blambert-3 Reviews

Von Richthofen and Brown (1971)

A let down.

[3/10 · 12 June 2007]

Took a chance to see if perhaps a really good WWI film had slipped my notice--this isn't it. John Phillip Law and Don Stroud are both stiff in their acting and miscast for their roles. The dialogue is dumb or non-existent; the flying sequences are okay but pretty repetitive. Compared to the terrific "Blue Max" this movie should never have been made. Watch George Peppard,James Mason, and Usula Andress in the BM and you get why that movie is one of the best war films ever made and this isn't. Recently released on DVD Richtofen and Brown is presented as some great 'lost classic' from the 70's, I resold mine the day after I bought it. Don't waste your time or $.

Jesse Stone: Death in Paradise (2006 TV Movie)

Selleck fits character perfect

[10/10 · 11 June 2007]

This is the third in the Jesse Stone movie series and I thought it was the best. Selleck is just perfect as the flawed, but honorable main character. What makes this series so good is what others have written; the pacing of the films is thoughtful; the characters are adult and complex; it has plot and intelligence over car crashes and special effects though it has action and romance in it to be sure. You like Selleck's character instantly and his scenes with his other officers,the State Police Detective and the shrink he see's about his drinking, are all terrific.

In the special features on Stone Cold Selleck says people have a 'hunger' for this type of adult entertainment where plot and story are more important than rapid fire visuals--and that is so true. It's surprising how good this series is--it's way better than 95% of what's in the theaters. Tom Selleck in a really good cop movie or Pirates of the Caribbean part IV--it's no contest.

Shootout! (2005– )

Wow, terrific show !

[10/10 · 5 June 2007]

Just purchased the first two seasons on DVD. What an awesome show. If your a Military History buff you will love this program. It combines the "information" of a documentary; the "drama" of a feature film; and the "character study" of a TV series. It shows just how incredibly brave, professional, and heroic these men involved in shootout's can be. It has personal stories and details that pull you in to caring about the subjects, and it has even more impact because the stories are true. While the show clearly demonstrates the amazing abilities of the soldiers involved in the battles,it does not glorify what they are doing. It also does not demonize the enemies they are facing but rather presents them as equally deadly and professional adversaries. This is the best series to come to the History Channel in some time; highly recommended.

I Deal in Danger (1966)

If you grew up on 60's TV

[7/10 · 22 May 2007]

This newly released "compilation" of the 60's show "Blue Light" is well worth a look if you grew up on 60's TV like I did. Combat, Rat Patrol, 12 o'clock high, if you loved those shows you'll enjoy this film/series. Robert Goulet was a singer in the mold of Michael Bolton in the 60's (along with his annoying wife Carol Lawrence) when they put him in this show. Surprisingly he is the best part of it. He's suave, and tough, and believable,(think Pierce Brosnon in the Bond films) and it's hard to figure out why he didn't take off in TV/Movies after this short lived show. It's obvious the producers were trying to capitalize on the Bond craze at the time when they made this series and maybe it just got lost in the shuffle. The story is pretty good; the production values not bad for 60's TV; and if they made more episodes I'd want to see them. Check this film out. 50kmwalk

Behind Enemy Lines II: Axis of Evil (2006 Video)

Better than expected

[6/10 · 10 April 2007]

You pick a DVD like this up off the 'discount rack' for 5.00 you don't expect much. But this was a surprisingly good little movie made on a shoestring budget that doesn't look it. I liked the original Behind the Lines well enough but this movie is just fine in its own right. The actors/soldiers are young and Hung-ho which you'd expect. The plot moves along and doesn't have every cliché you usually see coming a mile away. The action scenes with their jittery camera work are rapidly paced & well done in my view. The political side of the story looks professional and pretty believable. Having seen every great war movie there is many times over, I give this movie a solid thumbs up and definitely worth a look.

The Unit (2006–2009)

Desperate Housewives meets The Rat Patrol

[9/10 · 9 November 2006]

I'm a big fan of Dennis Haysbert so I bought the first season having never seen the show before. The first episode had a couple of scenes that almost killed all my enthusiasm for it, but I hung with it; got into the characters and enjoyed the whole season. It' takes some getting used to watching the episodes cut back and forth to the soldiers on their missions and their wives back home; that just isn't how "war movies" are done my sexist old brain says. But while the action scenes are really well done the "home stories" are surprisingly compelling too. As someone who grew up on 'Combat", 'The Rat Patrol', 'Twelve O'Clock High' I am surprised I liked this new show as much as I did. Well worth purchasing the first season.

Mindhunters (2004)

You won't believe they made this

[1/10 · 10 July 2006]

When Cop/killer movies are done well (SEVEN) they are great entertainment. When they are awful like this move you can't believe people spent millions of $ to produce them. This film is supposed to be about FBI profilers in training. But in the first 5 min the trainee's look so weak and unsure of themselves you can't believe they could go to sleep without a light on much less be FBI Agents. After that things only get worse.

Val Kilmer appears briefly in the movie looking half asleep and spouting incomprehensible nonsense about the trianee's next phase of training. Then it's on to 'Fantasy Island' where the violence is as dumb and unoriginal as the characters. I kept watching thinking this has GOT TO GET BETTER but it doesn't--it consistently stinks. I sat there stupified thinking how could anyone give this thing a good review which some folks did. I hope this thing shows up parodied on Mystery Science Theater at some future date--it ought to be hilarious!

Brooklyn South (1997–1998)

Highly Recommended

[10/10 · 26 June 2006]

I took a chance and bought this series on DVD tho I never saw it when it aired in 97'; Wow! was I pleasantly surprised. I was so bummed during the last episode cause I wanted it to keep going for more than just one season. It has the same tone and feel as NYPD Blue but I have to say I liked the cops in this show a whole lot more. The beat cop--"blue collar" feel was just much more interesting to me than the constant "heavy drama" of NYPD which is a fine show. You watch this series and you wonder how with all the schlock on TV it didn't make it. The characters are human, flawed, honorable, and compelling. It's 16 hours of great entertainment and you can pick it up fairly cheap on line.