silvrdal

Maybe it's because I'm a teacher, but this is now on my list of favorite documentaries. These kids are just kids. They are not Ghandi. They are not Golda Meir. They are just amazing, precious little high-school babies. I wish I was their dad. Their dedication, skill, and innate charm are impressive.

As an Oklahoma native, I'm naturally drawn to NA kids ( you're AWEsome ), but I've seen the sort of hunted, insecure reaction of some NA to whites. I could cry. Getting an inside look at life in the rez is sad but hopeful; it shows the good and the bad, and I truly appreciated that.

You ROCK, guys!!

Brian! MORE MOVIES!!

^_^

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Although a fan of anime and manga, I'm continuously disappointed by the writing. Onmyo Taisenki is actually pretty sharp for this style of TV show -- endless battles between opposing animal avatars. There is the usual plot weakness of continuously introducing new characters in order to keep the audience interested, but the overall quality of the anime doesn't suffer as a result.

The art, animation, and fight choreography are more than watchable. The character design, however, is what makes the show a winner. Fans of Bakugan, Dinosaur King, Digimon, Pokemon, and on and on, should find this a bit edgier and a good stepping stone to more serious anime dramas. I'm ashamed to admit this, but I became so involved with the characters that I teared-up a couple of times. . . . I'm a dope.

Anyway, this one seems to be getting very little in the way of press, so I have to grudgingly review it, and admit to being a fan. >_< doh!

In a post-apocalyptic world, four boys scramble for their existence in a form of playing. Their Peter Pan, Szafran, leads them in tests of endurance to strengthen them, calling himself 'the antichrist' and 'demon' in order to suggest greater strength and spur them on.

The boys seem to enjoy the games, which wear them out, but make them strong enough -- strong enough, at his urging, to bury Szafran up to his neck in the mud. Szafran has trained them to kill him, demonizing himself, because he did not have the emotional strength to either endure or end his own life. He has committed suicide through friendship and play. His friend Kacper begs him to dig himself out. We are left with the question of whether this was even possible.

How many children are suffering, and are unable to end their sorrow?

Are we adults strong enough to dig our children out of the mud and give them better lives?

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Okay, so "Singing in the Rain" it's not, it's still better than... okay, I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but it's an enjoyable movie with lots of singing, dancing, pretty colors and fun cameos from a host of stars. AND it has the best version of "Frankie & Johnny" I've ever heard -- courtesy of Sammy Davis Jr.

Cyd Charisse is in the top ten of 'the-most-gorgeous-and-talented-women-to-ever-appear-in-movies'. She is displayed like a flawless multi-carat gemstone in "Meet Me in Las Vegas". In fact, there are so many gorgeous women in this movie my eyes bugged out. Wowie-wow-wOw!

If you don't like musicals, forget this one, it's just a cute diversion. If you DO like musicals, don't miss this one. It's a tad long, but it's still a winner.

Even though I'm not Catholic, I weary of movies that bash them or portray their clergy or adherents in the worst possible light. 'Lasko: Death Train' is charmingly pro-Catholic, and a lot of fun.

What could be more enjoyable for Catholic 9 to 15-year olds than to see kung-fu monks try and stop mercenaries from distributing a deadly stolen virus on a train of pilgrims bound for Lourdes to see the Pope? For what it is, this movie is relatively safe for young people -- only a smidgen of vulgar language, very little blood, and nothing prurient. Classroom teachers should feel pretty safe about showing it to students.

The editing, music, cinematography, pacing, etc. are all very good. Okay, so the dialogue sounds like it came out a Japanese animated film at times, but kids won't care. There won't be anything new here for action flick fans, but what is here is handled carefully and done well.

I liked it. Kids will enjoy it, too.

In hopes of wooing the pretty and seemingly sweet Miss Daisy, Chester attempts to farm a dreadful patch of bone-dry land and construct his sad little idea of a home for his bride-to-be -- which turns out to be a well-constructed, but disappointing dugout hole. Miss Daisy is horrified, and backs out of the wedding plans. Matt tries to comfort Chester with the hope that she'll change her mind, but the rejected man soaks his tears with the doily Daisy had made for their new home, and sadly retires for bed.

Chester wakes the next morning to find his dugout filled with water. All seems 'well' as he and Daisy set up a watering hole for beleaguered farmers. Unfortunately, the well eventually goes dry. Chester and Doc go into town to withdraw funds to purchase a new pump, but the story doesn't end there...

"Chesterland" is a charming character piece which gave Dennis Weaver an excellent chance to shine, drawing the audience by the hand through his trials, joys and tribulations.

The Naked Kiss is the most overdrawn. sordid, melodrama I've ever seen. At times I confusedly wondered if it were a parody of the weepies of the 1940s, at other times I wondered if it was an exploitation film full-blown. The Naked Kiss will, for some, be an hilarious caricature of 'girl-gone-wrong' films of the 40's and 50's, but for me personally, it is a film about redemption and human horror. This is the most shocking film from this period I've ever seen. I had little idea what I was getting into when I purchased it. It is a frightening portrait of human nature, with heart-wrenching portrayals of nobility and goodness. As sordid as the subject matter, This is an important and recommendable film. Good wills out. Evil is conquered. I, however, was exhausted by the end. Yikers!

Bearing in mind that this was a made-for-TV-movie, Moon Pilot isn't bad. Disney didn't blow their budget on it, but the production and effects were serviceable if spare. The actors try to inject as much into their bland dialogue as they can, but the writing isn't Disney's cleverest.

The genuine highlight of the film is the parade of loony beatnik girls toward the end of the movie, as the military tries to identify their astronaut's supposed space-chick -- Very funny. Dany Saval is adorable. To the best of my knowledge, I've never seen her before. She shows off to advantage the cute outfits designed for her. What a doll.

Okay, so it's not West Side Story, but The Kissing Bandit is darned cute. There were so many silly musicals throughout motion-picture history, I'm surprised that this one is getting such a bad rap.

The 1940's, regardless of how thinly the stories were laid-on, was the most beautiful decade in history for films. The remarkable lighting, set, and costume design of the '40's can make just about every movie enjoyable. Sinatra and Grayson are delightful; any scene in which Kathryn appears is worth watching just because she was so adorable and lovely. Mildred Natwick's role isn't very vivid, but she's a wonderful actress no matter how small the part.

If you don't care for the silliness of the "filler", just fast-forward to any scene with singing, dancing, or an actress -- Heck three of the most beautiful and talented women in film are all in the same movie. Just enjoy the pretty colors and all will be well... sleep... sleeeep...

While 'The Broken' doesn't cover any new ground, it is still very well-made, well-acted and effective. Lena Headey and the cast are flawless. The lighting, color and photography of the film are stylish and attractive. The symbolism and foreshadowing are well-handled. I'm surprised that it hasn't been better-received. It is an 'art film', which might not be to the taste of those who like gory horror flicks, but for those who like creativity and chilling subtlety it is more than satisfying.

'The Broken' is for those who like 'The Orphanage', 'Dark Water', 'House of Voices', and the original 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers'.

Most of the information presented concerns an inequity that has been known for two decades or more, but which is rarely discussed for the very reasons enumerated in the film. Very little actual information on the scientific evidences for design are presented in the film. It is mostly concerned with the manner in which the academic community has denied the concept of intelligent design from being presented in public scientific forums.

It was a surprise that Stein had the audacity (bravery?) to link Darwinism to Nazi eugenics and to Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood. Some reference materials which might be of interest are "Grand Illusion" by George Grant and "The Nazi Doctors" by Robert Jay Lifton, which go into this connection in greater depth.

While it presents it's subject almost cursorily rather than in depth, this film is to be applauded. It is a miracle that it is out and about, rather than buried by the scientific elite, like the articles and reports which sparked its creation.

Not having read the books by Mordecai Richler, I was unfamiliar with the series until it appeared on Qubo. I tended to overlook it in favor of the cartoon series with which I was more familiar -- Veggie Tales, 3-2-1 Penguins. However, since the program airs daily on one of the HDTV stations owned by ION television, I warmed to the show rapidly.

Jacob's adventures are often bizarrely exaggerated. While his family is fairly normal and presented in a balanced fashion, other characters, from neighbors to school staff to "master" criminals, are hilariously over-the-top.

The animation is a fascinating and seamless blend of drawn animation and computer animation. The characters were apparently drawn once and every time a character appears, he has the same exact hair and face, line by line. The backgrounds and settings are charmingly sketchy and look like water-colors out of a picture book.

The voice-acting is top-notch. My favorites are Harvey Atkin as Jacob's dad, and Fiona Reid as Miss Sourpickle. Harvey is a valued and recognizable character actor who appeared regularly on 'Cagney and Lacey'. Jacob's dad is a wise but daffy author of kid's adventure novels. Fiona Reid is new to me, but her performance is clever and nuanced.

Billy Rosemberg voices Jacob, and is utterly charming. Jacob is a doe-eyed, adorable kid who must overcome his fears in order to protect his tenuous rights as the youngest member of his family.

It is fortunate that there are so many episodes of this series in the can. I haven't seen all of them, and every new episode is eagerly enjoyed. I'll look forward to having this one on DVD (someday?).

It is rare that a cartoon series revolves around a Jewish kid (from CANADA, yet!). "Jacob Two-Two" is a delight.

I just watched a bowdlerized version of "The Harrad Experiment". I'd heard of this movie, but had never seen it. It stars Tippi Hedren, James Whitmore Jr., and a very ( almost unrecognizably ) young Don Johnson.

The story concerns a small college which has gone co-ed to an extreme. Boys are deliberately room-mated with girls, and the couples are encouraged to have sexual intimacy.

Now, had that sort of film been made, today, you'd have a mind-boggling, no-holds-barred sex-fest; but back in 1973, they made a sort of tentative pastel-water-color story with bland characters and dialogue, sprinkled with curses the actors seem to choke while saying. Mind you, I wasn't disappointed, I was relieved. This movie is sort of an icon of modern 'sex as salvation' subject matter in film.

The movie comes off as a kind of bland, sex-driven "After-School Special". The script is vanilla and cliché-ridden; with lots of pop-psychology and not-quite-there challenges to 'old-fashined' mores.

Hedren and Whitmore are the married professors conducting the experiment. We never quite know whether they're actually ( hypocritically ) condoning 'free-love' or whether they're trying to point out to the students that monogamous relationships really are the strongest. Either way, they are dangerously close to law-suits. The curriculum is so wishy-washy that, in comparison, Alfred Kinsey's 'research' looks like the Sodom and Gomorrah Pride Parade ( actually, it probably was ). Intimacy seems to be their real goal, rather than merely pandering to one's sexual gluttony, but they are terribly stupid in encouraging 'sexual freedom' as a means of discovering that.

The style of the film is so typically early-70's with its light, cheerful, guitar background music and sunny edge-lit cinematography; that I expected Karen Carpenter to start singing "Rainy Days and Mondays". It renders the film, unintentionally, quite funny.

There are three folk/pop tunes sung in the film's background, two beautifully performed by Lori Lieberman, and the last by ( what?! ) Don Johnson, himself, and not badly, either.

Other than the Lieberman songs, the only real highlight of the film is an amusing improv team ( The Ace Trucking Company -- featuring a young Fred Willard ) performing on the topic of 'group marriage'.

Most likely, the film would have seemed maybe 2% edgier with all the nudity and G-D's left in, but I seriously doubt it. I could tell where the cuts were made and there was precious little eye-poison in this watery Lorimar Production.

A real surprise is that one of the writers was ( and I blinked twice when I read his name ) Ted ( Lurch, the butler ) Cassidy. He has a cameo early in the film.

I can't recommend the film, due to its themes ( insipidly as they were presented ), but I'm glad that I've been able to check off and discount another cheesy step on the ladder to our current gradual cultural downfall ( "The April Fools", "Bob & Carol & Ted & Alice" being others ).

Never having been a fan of the concept of the dead returning to advise the living, I was none-the-less pleased with this charming film. The tragedies that occur during war-time can often be treated as 'due course' by most of us, but we are not usually those who have suffered a loss. Like many stories involving benevolent ghosts or angels, the supernatural beings are metaphors for the hand of God in the lives of the living, seeking to influence them along a better path than that which they currently pursue.

'Halfway House' is a kind-hearted, quirky little film, with talented character performances. Sally Ann Howes, the gifted musical actress, plays an early role as the daughter of an estranged couple heading for divorce. Her performance was amusing and poignant, as she tries to think of ways to get her parents back together. Françoise Rosay's character desperately attempts spiritualism, trying to contact her only son who has died in the war. They, and the other guests at a ghostly Welsh inn, seem to take a somewhat 'oh, well, so that's it' attitude toward their dearly-departed innkeepers, which makes the film that much more appealing. 'Halfway House' is exactly what it was intended to be, a comfort and a lesson.

Stan Lee's new animated direct-to-DVD movie, 'Mosaic' is nothing new or amazing, despite the Hype-Master's -- er -- hype. It isn't bad, but there are a few cringe-inducing moments, mostly when overly-expositional dialogue is forced into the script.

The plot concerns a high-school drama gal, Maggie, who gains strange chameleon powers from an artifact her father finds on a case at a museum ( he's with Interpol ). Anna Pacquin voices Maggie, and does as well as she can with some contrived dialogue. The other voice actors range from so-so to adequate, again hindered by the script.

The animation, script and concept are 1990's Saturday morning cartoon quality. The artwork is occasionally brilliant, but mostly serviceable. All in all -- meh. It was only ten bucks, but I'd wait for it to go on sale.

My copy came with a small comic book, and there are some amusing extras. That Stan, what a card.

Purchased as part of a cheapo set of 50 sci-fi/horror flicks, this was a nifty surprise! The story is an enjoyable melodrama, and the acting is better than I had expected, but its lush photography is the star of this picture.

Every scene, every shot is exquisitely filmed with a judicious eye for beauty and drama. I can't recall seeing black and white filmed with such succulence. I found myself urged to take a bite out of the film. The cinematographer, John Alton, plays with light and shadow in a way that reminds me of Alex Toth or Gene Day ( graphic artists ). Frank Durlauf's art direction is quite lovely, as well. I'm not certain as to who should get the the credit for the lighting, but both of them surely had a hand. Alton won an Academy Award in cinematography, for his first color film "An American in Paris", but if there are any more monochromes like this one, I shall root them out! I'm hungry!

This was a strange little film. I say 'little', but it seemed much longer than its 72 minutes. I repeatedly fast-forwarded through bits of it, the pacing dragged so unnecessarily. As is typical in Japanese productions, the script was trite and under-written, and numerous sequences and characters were superfluous and annoying.

It did, however, have moments of brilliance. Some of the animation was quite nice, and the art was really lovely in several sequences. The music wasn't bad, either. The final scenes concerning the Little Match Girl might actually have been longer ( and welcomely at the expense of some of the irritating comedic portions ).

This, again, was a $1 DVD from Wal-Mart, and the transfer to the DVD was often blurry. I'm wondering if it was 'digitally trashed' like so many animated dvds.

Honestly, I don't know how I remember this show so vividly. I was TWO years old when it aired. This was my introduction to the King Sisters and Tina Cole, who later appeared on My Three Sons. Maybe it was Tina who was the funny, clumsy 'King Cousin', my memory gets spotty. What I do remember is that the stage was over-run with relatives, most of them blond, and lots of pastel colors. The only King Sisters song of which I have a recording is "San Fernando Valley". I'm sure they had lots of other hits, otherwise, why did they have their own show? The King Family Show was entertaining and amusing, but what do *I* know -- I WAS ONLY TWO!!

Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Ed McCully, Pete Fleming, Roger Youderian, Rachel Saint and Elisabeth Elliot have been my heroes for over twenty years. I've had the privilege of meeting Elisabeth Elliot (now Elisabeth Gren), a remarkable and brilliant woman.It means so much to see their story being given the respect and humanity it deserves. Not only their motives and hearts are put on display, but significant treatment has been given to the psychology and person-hood of the Auca Indians, as well. "The End of the Spear" is beautifully-crafted and profoundly moving. I can't recommend this film highly enough. It was so much more than I had been led to expect.

Hadn't expected the rigmarole I'd have to go through to snag this film on video, several years ago. I'd seen this two or three times as a child and reveled in the dark comedy of it. The plot is silly, but it's not nearly as important as the production itself.

The charming performances by the many delightful character actors are the highlights of "The Old Dark House" -- Robert Morely, Joyce Grenfell, Peter Bull. Who would ever think that Tom Poston would appear as the romantic (?!) hero of a movie, but there he is. And Oo, that Fenella Fielding! What a dish!

This film isn't for everyone, but I'll never forget it, and neither will you!

Okay, I'm speaking out of my hat here. I was only three when this aired and I don't remember having seen it, but I do have the cast album and it is tremendously good.

I can only imagine what it must have been like to see Edward Villella dance. Goulet and Howe are perfect leads, and Tommy Carlisle has a delightful tenor.

This must have been recorded for posterity. Why on earth it isn't on DVD...

Recreating it as a dance vehicle for semi-singer Gene Kelly and non-singer Cyd Charisse may have seemed like a good idea, but this one needs a singer's treatment, and the TV broadcast should be available.

Whom do I write?

When I saw that the two queens of the B-movies, Marie Windsor and Beverly Garland were in one glorious, trashy flick togETHer -- I had to have it. I wasn't disappointed.

This movie is quite bad, but the highlights are so delightful there's no way it can be dismissed or forgotten. One reviewer dubbed it "Catfighting Floosies", and that clinched my purchase. I've called it this ever since, rather than it's actual title.

Honestly, someone should put out a heavily-edited version of it, stringing together all the squabbling women bits and deleting all the annoying paddling-through-the-bayou scenes. If it weren't for the latter, I'd have given this ... oh, at least a 6. Huzzah for the Fast Forward button.

'Main Hoon Na' is just plain weird and I loved it. It's sort of 'Beach Blanket Bingo' meets 'Grease' meets 'Die Hard'. Shahrukh Kahn is amusing and self-deprecating in the same charming way that Jackie Chan is. I'd heard of Khan and Bindu, but I've never seen a Bollywood film before this one. Now I'm hooked. I'll have to check out a whole mess of other movies.

'Main Hoon Na' is very, very silly, but thoroughly enjoyable. The musical numbers are delightful. There are a few hilarious swipes at American films. The bits of English scattered throughout were amusing. The movie often pokes fun at itself and knows that we're in on the gag. It's well worth seeing, whether you like musical action flicks (wha...?!) or not.

I laughed. I cried. Now I've got to learn Hindu so I can sing the songs -- Chori chori chori chori Kabhi kabhi Kahin kahin!

Well, I'm stumped as to why this film isn't better known. I'd barely heard of it. Kathryn Grayson is at her most adorable in this one. She sings like an angel, she looks like an angel, she wrinkles her nose like an angel. Gene Kelly is charming, but underused.

The last hour of the film is a star-studded camp show for the boys, and I'm certain that the film was sent overseas to entertain the troops during the war. The finale is somewhat bizarre and stilted -- Grayson singing with what looks to be 400 middle-aged men from different countries -- and provokes a sort of desperate hope that the world will one day again be at peace.

'Thousands Cheer' is an odd hybrid of musical-comedy, review and morality play, but I decidedly enjoyed and appreciated it. See if it doesn't make you misty.

Well, Frank Peretti is making movies, and even appearing in them.

Just finished watching his new video, "Hangman's Curse". Now, it has the usual characteristics of Christian films: Forced and/or extraneous dialogue, cheezy over-acting (Peretti), overdrawn stereotypes and a too-inclusive ending.

It also has Mel Harris (Thirtysomething), David Keith (Firestarter), Billy Moses (Mystic Pizza) and some rather talented teen actors -- Meester and Smith.

HC is intended for a teen audience, and if they are not overly discriminating they should enjoy it. It isn't terribly preachy, like many Christian movies, and the plot is actually interesting (before it becomes obvious who the villain is).

The Christianity is sort of sprung on us at the end. There are hints of it during the film, and there are some insightful digs at the naturalistic worldview, but there could have been more obvious examples during the first hour, graduating into the expressions of faith later on.

At nearly two hours HC is also a bit too long, and it could have been shaved during editing to pick up the (leisurely) pace.

I got my copy at Wal-Mart for $10. It is also available at Christian book stores. It's worth seeing and it's a start -- hopefully if they do another one they'll be able to excise the annoying bits.

Someone should write them.