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Reviews
10,000 BC (2008)
God awful
Like other posts on this movie, I like the Director's other films a lot (Independence Day), but this movie was awful. Even if you have low expectations for the story but are looking forward to some cool special effects (ala Jurrasic Park), you will be disappointed. The dialog among the characters is laughable; the narrator weaving throughout the film is annoying, and the story is just downright dumb.
Even when the prehistoric animals show up it's a let down. If you want dinosaurs and the sexiest cave woman of all time go watch One Million Years BC with Raquel Welch. For some reason the characters in that film were WAY better looking and had Way better hygiene than they do in this 'turkey'.
Lucky 13 (2005)
A Lauren Graham mistake
Like many folks I got this movie because Lauren Graham was in it (my Wife's a huge fan of Gilmore Girls)but this movie is terrible and Lauren must have been out to lunch when she decided to do it. First the lead characters are all supposed to be twenty somethings getting ready to leave the nest,but everybody in it is 35 or older and looks idiotic trying to play 21. The lead guy Brad Hunt is a total loser and you wonder why any woman much less Lauren Graham would want the guy. His partner who advises him on women is an even bigger loser than he is and is at least 40! I kept waiting for this movie to be funny or interesting but it was neither. The only positive thing to say for this film was the music. The songs were more interesting than the characters. Lauren Graham is in the movie maybe 15 min tops so don't waste your time if your looking for a good film she might have done between seasons of GG.
Home of the Brave (2006)
No wonder it disappeared from theaters
First Sam Jackson makes too many movies--his character here is one dimensional and his anger at his gorgeous wife hard to understand. None of the characters in this movie has any plot development and the movie ends with no real point or focus. 50 cent has about 5 scenes in the movie--none of them any good and they could have left him out completely. Jessica Biel wasn't bad and her characters story has the most potential. But she flops around emotionally in this movie and winds up where you don't expect. In the end though her biggest problem is she is just too beautiful to be believable as a soldier serving in Iraq.
This movie looks like it was slapped together just to get it out while the War is still going. It's about as good as your typical Lifetime tearjerker--but certainly not worthy of the big screen.
Lawman (1971)
One of the Best Westerns you've probably never seen
I've watched this film 20 times and it always blows me away. It's Lancasters best western. As the Marshal Jered Maddox who plays by the rules, Burt Lancaster is calm, collected, and driven to do his job. Unfortunately he only has his job and the law and little else. Watch this film and watch Lancaster be totally believable as a tough, lethal gunfighter at 58 yrs old! His character is complicated and noble; misguided and sympathetic. He doesn't want to kill anybody but he won't let the men he's after not be held accountable for the crime they committed in his town. Robert Ryan, Lee J Cobb, Richard Jordon, Riobert Wiseman, Sheree North and Albert Salmi are all superb in supporting roles.
When Lancaster was good a tough guy as he was here, he was better than Wayne or Douglas or many other Stars of his generation. If you like Westerns this movie is right there with my two other favorites Hombre, and Unforgiven.
Walk the Line (2005)
unexpectedly good!
I'm not a fan of musicals or musicians generally,they get too much attention for very little "work" in my view. And while I'm aware of Johnny Cash's music and think it's fine I've never owned one of his records. But I was very pleasantly surprised how much I liked this movie. Phoenix and Witherspoon are terrific and it's because they aren't doing "impressions". I've always liked Phoenix ever since he was in Gladiator and think he is a very good.actor. This film blows away anything his brother River ever did. And Witherspoon;cute but that's about it. But in this movie it's THEM singing and their isn't anything "cutsey" about this movie. Both characters are flawed, hurt others, hurt themselves but its pretty clear they belong together. I went to see this thinking if it was a "5" I'd be happy but it was a "10" easy.
21 Hours at Munich (1976)
A movie not to be missed
I was 16 when the Israeli massacre occurred in Munich 33 yrs ago today and this made for TV film is an excellent feature about those events. Made in 76' the film holds up very well. The film does not "hollywoodize" the events in Munich in any way. It tells the story about what happened in 72' in a very straightforward manner. William Holden, nearing the end of his career, is surprisingly good as the Police Chief of Munich. Franco Nero at first seems like a stretch to play an Arab terrorist but he is very good in this picture. The film also shows how the other Olympic activities kept going on while the hostage crises unfolded which now seems impossible to imagine. The bravery of the Israeli athletes, the confusion and ineptitude of the German police, the dbl-speak of the politicians, nothing is overlooked in this movie. If this movie was based on fictional events it would be a very fine film. The fact that the tragic events depicted actually occurred, and that the film so honorably and sensitively captures what happened in Munich means this film is worthy of the highest praise in my view.
Twelve O'Clock High (1949)
The best war movie ever.
I have seen this film 20 times at least and it still floors me. Made in 1949 it holds up extremely well 56 years later. Like all great films it isn't so much the action that takes place in this film, it's the interaction between the characters that makes it so memorable. A war movie is a guy's version of a soap opera in my view. And in this film when the men are scared,humbled,brave,show kindness to one another and crack under pressure they seem honorable to me. Yet I wouldn't feel such acceptance if the film was just about ordinary life. Gregory Peck, Dean Jagger, Gary Merril are all excellent. Gregory Peck embodies all the strength's and weakness of good leadership so it's no wonder this film is still being used to train officers.
If you like this film and you can ever find, it the TV series they made on this film in 64'starring Robert Lansing was very good and paid great homage to this film.