Reviews by JR1220

I picked this originally because of William Holden, since I had just watched him in Picnic from 1955. In Breezy, directed by fellow actor Clint Eastwood, we meet Holden as a grouchy middle-aged man, fairly set in his ways and dancing with a midlife crisis.
Wouldn't you know it, but a free spirited hippy named (a little too on the nose) Breezy stumbles into his life and begins to wear down that dark cloud over his head.
The characters, by and large, are stereotypical, while it felt like this was initially Breezy's story. We are introduced to her as she is drifting through life, hitchhiking from here to there with what seems to be her only prized possession, a guitar.
Predictably, through conversations and a trip to the ocean, the two of them fall in love, but outside pressures and Holden's having to deal with the stigma of dating a much younger woman eventually creates a divide.
Overall, Kay Lenz was perfectly cast as Breezy, and while a little manic in places, did show that young people were more complex than what the older generation was led to believe in the early 1970s.
All told, this was way too formulaic to make it any more than average in my book. Also, the cameo from the director was forced and the final act was rushed and a little odd.

 While this did have the pacing and feel of a Broadway production, I got a kick out of the various performances. I'm also doing a full star for the picnic sequence, mostly because the director allowed the events to unfold at a leisurely pace. The three-legged race, the pie-eating contest, the barbershop Quartet, and so many other sequences allowed me to linger in that world, which was appreciated. One of the grandest moments of that sequence was the introduction of the "picnic queen," played by Kim Novak's character, as she drifted down the river in a swan boat as the townspeople let out a chant led by the town elders. Truly something to behold. 

Inside Out 2 provides the same magical look as the original and adds the drama of Riley's new emotions as she enters puberty. Also like the original, this will hit on a different level for caregivers, especially those who have raised children or are in the thick of it. Pixar once again, has captured what would seem to be esoteric themes, like anxiety, and put them in a way that can be better understood for children and adults alike. Maya Thurman-Hawke's portrail of Anxiety, and Riley's panic attack hit close to home. I can only hope that this provides a jumping-off point for young people to better explain the changes that are going on with them and helps tackle mental health challenges as they arise. This one was amazing and reminded me of the Pixar movies of old.

One of those, "I THINK I saw this when it came out, but maybe I didn't" movies. Since this was on Disney+, I decided to give it another look and yes, I do have fuzzy memories of this, but had no memory of the third act.
So, here goes. Yes, this is a weird, fun, and chaotic musical romp and it makes perfect sense why it has such a cult following. The stop motion animation is outstanding and is perfect for the spooky and charming tale.
With some of Tim Burton's "stock" players, like Catherine O'Hara, Paul Rubens, Glenn Shadix and the singing prowess of long-time collaborator Danny Elfman, many of the secret ingredients are in place to make this a unique, if not off-kilter production.

A fun concept - "what if" a singing cowboy movie was made today (in this case, the mid 80s)
This satirical western hits many of the right notes (pun intended), but the second act kind of hits a lull, but the finale makes for an entertaining payoff. Still, it's always fun to see Marilu Henner as the "Hostess" of the local saloon, and Andy Griffith as the "bad guy" was really fun, too.

"Madame Web" is enjoyable from a certain perspective, and it certainly doesn’t deserve all the criticism from both critics and cast members. Yes, it has flaws, but that’s a reflection of life, isn’t it? We are all flawed. We are all products of multi-million dollar budgets and the efforts of hundreds of people working towards one goal: getting a motion picture onto the big screen and streaming services.

Regarding Dakota Johnson’s performance as Cassie Webb, I completely understand her indifference for about 90% of the movie. In her mind, her mother dragged her along, even while pregnant, to the Amazon to study spiders, and ended up losing her life as a result. That’s some heavy trauma to place on a child. No wonder she is described as a "tough hang," as Jason Mantzoukas put it on the podcast "How Did This Get Made?"

Let’s also acknowledge the three young adults Cassie has been tasked with protecting. Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O’Connor, and Isabela Merced all delivered believable performances in their roles as snarky, know-it-all, and indifferent teenagers.

Is this film "Citizen Kane"? Definitely not. But is it silly, escapist fun? Absolutely!

Oh, and Adam Scott is in it, which is worth at least half a star!

"Madame Web" is enjoyable from a certain perspective, and it certainly doesn’t deserve all the criticism from both critics and cast members.

Wait, I think I already said that. Deja vu!

One of those movies that has been on my watchlist for years, and I finally got around to seeing it. Wow, what a labor of love. The ensemble cast is outstanding. Another “deep bench” with some established heavyweights blended perfectly with the next generation of stars. Tense, deliberate filmmaking which made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I had NO IDEA how it would end, and that’s a very good thing. Bravo to all involved.

Far exceeded every expectation I had and the expectations were HIGH!
Outstanding visuals matched by exceptional performances. Will certainly be counting the days until part two!

Last evening, I received an early birthday surprise—a screening of this documentary here in Indianapolis. I could try to claim that the guest appearances by two stormtroopers, a Rebel pilot, and Darth Vader himself didn't influence my review, but I can't honestly say that. What an incredible experience! As a six-year-old when the original Star Wars hit theaters, I was instantly hooked by everything that came from a galaxy "far, far away." This included The Star Wars Holiday Special. Yes, I have memories, albeit fuzzy, of watching it the one and only time it aired in 1978, and over the years, I've seen clips and bootleg copies of this wild moment in TV history. However, I had no idea about the behind-the-scenes chaos that went into the production of this cult classic. It seems that it could only have been brought into existence in the late 1970s, in a small window between the original Star Wars and the debut of The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. To round out the story, there are interviews with comedians like Paul Scheer, Seth Green, Taran Killam, Kevin Smith, Gilbert Gottfried, and Weird Al. Each brought their unique perspectives to the Holiday Special, as most of them were in the prime demographic for the show and had a front-row seat to the fever dream. For fans of Star Wars, Hollywood, the creative process, or those who simply enjoy watching a train wreck, I highly recommend treating yourself to A Disturbance in the Force. This is the way.

SEVEN Academy Award winners! SEVEN!
Even with all that talent, they couldn't save this horrible train wreck (literally, in one scene) of a motion picture spectacular.  
To be fair, I added an extra half a star each for the legends, Olivia de Havilland as the delightful schoolteacher in the little down beseiged by killer bees and for Henry Fonda, doing his all in this disaster of a disaster movie. Wanna know the "buzz?" Henry Fonda was a beekeeper in real life, and provided some helpful inside information on
I've watched over 100 movies this year, and this is the absolute worst, at least so far. So bad it's fun to watch? Maybe. If only to watch Sir Michael Caine deliver 90% of his lines to Richard Widmark's character whilst SHOUTING!!