Reviews

Stop it. I know it's just a movie. And, at no point does it drag or have you looking at how much time's left. Big props.

2 minor/major peeves gnawed at me.

The just do it slogan started in 1988 - kind of famously, not 1984. And, MJ's first Nike contract/deal was not for $250k per year but for $500k per year - kind of famously.

Whatever right? Gave it a 10. Loved every other bit of the film.

Great use of archived film clips hides the fact this is almost a filmed play. Scenes are only mostly shot in an office building setting. Or in MJ's North Carolina home. Snippets in a 7/Eleven and Sonny Vacaro's apartment.

So rare that I can watch an entire movie at one sitting. This one clocks in at an hour and 50 mins. How good is it? No trouble watching start to finish.

You've read what the story is about. So, no need to go there. Some takeaways.

1. More than once it was mentioned Rickey's photos captured seminal moments in the beginnings of the hip hop scene. For those in attendance it is their collective '60's. Just different music and clothes. Thinking that 60's era types like me look at that scene much like 50's era folks look at the post Elvis rock/folk/psych/garage music. Not favorably.

2. Rickey is a good photographer, for sure. And a super likeable, charming, unique character. Fun to be around. But, something tells me his main role for the bands he toured with was procuring the drugs. They were able to eventually move on. He wasn't.

3. Fantastic on location filming of lower Manhattan.

4. He's a party guy. Everybody loves him. I get it. (except his Mom) To me, he's just a loser drug addict with a camera. Not going out on a limb to say he was likely high from one thing or another every waking second of his life from a young age till the heart attack. Makes an interesting story. But, not worth glorifying.

5. Rickey grew up pretty much unsupervised on lower 5th Ave - if we can take him at his word about his Mom's indifference. He says he had the run of the city. That is a flat out insane upbringing.

6. I've got to give Rickey way more slack and credit for becoming who he became and move past the drug thing.

There are different reasons to watch different movies. Plot, scenery, acting, music score, special effects ...Let's make this as simple as possible.

The plot is OK. The setting/location/cinematography is OK. I liked Ryan O'Neal in Love Story and What's Up Doc. He's good enough here.

But, this movie is a 10 for one, and only one, reason. Ten year old Tatum O'Neal is impossible to take your eyes off of the entire movie. I challenge anyone to name a better performance by an actress/actor in a movie than this one by Ms. O'Neal.

What a joke she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress because the Academy didn't think a ten year old should win the Best Actress award.

She's on screen only about 95% of the time.

I love what Madeline Kahn says about that. MK says she - MK- should have won Best Supporting Actress. Tatum should have won Best Actress.

Guessing you have to like The Ramones music to like the movie. I do. Huge fan. Check.

You have to have some interest in learning about the collective story of the band, And, in the stories of the individual band members. Check. Check.

Finally, the "punk rock" era of 1975 to 1985-ish is something you can't get enough of. You find it endlessly fascinating. Check.

A memorable moment in the movie, fleeting as it is, occurs when a replacement drummer whines/laments he's underpaid. All he's requesting is that a little of the t-shirt sales money be shared with him.

Dee Dee Ramone at one point wants to break from the ubiquitous Ramones leather jacket and jeans look and sound. He makes a rap record and some rap videos. He says something really interesting. I paraphrase. The Ramones look had become a work uniform to him. He needed to try something new. Johnny, on the other hand, in every scene in the movie, wears his trademark t-shirt, leather jacket and jeans. On stage. In interviews. Even present day interviews in his living room. It's a bit weird.

Johnny Ramone is a proud and loud Republican. He says punk rock is right wing. Dee Dee was a heroin addict. Joey was a true blue Democrat.

The best and fastest 1 hour 50 minutes in music documentary history.

OK. I'm the lone voice on this one. I've tried countless times to watch the entire movie. Last night I tried again. Restored directors cut ... Still couldn't make it to the 45 minute mark.

Film noir classic? Pulp genre classic? Please. Hammy, cartoonish, absurd, not believable characters ruin it for me. If I can't relate to the characters, how am I expected to follow the nonsensical plot? Heston in dark skinned make up as a Mexican. The Grandi / toupee clownish bad guy Tamiroff was pathetic. Looks like the Coen brothers liked his act, however. Didn't the similar looking Jon Polito in one of their movies have the bad toupee thing going on?

Kinda had a bad feeling about this one very early on, During the long shot opening sequence, a young man opens the trunk of a car in a parking lot and places a car bomb in it. OK. But there's a slight problem. The two approaching car occupants can see him do it and then see him run away suspiciously. They're just a few feet from the car.

One particular scene early on will illustrate the campiness I see in the movie. Either Janet Leigh or Heston's character is being followed by a bad guy as h/she crosses the street. The bad hombre does zero to hide the fact he's following him/her. In cartoonish style, he dances from light pole to telephone pole to "hide behind" as he tails his target. Whatever.

Only watchable aspect of the movie is Janet Leigh. I think it's her best film performance.

You can, and obviously will, read all the other user reviews on this site. I am number 60. What else is there to say the previous 59 didn't already point out?

How 'bout this? This film is as good as 1944's Double Indemnity. If you liked that great movie, and who doesn't, you'll like this one.

In short, great acting performances in both films. But, Dead Ringer's plot and plot twists much superior.

Love this movie. It's a farce. It's silly and stupid. But, It made me laugh. And, as important, I was hooked into the story to watch the entire movie. Well filmed. Great actors. Super glad I ran into this switching channels one night. Enjoy.

We all see different things when we watch a movie. In this one, I couldn't get over how much Nora Dunn looked like Rikki Lake. And if Glenne Headly was the same actress that was in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

Campy? Sure. Stiff dialogue? Sure. Not Academy Awards quality acting? Sure. But, the plot is interesting. The music is great. The scene w/EW&F performing at a roller disco venue is totally cool. I really liked this movie.

Six hours. Six episodes. Or, rather, take away the openings and closings of each of the six episodes and it's probably 6 x 54 mins. Call it 5 1/2 hours. The definitive Manson murders and trial film. I have not one bad thing to say about the film. I watched each episode weekly. So, maybe watching it in 2 1/2 hour blocks or so would be a different viewing experience. Each episode offers a lot to digest. I guess there's some controversy about whether the murders were committed by the Manson cult to instigate a coming race war. Whatever. Why is that important? Prosecutor and subsequent author Vincent Bugliosi correctly put the theory in front of the jury to make sure Manson was convicted, even though he obviously was absent at the time of the 7 Tate - La Bianca atrocities. (post edit) Omg. It just came into focus reading the other 2 reviews. The reason the Helter Skelter theory is dismissed is because some think the deep state pedophilia porn and drug users/dealers did it. Wow. Guessing to them, Manson, Watson, and the girls are patsies. smh.

Post post edit. It's been 9 days since I posted my review. A few things have stayed in my mind about this documentary. 1. The Dennis Wilson house takeover by the Manson clan. Wilson allowed them to move in en masse because, I guess, he liked naked girls walking about. The fact he had to sell the house and move to get rid of them from his life is interesting. But, obviously, he brought it upon himself. 2. The story by one of the Manson girls in a present day interview segment about how she wanted to have sex with Charley and he was a little rough. That was exceedingly bizarre and creepy that she felt the need to share that with us. 3. The stories first hand of how the girls were picked up by Charley one by one. All went with him gladly and stayed in his group willingly. 4. Charley learning Dale Carnegie techniques in prison seems a bit far fetched.

I read the reviews of others critical about the implausibility of many of the details of the film. C'mon fellow movie fans. It's a movie. It's a story. It's not a documentary. Watch and enjoy.

Assuming you like the era. Assuming you you like the stories about the era. Assuming you like the music from the era. You'll love this film.

Good script. Great on location Lower Manhattan setting. Great acting by everyone not named - wait for it - Eric Roberts. Can't believe other reviewers say he turned in an outstanding acting performance. It's a funny world, I guess. That's why they make chocolate and vanilla. Never met Eric Roberts. Have nothing against him. Totally neutral about his acting in his other movies that I've seen. Not that I can think of any. But, dang, way to ruin a potentially great movie here, bro.

This is going to be hard. I have to type a lot of letters and words to reach the minimum limit. I only have one very short comment to make about this film. If you like music, and you wouldn't watch the film or read this review if you didn't, put your feet up and enjoy this documentary. Could not be better. 10 out of 10. Your welcome in advance.

Starting watching it the other night. I'm a sucker for '79 filmed in Vancouver movies. Rated 22% favorability by Xfinity TV rating system. Expected zero. Expected to stop watching because it would be so bad in a few minutes. Surprise. Thought it was a super movie. Probably, because I expected so little. Usually how those things work. Look for it. Enjoy.

Obviously, if you're a Dead fan, you'll love this. Period. For the rest of you, take an hour and a half, relax, and learn a little bit about what the Dead are all about. Weir's a likeable enough fellow to be the center piece of this documentary. Flows nicely. Good tunes. Good story.

It dawned on me a day after watching this movie. I was confounded why I liked it so much. Nothing really stands out at all. Every aspect of the film is, well, OK, but not great. I started watching it when I saw it took place in New York City in the late '70's. I'll give any film a chance when that is the backdrop. Like all of us, before watching a movie we haven't seen or even heard of, I look at the various ratings. This one rates low. I had zero expectations as I started to watch. A perfect scenario. How many times are we disappointed because the film doesn't live up to expectations? Not the case here. That's why I really liked it. An unexpected under the radar, low key, totally exceeds expectations film.

Caveat. I'm watching a movie about a rock / jazz - band / ensemble for the music. You get a lot of real Chicago music in this documentary. Perfect. So you have to sift through the back story and the requisite infighting amongst band members and, of course, being ripped off by the first producer / promoter ... Whatever. The music of this band is magnifique. Enjoy.

You get Bill Haley and the Comets, The Platters, Freddie Bell and the Bellboys, and two phenomenal dancers, Lisa Gaye and Earl Barton. Forget the plot. The music is fantastic. In that sense, it's really no different than many movie musicals, is it?

You'll need some interest in baseball card collecting to enjoy the film. Stunned by the negative reviews I'm seeing here. I was into the film from the get go. Love the lead actor, Stu, his sister, and the director Harv. Love the story. Everything works for me. Not sure what the comments alluding to the fakeness of father/son situation are about. It's a movie. I'm assuming scenes are rehearsed. If the estrangement is misportrayed in the film, whatever. What is a little unsettling is the dynamic of a light, breezy baseball card story interspersed with the heaviest of family situations - a Dad leaves his wife and 3 children to start another family with another woman.The juxtaposition makes this a truly unique film. My only complaint, and it is the most minor and meaningless complaint ever, is the ending. The last 5 minutes or so drag on. The slowest 5 minutes in the film.

First of all, lest you think otherwise after reading this review, I love the Beach Boys music. Some of their songs are among the finest of all time.

Only gets 2 stars because the music scenes in which Beach Boys songs are played are actually pretty enjoyable. Otherwise, we're looking at my first ever 0 star movie.

Because I'm old enough to have seen and heard The Beach Boys, having Paul Dano and John Cusack play Brian Wilson is beyond absurd. The movie was so 100% about Brian. It doesn't matter the actors portraying rest of the band were not believable either. Paul Giamatti was a cartoonish fool as the villainous doctor.

The back and forth shifting of time of Brian Wilson's life masked the ridiculous poorly acted story playing out on the screen. It made it kid of interesting. And, most importantly, it split the time you had to watch the two leads try in vain to be Brian Wilson. Just when you're about to throw the proverbial brick at the movie screen at Dano/Wilson, here comes Cusack/Wilson just in time to cancel the emotion.

The best part of the movie? During the closing credits, the real, thank goodness, Brian Wilson sings the song Love and Mercy. Beautiful.

Skip this movie. Listen to the albums Pet Sounds, Surf's Up, or Smile instead. And. you're welcome.

I'm older than the average bear here. Grew up in NY and Boston during Studio 54's era 1977-'78. I thought I was vaguely familiar with the rise and fall. After seeing this, I knew absolutely nothing. No interest for me in the drugs and celebrities. Whatever. To each his own. What makes this documentary so fascinating is the tale is essentially about financial fraud and a tax scam scheme. One of my favorite genres. So, the first half is about the rise of the 2 owners and the club. 2nd half - the fall. Well told. Captivating.

If you're interested in the musical and cultural event known as Woodstock, this is a must see. If the topic bores you, move along. For example, I'm not a Star Wars fan. I wouldn't be a good candidate to watch a movie about the creation of the genre. This documentary is superb in every way. I can't find one single fault. Loved every second.

But, seriously. Jacob Dylan, Beck, Jade, and Regina Spektor playing songs by the Mamas and the Papas and other great bands from that era. You're kidding. Right?

And we have a movie about this era with nary a mention or sight of Joni Mitchell. Joni Mitchell. Ms Laurel Canyon herself. Bizarre.

Even with these atrocities, 7 stars for a superlative topic.

There are worse ways to spend 82 minutes.

Love Queen. Many, many terrific, iconic songs. One of the best bands of all time. Problems with this movie resulting in 5 star rating:

1. Rami Malek's (Freddie) teeth and wig. When Freddie is on screen, which is almost every shot, I cannot take my eyes off his mouth/teeth and his wig (in the first half of the film). A lot has been written about the meticulous attention and remarkable teeth prosthetic for Malek. I'm not seeing it. Thought it was way overboard. Cartoonish. Watch a real Freddie Mercury interview. He did have protruding buck teeth. Not like portrayed in the movie. Not close. The wigs? Absurd.

2 The opening scenes over the credits, I think, are supposed to showcase how much Rami is able to imitate Mercury's walk/strut. And, by extension, you'll see how much Rami has become Freddie. No. Again, not feeling it. At no point in the movie did I think I'm watching Freddie Mercury, not an actor.

3. Every scene with Freddie's parents was embarrassing in its stressing of their ethnicity. Not believable. In fact, insultingly stereotypical.

4. Finally, the closing scene, last 15 minutes or so of the film. The music portion was spot on, perfect, remarkable, super moving. However, the cutaways to the side of the stage where Freddie's friends were goofily watching brought you back to the fact this is a movie. And these are actors. Ruined the realistic effect.

We all read reviews which re-tell the plot etc. Here's the way I'll do it. I loved - 10 out of 10 - this movie. I'm generally a huge fan of late 60' early 70's films. Here's a list of what I think are similar movies that I also loved / liked. You agree with my list, you'll like this one too. Harry and Tonto. Character study road movie. Same director Panic in Needle Park. Vanishing Point 1971. From 1984 - Paris, Texas. Sterile Cuckoo. Sweet November. Medium Cool.