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Reviews
The Singer Not the Song (1961)
Very Good Production
I really cannot see why people give this some poor ratings. I realise there was much trouble during production by the actors and director but overall it is a very good production. I only wish the DVD I watched had been in its original CinemaScope format and not cropped.
Yes it's set in Mexico but shot in a Spain and the scenery is spectacular.
People say it is a western, it is NOT. It is actually set in the 1950s NOT back in the old west. The vehicles seen are 50ish and if those people who say it is set in the Wild West it's obvious they have NOT SEEN the black telephone on the Police Captain's desk. Maybe those people who don't see this are actually younger viewers in this cellular/mobile era who don't even know what telephones looked liked back then.
Even Mylene wears 50s clothing. People in small villages in Mexico still dressed in similar clothes to what they wear in this.
Enjoy it for what is suppose to be. A wonderful music score accompanies the movie.
Marjorie Lawrence: The World at Her Feet (2021)
One of the GREATEST
Marjorie Lawrence was one of Australia's greatest musical stars. She conquered the greatest world stages. She was welcomed at Buckingham Palace by Queen Elizabeth and gave a concert at the Palace. The Queens Corgi even gave a howl of appreciation at the end of her concert.
She suffered greatly in her life, crippled by Polio in 1941, after a concert in Mexico. Her life changed drastically but she, along with her very devoted husband, built her up again. She started writing a book, wth help from the father of Ita Buttrose. The book became a best seller.
The book INTERRUPTED MELODY was later made into a feature film by MGM. The film got an Oscar for best writing.
For the rest of her life she toured and talked about her career and later she established an opera school and worked with young people.
She died in 1979.
Medellin (2023)
DISAPPOINTING
How I am going to give a 600 letter review here is beyond my imagination.
I wish Amazon Studios would list on their description of a film from what country the movie was made. This film was so disappointing for me, rude and crude language through out with some of the worst characters I have ever seen in a movie. As a viewer I didn't feel any emotion for any of the characters.
I have worked in the movie industry for over 40 years and have seen the down grading of movies since sound was invented. A classic movie is something special to watch these days with actors who were trained in their profession. Not a bunch of yahoo's acting like idiots like in this movie.
Wow I made over 600.
After Ever Happy (2022)
PLEASE NO MORE
Why, why, why do these movies keep getting made, they are getting worse with each one. Flashback after flashback explains how it got to where it is. Now I even see there is another one in pre production.
I realise these must be aimed at a young audience but really. Hero Fiennes Tiffin has the ability to be a very good actor and it would be nice to see him in something better than this series of movies.
Oh my, I still have to add 147 more letters into my comment. How to do this is becoming impossible. I am almost 80 years of age and sadly today's movies do not come up to the standard of this created by the great classic. Directors.
Jury Duty (2023)
AMERICAN ONLY
Can't really get into this series, it must be made only for American audiences as it has no value to anyone living elsewhere, I am in Australia. Only good thing about it is James Marsden, always nice to see him again.
I guess jury systems are similar world wide but as of now I am well past the age to be on one in my country. Can't understand how America would have the older lady on a jury as age does make a difference in decision making.
I see only the first four episodes are currently available to view, however I don't think I will be watching the ones still to come. Days go by and what is available to watch is getting much harder.
A Time to Love and a Time to Die (1958)
A MASTERPIECE
This film still stands as a magnificent masterpiece to all who were involved. Now with the release of a new version of ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT maybe it will get more people watching it on DVD. Hopefully a major re-release on Amazon Prime.
Admittedly many of the characters are played by American actors and many people today would say why more European actors were used. Not my decision to make but the Director Douglas Sirk delivered a real masterpiece.
It begins with great sadness and ends in a similar way. Don't miss seeing this film if you can get hold of a copy. It will draw you in and hold you to the very end.
Desire Under the Elms (1958)
BRILLIANT
One of the best dramatic films of all time. Nominated for a Oscar for Black and White Cinematography. The acting from the 3 leads is perfect, dramatic and intense at all times. The music score by Elmer Bernstein works perfectly with the story and characters. It is so good to listen to a great music score in classic movies compared with the scores in the movies of today. The great composers have gone.
The DVD version I just purchased from Amazon in a Sophia Loren pack is excellent condition. Only problem with movie movies advertised in the 5 pack, some were different and there were only 4. Be careful if you go to buy this pack.
What more can I say, this Eugene O'Neil story is well presented with everything a movie should' be.
Leave No Trace (2020)
BEAUTIFUL
So what if this series is like a paid commercial as another reviewer said. It is a beautiful series and goes to some wonderful places. Some of which I have been to but not actually stayed in the same hotels/resorts.
A wonderful series to watch on Prime and hey, it doesn't cost the world see it all. I hope another series follows this one.
Don't know what else to say as one has to see it to believe it. The way most resorts recycled everything was just amazing and having a meal in treetops makes me want to have something similar in my home garden which incidentally is so beautiful that I spend many hours in it eating and drinking.
Ambulance (2022)
so, so, so........BAD
I really can't say anything about this movie which is good. The cinematography would have to be the worst I have seen in years, from an Italian born person I really can't say where he learned his trade any movies from Italy usually have superb cinematography. The direction, well is there any, the cast unbelievably bad except for the female who plays the ambulance paramedic. How many times did we have to pass through what looked like the same streets in LA to get to where they wanted to be. The river scenes form one.
So many guns going off, no wonder there are problems in this world. All I can think is the people who actually liked this are today's new generation as it is certainly not the older generation.
What a complete waste of over 2 hours and Universal should ashamed to have been the distributor.
Criminal (2016)
I wasn't going to write a review but.....
This movie goes from bad to worse throughout. What really turned me off was having the character of Ryan Reynolds placed in the character's brain of Kevin Costner. Those reviews that say this is Costers best role must not have seen some of his greatest movies, for instance Dances With Wolves.
Why on earth it was ever filmed in London, UK when practically the entire cast is American. What a waste of money and apparently a real flop at the box office. A total waste of almost 2 hours of my life. After all that, maybe it will appeal to some people out there who have time to waste watching it.
Maybe this review will not even be published.
Un asunto privado (2022)
SUSPECTS?
Some reviewers liked this and some didn't, so what's new! I found it to be a well entertaining series. Could maybe have been 6 not 8 episodes. The production values were excellent, the cinematography great, a well designed and directed series from Spain. The locations it was shot in I have never really seen them before, Northern Spain on North Atlantic.
The only fault I saw in it was an overload of simple dialogue which seemed so unnecessary at times as the viewer could actually see what was going on. Many of today's moves/series have such limited dialogue and I find hard to follow but not this one. Also I would have preferred a subtitled version. The 2 main characters reminded me of Poirot and Agatha Raisin, definitely not Agatha Christie.
The character of Marina, was a very attractive lady but so, so badly directed at times in her movements. One in particular when she runs around with a pistol, pointing it all over the place. After getting through the 1st episode it gets better and better to an amazing conclusion. Enjoy it for what it is and I found it so much better than many other of today's series. Thank you Amazon.
Always Afternoon (1988)
WE WILL REMEMBER THEM
When Australia went into the First World War, it was a small nation of around 3 million people. Conscription came in and most of the young men were sent to their death. This mini series shows a very emotion approach to what could have been just another tv show. The acting is generally excellent, people were so confused back then, the death of many of their friends and many other thousands wounded.
This miniseries is currently available to view on Amazon Prime and is well worth watching the 4 episodes. Even though it gets a little slow in parts, albeit those were the times. I thought the sex scene at the end of episode 2 was handled extremely well for tv in 1988.
Soldier's Heart (2020)
THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY
What can I say about this movie, first if it had been 30 minutes shorter I felt the story could have been less drawn out. In saying that I found it a remarkable story of the old west. War and violence dominated that era and the way people treated each other in many cases was with violence and abuse. Today's society with guns blazing in the USA almost feels like these days are well on the way to returning.
Most of the performers carried out their roles suitable to the way characters in the West were. I have loved westerns all my life and there have been good ones and bad ones but the West was like that......the good, the bad and the ugly.
Most of the reviews I have read here saying this movie was so bad obviously have not researched the history of the West as I have. I have also worked in the entertainment industry most of my life and have viewed much more boring films than this. Today even many of what is streaming is so much worse.
All I can say to conclude is, if you don't like westerns then don't bother to watch them. Congratulations to cast and crew on giving me the opportunity to witness this devastating story.
Thirteen Lives (2022)
DANGER ..... DO NOT ENTER
If Monsoon Season was approaching why were there no signs stating DO NOT ENTER as this cave floods during monsoon season.
It's ironical that kids were even allowed to race through a cave like that with very little supervision. Entering areas which apparently had no signs, no pathways, with some water already there.
We all know the outcome but having to watch it through 150 minutes was all too much. The dialogue and subtitles were most annoying, the Navy Seals ridiculous idiots.
As some reviewers said it's the best movie they have ever seen on Amazon, I totally disagree as I have seen much more enjoyable productions than this.
If anyone is wondering about my credentials I have worked in the entertainment industry for over 30 years and during that time have seen some of the best movies of all time. This is not one of them.
Proximity (2020)
What a waste of time....
Truly as many other viewers have said, this movie is so bad. The music score with songs is absolutely ridiculous and the songs have nothing to do with the story. It's like watching a music video. It's amazing where these people get money to make such..........
Art Ache (2015)
QUITE ENTERTAINING
First of all I really can't understand why one reviewer said the lead actor, Alex, had a really boring voice. In my opinion he was very clear, I understood every word which he spoke which is unusual in many movies today. He was a very well spoken English actor.
Adding to what I have already said the character being played by David Wyman was quite strange. I feel it was made this way because of the direction he received. This was the Director's first feature film and hopefully from this he will have gone on to much better productions.
It's quite a silly film but is entertaining. I am looking forward to seeing David Wyman in future films as he grows and develops.
The Last Rescue (2015)
ENTERTAINING
As one reviewer said women did not serve in combat, so if this is the case what happened to the Army nurses who had to escape and fight for their lives? As for their hair not being right..... are you going to worry about your hair when trying to save your life?
So it was shot in Alabama, what difference does it make. Have the reviewers who said it looks nothing like Northern France ever been there? There is a lot of area to cover asI have been there bout certainly did not see it all. Many movies are set somewhere and shot in a different place.
Get over it people and watch a movie for entertainment not to judge every little piece of it. I thoroughly enjoyed this story even if it was fictional. Similar events did happen in this war. The acting was pretty good and showed the horrors of war that many young men had to endure.
Thanks Amazon Prime for including it in your library.
The Guard of Auschwitz (2018)
WEL WORTH WATCHING
It may not be a Schindler's List but it's not meant to be. The camera work was very good, the story well written, the acting very appropriate for the time of the story. As it states at the end this was a fictional story, however based on actual events during WW2.
In reading many of the other reviews I feel they are either uneducated or just plain stupid to think this torturous time never happened. I was born 2 years before this war ended and during my life I have known quite a few people who went through those terrible times.
Let's hope we never see anything like this again, or maybe we need to so those who wrote such disgusting reviews will get to experience what life and death can really be like.
Thank you Amazon for bringing this movie out for us to see.
The Story of Australia (2013)
WATCHABLE BUT......
I have read the other 2 reviews on here and do not understand how they could say such disgusting things about our great country.
Yes it started thousands of years ago as is portrayed here and went through as many problems as most nations did. My reasons for not giving this a 10 is that it left so much out, no mention of Port Arthur, please correct me if I took a nap during it, but I certainly didn't see any mention of it. No mention of Gladys Moncrieff, and no mention , except by name of Ned Kelly.
Not much about how many of the First Nation People were slaughtered, only those around Sydney. It focussed little in the first 100 years but spent too long to bring it to the year this film was made in 2013. It mentions Crocodile Dundee as Australia's biggest box office film and so it was in its day but many great films have been made since through our film studios, and no mention of the excellent actors we have here. No mention of any of our great writers except for David Williamson saying a few words.
I am 79 years of age and remember the years I have lived through really well including being at the opening of the Sydney Opera House.
It's on Amazon Prime if you take the time to watch the 6 episodes.
Shockwave: Surviving North America's Biggest Disaster (2009)
QUITE AN INTERESTING EXERIENCE
I don't live in the US any more, moved to Australia in 1987 and glad I did with all the violence there now. This doco as very interesting but I wonder how many people will do the right thing when the big one comes. I actually was there in when Mt. St. Helens erupted and it was complete chaos. My wife and I we're locked out of a tavern on the way to Moscow, Idaho. We had to drive 100 miles with thick ash falling. Luckily we made it. Also have been through a couple of earthquakes and here in Australia we were in a 100 year flood where the water reach 12feet high. Having lived through all of this we are now very conscious of survival.
We have visited the places mentioned in the doco and glad we decided not to live in that area.
I hope more people watch this doco and hope you do an updated one-off this subject. The time will come..... and so will th BIG ONE.
City of Lies (2018)
FROM BAD TO WORSE
Ok so this might appeal to audiences in America, but to me what a waste of almost 2 hours. Mind you after 4 minutes I knew this was not my kind of movie so I went through 20 minutes, still boring, then another 20 minutes, didn't get any better. The end finally came after I wasted about an hour watching parts of it. Johnny Depp is so bad now in the movie he chooses. The language in it was unbearable.
Death on the Nile (2022)
So very bad
Please, please no more remakes of what were once great movies. Kenneth Branagh has gone from bad to worse with this. Everything is so false about it, the cgi so bad. Acting is terrible, as is cast. Why do people want to make remakes of movies which were truly the best.
The Lost World (1960)
AHEAD OF ITS TIME
I have read the reviews of the other people and can fully understand why they thought this was so bad. It was made in the 60s NOT in 2000 plus. Movies back then were made to entertain as this one did by one of the best action directors of his time, Irwin Allen who made some of the most spectacular disaster movies of the time.
I don't know why people watch this and compare it to today's movies. The creatures were well done for the time and the fight to the death was well done. Watch it and take it for what it is after all Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote it many, many years ago so why would anyone compare it to today's movies.
Hitman's Wife's Bodyguard (2021)
So bad
Where do the writers these days get their training? This film is such a mish-mash of stupid situations. The acting, from so called experienced actors, is so stupid. What has happened to intelligent movies and great directors any more, they have all gone. It seems there has to be blood, blood, blood and more blood to get an audience to watch.
So very, very, bad.
Spencer's Mountain (1963)
TRULY BEAUTIFUL
A world that once was and never will be again, unfortunately. This is one of the most remarkable films of its time from a great cast and director. The scenery is just amazing. I visited Jackson Hole back in the 80s and actually a made a documentary film there about the Snake River. The Grand Tetons must be the best in the whole of America.
People that have written reviews on this movie and found it sloppy have obviously not lived through that time when people were so much nicer that most around today in 2022.
The dialogue spoken is true to the environment of the time but today it would be so much different. This movie could never be made again as it is set in a time of love, trust and real life.
I have this movie n DVD and watch it over and over.