Change Your Image
dhyer
Reviews
The Wrath of God (1972)
I thought this was just a Mitchum throwaway at first, but....
He put some heart in this one, not to mention physical effort. I had never heard of it let alone seen it before. With four strong screen presences for leads I should have known it would be compelling. I'm not even counting Rita Hayworth, or some strong supporting cast performances. I have since read there are continuity gaps but I had no problem following the action. It was rare that Robert Mitchum had a scene stolen from him but Frank Langella did it. More than once.
Deputy (2020)
I'm not going to be quite as hard on this show as most of the others.
There are some compelling characters, especially Deputy Bishop. However, the whole premise is pretty illogical. Lots of hackneyed devices in use. Of course, we have the bad guy Undersherriff who is out to get the temporary Sheriff. You can almost see his handlebar mustache. Cops belong on the street not in the office. The show is PC preachy. The reckless, gunslinging police work would never be tolerated (or even attempted) in today's Los Angeles. Lots of fast cuts and soft-spoken dialogue make the action hard to follow. If you can get by all of that, there are some interesting people in the cast.
Spartacus: Gods of the Arena: The Bitter End (2011)
Gratuitous gore for video gamers
If you think Roman society was "glorious", especially as depicted in this episode, you need to get out of the house more. Think about what you watched--infidelity, betrayal (sexual and otherwise), killing for sport, slavery, cruel hedonism, and total domination of human beings by other "humans'. Only the slave gladiators displayed any positive attributes, mainly loyalty and bravery. I have no problem with fighting for one's honor or safety, but these gladiators have to fight for the honor of dishonorable men and their houses. They take great delight in bloodily dispatching other men trapped in the same circus. Men reduced to animals. Yes, I know that's the way it was, historically. However, I doubt the ancient Romans swore like longshoremen and used modern-day profanity, since the f-word dates only back to Medieval times. My thoughts were but two: it's the Sopranos transplanted back in time to their roots, and, what with the slow-mo chopping up of fighters, this show is designed to appeal only to emotionally and intellectually retarded young men. No doubt the intention is to lure them away from their violent video games. And, it's not a movie. Some of the sets ARE impressive, but the cinematography is only a notch above home video. Other than the profane dialog, some of the acting is quite good. Too bad the material and message as some perceive it is quite bad.
True Grit (1969)
I can't believe John Wayne won for this!
One of the worst movies I ever saw of any genre. Surprising, given the amount of talent in it. Now, that doesn't include every cast member, you understand. The actors, even the good ones, speak as if they are recording an audio book. I am aware that in the 1880's folks used different terms and expressions, but they weren't this wooden. Speaking of wooden, totem poles move smoother than many of these actors. Kim Darby is bad on both counts, in particular. As for John Wayne, he did deserve an Oscar, not for this, but for "The Shootist", his last film. In that, he basically played what he was, a tough, aging, tired man who was dying. He was brilliant. I enjoyed many of Wayne's films;he was what he was and was expected to be. But, not 'True Grit'.