GoSale.com :: Reviews by A3U6LYJ1YTIMZH

Reviews Written By: A3U6LYJ1YTIMZH

provided by Amazon.com


	Long Day's Journey Into Night
	"A BRILLIANT FILM, UNFORTUNATELY POORLY TRANSFERRED ON DVD"	2009-10-01
THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT FILMS OF ALL TIME. UNFORTUNATELY THE DVD TRANSFER IS TERRIBLY DONE. LET'S HOPE A GROUP LIKE CRITERION OR UCLA FILM ARCHIVES WILL RELEASE THIS FILM ON DVD IN APPRECIATION OF THE GREATNESS THE FILM DESERVES. A SHAME SUCH FILMS ARE TRANSFERRED IN SUCH A DISMAL MANNER, WHEN THE TRANSFER COULD HAVE BEEN DONE IN A MUCH BETTER PROFESSIONALLY DONE MANNER WITH ADDITIONAL COMMENTARIES AND OTHER INTERVIEWS. MAYBE A GOOD DVD TRANSFER WILL EVENTUALLY BE RELEASED THAT WILL ALLOW THIS PICTURE TO BE SEEN ON DVD IN A MANNER THE FILM DESERVES. MY LOW RATING HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FILM ITSELF, BUT RATHER THE MANNER IN WHICH THE TRANSFER WAS DONE ON THIS PARTICULAR DVD. ALL THE ACTORS ARE BRILLIANT IN THEIR PERFORMANCES, WRITTEN BY ONE OF AMERICA'S GREATEST PLAYWRIGHTS, EUGENE O'NEILL. THE MOVIE VERSION BY SIDNEY LUMET IS ONE OF HIS MOST BRILLIANT EFFORTS IN FILM DIRECTING, AS ALSO IS THE SCRIPT, SETS, PHOTOGRAPHY, AND COSTUMES. SEEING THIS FILM IS TRULY LIKE SEEING THE PLAY LIVE, ONLY ON FILM. IF YOU GET THE CHANCE, TRY AND SEE THIS ON THE BIG SCREEN AT AN ACTUAL THEATER IN GLORIOUS BLACK AND WHITE IN THE SIZE IT WAS MEANT TO BE SEEN AS OPPOSED TO THIS PARTICULAR DVD RENDITION. LET'S HOPE A NEW GOOD VERSION ON DVD IS EVENTUALLY RELEASED.
	Trouble in Paradise - Criterion Collection
	"Miriam Hopkins is a delight!"	2009-06-28
Ernst Lubitsch choose Miriam Hopkins for three starring roles in his films. He was fascinated by both her personality and talent. Betty Davis would later comment on her dislike of Miriam Hopkins, but would also talk of the great acting talent possessed by Miriam Hopkins. Kay Francis and Miriam Hopkins pair well together, and had done so earlier in the film 24 Hours. Kay accompanied Miriam to Reno, Nevada for her divorce from Director Anatol Litvak. They remained, unlike in this film, friends for life. This film is considered to be the best Romantic Comedy ever made. This was true at the time, and continues to be true to this day. This film is the mark by which all future films of this genre (if they are at all made) will be judged.
	Family of God
	"Dr. Baxter ranks with such Christian writers as C. S.. Lewis."	2009-01-22
Dr. Baxter was head of the Bible Department at David Lipscomb College for many years, and his father before him. His sermons, books, lectures and articles are some of the most Biblically based, and intelligently written of any author in the Christian Religion. His appearances on television's Herald of Truth program, rival Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, and Billy Graham. Do not fail to read any of the literature written by Dr. Barrett Batsell Baxter, as his writings are a treasure trove waiting to be opened, read and appreciated. Highly recommended writings on the essence of the Christian Religion, written in a simple, and easy to understand language, that has few rivals in the field of Christian literature.
	Star
	"Watch "Men Are Not Gods" with Miriam Hopkins and get the real Gertrude Lawrence"	2009-01-04
I feel that Gertrude Lawrence is just not represented by Julie Andrews. Even though British, and so forth, if you have ever seen Gertrude Lawrence (in such films as "Men Are Not Gods" with Miriam Hopkins and Rex Harrison), the real Gertrude is just not in this film, most especially the script. Julie Andrews obviously put everything into this, as I think Robert Wise did, but the casting and script did no justice to what could have been a magnificent movie about an electric performer. A real mistake was made in the ending in not dealing with Gertrude Lawrence's influence in bringing "The King and I" to Broadway and initially starring opposite Yul Brenner, as well as leaving out her relationship with Beatrice Lillie. This film was not well enough researched, and the script shows it. And as to the recent DVD release, much was left out (that I understand is on the Laserdisc version), and the transfer to DVD just not live up to the original Todd-AO film process. Releasing this film on DVD in it's full length and color would have helped in at least providing what was intended by Robert Wise in the beginning. You will get more of Gertrude Lawrence in watching the 1930's British made "Men Are Not Gods" with Miriam Hopkins in the starring role. They paired quite well together. This movie is delightful, and in this film you will get the real Gertrude Lawrence. In watching Star!, you will get an impressive piece of film history, that could have been so different and much better! A shame since no money was spared in this production, and that definitely shows especially in the costumes, music and sets.
	Star!
	"Watch "Men Are Not Gods" with Miriam Hopkins and get the real Gertrude Lawrence"	2009-01-04
I feel that Gertrude Lawrence is just not represented by Julie Andrews. Even though British, and so forth, if you have ever seen Gertrude Lawrence (in such films as "Men Are Not Gods" with Miriam Hopkins and Rex Harrison), the real Gertrude is just not in this film, most especially the script. Julie Andrews obviously put everything into this, as I think Robert Wise did, but the casting and script did no justice to what could have been a magnificent movie about an electric performer. A real mistake was made in the ending in not dealing with Gertrude Lawrence's influence in bringing "The King and I" to Broadway and initially starring opposite Yul Brenner, as well as leaving out her relationship with Beatrice Lillie. This film was not well enough researched, and the script shows it. And as to the recent DVD release, much was left out (that I understand is on the Laserdisc version), and the transfer to DVD just not live up to the original Todd-AO film process. Releasing this film on DVD in it's full length and color would have helped in at least providing what was intended by Robert Wise in the beginning. You will get more of Gertrude Lawrence in watching the 1930's British made "Men Are Not Gods" with Miriam Hopkins in the starring role. They paired quite well together. This movie is delightful, and in this film you will get the real Gertrude Lawrence. In watching Star!, you will get an impressive piece of film history, that could have been so different and much better! A shame since no money was spared in this production, and that definitely shows especially in the costumes, music and sets.
	What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
	"MASOCHISM VS SADISM"	2008-08-15
MASOCHISM VS SADISM FINALLY A PAIRING OF BETTE DAVIS AND JOAN CRAWFORD. IT TOOK OVER 30 YEARS! DAVIS GOT THE NOMINATION, BUT CRAWFORD MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS THAT THE AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS GOES TO ANNE BANCROFT FOR HER PERFORMANCE IN THE MIRACLE WORKER! BETTE NEVER FORGAVE JOAN FOR THIS, AND MADE LIFE SO MISERABLE FOR JOAN DURING THE FILMING OF THEIR NEXT EFFORT, HUSH, HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE THAT JOAN HAD TO LEAVE THE SET! BETTE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS HAVING EVERYONE ON THE SET DRINK COCA-COLA INSTEAD OF PEPSI JUST TO SPITE TO SPITE JOAN, AS JOAN WAS STILL ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT PEPSI-COLA. FORTUNATELY, OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND WAS EXCEPTIONAL IN HER PERFORMANCE IN THIS FOLLOW-UP FILM TO BABY JANE. A REAL DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE OVERLAY COMMENTARY THAT ACCOMPANIES THE FILM. GENERALLY, THIS IS DONE WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO EITHER WERE INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF THE PICTURE, OR A FILM HISTORIAN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TWO MEN PROVIDING THE COMMENTARY ON THIS DVD, SEEM TO ACTUALLY KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE FILM, ADMITTING THAT IT HAD BEEN YEARS SINCE THEY HAD SEEN IT. THE COMMENTS ARE SUPERFICIAL, AND OFTENTIMES THEY ADMIT TO NOT KNOWING MUCH ABOUT THE FILM, OTHER THAN THEIR OWN REMEMBRANCES FROM A VIEWING SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER. A DEFINITE DISAPPOINTMENT, AS WITH FILM HISTORIANS OR INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY ADD ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE FILM, THIS IS NOT THE CASE HERE. YOU CAN BY-PASS THE COMMENTARY ON THIS ONE, AND JUST READ ANY ADDITIONAL HISTORY FROM THE FILM BOOKS. IT WILL BE MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN WHAT IS PRESENTED ON THIS COMMENTARY. THIS IS THE WORST COMMENTARY I HAVE EVER HEARD USED FOR THE ADDITIONAL MATERIAL ADDED TO DVD'S THESE DAYS. I WAS SURPRISED THIS COMMENTARY WAS APPROVED. IT SEEMS TO BE A LAST MINUTE EFFORT, WITH VERY LITTLE PREPARATION (IF ANY) IN WHAT IS SAID REGARDING THE FILM. ONE OF THE STARS IN THE FILM IS ACTUALLY SEEING SCENES OF THE LOS ANGELES HANCOCK PARK AREA AND LARCHMONT VILLAGE, AS WELL AS THE ORIGINAL WESTERN COSTUME BUILDING CIRCA 1962. MUCH HAS NOT CHANGED, BUT THE FEELING OF LIFE IN LOS ANGELES IS WELL REMEMBERED IN THIS FILM PRIOR TO THE ONSLAUGHT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND THE SUBSEQUENT DOWNHILL TREND IN SOME OF WHAT HAD BEEN LOS ANGELES MOST BEAUTIFUL AREAS, ESPECIALLY THE MACARTHUR PARK AREA AND THE MIRACLE MILE ON WILSHIRE BOULEVARD INCLUDING THE BULLOCKS WILSHIRE DEPARTMENT STORE BUILDING, WHICH IS NOW A COLLEGE. MACARTHUR PARK IS NOW CRIME RIDDEN AND NO LONGER HABITABLE. AT THE TIME OF THIS FILM THIS PARK HAD BEEN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PARKS OF ANY CITY IN THE WORLD. THE FAMOUS AMBASSADOR HOTEL, HOME OF THE FAMOUS COCOANUT GROVE, ALSO IN THIS AREA WAS JUST RECENTLY TORN DOWN FOR PRIMARILY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO HAVE A SCHOOL. GOOD THAT THIS FILM PRESERVES HOW BEAUTIFUL LOS ANGELES ONCE WAS PRIOR TO THE CURRENT DOWNHILL TREND, ESPECIALLY IN THE WILSHIRE. MIRACLE MILE DISTRICT. ANOTHER STAR NOT GENERALLY MENTIONED IS THE CLASSIC LINCOLN CONTINENTAL CONVERTIBLE BETTE DAVIS DRIVES DURING THE FILM. WHAT ELSE CAN ONE SAY? THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT CLASSIC FILMS OF LATER HOLLYWOOD, WITH TWO OF THE GREATEST WOMEN STARS EVER TO COME OUT THIS CITY'S LONG AND IMPRESSIVE ROSTER OF ACTORS AND ACTRESSES. PROBABLY THE BEST THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN! VIEWS OF LOS ANGELES WHICH NOW ARE NO LONGER THERE TO BE SEEN, AS WELL AS THE COMFORTABLE NATURE OF THE CITY IS SADLY LONG GONE. THE FILM DOES PRESERVE THIS WONDERFUL PERIOD OF TIME IN LOS ANGELES THAT NO LONGER EXISTS.
	What Ever Happened to Baby Jane
	"MASOCHISM VS SADISM"	2008-08-15
MASOCHISM VS SADISMbr /br /FINALLY A PAIRING OF BETTE DAVIS AND JOAN CRAWFORD. IT TOOK OVER 30 YEARS! DAVIS GOT THE NOMINATION, BUT CRAWFORD MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE ACADEMY AWARDS THAT THE AWARD FOR BEST ACTRESS GOES TO ANNE BANCROFT FOR HER PERFORMANCE IN THE MIRACLE WORKER! BETTE NEVER FORGAVE JOAN FOR THIS, AND MADE LIFE SO MISERABLE FOR JOAN DURING THE FILMING OF THEIR NEXT EFFORT, HUSH, HUSH SWEET CHARLOTTE THAT JOAN HAD TO LEAVE THE SET! BETTE EVEN WENT SO FAR AS HAVING EVERYONE ON THE SET DRINK COCA-COLA INSTEAD OF PEPSI JUST TO SPITE TO SPITE JOAN, AS JOAN WAS STILL ON THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS AT PEPSI-COLA. FORTUNATELY, OLIVIA DE HAVILLAND WAS EXCEPTIONAL IN HER PERFORMANCE IN THIS FOLLOW-UP FILM TO BABY JANE. br /br /A REAL DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE OVERLAY COMMENTARY THAT ACCOMPANIES THE FILM. GENERALLY, THIS IS DONE WITH INDIVIDUALS WHO EITHER WERE INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF THE PICTURE, OR A FILM HISTORIAN. UNFORTUNATELY, THE TWO MEN PROVIDING THE COMMENTARY ON THIS DVD, SEEM TO ACTUALLY KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT THE FILM, ADMITTING THAT IT HAD BEEN YEARS SINCE THEY HAD SEEN IT. THE COMMENTS ARE SUPERFICIAL, AND OFTENTIMES THEY ADMIT TO NOT KNOWING MUCH ABOUT THE FILM, OTHER THAN THEIR OWN REMEMBRANCES FROM A VIEWING SEVERAL YEARS EARLIER. A DEFINITE DISAPPOINTMENT, AS WITH FILM HISTORIANS OR INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY ADD ACTUAL KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE FILM, THIS IS NOT THE CASE HERE. YOU CAN BY-PASS THE COMMENTARY ON THIS ONE, AND JUST READ ANY ADDITIONAL HISTORY FROM THE FILM BOOKS. IT WILL BE MUCH MORE INTERESTING THAN WHAT IS PRESENTED ON THIS COMMENTARY. THIS IS THE WORST COMMENTARY I HAVE EVER HEARD USED FOR THE ADDITIONAL MATERIAL ADDED TO DVD'S THESE DAYS. I WAS SURPRISED THIS COMMENTARY WAS APPROVED. IT SEEMS TO BE A LAST MINUTE EFFORT, WITH VERY LITTLE PREPARATION (IF ANY) IN WHAT IS SAID REGARDING THE FILM. br /br /ONE OF THE STARS IN THE FILM IS ACTUALLY SEEING SCENES OF THE LOS ANGELES HANCOCK PARK AREA AND LARCHMONT VILLAGE, AS WELL AS THE ORIGINAL WESTERN COSTUME BUILDING CIRCA 1962. MUCH HAS NOT CHANGED, BUT THE FEELING OF LIFE IN LOS ANGELES IS WELL REMEMBERED IN THIS FILM PRIOR TO THE ONSLAUGHT OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION AND THE SUBSEQUENT DOWNHILL TREND IN SOME OF WHAT HAD BEEN LOS ANGELES MOST BEAUTIFUL AREAS, ESPECIALLY THE MACARTHUR PARK AREA AND THE MIRACLE MILE ON WILSHIRE BOULEVARD INCLUDING THE BULLOCKS WILSHIRE DEPARTMENT STORE BUILDING, WHICH IS NOW A COLLEGE. br /br /MACARTHUR PARK IS NOW CRIME RIDDEN AND NO LONGER HABITABLE. AT THE TIME OF THIS FILM THIS PARK HAD BEEN ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PARKS OF ANY CITY IN THE WORLD. THE FAMOUS AMBASSADOR HOTEL, HOME OF THE FAMOUS COCOANUT GROVE, ALSO IN THIS AREA WAS JUST RECENTLY TORN DOWN FOR PRIMARILY ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS TO HAVE A SCHOOL. GOOD THAT THIS FILM PRESERVES HOW BEAUTIFUL LOS ANGELES ONCE WAS PRIOR TO THE CURRENT DOWNHILL TREND, ESPECIALLY IN THE WILSHIRE. MIRACLE MILE DISTRICT. br /br /ANOTHER STAR NOT GENERALLY MENTIONED IS THE CLASSIC LINCOLN CONTINENTAL CONVERTIBLE BETTE DAVIS DRIVES DURING THE FILM. br /WHAT ELSE CAN ONE SAY? THIS IS ONE OF THE GREAT CLASSIC FILMS OF LATER HOLLYWOOD, WITH TWO OF THE GREATEST WOMEN STARS EVER TO COME OUT THIS CITY'S LONG AND IMPRESSIVE ROSTER OF ACTORS AND ACTRESSES. PROBABLY THE BEST THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN! br /VIEWS OF LOS ANGELES WHICH NOW ARE NO LONGER THERE TO BE SEEN, AS WELL AS THE COMFORTABLE NATURE OF THE CITY IS SADLY LONG GONE. THE FILM DOES PRESERVE THIS WONDERFUL PERIOD OF TIME IN LOS ANGELES THAT NO LONGER EXISTS.
	The Fugitive Kind
	"A TRUE SOUTHERN GOTHIC CLASSIC FROM THE PEN OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS....."	2008-08-15
MIRIAM HOPKINS PERFORMED THE STARRING ROLE ON LIVE STAGE, IN WHAT WAS THE ORIGINAL TITLE OF THIS MOVIE, BATTLE OF ANGELS IN 1941. THIS WAS THE FIRST PUBLICLY PRODUCED PLAY (IN BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS) BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS. THIS FIRST STAGE PRODUCTION DID NOT MEET WITH ANY SUCCESS, AND WAS PLAGUED WITH PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY THE FIRE SCENE AT THE END, THE THEATER ACTUALLY CAUGHT FIRE, AND THE AUDIENCE HAD TO FLEE FROM THE THEATER. LUCKILY, SUCH IS NOT THE CASE WITH MOVIES, AS THE SCENE CAN BE RESHOT IF THERE ARE PROBLEMS! THAT FIRST NIGHT'S PERFORMANCE IN BOSTON MUST HAVE BEEN QUITE A SPECTACLE! THE PLAY WAS LATER RETITLED ORPHEUS DESCENDING FOR THE 1950'S REVIVAL OF THE PLAY, AND FINALLY GIVEN THE TITLE, THE FUGITIVE KIND, FOR COMMERCIAL REASONS WHEN THE FILM VERSION WAS RELEASED IN 1960. MIRIAM HOPKINS WAS CONSIDERED BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS ONE OF THE FINEST ACTRESSES AMERICA EVER PRODUCED. TENNESSEE WILLIAMS WROTE THIS IN THE OFFICIAL OBITUARY THAT WAS RELEASED AT THE TIME OF MIRIAM HOPKINS DEATH IN THE EARLY 1970'S. SHE WAS A GOOD FRIEND OF MR. WILLIAMS, AND WELCOMED THE CHANCE TO STAR IN HIS FIRST PRODUCED PLAY. THIS EARLY WORK OF MR. WILLIAMS, LED TO HIS LATER FAME WITH THE GLASS MENAGERIE AND A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE TO ONLY NAME A FEW. LATER, IN 1959 WHEN THE PLAY WAS MADE INTO A MOVIE AND RELEASED IN 1960, ANNA MAGNANI MET THE CHALLANGE EQUALLY WELL, AS HAD BEEN THE CASE WITH MIRIAM HOPKINS IN THE ORIGINAL STAGE VERSION 19 YEARS EARLIER. THE STORY IS ONE OF THE MOST COMPELLING EVER WRITTEN BY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, BUT UNFORTUNATELY ONE OF THE LEAST KNOWN TO THE MOVIE GOING PUBLIC. THE STORY DEALS WITH LONELINESS AND FEELING SEPARATE FROM THE WORLD AROUND US. ODDLY, THIS IS THE ONLY PLAY TENNESSEE WILLIAMS ACTUALLY DEALS WITH GOTHIC SOUTHERN RACISM IN ANY OF HIS WORKS. IF YOU LIKE THE WORKS OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS, WHO WAS REFERRED TO AS THE POET OF THE EMOTIONS, AND HAVE NOT SEEN THIS FILM, YOU WILL INDEED EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF HIS GENRE AND THE GOTHIC SOUTHERN STYLE OF WRITING. REVIEWERS OF THIS FILM ALWAYS MENTION THE MAGNIFICENT PERFORMANCES OF BRANDO, MAGNANI, JOANNE WOODWARD AND MAUREEN STAPLETON, AND ARE CORRECT IN DOING SO, BUT THE ROLE PLAYED BY VICTOR JORY AS THE AILING HUSBAND OF MAGNANI WILL LONG REMAIN IN YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS, POSSIBLY MORE SO THAN THE PRINCIPLE PLAYERS. THE NATURE OF EVIL THAT CAN DWELL IN THE HUMAN PSYCHE, HAS RARELY BEEN PERFORMED SO CONVINCINGLY AS VICTOR JORY'S PERFORMANCE IN THIS FILM. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED VIEWING FOR THOSE WHO CAN APPRECIATE THE THE HARSHER REALITIES OF LIFE. THIS DVD IS A VERY CLEAR PRINT, BUT UNFORTUNATELY LACKS ANY COMMENTARY, TRAILERS OR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. A SHAME, AS MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO WORKED ON THIS FILM WERE ALIVE PRIOR TO THE DVD RELEASE, INCLUDING DIRECTOR SIDNEY LUMET, WHO DIED JUST RECENTLY. HOPEFULLY SOME FOOTAGE EXISTS FROM ANY NUMBER OF PEOPLE REGARDING THE MAKING OF THIS FILM, AND CAN BE ATTACHED TO POSSIBLE FUTURE RELEASES OF THIS MOVIE IN A MORE COMPREHENSIVE DVD RELEASE. A TRUE SOUTHERN GOTHIC CLASSIC THAT CAN ONLY COME FROM THE PEN OF TENNESSEE WILLIAMS.