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Reviews
Das letzte Land (2019)
Attains a certain realism
Escapees from a penal planet without water for washing, so grimy guys. Space travel concerns unimaginable distances, so long periods of maddening monotony. These cannot realistically be ignored, so the film proceeds on them. Since space travel is a genre of fantasy, absurdities must be accepted by its audience: easily-repaired hardware, limitless water and food supplies. Dramatic devices such as collisions in space are absurdly improbable but required to alleviate the monotony. If you can accept these things and suspend critical judgement, you'll appreciate the acting skills and ideas. The pacing is appropriately slow, so is likely to displease impatient Americans in particular. There is no spectacular madness or violence, no war between good and evil, no heroes and villains, so again, Americans will be at a loss. I appreciated the film. It held my attention, made me wonder and guess. I'd say it's a good, solid film that I'd recommend to my deeper, more patient friends.
The Tokoloshe (2018)
Incoherent
Not only are the actors awkward, and the film a collection of amateurish cliched images & techniques with puzzling voice overlays, but the editing renders the whole thing incoherent. Sadly.
Monsters: Pool Sharks (1988)
Nicely done noir
The neo noir atmosphere, the haunting muted trumpet, lift the story, and the four actors play their parts nicely. These episodes always have a nice twist to the ending.
Day 13 (2020)
Flawed, but the ending redeems it.
Horror movies generally are stews of cliches with lame endings. This film labors along to the end, but give credit for the ending. As a couple others have already mentioned, the ending makes up for the rest. Even the end is imperfect, but it shows there was life in the minds of the creators.
Hacking Your Mind (2020)
Excellent
This well-made program contains information I consider essential to a better world. Spare the time.
Scare Package (2019)
Hilarious!
I'll keep this short & no spoilers. Other reviewers have covered it. The film was meant to be funny and it is. It's well written, well acted, well made. I've watched it twice and laughed both times. Kudos to everyone involved. It will take its place among the worthy spoof films.
Neko zamurai: Minami no shima e iku (2015)
Below Par
Both seasons of the series and the 'prequel' movie, "Tamanojo Goes to Edo," were consistently well done and heartwarming. It stood to reason that this 'between-the-seasons' movie would be equally good; but sadly, it falls far short of the rest. The Tropical Adventure has a few moments of humor, but for the most part, it follows the routines and repeats the humor of the other installments, and so lacks all freshness. It's an extremely low-budget production, which only adds to the disappointment. There are cute moments and funny moments, such as the big fight scene, and the moment when Tamanojo's male friend 'dumps' her, but these do not make this otherwise lame film worth seeking out.
Planes, Trains & Automobiles (1987)
More Than Bargained For
The filmmakers and actors threw out a comedy net but hauled in a lot more than anyone bargained for. Yes, it's relentlessly funny, but at every step along the way, it captures actual 'Murphy's Law' reality as it can and does play out for countless Americans throughout the year and especially during the 'holiday season'. Like all great satire, the film focuses in on the truth to enlighten the comedic elements inherent in real life. When you get down to it, nothing that happens in the film is overly exaggerated. These are real people facing real daily challenges. The unlikeliness stems from the relentless 'bad luck' that brings all of the obnoxious people and circumstances together into the experience of one man in a critical mass. Anyone who has traveled a lot has suffered through the same things, but just not all of them concentrated into one holiday weekend. One more observation: The film illuminates that tragedy and comedy are in fact tightly coupled like sides of a coin inside our interpretation of all the circumstances we face. The filmmakers and actors bring this out more than any other film I've ever seen, and this is the basis for my high rating. When in the end our protagonist transcends his interpretation of all that has happened to him as tragic, he can begin to laugh along and through it all with his newfound friend. In becoming able to do this, he becomes truly human. Several other reviewers have noted the 'genius' in this film and I agree.
Doctor Who: The Centre (1965)
Doctor Who deserves allowances
Extremely ambitious production that succeeds on many levels in spite of constraints. One wonders if it were possible to appreciate it out of its context in time, and from the perspective of age. The people involved gave it their best effort--something that has been true of the entire and venerable Doctor Who series. The voices are excellent and convincing. The sets and costumes and realizations require maximal suspension of disbelief, and if one is so capable, and willing, one finds that they manage to craft and present appropriately bizarre and otherworldly imagery that leaves the viewer with haunting impressions. The effect is not unlike viewing a staged performance in a theater. As one who has appreciated and enjoyed science-fiction stories in any form throughout my life, I am perhaps not the most detached and objective of critics; however, I believe that the entire Doctor Who series is a precious cultural artifact. It's flaws deserve to be overlooked and forgiven. It provides that mind-expanding glimpse of other worlds, that window onto other realities, that all good science fiction provides, and does it with a consistently good humor and amenability.
A Man Called Shenandoah (1965)
A show that held together
There are several other reviews that are good, and there is really little more to say, except: Robert Horton wrote the lyrics and sang the excellent and somewhat haunting theme song; and, the writing of the episodes was uncommonly good, often leaving moral questions open, and presenting realistic circumstances. The premise itself -- an amnesiac wandering in search of his lost identity -- is inherently weak and could not by itself sustain the series, but Horton's acting and the strength of the writing carry it. The theme song is a classic all by itself. An ill-fated show, but one that was well-done and is still well worth watching.
Night Tide (1961)
To complement the other excellent reviews
I read several of the other reviews and some of the highly rated reviews manage to describe the experience of viewing this film quite well. Several aspects of the film receive little or no mention. One of these is the excellent soundtrack, very early-sixties, jazzy, musically sophisticated, well orchestrated. I firmly believe that the soundtrack makes or breaks the illusion of any television show or film. The soundtrack creates and maintains the mood. It isn't overdone, isn't at all clichéd or predictable and it lifts this simple, moody, black and white film into the realm of effectiveness. All of the actors acquit themselves well enough to maintain the mood. People may be critical of the film for lacking high production values or brisk pacing. I rate it highly for hanging together as a cogent work of art, for carrying its story through to fruition, for managing to affect the viewer and for stimulating moods and feelings. It manages to synergize into something more than its parts and its flaws. It leaves the viewer with remembered images and the sense of having experienced something poignant. As another reviewer said, I have watched it several times and always manage to be moved by it. Having said all that, as another reviewer said, it may not be everyone's cup of tea.
Von Richthofen and Brown (1971)
Flawed, but worth seeing.
There are quite a few very expert and quite excellent reviews of this film. I am only writing to add that this film is worth seeing in spite of its flaws. Any film that shows these beautiful vintage biplanes in flight as well as this one does deserves to be seen. The aerial footage alone outweighs any other consideration. The dogfights are well-filmed and exciting. My weakness is in my great admiration of the design and technology of the period biplanes and triplanes. If your heart doesn't respond to the magnificent old planes, then you might just want to skip this film. Another reviewer mentioned thrilling to the sight of the flying circus. Yes, to that. And the rest of the film gets better as it goes along.
In the Heat of the Night: Singin' the Blues (1993)
Showcase for Crystal R. Fox's singing voice
In the TV series "Heat of the Night," the character of Luann Corbin was always convincingly well-played by actress Crystal R. Fox, but the episodes that featured her excellent singing voice were the highlights of her appearances; in particular, the episode "Singin' the Blues" (1993). In this seventh-season episode, not only does Ms. Fox sing beautifully in her church, but she sings blues exceptionally well in a newly opened night club in fictional Sparta, Mississippi. Otherwise, this episode was somewhat formulaic, but as always, was redeemed by its charismatic and talented actors Carroll O'Connor, David Hart, and of course, Crystal R. Fox.
With All Deliberate Speed (2004)
Great Work; Must See.
The film is a moving and lucid look at a turning point in American consciousness, the 1954 Supreme Court decision in the school segregation cases decided collectively under Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, that brings together people who were directly involved in it, and remembers many other unsung heroes of the times who risked everything they had in an era when lynching was still common practice, to take action against segregation and the morally insulting philosophy of Plessy vs. Ferguson of 1896 that stated no harm was done by racist segregation, that it was only "in the minds of the Negroes." I was greatly impressed to learn of Barbara Johns, the 16-year-old student of Moton High School who conceived, organized, and led the "strike" of the students for equal educational facilities there, and who called and involved the NAACP legal defense team. The film should be required viewing for all American citizens. The sections of the film that show how detached, ignorant and unconcerned are today's youth, with the notable exception of a few, are saddening, but serve to help explain why, after more than 50 years, the promise of Brown vs. Board remains unrealized.