Robert Fallin

A very pleasant take on "big," though I could have taken fewer digs at White people. I find it interesting that both lead actresses fall for the White man, after making such disparaging comments about us. As for Marsai Martin, I found her the most likeable, strongest element of "BLACKISH," Even though I've always been a fan of The incredible Anthony Edwards. Besides have you see Marsai lately? She is GORGEOUS, much closer Janelle Monet or Keke Palmer than Regina Hall. As for Regina, I felt she was a little too overbearing, which usually means overacting. But she didn't spoil the movie for me.

I would actually give this movie three and a half stars, it's closer to a three than a four. The biggest problem is the script; it's simply meanders too much. The cinematography is uninspired, the music insipid, Warren Oates Oates overacts and Lee Van Cleef is unusually subdued. However, Kerwin Matthews, Marie Gomez and, especially, Forest Tucker, give excellent performances. In fact, this is my favorite Forest Tucker performance as a delightfully looney psychopath. Director Gordon Douglas has made much better movies; most notably, THEM!, RIO CONCHOS and THE CHARGE AT FEATHER RIVER, which is still the best use of 3D I have ever seen. Also, if any movie has ever cried out for the use of nudity, this is it. It would have given this movie an edge it otherwise lacks. Marie Gomez came fairly close in THE PROFESSIONALS and stole the movie from the much more beautiful Claudia Cardinale. Van Cleef's EL CONDOR demonstrates with what can be accomplished with a rougher edge. I missed opportunity, but still wort seeing.

One of the three best Glenn Ford westerns (the others being 3:10 TO YUMA and THE FASTEST GUN ALIVE). Ford plays a melancholy, down-on-his luck cowboy hired by rancher Ernest Borgnine, who also becomes his friend. However, another cowboy (Rod Steiger) takes an immediate dislike to Ford and becomes his nemesis. Complications ensue when Borgnine's beautiful, but slutty wife has a hankering for Ford and falsely accuses Ford of forcing himself on her when Ford spurns her. Enraged by his wife's false accusations, Borgnine forces forward into a confrontation; and Ford is forced to kill Borgnine in self-defense. The movies a great character study, as Ford reveals the past that haunts him. Beautifully acted and photographed.

A GREAT WAY TO UNDERSTAND BOTH HOLLYWOOD AND AI While a little too droll, slowly-paced and overlong for mass audience audience appeal, S1M0NE is and excellent basic education on both the pretentions of Hollywood and the basics of artificial intelligence; though real AI has already far surpaced the imagined AI of 2002. Al Pacino has traveled this road before, as the troubled playwright of AUTHOR! AUTHOR! Nonetheless, his rye performance perfectly captures the absurd pretentiousness of a film director convinced that his own ego actually reflects the real world. Exclusively beautiful Canadian actress Rachel Roberts delivers a beautifully underplayed performance as "Simulation One," an AI program created by one of Pacino's fans. Roberts as Simone always seems one step ahead, even though she's almost entirely almost entirely a creation of Pacino's ego. This reminds me literally critics who dryly observed that "Sherlock Holmes was MUCH more clever than Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. If you love Hollywood's ability to sometimes create great art, albeit by baboons, you will adore S1M0NE.

Historical inaccuracies mar an otherwise excellent movie I began watching this movie highly impressed with with the recreation of my childhood memories of the 1950s. It certainly helps that I met Elvis Presley when I was six, as he was a high school classmate of two of my sisters. While he looks nothing like Elvis, Austin Butler really captures Elvis's charisma, body language in voice. In makeup, Olivia deJong is a dead ringer for the Priscilla Presley of that era. Ironic, since one of the movie's epic fails is the whitewash of Elvis's and Priscilla's relationship when she was only 13. This was much better handled in the Kurt Russell/John Carpenter Elvis the Movie, as well as a miniseries and series produced by Priscilla Presley. Worse, the movie fails to represent Elvis's early movie career and completely omits Elvis's famous appearance on The Ed Sullivan show. Elvis made most of his best movies in the 1950s; and his first dramatic role was in his FIRST movie Love Me Tender, NOT Flaming Star. The thing about inaccuracies is once you recognize one of them, everything else falls into question. While I know Elvis's mother Gladys was a huge influence in his life, no film so far has captured the strength of the amazing Priscilla Presley. After Elvis's death, Priscilla managed his estate, saving it from bankruptcy. She then started a TV and movie career, starring for several seasons in DALLAS and then THE NAKED GUN movie franchise. She also produced an ELVIS miniseries and series. Someone needs to make a movie giving Priscilla her due, hopefully before she leaves us. The real story is far more interesting than the one created for ELVIS. The interesting side notes. My sister who graduated with Elvis had a daughter born in 1958. Her daughter's name is "Liza Marie," but she pronounced "Liza" as "Lisa." A second interesting side note is that my first wife also knew Elvis, as she met him while he was appearing in Richmond, Virginia. In 1981, when we visited Graceland, my wife turned white as a sheep, as as we stood in the courtyard. "What's wrong?" I asked. "I just saw Elvis in the window," she replied. This was years before the first reported Elvis sightings. The third interesting side note occurred but my wife and I saw the Judds in concert. Simultaneously, we were marked, "Wynonna Judd is Elvis Presley's daughter." Only later did we find out Naomi Judd was once Elvis's nurse. If you want to see other good films about Elvis Presley, may I suggest, in addition to Elvis the movie and the Priscilla Presley produced series and miniseries, Elvis and the Beauty Queen about Ellis's long-term relationship with Miss Tennessee and Hee Haw honey Linda Thompson. Also the Elvis documentary, Elvis That's the Way it is.

Dramatically, the best ever Roy Rogers movie. Unfortunately he doesn't sing and actually seems a peripheral character to the simple plot. Certainly a must-see for Roy Rogers fans.

I would love to see the film Stallone wrote, as it has additional scenes which tie the story together better. I found that from the DVD which I purchased as soon as it came out. I also bought a copy for a friend who, at one time or another, worked Formula One, Indy and NASCAR. He loved the movie as much as I did. Even as it is, the story of certainly no more cliche then GRAND PRIX, which was nominated for Best Picture in 1966. This is one of those movies that will be appreciated in the coming decades, like other films they were panned when they were first released, such as ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE, SOMEWHERE IN TIME, John Carpenter's THE THING and BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA.

Absolutely nothing original in ROOSTER COGBURN. A couple parts TRUE GRIT, a couple parts AFRICAN QUEEN and a tiny bit of RIO BRAVO or MY NAME IS NOBODY. Worth seeing for the scenery, outstanding cinematography and Wayne and Hepburn doing their shticks.

Two-thitds of a very good movie. Key scenes were either not written, not shot or left on the cutting room floor. Surprisingly weak supporting cast, especially for a Hawks movie. You know you are in trouble when Chris Mitchum is not the worst actor. Only Sherry Lansing shows any spark and she quit acting to become a movie mogul. A real disappointment for me.

Sure, THE ALAMO is historically laughable and corny. It is also one one of the most beautifully photographed films ever made. Every shot could stand alone as a work of art in a gallery. How many other films can you say that about?