Change Your Image
nfoutz
Reviews
The Star Wagon (1966)
I Discovered Dustin Hoffman
This TV movie made a lasting impression on me. It opens with Dustin Hoffman being an old man. I thought he was an old man and couldn't figure out how I had never heard or seen him before. Later in the story he plays a young man and I realize that the actor is really just a young man, an unknown actor who is destined to make it big. Shortly afterwards, The Graduate opened and the rest is history.
I also remember Orson Bean who got top billing. He was adequate. In the 1960's he was mostly on talk shows playing at being a charming imp.
Maybe because Hoffman made such an impression on me, the story is less memorable. The story was good but not great.
Captain Nice (1967)
I was an adult when I saw "Captain Nice"
I was 26 when "Captain Nice" appeared, lasting only half a season. My husband and I loved it. It was funny and sweet.
In 1967, Williams Daniels, who played/was Captain Nice, had a very busy year as he was also in "The Graduate" (as Dustin Hoffman's father), "Two for the Road", and "The President's Analyst". The last one holds up very well even today and is available on VHS. It is still funny, true, and also reflects the swingin' sixties.
Alice Ghostley was also in "The Graduate". She is one of the great character actors and always a joy to see in any film.
My husband and I may have been a jinx to TV quality because it seemed everything we liked lasted a very short time. Well, we are now divorced so maybe the spell is broken.
Banshee (2006)
Good action thriller of night life in a big city
An action thriller that both men and women will enjoy which was written (Kirsten Elms) and directed (Kari Skogland) by women. There are car chases, sadism, murder and a bit of gore. Several car chases for the guys and a couple of guys kicked in the groin for the women. A visually good looking film made for TV (in Canada). It certainly looks better than most Hollywood big budget films. The list of actors is unfortunately incomplete at this time. One character actor who really wowed me was the middle age woman who owned the big house: she was delicious in her delivery. The casting was excellent; I had never seen any of the actors before but will certainly follow their work from now on.
BBC2 Play of the Week: On Giant's Shoulders (1979)
One of the most moving films I've ever seen
This film (actually probably made for TV) is an inspiring story of a Thalidomide child. I saw it when it was originally broadcast on public television. It was shown at least twice but I have not seen it since the early 1980's.
I knew that the actual child played himself in the film. The woman who played his adopted mother did not come across as an actress, just an ordinary "Mum": It was the first time I ever saw Judi Dench!
The moral of the story is that there are a lot of ways to react to a terrible situation but isn't it wonderful to see some people make it into a positive experience. This is a 1 to 2 hankie film but most of the tears are for joy.