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Reviews
...And Justice for All (1979)
Worth watching
The American legal system is a joke. For the most part it favors the rich, tosses a bone to the poor, while everyone else gets lost in the cracks. And those cracks are everywhere.
Al Pacino delivers a powerhouse performance in ...And Justice For All. The film has it's ups and downs, but Al's final scene is well worth the wait. Without giving away the ending, let me paraphrase something he tells the jury during his criminal trial's opening statement. "Winning is the only thing that matters. Both sides in a trial will do whatever's necessary to win. Winning is everything." How true it is. The guilty are set free on technical errors. The innocent are jailed on the words of convicted felons. Truth means nothing. Facts are routinely tossed out of court. Lawyers hate this movie because it shows how corrupt the legal system really is.
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970)
Excellent history film
I'll begin my review of Tora! Tora! Tora! By quoting several negative lines from other reviews on here....
1. It's just that it takes too long getting there. I've never before been in the position of wanting American ships to hurry up and sink; it meant the movie would be over that much faster.
2. This movie had great actors, was shot on location for much of it and contained some very interesting history. However, it wasn't a great film, rather it was pretty flat for the first hour and a half.
3. It went into too much detail.
4. Tora! Tora! Tora! Is three parts boring history and one part action movie.
End of quotes.
One of Hollywood's greatest problems in making historically accurate films is, many viewers have the attention span of a three-year-old. If they can't stomach an hour or two of history in a film I'd hate to see how they'd handle reading a book.
Tora! Tora! Tora! Is a masterpiece in film making. The events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor are just as important as the attack itself. Without the former you can't have the latter. If you enjoy history and don't need events to happen right this instant, it's a must see.
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Excellent fantasy
The following is a quote from another review on here, complete with spelling errors...
"Hello friends. To many of you, these claims may be outrages but i hope and pray that you will take this into your heart. As many of you may know, The wizard of Oz is the classic tale of a small Kansas girl named Dorthy and her adventures in the magical land of Oz all to find a wizard who can take her home. But when you can look past all of that you can see the storys real, dark, meaning. It may shock you to know that the wicked witch of the west is actually a parody of Christianity, out cast and feared. Glenda, The good witch represents Satan, who may seem nice on the outside, but is actually out to get your soul. And of course, sweet innocent Dorthey is the modern heathen who is pulled away from Christianity by Satan. Also there is the Lion, the Tin man, and the Scare Crow an obvious mockery of the Trinity! But friends, it dose't end there, if you look closely enogh in one scene, You will see some munchkins sacrifice a virgin on an alter! I am appauld that they show this movie in schools to CHILDREN! So I urge you to throw out any Wizard of Oz related items you may have and instead READ THE BIBLE. It is a great book written by the best aurthor ever!"
End of quote. Whew!
I believe in the Bible as much as anyone, but why oh why do so many "thumpers" insist on ramming it down peoples throats? I suppose they don't realize they're doing the exact opposite of what they're attempting to accomplish. Good Lord, get a life.
The Wizard of Oz is a timeless classic. Period. End of story. Did you notice I said, story? It's a fairytale. A delightful fantasy. Nothing more, nothing less.
All the President's Men (1976)
Do you trust Washington?
All The President's Men is probably in more top 10 lists than any movie ever made and deservedly so. Due to the subject matter (the Watergate break-in and cover-up) there's little in the way of suspense, but it's not needed. Seeing exactly how Woodward and Bernstein went about putting their story together is movie making at its finest. The story, top notch casting, editing and directing give this an easy 10 out of 10.
Why so many people still deny the facts brought out in this film is beyond me. Nixon certainly wasn't the only president to lie and cheat his way through the oval office, but he did exactly that and managed to get caught.
You may never trust those in Washington ever again after viewing All The President's Men. It shows how those in power abuse that power, no matter what the consequences are or who gets hurt in the process.
The Adventures of Mark Twain (1944)
Entertaining biography
President Taft said: " Mark Twain gave pleasure -- real intellectual enjoyment -- to millions, and his works will continue to give such pleasure to millions yet to come... His humor was American, but he was nearly as much appreciated by Englishmen and people of other countries as by his own countrymen. He has made an enduring part of American literature."
How true. Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens) is one of only a handful of men in American history I wish I could travel through time to meet. He has created several of the most memorable characters in all of literature.
The Adventures of Mark Twain, while not a very accurate biography, is still highly entertaining and offers viewers a brief glimpse into the man, his life, writings, trials and tribulations. After all, how many 100% accurate film biographies would be worth watching? Most would be as boring as watching a chess match in slow motion. The film makers took some liberties, but the end result is one that Mr. Twain himself would probably enjoy. The final scene is heart touching and unforgettable.
The Incident (1967)
Yawn
What's with all this praise for a cartoon of a movie? The acting was fair at most. Martin Sheen and Tony Musante resembled a couple of choir boys. They're going to terrify a subway car loaded with men, including two soldiers? Gimmee a break. There were so many unbelievable moments I don't know where to begin. For instance; why didn't the "terrified" passengers simply get off at the next stop? Why didn't one or two of the "men" on board simply deck the pair of laughable punks? Why does it takes ten times longer for the train to travel through the city than it would for real? Oh, wait a second, I know; then we wouldn't have a movie. Unfortunately we do, but what a yawner it is.
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958)
Starved for entertainment?
I've read several pages of reviews for Cat On A Hot Tin Roof. Certain words and phrases stuck out like hammered thumbs. Words like... Unforgettable! Oh yes it is. Precious! Say what? Magnificent! Huh? Superb! Yawn. Gripping! Get real. Packs a punch! Um, the punches were pulled.
In a nutshell, this film is a 2-hour soap opera of family members screaming and yelling at each other. That's entertainment? Not in my book. Granted, the film has a great cast and director, but the end result is nothing but drivel. The "experts" claim that any good book or movie should contain conflict. I agree to a certain extent, but conflict, conflict, and nothing but conflict from start to finish? I doubt I'll ever be starved enough for entertainment to watch this film ever again.
The Young Stranger (1957)
Dreadful
This laughable mess was probably wowing audiences back during the 50s, but viewing this film this afternoon was a complete waste of time. The decent cast and great director couldn't keep me from yawning from start to finish. The story line (father against rebel son) had potential, but fell flat within the first five boring minutes. As for the dialog? Dreadful from beginning to end. There's a cardinal rule in writing of not repeating yourself, but this film does it over and over causing the viewer to commence searching for a vomit bag or even a weapon to put yourself out of your misery. Thankfully, the director and stars went on to give us much better projects. If you have an hour or two you wanna waste, watch The Young Stranger. Otherwise, read a book.