Reviews by JR1220

Madame Web is fun, from a certain angle, and it most certainly didn't deserve all the hate from critics AND the members of the cast.
Flaws, sure, but that's a reflection of life, no? We are all flawed. We are all products of multi-million dollar budgets and hundreds of people pursuing one goal - to get a motion picture to the big screen, and subsequent streaming service.
As for Dakota Johnson's performance as Cassie Webb, I completely understand her indifference thoroughout 90% of the movie. In her mind, her mother drug her along, albeit in utereo, to the Amazon to study spiders and got herself killed for her troubles. That's some heavy duty trauma to dump on a kid. No wonder she is a "tough hang" as Jason Mantzoukas described her in the podcast "How Did This Get Made?"
And let's give a nod to the three young adults that Cassie has been tasked to protect. Sydney Sweeney, Celeste O'Connor, and Isabela Merced were all believable in their respective roles as snarky, know-it-all, and/or indifferent teenagers.
Is this Citizen Kane? Nah. Is it silly escapist fun? Of course.
Oh, and Adam Scott is in it, and that's worth at LEAST 1/2 a star.


Madame Web is fun, from a certain angle, and it most certainly didn't deserve all the hate from critics AND the members of the cast.

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

An interesting concept, and some fun surprises sprinkled throughout, but it was missing "something."
The best of the five stories was the final one which involved Mitzi Gaynor and Eddie Bracken as they pulled out all the stops to get married before he had to ship out. That was heartfelt and seemed to have the highest stakes. All told, this was another solid collection of talent overall

First off, even with the iconic scene of Marilyn Monroe and "the dress," this one fell short of expectations, mostly because of our sad sack protagonist played by Tom Ewell. His inner monologues said out loud seemed to be a weak choice. Richard is unlikable and way too nebbish to hold his own as the lead, even though he made this a hit on Broadway. The only interesting things about him are when he drifts into the various dream sequences.
What's more, the supporting cast, by and large, stole the scenes from him quite often. "Richard's" wife Helen, played by Evelyn Keyes, had some fun moments during two surprising dream sequences and Robert Strauss as the handyman, understood his role. And then there's Marilyn, known only as "The Girl," who really provided most of the laughs. Her timing and and physical comedy was a breath of fresh air amidst all of Ewell's hand wringing.
I'm giving an extra half a point simply for providing a glimpse of New York's original Pennsylvania Station just eight years prior to her destruction. The sequence, at the beginning of the movie, was far too short, but it was appreciated. While I'm glad I was able to finally view this one, it's certainly not up to the quality of Billy Wilder's other classics.

I remember seeing the trailer for American Fiction over a year ago and thinking this was a biting take on the state of publishing today and while I had an idea of where they were going, this far exceeded every expectation. Jeffrey Wright is, once again, such an exceptional talent and handles the role of an exasperated author with deft hands. Wright's " Thelonious 'Monk' Ellison" is joined by a cast of characters where each performance is as strong as the next. His siblings, portrayed by Tracee Ellis Ross and Sterling K. Brown provide a much needed counter balance to Monk's uptight and pretentious demeanor. Monk's mother is played by the legendary Leslie Uggams, in a heartbreaking role, but underscores an issue that many families are navigating. American Fiction is tackles race, family, loss, and the frustration of the creative process in a cynical world. It hits on many levels and most people in the audience will find something to take away from it.

"Hey Tom, what's the rumpus?"

First off, the casting of Marcia Gay Harden as Verna should be studied in film schools across the country. Her portrayal of a tough as nails woman with a "complicated" past is exquisite and she elevates every scene she's part of.
As for the rest of this cast of characters, like all other Coen Brothers movies, there is an embarrassment of riches all the way down the call sheet.
Gabriel Byrne as Tom is the second in command to the legendary Albert Finney, who lords over an organized crime empire. But like any "outfit," there are cracks, double-crosses, and shifting sands of loyalty.
Verna's brother Bernie, played by the impeccible John Turturro, is a bit of a skofflaw and is just asking to be wiped out by both sides. His performance is riviting from the first time we meet him until the final reels.
Joh Polito, as rival boss Johnny Caspar, is electric, and provides a nice blend of friendly banter along with an explosive rage of a man ready to sieze control of the empire.
Finney is the rock as Leo, who seems to have everything under control and friends and foe alike speak about him in reverant tones. His main action set piece in the middle of the movie is like nothing I've ever watched in this genre.
I've been aware of this one for many years, and I'm a little frustrated that I haven't seen it before now. Would have really enjoyed seeing this on the big screen in order to soak in the Depression Era sets and feel the impact of the action sequences. This one takes its time and the Coens trust the audience to go along for the bumpy ride.

I was thinking back to my first interactions with the James Bond franchise, and I landed on For Your Eyes Only from 1981, which was made all the more memorable because Mad Magazine crafted a spoof of it shortly thereafter, which I had committed to memory. The double entendre went way over my little brain, but I soaked up the action, gadgets, and globe trekking. That, and Bond, James Bond was smooth as glass in the midst of chaos, which made him even more cool.
All of that is a roundabout way to say that Diamonds Are Forever wasn't really on my radar, other than maybe the song, and some clips on various James Bond highlight reels over the years.
On a first viewing, having watched about a dozen other Bond spectacles, was that this one felt a bit campy. Connery's Bond is THE Bond for many fans, and after being in that role for almost a decade by that point, he's a towering figure, however, there were moments where I'm like, "Bond shouldn't be getting his butt kicked by these two goons." Perhaps they wanted him to seem a little less superhuman at this point in the franchise, but he was missing "something."
While some of the opening missions are all over the top action, this one seemed a bit "pedestrian" by comparison, with Bond zipping around the globe and basically beating people up to get some important nugget of information about infamous Bond villan Blofeld. Wasn't the whiz-bang that we've come to expect from other Bond opening segments. (I've since learned that it was ranked in the bottom tier of openers)
The plot centers around the theft of diamonds, of course, but through the course of the movie, it becomes clear that the precious jewels are to be used for more nefarious purposes.

Alan Arkin is a force of nature in his portrayal of Simon, an average college professor with big dreams of being awarded the Nobel Prize.
In a secluded research facility in Maine, an eclectic group of five super geniuses, led by Dr. Carl Becker (Austin Pendleton), are at a crossroads and craft the next great question - how can we study how people would react if an extra-terrestrial were to come to Earth?
Well, they set their sights on Simon and after bringing him to the institute and doing tests on him, their plan unfolds. After gaining his trust, they then brainwash Simon by putting him in a sensory deprivation tank for days on end. When they pull him out, they take him back to a primordial state and we see Alan Arkin work through era upon era of evolution from single-celled organisms to a modern human. I have watched Arkin in a few other things, but this is the first I have been able to witness his genius level physical comedy.
From there, they trick him into thinking he is from another world and reluctantly let him make a statement to the world. Wouldn't you know it, his messages instantly resonate with the masses and the eggheads lose control of the situation almost immediately.
All told, Simon puts his finger on the pulse of the zeitgeist of the late 70s -early 80s era of change in the post-VietnamV/post-Watergate era. The questions of "why are we here?' and "what does this all mean?" are tackled along with issues of technology seeping into most aspects of our lives. I would recommend it for Alan Arkin's performance alone, as well as a short but delightful chunk of the movie with the legendary Madeline Kahn. The plot gets bogged down in spots, but there are some amazing surprises along the way.
As a side note, I realized that in 1980, there were TWO movies released that prominently featured sensory deprivation tanks. In Simon, the tank was used for comedic effect, where the in the William Hurt/Blair Brown movie Altered States, the creative team went with the darker science fiction approach.

A laugh riot! Thrills and chills!
Twists and turns on every page!
Such is life for Walter Mitty, a man working for a pulp fiction magazine and moving through life hopping from daydream to daydream. In his "real" life, his anxious and nebbish demeanor is so severe that he actually is served up milk toast to attempt to keep him calm.
Danny Kaye is perfect for this role and is able to showcase his multiple characters as well as delightful musical numbers and physical comedy. Speaking of, his timing is impeccable and puts him in the upper echelons of comedy stars.
I was also impressed by Virginia Mayo, who plays Rosalind van Hoorn, and follows Walter around through his elaborate daydreams without missing a beat.
All in all, this golden age gem holds up nicely, and would be a nice addition to anyone's wish list.

Solid performances throughout and while there were some obvious reuse of battle clips, overall the action was dramatic and effective for this era of Hollywood.
Was especially impressed with the acting of John Carroll's portrayal of Woody Jason, the brash pilot who goes in only thinking about the money and then learning a valuable lesson along the way.
It was also fun to watch Anna Lee as the stalwart nurse Brooke Elliott, the love interest of The Duke and strong enough to hold her own. I later learned that she portrayed Sister Margaretta in The Sound Of Music. Same war, but a continent apart.
For Disney fans, be on the lookout for Mickey Mouse Club host and composer of the "Mickey Mouse March," Jimmie Dodd as a plucky pilot.
As for The Duke, this is one of my favorite roles of his, and while I'm not as enamored with his off screen persona, he is quite good in these types of roles.
Flying Tigers is worth a look, and may provide a jumping off point for a deeper dive into the months before the U.S. entered WWII.

This adaptation of Robin Hood is an exceptional ride of a motion picture in dazzling Technicolor! Some stunning performances throughout from some performers you may have seen in other classics from the era, such as Claude Rains (Casablanca) and Olivia de Havilland (Gone With the Wind). You may also recognize Alan Hale in his role as Little John, as he bears a resemblance to his son, Alan Hale, Jr., better known as the Skipper from Gilligan's Island. All told, this is an entertaining movie with outstanding set pieces and the swashbuckling action holds up like fine wine.