radudca Reviews

Home of the Brave (1949)

A landmark film that broke the back of black stereotypes in cinema

[9/10 · 24 May 2006]

I was 11 years old when my Mother took me to see Home Of The Brave. She came home from work and said, I want to take you to a movie, it is time you see something other than Roy Rogers and Hopalong Cassidy...I can tell you I grew up a lot seeing HOME OF THE BRAVE. I can remember the dialog to this day even though I only saw this movie once. James Edwards and Lloyd Bridges gave star performances, yet the supporting cast was truly outstanding too...... Jeff Corey was the Doctor (psychiatrist)who helped James Edwards overcome the difficulties of war, and of course of being black. (Corey is recognized as one of the greatest character actors in the history of stage and screen. Check his filmography.) It was a landmark scene and performance by both Corey and Edwards. In the 50s Corey was black balled by the House Unamerican Activities Commitee. HUAC. Because he would not name actors sympathetic to the Communists. Many actors did squeal to save there own careers, but not Corey, he laughed at them. Did not work in Hollywood for 12 or more years. He became an acting teacher for the likes of Jack Nicholson, Barbara Streisand, Cher, and many others. Those three won academy awards. May he rest in peace, he left us in 2002. Corey has an outstanding website, check it out, here is the URL address... jeffcorey.com..... James Edwards filmography is full of great performances down through the years.An outstanding filmography by a pioneering actor who never received the recognition he deserved. One year in the 70s, I was involved with a cable TV station in San Diego,we produced the La Costa celebrity tennis tournament. Lloyd Bridges was there and I walked up to him and said, "Thank You for your performance in "Home of The Brave", he was so startled and said to me, when did you see it? I replied, "when I was 11 years old, my mother took me to see it. She said it was an important film, and it was time to know about the freedom this movie is trying to portray." He said to me, "thank you very much, you made my day, in fact my whole month. Thank You." It is nice to know that these great actors who made this film a landmark in cinema were revered by so many. Most are gone now but their performances are preserved in the great history of film. See this movie, buy the VHS on the internet, show it to others and you become part of movie history too. Thank You. RADUDCA

Pride & Prejudice (2005)

An excellent movie but did anyone notice this...

[25 April 2006]

The English movies, almost without exception, are signposts of acting perfection. The Brits know how to act, and they are proud of this reputation rings true in this movie too. Sadly, though I had trouble following the dialogue,almost hoping for subtitles, yes, in English.....of course it is never done, and I accept that. So I watched the movie twice to pick up the continuing story outline. Good,in its adaptation of the book, this screenplay was devoted to the emotional and romantic aspects of the life and times of the sisters and unfortunately played a little too long in that regard in my estimation. This is definitely a chick flick, and even with all its sophistication it had comedic highlights as well. I felt after viewing the DVD that I had eaten an Oriental dinner and a half hour later I was hungry for a more substantial story telling that would have carried me through an emotionally satisfying experience.

Winter Solstice (I) (2004)

Minimalist themed movie that needed a rewrite of screenplay in certain areas

[6/10 · 5 April 2006]

I think everyone should see this movie, it is an example of a inexperienced director who dangerously gambled on a script he authored, without consideration for the character differences in personalities and how these differences reflect their emotions. The minimalist direction throughout provided no pacing, no emotional highlights to carry this film along and provide us--the viewer-- with a needed satisfaction that all good movies deliver. There is an excellent story here and it was not developed to the fullest.What contribution Sundance provided besides financial, we the viewer will probably never know. They could have stepped in and provided excellent development ideas. The beginning 10 to 20 scenes could have given us insight into the mother who was the heart and soul of these men's lives. It never happened and the first part of this film suffered because of it. The cinematography was excellent but used mid range scenes almost exclusively, thereby avoiding closeups of the actors and the needed emotional development you can achieve with the more intimate closeup techniques. What contribution to the development of this film Anthony La Paglia provided as the executive producer and experienced actor remains a mystery. A great rewrite of the screenplay in the beginning scenes could have provided a needed lift and more dollars at the box office. I realize the minimalist aficionados will love this film, that is their privilege and no one will change their minds. Still this is a film that could have been a classic.

Hotel Room (1993)

Hotel Room .... DVD VIDEO

[17 July 2005]

ARE THE EDITORS SMART ENOUGH TO PICK UP THIS INFORMATION AND MAKE THE CORRECTIONS. Please let me know. David Lynch's Hotel Room does not have the full cast listed, they go to great length to add producers, a lot of crew members but not the significant actors, such as Glenn Headly, and Harry Dean Stanton. Go to these actors IMDb pages and verify, go to Leonard Maltins comments for Headly and verify as well. Can the editors go the extra mile for good customer service, and check with other sources and get the correct information, let us hope so!!! This is a popular DVD because Lynch is such a great director and hard to find at video stores. I'm sure IMDb has other sources to check. You have a great web site but often info is sketchy and you rely on us fans to set the record straight... THANK YOU