rkersh Reviews

Drop-Out Father (1982 TV Movie)

Wheres The DVD

[10/10 · 28 August 2016]

I think of this movie every once in awhile and wish it were on DVD so I could watch it at those times. I've always connected it with Christmas and that does have a slight connection, but I liked the writing, the actors and performances and the movie as a whole. Dick Van Dyke always made it look easy and he worked so well with Marriete Hartley. A light enjoyable movie that you wish you could see whenever you think of it. Considering a lot of the really trashy stuff already on DVD, you would think this one would help balance it all out. A good story that holds it's own over time. Just as relevant and funny as if it was produced this week.

Don Matteo: Il passato ritorna (2002) Season 3, Episode 5

Great episode this

[10/10 · 19 June 2013]

I have been watching Don Matteo for some time on CCTV MHZ Network. Guess I identify with Terrence Hill by age, but he does the trick as the main star/character. I particularly liked this episode. The writing was tight and the acting was the usual professional artistic standard for this series. I was immediately struck by Caterina Murino's looks in this episode. First the beauty in a series that produces some striking characters, then the acting, then the familiarity . . . I couldn't remember where I had seen her before. Finally, I remembered the Zen mini series on Masterpiece Mystery some time back. Wow! She does have a presence on camera. At any rate this episode was the above average mystery and the usual character building for the main stars. Ms. Murino was just the icing on the cake. Terrence you're a lucky man . . .

Last Man Standing (2011–2021)

Great Show - Pure and Simple

[10/10 · 14 March 2012]

There is a tendency to compare this show with Home Improvement and that is natural since it is part of Mr. Allen's resume. Home Improvement was brilliant and it was first, but this show can stand on it's own. (no pun intended). The writing is first class and the performance of same is also first class. Tim is at his usual best and all the other cast members are right on. Timing is first class, Hector is a great choice and they are lucky to have him. I never realized how he could fit in and make a show even better. The new wife isn't Jill, but so what, and the shift from boys to girls is even better. As far as a revival of his career goes, Tim Allen owes no one an explanation. The guy is funny . . . and carries off family chores very well . . . no need to revive a career that is still doing very well. He hasn't lost a beat and this show is even better than Tool Time.

Page Eight (2011 TV Movie)

Best film I've Watched In Years

[10/10 · 9 December 2011]

I have watched this TV Movie 10 times already and can watch it every few days without tiring of it. The performances/characters are so real and done so well, it truly is a Masterpiece. I guess it fit for me because of the age of the characters, the way the story was handled/written by Mr. Hare and the nature of the content. I was familiar with most of the actors in this film before I watched it and have been appreciating Bill Nighy's work for sometime now. Michael Gambon as well, but the antagonists and the lesser characters jump out. This is truly a situation where there are no little roles. The actors in this film portray relationships which are so real the film whets the appetite as it progresses from opening to end. It is very subtle and therefore juicy from a storyline standpoint. It is romantic and the intrigue is right on. I recommend this one wholeheartedly and I look forward to acquiring the DVD very soon.

Inspector George Gently: Gently Through the Mill (2009) Season 2, Episode 4

Always a pleasure watching Martin Shaw act

[10/10 · 12 July 2010]

I've been a fan of Martin Shaw since seeing him in the episodes he did of the P. D. James' Adam Dalgliesh character in Death In Holy Orders. This series of Mr. Shaw playing Inspector George Gently is underrated since it is another "copper" series, but he plays a totally different copper here and the character portrayal is quite good. No more Mr. nice guy poet Adam Dalgliesh outa London, but sock 'em in the gut George up north and the delicious accent he does to go with it. Impressive and like Death In Holy Orders, Go Gently Through The Mill also features another of my favorite actors, Tom Goodman-Hill, who was also part of the cast for the P.D. James vehicle. I enjoy this journeyman actor as well as Mr. Shaw, whenever he appears in something. Just wish I had the funds to spend some time in Britain to watch these guys on the stage, where they both learned their craft so well. I guess I am going to have to take a look at the Judge Deed series of Mr. Shaw and hopefully the insanity of Ideal featuring Tom Goodman-Hill will sometime in the future be offered on DVD for we American Cousins. Kudos to these fine actors . . . and thanx.

Balls of Fury (2007)

Would have worked with Adam Sandler in the lead

[5/10 · 21 January 2010]

I have yet to finish watching this DVD, but already I can see where the movie went wrong. Not to take anything away from Mr. Fogler whose credentials are impressive and talent obvious, but he is miscast in this movie. Sandler would have at least made the relationship part with Maggie Q a little more acceptable. She is hot and the fat comic getting the hot chick is so lame it reeks. It's also becoming stereotypical these daze. I think the mistake that takes everything else off course is the tone of approach to making this movie. It needed just a little more believability. Like any fiction the more believable the story the more successful the movie or book. This movie had too much silly, which seems to be the current generation's idea of comedy. Try subtlety. It would be a lot better. Silly, insults your audience and makes us feel dumbed down. We deserve better.It kinda wasted the talents of Christopher Walken, James Hong, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa among others. A good concept, but poor execution . . .

Inspector Lewis: Music to Die For (2008) Season 2, Episode 2

Best of Inspector Lewis series I've seen

[10/10 · 22 September 2009]

A nice piece of writing and well acted by the entire cast. I especially liked Tom Goodman-Hill as Richard Helm in this episode. The way he interpreted the character and brought a subtle performance in the role was brilliant. I hope to see more of him in the future.

I have always liked the chemistry between the Lewis and Hathaway characters, a tribute to the chemistry of the two actors in those roles, but I really enjoyed Goodman-Hill's character in this episode and felt it brought a certain flavor to the mystery. He is an under-rated actor.

I first noticed him in Death In Holy Orders, the P. D. James vehicle starring Martin Shaw. Hard to not enjoy these British mysteries . . .

On the Edge (1985)

Beautifly filmed movie about the great Dipsea Race in Marin County

[8/10 · 16 September 2008]

I found a restored copy of this film on VHS over at the local Salvation Army Thrift store in Hagerstown, Maryland which I bought for a dollar. The restored portion was the Pam Grier nude scenes with Bruce Dern. I had seen the cut version of this film before and enjoyed it. Pam's bit was a bonus. This is a nice film on running and the Dipsea Race in and around Mill Valley and Mt. Tamalpais in Marin County near San Francisco. It is about a runner who is now in his 40's and had been banned from running competitively because he tried to organize the runners of his day to admit using cashed in airline tickets to support their being able to run in the sport and compete . . . his father Flash was a union organizer and bit of a leftist as was his mother. The film revolves around his family relationship with his widower father and his preparation and running of the race despite not being able to "officially" be entered to run. Nice to see Bruce Dern playing something besides a bad guy or fool. This is a good film to watch as was his Silent Running.

The Big Country (1958)

One of my favorite films of all time

[10/10 · 25 November 2007]

I always tell anyone who listens that Gregory Peck never made a bad film. The Big Country is one of his best and one I have watched over and over. As of this writing it is being run by WETA in the widescreen version and I have watched it twice in the last 2 daze . . .

I read a lot of the comments of my fellow admirers and there seems to be a consensus that this movie has few if any weaknesses. Nearly every comment mentions the musical score and the great cast. The unforgettable Burl Ives in his Oscar winning role, Charleton Heston, Carol Baker, Charles Bickford, Chuck Conners and Jean Simmons . . . what a beauty! Until this go 'round I had never given much thought to the location of the story. I figured The Big Country was an obvious reference to The Big Sky country of Montana or at least Wyoming. Since I have been to Texas it would be easy to assume the location was there, especially the cattle ranches and dry canyons. Thanx to IMDb I now know the film was shot in California, another place I have lived and noticed the ranches.

The one overriding thing about this movie that I always felt was that it should have been a mini-series and should have gone on and on. It was a story you could put yourself into and who wouldn't have wanted to be James McKay falling in love with Julie Maragon played by the great Jean Simmons. Bravo!

I Spy (1965–1968)

With Star Trek . . . I Spy were the two best shows of the 60's

[10/10 · 24 November 2007]

I saw an episode of The Cosby Show many years after I Spy and Robert Culp did a guest spot. It was a joy to see that these two friends still had the magic that made them a hit in the late 60's. It is rare to watch chemistry between two actors and these guys had it, along with the action and exotic locales where the characters traveled. I loved this series and during the 1960's daze of war protests, campus riots, and the efforts by Mr. King, this was a welcome relief. The show had the right balance of drama, action, comedy and cool guys spying . . . I have never had the opportunity to watch any of the shows in the last 25 years. I would hope they hold up as well as they did when I viewed them in those turbulent times.

Hatari! (1962)

A really fun film that I have watched many times since 1962

[10/10 · 1 August 2007]

One of my favorite John Wayne films which I first saw while in the Air Force on Taiwan in 1962. I have watched it many times since and have a DVD version. The cast chosen for this film is excellent and like a lot of films that I consider favorites, I can see what appears to be the stars having a lot of fun making the movie and working together. That kind of chemistry always adds to quality of any film. In this case, Hatari is right on. Elsa Martinelli is up to the task of the romantic encounter with John Wayne. Indeed they are very convincing. The action scenes are very good and Howard Hawks who produced and directed the film claimed that the stars did all the wild animal captures without stunt doubles. In fact some of the film required dubbing because of the swearing by John Wayne during those captures. Good Henry Mancini musical score with a song by Johnny Mercer and Hoagy Carmichael to help. Great international cast gave this film a really interesting mix. I loved the African vistas from what was then Tanganiyka in East Africa (now Tanzania). I will pull this DVD out to watch many more times in the years ahead.

Down Periscope (1996)

Some really funny stuff and I really enjoyed it.

[8/10 · 14 October 2006]

I can't explain it, but I find this movie not only funny, but so enjoyable I feel compelled to watch it over and over, or at least I did when I had cable TV. I always felt it was a really poorly made movie, but perhaps that is because I watched it on cable. I plan to get a DVD of this movie to really take an honest look at at, but more importantly to just have a good time watching it. I liked the plot and the idea of the movie and I especially liked the cast. I always wonder if the cast enjoyed making the movies they are in and this is no exception. This film deserved a better fate than it received and Kelsey Grammar deserved at least one love scene with Ms. Holly. Who wouldn't? The characters in this movie were the kind of guys I could identify with when I was in the military and the zaniness was exact. Nice going troops.

The Return of the World's Greatest Detective (1976 TV Movie)

Hagman is great in comedy stuff.

[8/10 · 16 September 2006]

I liked this even though it wasn't great. I would like to see it again in fact if it is ever on again. It was a good idea and played well by Larry Hagman. A bit silly, but a nice spoof of Sherlock Holmes. I am a Holmes fan and have seen most of the stuff done by Jeremy Brett, Basil Rathbone and others. I thought this might be some sort of pilot, but I guess it would have been too hard to pull off week in and week out, although with the right budget and better quality it might have worked. Jenny O'Hara was good as Doc Watson as well. I thought it was funny and really played tongue in cheek by Hagman and O'Hara which made it work well. I do think the writing could have been better though for what it was it worked.

Considering the recent (subsequent to my writing this review in 2006) proliferation of Holmesian vehicles, both in the movies by Mr. Downey and the most recent stuff by Mister's Cumberbatch and Miller, seems like Mr. Hagman was ahead of his time and this effort goes unnoticed, especially if you consider Elementary, Mr. Miller's effort.

2016 and still looking for this somewhere to be seen again.

Big Fish (2003)

A really lovely movie with a great feel to it.

[10/10 · 26 December 2005]

This movie is really lovely and has a great feel to it. I did not read the book it was based on, but it can stand on it's own. The acting was very good as was the writing, etc. It is the kind of movie that makes you want to go read the book. For me that is the best kind because usually movies are not as good as the books they were based on. The ones that are exceptions to this rule are often superb movies. This could be one of those. The soundtrack with this movie was also exceptional. I also expect to buy that asap. I have watched the movie twice as of this writing and expect to get a copy of the DVD as well. I saw it the first time on DVD and the second time on cable. It wears well also.

Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)

One of the worst films I have ever seen.

[1/10 · 12 August 2005]

It is a rare thing when I can find no redeeming feature in a movie, but this one, unfortunately, is that bad. From the beginning I could not get any sense of direction for this film, no purpose, and I was unable to connect it to anything so that it would at least have some semblance of logic to it. By the time the film ended, and before that, I wondered why the people who were in it, were in it.

As much as I wanted to, I could not find anything good about this move. It had no connection to any kind of history and was so far removed from the time period, at one time I thought it was taking place on another planet and that the stars would come to earth and become Adam and Eve. A plot I saw once on the Outer Limits.

Legend (1985)

Ridley Scott is a genius . . .

[10/10 · 25 July 2005]

Ridley Scott is a genius . . . I have watched this movie many times. Tim Curry does his usual great job . . . an underrated actor . . . the makeup for his character and the voice changes were amazing . . . the cinematography was great as well and won the Oscar as it should have . . . the heroine was both innocent and beautiful as she should have been and all the casting was great. What a feel this movie had. I even enjoyed the music as well. Most of all it passed my greatest test . . . that of multiple viewings and the feeling of compelling interest so as to make me want to watch it over and over. One of the many great parts in the history of Ridley Scott . . .