safenoe Reviews

Rowan Atkinson Live (1992 TV Special)

Keeping it live

[9/10 · 1 June 2024]

Thomas Schlamme directed Rowan Atkinson Live, which was filmed in Boston. In fact, this pretty much launched Atkinson in the public consciousness here, as before that he was popular in England, United Kingdom

Rowan Atkinson stars of course, as does Angus Deayton. Also Schlamme is famous for directing the live episode of E. R. (east and west coast versions), and also being married to Christine "Chicago Hope" Lahti, and being executive producer on Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip which starred Matthew Perry. Anyway, the sketches are funny across the board, and the roll call is one many remember init.

Mr. Bean (1990–1995)

Hilarious

[9/10 · 1 June 2024]

I remember discovering Mr. Bean (played by English comedian Rowan Atkinson) back in the early 1990s and I remember watching an episode with a College friend and we could not stop laughing and laughing and laughing at the exploits of Mr. Bean. I'm not joking, it was so hilarious. I haven't seen all the episodes but I will have to catch up, so hopefully they are on social media. Richard Curtis, famous for directing Four Weddings and a Funeral and The Boat that Rocked, along with Notting Hill, is one of the creators of Mr. Bean. Anyway, the way that Atkinson can animate the character is amazing init.

Prizzi's Honor (1985)

Honor bound

[8/10 · 1 June 2024]

I saw the movie Prizzi's Honor on television back in I think 1987 I think and it starred Kathleen "Romancing the Stone" Turner and Jack "Easy Rider" Nicholson, along with Anjelica Huston, who won a best supporting actress Oscar for her role as Maerose Prizzi

Legendary director John Huston directed Prizzi's Honor, and yes he was the father of Anjelica. Anyway, I was just reflecting that Prizzi's Honor was released nearly 40 years ago, so wow four decades ago, and released 20 years before the movie Mr. & Mrs. Smith although the ending for the Smith movie was different to Prizzi's Honor so yes init.

Daria in 'Is It College Yet?' (2002 TV Movie)

Daria finale

[10/10 · 1 June 2024]

I am a huge fan of Daria and Is It College Yet? Wraps up one of the finest series of all time. Sure, not everyone can relate to Daria but I did, having discovered it in the 1990s and it's the series that defined the 1990s for sure. Anyway Is It College Yet? Is an uplifting (and sometimes bittersweet) ending to Daria. Anyway, Is It College Yet? Was directed by Karen Disher and written by Glenn Eichler and Peggy Nicoll. There was suppose to be a reboot of Daria a few years ago but I'm not sure what has become of that, and it would be fascinating to see how Daria would manage in the current world with social media and all.

Daria in 'Is It Fall Yet?' (2000 TV Movie)

Daria's summer

[10/10 · 1 June 2024]

I am a huge fan of Daria and I can't believe it's taken me so long to finally post an imdb user review for the Daria movie Is It Fall Yet? Really. Anyway, here we see Daria and the rest of the Lawndale community heading off for summer adventure and activities between seasons four and five. Sure, not everyone may really appreciate Daria, but I did because it provided a sharp insight into the mores of teenage life.

Anyway, Is It Fall Yet? Was directed by Karen Disher and Guy Moore, and written by Glenn Eichler and Peggy Nicoll. Anyway, Is It Fall Yet? Is definitely worth watching but make sure to watch the first four seasons first.

Tales of the Unexpected: Sauce for the Goose (1984) Season 7, Episode 9

Like a SNL sketch

[5/10 · 1 June 2024]

Gloria Grahame guest stars as Olivia and Robert Morse guest stars as Stephen Shaw in Sauce for the Goose, from season seven of Tales of the Unexpected. Anyway, the first four or so seasons were from Roald Dahl stories or were Dahlesque in nature, but the later seasons were kind of comical in a deliberate way possibly. Anyway, I loved the scenes where Olivia and Stephen went on their honeymoon and it was done on the cheap, with them standing in front of posters of the places they visited, so there was a certain Saturday Night Live element to this really. Anyway, Robert Morse passed away in 2022 at the age of 90 years and 11 months.

Fatal Vision: Episode #1.2 (1984) Season 1, Episode 2

Gripping ending

[8/10 · 1 June 2024]

Karl Malden, famous for his role with Michael "Basic Instinct" Douglas in The Streets of San Francisco, is the big star in Fatal Vision (he later hosted Unsolved Mysteries, as is Eva Marie Saint. So here the jury finds Dr. MacDonald guilty, and to this day there's much dispute about the jury's verdict and what really happened that fatal night. Gary Cole was impressive as Dr. MacDonald, and the ending was quite a shock for those invested in the innocence of MacDonald. In fact, to this day, there's much debate about the truth of the matter. Anyway, Fatal Vision is worth watching for for sure init.

Fatal Vision: Episode #1.1 (1984) Season 1, Episode 1

Gripping

[8/10 · 1 June 2024]

Fatal Vision was a mini-series that I watched back in the 1980s or 1990s, at a time before streaming and social media to keep us more pre-occupied. Anyway, Fatal Vision has two-parts, and Gary Cole, who later became a big star in one of my favorite TV dramas, Midnight Caller, plays the accused, Dr. Jeffrey R. MacDonald. Later on Cole played Mike Brady in the Brady Bunch movies.

I was quite intrigued that Barry Newman, who gained fame playing the pugnacious defense attorney in Petrocelli who was always on track to build his dream home, played the defense attorney for MacDonald in Fatal Vision. Anyway, I was wondering what would happen in part two.

Fatal Vision (1984)

Gary Cole stars in Fatal Vision

[8/10 · 1 June 2024]

I remember being glued to the television screen when watching Fatal Vision, a two-part mini-series, which I recall seeing in the 1980s or 1990s. Gary Cole, who later became a big star in one of my favorite TV dramas, Midnight Caller, plays Dr. Jeffrey R. MacDonald. Later on Cole played Mike Brady in the Brady Bunch movies. Anyway, I was quite intrigued that Barry Newman, who gained fame playing the defense attorney in Petrocelli, played the defense attorney for MacDonald in Fatal Vision. To this day, there's still some dispute about whether the jury's verdict was correct, so the dispute is still there,

Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed: Episódio 1 (2002) Season 1, Episode 1

A big deal

[10/10 · 1 June 2024]

Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed was a big deal when it debuted over 20 years ago, as you had a magician with his mask to protect his identity (and maybe his safety) willing to spill the beans on the secrets of magic tricks, and also jeopardize the livelihood of magicians worldwide. No wonder the magician in Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed had to wear a mask. Anyway, I was actually hoping the magician would reveal how David Copperfield made the Statue of Liberty (yes really, the Statue of Liberty!) disappear. But anyway, still I also like Mitch Pileggi's deadpan narration for sure.

Lighthouse Family: High (1998 Music Video)

Inspirational

[10/10 · 1 June 2024]

I love Lighthouse Family's song High, and it's so inspirational, it's so catchy, and it's amazing how High has endured in popularity after over 25 years init. On social media the High video has over 40 million views, 334K likes, and 11534 comments, speaking to the amazingness of High. At the time High was released I thought Lighthouse Family had several members like the Mamas and the Papas, but not it's a pop duos singer Tunde Baiyewu and songwriter Paul Tucker. Anyway, parts of the video were filmed in Newcastle upon Tyne, so probably where the acclaimed detective series Vera filmed scenes init.

A Dangerous Life: Episode #1.2 (1988) Season 1, Episode 2

Wrap-up

[7/10 · 31 May 2024]

So here is the second part of A Dangerous Life, a mini-series that charts the fall of the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos. Both parts of the mini-series was directed by Robert Markowitz, and the main star was Gary Busey whose son starred in Starship Troopers. Anyway, Gary plays a journalist who happens to be in the Philippines to witness the fall. To be honest, I'm not sure if this series would play in schools as educational material, but it is entertaining that's for sure and kind of tries to be authentic. It's ironic that nearly 40 years later Marcos's son won the presidency so it's kind of full circle init.

A Dangerous Life: Episode #1.1 (1988) Season 1, Episode 1

Fall of a regime

[7/10 · 31 May 2024]

Here in episode 1 of the two-part mini-series, A Dangerous Life, which presents the fall of the Marcos regime from the perspective of American journalist Tony O'Neil (a fictional character) played by Gary Busey, famous for his role as Buddy Holly in the 1970s movie The Buddy Holly Story and also in Lethal Weapon (the original one of course). Anyway, here we bear witness to the downfall of the Ferdinand Marcos regime, and I'm not sure how much of A Dangerous Life was filmed in the Philippines, but still, I guess the episode was more about the plot than the location. Amazing that this was nearly 40 years ago.

A Dangerous Life (1988)

Starring Gary Busey

[7/10 · 31 May 2024]

I remember seeing A Dangerous Life, which was kind of like a Year of Living Dangerously type but in mini-series format. Anyway, here Gary Busey, famous for playing Buddy Holly in the 1978 movie, The Buddy Holly Story, plays an American journalist who is in the Philippines witnessing the downfall of the Marcus regime.

Anyway, this mini-series isn't a bad take on the events, although as some of the imdb user reviewers have suggested, there appears to some lack of authenticity in the casting of Filipinos, but I guess that is what acting is about, like when you have Russell Crowe, a New Zealander, playing a gladiator.

Tales of the Unexpected: What Have You Been up to Lately? (1982) Season 5, Episode 13

Old friends

[6/10 · 31 May 2024]

What Have You Been up to Lately? Is an episode from season five of Tales of the Unexpected. Here the series started moving away from Roald Dahl's stories and developing a life of its own. I enjoyed watching Tales of the Unexpected when Roald Dahl hosted them, but still some of the post-Dahl episodes are worth watching.

What Have You Been up to Lately? Is a slice of English time in 1982 and it's fascinating seeing the scenery, the M25 being constructed, the dreary skies, so quite atmospheric and authentic for sure. Anyway, it's great to see a new generation enjoying this episode and others init.

Beauty and the Beast (1987–1990)

Like a Cat

[7/10 · 31 May 2024]

I remember Beauty and the Beast, and I remember watching it alongside Thirtysomething, both of which debuted in 1987, with Beauty and the Beast running to 1990 and Thirtysomething lasting to 1991.

Ron Perlman plays Vincent, and Linda Hamilton, famous for her role in The Terminator, plays Assistant District Attorney Catherine Chandler, and Vincent and Catherine (Cat) fall in love in a kind of forbidden way even by today's modern standards init. I saw several episodes, and it's a shame the series ended when Hamilton decided to leave as she was giving birth, so that meant the actors, writers, directors and production crew had to move on inevitably.

Air Crash Investigation: Blow Out (2005) Season 2, Episode 1

Unbelievably true

[10/10 · 31 May 2024]

Andrew Loudon plays the heroic and incredibly courageous British Airways captain Tim Lancaster, who amazingly survived, against all the odds, being flung out of the cockpit and hanging on to dear life, and it's so hard to believe. Howard Teale played Alestair Atchison, the Co-Pilot, who tried to hold things together, and Benedict Sandiford played the steward Nigel Ogden. Blow Out is a must-see, and I'm surprised this hasn't been made into a movie or a short-run series, and it's amazing hear Captain Lancaster talk about the flight. If there's a movie then I nominate Danny Dyer to play the Captain.

Tales of the Unexpected: Who's Got the Lady? (1982) Season 5, Episode 17

The Lady in Red Smoke

[7/10 · 31 May 2024]

Who's Got the Lady? Is from season five of Tales of the Unexpected, and guest stars Richard Johnson as Parnell, and Victoria Tennant as Bernice. Two years later, Tennant's career exploded when she starred with Steve Martin in All of Me, which has to be on of the funniest movies of the 1980s and maybe more.

Anyway, the ending was poignant, with the couple in a remote island somewhere, and I'd love to know where it was filmed, particularly with the palm trees and all. The ending implies the couple are well settled there, but I wonder if they would get sick of it over time, and boredom sets in init.

Air Crash Investigation: Fanning the Flames (2008) Season 5, Episode 5

Secrets and Lies

[8/10 · 31 May 2024]

I would have really hoped that by now that whistleblowers would have come forward to unlid the conspiracy theories that surround the downing of South African Airways Flight 295 (SA295/SAA295) in 1987, which flew from Taiwan. Maybe witnesses are afraid, and I get it, but did the aircraft contain missiles in breach of the embargo on the South African Government, and if so, did those missiles somehow cause the plane to tragically crash. So the accident was nearly 40 years ago, and no-one has made any confession at all, and it's frustrating for the families of the crew and passengers who were sadly pawns.

Magic's Biggest Secrets Finally Revealed (2002– )

Narrated by Mitch Pileggi

[8/10 · 31 May 2024]

Mitch Pileggi is superb with his deadpan narration style as the Narrator for Magic's Biggest Secrets Revealed. I remember watching it upon its release, and the idea of a magician revealing to the whole world (well, people with televisions because back then there wasn't really social media) was very, very controversial, with the magician being masked (well before The Masked Singer). He later revealed his identity as Val Valentino, and I wonder if he was welcome back in the magicians community init. Anyway, watch the episodes if you can, as they are available on social media to enjoy, especially Mitch Pileggi's narration.

Air Crash Investigation: Ghost Plane (2007) Season 4, Episode 10

A Greek tragedy

[9/10 · 31 May 2024]

Dusan Dukic plays the Greek hero in this real-life plane tragedy, the hero being Andreas Prodromou, a flight attendance on the ill-fated flight and who happened to hold an English Commercial Pilot Licence, but not enough to fly the ill-fated plane on Helios Airways Flight 522.

Sally Golan played Haris Charalampous, Andreas's girlfriend who was also a flight attendant on Flight 522.

Frank Moore played Captain Hans-Juergen Merten, the German pilot. This senseless tragedy could have been avoided, and it was reminiscent of the tragedy that befell the golfer and his team on the private jet tragically.

Tales of the Unexpected: A Harmless Vanity (1982) Season 5, Episode 9

The woman in red

[7/10 · 31 May 2024]

I'm enjoying catching up on episodes of Tales of the Unexpected, a series that I enjoyed watching back in the 1980s init. Anyway, A Harmless Vanity is from season five, and the twist was quite a twist at the end, with the woman in red being the center of a botched attempt by George Hitchman (Keith Barron, who later starred in the mini-series Take Me Home) to bump off his wife, but there's a mix up in identities with the woman in red, Carol, being the one accidentally bumped off. Phoebe Nicholls, who plays Carol, played John Merrick's mom in the David Lynch movie The Elephant Man so that's something I learned today.

The Woman in Red (1984)

Introducing Kelly LeBrock

[8/10 · 31 May 2024]

It's hard to believe The Woman in Red was released 40 years ago, and I remember seeing it in the cinema that long ago. Anyway, the audience lapped it up big time, and at the time I didn't know that Gene Wilder was married to Gilda Radner. Anyway, Kelly LeBrock plays the title character, Charlotte, and Wilder (Theodore Pierce) is besotted by Charlotte big time, at the risk of his relationship with his devoted wife and all. Anyway, The Woman in Red is quite a farcical comedy and it's a shame there was no sequel or even a short-run TV series to explore the nature of the relationship between Pierce and Charlotte init.

The Critic: A Pig Boy and His Dog (1994) Season 1, Episode 13

Season one wrap-up

[8/10 · 31 May 2024]

Jay Sherman, host of Comic Attractions, finds a lost puppy on the dark streets, and names the puppy Tiny. Anyway, this episode A Pig Boy and His Dog is the final episode of season one, which was broadcast by ABC. However ABC passed on it for season two, so another network (the one that is the home of The Simpsons) took it up, and in some ways that was more apt considering much of the creative team (and some of the voice talent) are from The Simpsons.

Anyway, Duke's comment about the squealing was absolutely hilarious, as was when Jay proclaimed "I am not a pig!" as in The Elephant Man.

Michael Carrington voices the Chauffeur.

The Critic: Uneasy Rider (1994) Season 1, Episode 12

Jay is truckin'

[7/10 · 31 May 2024]

Anyway, Uneasy Rider is the penultimate episode of the first season of The Critic, which ABC broadcast before it got axed, before taken up by another network for season two. Jay Sherman quits his job his job as host of Coming Attractions, and becomes a truck driver. The reference to Thelma and Louise was amazing. The part about the book delivery was kind of prescient init. The Florida snow globe that Jay Sherman displayed was hilarious. I like The Critic and it's a shame it didn't enjoy more seasons init. Anyway, at least we have these episodes (including the underrated webinars that constituted season three).

Also Rex Reed appears as himself in Uneasy Rider.