contact-562-20249 Reviews

The Last Child (1971 TV Movie)

Superior TV movie about a dystopian future

[10/10 · 7 June 2021]

Superior 1971 made for television movie about a dystopian future where women in the U. S. are limited to one child due to over-population.

Edward Asner gives a truly remarkable performance as a demonic government agent who is as ruthless and relentless in doing his job as Inspector Javert in Les Miserables.

Van Heflin gives a terrific performance as a retired U. S. Senator in ill-health who tries to use his influence for good.

Harry Guardino is believable as a high-level bureaucrat who wants to help his pregnant sister, but is scared to death that making waves will ruin his career.

A-#1 script.

This movie is a little known gem.

American Traitor: The Trial of Axis Sally (2021)

First Rate Old Fashioned Historical Drama

[10/10 · 1 June 2021]

First rate old-fashioned historical drama. Strong effort to accurately tell the story of Mildred Gillars, who during WWII made radio broadcasts for the Nazis as "Axis Sally." Al Pacino is very effective as Gillars' world-weary lawyer during her 1948 treason trial. Meadow Williams gives a powerful performance as Gillars that is the equal of what any great star from the 1940s could have done. Highly recommended!

The Call of the Wild (2020)

Embarrassing remake of London's classic book

[1/10 · 23 August 2020]

Political correctness and blatant rewriting of history and Jack London's classic book masquerading as movie making. Harrison Ford's character is a bait and switch to try and sell tickets. Call of the Wild was selected as the title to sell tickets. Honest title would have been "Woke Hollywood Goes To the Yukon" -- but that would have sold no tickets. Embarrassing to watch. Go straight to 1935 version with Clark Gable and Loretta Young for entertainment.

Wish Man (2019)

Powerful and Uplifting

[10/10 · 26 October 2019]

This movie deserves a much wider audience than it will get. Movies don't get any more inspirational than this about what a "common" man is capable of accomplishing. And it does it by straightforwardly relating the bumps in the life of Frank Shankwitz that led to him founding the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Operation Avalanche (2016)

Interesting take on idea Apollo 11 Moon landing was faked

[7/10 · 19 May 2019]

What would it take to convince Walter Cronkite, the public, and even NASA personnel Apollo 11 landed on the Moon ... when it didn't? Operation Avalanche earnestly explores the idea the 1969 Moon landing was faked. Was it real, or was it Memorex? Low budget movie, but worth watching late at night or on a rainy afternoon.

Flight Crew (2016)

Inspiring story of male heroism and ingenuity

[10/10 · 27 March 2019]

Inspiring story of male heroism and ingenuity to overcome a cascade of catastrophes. Fantastic special effects that look real. Impossible to imagine this movie being made in the U.S. of 2018. Russia has attitudes of male heroism that are no longer publicly acceptable in the U.S.

A Lonely Place to Die (2011)

Above average action thriller

[10/10 · 16 March 2019]

Outdoor action thriller entertains from beginning to end. Melissa George is terrific and believable in lead role as athletic mountain climber.

A Talking Cat!?! (2013)

Entertaining Adventures of Duffy the Cat

[10/10 · 11 March 2019]

Entertaining, lighthearted movie about Duffy the Human Whisperer. Duffy helps humans in need. Not animated, and adults and kids alike can enjoy it!

The Doctor Takes a Wife (1940)

Entertaining Comedy For Adults

[10/10 · 2 January 2019]

Entertaining comedy for adults. Loretta Young and Ray Milland use their star power to make preposterous circumstances almost seem normal. The type of adult comedy that isn't made today. Nothing risque. No four letter words. No preaching. No political correctness. Just pure entertainment.

Mayday (2005 TV Movie)

First-rate Airplane Disaster Thriller

[10/10 · 22 December 2018]

Mayday is a first-rate airplane disaster thriller.

Not a run of the mill airplane in crisis movie. It has an undercurrent of serious themes about the disposability of civilians by the military, and the disposability of customers by a private company.

Dean Cain is a believable villain who only wants to protect his career after a military experiment goes awry.

Aidan Quinn is a believable any-man who steps-up and performs heroically when faced with catastrophe.

Excellent supporting cast.

High quality special effects considering the limited budget of a TV movie.

The movie has legs. As entertaining today as when it aired in 2005.

Highly recommended.

Alpha (II) (2018)

Magnificent 18,000 BC Rites Of Passage Movie

[10/10 · 1 September 2018]

Alpha is a visually stunning movie that works on many levels. Alpha depicts the value of a friendship between two wounded animals -- one a wolf and the other a human -- and their struggle for survival. Alpha portrays the harshness of everyday life 20,000 years ago in Europe during the Ice Age. Alpha explores the depth of parental love. But at its heart Alpha is about the journey of a young man's rite of passage to manhood.

Alpha tells a gripping story without any editorializing. The viewer can imagine what it was like living in 18,000 BC. Alpha is a real movie whose magnificent panorama can only be fully appreciated on a movie screen.

Alpha is a 10 on a scale of 10. Highly recommended.

Two cautions. First, the movie is subtitled so it may not be enjoyed by young children who can't read. Second, Alpha is rated PG-13: life 20,000 years ago wasn't a bed of roses so young children may not like some of the harsh scenes.

Burden of Truth (2018–2021)

First-class legal thriller mini-series

[10/10 · 19 August 2018]

Burden of Truth is a first-class legal thriller mini-series. It is one of the most-engaging legal mini-series ever produced. Reminiscent of the intensity of the 1960s series The Defenders.

A lawyer is sent to a small Canadian town to resolve claims a client's drug might be causing local girls to get sick. That starts her on a quest to find the cause of the illness.

Great script and top-notch acting by Kristin Kreuk and Peter Mooney in the lead roles.

Intrigue. Romance. Danger. Sleazy lawyers. Corrupt police and politicians. Family feuding and secrets. Can't ask for more!

2 Nights Till Morning (2015)

Above average strangers meet in hotel flick

[8/10 · 30 July 2018]

French movie (with some English) that doesn't bore you to death with yak, yak while moving at the speed of molasses. A French female architect and a Finnish DJ meet at a hotel, and wind up spending the better part of two days together. What happens when it is time for them to leave, she to France and he to a holiday in Dubai? It is actually worth finding out. Not a chick flick.

In Darkness (2018)

Interesting revenge movie

[8/10 · 23 July 2018]

Interesting revenge movie with some unexpected twists in the end. Worth seeing once.

The Fountainhead (1949)

Faithful adaptation of the book

[9/10 · 16 July 2018]

Movie is faithful to the book since Ayn Rand wrote the screenplay. Deserves 10 for content. The miscasting of Gary Cooper, Patricia Neal, and Raymond Massey prevented it from being the great movie it deserved to be.

Coffee Shop (2014)

Enjoyable family friendly movie

[9/10 · 16 July 2018]

Enjoyable family friendly movie. Especially worth seeing because of Laura Vandervoort. Makes you wonder why she wasn't a major star?

Backstabbing for Beginners (2018)

Corruption, Corruption Everywhere

[10/10 · 13 July 2018]

Corruption, Corruption everywhere. Terrific movie about inner working of UN aid program in Iraq prior to the 2003 US invasion. Top notch acting.

Burnt (I) (2015)

Fresh take on genius chef who thinks he's God

[9/10 · 13 July 2018]

Fresh take on genius chef who thinks he's God. Bradley Cooper makes the movie more than can be expected with cooking shows on TV 24/7.

Ex Machina (2014)

Entertaining and Thought Provoking

[10/10 · 13 July 2018]

Entertaining and thought provoking exploration of the consequences of creating humanoids with advanced artificial intelligence. Will they replace humans?

Vengeance: A Love Story (2017)

No Nonsense Bad Guys Need To Watch Their Back Kind Of Movie

[8/10 · 1 July 2018]

No frills movie about a good cop (Nicolas Cage) who wants to see justice done for the victim of a horrific crime (Anna Hutchison) whose sleazy perpetrators are being represented by a cagy defense lawyer (Don Johnson). Solid entertainment. Worth seeing once.

Submergence (2017)

Art House Chick Flick

[1/10 · 30 June 2018]

Want to say something positive. Hard to do. Alicia Vikander and James McAvoy are terrific actors but they have nothing to work with. The script is incoherent and what is the plot?? Is almost guaranteed cure for insomnia.

Negative (I) (2017)

Big Screen Quality Action Thriller

[10/10 · 30 June 2018]

Negative is a rare treat. It is a limited budget Indie action film that has the look, feel, and heartfelt acting of a high-quality big budget movie. Katia Winter gives Academy Award worthy performance. Would be terrific to see on the big screen. No spoilers. Just sit back and enjoy as the story unfolds. Would Rate as 12 if possible.

Hunting Emma (2017)

Kick Ass Action Movie

[10/10 · 29 June 2018]

Hunting Emma is a raw movie. Emma is a just-want-to-get-along kind of gal. Then when she least expects it, she finds herself in a situation where she has to decide between being proactive or letting herself be harmed by men who are up to no good. Another first-rate South African movie. Too politically incorrect to be made in the U.S. for two reasons: First, Emma is a beautiful, likeable, very feminine woman who isn't bitchy or irritating; and, Second, Emma had a supportive, caring father who when she was growing up taught her survival skills and valuable life lessons.

Future World (2018)

First Few Minutes Are Great, Then OMG!

[1/10 · 28 June 2018]

High hopes are fueled by the opening montage of film and over-voice for Future World. It clearly borrows from the opening credits of The Road Warrior (1982). But Future World craters as soon as the movie begins. It desperately tries to mimic the tone of The Road Warrior's depiction of a post-apocalyptic society. But it lacks the acting, the script, and the directing that make TRW a classic. Can recommend for late night viewing on TV as a cure for insomnia.

False Pretenses (2004 TV Movie)

First-class entertainment!

[10/10 · 8 September 2017]

Terrific cast, good script, and top-notch acting. First-class entertainment without a huge budget. Peta Wilson shows why she is one of the most underrated actresses of her generation. Cross the wrong woman and payback can be a bitch! It is our loss that Peta Wilson wasn't able to make more movies that channeled her inner-Nikita.