dan_ryan Reviews

The Bridges at Toko-Ri (1954)

Great film with film icons

[9/10 · 25 March 2024]

Great acting and great writing. James Michner was a national treasure. What I was able to find out about him is that he moved up pretty fast in the Navy because his name was very similar to Admiral "Pete" Mitscher, a noted figure in WWII naval aviation and many officers assumed he was the admiral's son.

Those films of the 1950's & 1960's didn't have the fancy CGI that are used today like in "Topgun" and "Maverick", but they made up for it with superior substance, directing and acting.

This was not William Holden's most famous movie, but it is one of my favorites. And this was one of the last films made by Grace Kelly before she became Princess Grace of Monaco. Talent by the score!

We've Never Been Licked (1943)

Sbisa Dance scenes

[6/10 · 11 October 2023]

A bit of trivia, my mother was enrolled at Texas Women's College when this movies was filmed. Many Texas Women's College girls appeared in the dance scene in Sbisa, but because the female lead was wearing a light colored dress and all the girls in lighter colors were left out and they had to remove their shoes to not interfere with the sound recording.

And it wasn't Victor Mature claiming it was his worst film on Johnny Carson Tonight Show. Noah Beery would go on to star in the Rockford Files. I forget what the deal with the Japanese was. I personally like the remake with Robert DeNiro better even tough I can't stand him as a person.

GasLand (2010)

Learn the chemistry of fraud

[1/10 · 11 July 2023]

The most "infamous scene" is the guy "lighting" his water. If you look closely he only uses his hot water. This is because his hot water tank allows the trace amounts of methane to accumulate in the top of the hot water tank, conveniently where the outlet for the hot water is located!!!!

Have you ever lighted a fart when you were a child growing up??? If you did, then the methane you burned was biogenic, meaning it came from decay of organic materials (like that bean burrito from Taco Bell!)!

Methane from oil and gas reservoirs is thermogenic. Very easy to tell the difference between the two using chemistry that distinguishes between different carbon isotopes.

Better Call Saul: Namaste (2020) Season 5, Episode 4

Steve McQueen connection?

[8/10 · 30 January 2023]

Do you think the writers are invoking Steve McQueen's legacy performances from "Nevada Smith" when Mike is nursed back to health at a monastery and when Jimmy and Everett Acker (Barry Corbin) use hidden drop bags in their pants when they grind up radioactive Americium- 241 sources from smoke detectors like they did with the tunnel dirt in "The Great Escape"?

It may not be the best episode in the series but one certainly has to hand to to Jimmy "Saul Goodman" for creative disruption. He makes a good guerilla fighter!! Good acting by the principal characters. Perhaps I watch too many old flicks!

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

Best racing movie in the last 40 years.

[8/10 · 11 April 2022]

Great history with enough drama thrown in to keep it interesting.

The guy playing Henry Ford II almost steals the show with the few scenes he is in.

If you're ever in Midland, TX go to the Petroleum Museum, where there is a section dedicated to another Texas racing legend, Jim Hall and his Chaparral Racing team. He was the grandfather of ground effects.

Https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Hall_(racing_driver)

War Pigs (2015)

OK if you're not paying extra for it. And My oh My what's happened to Mickey Rourke?

[3/10 · 26 November 2020]

Got this off my Netflix subscription. Not too bad. Weak story line. But Mickey Rourke looks like heck. Not sure if that's a plastic surgery mess or an alcoholic's mess. Dolph Lundgren OK.

A Gathering of Old Men (1987 TV Movie)

A fine made for TV movie with a Spartacus connection

[8/10 · 7 September 2020]

It's a good film for its time with a long list of accomplished and recognizable actors, many in the twilight of their careers, including Woody Strode who may be best known for playing Draba in film Spartacus. And like the ending of Spartacus where all the slaves rise up and say "I am Spartacus" these actors all claim to have shot the redneck Beau. Richard Widmark's portrayal of a Cajun sheriff is a little hard to accept but at least they were smart enough not to have these actors try and use a Cajun accent.

You Were Never Really Here (2017)

I missed it

[1/10 · 17 April 2020]

The reviews seem to be like opinions of Hillary Clinton - either you love it or you hate it. I am not a film expert, but I know what I like and I did not like this. Slow to develop and not well put together. No thanks. A waste of an hour and 35 minutes.

The Addams Family: Mother Lurch Visits the Addams Family (1965) Season 1, Episode 17

Lurch stands out

[9/10 · 14 December 2019]

Really enjoyed this episode. Don't remember it from my childhood. Gives Lurch a standout part!! He is quite the character.

John Wick: Chapter 3 - Parabellum (2019)

Keeps getting worse

[3/10 · 17 November 2019]

#1 was good. #2 was pretty bad, couldn't even finish it. Took a chance on #3 and made another mistake. Unrealistic action scenes. Kung Fu movies from the 1970's are more believable.

Green Dragon (2001)

Good portrayal of history.

[8/10 · 24 August 2019]

Only a snapshot of what the Vietnamese went through, but given the current immigrant situation a poignant film. Swayze and Whitaker play relatively small parts. A feel good movie and makes you think about where these people are now.

The Family Stone (2005)

All Families have baggage

[8/10 · 20 November 2015]

After reading some of the reviews this film appears to be like Hillary Clinton. Either you love it or you hate it. I certainly don't care for Hillary, but I did enjoy this movie. Never was a big Sarah Jessica Parker fan but thought her portrayal was top notch. Diane Keaton was good as always. Craig T Nelson also gave a good performance. Claire Danes has a somewhat minor part. Rachel McAdams is delightfully catty. Had never heard of the protagonist, Dermot Mulroney prior to watching this. Much of the plot is not especially believable but for goodness sake it's a movie. Is there no such thing in love at first sight in Hollywood? Having some dysfunctional aspects in both sides of my family made this enjoyable to watch. If you're Ward and June Cleaver you might not enjoy this film.