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Reviews
Obliterated (2023)
Each Episode Exponentially Better Than the Last
This raucous, rowdy, funny, warm, gross, action-packed, delight if a movie is full of twists and turns. It kept me laughing, guessing, aroused and on the edge of my seat. It is at once filled with cliched blocking and originality; feeling like a low budget B movie and an A-rated blockbuster. By the 8th and final episode, I was satisfied and completely obliterated, myself.
BTW - C. Thomas Howell was icing on the cake. I didn't even recognize him till episode 6 or 7. That's only one of the many little surprises that when combined, out this series over the top. I wouldn't be surprised if this is nominated for a number of awards. It excels in several categories across the board and if there was a category for "Movie that looked most fun to make", this would be a contender. Just don't overthink any plot loopholes, sit back and enjoy the action, hijinx and snappy dialogue.
Broken Trail (2006)
Great Casting, Great Story, Great Scenery = Great Movie
AMC had just shown Open Range with Bob Duvall and Kevin Kostner, so I was already in the mood to see more of Duvall. What I was the most pleasantly surprised at (well maybe not all THAT surprised) was how well Thomas Hayden Church and Duvall played off of each other. I think Church is, or at least was, one of Hollywood's best kept secrets. He stole every scene in Sideways, and in Broken Ztrail, has gone on to show a depth of character we never got to see in him before before. Tender yet gritty, bullheaded but willing to forgive, forgiving, but willing to deal harsh punishment, confused, but understanding and an everyman's hero. Duvall, well, he's nothing less than than a national treasure. Can't say too much about him. A joy to watch work his screen magic.
Another notable performance is James Russo as Captain Billy Fender. Man, his character is supposed to creep you out, he's almost too good at it. Very believable. All the rest, the ladies, the villains, the characters along the way - just a super job from a great ensemble cast. The panoramic landscaping, the livestock - breathtaking. Kudos to cinematographer Lloyd Ahern II for bringing such magnitude to the small screen.
The reason I gave this a nine and not a ten - I thought the score was phoned in. Van Dyke Parks is capable of so much more than the droning acoustic guitar and fiddle composition that was instantly forgettable. It doesn't compare to David Schwartz's theme music from Deadwood. I think a unique score would have taken Broken Trail up a notch.
The only other minus for me was the way Walter Hill did the predictable time lag thing that many director's have a tendency to do when making miniseries. That is, the tendency to milk some of the transitional scenes a little too long just to make the overall movie longer, Some people enjoy the intentional slow pacing, but it can be a bit too much. Overall, though, this movie gets a very strong 9 from me.
Crossing Delancey (1988)
An Underrated Gem
Funny, but most of the comments here are raving about the movie, yet somehow
it only scored 6.7 stars at the time of this posting. To me, Crossing Delancey is one of the best romantic comedies ever made and ranks highly among my favorite movies in general.
Reizl Bozyk's performance as Bubbie Kantor is priceless. Amy Irving and Peter Riegert have amazing chemistry and all of the characters are very well defined and well portrayed, although I think the matchmaker was just a tad over-the-top, even for a yenta. But that's okay, The storyline is paced just right - a great flick to do popcorn by.
Though I would ordinarily give it an 8.5, I rated it 10 stars to bring the average closer to what the reviews (and my personal opinion) reflect.
Cheaper by the Dozen (2003)
A Strong 8
Actually, I rate this an 8.5 to (the extra .5 to compensate for the haters ( there's always a few who bash a film just for the hell of it).
Bottom line - this movie made me laugh HARD and it also touched my heart unexpectedly. I remember vividly how hard it was to move to a new neighborhood when I was ten years old and my parents promised everything would be SO much better. In my case, it was when the Beatles phenomenon was on the horizon, so my life was about to change drastically, anyway,
The family depicted in this movie was far more conservative than my own, but one thing I could relate to was the strong family bond that could never be destroyed, no matter what.
I think that everyone's performance in this vehicle was excellent and considering the sheer scope of challenge in directing so many young kids in principal roles, one should be duly impressed.
Ah, it's so easy to dismiss a film like this for its sappiness or because your favorite teen idol didn't get enough screen time to make you happy - but the bottom line --- This was a difficult film to make and it was pulled off with aplomb!. Heads up to director Shawn Levy for making it look so easy to do this film.
Dondi (1961)
I Remember Dondi
I was about about 9 years old when the movie Dondi came to the Fernrock Theater in North Philly, the neighborhood I grew up in. I had been an avid reader of the comic strip (published in the Sunday Philadelphia Inquirer) since it was first introduced and I suppose because of my age at the time, I related to the title character. All I remember today is that I loved it as a kid and cried like a baby at all the sappy parts.
I am sure if I were to revisit this movie today as a jaded 50-something year old guy, I too might rain harsh words about this movie which has accumulated a whopping 3.3 stars by the reviewers. But I choose to rate it based on the way it made me feel when I was nine, and too naive to know old folks in the year 2004 would consider it a piece of crap. Today our kids grow up much too fast. A movie like Dondi might be just what the doctor ordered for your kids as opposed to say - a prescription for Ritalin.
Dondi gets a 7.5 from me.