Reviews by Friends of pridgeway

ChrisJarmick says "Bogart Classics and a Holiday gem highlight TCM schedule" about Best Classic Movie Turner Classic Movies Bogart Wednesday, Holiday Movie Thursday December 16 & 17 2009

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 17:36:21 GMT

TCM in December means its Bogart Wednesday, and Christmas Movie Thursday night.

The Bogart movies today include the 1940 comedy It All Came True about a gangster on the run who winds up hiding out in a boardinghouse full of eccentric characters (starting at 8:15 a.m. on the West Coast) followed by 1941's circus drama The Wagons Roll at Night. 1942's suspenseful war drama Across the Pacific where Bogart plays an American government agent trying to stop evil spies from following through on their plot to blow up the Panama Canal is a still exciting 97 minute gem co-starring Mary Astor and Sydney Greenstreet and directed by John Huston. Hmm didn't this team make another very famous movie....? (revealed in a moment.. keep reading). It airs at 11:30 a.m.

1942's All Through the Night was made (but not released) prior to Pearl Harbor and was an action comedy involving Nazi's in Brooklyn. The Nazi's are bumbling and comic and are portrayed as comic foils. If you can get over this,...

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ChrisJarmick says "Trumbo,Poitier, Comedies, Cult & Holiday Movies highlight TCM" about Classic Movies, Best Turner Classic, South Africa Tales, Comedies, Cult Movies, Dalton Trumbo & Silent Ben Hur

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 19:15:56 GMT

TCm Thursday through Sunday has scheduled a wide and diverse program of films, including two Dalton Trumbo penned film and the silent Ben Hur on Sunday December 13th; Movies set in South Africa on Friday December 11th, and the fun Original and Sequel pairing of movies on Saturday Night the 12th.

There's also the strange and wonderful cult movie Performance and the strange Ingmar Bergman Film Personna late Friday Night.

On Thursday, December the 11, TCM gives us 4 crime drama, film noirs beginning at 11 a.m. on the West Coast. 1949's The Bribe stars Robert Taylor, Ava Gardner, Charles Laughton and Vincent Price in the dark Crime drama about a sultry singer who's up to no good as she attempts to lead a federal agent astray. At 12:45 p.m. PST its 1953's The Bigamist directed and starring Ida Lupino with Joan Fontaine, Edmund Gwenn and Edmond O'Brien. Then the classic D.O.A. from 1950 airs at 2:15 p.m. on the West Coast. It stars Edmond O'Brien as the victim who ingested...

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ChrisJarmick says "Bogart Classics, & Holiday Movies Highlight TCM schedule" about Best Classic Movie Turner Classic Movies More Bogart & Christmas Movie December 9 & 10 2009

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 17:35:35 GMT

TCM delivers another Humphrey Bogart Marathon today, December 8th and tomorrow during primetime is showing another batch of under the radar Christmas movies. They call them Christmas Classics but some of the movies aren't 'classic'-still 'tis the season and even some of the not-so-good ones might bring back some nice memories or strike your fancy.

It's Bogart all through the day and into the very very early morning tomorrow. If you are a Bogart fan you don't want to miss many of the offerings being shown. I'll start with what's on this morning .

Some of the lower budgeted b-movies and movies featuring Bogie in the 25 movies he made mostly for Warner Brothers when he got a contract with them after successfully making 1936's Petrified Forest. He wasn't a big enough star yet to pick and choose what movies he would be in... but instead was assigned movies to be in and pretty much had to do what he was told. (It wouldn't be until after 1941's Maltese Falcon and 1942 Casablanca...

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ChrisJarmick says "Holiday delights, dashing Colman, original Wicker and Demon too!" about Classic Movies, Holiday Movies, Turner Classic, Christmas, Ronald Colman and 2 Cult gems this Weekend Dec. 2009

ChrisJarmick — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:12:10 GMT

Turner Classic Movies delivers Christmas themed movies tonight, Shop Around the Corner and some superb cult thriller/horror films on Friday Night, and My Fair Lady and Ronald Colman movies on Saturday December 5th. Deck the Halls....

Tonight Starting at 5 p.m. TCM starts showing Holiday movies. It begins with the excellent 1938 version of Charles Dickens' The Christmas Carol starring Reginald Owen as Ebenezer Scrooge. My favorite version remains the one starring Alastair Sim's 1951 version sometimes called A Christmas Carol sometimes called Scrooge. The 1938 version is solid and one of the best film adaptations of the timeless, classic story. Sure to put you in the holiday spirit, always worth another viewing. Enjoy it.

There's an important holiday scene or two in the Mervyn LeRoy directed 1949 version of Little Women which stars June Allyson, Margaret O'Brien, Elizabeth Taylor (in a Blonde wig) and Janet Leigh as the March sisters with Peter Lawford and Rossano Brazzi...

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Jolie says "buyuggsboot.net is a scam! Ugg Boots from China that are fake." about www.buyuggsboot.net

Jolie — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 05:22:46 GMT

Background on Buyuggsboot.net

A friend of mine at Viewpoints recently passed along a site called www.buyuggsboot.net. She found it online. www.buyuggsboot.net is a web site that sells all styles of Ugg Boots at discounted prices.

We werent certain if www.buyuggsboot.net were the real or not. But after a thorough review of the site, we thought it was legit. Buyuggsboot.net looks like a reasonable reseller of Ugg Boots. The page is designed well, the pictures look authentic and they make claim to having the real deal. They also consistently site throughout the web site having customer satisfaction commitments.

To add to the thought it was authentic, the pricing seemed good but not amazing. As you probably know a typical pair of Ugg Boots cost about $110. On Buyuggsboot.net the cost was $89.00- approximately a $20 savings. Seemed like a good deal, but they werent so cheap that I thought it could be scam. As an aside, last year Nordstrom had a similiar sale on Ugg boots so the pricing seemed...

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ChrisJarmick says "Off-beat, risky, flawed, low budget Van Damme movie" about JCVD

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:47:50 GMT

JCVD is the name of this brand new movie starring Jean Claude Van Damme the muscle from Brussels. He plays a fictional version of himself in this movie. He plays an action movie star facing a mid-life crisis. The film opens with an over the top action sequence filmed unbelievably in one long take which exhausts the actor. He complains to the very young Asian director as the take is ruined that he's 47 year old and can't work like this. The asian director doesn't care. He wants to quickly finish the movie. Jean-Claude realizes he's there because he has a name that might sell a few tickets. The movie is going to be awful and his career will go further downhill.

That's not all, he's in court in a nasty divorce proceedings involving child custody. The court scene is stage in an unbelievable fashion as well, with the young child in the courtroom as his parents fight over her.

But hey, let's stop quibbling. This is a low budget action movie that at least tries to...

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ChrisJarmick says "Beautiful, moving, endearing, unforgettable film. See it soon." about Color of Paradise

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:23:38 GMT

Color of Paradise (2000) is a quiet, deceptively simple film about a few months in the life of a blind Iranian boy. Overcome any hesitation you may have about seeing a foreign film and enjoy one of the most beautiful looking and memorably endearing movies you have ever experienced. The cinematography is simply spectacular. The story deeply moving and unforgettable. And yes you'll most likely have to read subtitles (though not that many) unless you speak Farsi.

Although I'm aware the film teeters dangerously close to Spielberg-ian heartstring pulling manipulation, it's also powerful, uncompromising and a film that gets all of its details exactly right.

We meet Mohammad (Mohsen Ramezani) at the school for the blind in Tehran where he resides. We see the students leading each other around, learning how to read and write in Braille, and packing up to meet their parents as the school prepares to close for three months. Mohammad's father is very late. All the other children have been picked...

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ChrisJarmick says "one of my favorite books, clever, inspiring, funny,unforgettable" about Norton Juster - The Phantom Tollbooth

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:16:28 GMT

Norton Juster's The Phantom Tollbooth was inspired by Lewis Carrol's Alice in Wonderland, and is somewhat derivative of Baum's Wizard of Oz series, containing more than a few hints of A. A. Milne and even Dr. Seuss within it's pages as well, but winds up an entirely original creation.

It triumphantly celebrates the imagination. It does so while also celebrating the act of learning things, learning about words and numbers. It was the first book that showed me how important, special and powerful writing words and language can truly be. It didn't just tell me, it showed me.. and showed it could be a lot of fun too.

Am I exaggerating about this beautiful, witty, clever modern fairy tale? Can an adult who is not familiar with this book pick it up, enjoy it and develop the affection I have for the thing? I believe so. I am not absolutely positive about this because I first read this book when I was 8 years old. I read it again when I was 12. I wrote a book report about it when I...

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ChrisJarmick says "Bogart Movie Marathon, Epic Adventures and a funny one highlight" about Bogart Movies Turner Classic Movies Vintage Movies December 1 & 2, 2009

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:18:21 GMT

Turner Classic Movies delivers a marathon of Bogart, several adventure epics and a very funny Woody Allen Movie over the next two days. Enjoy..

This afternoon... TCM shows one of Woody Allen's funniest movies: Take the Money and Run The 1969 comedy gem airs at 3 p.m. shortly after a 1971 Dick Cavett Show with Woody is shown (at 1:30 p.m. on the West Coast). I just posted a review of the movie this morning.

Tonight's prime time movies all follow the them Explorer Adventures. At 5 p.m. Fred mac Murray, Charlton Heston, Donna Reed and Barbara Hale star in the romanticized version of Lewis Clark's journey through the American West called Far Horizons. At 7 p.m. Gary Cooper and Basil Rathbone star in the Hollywoodized biography of a famous Italian explorer in 1938's The Adventures of Marco Polo, this is followed almost logically by 1949's Hollywoodized version of Christopher Columbus starring Frederick March which airs at 9 p.m. PST. Probably the best movie...

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ChrisJarmick says "Good low budget 50s era Creature Feature; great monster suit." about Monster of Piedras Blancas

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:04:09 GMT

The Monster of Piedras Blancas follows a pretty standard 50s creature feature formula. The difference is, it has one of the best looking guy in a rubber-monster suits since The Creature of the Black Lagoon. It also has a couple of daring and quite shocking scenes circa 1959 which created some controversy when the film was released.(today they'd get the film rated PG.. maybe). The acting is NOT absolutely awful, the pacing is good, the real locations used are interesting. The script is a variation on Creature , the budget is so tiny, you see exactly one vehicle being driven in the entire movie (cast members borrow it from each other!!!), there are a few continuity errors, some strange edits, and the direction is uninspired. Still, I like this one.

Welcome to another cheap, very independently produced 1959 creature feature. If you like 50s creature features.. then the 4 star rating I give it.. applies. If you don't know about 50's creature features then 2 or 3 stars might be a...

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ChrisJarmick says "Acting elevated this rom-com-dram. Pacino and Pfeiffer shine." about Frankie and Johnny 1991

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:50:59 GMT

1991's Frankie and Johnny was director Garry Marshall's follow-up to "Pretty Woman." It was based on the two character Terrence McNally play Frankie and Johnny at the Claire de Lune." On Stage the play was a fairly dark and authentic look at romance that starred Kathy Bates and F. Murray Abraham.

The film tries to be an old fashioned romantic romp with a gritty realistic edge. It can't help become a star vehicle for Al Pacino and Michelle Pfeiffer. Pfeiffer to her credit doesn't try to completely hide the fact that she can't possibly hide the fact she's a beautiful woman---so she just plays it down a bit by looking dowdy without trying to wear ugly teeth, fake scars or acne or a fake nose. This is the best approach under the circumstances. Pacino comes across as charismatic and likeable and downright warm like he did in the romantic comedy he made several years ago called Author, Author. The stars charisma and energy are mis-matched, but thankfully because the film is about a mis-matched...

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ChrisJarmick says "Unique, very dated, speculative docu-drama & reactionary doc." about Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald/The Other Side Of Bonnie And Clyde - Double Feature

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:42:58 GMT

The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald and The Other Side of Bonnie and Clyde. One is a very low budget ripped from the headlines docu-drama or what could have been and the other is a speculative set the record straight documentary.

They don't make 'em like this anymore. Maybe they never should have made them like this, but the ideas that created movies like these inspired others and so we have Michael Moore, Morgan Spurlock and others today.

After John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963, Ultra low-budget, very independent film maker, Larry Buchanan quickly began working on one of his most unique projects. He personally knew Jack Ruby, he knew people who had shot footage of Kennedy and later of Oswald. THE TRIAL OF LEE HARVEY OSWALD poised the question: What if Lee Harvey Oswald was not shot and killed by Jack Rudy but went to trial as the accused killer of JFK?

TRIAL is a courtroom melodrama shot mostly from the perspective of someone sitting in the Jury box watching the trial unfold. Larry...

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ChrisJarmick says "Family film gem worth re-visiting" about Millions 2005

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:28:54 GMT

Millions was one of the most enjoyable movies of 2005.

It's a smart memorable charming film about two young boys who piles of money near the rail road track. They decide to do good things for other people with the money but eventually their actions come to the attention of the crooks who are looking for the money they stole and lost.

The film is smart and clever and we get to know several of the characters. There's comedy, some drama and plenty of suspense.

The movie never tries to be cutesy or overly whimsical as so many family friendly films wind up doing.

It was written by Frank Cottrell Boyce (who co-wrote the brilliant Tristram Shandy- A Cock and Bull Story -which was one of the best movies of 2006) and directed by Danny Boyle who is not someone you'd ever believe would be attached to a G or PG rated film.

There's a few too many fast edit and visual gimmicks but it's a gem of a film you may have forgottten about . Makes a great gift!!!

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ChrisJarmick says "one of the funniest, silliest most enjoyable comedies of all!" about Take the Money and Run Woody's Funniest

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 16:17:31 GMT

Take the Money and Run is a very funny movie made up of short comic episodes that are told in a semi-documentary style. The idea of the slightly built, nerdish looking Woody Allen ever becoming one of the most Wanted and dangerous criminals in the United States is absurd...right? Welcome to this 1969 comic gem.

It was Woody Allen's second movie. He was once upon a time, a television writer and stand-up comedian who made a big name for himself with the now classic "Moose" routine. He performed in and contributed to the screenplays of What's New Pussycat, and Casino Royale (yes he played a relative of James Bond !!!).

His first theatrical feature was the gimmick film: What's up Tiger Lilly. He took a Japanese James Bond knock-off film and re-dubbed the sound-effects and dialogue. It was innovative and funny. Allen only appeared a few times in the movie in wrap-around segments.

Take the Money and Run is a film made up of short comic takes and absurdly funny ideas. It's pacing is...

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ChrisJarmick says "Funny, entertaining, Muppets and Michael Caine --holiday heaven." about Muppet Christmas Carol

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 00:00:24 GMT

A wonderful addition to the many variations of Dickens' classic Christmas Carol is this mostly faithful adaptation starring Michael Caine as Ebenezer Scrooge and a whole gaggle of The Muppets.

If you haven't made it a tradition to watch this one with family and friends every year, then it's time to start the tradition.

Jim Henson's son Brian took over supervising this film with the same care, attention to detail and desire to entertain audiences as his father.

Caine has a blast doing his take on Ebenezer the grumpy mean banker who watches every penny he spends and makes life difficult for Kermit Cratchet, who is of course married to Miss Piggy. Gonzo and Rizzo are like a Greek Chorus doing funny bits of business and acting as narrators. There are some enjoyable songs and several of your favorite muppet characters are integrated into the story.

I'd tell you more about this movie, but if you have any interest in watching it or watching it again all you need to know is you'll laugh,...

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ChrisJarmick says "Too bad this movie won't have much cross-over appeal" about FIREPROOF

ChrisJarmick — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 16:17:19 GMT

Fireproof is getting a lot of 5 star reviews full of exclamation point comments like: This movie is AMAZING!!!

Well, the truth is.. if you identify yourself as a Christian and still attend church; you'll find a lot to admire about this movie; and if you stick with the film for about 20 minutes you'll find a lot to admire about it.

if you are not a Christian, you'll find a low budget, preachy inconsistent movie. There are some well written scenes, but there are some truly terrible ones as well. Some of the acting is awful, some is pretty good. The direction of the film is bad but some of the screenplay and most of the cinematographer is good.

The message is inspirational, the story for those who can overlook the film's considerable flaws is engrossing.

I wish the movie had more polish, better acting and paid a little closer attention to somei important details... (you can't be a fireman if you are not in very good shape physically...and yet this film has three firemen who would...

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ChrisJarmick says "stunning Michael Caine performance; unsentimental drama" about "Is Anybody There?"

ChrisJarmick — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 15:16:59 GMT

Is Anybody There? is a story about the friendship between the aging magician Clarence (Michael Caine) and 10 year old Edward whos fascinated with death, and what happens to people at the moment of death.

Clarence drives his van to the English Retirement Boarding home run by a 30 something couple (David Morrissey and Ann-Marie Duff). The couple have turned their large home into a retirement boarding home out of necessity and in the process their ten year old son has had to give up his room for elderly boarders.

Clarence arrives. He's a retired magician who's losing his memory and has little patience for overly curious 10 year old boys. A relationship develops slowly.

The touching memorable film is never sentimental or mawkish. The performances are all first-right, particularly Bill Milner as Edward and Sir Michael Caine who at age 76 delivers another superb performance.

It's a quiet film, full of little details and touches requiring concentrated viewing. It's also a drama revolving...

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ChrisJarmick says "It continues to be the best review site on the internet." about Viewpoints Let's review Year 3

ChrisJarmick — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 16:56:04 GMT

One of the things I am thankful for is Viewpoints.

Yes, I'm one of the people who was asked in 2006 to be part of the Beta Testing team to launch this site, but I was an outsider... nowhere near the Chicago base of the company and not one to join a group and immediately think everything was GREAT....

I remember thinking... I wonder how long the site will last or how long it will be until the wrong sort of people show up and ruin it for everyone like I've seen happen at other sites.

I was assured if I got involved, I'd be treated with respect, kindness and professionalism.

Indeed I was. Things were so smooth and people I emailed were so kind I wondered if I was actually part of a beta testing for something akin to Pleasantville or perhaps I was in a cult and I had been drugged with happy pills like everyone else.

It's a stressful situation to be part of a start-up... but I didn't have an investment of money in the place... I had time and energy and I suppose a bit of my reputation,...

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ChrisJarmick says "Re-boot of classic 1967 McGoohan Series flawed but worthwhile." about The Prisoner

ChrisJarmick — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:35:59 GMT

Subject: The Prisoner 2009. The good news: AMC's new reboot of the classic, influential Patrick McGoohan series: The Prisoner is pretty good. Episodes 1, 2 and 5 are very enjoyable. Ian McKellen has the right balance of sinister malevolence and fatherly authority to create a memorable villain. He's perhaps not having quite as much fun as we've seen him have in the X-MEN movies but mostly he strikes the right notes about as perfectly as any actor working together possibly could.

Jim Caviezel as Six only over-plays things for a few moments here and there but mostly captures the plight of a man who has lost everything fighting to understand what has happened to him and how he can win at this new strange and unfamiliar game he's been forced to play.

The look of the new Prisoner won't make you forget the picture perfect Village of the original, but the production design by Michael Pickwoaed and cinematic sense of Director Nick Hurran and his cinematographer get high marks. ...

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ChrisJarmick says "dull indie film stretches decent 10 minute idea to 70 minutes" about Film Geek

ChrisJarmick — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 19:25:01 GMT

Film Geek is a movie based on an idea that 20 years ago might have made a good 20 minute short movie or SNL comedy sketch. At 70 minutes, the 'cute' dated idea is stretched way too far and the film's couple of good ideas don't save the viewer from being bored and most likely annoyed with the execution.

Scotty Pelk (Melik Malkasian) is a movie fanatic who works at a video store (renting mostly VHS) who gives more information about movies then the customers ever ask him for. Some of the customers are annoyed, some are amused, but his manager is fed up with the complaints and fires him. He has a crush on his neighbor a good looking bikini wearing babe who isn't just wall paper. Scotty winds up getting a job in an Auto-Parts store and tries to function in the world outside of video stores with very little success until his movie web site is discovered by other film buffs and he becomes something of a local celebrity.

The writer director is James Westby and the film has technical...

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