Reviews
Newhart (1982)
Almost a Great Show
Most sit-coms are aimed at a relatively low denominator of intelligence. This one has the distinction of almost being exceptional. It is truly unfortunate that someone on the production team was influential enough to introduce a trio of characters that were actually out-of-character to the rest of the line-up. I'm referring, of course, to Larry and the two Darryls. Not only are they a throwback to the level of the average sitcom viewer, but their attempts at humor fail miserably - usually leaving one annoyed at the vulgar interruption. What is truly frustrating is the overzealous reception of hooting, whistling and shouting these three stooges receive any time they first come onto the set. This undoubtedly lends credence to the old adage: "Empty vessels make the loudest noise.
The Shape of Water (2017)
What's the point?!!
I had my doubts about spending the time to watch this movie, but I thought I'd give it a chance anyway. What the heck? ... I had nothing better to do that evening. Turns out 'nothing' would have been better than watching this trash!! Not only was the movie pointless (in my opinion, of course), but it left a bad aftertaste - I can only be thankful that I didn't watch the whole thing to the end. YUK!! I only wish I could give it a minus 1 instead of 1!!
Dunkirk (2017)
Excellent rendition of an important historical event
Countless movies have been made about the two World Wars, and each of these has been told from a specific perspective. Many of these movies (especially those featuring prominently established actors) were made to entertain rather than to convey a message. Chris Nolan's Dunkirk had a different purpose to it - one that was very successfully realized by the director, the crew and the cast of this film. That purpose was to convey the reality of the near-hopeless situation on the beaches of Dunkirk, and the indomitable will of the British people that succeeded in turning a would-be defeat into a victory of spirit. Three Cheers to Mr. Nolan and everyone who contributed their efforts to creating this tribute to the Heart of a Nation! And to those who couldn't see this film for the masterpiece that it is ... "Watch it again."
Hitler's Circle of Evil (2018)
Top-notch documentary that explains how and why it happened.
I have seen a number of documentaries about German history through the two World Wars, but this is the first one that actually reveals the intricate interpersonal relationships among a group of deranged individuals that lead a political party from relative obscurity into the driving force behind a national and global tragedy. The group comprising Hitler's 'inner circle' were all psychologically unbalanced and fanatical individuals. It is interesting to see how they were able to use the socio-economic circumstances of Germany to convince a substantial portion of the German population to adopt their arrogant and wicked philosophy. Bravo to the producers of this documentary for showing an original perspective on the events of history!
The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)
A Paint-by-Numbers Cliche Plot with Uninspired Acting
I rarely write reviews for movies, but when I noticed the rather high overall rating shown for this movie I decided to balance it out in the proper direction - i.e. downward! This movie has all the ingredients for a good film, but these ingredients need to be properly mixed and baked. As it turns out, this is nothing more than a cliche travel-log flick with a worn-out albeit camouflaged theme and uninspired acting. I may be the odd-man-out in this, but I'm of the opinion that a movie has no raison-d'etre unless the audience can care about the characters on the screen (favorably or otherwise). I could find no reason to care about any of them, so after a half-hour in front of the screen I cut my losses and shut the darn thing off. This movie has been rated favorably alongside such film as 'The Good Karma Hospital' - I think not!! Same part of the world; totally different result. The latter film left me wanting to see more; the 'Hotel' merely wasted a half-hour of my time!
Amazing Planet (2007)
Amazing documentary made un-watchable by annoying soundtrack
As an avid fan of good documentaries about nature and geography, I must say that this three-part series would be among the top in it's class ... if not for the fatal choice of musicians employed to create the soundtrack which accompanies the visual and narrative components of this production. Unfortunately, much as we wanted to watch the three episodes through to the end, my Wife and I were compelled to turn it off half-way through the second episode (re: oceans) due to the aggravation caused by the loud, all-pervasive noise that someone evidently must have mistaken for music.
I would urge National Geographic, who produced this 3-part series, to seriously consider reconstructing and re-issuing the entire documentary - this time using a musical team worthy of the rest of the work. The visual and narrative components are (in our humble opinion) excellent, but made all but un-watchable by the obnoxious auditory component.
My rating of 5 would have been a rating of 10 if the quality of the soundtrack were up to standards.