jem-7

Be honest, if you were going to trip on acid would you choose Bruce Dern as your guide? For a better look at the psychedelic scene of the late 1960s check out Psych-Out with Jack Nicholson, Dean Stockwell, Susan Strasberg and, yes, Bruce Dern in another subtle role.

In the past the Hallmark Hall of Fame was known for quality television. In recent years, for whatever reason, they've been putting out barely adequate efforts. This is no exception.

In this one, Scott Glenn is badly miscast as a fisherman in 1909 Ireland who is still grieving for his dead wife after 5 years. Saffron Burrows is a silkie: a woman on land, a seal in the water. John Lynch plays the requisite villain, who holds her pelt (don't ask), thus keeping her on land, and helping him catch the most fish. It's pretty much by the numbers and nothing will surprise you.

You know a made-for-television movie is in trouble when the highlights are the commercial breaks. Sadly, with recent Hallmark productions, this has definitely been the case. If they took as much time and care with their movies as they do with their commercials, people would still be talking about Hallmark movies the way they used to do.

It's a shame because this movie could have been a contender with a little more care and respect for the intelligence of the audience. One thing a producer can always control is what music he uses in his movie. To see it done right check out any film directed by Martin Scorsese or Spike Lee. When a movie tells me it's the summer of 1965 and the soundtrack plays "California Dreaming" - released in February of 1966 - it tells me the filmakers just don't care, so why should I? My wife said it should have been called "Before They Were Stars" as it features early appearances by many actors who have gone on to bigger and better things - Noah Wylie, Rick Schroder, Kelli Williams, etc.

You'd have to be pretty perverse to rate this a '10,' or indeed anything higher than the lowest possible score. Even by Ed Wood's previously established low standard, this mess is just about without redeeming features. It's even hard to find laughs this time. It's ostensibly a sequel to his pretty funny BRIDE OF THE MONSTER, even bringing back Tor Johnson as Lobo once again. But otherwise there are no more than a few chuckles to be had from the inept 'acting' of Wood's 'performers.' Skip it and stick to his earlier 'classics' like PLAN 9 or THE VIOLENT YEARS.

Even by the normally low standards of bad Italian zombie films, this stands out as the pits. Just pathetic, and not at all helped by the Papua New Guinea tourist footage. A waste of time I could have spent doing something useful, like pulling weeds.

The idea that anyone could have rated this movie a 10 is so far beyond credibility that I have to assume it was a joke. It was boring beyond belief and about as erotic as Barney or the Care Bears. Fiona Richmond's "acting" is so bad that one wonders how anyone thought she was qualified to play herself! It was a pathetic display, barely good for a laugh, and just sad to see such reputable performers as Graham Crowden and Victor Spinetti reduced to this level, even for a paycheck. Trust me, and skip it.

I give the creators of Blair Witch Project credit for a masterful job in selling their movie to the public, but... it was NOT scary or interesting, just annoying. Long before the end I'd lost all interest and, frankly, was just waiting for Heather and her pals to die and get it over with. A major waste of my time.

With all the rave reviews, I was extremely disappointed and, yes, bored by this overrated film. None of the stories had a payoff, one (the Oxford scene) was laughable, and the finale was ridiculous. A real waste of time.

Even though I haven't seen this movie since it was first shown in 1974 I still recall much of it vividly. Dick Van Dyke gives the performance of his life as an alcoholic, self-hating man who just can't accept the help he needs to get better. For anyone who has seen it, the last scene is just chilling and unforgettable. One of the best tv movies ever made.