of the gang went to the Super Bowl, and that's covered in a different episode.

Some good ideas riffing on home alone, but this episode seems to suffer from whatever is hurting most of the newer ones I have seen so far , editing? Writing? Both?

Having seen the first seven or so seasons over and over, was really excited to see newer episodes pop up on reruns on a channel I get, but so far , the new ones mostly pale in comparison to the classics... not any body s fault, but that's the way she goes sometimes.

As to this being the absolute worst episode, I would have to say it's not this one, it's the laser tag one. That one sucked!

World Without End (1956)

Ugh! The Movie That Doesn't End....

[4/10 · 16 April 2022]

Not a bad film, really, but it does start to drag after awhile, even for a film of this time period....

Worth a watch if just to see where so many films and TV of the 60's borrowed their source material, the first 20 minutes may as well be "Planet of the Apes"

Plenty of Star Trek episodes appear to have borrowed heavily from this film!

Wagon Train: The Miss Mary Lee McIntosh Story (1965) Season 8, Episode 20

Wagon Train breaks the Third Wall!

[10/10 · 12 April 2021]

Somehow, Ferris Bueller gets all the credit, but right here in this episode , all the way back in 1965, Charlie Wooster looks straight at the camera in the final scene and wraps up the episode with a great one liner!

Total gem moment! Love you forever Charlie Wooster!

Wagon Train: The Wanda Snow Story (1965) Season 8, Episode 16

Wagon Train goes Sci-Fi/Horror...

[8/10 · 12 April 2021]

Quite the rare storyline for a Wagon Train episode, seems that season 8 is full of gems like this one... creepy blonde girl sees the future.... will the wagon train turn into Stephen King's Carrie?

I won't spoil it, but the answer is no. Worth watching if you like the odder episodes of this show.

Wagon Train: The Echo Pass Story (1965) Season 8, Episode 14

Book 'em Dano!

[29 March 2021]

Well written episode, Loaded with violence and grit, full of characters who could have ridden out of Sam Peckinpah's Ride the High Country.

Jack Lord is a real treat, you can see he was basically always Steve Mcgarrett on screen, and that is a good thing.

I have seen a few Wagon Train episodes so far where lack of water is the centre point, and wow, don't skip them when they pop up. Generally, the "finest" traits of our human character usually emerge.

Wagon Train: Little Girl Lost (1964) Season 8, Episode 12

Wagon Train or the Twilight zone... did someone change the channel???

[10/10 · 29 March 2021]

A very unusual episode compared to the ones I have seen so far, an excellent one at that. The Charlie based ones are few and far between, but wow does he shine. The opening scenes may tempt you to skip this one but DON'T! Cheers to the writers for stepping outside the box on this one.

Wagon Train: The Wagon Train Mutiny (1962) Season 6, Episode 1

War is hell....

[10/10 · 28 January 2021]

How they packed this much of a story into a one hour episode is beyond me, incredible pacing , content, acting chops. Yes, some wagon train episodes are poor, but do not judge the book by its cover. This episode in particular is a must see, especially if you know the characters well. The divide between Hawks, Hale, and the rest is huge. There are the vocal few who squawk "selfishly", and there are the others who "serve their country." An absolutely brilliant allegory for any war time period.

Wagon Train: The Sacramento Story (1958) Season 1, Episode 39

"Hydraulicers"

[7/10 · 19 September 2020]

A real environmental issue from the 1880's, as relevant today as it was then.

New methods of gold mining involve using high water pressure to take down the whole hillside, blocking the river and existing drainage patterns. Water diverts and floods good existing ranch lands, pre sold site unseen of course to dreamers who make up the wagon train. Which introduces one man "make it right Flint" to get the money back for one particular wagon.

A good episode to end the first season, nice wrap up.

Wagon Train: The Rex Montana Story (1958) Season 1, Episode 35

You're just meat and potatoes in my book, mister....

[10/10 · 14 September 2020]

I suppose most folks know Forrest Tucker from F-Troop, this one is a nice role for him.

I give it 10 stars just for the big showdown scene with Tucker and Bond, rarely in this show did Bond get this riled up...

Here are his lines:

I know you, you're their story book hero You're just meat and potatoes in my book, mister....

Yah I've seen you shoot - plates and a 10 cent watch! But how good are you against a gun , with a man's eyes on you...

Later in the wrap up, he discusses with the storyteller:

'There's been enough destroying in the west, killing - Indians, Buffalo, rivers being dammed up, fences being built, now Mr Winslow, you just go on writing books, the west can use some fancy words written about it..."

Love it!

Wagon Train: Chuck Wooster, Wagonmaster (1959) Season 2, Episode 33

Scooby Doo meets Wagon Train

[10/10 · 14 September 2020]

Loved this one, any time Charlie gets screen time, it's dynamite.

Folks keep disappearing in the snow, is it a Chupacabra? Bigfoot? Yeti?

It's a mystery only Scooby and the gang can solve.... and they would have gotten away with it if not for those meddling.... Wooster!

So there are some good fisticuffs in this episode, Ward Bond gets a good fight scene in, the story is when he joined the show, he insisted his long time stuntmen buddies join him, and that would be Wooster and Bill Hawks of course.

Bill Hawks gets a good somersault in with a bad guy, and Charlie pipes up with a dynamite line " Hawks! Why don't you stick to your fightin' and leave the wrestling to those Japanese people"

Classic!

Wagon Train: The Swamp Devil (1962) Season 5, Episode 27

Angry Flint...

[1/10 · 1 August 2020]

Well, I felt this one was pretty much a dud episode, the script must have been from the bottom of the scrap heap, and the good ones misplaced at the time :).

There is a good core story on materialism, but the swamp monster etc didn't cut it for me.

Also, most of the episode you get "angry Flint", quite out of character.

If more of season 5 is like this one, no wonder Robert Horton left the show...

Wagon Train: The Jeremy Dow Story (1960) Season 4, Episode 14

Leslie Nielsen great in this episode

[10/10 · 19 July 2020]

I really enjoyed this episode. Leslie Nielsen and Robert Horton were exceptional. The first 20 min really dragged, but I kept watching since I was interested in seeing Nielsen having known his work only from Airplane, Police Squad, and Pumper Pups. It's a detailed story, every scene builds up to the conclusion, really well done. Writers, actors, everybody was great in this one. One bonus is a very young Micheal Burns, who joins the cast in Later seasons. He also is in a great episode Later that focuses on Bill Hawks.

A highlight episode , one of my top 5 so far!

Wagon Train: The Betsy Blee Smith Story (1965) Season 8, Episode 22

Gilligan's Island meets wagon train....

[7/10 · 14 July 2020]

This one was actually pretty good if you are a Coop fan, good comedy and probably the last episode with Hawks, Hale, and the rest of the crew appearing together. The soundtrack is very Gilligan's Island, kept expecting him to pop out yelling " Skippperrrrrrr..." as he heads for the hills!

Wagon Train: The Silver Lady (1965) Season 8, Episode 25

The wagon train got hijacked!

[1/10 · 7 July 2020]

Well, as a recent fan the last few years, watching MANY episodes from various seasons, and finally seeing parts of season 8, and then reading the final episode was dedicated to Wooster, I was looking forward to watching the second to last episode with the whole crew....

Yuck - turns out it's a pilot for something with a bunch of Earps, and Barnaby auditioning for a new job!.

Cool appearances by Henry Silva and Denver Pyle, but that's about it. :(. Zero stars for me, due to my expectations issues noted above.