lousvr

IMDb member since April 2000
    Lifetime Total
    50+
    Lifetime Filmo
    25+
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    1+
    Lifetime Title
    1+
    IMDb Member
    24 years

Reviews

Law & Order: Switch
(1995)
Episode 22, Season 5

Great episode
Only a few words....... Great episode as many were on 'L&O'. Fancie Swift's acting is .. holy molly. Really good to see that their are so many people capable of such skill.

It has always amazed me how the quality of script & actors has been so high. As much as this episode is worth mentioning. On its own. L&O had an incredible amount of '10's' to it's credit. The talent Fancie shows is such a pleasure to watch. How they came out week after week without letup.??. Writers must be finally getting paid enough money that their are enough to go around.. That so many people get into the career is wonderful.

The Snow Queen: A Skating Ballet
(1982)

Wonderful Xmas piece
I saw this when it was broadcast in Dec 1982 on NYC PBS station. A production of WGBH Boston. Just a beautiful fantasy rendition of HCAnderson... but what is great.. I watch it every Xmas... cause my father just happened to VHS taped it that very night it was broadcast !! wow.. IBDb is the ONLY place that even seems aware of this piece. and see I became the 1st and only voter.. ugh.. Years later I transfered it to DVD.. Watching it right now.. I had a thing for Janet Lynn.. She wasn't a superstar skater cause she 'only' got a 'Bronze' medal at the 1972 Olympics. Back then and I guess it still is the case that because of our culture, if you don't win a 'Gold'.. well... forget about it.. shame.. She was a sweet beautiful skater.. Have seen some videos on the net of her skating in tournaments.. But back to enjoying it.. Merry Christmas

Play for Today: Home
(1972)
Episode 10, Season 2

oh what a shame.
I don't remember how I came to see this piece but what a lucky day it was. Pure chance. What a shame that it barely has 2 dozen votes. Indicative of the tight, limited exposure of this wonderful dot of genius. Then added to this is the performances of Gielgud & Richardson. These guys are the best. What depth of character and subtlety. The actresses are also wonderful. The swallowness of todays efforts cause me to think about the cameramen, scenery, etc.. but this piece I'm lost in its grip. Totally involved with there world. This kind of quality is rarely seen today. This is a piece that can be viewed over and over and in fact is best to do so to fully appreciate it.

Meet McGraw
(1957)

Best actor
I agree completely with anyone saying how good the show/character/stories and mostly Frank Lovejoy were.. Just a note: Back when most program dramas, like 'Meet McGraw', were half=hour long.. The stories were tight, no excess baggage or 'padding' needed as was the case when a number of shows went to 1 hour. In particular , "Gunsmoke".. the change was overwhelming, or should I say, underwhelming. Everything slowwwwwwwwwwwed down. Sure the stories COULD BE deeper, but many weren't.. Just stretched out with lots of padding. Any show with action, became a non-action program... Well, things change.

The Harvest of Sorrow
(1998)

Finally !!
Can't believe FINALLY watching this great DVD. Heard about it for so long and finally rented it from Netflix. It's been due for such a long, long time. I'm 62, and have been listening to SVR since I was in my mother's womb. Surprised how many moving picture's there were of him. To see him smile and enjoy himself with all the children. Rent or buy this DVD and your life will be enriched. In the last few years I've been keen on his solo piano pieces so it was a happy note to see how I missed is orchestrations. One sad note, unless I somehow missed it, the first piano concerto was past over and has been the case for so many years now. How unfortunate. There might be first timers watching this and such a wonderful youthful piece might have been appreciated. Great ending using the 2nd symphony. Considering all the possible paths this do cu could have gone, the one they choose wasn't so bad. Let's say even.. good. But that they made it.. GREAT.

Here Comes the Circus
(1946)

Of its time...
Ok, some commentators have scratch at it but still needs stating.It's not meant to be a transending story. Strictly a glimps of its time and place.. A view of the past. Waste of time to judge it with our 2003 sophistication and awareness. Something we've been, sometimes, thrusted on us in this day and age. Back then, (think of it, over a 1/2 a century ago), people in rural locations worked hard and were generally ignorant(meant in a nice way, we take for granted our sophistication we have now), of the real seedy inner workings of the circus 'folk' and the illusion they presented. Sometimes, ignorance IS bliss.. Check out the ending act.. woman with the elephants... my god, look at the way she gave one of the elephants a good wack with her prod.. when it was a second late... doing it day in and day out. Joel and the Bots remark about her 'being bloated' could very well have been so... The now documented ill treatment of circus animals was unknown to the circus public.. all they saw, was..... well.... maybe like in 'Waiting for Godot'.. Gogo: " Well that was a waste of time"... Didi: " Yes, but it went by faster".. As for a rating, lets just give a neither here nor there 5.. whatdoyou say...??

Frontline: From Jesus to Christ: The First Christians - Part 1
(1998)
Episode 4, Season 16

Wonderful historical account
When I first saw this 4 hour documentary mini-series, well it just blew me away.. Considering the subject matter, its a miracle how neutral it represents the period it covers.. Its secular vantage point allows someone to learn many,many things about those times... If your an historical buff than its a "MUST SEE"..

The White Tower
(1950)

Adventure/Romance for All
This is one of those movies that is fitting to it's era... Actually, not a bad and personal romance and adventure with odd assortment of characters who each for their own reasons want to climb this 'White Tower' mountain... With a great cast.. Claude Rains, L Bridges, C Hardwick, etc.. but most of all VALLI, a special woman among women.. (also in the 'The Third Man')... I'm a great fan of 'The Third Man' and fell in love with her,.... and seeing Valli again was a real treat..

Great vistas (quite abit of on-location shooting in the French Alps), photography, color.... For those who know what I mean,.. this has a 'kinda' "High and Mighty" feel to it.. One other note germane to that era of film making, the ages to the characters/actors.. all older and more mature than what we're used to today... Chauk one up for the good old days.. ENJOY

My Little Margie
(1952)

A Slice of Innocent Fun
I watched this program as a 9 year-old or so and remember just a wonderful fuzzy warm feeling. It had a distinctive quality theme. Gale played a well meaning happy daughter to Charles Farrell. Every one in the cast portrayed really NICE PEOPLE, above all the lunacy that developed. Not a mean spirited act in the whole program so 'as a kid' this just made me feel good and secure and positive. Fortunately the show is available on video, almost all 126 episodes. Gale has a wonderful website and she's as young and perky as ever. I watch the episodes with the same enthusiasm today as before.

South
(1919)

Slice of history
This is a slice of history. The documentation of the expedition that didn't work out and turned into a adventurous flight for survival. Unfortunately, and of course naturally, the real story, the trek to Elephant Isle and then to South Georgia, the pinnacle of the whole event, was not on film. But again, this is were film becomes a 'time-machine'.

Charlie Chan in Paris
(1935)

Charm and Warner Oland
As in, 'Charlie Chan in Egypt', this little gem reeks with early film atmosphere and sustains itself with the wonderful portrayal by Warner Oland. Warner Oland has more stage presence than a dozen actors of today. It's really a shame, for if one generation could really bridge another generation and look at the whole, they might see what a let down the films of today really are.

Charlie Chan in Egypt
(1935)

The real Charlie Chan
This, one of the early films, has charm, naivete, and atmosphere that the later ones lack. The King Tut discovery still had long reaching effects and people's interest. Of course, the other quality it possesses is Warner Oland, the first(well known) and best actor to portray Charlie Chan. The reference 'inscrutable' truly applies. Where the later portrayals, for many reasons, had become caricatures, and eventually cheap B-movie(2nd film) matinee 'fill-ins'.

Charlie Chan in London
(1934)

Wonderfully ancient
Early Warner Oland 'Chan'. Atmospheric and wonderfully ancient. Plenty of charm. Wonderful example of early film making. Check out Ray Milland with that full head of hair!! Taken on it's own, an early little gem.

Inflation
(1943)

War-time propaganda short
Early, heavy, war-time propaganda short urging people to be careful with their spending practices, in effort to prevent any runaway inflation.

Using scare, guilt and patriotic jingoistic rhetoric, which was normal for the time, the government was concern that the sudden war-time production and therefore wage increase and subsequent spending practices if not checked could cause serious problems during and after the war.

It truly is a window into the past, historically and culturally.

Yûsei ôji
(1959)

Aliens from the planet Adolphe Menjou
This japanese movie is so deliciously, perfectly awful, that of course it's more hysterical than any Mel Brooks movie. I had laughing fits. This definitely belongs among the most 'Awful but Funny without meaning to' of all time. I saw it on MST3000, and brother, did they do a job on it. I've got to tape it, no one would believe me.

American Playhouse: Mrs. Cage
(1992)

Surreal Food Shopping
I'm not here to write a 1000 word comment, just to say this is just a terrific little story. Anne Bancroft is superb as a happy go lucky food shopper who's keen friendship with a bag boy, results in her losing it, as we all can? She recounts her story to a detective played by Hector, who's wonderful in this supporting role.

Unfortunately, sweet little gems like this(broadcast on PBS) are hardly ever available on video nor are they re-broadcast, but be on the lookout, you won't be disappointed.

But I'm fast, when I see wonders like this coming, and manage to video tape them. In fact I think I'll watch it again.

The Cocoanuts
(1929)

CORNY AND WONDERFUL
A wonderful slice of early movie history. Talkies still in infancy. Basically a broadway play put on film. There's so much to enjoy and study. The fashion is still 20's flapper, and look at those hips and thighs, amazing. Check out the jokes, they probably were funny back then. A rich 'time machine' tapestry to appreciate. Don't try to compare but view it on its own uniqueness. Corny and wonderful.

Gog
(1954)

Tense undercurrent..
Saw this film when I was about 10 years old. I loved Sci-Fi movies so naturally saw this one. But something was different. There was some unusually tense undercurrent in the story. Actually scared me. Years later I realized the nervous tension was due to the underlying theme of the 'cold war'. The Cold War was very real back in the 50's and as a kid you would hear, now and then, things that would scare the pants off of you. What came first? The chicken or the egg? Was this a sci-fi flick that used the cold war tension or was it overwhelmed by the omnipresent tensions of said war? Don't know but it scare the heck out of me back then.

Danger Man
(1964)

When men were men...
This spy drama was in the mold of the first '007' movie, "DR. No". A crossover from the paranoid deep cover spy of the 50's to the gadget and spoof of the 60's. And to top it off, Patrick McGoohan, as the secret agent, was terrific. Cool, low keyed, sharp as a tack, traveling to different ports of call. Plots were generally good. Unfortunately, due to its mature nature and age, chances of it being televised grows less year by year...Alas poor Yorick. If you do gain access to these episodes, go for it. You won't be disappointed.

Swiss Family Robinson
(1940)

Best of them all.
Saw this "Thomas Mitchell" Swiss FR years, decades ago broadcasted on TV. In fact during the 50's and 60's this wonderful movie would be shown often. It was just a great kids adventure movie, and is simply the best of them all. Would be great to see it now, but...

Andy's Gang
(1955)

Wonderful kid's stuff
Just one of those early morning wonderful kid's TV program from the fifties. A mish-mash of old movies series with Andy providing the 'anchor'. Still remember the show clearly...

Adventures of Wild Bill Hickok
(1951)

Fun TV Western
One of a dozen or so top of the line TV Westerns of the fifties. Just great fun for a young kid and someone to look up to. Just a wonderful part of my TV childhood.

Sea Hunt
(1958)

Mike Nelson, a man's man.
What a night. Perry Mason then Have Gun, Will Travel followed by Gunsmoke (when it was a half hour) and finally at 10:30PM came 'Sea Hunt' with its wonderful opening theme music and Mike's boat sailing off to a new adventure. Terrific.. Regardless of the story it was the lead character (played by Lloyd Bridges), strong, honest, sincere. A Man's Man and a Boy's Man. This brought on an interest in boats that lasted for years. Why they don't show on cable or make it available on video, no idea.. Too bad.

Science Fiction Theatre
(1955)

Eye opener for this 10 year old.
In the mind of this 10 year old during the fifties, sci-fi was as much or perhaps more, science fantasy. Back then the possibility of 'Martians' could still not be discounted.!! True. What space travel and science that lay in store for the future was open to one's imagination. Truman Bradley, who opened the show from his laboratory somewhere alone and high in the western desert, would discuss a particular science fact and its possible ramifications and speculations. From this seed a teleplay would ensue. I loved the show. Real science and fantasy all in the same 1/2 hour program. Wish I could see them again.. Alas and alack..

Sky West and Crooked
(1966)

Look at all the people
This is a wonderful little movie. While it centers on the character played by Hayley Mills and her storyline, to me, its more about all the people in this British countryside community. Each one unique, down to earth, in close quarters interacting with each other. It fits all of them in a nice "tight" package. I'm very glad I just happened to see it.

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