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Reviews
Under Cover (1992)
This series had such promise
We were so sorry when this series was cancelled. The premise was fascinating with very effective husband and wife spies who nevertheless had a great family at home. The cast were very natural and had great chemistry. We loved it and were looking forward to a long run. But the storyline was set in the Middle East, and right after the first episode the Iraq War began. The government strongly suggested this series should not be aired. For awhile it was promised it might be back with some retooling, but that never happened. It was one of the missed opportunities in broadcast tv because Anthony John Denison and Linda Purl and John Rhys Davies worked so well together.
Assassin's Creed (2016)
Not recommended
The cinematography is too dark, the main character is unlikeable, there are too many subtitles and too much cgi, with a obscure storyline that needed to be fleshed out more and poor character development, plus weird power hungry scientists and a malevolent shadowy organization. There's very little to like here except for the medieval setting. It seems like the writer and director were trying to make great art or some grand philosophical statement, but failed in this effort miserably. This movie is a negative experience that didn't add either entertainment or thoughtful contemplation, and I won't recommend it to other people.
Sally Hemings: An American Scandal (2000)
Very plausible story.
It is believable that Thomas Jefferson and Sally Hemings loved each other and were devoted to their relationship as much as possible in the midst of a challenging cultural milieu. When Jefferson's wife died she made him promise he would never remarry. But two years later when Sally came to France she would have caught Jefferson's eye since she was a half sister of his wife, and was said to look very much like her. She was three quarters white and possibly a red head. She could have stayed in France, free, but she chose to go back with him. They think her bedroom was near to Thomas's and he never sold any of their children, even when he had money troubles. The evidence seems to show a continuous caring.
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Long, boring, and mostly pointless
A missed opportunity. The closing scene should have been the opening scene. Neo and Trinity should have been the leaders, not nasty Niobe. They should have had more screen time and used their powers to guide and inspire both people and machines, to overcome those who only want power for itself. I'm tired of dark apocalypse. Let's see some light and virtue and working towards utopia. Or just make a new movie with a new story, and new name. I do love seeing smarmy Neil Patrick Harris getting smacked down. I watched it twice to see if a second watching would draw out likeable points I missed the first time, it didn't change my mind.
Pascali's Island (1988)
Aggressively subtle.
Many people are comparing this to an Agatha Christie story. There are many similarities between the two in the setting and characters. However the mood of the film is more "film noir". It's very watchable, there are beautiful views, lots of eye candy from Helen Mirren and Charles Dance, and Ben Kingsley is fascinating as usual. The portrayal of all that was going on in the Greek domains of the failing Ottoman Empire seems very accurate. But prepare yourself for the ending, there is sadness. Overall it's fun to watch, but I'm not sure I would watch it last thing in the evening. Might have some strange dreams.
Oklahoma! (1999)
Not good!
I was disappointed in Hugh Jackman's performance. He doesn't sing well, with a mediocre voice and strange stylings of the songs. He overacts, trying to draw all of the attention to himself, and sometimes gesticulates wildly. His attempts at a American country accent are kind of sad. He tries to draw the audience in with lots of big grins, but that doesn't change all of the other problems. The great musical score is what saves this production.
Carthage: The Roman Holocaust (2004)
Strange visuals
I agree with other reviewers that there are too many shots of current sites and tech while talking about ancient history. There's some irrelevant ancient artifacts, such as statuary of Constantine the Great who came many hundreds of years later at a completely different epoch of time. I am also getting tired of the cynical presentism instead of mainly giving the historical story. Basically, conquerers are bad, those defeated are good. Remember Carthage continued the practices of their parent Phoenician culture, including the sacrificial burning of their young children. They may not have been very savory people either.
Zorro (1975)
Spaghetti Zorro
Like a live action cartoon, with strange closeups, silly music, and too many overly wide grins. Also, it looks like they probably killed some horses driving them off a high cliff. This might be fun for children, but hard to take as an adult without lots of fast forwarding.
William Tecumseh Sherman: Beyond the March to the Sea (2019)
An Essential Man
Excellent, fact based biography of Sherman's life and especially his role in the Civil War. Whatever job he undertook he did to the best of his abilities from honorably closing failed banks, to rescuing shipwrecked people, to heading a college, and to successfully prosecuting war. As a soldier he was more humane than many, but still never lost sight of the goal of winning. He probably could have been the U S president but refused to be involved with a campaign. He was a good and loving father and husband and well thought of by many.
Casino Royale (1967)
An enigmatic masterpiece.
This movie is a spoof yes, but oh so much more than that. The cultural and historic references, from the Russian revolution and the Cold War, to a WWI double spy in Mata Hari and her daughter's embrace of Indian culture, are fast and clever. Add the amazing amount of talented major stars and this funny farce leaps lightly along. The music is some of the best in the James Bond canon. Well worth seeing if you are a fan of sly humor and a sprightly script.
The 15:17 to Paris (2018)
Full of heart and authenticity.
What a lovely film about three boys who overcame handicaps in their lives to become honorable young men. There is a sweet naïveté portrayed by the actual people acting their own parts in the film. We get to see their hearts and how they remained true to their ideals and who they were! Highly recommended! Watch this knowing that you aren't seeing some slick Hollywood production, but something with an authentic vibe.
Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (2013)
Disappointment
Like so many others I had high hopes for this show. Coulson was such a fun ironic character, it was great to find a way to resurrect him. There have been times in this series that that character has shone through. But it seems they are either cutting his best scenes most of the time, or giving him pretty stale dialogue and directing. There isn't enough Coulson and way too much Skye. Most of the first season was just "The Skye Show" and it looks like it's devolving into that again. Coulson should be the main character and Skye a minor character, not the other way around. Also, the story line isn't very satisfying, it keeps jumping around and is pretty grim. I miss Coulson's idealism and humor. Often he's just hesitant and confused. I know the character's been through a lot of trauma but I don't watch the series for that. I want to see him coping and succeeding with style and flair. I want this show to be a good experience like the Marvel movies have been. I hope someone gets this message and makes the show different.
Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Messy Storyline
This movie has a messy crowded storyline that jumps all over the place. I fell asleep while watching it since much of the detailing was confusing. It probably would have worked better in 2 or 3 movies. To understand it better the best plot summary is on Wikipedia. After reading that I finally feel that I understand the movie.
Apparently the director, who is also one of the writers, is renowned for this shake it up and then throw it down type of plots. He says he would like to do a sequel movie. I would rather see them get someone who designs a better script. Lots of gears and complexity can be interesting, but they need to be seen to mesh together, and how the meshing works together in the whole machinery of the plot.
Also I hope that in a second movie there will be more Marvel tie ins to the other stories. It's fun seeing the relationship between the characters.
Judith (1966)
Interesting Historical Perspective
This movie is a vehicle for sex goddess Sophia Loren, while also trying to make her look like a "serious" actress. This aspect of the movie was only moderately interesting.
But if you can ignore that, it is also an interesting look at the start of the nation of Israel and the war they had to immediately fight for survival. I enjoyed seeing how they prepared secretly for the war and the depiction of an espionage operation. The immediate attacks by the surrounding nations would have been terrifying if they hadn't thought about and prepared for this so strenuously. There was great loss of life but also great acts of courage.
Peter Finch was great as an intense young Israeli leader, and Jack Hawkins was his usual personable, dapper self. The scenery and sets were good and believable.
Homo Sapiens 1900 (1998)
Parents Beware
If this film was rated in the United States it would probably be an R. There are several long nude shots with no cited reason for them. I guess they are "art" shots!?! This film seems more appropriate for some film festival, not general distribution, as is currently going on with it being offered on Netflix. Eugenics does have an appropriately distasteful reputation, but this doesn't justify the exploitative use of the human body.
If you want to know more about the history of eugenics google it or look on Wikipedia. The interesting thing is that everybody was into eugenics around the turn of the last century. Nearly every important or celebrated person of the time believed that genetics completely determined the fate of individuals and races. The shape of faces, heads, hands, and bodies were supposed to be important indicators of a person's character. Labeling of people and classes was rampant.
The Prisoner (2009)
Another Awful Remake
This remake of the old series just doesn't work: Where the old Prisoner series was surreal, the new one is existential. It is much more mean spirited and weirdly psychological, and very overbearingly totalitarian. Where in the old series the characters were mostly trying to maintain pleasantry and good manners, the new mini series has a much larger element of demagoguery and fear.
The look of the village, with the exception of Number Two's palace, is very hum drum, whereas the old series village really played up the dichotomy of looking like a quaint and charming little place, yet all you want to do is get away from it.
The story line is much weaker too: instead of a disillusioned former spy hero, we get the usual clueless computer geek being used by the evil corporation.
Also, greatly unappreciated were the crude remarks in the conversation between Number Two and the psychiatrists.
This new Prisoner is much more 1984, than an exploration of what you do with old spies.