The Night They Saved Christmas—bland, low-grade television movie—shows Art Carney in a latter career work. While cute, the sweet theme of Christmas and the very good stage settings do not allow this movie to rise to classic Christmas entertainment fare. But, if a family has run out of Christmas movies to watch, this film will serve well to fill a family holiday night on days leading up to the 'big day'.
Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images
Storyline
A team of oil drillers are drilling for oil near the North Pole, but when at first they do not find oil, they want to drill on site B but that is going to unknowingly destroy Santa's Village.
Additional Thanks
Thank you to Director Jackie Cooper for directing effort. Thank you to Executive Producers Jack Haley Jr., David Niven Jr., and Robert A. Halmi for making the film possible. Cast includes Art Carney, Paul Le Mat, Mason Adams, June Lockhart, Paul Williams, Scott Grimes, Laura Jacoby, R.J. Williams, and James Staley.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind—Japanese anime—takes about the first hour to set up its story and the last 30 to 40 minutes to clarify many of the questions that arise while watching. The story is almost incoherent for the first half and paces itself slowly. Expect a creative watch that seems almost Star War-ish as when Lord Yupa rides his bird animal across the desert. The camerawork is suitable, the voicing is very good, the musical scores and the special effects are very well done.
Film Poster Courtesy of Wikipedia
Storyline
Lord
Yupa (voice by Patrick Stewart) sits astride a large, two-legged bird (like an
ostrich). Both the bird and Lord Yupa have futuristic gas masks in place. Lord
Yupa dresses in a long overcoat. A wide-brimmed hat droops around his head. He
leads another bird who serves as a pack mule. Lord Yupa travels to a village
that is covered in a type of cobweb, dismounts, takes his rifle from its case,
and forces one of the house doors open. Everything inside is covered in spider webs
and is completely desolate. Lord Yupa looks at the ground at the house entrance,
sees a small doll, and picks it up. The doll crumbles to pieces in his hand and
Lord Yupa says, “Yet another village—dead.” The camera flashes screens to
dragonfly-like creatures swarming the village. Lord Yupa steps outside, looks
at the sky, immediately mounts his bird, and flees.
Additional Thanks
Thank you to
Director Hayao Miyazaki for directing efforts. Thank you to Executive Producers
Toru Hara, Michio Kondo, and Yasuyoshi Tokuma for making the film possible. Cast include: Alison Lohman, Uma Thurman, Chris Sarandon, Edward James Olmos, Mark Hamill, Jeff Bennett, Tress MacNeille, and Tony Jay.
Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?
Maybe. Creative, but difficult to follow during the first half of movie. The film has great voicing and animation.
The Last Starfighter—one of Lance Guest's earlier films—provides a suitable to okay piece of entertainment. It is a 'kind of' fun watch with a cult classic feel.
Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images
Storyline
A teenager, who lives in a trailer park, wins one of the highest scores on a sci-fi, fighter jet, arcade game. Soon an alien from outer space meets him and takes him on an adventure of a lifetime.
Additional Thanks
Thank you to Director Nick Castle for directing effort. Thank you to Producers Gary Adelson and Edward O. Denault for making the film possible. Cast includes Lance Guest, Dan O'Herlihy, Catherine Mary Stewart, and Robert Preston.
Buy a
ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?
Yes. It is not the best space movie out there, but it has a slight cult classic feel to it. It provides a suitable to okay piece of entertainment.
Moscow on the Hudson has a terrific story to tell and misses its
opportunity due to an insistence to work explicit sexual dialogue and scenes
into its storyline. This ruins its storyline, limits its viewing audience, and
prevents the subject of defection from one’s home country from being adequately
explored by an audience of all ages, philosophies, and ethical backgrounds.
It's rather like inserting poor language into dialogue lines...that
limits the audience to persons who use that language. Persons who do not use
that language will forgo the movie which in turn limits revenue to those whose
lifestyle approves of such language. It's a poor marketing choice.
Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images
Storyline
A Russian musician travels to America with his
entertainment group to perform in America and decides to defect.
Additional
Thanks
Thank
you to Director Paul Mazursky for directing effort. Thank you to Producer Paul
Mazursky for making the film possible. Cast includes: Robin Williams, Maria
Conchita Alonso, and Cleavant Derricks.
Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?
Maybe. It is a good story, but the highly
explicit sexual content devalues the movie itself and limits its wider audience
appeal. This ‘need to be told’ film could have provided excellent after viewing
discussion for family and friends. That opportunity is completely missed because
of the movie's unnecessary sexual content.
Dune—intriguing, high fantasy, science fiction movie—has exceptionally high
quality actors. Be prepared for an exceptionally well-written story. The desert
scenes completely work. This is a classic that deserves its place in the home
video library.
Film Poster Courtesy of Google Images
Storyline
A power struggle results in a war that takes much
courage to enter and to attempt to win.
Additional
Thanks
Thank you to Director David Lynch for directing
effort. Thank you to Raffaella De Laurentiis for making the film possible. Cast
includes: Francesca Annis, Leonardo Cimino, Brad Dourif, Jose Ferrer, Linda
Hunt, Freddie Jones, Richard Jordan, Kyle MacLachlan, Virginia Madsen, Silvana
Mangano, Everett McGill, Kenneth McMillan, Jack Nance, Sian Phillips, Jurgen
Prochnow, Paul Smith, Patrick Stewart, Sting, Dean Stockwell, Max von Sydow,
Alicia Witt, and Sean Young.
Buy a ticket? Yes? No? Maybe?
Yes. Intriguing, inspirational, well-made
entertainment piece. This is a keeper and earns its watch.
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