mtdavies

When Lord of the Rings was done in movie form they did it the right way. They took the time to do an three extended movies as to not short cut the story line for expediency. Where Steven Jackson did right the director/producers of this movie did wrong. I know even Paoloni would say that he is no Tolkein, but when an epic story is written in the same vein as Tolkein...to do it justice it must be made into an epic film. This was not! I very much enjoyed the book, but felt very short changed on the movie. It jumped around too much...missed to much and didn't lay down the story line as beautifully as the book did. Do yourself a favor...read the book...if you want the Reader's Digest Condensed version...or the Cliff Notes version...then see the movie. It wasn't bad...but it could have been great.

Too many people look at the Trek stories and shows as "just science fiction" but Gene Rodenberry had much more in mind. This episode stayed true to Rodenberry's vision and made us think and question. It looked at themes of Civil Rights and Slavery.. it looked at ethics, morality and science all intermingling.

There was some excellent acting in this one. Whoopi Goldberg, Diana Muldaur, Patrick Stewart & Brent Spiner all played their prospective roles particularly well. But, in my opinion, it was the character of Riker that played the most difficult role in this story and Jonathan Frakes pulled it off excellently!

The character of Lt. Commander Data, the android crew member, was an ingenious invention of the Next Generation writers. Each time they explored his character the more interesting he became. This story, by Melinda M. Snodgrass, however, is the best of those explorations of character. It could be used in an ethics class! It is a definite "must see!"

I did not find this fit to watch. I took my nephew to see this at his request. He is sixteen and asked me to take him because of the "R" rating. Since his parents were OK with it I decided to go with him. After 15 minutes of this piece of trash I had to take him out of the theater. I am all for free speech and would never censor anything. But this was over the top. It went from tasteless sexual innuendo about incest, to raunchy disgusting comments on incest. It went from antisemitic racism "the Running of the Jew". It was highly offensive and it didn't matter on what because it was offensive about everything. Those with a warped sense of humor may find it amusing but I did not. Don't take anyone under 18 to this movie.

This is just to correct some of the entries in the cast list. I wish I could remember more of this series but I was just too young, I do know however, that both Michael Constantine and Karen Valentine were on for more than one episode. They were series regulars. I was only age 6 when this series started and 12 when it went off the air but I remember that much.

Michael Constantine played the principal and Karen Valentine a fellow teacher. I used to watch this show regularly with my parents. I seem to remember Bruno Kirby being on several episodes as well. Denise Nichols and Lloydd Haynes were definitely the stars. It was a very good show I wish it would come back on TVland or something.

Anyone who has read Tolkien's book knows that Peter Jackson took some dramatic license. Its obvious he's a fan of JRR's Book and does well to keep much of the story intact. I do however wish he would have kept "The cleansing of the Shire" with all of its disturbing bits as well as its joyful and hopeful moments. The ending is not what it was intended to be and I wish he'd made an alternate ending.

I do however like the pageantry of the coronation and the recognition of the hobbits as the saviors they were. It show well how the littlest person can make the biggest difference which is one of Professor Tolkien's themes in the book. It isn't often that a movie is good enough to live up to the book. The three movies as a whole do that and more. Where they come up short they more than make up for it in other ways. Great job Peter Jackson & the entire cast.

This is not a very good telling of the Tarzan epic. There was only one reason for this movie. John Derek wanted to show off his beautiful wife in the buff! Bo Derek in '10' was at least a humorous movie and there was a reason for nudity and sex. This movie is nothing more than soft porn. If you're into that, well, then fast forward to it and skip the rest! This movie (like Bolero) was again a vehicle for Bo Derek to show off her terrible acting. She is undoubtedly a beautiful woman but a poster of her is more exciting than this movie! Richard Harris was a better actor than this; this was one of his few mistakes! don't waste your time on this movie...go buy the book instead.

"Well then, I'll begin at the beginning..." Father Peter Lonergan narrates this tale of a "Yankee from Pittsburgh" who "..is a quiet, peace lovin' man come home to Ireland to forget his troubles..."

John Wayne plays Sean Thorton the former boxer who moves back to the land of his birth when walking along the road he spots a beautiful redhead (Maureen Ohara) herding the sheep. The look she gives him back immediately lets you know how these two connect! When he asks his friend Michaleen (Barry Fitzgerald) "Hey is THAT real? she couldn't be!" He replies "Nonsense man, its only a mirage brought on by your terrible thirst!" and rushes him off to the pub.

He later discovers that the object of his affection is Mary Kate Danaher...and also discovers that the big loudmouth in town is her brother Squire 'Red' Will Danaher. Well, Irish tempers get to flarin' and Irish passion can't be quelled and the Quiet Man...well...I don't want to spoil it...you know somethin' good is bound to happen!

The cast is terrific: John Wayne, Maureen Ohara, Barry Fitzgerald, Victor MacLaglen, Ward Bond and many others. I've seen it so many times I know most of the lines by heart but I still watch it every St. Patty's Day.

I love to here that theme song, it lets you know sometin good's comin' up:

The Rakes of Mallow---

dumdum...dumdum... dumdum...duta.lata... dumdum...dumdum... dumdum...duta.lata... dumdum...dumdum... dumduuuuuum... duta.lata...dada.lata...dumdumdum