tl12 Reviews

Frankenstein 1970 (1958)

Commentary

[7/10 · 22 May 2013]

Would you not think the commentary should have some vague relationship to the movie, well not here. You can hear all about their friends and friends of friends. All about stories involving Hollywood. However if you are looking for a commentary about the movie you will not find it here. They are all far to much in love with themselves to talk about anything else except themselves.

This commentary should be issued with a warning: beware of self importance!

These people should be put in the radiation chamber and burnt to dust!!!!!

Doppelganger (1993)

Oh Drew, what can the matter be?

[2/10 · 27 December 2012]

I have to admit that I like Drew Barrymore, but not in this loser.

I was really shocked. Drew Barrymore's acting almost reached that of a Junior High School Play. I have never seen such a bad performance by her. She had more acting chops in Pretty Baby than this.

Maybe she hated being in the film so much she purposely tanked it. If so that's extraordinarily unprofessional. I've seen other good actors in terrible films but they at least give the terrible material their best shot. This was more like she was reading all her lines cold off of cue cards.

That actually might be because many times her sight lines are wrong. What ever it was, she could have not saved this stink-a-roo. They must have robbed blind and deal people to finance it, but in this case, I think they could still smell it.

Once Upon a Time (2011–2018)

Head and Shoulders above 99% of Television

[10/10 · 23 December 2012]

First of all I am a 60 year old male, not a teeny-bopper who can't understand complex adult themes (Bergman,Truffaut, etc.). This is the best piece of television I have seen in a long time and a totally new and unique premise. One disclaimer, I have only seen 5 shows at this point.

Those internet trolls that say "worst piece of garbage since television was first broadcast" fit right in to this story. To bad the casting director did not get a chance to meet them. Who better to play a troll than a troll??

If you are trying to decide if you should buy the fist season, my advice is a resounding YES. You can find Season One used on Amazon for a great price. Sometimes I have to love those movie/TV thieves that buy the expensive stuff, rip the disk and turn around and sell it for half price. I have surpassed 2000 movies and TV shows now and I could not have done it with out crooks. Do I condone it, no but as long as it is going on I will continue to this site's owner (Amazon) and buy them for half price. I also do not think it is disaster that it is made out to be. I have ended up buying tons of new disks because I want to continue what I watched on my used disk. Then I'll loan it to a friend and they'll buy the next one new and on and on. It ends up in greater exposure and sales.

Want to correct my view on this, please feel free. I am always open to a change of mind. No studio hacks please.

Star Trek: Nemesis (2002)

The end of all Star Trek themed shows

[1/10 · 8 December 2012]

To the Star Trek Production Team.

The end began in Insurrection when the Federation itself became evil. The last nail in the coffin was Nemesis. Not only was it a poor idea and script. It relied on the cheapest ending technique there is. Kill off a main character without which the series can not continue.

They should have just stopped or have at least reflected the philosophy of the series with a positive end as the actual series did.

The newer movie 2009 is pitiful. Leave it alone you have done enough damage to the franchise. You dug a grave for it and it will never get out. I wish I could say here what I really think of you.

Rick Berman should be shot! The stood up and be shot again.

Day the World Ended (1955)

RE: Another oh, so silly anti-nuclear Sci Fi flick and others of the like

[6/10 · 29 October 2012]

If you don't like 50's Sci-Fi that's fine. Younger people that did not grow up with them at the moves, drive-ins and TV, compare them to 80's to 2012 Sci-Fi movies and find them silly. Well of course. If you know nothing of history everything before the UNIVERSALLY IMPORTANT date of your birth has no significance. If it occurred before that it is without worth. I will not launch in to where this leaves us in the future, a present with no history. What does bother me is when they say in some manner, "another stupid end of the world movie", "another stupid atomic bombs end the earth film". This scenario to them is not in the range of possibility and thus unthinkable to them. It is so out of the range of possibility that the concept no longer exists.

They are those who will talk freely about the need to use tactical nukes or major hydrogen or air-fuel bombs. They have watched tons of movies. The bad guys dies and the good guys win. There is no fear left for what the hand of man can do. They are the people that really scare me. They really would start a nuclear war knowing that they will win (because they are the good guys)and everything will get better if we just nuke the Muslims or what ever group it is good to hate at the time. They have no thought of the Earth as a planet and a bio-system. They deny the 99% of scientists and gather around the 1%.

This movie was a cautionary tale but such films no longer work with a populous that does not believe in any real planet wide danger. Almost all people think they are invincible in some degree in their teens. However, now many never grow out of teens, no matter how old they are.

Simon, King of the Witches (1971)

Interesting Precursor ...

[14 October 2012]

.. to the Dresden Files (SEE: http://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dresden and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0486657/.

Others have described the plot but it should me made clear that the Title is a misnomer. Simon (Andrew Prine) is neither a witch nor a warlock. He is a real Magician or Wizard who practices real magic.

I though it quite good for a cheap 70's film and it holds it own today. Go in to it expecting a reasonably entertaining B film and you will not be disappointed. And if you like/d it be sure to check out the Dresden books and DVD of the series that ran for a year to good reviews and then was abruptly canceled. Another good series that SYFY or SY/FAKE as I like to call it killed after one year.

Things to Come (1936)

How can you sit through this..

[10/10 · 2 July 2012]

wonderful and historic film when most of you would not know important film if it bit you in the As*. I am always cheered by the cries of "this film from the 30's does not good as films now and where are all the car crashes and explosions?"

I think the saddest part is that many reviewer are so terribly ignorant about film history that they don't even know that they are ignorant. Of course it does not look like a 2000+ film. When it was made it was state of the art. That is the sole way it can be judged, by the standards of it's time. The entire concept of history of all kinds and what we can learn and lessons it holds have been pitched by the masses of the ignorant that now write 90% of the reviews here. They gather all their 14 year old friends around and write such drek it makes me cry. I really have been a 3rd or 4th grade teacher so I could flunk you all till you were about eighteen and liberated from school. Because the level of the average high school student now is equal to a 3rd or 4th grader or 15 or more years ago. You make me despair. If you don't like the film for legitimate reasons, fine. It's just that now 90% of the reviewers can't even construct a reasoned argument. That is not a skill that 3rd and 4th grade students have.

The seasoned and well versed film critics are growing fewer as well. They will compare a current film to a historical film of the 1990's. Yea, that's a h*ll of a historical perspective.

Network (1976)

Network is no longer a satire

[9/10 · 28 April 2012]

I remember seeing Network when it was first released. I was then seen as a satire of what the network's news programming could become in a twisted fantasy future. It you though it was close to the truth it was scary to most it was just very funny.

We now have an odd situation, the movie has, of course, not changed, yet it has. The movie is no longer a satire. Instead it has become a mirror of what we all call News now. The opening lines between Howard Beale and Max Schumacher would be a rather typical current programming meeting.

Many times it is hard to see how far downhill things have gone until you see how it was and how it is now. Network shows that. It should be required viewing in High Schools.

30 Days of Night: Dark Days (2010 Video)

Nope

[3/10 · 23 April 2012]

What a let down. I loved 30 Days of Night. It was one of the very few films that even manage to get me on edge. It reached for the really frightening. Its vampires were a new take on an old story and there were real production value in the film.

Now, forget all I said because none of it applies to this, so called, sequel.

As soon as I saw the previews that ran before this film on DVD I knew that it had been put in the lowest category of releases. All you have to do is see a preview of Piranha 3D and you know you made a mistake.

Too bad, because I would think there was more worthwhile story to be found. Unfortunately these producers didn't even look.

AVOID!

Powder (1995)

Total lack of empathy

[10/10 · 17 April 2012]

Those you do not like or get the movie or those who feel it's stupid have one thing in common. They never grew up with a disability that made them the perpetual outsider. The one who was jeered at, constantly denigrated, beat up by groups (never just one person). In real life there is no Mary Steenburgen to stand up for them. In most cases the adults and authority figures turn a blind eye and in the worse cases join in.

I do know. I grew up as a disabled person. I went through all the bigotry, ignorant taunts and carried the weight of the hate those around me felt for me, for some over which I had no control. Those people in my life and the same type here lack a important trait that makes us human, EMPATHY.

Vlad (2003)

A film that takes some time to grow on you

[9/10 · 13 April 2012]

One of the film types I collect are Vampire films so Vlad was needed for the collection. I did not expect much when I saw the IMDb rating. However the 3.5 rating is from people that were to cowardly to leave a review to explain their low rating.

Vlad is not an easy movie. The first time I watched it, the story line seemed confused and I was not much impressed. However there was something that I liked, so I watched it again. The second time I put more effort in to really watching the film and I found I quite liked it. It is slow paced, but I like slow paced films that take their time. I liked the characters and I loved the locations. I also found that the story line is not confused but twisting.

I seriously doubt that most people would like this film, but if you like the subject mater and are willing to put some effort in to the film, I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

First Knight (1995)

Be On Your Guard, Fools On The Loose (at IMDb)

[10/10 · 10 April 2012]

It never fails. Every Arthurian movie that has ever been reviewed on this site has some version of these "It's not accurate", It's not historic", "So and so Knight was not like that", "It didn't look like Arthur", "It didn't look like Lancelot", "It didn't look like Guinevere", etc. etc.

This is when I get very worried about the would that is full of these people!

This is the last time I am doing this because they clearly outnumber me.

THERE IS NOTHING TO BE ACCURATE, FAITHFUL OR TRUTHFUL TO! They complain it is not faithful to FICTION. This is legend that was oral legend long before every being written down by anyone and it's been written down thousands of ways! I don't see these movies saying they are the movie of The Once and Future King. No, they are just one more telling of a what? A LEGEND!

And, they even believe that this is a IMPORTANT THING! Get a life. Go outside some time. There is a REAL WORLD with REAL IMPORTANT PROBLEMS and CHALLENGES out there. Try worrying about them instead of raging that Richard Gear did not LOOK like LANCELOT (because I have a polaroid of the real one and he looks just like Gear ;). I mean, just how lame can you get (obviously an infinite amount.)

I give this movie a 10 just to balance it out. Besides, I think it's a fun film! And as it's impossible for it to be historicity accurate, I don't have to worry about such foolishness.

The Skull (1965)

Very short review

[7/10 · 9 March 2012]

The entire point of this review is that Peter Cushing in a movie can do no wrong. He can take the stupidest script and make it sound believable. From skulls to finger bones to Van Helsing he was always on the mark. The world of film and the world at large is poorer for his passing in 1994. I have tried to collect his films but there are so many that it is hard to find new quality DVD transfers of all of them.

I have heard many people talk about him, from Christopher Lee to unknown co-stars. Not one had anything to say except what a loving and giving person he was. Not a soul I have heard has a bad memory of him. There is a worthwhile documentary called "Fanex Films - Hammer Films" where many people who worked with him are interviewed and speak at length.

Valley of the Zombies (1946)

30's & 40's B Horror Films

[6/10 · 30 January 2012]

OK, I admit it. I love 30's and 40's B horror films. They generally have great atmosphere and wonderful characters. Are both the atmosphere and the characters over-the-top? Yeah, most of the time, but that is part of the charm. You don't watch these movies looking for great cinema. You watch them for the perpetually foggy streets. What city or what country makes no difference, 9 times out of 10 there will be fog. You watch them for the crazed characters. You watch them for the dripping-with-venom dialog. You also have the wonderful look that black and white creates. Things are stark and heavily shadowed.

You watch these films simply because you love the time and the genre. Not for great writing and most times not for great performances. You either love these period B films or not. Had I lived during the era you would have never gotten me out of the theater.

Frankenstein's Daughter (1958)

My First

[5/10 · 2 November 2011]

Everyone remembers "their first time" of doing many things. So when people ask me why this movie is in my collection, I just tell them "It was my first". It was the first time I ever saw a horror movie in a theater. It was a double bill with Frankenstein's Daughter and The Man Without a Body. My cousin who was six years older than me took me. I was 8 or 9 I think.

I was absolutely terrified. I had just barely enough guts not to put my hands over my eyes and show my cousin what a coward I was. I never saw the movie again till I was in my 50's. Hmmm, no so scary but when I let my imagination go I could still remember the night in the theater and how I felt.

The best advice I can give others on this film is that my 5 was generous. It is, however, not just bad. It is wonderfully bad! If you want to have your own Mystery Science Theater, invite some friends over, serve plenty of drinks and laugh your way though the film. But watch out that there are no little ones in the room because they may react as I did in the theater all those years ago.

Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed (2004)

Just a short note here

[16 October 2011]

As a minor in the United States you can not be detained against will except with the permission of, or action by your parent/s or guardian/s. As a minor you also may be detained against your will by court order or held for a short period in police custody before any charges are filed.

You CAN NOT be detained by a "rehab" facility against your will for any reason except one of the above. Also, no one would be sent to rehab for using a non-illegal non-narcotic, non-hallucinatory plant extract. Lastly, since no effort is made to find her true identity, they don't even know if she IS a minor. A State Attorney General would close this place without a thought and the staff could well be tried on kidnapping and false imprisonment charges.

The movie revolves around the idea that any place can find you on the street, kidnap and illegally detain you and on top of that never notify the police. This was such a glaring error that I just could not get in to the rest of the movie.

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

Why is there no dubbed version

[13 September 2011]

I gave this film a 6 because I have to have someone read the subtitles for me. There is some kind of incredible snobbery about not having a dubbed version of this (or any other foreign language movie). Those who believe that way do so because they believe it will destroy the artistic integrity of a movie to provide a dubbed version. They also have been blessed with good eyesight so they can read the subtitles. As for the millions of people with poor eyesight, such as myself, we just don't count to them.

I made the error of asking about a dubbed version of this film on Amazon and got killed with hateful responses. Why can't those with a disability enjoy the film as well? No one is asking the non-seeing impaired to watch the dubbed version.

X: First Class (2011)

Nope, not unless you rewrite history

[3/10 · 12 September 2011]

Was WWII started by Canada? It probably was in this What?-Men series. Many old graphic novels have gone through a "reboot" but none that I know of totally abandoned the original story with such absolute disrespect.

This a a total abandonment of the original X-Men story/ies. At the least it could have been an alternate world X-Men story. Unfortunately it seems Marvel has failed to see the wisdom in the DC Batman reboot that still kept the roots of the original story and updated it with two of the best graphic novel movie adaptations that have been made.

I do not care about the people in this story because I do not know them and there is not enough background to get me to care about these unknown or totally changed characters. Does this make me a HATER as earlier posters have said. NO, rather it makes me a lover of fully fleshed out characters. If you want to make a story about brand new characters then don't try to sucker a loyal audience that knows the X-Men and their history and try to pawn it off as the "ORIGINAL" X-men. We have more intelligence than that and more love for the real story.

By the way did you know that Superman originally came from Scranton, PA and Spiderman got his ability because he sat in some spider droppings? Watch for these movies next in the Orwellian world that rewrites the history of all things.

Children of the Corn (1984)

Response to "After reading some negative comments on this film it seems to me that many of those reviewers hate horror movies."

[2/10 · 8 September 2011]

Excuse me but I love horror movies. The over 1000 horror DVD's I have attest to this. I even love terrible horror movies that you can sit back and laugh at. However this movie has a fatal flaw that kills any fun. A total lack of internal consistency.

These children have no extraordinary powers (at least as displayed in the film). They have no real plan, yet from the smallest to the oldest teen they kill ever able bodied adult in reach. No adults try to fight back (except the gas station owner who is killed how (?), when he is armed but the children are not). Had there been even a try at an explanation as to why every adult could be mowed down like grass, I'd at least say they did try to explain it, but there was nothing.

There was no attempt to make the story make sense within it's own world. No sneaky kids. No well planned plot. Just a very few kids with knives. Give me a good shotgun and I'd win. Apparently no adult in the film had one. Boooo.

The Wide World of Mystery: Frankenstein: Part 1 (1973) Season 1, Episode 2

No, it is not a faithful or even a close adaptation of the book

[5/10 · 17 July 2011]

Having said that, being closer to Mary Shelly's book does not in it's self make the movie good or bad. I love the Karloff version but it is nothing like the book. From the many Frankenstein based movies I gave this one a 5. Bo Svenson's height was perfect for the role of the creature and he played it with sensitivity.

The book is a first person account with Victor Frankenstein narrating the story to the captain of a ship who rescued Victor from freezing on the same ice that the ship is locked in.

The only movie that I have seen that is really close to the book is the 2004 Hallmark version. While the creature is more good looking than described in the book, the characters are correct, the chronology is correct and the changing disposition of the creature is correct. It is available on DVD and I recommend it to all fans of the book and/or the movies.

The King's Speech (2010)

The King's (and my) Speech

[10/10 · 15 May 2011]

As a stutterer myself I have to say that I was mesmerized by the film. Some of the hateful reviews I have seen are reminiscent of the ignorant children and adults that have taunted me.

The development of stuttering is accurately betrayed. I can not speak to the speech therapy techniques as I have never been involved with the one shown.

As a movie, without regard to stuttering, it was thoughtful, engaging and captivating. I like action moves but those who rate this film low because there is just talking, frighten me. If we can no longer talk as a people and be engaged by non-violent media, we are in as much danger as we were in WWII.

Beauty and the Beast (1987–1990)

Should not have been captivated

[9/10 · 2 December 2010]

I was most certainly not the in the demographic this show was aimed at and I am less so now. Yet, I watched it in first run and I am now watching it on DVD. I was captivated the first time and I am again.

I am now a 58 year old married male. Maybe it was understandable to have loved the series at the end of the eighties, but now? In the eighties I was newly married and so it was excusable for me to be entranced by a fantasy romance. However, after 24 years of marriage the romance of a new marriage is long over and the work of a marriage ongoing. So, it would seem unlikely that I could be drawn in by television romance once again. No other show has done that over the years.

For me that is the magic of this series. I really don't need to analyze plot lines, sets, lighting or direction. It is simply a beautiful story. Both then and now and it still can touch my heart.

Battlestar Galactica: The Plan (2009 Video)

Sorry but this was WAY below par

[3/10 · 2 February 2010]

I was a great fan of the series and bought the DVD's as soon as they were available.

This, however, was a real let down. It was almost more like a budget saving "clip show" than a movie. There was nothing new, no revelations, no finally uncovered PLAN. It was just a rehash of everything you knew before.

It was nice to see Edward James Olmos direct again and there were some new scenes (heavily mixed with clips).

I'm certain there are some great movies that could be made based on the series. Unfortunately this was not one of them.