dtrent-2 Reviews

Johnson County War (2002– )

"War Against the Poor"

[12 July 2003]

If you love the wide open space of horse & cattle country, you'll love this mini-series!

Spoiled rich cattle barrons in the 1800's want to drive out the poor squatter/settlers who gather up & keep any stray calves they may find. But that's not the real reason they have to be driven out. It's just plain greed & prejudice.

Rachel Ward is always likable & here plays a harlot w/a newspaper-writing husband.

Tom Berenger is clearly the star of this series & is the eldest & most respected of the 3 Hammett brothers doing battle w/the barrons & trying to keep the peace. Luke Perry is certainly playing a different role here & deservedly so. I heard he didn't know how to ride a horse before he signed on for this part. You'd never know it watching him do practically nothing BUT riding in this! (Goodbye, 90210!)

The ending is too long for my taste & is very disappointing. I will not spoil it here by telling you who else is killed though.

One romantic scene I must comment on: When Berenger is getting his hair cut out on the porch by his widowed sister-in-law. Ladies, you will totally melt...

Cutaway (2000 TV Movie)

Can you spell "D-I-Z-Z-Y" ??

[18 March 2002]

I was wondering when the camera would 'cutaway' from all the skydiving here & give us some actors in their acting mode!! Whew!! So much for dizzying heights!! I've had enough!

Movie Point: Don't 'cutaway' your fomer life to engage in death-defying stunts just for the thrill of it. You'll either break the law or end up dead. RedLine (the ever-interesting Tom Berenger) does both. So does Turbo (the ever-weird Dennis Rodman).

This was really Stephen Baldwin's film. He had the most screen time although Tom Berenger has top billing. Baldwin's FBI infiltrating the world of skydiving so he can nab Berenger selling drugs to keep his head in the clouds, sorta speak. The two become 'air buds' before Berenger cuts loose from his parachute & purposely falls to his death as Baldwin reads him his rites in the air.

If you're a Berenger fan, keep watching him here. He needs to lose the earring but I think he has it just to endear him to the younger crowd he's mentoring. He's a no-nonsense skydiving teacher!

Someone to Watch Over Me (1987)

I'll 'watch' it again

[9 March 2002]

Brooklyn detective (Berenger) gets promoted & has new assignment - Keep watch over rich & sultry Manhattanite Claire Gregory (Mimi Rogers) becuz she witnessed a murder. NEVER pair up 2 good-looking people for night time (or daytime) close association no matter HOW solid one's marriage is!! And why not? Becuz THIS could happen!

'Watch' this film & find out.

Berenger looks fit & handsome as usual, especially back in the '80's. Rogers should have gotten a better hairdo. Larrainne Bracco, a NY favorite of mine, is just great in this role. Jerry Orbach, Berenger's superior is another NY favorite of mine. Tony DiBenedetto (the big burly limo driver from My Favorite Year) was also 'on the watch' & played Berenger's best friend. The most annoying thing about this film is the slow awful tune sung by Sting here! When the credits role in the beginning, we're shown The Big Bad Apple in all it's glory, lit up in the dark like nobody's business! But that song makes you just want to fast-forward!! Arrrgh!! Then he sings it again at the end!! Arrrgh!!

Chasers (1994)

CHASE this film down & see it for laughs!!

[11 February 2002]

This movie is funny!! Actor Robert McNamara, the Ricky Nelson look-alike is 1 day away from being done w/the Navy when he's given an assignment w/the gruff-voiced Rock Reilly (Tom Berenger) to escort a female prisoner to another facility. They don't find out she's a female till it's too late & the 'fun' begins. She flirts w/Rock but he defiantly resists, has McNamara by the nose, runs away, etc, etc, & the CHASE is on!

Actually, the 2 fall in love, Rock (Berenger) allows them to escape, they go to an island & live happily ever after. Marilu Henner, always a pleasure to watch, is a waitress in a restaurant they all go to & that's who Rock gets together with at the end of the film. That's nice to see since he's such a 'by the book' officer who needs a good woman & some spice in his navy life.

I recommend this film but I didn't like Erika Eliniak, the girl prisoner. I've never seen her again in anything & I wouldn't want to. She's too skinny, her eyebrows are too dark & thick & her acting is just ok. She's nothing to write home about in my book. But that Tom Berenger is another story!

The Big Chill (1983)

I 'chilled' so much, I coulda fell asleep!

[11 February 2002]

This film is b-o-r-i-n-g! College friends from 10 yrs ago all sit around & dish about the deceased, one of their friends from way back then who committed suicide & no one knows why. They all come together after the funeral in a big southern mansion that one of them owns & spend the weeked getting high, eating, talking, eating, getting high, complaining, rekindling old romances & getting high again. NOT a fun scene! But all the actors mesh together for this film & do their job.

Note: Tom Berenger wears his jeans VERY nicely here, is in great shape & is a much larger person than is normally realized while standing in the dining room with everyone. I know he's a 6-footer but you never really know that in some of the roles he takes becuz he's usually outdoors or in a big room so you don't really see his real stature. It's just something I never noticed before.

At Play in the Fields of the Lord (1991)

Berenger's torn between 2 worlds

[14 January 2002]

This film is L-O-N-G but has great scenery out in the Amazon. Berenger plays a 1/2 Indian (w/those blue eyes) who plugs along in life not really caring about anything except drinkin' & bummin'. He flys a plane w/a Jewish buddy named Wolf delivering goods, etc. He's asked to drop a bomb or 2 near the Amazonian Indians but not to kill them - just to scare them deeper into the forest. This is all political. They are going to get wiped out anyway for the gold that lies there.

The painful contrast here are the Protestant missionaries that arrive. Darryl Hannah is the wife of the most arrogant 'missionary head' ever who treats her like a child & even tells her to 'Go to her room!' Aiden Quinn is the more passionate man having a high interest in the Indians, learning & respecting their culture. Kathy Bates is the mother of a young son who dies from fever & then she goes crazy.

When Berenger decides NOT to bomb 'his people', he goes into the forest & consumes himself w/them, marrying & having a baby son w/one of the beautiful Indian women. Take note: These people do not kiss & are not romantic in the least. When Berenger spies Darryl Hannah skinny-dipping, he approaches her silently, strokes her blonde hair, gently kisses her face & then her mouth NOT REALIZING SHE'S CARRYING THE FLU! He unknowingly brings it back to his people, decimating the whole tribe, along w/bombing that goes on anyway. The film leaves us wondering what Berenger will do w/the rest of his life after he leaves behind everything & everyone. The close-up of his scared, sad face emotes tremendously. He refuses to live as white men do but where will he go? We are left w/no answer.

There is nudity in the film thus the R-rating. I'm reviewing the edited TV version but this is the Amazon, folks! Native people there don't wear full clothing! See this for it's story of a man torn between 2 worlds.

Sniper (1993)

See it once or twice to get a SNIPER's eyeview

[14 December 2001]

I don't particularly like Billy Zane becuz he looks like he could play a drag queen. But he's a rich-boy sniper here with NO kills. He out-ranks Berenger who has LOTS of kills & the 2 go at each other throughout till the end of the film when Zane finally 'feels the rush' & achieves a kill. Then he saves Berenger from the enemy drug-lords.

It's a sad thing that 'sniping' is all Berenger's got while Zane has a fiance to go home to. But that's probably why he's so good at his job. He focuses on it & he does it & that's it.

The jungle scenery is appropriate here but after awhile, it gets pretty boring. There's really no one else to hone in on except these 2 in the jungle. SNIPER's not my favorite film of Berenger's but I'm glad I got to see it so I got a SNIPER's eyeview of it all.

Platoon (1986)

This is Sheen's movie, pure & simple

[29 November 2001]

I only watched this for the sake of Tom Berenger. (Sgt. Barnes) But the movie really belongs to Sheen. He's an innocent who quits college to go to 'Nam to serve his country. When he gets there, he's racked with stinging ants, murder & chaos & a loss of his own innocence as he kills 'one of his own'. Not until he does this dirty deed does he realize he has just become what he wanted to get rid of. And he got rid of Sgt. Barnes, the scar-faced 'shot 7 times & hasn't died yet' Tom Berenger in an oscar-nominated role.

Johnny Depp was in this, too & should've had more air time. He spoke Vietnamese & was used much as a translator. I don't veer towards war films, especially about 'Nam but like I said, I saw it for the sake of Berenger. He was compellingly 'evil' but it's understandable why. It's also understandable why many who return from war are apt to relive their worst nightmares from over there & end up in prison or just continually violent throughout their lives. "Where does the war end & real life begin?!?" They can't figure it out. This is what war does to people. I say remain neutral & leave the blood & guts routine to those who don't want a future.

Law & Order (1990– )

Interesting show - Keeps you watching

[2 November 2001]

I got hooked just seeing one episode of Law & Order! I don't watch it ALL the time but I enjoy it when I DO see it. I've always liked Jerry Orbach's no-nonsense style. I especially was interested in episode 10.13 from 2/16/2000 called "PANIC". The wonderfully talented Tom Berenger was in this episode & it sure had a twist to it!...

Bookish female writer gets shot while leaving restaurant with man who also gets shot but is killed. Gun used belongs to FBI woman who's brain's been picked by writer for her books. No problem till it's discovered FBI woman didn't do it. So was writer having an affair with FBI woman's husband, Berenger, who's also FBI? No. Turns out HIS WIFE is having the affair with bookish female writer! So who shot her? FBI husband? He certainly had cause. Nooooooooo! Shots fired with FBI woman's gun by their 15 yr old daughter who found out about the affair the same way the husband did, over the phone. So who took the rap? Husband lied in court & said HE shot writer. He protected daughter & went to jail for like, 15 yrs!!! Daughter's plea at end of show was so touching! She tells her mother, "You were supposed to love Daddy, not that b----!! You were supposed to be with Daddy!" And Berenger willing to go to The Big House for his kid is just so galant! Ya gotta love that guy!

The Substitute (1996)

'Unbelievable' Action in Local High School!!

[31 October 2001]

In some ways, you'd WANT a guy like Shale - A.K.A. Smith (Tom Berenger) - to sub at your local high school if the school is THIS dangerous! Most of the kids look like adults & they 'play' with guns like they were toys while trying to protect their 'drugstore', the school! But the story goes like this -

Shale's an ex-mercenary seeking out whoever it was who beat up his teacher-girlfriend (who BTW, looks MUCH too young for the craggy yet eternally handsome Berenger! I thought she was his daughter when he went to her home until they began trying to get romantic on the couch while her broken leg kept getting in the way!) So he fakes all the right credentials to get into the school by substituting. He finds her attacker, impresses the students with his 'don't mess with me' attitude, discovers a huge drug ring that the principal (Ernie Hudson) is running inside the school & calls for 'back-up' from his other ex-mercenary pals when this unbelievable action film is almost at its end. How much death can a high school stand?!

I kept wondering all thru this film how come no one ever called the cops! Until I realized they were also on the take. Teens will like this film & will remember Berenger by it. If they see him in nothing else (& he's done films MUCH better than this in terms of storyline), they'll remember him in this.

Oh, one memorable scene - When Shale helps the librarian lady to her feet, that killer smile of his lights up the screen! The camera stays on him long enough for you to keep in mind that this guy really does have a more human side! All throughout, he's quite the stone-faced 'non-expressionist'. But in this one scene, his smile is the scene STEALER! Watch for it!

Rough Riders (1997)

Highly recommended Berenger film with a great ensamble cast!

[16 October 2001]

Tom Berenger as Theodore Roosevelt! Is this guy an ACTOR or what?!? He's got Teddy's look & demeanor down pat. He certainly does his research!

Crux of the film - A volunteer rag-time bunch of men become soldiers trained by Buck O'Neil (the ever-outdoorsy M-A-N of the cowboy/war-type flicks, Sam Elliot). Goodrich & Tiffany are just some of the now famous names who went down in history fighting this war on San Juan Hill. Besides the rich & priviledged there were outlaws & everyday men. And who led them up that hill? Tom Berenger as Theodore Roosevelt himself. It's something how he can change his look in practically every film he's in. Just before this one, he was The Substitute. He looked older, grayish hair, wrinkles in his face. As Teddy, his skin is so smooth, his hair not gray at all & has a much younger stance. I know make-up & hair dye can do wonders (& Berenger's wife was the person on the set to do it here) but what a transformation!

Gary Busey is not one of my favorite actors but he's got the energy & craziness for his role as Joe Wheeler here, in command & in pursuit! Go buy this film & enjoy the thrill of acting!

Major League II (1994)

Jake Taylor - back in the game as...a COACH?!!!?

[28 September 2001]

Berenger plays the 'bad knees' pretty much to the hilt in this line-up. He really looks like he's hurtin'. Yep, those 41 year old knees finally gave out enough to have him in the game but not as a catcher. There's a 'stumblebum' filling that order here. (I must say though, if 41 still looks THAT good, who cares about his knees!!) Renee Russo does her turn as devoted wife. (Check the ring on Taylor's finger.) But she only has 1 scene.

Pedro & Dorn are both embarressments & Rick "Wild Thing" Vaughn (Sheen) is riding down that road in the beginning of the movie but by the end, he comes to his senses with the help of an old biker flame & a bunch of could-be j.d.'s. Too bad Wesley Snipes didn't come back to reprise his role but Omar Epps does his best. The mustached coach takes a heart attack so Taylor really does become Head Coach. Everybody respects him, likes him & it works.

I don't know about this one. Major League was better because it ran at a much faster pace. It kept you more interested. M.L.II has too many boring parts & more actual 'baseball', in my opinion.

Shoot to Kill (1988)

Exciting only when Berenger enters the picture

[31 August 2001]

I watched this film not too long after viewing Tom Berenger's Last of the Dogmen. He fits nicely into these outdoorsy-type movies. Anyway, the beginning of Shoot to Kill is all violence, intrigue & Sidney (Poitier) & the city. He's after a killer/thief with no conscience. Sidney ends up chasing him thru the mountains in all kinds of weather while the killer picks off some hikers one-by-one. Kirstie Alley is the guide, Tom Berenger is her boyfriend. (Why he'd allow her to guide 5 men out into the wilderness alone is sheer stupidity!) The film only becomes exciting when Berenger rushes out of that gorgeous cabin expecting to go find Kirstie on his own. He & Sidney don't get along till they bring down the killer at the very end after sooooooo much traveling thru soooooo much different types of terrain!

I'd recommend this one. Beautiful scenery once again in a Berenger film.

Point to Ponder: In the scene where Berenger goes for the basket on the 'high wire', why doesn't he ever go back for it after he falls off the wire & slams into the cliff-face? It seems he just abandons the whole idea & we never find out why? Since the large stick preventing the basket from sliding back to where the two men are at falls away, wouldn't it then be easier to just pull it towards them?

Eddie and the Cruisers (1983)

Pleasant Surprise for Berenger Fans

[30 August 2001]

Berenger was in this film much more than I thought he'd be - practically every scene after the beginning of the film lays the foundation of what's going on here. You'd think he'd be Eddie of The Cruisers because of the film's title. But he's not. He's Frank Ridgeway, "The Wordman", piano player in The Cruisers. But without his input, Eddie wouldn't have been able to get close to saying what he wanted to in his songs which range from leavin' the '50's behind & latching onto a whole new sound that's fast approaching. Eddie was a bit before his time.

Berenger says he isn't really musically inclined & had to learn piano for this film. He obviously feels uncomfortable playing it & if that's his real voice, he obviously can't sing either. But his character's way with words really strike a chord. Nice touch of romance when Joanne, the only female in the group & Eddie's girl, first lay eyes on each other. Priceless! They keep a secret torch going throughout the film but it's only consumated one time with one kiss on a college campus. Too bad Eddie saw it, too. It made for quite an embarressing night for The Wordman on stage. But he knew he deserved it.

I personally didn't care for the musical score here. I'll take the '50's innocence. But the cars & the D.A.'s were where it was at. Ladies, you'll get to dreamin' right along with The Wordman when you catch the scenes of him in the bed smokin'. Perfect photogenics workin' there! So if you're a Tom Berenger fan, see this film & don't let the title or the cover of the video box fool ya! This IS a Tom Berenger film!

The Avenging Angel (1995 TV Movie)

Berenger Rides Again!

[20 August 2001]

If you like horses, Westerns, beautiful scenery & a story filled with intrigue, you should like this film. Co-produced by Tom Berenger (First Corp. Productions) he also stars in this exciting movie made for TNT television. Working along with famed Charlton Heston & James Coburn, Tom's in good company. He shoots, rides & roughs it nicely.

You may not be particularly interested in the trek of the Mormons to Utah in the 1870's but that's what begins the story. Miles Utley (Berenger) is trained form the time he's a youngin' to serve & protect the church's prophet, Brigham Young (Heston). And he does it with a vengeance! (How Bible-totin' people can sanction murder & politcal intrigue is a valid question but...To each his own.)

You have to feel for Berenger's character throughout this whole film. He's on the trail of potential murderers, dallies with Young's daughter in an attempt to get closer to the man he so violently protects, gets left for dead in the Salt Lake, found by one of the usurper's wives & nursed back to health, beginning a relationship with her in the process, rides all over Utah & finally meets up with the prophet himself who knows all along who's got it in for him. He knows Miles is sincere & never doubted his loyalty for a minute. All in all, it's an enjoyable film & will have you guessing & interested throughout. See it!

Note: Berenger's two young daughters get film credit here, too - Chelsea & Chloe Berenger.

The Field (1990)

Closed-Captioned Needed Here!

[20 August 2001]

If you don't understand the Irish, this film will have you saying, "What an idiot is that Bull McCabe! (Richard Harris in a stalwart role) He rents a plot of land cultivated with seaweed that he & his son drag over from the coast & lives for it! He's like the town bully (Thus his name, "Bull" McCabe) & no one crosses him. After 20 years of he & his wife not speaking (something to do with the death of Jaime, their other son at 13), she finally speaks up & tells him it's not his fault. But do we ever really understand what happened to him? Was he hung? Did he hang himself? The Irish accents are just too thick!

Well, it's time for the English widow to sell her plot of land to the highest bidder in a public auction. Who wants to buy it? Bull McCabe, of course. And no one dares defy him! Until a handsome young American (Berenger)comes to town looking to upgrade the area. Peter, ("the Yank") has plenty of funds to do what he likes with the land but McCabe won't back down! He lambasts the American yelling insults about how Peter's father deserted Ireland for America during the war, made his fortune there & now his son (Berenger) wants to come back with his American money & take what the Irish there have starved & worked hard for!? What that has to do with Peter is beyond me. He wasn't in the war himself. He's the son of someone who left but that should have no bearing on him. But Bull doesn't come to his senses & eventually kills him in a rage! What a waste! Actually, the only upbeat, comfortable times in this film are when Berenger is on the screen. He brings a warm presence of the future Ireland could have. He brings progress & a leveling of the old ways. Only Bull McCabe won't have it. And in the end, he loses his senses completely.

Rustlers' Rhapsody (1985)

Quite an Embarressment

[20 August 2001]

I was embarressed for myself AND for Tom Berenger while watching this film. I understand Rustler's Rhapsody is a spoof on all those B-Westerns but it's really quite embarressing & boring. Those cowboy suits they make him wear are hideous, the girls don't have enough screen time with Tom. You keep thinking Marilu Henner is gonna jump all over him but never gets to. Tom's horse, Wildfire, steals the show here. Reminds me of Roy Rogers' Trigger. And that's NOT Tom's real voice singing those rhapsodies, either. Just check the credits. No, I wouldn't recomend this film because it's not one of Tom's best works. He's a sap here & it shows. No, it's just too embarressing. Skip this one.

Driven (2001)

DRIVEN drove me...CRAZY!!

[30 April 2001]

This is a RACING movie, pure & simple. It is NOT a SLY film, which disappointed me. He didn't have enough screen time! It took like 15 minutes or so for him to 'debut' as Joe "The Hummer" Tanto. You'd think Kip Pardue ("Jimmy Blye") & Til Schewiger ("Beau Brandenburg") were the stars!

Burt Reynolds as owner in a wheelchair also doesn't get enough screen time. He's a veteran actor & deserves it but he doesn't get it. People comment about his toupee. It looks fine! It's his face that's been noticeably altered. If he smiles too broadly, which he's known for, it's gonna crack!

Gina Gershon had some of THE BEST lines in this film as Sly's ex-wife. She's gorgeous & resembles a younger Raquel Welsch here.

Estella 'the model' Warren does nothing but work those buck teeth & huge lips! OUCH!! And why didn't someone give her a haircut?!?

Sly's love interest/writer, Stacey Edwards was a poor choice,too. Her chin is too short & she's just too plain.

Christian de la Fuente needed more screen time, too. This guys' in great shape & has alot going for him - looks & accent combined! "A better, younger Sly"? Hmmmmm....I don't know....Maybe with a 'twist'?

The music was bumpin' but there was just too much going on so fast that you could'nt take it all in. There wasn't time to allow the characters to develop so there wasn't enough drama in it. Like I said, this is a RACING movie, pure & simple. See it if you like CART, but I prefer drag racing.

Men Don't Tell (1993 TV Movie)

What's a husband to do?

[23 November 2000]

***SPOILERS*** ***SPOILERS*** In the viscious circle of abuse, men usually do the abusing & wives usually are the abused. NOT in this case! The working-class handsome Strauss does all he can to please his wife but it's just not good enough for her (or her mother, played by Carroll Baker). Judith Light of Who's the Boss? fame takes an eerie turn as the drinks-too-much housewife who's never satisfied even though her long-suffering husband (Strauss) loves her dearly. When they make-up after each of the beatings she gives him, it is cinema-sweet. But you wonder how much longer Strauss is gonna take this mess! He loses it when wacky wifey goes after their daughter in one of her rages! Even thought Strauss tells the real truth - that wifey hits him - the whole police station just won't buy it! Wifey ends up in the hospital in a coma after both of them fall out of a window while fighting. Bruised, beaten & bleeding Strauss is rightly in despair. In the end, he tells her she definitely needs to go get some mental help & leaves her, taking their 2 kids.

Yes, this TV movie was a real eye-opener. See it! Once you do, you'll never doubt a man who claims his wife beats him again! Excellent work by these 2. And whoever played Strauss's father in this movie was physically the right guy for the role. They really do look like they came from the same family line!

Over the Top (1987)

Sly acts a bit 'un-interested' in some parts of this film.

[23 November 2000]

Good choice of work for Sly - a trucker. Something 'masculine', on the move. He wrangles with his father-in-law for custody of his son, who thought his dad (Sly) disowned him. To the contrary, grandfather didn't want the boy associating with Sly because he was'nt 'of money' like grandfather was. When Sly's former wife dies of cancer, (Susan Blakely again), Sly sees it as a 'sign' to take his responsibility seriously & raise his son the only way he knows how - take him on the road with him, teach him not to be a spoiled brat all his life, live a little! At first, his son rejects him totally. But later on when he finds out the truth about his dad, he decides he WANTS to be with him.

Yes, the veritable 'macho-sport of arm-wrestling' is thrown in as a way to win big money quick & show-off Sly's ever-bulging muscles. But hey! What's a Sly-film without muscles?? See this one for family entertainment. Sly might be a bit 'wooden' with some of his lines, but the action scenes are typically Sly!

Samson and Delilah (1949)

Ahh! The beauty of Mature & Lamar!

[23 November 2000]

She sure WAS a wildcat in this film! Beauty beyond compare! And Mature's 'Samson' was a sure delight (even though he was told to drop 30 lbs. for the role before filming). Biblical stories are always interesting & enjoyable if filmed in this colorful way, as was The 10 Commandments. We don't need that brown, boring type of color for 'realism'. We want beautiful color to show off those gorgeous costumes & scenery! (When it's not fake back-drops!) Anyway, see this film! It's worth whatever the video costs! Or catch it on TV!

Rhinestone (1984)

This was quite an embarrassment to Sly

[9 November 2000]

This one was quite an embarrassment to Sly, as he's often said while interviewed. I like Dolly Parton & they no doubt had their fun making this film but I was as shocked as so many of Sly's other fans were to see him doing things here that are so un-like him & what he's 'expected' to be! So much of it was 'un-cool'. Yet there were some tender moments between him & Dolly. All in all, if these 2 wanted to do a film together, they needed another vehicle. It seemed Sly moved over in Parton's 'territory' when she should have moved on over to his if they wanted this to work. Of course, that's just my opinion. Rent this one if you want to laugh at Sly.

Nighthawks (1981)

'You need eyes like a hawk at night' = Nighthawks

[9 November 2000]

Nice team up with Sly & the ever-elegant Billy-Dee! (Could his "Fox" name be a coincidence??) Two cops keeping their eyes open for riveting Rutger Hauer, the scariest terrorist alive! How he goes through those physical changes in the film is quite a feat! The films' violent ending is an eyesore but definitely gets the point across: With all the nonsensical killing Rutger's done throughtout the film, his ending is, well - deserved. There's a surprise twist just before he goes down, too. (If you want to see Sly as a blonde, this is where you'll find him! And he plays it straight! And it works!) Lindsey Wagner plays Sly's wife (another blonde) whom he is separated from. They truely seem to love each other but his job keeps getting in their way. Oh yea, this is the first film Sly wears a beard & goatee. I liked the change.

Rich Man, Poor Man (1976)

How to be rich, how to be poor

[9 November 2000]

I taped this series every night from TV & it was worth it! From young to older, these two brothers (Nolte & Strauss) couldn't have been more different. And it works! Nolte the Bruiser, Strauss the Smoother. Couldn't stand Susan Blakely's role. Too selfish. But this series is a classic & what put these two guys on the map.

Soldier Blue (1970)

NOT for the squeamish!

[9 November 2000]

I bought this film at a video store thinking it would be a simple panoramic country film with Strauss as his ever-noble self. NOT!! It was gory & violent, showing Indian massacres by sickening white men!! I had nightmares about it for months afterwards!! This is NOT for children & NOT for the squeamish! Yes, Strauss plays the moral officer who can't stand what's happened but doesn't know what to do about it. But that's not enough to redeem such a film. It should never have been made. Of course, for an accurate account of what happened on the plains of America, some might view this as very important for historical purposes. But I'd rather not view it (for my stomach's sake!) By the way, I returned this film to the video store. I knew I'd never view it again!