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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourites Review: TV Series – “Luther” –
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 Latest ‘MovieZone’ Reviews:Most recent other TV/Movie reviews at top:
“Orphan Black” – Si-Fiction TV series about Human cloning with crime theme – riveting. “The Bridge” – 2010 Canadian Police Union drama – very exciting. “The Big C” – 2010-13 show about a wife/mothers ordeal in dealing with terminal cancer … Elementary – 2012-13 new US Sherlock Homes and Watson Series Oliver Stone’s: “The Untold History of the United States” “Garrow’s Law” – 2009-11 UK TV Period Law Drama Seasons 1-3 – “Last Man Standing” – 2012 TV Show (Sitcom) – Season 1 – “Detachment” – 2011 Movie – “The Newsroom”– 2012 TV Season 1 – “For Love of the Game” – 1999 Movie – “A Game of Thrones” – 2011 TV Series Season 1-2 – “Doc Martin” – 2011 TV Comedy Season 1-5 – “Spartacus” – 2012 TV Drama Season 1-3 Other EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Front Page … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of All Oscar Nominated Movie Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Oscar Movies Decade Reviews – … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Favourites Movie and TV Show Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of You-Tube “SCENE” uploads … Link to Wikipedia’s – Oscar Best Movie Winners and Nominations … |
Title: – EYE-BALL MovieZone review – TV Series: -Luther – | Author: EYE-BALL MovieZone | Undated 5th July 2013 | |
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Review Links – “Luther”
Luther is a British psychological crime drama television series starring Idris Elba as the title character Detective Chief Inspector John Luther. A first series of six episodes was broadcast on BBC One from 4 May to 8 June 2010. The second series of four episodes was shown on BBC One in summer 2011. During the Edinburgh TV Festival, BBC One controller Danny Cohen announced there will be a third series. The third series began on 2 July, 2013. The character of Luther is played by Idris Elba, who won the Golden Globe award for best actor in a miniseries at the 2011 69th Annual Golden Globe Awards in 2012, a year after his nomination in 2011. Plot: John Luther is a Detective Chief Inspector (DCI) working for the Serious Crime Unit in season one, and the new Serious and Serial Crime Unit in season two. A dedicated police officer, Luther is obsessive, possessed, and sometimes dangerous in the violence of his fixations. But Luther has paid a heavy price for his dedication; he has never been able to prevent himself from being consumed by the darkness of the crimes with which he deals. For Luther, the job always comes first. His dedication is a curse and a blessing, both for him and those close to him. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review: “Luther” represents some of the best of UK drama, it is groundbreaking in storylines and takes crime thrillers to new levels. The central character is flawed and is the new way in acknowledging and humanising how law enforcement is portrayed on our TV screens. Luther – the central character has personal life challenges that he has to juggle with all the drama of his job of chasing down serial killers hell bent on life destruction – it’s a mix that is thoroughly engaging and has you not wanting to wait for the next installment in the continuing story lines. The best UK TV for a long time. The equal of if not better than “Walking the Dead” and “Wire in the Blood” … Review Score: … Highly recommend viewing. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating: … 8.0/10 … [Note about REVIEW ratings]
Not all movies or TV shows in the 5.5-6.5 range are reviewed – just the ones that offer special qualities.]Back to Top |
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| [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of human effort and genuine research undertakings. If you have enjoyed the review and feel it has contributed – a small donation would be appreciated. Please use the gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text. All donations are thankfully received and go to helping to maintain the content of this site.]It would be very much appreciated if you could also report any broken LINKS using the e-mail address below:E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.comBack to Top
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourites Review: TV Series – “Orphan Black”
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| Latest ‘MovieZone’ Reviews:Most recent other TV/Movie reviews at top:
The Bridge – 2010 Canadian Police Union drama – very exciting The Big C – 2010-13 show about a wife/mothers ordeal in dealing with terminal cancer … Elementary – 2012-13 new US Sherlock Homes and Watson Series Oliver Stone’s: “The Untold History of the United States” “Garrow’s Law” – 2009-11 UK TV Period Law Drama Seasons 1-3 – “Last Man Standing” – 2012 TV Show (Sitcom) – Season 1 – “Detachment” – 2011 Movie – “The Newsroom”– 2012 TV Season 1 – “For Love of the Game” – 1999 Movie – “A Game of Thrones” – 2011 TV Series Season 1-2 – “Doc Martin” – 2011 TV Comedy Season 1-5 – “Spartacus” – 2012 TV Drama Season 1-3 Other EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Front Page … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of All Oscar Nominated Movie Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Oscar Movies Decade Reviews – … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Favourites Movie and TV Show Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of You-Tube “SCENE” uploads … Link to Wikipedia’s – Oscar Best Movie Winners and Nominations … |
Title: – EYE-BALL MovieZone review – TV Series: – Orphan Black – | Author: EYE-BALL MovieZone | Undated 16th June 2013 | |
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Review Links – “Orphan Black”
“Orphan Black” [Pasted from linked Wikipedia reference above …] Orphan Black is a American-Canadian science fiction television series that stars Tatiana Maslany as several identical women who are revealed to be clones. The series focuses on Sarah Manning, a woman who assumes the identity of her clone, Elizabeth Childs, after the latter commits suicide. The series raises issues about the moral and ethical implications of human cloning and its impact on issues of personal identity. The show premiered at WonderCon in Anaheim, California on March 29, 2013. The television premiere of the first 10-episode season was on March 30, 2013. On May 2, 2013 BBC America renewed Orphan Black for a 10-episode second season to air in 2014. As an explanation of the series title, in Season 1 Episode 8 there is mention by Mrs S.(Siobhan) who says “children in the black” were “undocumented, outside of the system…subjects of medical experiments”. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review: The lead actress in the show – Tatiana Maslany – won the ‘Best Actress’ in a Drama Series award at the recent US Critics Awards – she is tipped as a ‘dark-horse’ choice for the Emmy Best Actress award next month. The show takes 2-3 episodes to understand the ‘sicence-fiction’ aspect but when it kicks in the whole show opens up. The lead actress plays seven different parts in the series and each of the roles requires completely different perspectives and history. The 2nd season set for 2014 promises much and will be interesting to see where the shows goes once the end of season storyline is dealt with. Review Score: … Highly recommend viewing. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating: … 7.0/10 … [Note about REVIEW ratings]
Not all movies or TV shows in the 5.5-6.5 range are reviewed – just the ones that offer special qualities.]Back to Top |
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| [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of human effort and genuine research undertakings. If you have enjoyed the review and feel it has contributed – a small donation would be appreciated. Please use the gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text. All donations are thankfully received and go to helping to maintain the content of this site.]It would be very much appreciated if you could also report any broken LINKS using the e-mail address below:E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.comBack to Top
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourites Review: TV Series – “The Bridge” –
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| Latest ‘MovieZone’ Reviews:
Most recent other TV/Movie reviews at top: The Big C – 2010-13 show about a wife/mothers ordeal in dealing with terminal cancer … Elementary – 2012-13 new US Sherlock Homes and Watson Series Oliver Stone’s: “The Untold History of the United States” “Garrow’s Law” – 2009-11 UK TV Period Law Drama Seasons 1-3 – “Last Man Standing” – 2012 TV Show (Sitcom) – Season 1 – “Detachment” – 2011 Movie – “The Newsroom”– 2012 TV Season 1 – “For Love of the Game” – 1999 Movie – “A Game of Thrones” – 2011 TV Series Season 1-2 – “Doc Martin” – 2011 TV Comedy Season 1-5 – “Spartacus” – 2012 TV Drama Season 1-3 Other EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Front Page … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of All Oscar Nominated Movie Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Oscar Movies Decade Reviews – … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Favourites Movie and TV Show Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of You-Tube “SCENE” uploads … Link to Wikipedia’s – Oscar Best Movie Winners and Nominations … |
Title: – EYE-BALL MovieZone review – TV Series: -The Bridge – | Author: EYE-BALL MovieZone | Undated 16th June 2013 | |
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Review Links – “The Bridge”
“The Bridge” [Pasted from linked Wikipedia reference above …] The Bridge was a Canadian police drama commissioned by CTV and CBS starring Aaron Douglas. The name of the series is derived from the bridge which separates the wealthy Rosedale neighborhood of Toronto with one of its poorest, St. James Town. The initial order is for 11 episodes, produced by Entertainment One. After CTV ordered the pilot to series in November 2008, CTV later shared the pilot with CBS.[1] This series premiered on CTV on March 5, 2010 and premiered on July 10, 2010 on CBS. It has been canceled in the US after three episodes due to low ratings. CTV announced on June 3, 2010 that the series will return for a second season during the 2010–2011 season.[4] However, on January 13, 2011, star Aaron Douglas tweeted that the series has been officially cancelled after only one season. The Bridge is loosely based upon former Toronto police union head Craig Bromell, in the form of Aaron Douglas’s character, Frank Leo. After being unanimously elected head of the union, Leo sets out to clean up the corruption in the force while working in the best interests of the rank-and-file. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review: “The Bridge” is a single season of high quality drama set in Toronto and first aired in 2010. It was scheduled to have a 2nd season and the final episode of season 1 set up the next season. Why it was cancelled as explained above cannot be understood – it was too good a show. This is the 2nd Canadian show that had a brilliant first season that took the audience into corrupt officialdom that was cancelled after initial plans for a 2nd season were agreed to. There was also a similar US show cancelled this year after its first season that had a story line too close to home – that show was “Last Resort’ – a show about a nuclear sub commander taking control of nuclear weapons and using them against the corrupt US Government. The other Canadian shows was: “Intelligence” – reported below – linked here –
“The Bridge” is throughly believable and given where the last episode ends – it’s understandable why the 2nd season was cancelled if political interference was the reason.This show is an eye-opener to the naive and gives insight to how Police force ‘brass’ conduct business with politicians and the police officers. Review Score: … Highly recommend viewing. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating: … 8.0/10 … [Note about REVIEW ratings]
Not all movies or TV shows in the 5.5-6.5 range are reviewed – just the ones that offer special qualities.]Back to Top |
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| [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of human effort and genuine research undertakings. If you have enjoyed the review and feel it has contributed – a small donation would be appreciated. Please use the gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text. All donations are thankfully received and go to helping to maintain the content of this site.]It would be very much appreciated if you could also report any broken LINKS using the e-mail address below:E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.comBack to Top
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourites Review: TV Series – “The Big C” –
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| Latest ‘MovieZone’ Reviews:Most recent other TV/Movie reviews at top:
Elementary – 2012-13 new US Sherlock Homes and Watson Series Oliver Stone’s: “The Untold History of the United States” “Garrow’s Law” – 2009-11 UK TV Period Law Drama Seasons 1-3 – “Last Man Standing” – 2012 TV Show (Sitcom) – Season 1 – “Detachment” – 2011 Movie – “The Newsroom”– 2012 TV Season 1 – “For Love of the Game” – 1999 Movie – “A Game of Thrones” – 2011 TV Series Season 1-2 – “Doc Martin” – 2011 TV Comedy Season 1-5 – “Spartacus” – 2012 TV Drama Season 1-3 Other EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Front Page … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of All Oscar Nominated Movie Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Oscar Movies Decade Reviews – … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Favourites Movie and TV Show Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of You-Tube “SCENE” uploads … Link to Wikipedia’s – Oscar Best Movie Winners and Nominations … |
Title: – EYE-BALL MovieZone review – TV Series: -The Big C – | Author: EYE-BALL MovieZone | Undated 3rd June 2013 | |
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Review Links – “The Big C”
“The Big C” [Pasted from linked Wikipedia reference above …] The Big C is a Showtime original television series created by Darlene Hunt which premiered on August 16, 2010. It drew the largest audience for a Showtime original series premiere in eight years. The second season premiered on June 27, 2011. The third season premiered on April 8, 2012. On July 31, 2012, The Big C was renewed for a fourth and final season, which premiered on Monday, April 29, 2013. The show follows teacher Cathy Jamison – a reserved, suburban wife and mother – who is diagnosed with melanoma. The realisation of this forces her to really begin to live for the first time in her adult life. At first she chooses to keep her diagnosis from her family, behaving in ways they find puzzling and increasingly bizarre. She finds new freedom to express herself. As the show progresses, Cathy allows her family and some new friends to support her as she copes with her terminal diagnosis, and finds both humor and pathos in the many idiosyncratic relationships in her life. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review: “The Big C” is a show that makes light of ‘cancer’ and shows how a quirky family deals with all the pitfalls along the way. It’s sad, endearing, funny, modernly hilariously so in parts, and Laura Linney plays the part of her career as the cancer sufferer. Oliver Platt likewise as the suffering husband. The story has humanity in spades and as we all become touched by the loss of loved ones at early ages due to this disease – this show will help those left behind and those enduring what happens as sufferers try to cope with the aura of death. It is not sad – at least not up until the middle of the third season – but entertaining time spent contemplation all the things in life you wanted to do but never did. Oh – and the weird brother totally cracks the mould … Review Score: … Highly recommend viewing. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating: … 7.0/10 … [Note about REVIEW ratings]
Not all movies or TV shows in the 5.5-6.5 range are reviewed – just the ones that offer special qualities.]Back to Top |
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| [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of human effort and genuine research undertakings. If you have enjoyed the review and feel it has contributed – a small donation would be appreciated. Please use the gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text. All donations are thankfully received and go to helping to maintain the content of this site.]It would be very much appreciated if you could also report any broken LINKS using the e-mail address below:E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.comBack to Top
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourites Review: TV Series – ELEMENTARY –
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| Latest ‘MovieZone’ Reviews:Most recent other TV/Movie reviews at top:
Oliver Stone’s: “The Untold History of the United States” “Garrow’s Law” – 2009-11 UK TV Period Law Drama Seasons 1-3 – “Last Man Standing” – 2012 TV Show (Sitcom) – Season 1 – “Detachment” – 2011 Movie – “The Newsroom”– 2012 TV Season 1 – “For Love of the Game” – 1999 Movie – “A Game of Thrones” – 2011 TV Series Season 1-2 – “Doc Martin” – 2011 TV Comedy Season 1-5 – “Spartacus” – 2012 TV Drama Season 1-3 Other EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Front Page … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of All Oscar Nominated Movie Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Oscar Movies Decade Reviews – … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Favourites Movie and TV Show Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of You-Tube “SCENE” uploads … Link to Wikipedia’s – Oscar Best Movie Winners and Nominations … |
Title: – EYE-BALL MovieZone review – TV Series: -Elementary: | Author: EYE-BALL MovieZone | Undated 11th feb 2013 | |
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Review Links – “Elementary”
Elementary [Pasted from linked Wikipedia reference above …] Elementary is an American TV crime drama series that premiered on CBS on September 27, 2012. It presents a contemporary update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character Sherlock Holmes set in the contemporary United States. It stars Jonny Lee Miller as Sherlock Holmes and Lucy Liu as Dr. Joan Watson. Holmes is a former consultant to Scotland Yard, and also an addict. He travels to New York City to check into a rehabilitation center and stays on in Brooklyn with Watson, who becomes his sober companion. On October 23, 2012 CBS picked up Elementary for a full season. On November 15, 2012 CBS ordered two additional episodes to its current season, bringing the total number of episodes to 24. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review: ‘Elementary’ is a surprise packet – if you liked Jonny Lee Miller in ‘Eli Stone’ and disappointed at that shows axing, then Miller’s back in another eccentric crime based drama that enthralls. Lucy Liu plays his ‘companion’ – and I’ll leave the explanation to that little job description to you all to find out, and the plot thickens to their developing relationship and it works so well for the show. Aidan Quinn adds quality as the New York Detective who worked with Sherlock at Scotland Yard. His contribution as supporting cast gives the show a stability – it appears Quinn has had a face-lift or two – but he plays a strong sidekick – but it is ‘Watson’s’ character [Lui] that does the most to add spice to the show. The ‘Sherlock Homes’ thing has been done so many times – but this is by far the best in recent times. I watched the 15 episodes aired back to back and as each episode ended, the eagerness to see the next episode left me without sleep … each episode is a story in itself, and the crime aspect is also good TV, but the character development that carries over into each new episode has just that right amount of traction that leaves you wanting more. The ‘consultancy’ angle of Miller’s character is a take off from ‘Jane’s consultancy in ‘The Mentalist’ and softens the entertainment against the hard core cop shows. One of the better ‘new season’ shows and a decision is still pending on a Season 2 – there will be 24 episodes in this Season 1. Review Score: … Highly recommend viewing. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating: … 7.0/10 … [Note about REVIEW ratings]
Not all movies or TV shows in the 5.5-6.5 range are reviewed – just the ones that offer special qualities.] |
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| [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of human effort and genuine research undertakings. If you have enjoyed the review and feel it has contributed – a small donation would be appreciated. Please use the gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text. All donations are thankfully received and go to helping to maintain the content of this site.]It would be very much appreciated if you could also report any broken LINKS using the e-mail address below:E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.comBack to Top
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourites Review: Oliver Stones:- “The Untold History of the United States”
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| Latest ‘MovieZone’ Reviews:Most recent other TV/Movie reviews at top:
“Garrow’s Law” – 2009-11 UK TV Period Law Drama Seasons 1-3 – “Last Man Standing” – 2012 TV Show (Sitcom) – Season 1 – “Detachment” – 2011 Movie – “The Newsroom”– 2012 TV Season 1 – “For Love of the Game” – 1999 Movie – “A Game of Thrones” – 2011 TV Series Season 1-2 – “Doc Martin” – 2011 TV Comedy Season 1-5 – “Spartacus” – 2012 TV Drama Season 1-3 Other EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Front Page … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of All Oscar Nominated Movie Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Oscar Movies Decade Reviews – … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Favourites Movie and TV Show Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of You-Tube “SCENE” uploads … Link to Wikipedia’s – Oscar Best Movie Winners and Nominations … |
– Post Number 1000 … Title: – EYE-BALL MovieZone review – TV Doco: – Oliver Stone’s: “The Untold History of the United States” – | Author: EYE-BALL MovieZone | Undated 9th Nov 2012 | |
Review Links – 2012-13 TV Doco – Oliver Stone’s: “The Untold History of the United States”
Oliver Stone’s:The Untold History of the United States [Pasted from linked Wikipedia reference above …] In 2009, it emerged that Stone was preparing a documentary miniseries for Showtime with the working title Oliver Stone’s Secret History of America. It would cover “the reasons behind the Cold War with the Soviet Union, U.S. President Harry Truman’s decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan, and changes in America’s global role since the fall of Communism.” In January 2010, it was revealed that he had been working on the project since 2008 with American University historian Peter J. Kuznick, who co-wrote the script with Stone, along with British screenwriter Matt Graham. Stone is the director and narrator of all 10 episodes, which intend to provide an unconventional account of some of the darkest parts of twentieth century history using little known documents and newly uncovered archival material. The first three episodes of the series premiered at the New York Film Festival on October 6, 2012, which Indiewire described as “extremely compelling” and “daring”. Stone described the project as “the most ambitious thing I’ve ever done. Certainly in documentary form, and perhaps in fiction, feature form.” Because of Stone’s feature film commitments, production took four years to complete. Stone confessed “It was supposed to take two years but it’s way over schedule”, The premiere was finally set for November 12, 2012. Stone spent $1 million of his own money on the budget, which had inflated from $3 million to $5 million. The series premiered on Showtime in November 2012. Executive producers are Tara Tremaine and Rob Wilson. A book by the same name was also published. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review: Oliver Stone has always been a brave producer of political motivated films and documentaries. Movies like ‘Platoon’ won him best Picture at the 1886 Academy Awards … ‘JFK’, ‘Nixon’, and ’13 Days’ represent more political acclaimed drama, Wall Street 1 and 2 gave him creditability in understanding global financial markets … all this gives him imense creditablity and his latest project does not disappoint. He has proven his understanding of history and this series will galvanise and challenge those with poor knowledge of modern history, and those who want to forget America’s role in recent atrocities so wanting to be forgotten. This is a 10 part Documentary series and at the time of writing this review, 8 episodes have been aired on the American Showtime Network. It has not been shown in Australia – well not that I have been able to establish. Much of the archival footage is familiar, however the narrative and new footage of the Allied Leaders – i.e. Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt – during the closing stages of WWII where the carve-up of conquered Nations was being played out as a chess game of brinkmanship astounds even now. Much of this history was not taught in my history classes during the late 60’s early 70’s … and if you think current and modern-day atrocities in Syria and the like are harrowing – Stone’s presentation will give you new thoughts of what the British and American Leadership was capable of. Stalin already has a place in genocidal history – can you imagine Americans and the British having their history being challenged by the thought that they themselves were War Criminals in and during WWII … This is must view television if one sees clouds looming over the world once again as the GFC drains Nations and their ability to survive … the diplomacy exposed in this series via footage and narration is done without fear of backlash … to draw a line with modern diplomacy our current Leaders would be seen as idiots … Much can be learned from this brilliant series … it highlights flaws and mistakes made by Leaders once thought to be the best of their time … it demonstrates human frailty and its ability to place survival above fear of the unknown, fear of the future, fear that someone else will do to you what you fear most in doing to them. Oliver Stones Bio: William Oliver Stone (born September 15, 1946) is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer. Stone came into public attention in the mid 1980s and the early 1990s for writing and directing a series of films about the Vietnam War, in which he had participated as an infantry soldier. He won further attention—and controversy—with the films JFK, Natural Born Killers, and Nixon. Many of Stone’s films focus on contemporary American political and cultural issues. Stone has received three Academy Awards for his work on the films Midnight Express, Platoon, and Born on the Fourth of July. Stone was also presented with the Extraordinary Contribution to Filmmaking Award at the 2007 Austin Film Festival. British newspaper The Guardian described Stone as “one of the few committed men of the left working in mainstream American cinema.” Stone’s films often combine different camera and film formats within a single scene (including VHS and 8 mm film) as evidenced in JFK, Natural Born Killers, and Nixon. Review Score: Highly recommend viewing. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating: 9.0/10 … [Note about REVIEW ratings –
Not all movies in the 5.5-6.5 range are reviewed – just the ones that offer special qualities.] |
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| [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of human effort and genuine research undertakings. If you have enjoyed the review and feel it has contributed – a small donation would be appreciated. Please use the gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text. All donations are thankfully received and go to helping to maintain the content of this site.]
It would be very much appreciated if you could also report any broken LINKS using the e-mail address below: E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourites Review: “Garrow’s Law” (2009) TV Show Seasons 1-2 …
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| Latest ‘MovieZone’ Reviews:Most recent other TV/Movie reviews at top:
“Garrow’s Law” – 2009-11 UK TV Period Law Drama Seasons 1-3 – “Last Man Standing” – 2012 TV Show (Sitcom) – Season 1 – “Detachment” – 2011 Movie – “The Newsroom”– 2012 TV Season 1 – “For Love of the Game” – 1999 Movie – “A Game of Thrones” – 2011 TV Series Season 1-2 – “Doc Martin” – 2011 TV Comedy Season 1-5 – “Spartacus” – 2012 TV Drama Season 1-3 Other EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Front Page … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of All Oscar Nominated Movie Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Oscar Movies Decade Reviews – … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Favourites Movie and TV Show Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of You-Tube “SCENE” uploads … Link to Wikipedia’s – Oscar Best Movie Winners and Nominations … |
Title: – EYE-BALL MovieZone review – – TV Show: “Garrow’s Law” – | Author: EYE-BALL MovieZone | Undated 9th Nov 2012 | |
Review Links – 2009-10 TV Show – “Garrow’s Law”
TV Show Review: Garrow’s Law: [Pasted from Wikipedia]- Garrow’s Law is a British period legal drama about the 19th-century lawyer William Garrow. The series debuted on 1 November 2009 on BBC One and BBC HD. A second series was announced on 7 July 2010 and was broadcast from 14 November 2010. A third series consisting of four episodes was commissioned and was aired from 13 November 2011. Garrow’s Law was cancelled after three series in February 2012. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review: I love quality Law drama that is both engaging and creative … by far ‘Boston Legal’ offered the best law drama ever with wit, humour, and orations about Political and Social issues that both engaged and had relevance. Garrow’s Law is Boston Legal 200 years ago – William Garrow was a barrister in the early form of the profession and his court was the ‘Old Baily’. The three season, 12 episodes cover some of the land breaking laws of the time that have relevance today … there is a love triangle introduced that works and presents Garrow as a complex man for simple times .. The idea of innocence before proven guilt was challenged by Garrow in real-life – read William Garrow’s bio here – you will thoroughly enjoy this series … Highly recommend viewing EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating: 7.5/10 … [Note about REVIEW ratings –
Not all movies in the 5.5-6.5 range are reviewed – just the ones that offer special qualities.] |
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| [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of human effort and genuine research undertakings. If you have enjoyed the review and feel it has contributed – a small donation would be appreciated. Please use the gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text. All donations are thankfully received and go to helping to maintain the content of this site.]It would be very much appreciated if you could also report any broken LINKS using the e-mail address below:
E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourites Review: “Last Man Standing” (2012) TV Show Season 1 …
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| Latest ‘MovieZone’ Reviews:
Most recent reviews at top: – “Detachment” – 2011 Movie Review – “The Newsroom”– 2012 TV Season 1 – “For Love of the Game” – 1999 Movie – “A Game of Thrones” – 2011 TV Series Season 1-2 – “Doc Martin” – 2011 TV Comedy Season 1-5 – “Spartacus” – 2012 TV Drama Season 1-3 Other EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Front Page … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of All Oscar Nominated Movie Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Oscar Movies Decade Reviews – … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of Favourites Movie and TV Show Reviews … Link to EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Index of You-Tube “SCENE” uploads … Link to Wikipedia’s – Oscar Best Movie Winners and Nominations … |
Title: – EYE-BALL MovieZone review – – TV Show: “Last Man Standing” – | Author: EYE-BALL MovieZone | Undated 3rd Sep 2012 | |
Review Links – 2012 TV Show- “Last Man Standing”
TV Show Review: Last Man Standing: [Pasted from Wikipedia]- The series follows Mike Baxter, a director of marketing at an outdoor sporting goods store in Denver, Colorado, whose world is dominated by women – especially at home with his wife and three daughters, one of whom is a single mother. ‘Tim the Toolman’s’ Tim Allan from ‘Home Improvement’ fame has returned with another ‘MAN’ show hit success. The first season of “Last Man Standing” – some 24 episodes – wrapped up its US debut season in May 2012. As with ‘Home Improvement’ Australian TV exec’s passed on taking up the series much to Aussie fans disgust. This show showed promise from the very first episodes – Nancy Travis another favourite actress fronts as his wife and along with three daughters, poor old Mike Baxter – (Tim Allen’s role) – gets to deal with all types of gender and real life issues. Some of the ‘Home Improvement’ format forms part of the success of this show and it still works big time. The laughs never stop and Hector Elizondo plays a support character to help make the show work. Highly recommend viewing Recommended viewing … EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating: 7.5/10 … [Note about REVIEW ratings –
Not all movies in the 5.5-6.5 range are reviewed – just the ones that offer special qualities.] [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of human effort and genuine research undertakings. If you have enjoyed the review and feel it has contributed – a small donation would be appreciated. Please use the gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text. All donations are thankfully received and go to helping to maintain the content of this site.] It would be very much appreciated if you could also report any broken LINKS using the e-mail address below: E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourites – “The Newsroom (2012)” – TV Series …
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| EYE-BALL MovieZone’s – Favourite Movies and TV Series: New TV Series – “The Newsroom” |
 The EYE-BALL MovieZone” Favourites Index” is a collection of movies that did not make the Oscar Nominations list, TV Series, and TV Mini-Series that have made a select list of extreme entertainment and compelling viewing.
Each of these FAVOURITE’s have a special quality that creates a viewer anticipation of the plot and where it will take us as the story unfolds. ________________________________________ Review – 2012 – “The Newsroom” Season 1 – Episode 1″ Movie/TV Show Links:
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Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia]- The Newsroom: The Newsroom is an American drama television series created by Aaron Sorkin that premiered on HBO on June 24, 2012. The series chronicles the behind-the-scenes events at the fictional Atlantis Cable News (ACN) channel. It features an ensemble cast including Jeff Daniels as anchor Will McAvoy, who, together with his staff set out to put on a news show “in the face of corporate and commercial obstacles and their own personal entanglements.”[1] Other cast members include Emily Mortimer, John Gallagher, Jr., Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski, Dev Patel, Olivia Munn, and Sam Waterston. Sorkin, who created the Emmy Award-winning political drama The West Wing, was reportedly developing a cable-news-centered TV drama since 2009. After months of negotiations, premium cable network HBO ordered a pilot in January 2011 and then a full series in September that year. Sorkin did his research for the series by observing several real-world cable news programs first hand. He serves as executive producer, along with Scott Rudin and Alan Poul. ________________________________________ This new HBO series from Aaron Sorkin promises everything “West Wing” fans have been waiting for. There has only been one episode released but the promise of another nine episodes in this first season has created great expectation and anticipation. Jeff Daniels is believable as the Anchor wanting to make a difference – his Executive Producer – [Emily Mortimer] – and with a developing sub plot concerning a past romantic involvement with Daniels adds spice – but she also had her moments in front of the camera. This is engaging TV – you want the good guys to win – it’s early days and working out who the good guys are is a work in progress … Sorkin you have a winner. Sam Waterson adds plenty as the Senior Exec who plugs Daniels character into a new style News show and the opening scene sets the standard. This is compelling viewing for all who think that News delivery as we receive it in real life has a ‘used by’ stamp attached. Sorkin has his strengths – one bing to be able to tap into what concerns most and what we think about in our sub-conscious. His issues are our issues and he puts pen to paper and creates fiction that helps us work it all out. His vision of news is revealed in this pilot episode and whilst it remains fiction – all News rooms will watch this show and strive to do better. This first episode covers the BP ‘oil-spill’ in the Gulf of Mexico – it’s powerful TV and can’t wait for the next episode. The show has a 10 episode season in Nth America running from 24th June to Late Aug 2012. It will be picked up for a 2nd season else there will be riots. It is not known if it will be picked up in Australia this year – that is our loss as it is with so many good TV shows shown on American TV never making it down under. Highly recommended viewing … EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 9.0/10 … ________________________________________ [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of genuine research and affection for quality shows. If you have enjoyed the review and feel it has contributed – a small donation would be appreciated. Please use the gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text. All funds received are thankfully received and help maintain the content of this site.] All EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourites – “Spartacus” – TV Series …
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| EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourite Movies and TV Series: TV Series – “Spartacus“… |
 The EYE-BALL MovieZone” Favourites Index” is a collection of movies that did not make the Oscar Nominations list and TV Series and Mini-Series that have made a select list of extreme entertainment. Each of these FAVOURITE’s have a special quality that make them a part of the EYE-BALL MovieZone’s Favourites list.
[Just a small note – this is a free website – there are no fees or charges – there is a gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text – please if you are enjoying the site and are inclined to want to make a donation – please use the link provided. All finds received are thankfully received and they go a long way to help maintain the content of this site. Movie posters appearing at this site have been copied from Wikipedia and other research related source sites.] ________________________________________ Review – 2012 – “Spartacus” Season 3 – Vengeance” Movie/TV Show Links:
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Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia]- Series 1 – Gods of the Arena The mini-series features the history of the House of Batiatus and the city of Capua before the arrival of Spartacus. The main story opens not long after Quintus Lentulus Batiatus becomes lanista, manager of the House’s slaves and gladiators, when he takes over his father’s ludus. Batiatus is quickly revealed as having grand ambitions, beginning with stepping out of his father’s shadow. As the story progresses, Batiatus continues to seeking greatness for the House under his leadership, as well as recognition for his own name. By his side stands his devoted wife, Lucretia, who is willing to help her husband achieve his goals regardless of the cost. Batiatus soon places all of his fortunes on one man whom he believes will bring fame and glory to the House of Batiatus, his best gladiator, the Celt Gannicus. Gannicus is a skilled warrior almost without equal, who wields his dual swords in the arena with great prowess. However, Batiatus’ opponents would not sit idly and allow his ascent to greatness without challenge. Purchased as an undisciplined and disheveled recruit in the first episode, Crixus the Gaul initially endures mockery and threats of death, before eventually rising to become the a gladiator of skill and fame second only to Gannicus. As Batiatus fends off repeated attempts by his professional rival Tullius to obtain Gannicus, his relationships with his father Titus and friend Solonius begin to suffer the strain of Quintus’ relentless ambition. Former champion gladiator Oenomaus reluctantly retires from combat to become Doctore, while Syrian recruits Ashur and Dagan become fierce enemies as Ashur tries to prove himself worthy of being a gladiator. Veteran gladiators Barca and Gannicus accept the rising star of Crixus but fear that their own careers will suffer, as the machinations of Batiatus and Lucretia to court Capua’s elite end in tragedy for several members of the household. Against all of this, the city’s splendid new arena nears completion and with it the opening games that will make men into gods. When the arena opens, the match between Solonius’ and Batiatus’ gladiators compete with each other. Batiatus’s gladiators prevail in the contest. Gannicus again proves himself to be the champion of Capua and the god of the arena and by virtue of his win against Solonius’ gladiators, becomes the champion of Capua and gains his freedom. Click here for List of all Spartacus Episodes … [again – Pasted from Wikipedia] Series 2 – Blood and Sand The story begins with an unnamed Thracian’s involvement in a unit of Roman auxiliary in a campaign against the Getae (Dacian tribes that occupied the regions of the Lower Danube, in what today is Bulgaria and Romania) under the command of the legatus, Claudius Glaber. In 72-71 BC, Roman general Marcus Terentius Varro Lucullus, proconsul of the Roman province of Macedonia, marched against the Getae, who were allies of Rome’s enemy, Mithridates VI of Pontus. The Getae frequently raid the Thracians’ lands, so the Thracians are persuaded by Glaber to enlist in the Romans’ service as auxiliaries. Glaber is persuaded by his wife Ilithyia to seek greater glory, decides to break off attacking the Getae and directly confront the forces of Mithridates in Asia Minor. The Thracian, feeling betrayed, leads a mutiny against Glaber, and returns to find his village destroyed. The Thracian and his wife Sura, are captured by Glaber the next day; the Thracian is condemned to die in the gladiator arena for his crime, while Sura is taken away, condemned to slavery. The Thracian is shipped to Capua in Italy, a center of gladiator training. Against all odds in the arena he slays the four gladiators appointed to execute him and becomes an instant sensation with the crowd. Senator Albinius commutes the punishment from death to slavery. The prisoner’s true name unknown, Lentulus Batiatus, the owner of a ludus in Capua, suggests to name him “Spartacus”, because he fought like the ferocious Thracian king of that name. Noting well the Thracian’s fierce raw talent and popularity with the masses, Batiatus purchases him for training within the walls of his ludus under the tutelage of Doctore, a former gladiator and fellow slave. He is befriended by Varro, a Roman who sold himself into slavery in order to pay his debts and support his family. He is harassed by more senior gladiators, notably Crixus, an undefeated Gaul, and Barca, a Carthaginian. Spartacus soon learns that Sura was sold to a Syrian slave trader. Batiatus, who has been unable to control Spartacus during his first days of training, promises to find Sura and reunite them in exchange for the promising neophyte’s cooperation in the arena. After many near-fatal ordeals and much further training Spartacus attains the status of a living legend and is named the “Champion of Capua”. Batiatus arranges the purchase of Sura, but she is delivered mortally wounded, supposedly having been waylaid by bandits en route. Her murder was secretly ordered by Batiatus to keep Spartacus loyal and focused. Spartacus casts off his heritage as a Thracian and forgets his dream of freedom, becoming content with life as champion. The turning point comes when Spartacus is set to fight his only friend in the ludus, Varro, in an exhibition match celebrating the coming to manhood of the Capuan magistrate’s son, Numerius. Ilithyia, who has hated Spartacus since he embarrassed her husband Glaber by his mutiny, seduces the young man and convinces him to demand death for the loser of the match. Spartacus wins (as expected), and when the young man gives the “thumbs down”, Batiatus, wishing to ingratiate himself with the boy’s powerful father, forces Spartacus to comply and kill Varro. While suffering from both his wound in this match and his remorse and sorrow over having to kill his friend, Spartacus has fever dreams that lead him to discover that Batiatus arranged Sura’s death. Knowing that it is all or nothing when it comes to resistance of his enslavement, he resolves to “kill them all” and lead a revolt against the ruling house he once fought for. In order to get his revenge, Spartacus enlists the help of Crixus and the rest of the gladiators to defeat the house of Batiatus once and for all. A battle to the death between Crixus and Spartacus is arranged for the Capuan elite at the ludus. Doctore (who Batiatus refers to by his real name, Oenomaus) confronts Batiatus about Barca’s death and Ashur’s hand in it. Spartacus gains support from Mira who is tasked with opening the gate to the villa from the training area. Crixus resists aiding Spartacus in hopes of reuniting with Naevia; however, after learning he was weakened to ensure Spartacus’ victory, at the last moment he joins with Spartacus. Doctore initially stops Spartacus from killing Batiatus. In the ensuing chaos of the gladiators killing the guards and some guests, Crixus persuades Doctore to join him with Spartacus, Illithyia escapes and has her guards seal the door to the ludus from the outside, Doctore, making good on his word, tries to kill Ashur but ends up being eluded, Crixus grievously wounds Batiatus’ wife, Lucretia, with a sword stab to her abdomen piercing her womb and killing their unborn child, Aurelia kills Numerius after revealing to him that Varro was her husband, and Spartacus finally kills Batiatus in front of the seriously wounded Lucretia. After the massacre, Spartacus vows to make “Rome tremble”. Series 3 – Vengeance After the bloody escape from the House of Batiatus that concluded Spartacus: Blood and Sand, the gladiator rebellion begins to strike fear into the heart of the Roman Republic in Spartacus: Vengeance. Praetor Claudius Glaber and his Roman troops are sent to Capua to crush Spartacus’ growing band of freed slaves before they can inflict further damage. Spartacus is given a choice between satisfying his personal need for vengeance against the man who condemned his wife to slavery and eventual death, or making the larger sacrifices necessary to keep his budding army from breaking apart ________________________________________ This is a brilliant series – rivals “Game of Thrones” for authenticity and realism – plenty of blood-thirsty graphic scenes combined with backgrounds made up of slave tits and ass … The main actor playing Spartacus in Series 1 – Andy Whitfield – became diagnosed with non-Hodgkin lymphoma during the first series – he died some months later and this required a rethink on Series 2 – whilst looking to replace Whitfield the series producers wrote 6 episodes that became Series 2 that take place before the timeframe Series 1 takes place in … Whitfield made the part his own and the series suffered greatly with his exit … Series 3 has a new Spartacus and it took a few episodes to live up the quality of the first two series – but Season 3 is currently at Episode 9 in this 12 part series – the plot is riveting … Highly recommended viewing … EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 9.0/10 … ________________________________________ [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of genuine research which has taken considerable time and effort. If you have enjoyed the product of these efforts a small donation would be appreciated. There is a gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text – please if you have the time and are so inclined to want to make a donation – please use the link provided. All funds received are thankfully received and they go a long way to help maintain the content of this site.] All EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – YouTube Uploads – Voyeurism and Fantasy …
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| Subject: – Voyeurism and Fantasy … |
| One of the oldest enjoyments man or woman can experience is fantasy – and in most cases that comes in some form of voyeurism. EYE-BALL YouTube and MovieZone has created an upload of an example of two such TV created experiences.
The TV Law series ‘Boston Legal‘ created many wonderful moments in television – the following YouTube uploads are presented for your enjoyment. The two scenes are from Series 1 – Sixth episode Titled – “Truth be Told” – Scene 1 – The voyeurism … Scene 2 – The Fantasy relived … Alan Shore – [James Spader’s Character] – chuckles the heart – David E Kelly’s genus in Law settings is proven – ‘Aly McBeal‘, ‘The Practice‘ and ‘Boston Legal‘ – all to do with the trivialisation of serious issues with serious dialog and grandstand orations to climax the ending is television viewing of the deluxe variety. Denny Crane – [William Shatner] – plays the perfect foil – in a personal relationship between Yoda and EYE-BALL – half the battle was in either yielding who was Alan Shore and who was Denny Crane – both had egos and those egos both wanted to be Alan Shore … only one had the credentials and the other could never see the irony in that. It was the base level animosity that always existed. ‘Boston Legal’ is great relief to those who see injustice at every turn – it’s nice to see the small guys beat the system week in week out. We all know that justice is never served equally – at least David E Kelly gave the little guys the chance to feel they beat the justice system. These YouTube uploads are part of the EYE-BALL MovieZone’s ongoing project into OSCAR MOVIES – and the best of TV Series and scenes that made and make a difference. The above clips can also be viewed on-line at – ___________________________________________
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourites – “Doc Martin” – British Comedy ..
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| EYE-BALL MovieZone – Favourite Movies and TV Series: TV Series – “Doc Martin“… |
| The EYE-BALL MovieZone” Favourites Index” is a collection of movies that did not make the Oscar Nominations list and TV Series and Mini-Series that have made a select list of extreme entertainment. Each of these FAVOURITE’s have a special quality that make them a part of the EYE-BALL MovieZone’s Favourites list.
[Just a small note – this is a free website – there are no fees or charges – there is a gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text – please if you are enjoying the site and are inclined to want to make a donation – please use the link provided. All finds received are thankfully received and they go a long way to help maintain the content of this site. Movie posters appearing at this site have been copied from Wikipedia and other research related source sites.] ________________________________________ Review – 2011 – “Doc Martin” Movie/TV Show Links:
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[Pasted from Wikipedia]- Doc Martin is a British television comedy drama series starring Martin Clunes in the title role. It was created by Mark Crowdy, Craig Ferguson and Dominic Minghella. The show is filmed on location in the fishing village of Port Isaac, Cornwall, United Kingdom, with filming of most interior scenes and production in a converted local barn. Four series of episodes were aired between 2004 and 2009, together with a feature-length special that aired on Christmas Day 2006. The fifth series premiered on Monday 12 September, 2011 at 9pm in the UK. Series Synopsis: Click here for IMBD home page and the following link for all “Doc Martin” Series and Episode summaries: [again – Pasted from Wikipedia] Clunes plays Dr. Martin Ellingham, a brilliant and successful vascular surgeon at Imperial College London who develops haemophobia (a fear of blood) which developed after having contemplated that a patient, upon whom he was about to operate, was in fact a person with a life and familial relationships, etc., and from that moment, like a high-wire artist who unwisely looks down, he lost his nerve. The haemophobia prevents him from performing operations, and thus he quits vascular surgery. After retraining, he applies for and obtains a post as the “GP” or General Practitioner in the sleepy Cornish village of Portwenn, where he spent childhood holidays with his aunt. Upon arriving in Portwenn, Dr. Ellingham (called “Doc Martin” by the locals), finds the surgery in disarray, the medical equipment beyond repair, and the patients’ records in a mess. He inherits an incompetent receptionist, Elaine Denham (played by Lucy Punch), who resents his coming. Her character is replaced in Series 2-4 by new receptionist and later phlebotomist Pauline Lamb (played by Katherine Parkinson). The show revolves around Ellingham’s interactions with the local Cornish villagers. Despite his medical brilliance, Ellingham is a gruff man, completely lacking in social skills. His cold, abrasive manner offends many of the villagers and leads to frequent misunderstandings. He seems to be short tempered and lacking in a bedside manner, however going about his duties in a no nonsense attitude, not believing in wasting time chatting with the villagers. His haemophobia, which results in frequent, nearly debilitating bouts of nausea and vomiting as he attends to routine patient care needs, becomes known in the village as a matter of gossip and ridicule. His aunt, Joan Norton, portrayed by Stephanie Cole, provides emotional support in the face of the disquiet his abrupt manner causes among the villagers. Caroline Catz plays primary school teacher Louisa Glasson. Doc Martin is attracted to her but finds it difficult to express his feelings. Louisa, whose caring and nurturing manner contrasts with his emotionally detached and neurotic behaviour, somehow finds him attractive as well. I spent this thoroughly engrossed in the UK hit TV Comedy serious – “Doc Martin” – there has been a two year break in the show and the latest Series 5 was a very eagerly awaited series given where Series 4 finished – remember the baby being born and the whole of Portwenn listening on Doc’s mobile – a riveting end to a series that you knew there had to be a follow-up series. Well – two years later that series arrived and delivered t millions of fans around the world. The ending to the latest Series 5 is such that it might well be the last series – the shows producers have not announced plans for a 6th season, yet the ratings for this series where very high … and deservedly so – it is excellent television Some 15 years ago there was an Australian ABC TV Series called “Sea Change” – the plot and character draw ‘Doc Martin’ offers is very similar to ‘Sea Change’. This weeks viewing was a week where audible laughter was heard – every episode has its moment where the ‘Doc’ makes all the viewers cringe with his awkwardness. One time-honoured moment came when the ‘Doc’ and his love interest kiss on-screen for the second time – the Doc tells her that her in medical terms about her bad breath – it was a precious moment and the show is littered with this dry of dryest humour … As a comedt series it rates with ‘Boston Legal’ for wit and drama – I would love to see a 6th season and betond – but the character has now come to aplace where the show’s producers will hav eto tame the ‘Doc’ for it to continue and that I fear will not make the show what it is. Highly recommended viewing … EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 9.0/10 … ________________________________________ [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of genuine research which has taken considerable time and effort. If you have enjoyed the product of these efforts a small donation would be appreciated. There is a gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text – please if you have the time and are so inclined to want to make a donation – please use the link provided. All funds received are thankfully received and they go a long way to help maintain the content of this site.] All EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Best Picture Oscar Nominated Movies – 1965
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| EYE-BALL MovieZone – Oscar Movies 1965: |
| 1965 Nominees:
[Oscar Best Picture Winner – highlighted – click Nominee Movie links provided to navigate your way up and down the page – each Movie has additional links to Bit Torrent ‘downloads’ links, Wikipedia Links for all the information about the nominated movie, and the EYE-BALL MovieZone Reviews and ratings. Movie posters appearing at this site have been copied from Wikipedia and other research related source sites.] Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
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“The Sound of Music”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Rodgers and Hammerstein’s The Sound of Music is a 1965 American musical film directed by Robert Wise and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer. The film is based on the Broadway musical The Sound of Music, with songs written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, and with the musical book written by the writing team of Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse. Ernest Lehman wrote the screenplay. The musical originated with the book The Story of the Trapp Family Singers by Maria von Trapp. It contains many popular songs, including “Edelweiss”, “My Favorite Things”, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, “Do-Re-Mi”, “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”, and “The Lonely Goatherd”, as well as the title song. The movie version was filmed on location in Salzburg, Austria; Bavaria in Southern Germany; and at the 20th Century Fox Studios in California. It was photographed in 70mm Todd-AO by Ted D. McCord. It won a total of five Academy Awards including Best Picture in 1965 and is one of the most popular musicals ever produced. The cast album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Album of the Year. Adjusted for inflation, it made $1.046 billion domestically (at 2010 prices), putting it third on the list of all-time inflation-adjusted box office hits, behind Gone with the Wind and Star Wars.[3] In 2001, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry as it was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] –
Maria’s life suddenly changes when a widowed Austrian Navy Captain, Georg von Trapp (Christopher Plummer) writes to the abbey asking for a governess for his seven children. Mother Abbess (Peggy Wood) asks Maria to take the position on a probationary basis; previous governesses though, have not lasted long. She is worried about what awaits her at the von Trapp household, but is determined to succeed (“I Have Confidence”). Maria, upon arrival at the von Trapp estate, finds that the Captain keeps it in strict shipshape order, blows a whistle, issues orders, and dresses his children in sailor-suit uniforms. While they are initially hostile to her, they warm to her when she comforts them during a thunderstorm (“My Favorite Things”). Liesl (Charmian Carr), the oldest, who is “Sixteen Going on Seventeen”, sneaks into Maria’s window after a secret meeting with a messenger boy, Rolfe (Daniel Truhitte). At first she is adamant that she “doesn’t need a governess”, but Maria offers to be her friend, and she acquiesces. Maria teaches them how to sing (“Do-Re-Mi”) and to play, sewing playclothes for them from discarded drapes in her room.
When he discovers the children performing a reprise of “The Sound of Music” for the Baroness, he changes his mind. Maria has brought music back into his home, and he begs her to stay. Things get better at the household. She and the children perform a puppet show (“The Lonely Goatherd”) that Max gave to them. He announces that he has entered the children in the Salzburg Festival; the Captain, however, forbids their participation. Maria and the children insist that he sing a song, knowing that he used to play and sing with a guitar, and he agrees (“Edelweiss”). At a soiree thrown in Baroness Schraeder’s honor, eleven-year-old Kurt observes guests dancing the Laendler, and asks Maria to teach him the steps. The Captain cuts in and partners her in a graceful performance, culminating in a close clinch. At that moment, she breaks off and blushes. The children perform “So Long, Farewell” to say goodnight to the guests, receiving enthusiastic applause. The Baroness, jealous of Maria, convinces her to return to Nonnberg. Maria leaves the estate and returns to the abbey, where she keeps herself in seclusion until Mother Abbess gently confronts her, urging her to “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” in search of God’s will for her. At this command, she returns to the von Trapp family, finding that the Captain is now engaged to the Baroness. However, he breaks off the engagement, realizing that he is in love with Maria. He meets Maria in his gazebo and they declare their love for each other (“Something Good”). The two wed in an elaborate ceremony at the Salzburg Cathedral, with many of Austria’s elite, as well as the nuns from Nonnberg Abbey, in attendance. While the new couple is away on their honeymoon in Paris, Max grooms the children to perform in the Salzburg Music Festival, against the Captain’s wishes. At the same time, Austria is annexed into the Third Reich in the Anschluss (actual date was March 12, 1938). When the Captain returns, he is informed that he must report as soon as possible to the Nazi Naval Headquarters in Bremerhaven, to accept a commission in the German Navy. He is opposed to Nazism, and stalls by insisting he must perform with his family that night in the Salzburg Festival, now politicized and showcased as a Nazi event under the patronage of Hans Zeller (Ben Wright), recently appointed as the Nazi Gauleiter. Zeller agrees, but orders the Captain to depart immediately after the performance. The choreography of the final song, “So Long, Farewell”, allows the family to leave slowly, a few at a time, and as the winners are announced, they flee. At first they hide in the abbey, but are discovered by Rolfe (who had joined the Nazi party) and flee again. The Nazis are unable to pursue them, as the nuns have stolen their spark plug wires and ignition coil. The final shot shows the von Trapps climbing over the Alps into Switzerland, as “Climb Ev’ry Mountain”, reprised by a choir, swells to a grand conclusion. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … Where do you start to review what you think to be the best movie every made – from 1928 – 2011 – some 83 years of Best Picture Nominated Movies, EYE-BALL MovieZone rates this movie the best of the lot with a 9.5/10 rating. Even 50 odd years after its release – it is as entertaining as it was when it first hit movie screens – the characters are ageless – the music forever young – the plot and concept where ‘good v evil’ and the history of Nazi memories – will always make this story a hit with the world. Julie Andrews brings her magical voice to a Rodgers and Hammerstein’s musical tale and the music made the movie. From the sweeping hills in the opening scenes to the ‘Edelweiss’ at the end of the movie – viewers are enthralled by both story and the music of Austria … This movie was the last of the truly great musicals ever made – and quickly on the heels of “My Fair Lady” – Best Picture winner 1964. Highly recommended – a much watch every year with the family movie – and of course the Nuns – Nuns always bring an additional element to a movie – always a positive and always a distraction … EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 9.5/10 … ________________________________________
“Darling”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Darling is a 1965 British comedy/drama film written by Frederic Raphael, directed by John Schlesinger, and starring Julie Christie, Dirk Bogarde, and Laurence Harvey. It is considered one of Schlesinger’s best films and an insightful satire of mid-sixties British culture. It was a breakout role for young actress Julie Christie, who, much like her character Diana, went on to become an international star. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Darling tells the story of a bored young married woman named Diana Scott (Julie Christie) who drifts up the social and economic ladders of modern society without really knowing what she wants. Initially she draws the attention of a television journalist (Dirk Bogarde) and they both leave their spouses to begin an affair. After growing increasingly bored with this relationship, she begins working as a television and print model and minor actress, this work bringing her into the orbit of a cynical ad executive (Laurence Harvey). Eventually, both relationships fall apart, but while shooting a television commercial in Italy, she meets an aging, widowed Italian prince (Jose Luis de Villalonga) with several children and marries him. The marriage proves unsatisfactory, but she eventually discovers that there is no way out . . . EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … This movie had no right ro be Best Picture nominated – it’s a rambling self narrated story about a woman struggling with choices she makes – her life was never interesting to start with from a story perspective and it never got any better. Bogarde and Christie offer perhaps the worst performances of their career – the plot is downright boring – its made in B&W in the mid sixties when everything was done in colour – and the direction and setting choices are all done on the cheap … Would not waste your time in a recommendation … EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 1.0/10 … ________________________________________
“Dr Zhivago”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Doctor Zhivago (Russian: До́ктор Жива́го) is a 1965 epic drama-romance-war film directed by David Lean and loosely based on the famous novel of the same name by Boris Pasternak. It has remained popular for decades, and as of 2010 is the eighth highest grossing film of all time in the United States, adjusted for inflation Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – The film takes place, for the most part, during the tumultuous period of 1912–1923, the years which included World War I, the Russian Revolution and Russian Civil War, as the regime of Tsar Nicholas II was overthrown and the Soviet Union established. A framing device, from which the film is narrated, takes place some time in the late 1940s to early 1950s, though a specific date is never mentioned. The film’s framing device involves the KGB Lieutenant General Yevgraf Andreyevich Zhivago (Alec Guinness) searching for the illegitimate child of his half brother, poet and doctor Yuri Andreyevich Zhivago (Omar Sharif), and his mistress Larissa (“Lara”) Antipova (Julie Christie). (It is briefly mentioned that Yuri Andreyevich’s “Lara poems” are finally back in print after being banned for some time.) Yevgraf believes a young woman named Tonya Komarovskaya (Rita Tushingham) working on a dam project may be his niece. Around 1950, Yevgraf narrates the story for her, periodically appearing in it, though he rarely interacts with any other characters (and never speaks except in voice-over) in the flashbacks. Yevgraf tells Tonya the story of her father’s life. Yuri Zhivago’s father abandons the family and Yuri’s mother dies when he is a child, leaving him only a balalaika. Left destitute, Yuri is taken in by his mother’s friends, the Gromekos—Alexander ‘Sasha’ (Ralph Richardson) and Anna (Siobhán McKenna)—and their daughter Tonya (Geraldine Chaplin). Gromeko is a retired medical professor living in Moscow. As a result, years later in 1913, Zhivago is able to enter medical school, studying under Professor Boris Kurt (Geoffrey Keen). Though he is already a poet of some renown, Yuri does not think he can support a family as a poet and decides to become a doctor. Lara, meanwhile, lives with her mother (Adrienne Corri), a dressmaker who is being “advised” by Victor Ipolitovich Komarovsky (Rod Steiger), a corrupt attorney, who was a friend and business partner of Zhivago’s father. Lara becomes engaged to Pavel Pavlovich (“Pasha”) Antipov (Tom Courtenay). Originally an idealistic social democrat (Lara teasingly calls him “an awful prig”), Pasha drifts into Left-wing extremism after being wounded by sabre-wielding Cossacks during a peaceful protest. This leaves him with a conspicuous scar across his cheek which marks him for life. The same evening, Komarovsky takes Lara to an expensive restaurant and seduces her. After Lara returns home, Pasha shows up at Lara’s home, revealing his scarred face to Lara and tells her to hide a Smith & Wesson revolver that he picked up at the demonstration, telling her to hide it and shoot any capitalists in revenge for the massacre of the demonstrators. Lara becomes more deeply involved with Komarovsky, until her mother finally discovers their affair. As a result of the discovery, Lara’s mother tries to commit suicide by swallowing iodine. Komarovsky discovers her and summons help from Kurt and his assistant Zhivago, who thus sees Lara for the first time. When Pasha, now a dedicated Bolshevik, informs Komarovsky of his intentions to marry Lara, Komarovsky is not amused. He tries to dissuade Lara from marrying Pasha, and then rapes her. In revenge, Lara takes a pistol she has been concealing for Pasha, tracks Komarovsky to a Christmas Eve party and shoots him. Komarovsky is not killed but only shot in the arm. Although the diners wish to notify the police, Komarovsky insists that no action be taken against Lara, who is escorted out by Pasha. Yuri, who is also present at the party, sees Pasha. Although enraged and devastated by Lara’s infidelity, Pasha cannot bring himself to strike her. Komarovsky’s wound is treated by Yuri. Komarovsky tells Yuri that he had known his father Andreyevich. In the aftermath, Pasha marries Lara and they have a daughter, Katya Antipova. The movie then moves ahead to the outbreak of World War I in 1914. Yevgraf Zhivago reveals that he is a Russian Social Democratic Labour Party member when narrating, intending to subvert the Imperial Russian Army for Vladimir Lenin’s Bolsheviks. Yuri, who is by this time married to Tonya Gromeko, becomes a battlefield doctor along the Eastern Front. Leaving his wife and his daughter, Pasha Antipov joins a volunteer regiment (“Happy men don’t volunteer,” Yevgraf is heard to say in voice-over), according to Yevgraf, Pasha became a trusted man to his comrades, then as Yevgraf continues narrating, the film shows corpses of Russian and German soldiers on frozen empty World War I battlefields. Then in the winter of 1915, the army unit that Pasha is in, has half of the troops unarmed with their boots and greatcoats worn out. The officer (which Yevgraf described as who the soldiers didn’t trust) keeps ordering the troops to charge but all of them refuse to. But as Pasha grabs a Mosin-Nagant rifle and jumps out of the trench, encouraging the soldiers to advance, the soldiers, thinking that Pasha senses that they are safe to advance, charge out of the trench. As Pasha and the troops continue charging, he gets hit by German artillery fire and seemingly gets killed in action, dropping his glasses into the snow. However, he is declared missing in action. Lara enlists as a nurse in order to search for him. Meanwhile, the February Revolution breaks out and the soldiers begin to kill their officers and desert en masse. Travelling with a group of deserters, Lara again encounters Zhivago, who is with a column of replacement troops marching to the front. Zhivago enlists the help of Lara to tend to the wounded. The two manage a makeshift hospital in a nearby dacha for the remainder of the war and are parted after the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk. After the war, Yuri returns to Moscow, learns that his mother-in-law has died and that the Gromekos’ house has been divided into tenements by the new Soviet government. Yuri meets his son Sasha for the first time since the boy was an infant, and resumes his old job at the local hospital. Angered that his family lacks firewood for the family stove, one night Yuri steals wood from a fence, where he is spotted by his half-brother, Yevgraf, who is working for the CHEKA. Yevgraf follows him home, identifies himself, and informs Zhivago that his poems have been condemned by Soviet censors as antagonistic to Communism. After explaining that this puts their whole family at risk for collective punishment, Yevgraf helps arrange for rail passes for their transport to the Gromeko estate at Varykino, in the Ural Mountains. Zhivago, Tonya, Sasha and Alexander board a heavily-guarded cattle train which contains a detachment of labour conscripts bound for the gulag—including the hot-headed dissident anarchist intellectual, Kostoyed Amoursky (Klaus Kinski)—and a large contingent of Red Guards. At one point, the train passes through the village of Mink, which has been shelled by Red forces commanded by People’s Commissar Strelnikov, with one old woman from the village taken onto the train with a dead infant. As the train stopped somewhere near the Urals, an armoured train adorned with red flags passes by as the Bolshevik sailors and the old woman saying that the armoured train is Strelnikov’s, with Strelnikov standing at the back of the armoured train. In a closeup on his face, it reveals that Strelnikov is actually Pasha, who is apparently alive. While the Urals train is stopped in the Urals, Zhivago wanders away from the train, listens to the sound of a waterfall, and stumbles across Strelnikov’s armoured train sitting on a hidden siding. Believing that Yuri is about to assassinate the Commissar, the Red Guards arrest him and bring him before Strelnikov. To his amazement, Yuri immediately recognises the Commissar as Pasha Antipov, now an anti-Revisionist, whom he recognized at the Christmas eve party back in 1913. After a tense conversation, Strelnikov informs Yuri that Lara is alive in the town of Yuriatin—which is then occupied by the anti-Communist White Army. He then allows Zhivago to return to his family. A casual comment by the guard who takes Zhivago back to his train reveals that most people interrogated by Strelnikov end up being shot by angrily saying “you’re lucky”. Zhivago’s family arrives at Varykino, only to learn that their house has been boarded up with a sign indicating confiscation by the Soviet State, a.k.a. “the people”. Out of fear of being executed as “counter-revolutionaries”, they refrain from breaking into their own house and decide to occupy the smaller guest cottage. The family lives a mundane life until the next spring, when Zhivago goes into nearby Yuriatin and finds that Lara is still living there with Katya, and working as a librarian. The two reacquaint themselves and surrender to their longtime feelings, beginning an extra-marital affair. Zhivago feels deeply ashamed and is torn between Tonya and Lara, until Tonya becomes pregnant. Therefore, Yuri travels to Yuriatin and breaks off his relationship with Lara, only to be abducted and conscripted into service by Communist partisans under Liberius (Gérard Tichy) while riding back to Varykino. In the Partisans, Zhivago had experiences that were unacceptable to him, including seeing the Partisans firing at an advancing squad of the White Army’s St. Michael’s Military School Cadets who were lead by one of Liberius’ adversaries, and the Partisan cavalry charging across a frozen river in the winter only to be met by a machine gun. After serving with the Partisans for nearly two years, Zhivago deserts, walking through the snow to Yuriatin in an attempt to reach Varykino, but learns that Tonya and her father have “gone away — there’s no one at Varykino”. He makes his way to Lara’s flat, where the two lovers rekindle their relationship; she tells him that Tonya, her father, and Sasha have emigrated to Paris. Later she gives him a letter from Tonya, in which Tonya tells him that she’s given birth to a daughter, admitting at the end, “I must honestly admit that {Lara} Antipova is a good person.” However, Komarovsky arrives one night and informs them that they are being watched by the CHEKA, due to Lara’s marriage to Commissar Strelnikov (who has fallen from favour with the Soviet State) and Yuri’s “counter-revolutionary” poetry and desertion. Komarovsky offers Yuri and Lara his help in leaving Russia, but they refuse. Instead, they go, with Lara’s daughter Katya, to the Varykino estate, which has been left open and is frozen inside. Yuri begins writing the “Lara” poems, which later make him famous but incur government displeasure. Komarovsky reappears and tells Yuri that Strelnikov had been arrested and had committed suicide while being taken to his execution. Therefore, Lara is in immediate danger, as the CHEKA had only left her free to lure Strelnikov into the open. Zhivago scoffs at this, but Komarovsky informs him that Strelnikov had been arrested on the road only five miles from Varykino. Yuri agrees to send Lara away with Komarovsky, who has been appointed as Minister of Justice to the White government of Baron Ungern von Sternberg in Mongolia. Refusing to leave with a man he despises, Yuri remains behind. Years later during the Stalinist era, Yuri returns destitute to Moscow, where Yevgraf, now an NKVD Polkovnik, obtains for him a hospital job and buys him some new clothes. While travelling on a tram to his first day at work, Yuri sees a woman whom he recognises as Lara. Forcing his way off the tram, he runs after her, but suffers a fatal heart attack before she can see or notice him, as many other pedestrians see him pass out and rush towards him. Although he is denied an official funeral by the Soviet State, Yuri’s poetry is already being published openly due to shifts in politics and his funeral is well-attended. Among the mourners is Lara, who is surprised and deeply saddened by her beloved’s death. She approaches Yevgraf and informs him that she has given birth to Yuri’s daughter, but has become separated from her in the collapse of the Baron’s Government in Mongolia. After vainly looking over hundreds of orphans with Yevgraf’s help, Lara disappears off the street during Joseph Stalin’s Great Purge. “She died or vanished somewhere, in one of the labour camps,” recalls Yevgraf, “A nameless number, on a list that was afterwards mislaid.” When Yevgraf starts retelling Yuri’s story, Zhivago’s mother dies and he inherits her balalaika. His adoptive father informs him that his mother had a gift. The theme of artistic talent is repeated throughout the film, as Zhivago becomes a poet of great renown. At the end, set at a hydroelectric dam during the mid-1950s, Yevgraf is growing more and more convinced the young girl Tonya Komarovskaya is Yuri’s and Lara’s daughter, but she is reluctant to believe it: “I can’t be of any use to them now, can I?” Yevgraf offers, “I was hoping I might be of some use to you.” The girl ends the meeting, promising that she will “think about it”, and leaves with her boyfriend, a dam operator. While walking away, the girl slings a balalaika over her shoulder, which catches the eye of Yevgraf. He calls out to her, “Tonya, can you play the balalaika?” Her boyfriend responds, “Can she play? She is an artist!” “Who taught you?” Yevgraf asks. “No one taught her.” Yevgraf smiles and comments, “Ah, then, it’s a gift.” EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … There were only two movies in contention for Best Picture in 1965 – both were worth Best Picture winner in any other year. The story is long and slow – but the plot is deep and transfixing. Up against “The Sound of Music” – no other movie had a chance – this movie won 5 Academy Awards – the same number as “The Sound of Music” – yet the difference between the two movies is the width of the Pacific ocean … A must have in your movie collection – EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 7.5/10 … ________________________________________
“Ship Of Fools” Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Ship of Fools is a 1965 film drama which tells the overlapping stories of several passengers aboard an ocean liner bound to Germany from Mexico in 1933. It stars Vivien Leigh, Simone Signoret, José Ferrer, Lee Marvin, Oskar Werner, Michael Dunn, Elizabeth Ashley, George Segal, José Greco and Heinz Rühmann. The movie was adapted by Abby Mann from the novel of the same name by Katherine Anne Porter. It was directed by Stanley Kramer. It was to be Vivien Leigh’s last film and Christiane Schmidtmer’s first US production. The Fat Man was portrayed by Henry Calvin, who was known for starring on Walt Disney’s television series Zorro as Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia. Lt. Huebner was portrayed by Werner Klemperer, who was best known for his portrayal of Colonel Wilhelm Klink in the 1965-1971 CBS television comedy, Hogan’s Heroes. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – A pastiche of characters board a German ocean liner in Vera Cruz, Mexico, for a voyage to Bremerhaven, Germany, along with a group of workers in steerage and a not-so-exotic band of entertainers, for whom the voyage is just a job. Some are happy to be bound for a rising Nazi Germany, some are apprehensive, while others appear oblivious to its potential dangers. The ship’s doctor, Schumann, takes a special interest in La Condesa, a countess from Spain who has an addiction to drugs and is being shipped to a German-run prison. Her sense of certain doom is contrasted by the doctor’s determination to fight the forces of oppression, embodied by his insistence that the people in steerage be treated like human beings rather than animals. The doctor himself has a secret, a terminal heart condition, and his sympathy for the countess soon evolves into love. Several passengers are invited to dine each night at the captain’s table. There, some are amused and others offended by the Anti-Semitic rants of a German businessman named Rieber (Jose Ferrer). The Jewish Lowenthal is invited instead to join a dwarf named Glocken for his meals, and the two bond over their exclusion. Eventually a passenger named Freytag seems shocked to find himself ostrasized when Rieber learns that his wife is Jewish. Others aboard include a young American couple, painter David and girlfriend Jenny, who bicker because David is unhappy at his own lack of success. A divorcee, Mary Treadwell, drinks and flirts, on a quest to recapture her youth in Paris. Bill Tenny is a former baseball player disappointed in the way his career never quite took off. They are distracted by the music and the professional dancers, whose flirtations seem to skirt the edges of solicitation, or dive right in to the seedy side of oblivion. And when the passengers disembark, two are no longer with them — the countess, who has been taken to an island prison, and the doctor, who has died. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … Movie not Viewed and therefore Un-Rated – that is disappointing as all the reviews read indicate it is a good movie. Unable to find a downloadable copy … EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: Un-Rated … ________________________________________
“A Thousand Clowns”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – A Thousand Clowns is a 1962 American play by Herb Gardner, which tells the story of a young boy who lives with his eccentric uncle Murray, who is forced to conform to society in order to keep custody of the boy. A 1965 movie version was adapted from the play by Gardner and directed by Fred Coe. Gardner based the Murray Burns character on his friend, Jean Shepherd, who is said not to have appreciated the gesture Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Unemployed television writer Murray Burns (Jason Robards), lives in a cluttered New York City one-bedroom apartment with his 12-year-old nephew, Nick (Barry Gordon). Murray has been unemployed for five months after walking out on his previous job, writing jokes for a children’s television show called “Chuckles the Chipmunk”. Nick, the illegitimate son of Murray’s sister, was left with Murray seven years earlier. When Nick writes a school assignment on the benefits of unemployment insurance, his school sends social workers to investigate his living conditions. Confronted by investigators for the Child Welfare Board, Sandra Markowitz (Barbara Harris) and her superior and boyfriend Albert Amundson (William Daniels), Murray is threatened with removal of the child from his custody unless he can prove he is a capable guardian of Nick. Murray charms and seduces Sandra, who convinces Murray to obtain employment. They begin a relationship. Although Murray tries to avoid returning to work, he finds himself in a dilemma: if he wishes to keep his nephew, he must swallow his dignity and go back to work; on the other hand, he can’t let go of Nick until he thinks the boy has shown some backbone; he “wants a little guts to show.” In a confrontation with his brother and agent Arnold (Martin Balsam), Murray states his nonconformist worldview. Arnold rejoins that his own goal, by contrast, is to be “the best possible Arnold Burns”. Murray realizes that he must get a job, and after walking out on several interviews, he agrees to meet his former employer the detested “Chuckles” host, Leo Herman (Gene Saks). Leo insults Nick, but Murray refuses to do anything, upsetting Nick. But Nick stands up to Leo, telling Leo he is the fool that he so obviously is, and Murray sees the boy has finally grown a backbone; the guts have shown. At that point Murray becomes able to join the crowds of people heading to their jobs. He knows Nick has come of age. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … Robards is brilliant in his portrayal as an out of work funny-man. It begins slowly but when the origins of his having a nephew living with him are revealed the journey the movie pursues is both comical and drama worth watching. Recommended Viewing … EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 4.0/10 … ________________________________________ [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of genuine research which has taken considerable time and effort. If you have enjoyed the product of these efforts a small donation would be appreciated. There is a gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text – please if you have the time and are so inclined to want to make a donation – please use the link provided. All funds received are thankfully received and they go a long way to help maintain the content of this site.] All EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Best Picture Oscar Nominated Movies – 1964
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| EYE-BALL MovieZone – Oscar Movies 1964: |
| 1964 Nominees:
[Oscar Best Picture Winner – highlighted – click Nominee Movie links provided to navigate your way up and down the page – each Movie has additional links to Bit Torrent ‘downloads’ links, Wikipedia Links for all the information about the nominated movie, and the EYE-BALL MovieZone Reviews and ratings. Movie posters appearing at this site have been copied from Wikipedia and other research related source sites.] Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
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“My Fair Lady”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – My Fair Lady is a 1964 musical film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical, of the same name, based on the 1938 film adaptation of the original stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The ballroom scene and the ending were taken from the previous film adaptation (1938) (Pygmalion), rather than from the original play. The film was directed by George Cukor and starred Audrey Hepburn and Rex Harrison. The film won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor, and Best Director. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – In Edwardian London, Henry Higgins (Rex Harrison), an arrogant, irascible, misogynistic professor of phonetics, believes that the accent and tone of one’s voice determines a person’s prospects in society. He boasts to a new acquaintance, Colonel Hugh Pickering (Wilfrid Hyde-White), himself an expert in phonetics, that he could teach any woman to speak so “properly” that he could pass her off as a duchess at an embassy ball, citing, as an example, a young flower seller from the slums, Eliza Doolittle (Audrey Hepburn), who has a strong Cockney accent. Eliza goes to Higgins seeking speech lessons. Her great ambition is to work in a flower shop, but her thick accent makes her unsuitable for such a position. All she can afford to pay is a shilling per lesson, whereas Higgins is used to training wealthier members of society.[2] Pickering, who is staying with Higgins, is intrigued by the idea of passing a common flower girl off as a duchess and bets Higgins he cannot make good his boast, offering to pay for the lessons himself. Eliza’s father, Alfred P. Doolittle (Stanley Holloway), a dustman, shows up three days later, ostensibly to protect his daughter’s virtue, but in reality simply to extract some money from Higgins, and is bought off with £5. Higgins is impressed by the man’s honesty, his natural gift for language, and especially his brazen lack of morals – “Can’t afford ’em!” claims Doolittle. Higgins recommends Doolittle to a wealthy American who is interested in morality. Eliza goes through many forms of speech training, such as speaking with marbles in her mouth, enduring Higgins’ harsh approach to teaching and his treatment of her personally. She makes little progress, but just as she, Higgins, and Pickering are about to give up, Eliza finally “gets it”; she instantly begins to speak with an impeccable upper class accent. As a test, Higgins takes her to Ascot Racecourse, where she makes a good impression with her stilted, but genteel manners, only to shock everyone by a sudden and vulgar lapse into Cockney while encouraging a horse to win a race: “C’mon Dover, move your bloomin’ arse!” Higgins, who dislikes the pretentiousness of the upper class, partly conceals a grin behind his hand. Eliza poses as a mysterious lady at an embassy ball and even dances with a foreign prince. At the ball is Zoltan Karpathy (Theodore Bikel), a Hungarian phonetics expert trained by Higgins. After a brief conversation with Eliza, he certifies that she is of royal blood. This makes Higgins’ evening, since he has always looked upon Karpathy as a bounder and a crook. After all the effort she has put in however, Eliza is given hardly any credit, all the praise going to Higgins. This, and his callous treatment towards her afterwards, especially his indifference to her future, causes her to walk out on him, leaving him mystified by her ingratitude. Accompanied by Freddy Eynsford-Hill (Jeremy Brett), a young man she met at Ascot and who has become enamoured of her, Eliza returns to her old stomping ground at Covent Garden, but finds that she no longer fits in. She meets her father, who has been left a large fortune by the wealthy American Higgins had sent him to and is resigned to marrying Eliza’s stepmother. Alfred feels that Higgins has ruined him, since he is now bound by morals and responsibility. Eventually, Eliza ends up visiting Higgins’ mother, who is incensed at her son’s behaviour. Higgins finds Eliza the next day and attempts to talk her into coming back to him. During a testy exchange, Higgins becomes incensed when Eliza announces that she is going to marry Freddy and become Karpathy’s assistant. Higgins explodes and Eliza is satisfied that she has had her “own back.” Higgins has to admit that rather than being a “a millstone around my neck… now you’re a tower of strength, a consort battleship. I like you this way.” Eliza leaves, saying they will never meet again. After an argument with his mother—in which he asserts that he does not need Eliza or anyone else — Higgins makes his way home, stubbornly predicting that Eliza will come crawling back. However, he comes to the horrified realization that he has “grown accustomed to her face.” Then, to his surprise, Eliza reappears in Higgins’ study: she knows now that he cares for her after all. In the ending of the original play Eliza makes it clear that she will marry Freddy. Shaw later wrote an essay[3] in which he explained precisely why it was impossible for the story to end with Higgins and Eliza getting married, though they would continue to be close throughout their lives. Higgins himself does not appear to want to marry Eliza. Towards the end of the original play, he sees the future as “You and I and Pickering will be three old bachelors together instead of only two men and a silly girl.” The ending of the stage version of My Fair Lady comes from the 1938 film version of Pygmalion, starring Leslie Howard and Wendy Hiller; This ending was faithfully retained in the film version. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … I had forgotten just how powerful this movie was – Hepburn again amazed me as did Harrison as Higgins … The movie follows the Pygmalion script closely and we are delivered George Bernard Shaw’s masterpiece on screen. Hepburn as Eliza is wonderful – yet she never received a Best Actress Nomination – Harrison won Best Actor for his role – Julie Andrews won the Best Actress for her role in “Mary Poppins” – and this was a forerunner to her performance in “The Sound of Music” the following year. At the time few could have played the part of ‘Eliza’ or so was thought – take nothing away – Hepburn was sublime and her high diction carried her throughout the movie. Movie critics – it would appear that in a collective sense they could never run or organise a scout jamboree – too many chiefs and all ego’s … Hepburn’s performance to not be recognised with a Nomination was a snub … and as the research for this project continues – politics plays a big part in Oscar Nominations … or is that the ‘casting couch’ … This movie is a must have for your collection – and in my top 10 of all time great movies – that makes five so far – “Gone WIth the Wind” – 1939 & not yet reviewed – “Ben Hur” 1959 – “Lawrence of Arabia” 1962 – “My Fair Lady” 1964 – and “Sound of Music” 1965 – not yet reviewed. As movies go this 1959-1965 era produced 4 movies in my top 10 list. This will be discussed further in the 1960’s Decade review and in the final summary when all the Decade reviews are completed. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 8.5/10 … ________________________________________
“Becket”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Becket is a 1964 film adaptation of the play Becket or the Honour of God by Jean Anouilh made by Hal Wallis Productions and released by Paramount Pictures.[1] It was directed by Peter Glenville and produced by Hal B. Wallis with Joseph H. Hazen as executive producer. The screenplay was written by Edward Anhalt based on Anouilh’s play. The music score was by Laurence Rosenthal, the cinematography by Geoffrey Unsworth and the editing by Anne V. Coates. The film stars Richard Burton as Thomas Becket and Peter O’Toole as King Henry II, with John Gielgud as King Louis VII, Donald Wolfit as Gilbert Foliot, Paolo Stoppa as Pope Alexander III, Martita Hunt as Empress Matilda, Pamela Brown as Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, Siân Phillips, Felix Aylmer, Gino Cervi, David Weston, and Wilfrid Lawson. Newly restored prints of Becket were re-released in 30 theaters in the U.S. in early 2007, following an extensive restoration from the film’s YCM separation protection masters.[2] The film was released on DVD by MPI Home Video in May, 2007[3] and on Blu-ray Disc in Nov 2008. The new film prints carry a Dolby Digital soundtrack. Becket won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay, and was nominated for ten other awards, including for Best Picture, Best Director, and twice for Best Actor. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – The film’s action takes place during the late 12th century, about 100 years after the 1066 Norman Conquest of England. The conquest largely removed the native (largely Anglo-Saxon) ruling class, replacing it with a foreign, French-speaking monarchy, aristocracy, and clerical hierarchy. The story line monitors the transformation of Thomas Becket, portrayed, following the play, as a Saxon protege and facilitator to the carousing King Henry, into a man who continually invokes the “honor of God”. Henry appoints Becket as Archbishop of Canterbury in order to have a close confidant in this position that he could completely control. Instead, Becket becomes a major thorn in his side in a jurisdictional dispute. Much of the plot concerns Henry, the “perennial adolescent” as described by the Bishop of London, who finds his duties as king and his stale arranged marriage to be oppressive. Early in the film, we see him escaping them through drunken forays onto the hunting grounds and local brothels. He is increasingly dependent on Becket, a Saxon commoner, who arranges these debaucheries when he is not busy running Henry’s court. This foments great resentment on the part of Henry’s Norman noblemen, who distrust and envy this Saxon upstart, as well as the queen and queen mother, who see Becket as an unnatural and unseemly influence upon the royal personage. Henry finds himself in continuous conflict with the elderly Archbishop of Canterbury, who opposes the taxation of Church property in order to support Henry’s military campaigns in France (“Bishop, I must hire the Swiss Guards to fight for me – and no one has ever paid them off with good wishes and prayer!”). During one of his campaigns in coastal France, he receives word that the old bishop has “gone to God’s bosom”. In a burst of inspiration, Henry exercises his prerogative to pick the next Archbishop and informs an astonished Becket that he is the royal choice. Shortly thereafter, Becket sides with the Church, throwing Henry into a fury. One of the main bones of contention is Thomas’ excommunication of Lord Gilbert, one of Henry’s most loyal stalwarts, for seizing and ordering the killing of a priest who had been accused of sexual indiscretions with a young girl, before the priest can even be handed over for ecclesiastical trial. Gilbert then refuses to acknowledge his transgressions and seek absolution. The King has a dramatic secret meeting with the Bishop of London in his cathedral (“I have the Archbishop on my stomach, a big hard lump”). He lays out his plan to remove the troublesome cleric through scandal and innuendo which the position-conscious Bishop of London quickly agrees to (thus furthering Henry’s already deep contempt for church higher ups). These attempts fall flat when Becket, in full ecclesiastic garb, confronts his accusers outside the rectory and routs them causing Henry to laugh and bitterly note the irony of it all, “Becket is the only intelligent man in my entire kingdom…and he is against me!” Becket escapes to France where he encounters the conniving King Louis (John Gielgud). King Louis sees in Becket a means by which he can further his favorite pastime, tormenting the arrogant English. Becket gets to Rome, where he begs the Holy Pontiff to allow him to renounce his position and retire to a monastery as an ordinary priest. The Vatican is a hotbed of intrigue and political jockeying. The Pope reminds Becket that he has an obligation as a matter of principle to return to England and take a stand against civil interference in Church matters. Becket yields to this decision and asks Louis to arrange a meeting with Henry on the beaches at Normandy. Henry asks Becket whether or not he loved him and Becket replied that he loved Henry to the best of his ability. A shaky truce is declared and Becket is allowed to return to England. The remainder of the film shows Henry rapidly sinking into drunken fixation over Becket and his perceived betrayal. The barons worsen his mood by pointing out that Becket has become a folk hero among the vanquished Saxons who are ever restive and resentful of their Norman conquerors. There are comical fights between Henry and his frumpy consort, Eleanor of Aquitaine, his dimwitted son/heir apparent, and his cold-blooded mother, who repeatedly reminds her son that his father would have quickly had someone like Becket done away with for the sake of the realm. During one of his drunken rages he asks “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?” His faithful barons hear this and proceed quickly to Canterbury, where they put Thomas and his Saxon deputy, Brother John, to the sword. A badly shaken Henry then undergoes a penance by whipping at the hands of Saxon monks. The film concludes with Henry, fresh from his whipping, publicly proclaiming Thomas Becket a saint and that the ones who had killed him will be justly punished. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … This movie has not been viewed – one of the missing so to speak … all Bit Torrent links have no seeders … so it remains unrated. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: Un-Rated … ________________________________________
“Dr Strangelove”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb, commonly known as Dr. Strangelove, is a 1964 black comedy film which satirizes the nuclear scare. It was directed, produced, and co-written by Stanley Kubrick, starring Peter Sellers and George C. Scott, and featuring Sterling Hayden, Keenan Wynn, and Slim Pickens. The film is loosely based on Peter George’s Cold War thriller novel Red Alert, also known as Two Hours to Doom. The story concerns an unhinged United States Air Force general who orders a first strike nuclear attack on the Soviet Union. It follows the President of the United States, his advisors, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and a Royal Air Force (RAF) officer as they try to recall the bombers to prevent a nuclear apocalypse. It separately follows the crew of one B-52 as they try to deliver their payload. In 1989, the United States Library of Congress deemed the film “culturally significant” and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry. It was listed as number three on AFI’s 100 Years… 100 Laughs. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – United States Air Force Brigadier General Jack D. Ripper (Sterling Hayden), commander of Burpelson Air Force Base, initiates a plan to attack the Soviet Union with nuclear weapons in the paranoid belief that there is a Communist conspiracy involving water fluoridation and contamination of everyone’s “precious bodily fluids”. Ripper orders his nuclear-armed B-52s, which were holding at their fail-safe points, to move into Soviet airspace. Group Captain Lionel Mandrake (Peter Sellers), a Royal Air Force exchange officer serving as General Ripper’s executive officer, issues the command on Ripper’s order but later realizes it was not issued in retaliation to a Soviet attack on America. However Ripper refuses to disclose the three-letter recall code and locks the two of them in his office. In the “War Room” at The Pentagon, General Buck Turgidson (George C. Scott) briefs President Merkin Muffley (Sellers). He reports that Ripper apparently took advantage of “Wing Attack Plan R,” a wartime contingency plan which is intended to give Field Commanders authority to retaliate with nuclear weapons in the event that a Soviet first strike obliterates Washington, D.C. and incapacitates U.S. leadership. When President Muffley angrily begins to question the merits of this, the General responds that he does not “think it’s quite fair to condemn a whole program because of a single slip-up”. When Muffley proposes that troops be sent to the Air Force Base to seize Ripper (and hopefully force the recall code from him), Turgidson warns that General Ripper will have put the security forces there on high alert—ready to repel any outside force. Turgidson tries to persuade Muffley to seize the moment and eliminate the Soviet Union by launching a full-scale attack on the Soviet Union. The General believes the United States is in a superior strategic position and a first strike would destroy the majority of the Soviets’ missiles before they could retaliate. Without such a response, the US would be annihilated. Muffley refuses to have any part of such a scheme, and instead summons the Soviet ambassador, Alexei de Sadeski (Peter Bull). The Ambassador calls Soviet Premier Dimitri Kisov on the “Hot Line” and gives the Soviets information to help them shoot down the American planes, should they cross into Soviet airspace. The Ambassador reveals that his side has installed a doomsday device that will automatically destroy life on Earth if there is a nuclear attack against the Soviet Union. The American President expresses amazement that anyone would build such a device. But Dr. Strangelove (Sellers), a former Nazi and weapons expert, admits that it would be “an effective deterrent… credible and convincing.” However, a recent study by an American think tank had dismissed it as being too dangerous to be practical. From his wheelchair, Strangelove explains the technology behind the Doomsday Machine and why it is essential that not only should it destroy the world in the event of a nuclear attack but also be fully automated and incapable of being deactivated. He further points out that the “whole point of the Doomsday Machine is lost if you keep it a secret”. When asked why the Soviets did not publicize this, Ambassador de Sadeski sheepishly answers it was supposed to be announced the following Monday at the (Communist) Party Congress because “the Premier loves surprises.” U.S. Army forces arrive at Burpelson to arrest General Ripper. Because Ripper has warned his men that the enemy might attack disguised as American soldiers, the base’s security forces open fire on them. A pitched battle ensues, which the Army forces finally win and Ripper, fearing torture to extract the recall code shoots himself. Colonel “Bat” Guano (Keenan Wynn) forces his way into Ripper’s office and immediately suspects that Mandrake, whose uniform he does not recognize, is leading a mutiny and arrests him. Mandrake convinces Guano he must call the President with the recall code (OPE) which he has deduced from Ripper’s desk blotter doodles but has to use a pay phone to do so. Guano has to shoot open a Coca-Cola machine to obtain coins for the phone, which he does reluctantly. Off camera, Mandrake finally contacts the Pentagon and is able to get the code combinations to the President and Strategic Air Command. The correct recall code is issued to the planes and all those that have not been shot down by the Soviet military turn back toward base, except one. Its radio and fuel tanks were damaged by an anti-aircraft missile, leaving the plane unable either to receive the recall message or reach its primary or secondary targets, where the Soviets have concentrated all available defences at the urging of President Muffley. The pilot heads for the nearest target of opportunity, an ICBM complex. Aircraft commander Major T. J. “King” Kong (Slim Pickens) goes to the bomb bay to open the damaged doors manually, straddling a nuclear bomb as he repairs arcing wires overhead. When he effects his electrical patches, the bomb bay doors suddenly open, the bomb releases and Kong rides it to detonation like a rodeo cowboy, whooping and waving his cowboy hat. The H-bomb explodes and the Doomsday Device’s detonation is inevitable. In the War Room, Ambassador de Sadeski says life on Earth’s surface will be extinct in ten months. Dr. Strangelove recommends the President gather several hundred thousand people to be relocated into deep mine shafts, where the radioactivity would never penetrate so the United States can be repopulated. Strangelove suggests a sex ratio of “ten females to each male,” with the women selected for their stimulating sexual characteristics and the men selected for youth, health, intellectual capabilities and importance in business and government. He points out that with proper breeding techniques, the survivors could work themselves up to the present Gross National Product in 20 years and emerge after the radioactivity has ceased in about 100 years. At one point, Strangelove’s errant right arm tries to give the Nazi salute and then strangle him. General Turgidson warns of a possible “Mineshaft Gap” that might be a factor when the survivors emerge. De Sadeski walks away from the group and begins taking pictures of the war room’s Big Board with a spy camera disguised as a pocketwatch. Just as Dr. Strangelove miraculously gets up from his wheelchair, takes a couple of steps and shouts, “Mein Führer! I can walk!,” the Doomsday Machine activates. The film then cuts to a montage of nuclear detonations across the world, accompanied by Vera Lynn’s recording of “We’ll Meet Again.” EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … The movie highlights Peter Sellers as a brilliant comic – he plays several parts in the movie and it became a cult movie in later years. Based on the Cold War that was in full swing at the time and not long after the ‘Bay Of Pigs’ standoff … it put humour into a confrontation that allowed the World to breath for a while. If you’re a Sellers fan and like your humour dry and disguised as is Kubrick’s style – very enjoyable – but the plot has dated and the B&W shadows although intended I’m sure – does the movie no favours. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 4.0/10 … ________________________________________
“Mary Poppins” Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Mary Poppins is a 1964 musical film starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, produced by Walt Disney, and based on the Mary Poppins books series by P. L. Travers with illustrations by Mary Shepard. The film was directed by Robert Stevenson and written by Bill Walsh and Don DaGradi, with songs by the Sherman Brothers. It was shot at Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Julie Andrews won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance as Mary Poppins and the film also won Oscars for Best Film Editing, Original Music Score, Best Song for “Chim Chim Cher-ee” and Best Visual Effects, and received a total of 13 nominations. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – The film opens with Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews) perched in a cloud high above London in Spring 1910.[2] The action descends to Earth where Bert (Dick Van Dyke), a Cockney jack-of-all-trades is performing as a one-man band at a park entrance, where he suddenly senses that his good friend is about to return. After the show, he breaks the fourth wall and introduces the audience to the well-to-do but troubled Banks family, headed by the cold and aloof George Banks (David Tomlinson) and the loving but highly distracted suffragette Winifred Banks (Glynis Johns). The Banks’ latest nanny, Katie Nanna (Elsa Lanchester), quits out of exasperation after the Banks children, Jane (Karen Dotrice) and Michael (Matthew Garber) run off in pursuit of a wayward kite. Mr. Banks returns home from his job at the Dawes Tomes Mousley Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, and Mrs. Banks reveals the children are missing. A policeman (Arthur Treacher), arrives with the children, who ask their father to help repair their damaged kite, but he dismisses them and advertises for an authoritarian nanny-replacement. Jane and Michael draft their own advertisement asking for a fun, kind-hearted and caring person, but Mr. Banks tears up the paper and throws it in the fireplace. Unnoticed, the remains of the note float up the dark chimney. The next day, a queue of elderly and disagreeable looking candidates await at the door. However a strong gust of wind blows the queue away and Mary Poppins floats down, held aloft by her magical umbrella, to apply. Mr. Banks is stunned to see that this calmly defiant new nanny has responded to the children’s ad despite the fact he destroyed it. As he puzzles, Mary Poppins employs herself and begins work, saying that she will stay for a trial period of one week, before deciding if she will take a permanent position. The children face surprises of their own: Mary possesses a bottomless carpetbag, and makes contents of the children’s nursery come to life and tidy themselves (by snapping her fingers). The trio then meet Bert, who is a close friend of Mary, in the park at work as a screever, where Mary uses one of his chalk pavement drawings as a gateway to an outing in an animated countryside. While in the drawing, the children ride a Merry-Go-Round while Mary and Bert enjoy a stroll though the countryside, during which Bert dances at an outdoor bistro with four penguin waiters. Mary and Bert join the children on the Merry-Go-Round, from which the horses break loose and take their riders on a trip through the countryside. As they pass by a fox hunt, Bert manoeuvres to save an Irish-accented fox from the bloodhounds. Finally the quartet finds themselves in a horse race, which Mary wins. It is here that Mary first employs the nonsense word “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” The outing is interrupted by a rainstorm, which washes away the chalk drawing and returns the travellers to the park pavement. That evening, the children ask Mary how long she’ll stay with them. With a sombre expression, she replies, “I shall stay until the wind changes”. The next day, they all visit Bert’s jovial Uncle Albert, who floats whenever he laughs, and join him in a tea party in mid-air (though Mary finds it childish and ridiculous). Mr. Banks grows increasingly irate with his children’s stories of their adventures, but Mary effortlessly inverts his attempted dismissal of her services into a plan to take his children with him to the Dawes Tomes Mousley Grubbs Fidelity Fiduciary Bank, where he is employed. On the way there, as they pass the bank, the children see “The Bird Woman”, and they want to feed the birds, but George will have none of it as he expresses his uninterest in what Mary Poppins says and orders his children to “come along” and not mention her name for the rest of the day. Upon arriving at the bank, Mr. Dawes—Mr. Banks’ extremely elderly employer—aggressively tries to persuade Michael to invest his money in the bank to the point of actually snatching it out of his hand without waiting for his permission. When Michael protests, the other customers misunderstand, and start a run on the bank that forces the bank to suspend business. The children flee and wander into the slums of the East End of London. Fortunately, they run into Bert, now employed as a chimney sweep. He takes them safely home, explaining that their father does not hate them, but that he has problems of his own, and that unlike the children, has no-one to turn to but himself. At home, a departing Mrs. Banks employs Bert to clean the family’s chimney and mind the children. Mary Poppins arrives back from her day off and warns of the dangers of this activity, but is too late as the children are both sucked up the chimney to the roof. Bert and Mary follow them and lead a tour of the rooftops of London that concludes with a joyful dance with Bert’s chimney-sweep colleagues. A volley of fireworks from the Banks’ eccentric neighbour, Admiral Boom, who mistakes them for Hottentots, sends the entire gathering back down the Banks’ chimney. Mr. Banks arrives home, forcing Mary to conclude the festivities. Banks then receives a phone call from work ordering him to return immediately for disciplinary action. As Mr. Banks gathers his strength, Bert points out that while Mr. Banks does need to make a living, his offspring’s childhood will come and go in a blink of an eye, and he needs to be there for them while he can. The Banks children approach their father to apologize, and Michael gives Mr. Banks his tuppence in the hope that it will make things all right. Banks gently accepts the offering. A somber and thoughtful Mr. Banks walks alone through the night-time streets, for the first time noticing several of the buildings around him, including the cathedral and steps on which the woman was sitting earlier. At the bank, he is formally humiliated and sacked for causing the first run on the bank since 1773 (it is stated that the bank supplied the money for the shipment of tea destroyed in the Boston Tea Party). However, after being at a loss when ordered to give a statement, Mr. Banks invokes Mary Poppins’ all-purpose word “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!” to tweak Mr. Dawes. He gives Dawes the tuppence, tells the old man one of Bert’s and Uncle Albert’s jokes and raucously departs. Dawes mulls over the joke, finally “gets it” and floats up into the air, laughing. The next morning, the wind has changed direction, and so Mary must depart. Meanwhile, the Banks adults cannot find Mr. Banks, and fear that he might have become suicidal. However, Mr. Banks, now loving and joyful, reappears with the now-mended kite and cheerfully summons his children. The greatly relieved Mrs. Banks supplies a tail for the kite, using one of her suffragette ribbons. They all leave the house without a backward glance as Mary Poppins watches from a window. In the park with other kite-flyers, Mr. Banks meets Mr. Dawes Jr., who says that his father literally died laughing. Instead of being upset, the son is delighted his father died happy, and re-employs Mr. Banks to fill the opening as partner. Her work done, Mary Poppins takes to the air with a fond farewell from Bert (who was selling kites), telling her not to stay away too long. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … Very much a hit movie at its time – but and the but is big – even as a child the movie left no lasting impression on me … remember ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious‘ … that is what I remember about the movie … The music of the time created a wave of record sales … but it waned … A kids movie but be prepared to help them remember the lyrics and play along with the ‘super…..docious’ toungue twister. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 4.5/10 … ________________________________________
“Zorba the Greek”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Zorba the Greek is a 1964 film based on the novel Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis. The film was directed by Cypriot Michael Cacoyannis and the title character was played by Anthony Quinn. The supporting cast includes Alan Bates, Lila Kedrova, Irene Papas, and Sotiris Moustakas. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Basil (Alan Bates) is a half-English half-Greek writer who has been raised in Britain and bears all the hallmarks of an uptight, middle-class Englishman. He is waiting at a port in mainland Greece one day when he meets a gruff, yet enthusiastic peasant and musician named Zorba (Anthony Quinn). Basil explains to Zorba that he is traveling to a rural Cretan village where his father owns some land, with the intention of opening up a lignite mine and perhaps curing his writer’s block. Zorba relates his experience with mining and convinces Basil to take him along. When they arrive at Crete, they take a car to the village where they are greeted enthusiastically by the town’s impoverished peasant community. They stay with an old, French war widow named Madame Hortense (Lila Kedrova) in her self-styled “Hotel Ritz”. The ever audacious Zorba tries to persuade Basil into making a move on Madame Hortense, but when he is reluctant, Zorba instead seizes the opportunity, and they form a relationship. Over the next few days, Basil and Zorba attempt to work the old lignite mine, but find it too unsafe and shut it down. Zorba then has an idea to use the forest opposite as a kind of logging area (although his actual plan is left ambiguous), however the land is owned by the powerful monastery of the village, so Zorba goes over there and befriends the monks by getting them drunk. Afterwards, he comes home to Basil and begins to dance in a way that mesmerizes Basil. Meanwhile, Basil and Zorba get their first introduction to “the Widow” (Irene Papas), a young, widowed woman, who is incessantly teased by the townspeople for not remarrying, especially to a young, local boy who is madly in love with her, but whom she has spurned repeatedly. One rainy afternoon, Basil offers her his umbrella, which she reluctantly takes. Zorba suggests that she is attracted to him, but Basil, ever shy, denies this and refuses to pursue the widow. Basil hands Zorba some money, as he sends him off to the nearby town of Chania, where Zorba is to buy cable and other supplies for the implementation of his grand plan. Zorba says goodbye to Basil and Madame Hortense, who is by now madly in love with him. While in Chania, Zorba entertains himself at a cabaret and strikes up a brief romance with a much younger dancer. In a letter to Basil, he details his exploits and indicates that he has found love. Angered by Zorba’s apparent irresponsibility and the squandering of his money, Basil untruthfully tells Madame Hortense that Zorba has declared his love to her and intends to marry her upon his return — to which she is ecstatic to the point of tears. Meanwhile, the Widow returns Basil’s umbrella by way of Mimithos (Sotiris Moustakas), the simple-minded village idiot. When Zorba eventually returns with supplies and gifts, he is surprised and angered to hear about Basil’s lie to Madame Hortense. Nevertheless, he plays along and conjures up visions of white satin wedding dresses, lined with pearls, to keep Madame Hortense happy and not hurt her feelings. He also asks Basil concerning his whereabouts the night before. That night, Basil had finally gone to the Widow’s house, made love to her and spent the night. The brief encounter comes at great cost. A villager catches sight of them, and word spreads, until the young, local boy who is in love with the Widow is taunted mercilessly about it. The next morning, the villagers find his body by the sea, where he has drowned himself out of shame. The boy’s father holds a funeral which all the villagers attend. The widow attempts to come inconspicuously, but is blocked from entering the church. She is eventually trapped in the courtyard, where she is beaten and stoned by the villagers, who hold her responsible for the young boy’s suicide. Basil, meek and fearful of intervening, tells Mimithos to quickly fetch Zorba. Zorba arrives just as a villager, a friend of the boy, tries to pull a knife and kill the widow. Zorba overpowers the much younger man and disarms him. Thinking that the situation is now under control, Zorba asks the Widow to follow him and turns his back. At that moment, the dead boy’s father pulls his knife and cuts the widow’s throat. She dies instantly, as the villagers shuffle away apathetically, whisking the father away. Only Basil, Zorba and Mimithos show any emotion at her murder. Basil proclaims his inability to intervene whereupon Zorba laments the futility of death. A while later, Madame Hortense who apparently has contracted pneumonia, is seen on her deathbed. Zorba stays by her side, along with Basil. Meanwhile, word gets round that “the foreigner” is dying, and that since she has no heirs, the State will take all her possessions and money. The desperately poor villagers crowd around her hotel, impatiently waiting for her demise so they can steal her belongings. Two old ladies enter her room and gaze expectantly at her, hoping to get first hands on all her belongings. Other women try to enter and raid her belongings, but Zorba can fight them off. In an instant of her death, the women re-enter Madame Hortense’s bed room to steal her most valued belongings. Zorba leaves, as the hotel is ransacked and stripped bare by the villagers. Finally, Zorba’s elaborate contraption to ferry timber down the hill is complete. A festive ceremony is held, and all the villagers have turned out to see it. After a blessing from the local priests, Zorba gives the signal to start. A log comes hurtling down the zip line at a worrying pace, destroying the log itself and slightly damaging part of the contraption. Zorba remains unconcerned and gives orders for a second log. This one also speeds down and shoots straight into the sea. By now the villagers and priests have become fearful and run for cover. Zorba remains unfazed and orders a third log, which accelerates down with such violence that it dislodges the entire contraption, destroying everything the men had worked for. The villagers flee, leaving only Basil and Zorba behind. Zorba declares his sadness about Basil’s now imminent return to England, whereupon Basil asks Zorba to teach him how to dance. The story ends with both men enthusiastically dancing the sirtaki on the beach. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … A dark movie as many of Quinn’s movies were – the version I saw was subtitled – a movie much in the same vein as “America America” – and not my cup of tea – but Quinn shines and was Nominated as Best Actor – he was a very underestimated actor who was mostly successful in played Supporting roles – when he was the Lead – his movies were never as popular or as well received … EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 4.0/10 … ________________________________________ [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of genuine research which has taken considerable time and effort. If you have enjoyed the product of these efforts a small donation would be appreciated. There is a gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text – please if you have the time and are so inclined to want to make a donation – please use the link provided. All funds received are thankfully received and they go a long way to help maintain the content of this site.] All EYE-BALL MovieZone Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
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EYE-BALL MovieZone – Oscar Movies 1963…
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| EYE-BALL MovieZone – Oscar Movies 1963: |
| 1963 Nominees:
[Oscar Best Picture Winner – highlighted – click Nominee Movie links provided to navigate your way up and down the page – each Movie has additional links to Bit Torrent ‘downloads’ links, Wikipedia Links for all the information about the nominated movie, and the EYE-BALL MovieZone Reviews and ratings. Movie posters appearing at this site have been copied from Wikipedia and other research related source sites.] Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
________________________________________ Review – 1963 – no Movie poster available “Tom Jones”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Tom Jones is a 1963 British adventure comedy film, an adaptation of Henry Fielding’s classic novel The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (1749), starring Albert Finney as the titular hero. It was one of the most critically acclaimed and popular comedies of its time,[1] winning four Academy Awards. The film was directed by Tony Richardson and the screenplay was adapted by playwright John Osborne. The film is notable for its unusual comic style: the opening sequence is performed in the style of a silent movie, and characters sometimes break the fourth wall, often by looking directly into the camera and addressing the audience, and going so far as to have the character of Tom Jones suddenly appearing to notice the camera and covering the lens with his hat Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – The story begins with a silent film sequence during which the good Squire Allworthy (George Devine) returns home after a lengthy stay in London and discovers a baby in his bed. Thinking that his barber, Mr. Partridge (Jack MacGowran), and one of his servants, Jenny Jones (Joyce Redman), have “birthed” the infant out of lust, the squire banishes them and chooses to raise little Tom Jones as if he were his own son. Tom (Albert Finney) grows up to be a lively young man whose good looks and kind heart make him very popular with the opposite sex. However, he truly loves only one woman, the gentle Sophie Western (Susannah York), who returns his passion. Sadly, Tom is stigmatized as a “bastard” and cannot wed a young lady of her high station. Sophie, too, must hide her feelings while her aunt (Edith Evans) and her father, Squire Western (Hugh Griffith) try to coerce her to marry a more suitable man – a man whom she hates. This young man is Blifil (David Warner, in his film debut), the son of the Squire’s widowed sister Bridget (Rachel Kempson). Although he is of legitimate birth, he is an ill-natured fellow with plenty of hypocritical ‘virtue’ but none of Tom’s warmth, honesty, or high spirits. When Bridget dies unexpectedly, Blifil intercepts a letter which his mother intended for her brother’s eyes only. What this letter contains is not revealed until the end of the movie; however, after his mother’s funeral, Blifil and his two tutors, Mr. Thwackum (Peter Bull) and Mr. Square (John Moffatt), join forces to convince the squire that Tom is a villain. Allworthy gives Tom a small cash legacy and sorrowfully sends him out into the world to seek his fortune. In his road-traveling odyssey, Tom is knocked unconscious while defending the good name of his beloved Sophie and robbed of his legacy. He also flees from a jealous Irishman who falsely accuses him of having an affair with his wife, engages in deadly swordfights, meets his alleged father and his alleged mother, a certain Mrs. Waters, whom he saves from an evil Redcoat Officer, and later beds the same Mrs. Waters. In a celebrated scene, Tom and Mrs. Waters sit opposite each other in the dining room of the Upton Inn, wordlessly consuming an enormous meal while gazing lustfully at each other. Meanwhile, Sophie runs away from home soon after Tom’s banishment to escape the attentions of the loathed Blifil. After narrowly missing each other at the Upton Inn, Tom and Sophie arrive separately in London. There, Tom attracts the attention of Lady Bellaston (Joan Greenwood), a promiscuous noblewoman over 40 years of age. She is rich, beautiful, and completely amoral, though it is worth noting that Tom goes to her bed willingly and is generously rewarded for his services. Eventually, Tom ends up at Tyburn Gaol, facing a boisterous hanging crowd after two blackguardly agents of Blifil frame him for robbery and attempted murder. Allworthy learns the contents of the mysterious letter: Tom is not Jenny Jones’s child, but Bridget’s illegitimate son and Allworthy’s nephew. Furthermore, since Blifil knew this, concealed it, and tried to destroy his half-brother, he is now in disgrace and disinherited. Allworthy uses this knowledge to get Tom a pardon, but Tom has already been conveyed to the gallows; his hanging is begun, but is interrupted by Squire Western, who cuts him down and takes him to Sophie. Tom now has permission to court Sophie, and all ends well with Tom embracing Sophie with Squire Western’s blessing. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … I took no enjoyment from watching this movie – the style was a once off – disjointed with dialog and then actors taking to a camera and the like – British humour at its wackiest … and yet it won Best Picture Oscar … what were they on when they made that decision … Finney can be funny – loved him in “A Good Year” with Russell Crowe – and serious as the mind altering villan in the “Jason Borne” series – but he was still learning his craft when he made this movie and it tells. Could never see myself wanting to willing watch this movie ever again. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 2.5/10 … ________________________________________
“America America”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – America, America (British title The Anatolian Smile) is a 1963 American dramatic film directed, produced and written by Elia Kazan, from his own book. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – In this tale, loosely based upon the life of Kazan’s uncle, the director uses little-known cast members, with the entire storyline revolving around the central performance of Greek actor Stathis Giallelis (born 1941), twenty-two years old at the time of production, who is in virtually every scene of the nearly three-hour movie. The film begins in the late 1890s, as young Greek Stavros Topouzoglou (Giallelis), living in an impoverished village in Turkish Anatolia witnesses brutal oppression by the Turks of the Greek and Armenian minorities. He is entrusted by his father with the family’s financial resources in a mission of hope to the Turkish capital Constantinople [renamed Istanbul in 1930], where he would work in the carpet business of his father’s cousin (Harry Davis), although his own dream is to reach the faraway land of opportunity, America. His odyssey begins with a long voyage on a donkey and on foot through the impoverished towns and villages on the way to Constantinople. Due to his kind nature and naivete, he allows himself to be deprived of all his money and arrives at the cousin’s home penniless. The older man is deeply disappointed at this turn of events since he was counting on the infusion of funds to rescue his failing enterprise. Nevertheless, he attempts to salvage the situation by proposing that Stavros marry a wealthy merchant’s (Paul Mann) young daughter (Linda Marsh). Stavros realizes that such a marriage would mean the end of his American dream and adamantly refuses, abruptly leaving the angry cousin. Now homeless on the streets of the capital, Stavros survives by eating discarded food and working at backbreaking and hazardous jobs. After nearly a year of scrimping and self-denial, he has some savings, but an encounter with an enticing beauty (Joanna Frank) leaves him, once again, bereft of income. Sinking even lower, he now finds himself living in an overcrowded subterranean hovel, which becomes a scene of chaos and bloodshed when it is attacked with gunfire by authorities purportedly searching for anarchists and revolutionaries. Severely injured in the mayhem, the unconscious Stavros is thrown among piles of dead bodies slated for disposal into the sea. He subsequently topples from the cart transporting the bodies and painfully makes his way to the cousin’s residence. The relative takes pity on the young man and allows him to recover at his home. Deprived now of all resistance, Stavros agrees to marry his intended bride. Upon being questioned by her regarding his moodiness, however, he admits that he still plans to immigrate to America, using the dowry money to pay for his passage. She then entreats him to take her along, admitting that she feels no hope in her present situation. At this point Stavros becomes reacquainted with Hohannes (Gregory Rozakis), a young Armenian, whom Stavros aided with food and clothing during his original voyage to Istanbul. Hohannes informs him that he is being sponsored to America by an employer seeking labor. The offer is also extended to Stavros and his dream now seemed within reach. He tells his intended that he could not marry her, and subsequently embarks on the voyage. There is, however, another major impediment—an affair with the young wife (Katherine Balfour) of an older businessman (Robert H. Harris), well-known to his former prospective father-in-law. The older man lodges a criminal charge against Stavros, which would result in deportation back to Turkey. As everything looks bleak, however, the tubercular Hohannes exchanges documents with Stavros, allowing him to enter America in Hohannes’ place. With the climactic image of the Statue of Liberty as the boatload of immigrants docks in New York Harbor, Stavros puts his tribulations behind him, starting out as a shoeshine boy and gathering the pennies and dollars that will eventually bring his family to the land where their descendants, including Elia Kazan, will have the chance to fulfill their potential. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … A tragic telling of Turkish, Armenian and Greek life during and before the turn on the 19th Century. It’s an honest movie in its portrayal of the hardships endured by minority populations and the racial profiling and the discrimination issues the Turks displayed to everybody. After “Lawrence of Arabia” and the portrayal of Turks in that movie – this was a quick follow up from a different angle. One has to read about history – from both sides to understand events and gain an objective perspective. We in Australia celebrate Anzac Day every year – about a Gallipoli and how the Turks kept the ANZAC forces at bay … our education during the 60’s was about the ‘evil’ Turks and this movie has some of that perspective about it. It’s about the American dream for all the worlds lost and dislocated souls … a mammoth undertaking to put that down on film and tell a story at the same time – but this movie tries and through patience and understanding largely succeeds … Shot in B&W – this movie is a relevant today as it was when it was released – the 50 odd million refugees around the world have this same dream – they are without homes, without a Nation in this modern society. Recommended viewing. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 5.0/10 … ________________________________________
“Cleopatra”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Cleopatra is a 1963 British-American-Swiss epic drama film directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. The screenplay was adapted by Sidney Buchman, Ben Hecht, Ranald MacDougall, and Mankiewicz from a book by Carlo Maria Franzero. The film starred Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, Rex Harrison, Roddy McDowall, and Martin Landau. The music score was by Alex North. It was photographed in 70 mm Todd-AO by Leon Shamroy and an uncredited Jack Hildyard. Cleopatra chronicles the struggles of Cleopatra VII, the young Queen of Egypt, to resist the imperialist ambitions of Rome. Despite being a critical failure, it won four Academy Awards. It was the highest grossing film of 1963, earning US $26 million ($57.7 million total), yet made a loss due to its cost of $44 million, the only film ever to be the highest grossing film of the year yet to run at a loss. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – The film opens shortly after the Battle of Pharsalus where Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) has defeated Pompey. Pompey flees to Egypt, hoping to enlist the support of the young Pharaoh Ptolemy XIII (Richard O’Sullivan) and his sister Cleopatra (Elizabeth Taylor).
The Romans hold, and the armies of Mithridates arrive on Egyptian soil. The following day, Caesar passes judgment. He sentences Ptolemy’s lord chamberlain to death for arranging an assassination attempt on Cleopatra, and rules that Ptolemy and his tutor be sent to join Ptolemy’s now greatly outnumbered troops, a sentence of death as the Egyptian army faces off against Mithridates. Cleopatra is crowned Queen of Egypt. She dreams of ruling the world with Caesar. When their son Caesarion is born, Caesar accepts him publicly, which becomes the talk of Rome and the Senate. Caesar returns to Rome for his triumph, while Cleopatra remains in Egypt. Two years pass before the two see each other again. After he is made dictator for life, Caesar sends for Cleopatra. She arrives in Rome in a lavish procession and wins the adulation of the Roman people. The Senate grows increasingly discontented amid rumors that Caesar wishes to be made king, which is anathema to the Romans. On the Ides of March 44 B.C., the Senate is preparing to vote on whether to award Caesar additional powers. Despite warnings from his wife Calpurnia (Gwen Watford) and Cleopatra, he is confident of victory. However, he is stabbed to death by various senators.
While planning a campaign against Parthia in the east, Antony realizes he needs money and supplies, and cannot get enough from anywhere but Egypt. After refusing several times to leave Egypt, Cleopatra gives in and meets him in Tarsus. Antony becomes drunk during a lavish feast. Cleopatra sneaks away, leaving a slave dressed as her, but Antony discovers the trick and confronts the queen. They soon become lovers. Octavian uses their affair in his smear campaign against Antony. When Antony returns to Rome to address the situation brewing there, Octavian traps him into a marriage of state to Octavian’s sister, Octavia (Jean Marsh). Cleopatra flies into a rage when she learns the news. A year or so later, when Antony next sees Cleopatra, he is forced to humble himself publicly. She demands a third of the empire in return for her aid. Antony acquiesces and divorces Octavia. Octavian clamors for war against Antony and his “Egyptian whore”. The Senate is unmoved by his demands until Octavian reveals that Antony has left a will stating that he is to be buried in Egypt; shocked and insulted, the Senators who had previously stood by Antony abandon their hero and vote for war. Octavian murders the Egyptian ambassador, Cleopatra’s tutor Sosigenes (Hume Cronyn), on the Senate steps. The war is decided at the naval Battle of Actium. Seeing Antony’s ship burning, Cleopatra assumes he is dead and orders the Egyptian forces home. Antony follows, leaving his fleet leaderless and soon defeated. After a while, Cleopatra manages to convince Antony to retake command of his troops and fight Octavian’s advancing army. However, Antony’s soldiers have lost faith in him and abandon him during the night; Rufio (Martin Landau), the last man loyal to Antony, is killed. Antony tries to goad Octavian into single combat, but is finally forced to flee into the city. When Antony returns to the palace, Apollodorus, not believing that Antony is worthy of his queen, convinces him that she is dead, whereupon Antony falls on his own sword. Apollodorus then takes Antony to Cleopatra, and he dies in her arms. Octavian captures the city without a battle and Cleopatra is brought before him. He wants to return to Rome in triumph, with her as his prisoner. However, realizing that her son is also dead, she arranges to be bitten by a poisonous asp. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … An epic tale and an epic endeavour to put this story on screen – the Taylor/Burton chemistry like so much of their lives hot and cold – runs in tandum with the Mark Antony/Cleopatra love story – tragic and beautiful – the costumes and sets were outrageous and you can see where the money was spent. But alas it failed on so many levels Harrison as Caesar does a fine job – but when it comes down to McDowell (Octavius) and Antony (Burton) the lights went out – Burton was never an action actor – yet his role in the Alister McLean tale “Where Eagles Dare” – he was brilliant in a gallant hero type role … If you love Elizabeth Taylor – be it a little plumpish – then this is a must have/watch movie purely for her costumes and makeup – EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 4.5/10 … ________________________________________
“How The West was Won” Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – How the West Was Won is a 1962 American epic Western film.[5] The picture was one of the last “old-fashioned” epic films made by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer to enjoy great success. It follows four generations of a family (starting as the Prescotts) as they move ever westward, from western New York state to the Pacific Ocean. Filmed using pre-existing Cinerama curving widescreen process stock footage, the movie is set between 1839 and 1889. The fundamental idea behind the film was to provide an episodic retelling of the progress of westward migration and development of America. It was inspired by a much longer and more complex series of historical narratives that appeared as a photo essay series, by the same name, three years earlier in Life magazine, which is acknowledged in the film’s credits. The all-star cast includes Carroll Baker, Walter Brennan, Lee J. Cobb, Andy Devine, Henry Fonda, Carolyn Jones, Karl Malden, Harry Morgan, Gregory Peck, George Peppard, Robert Preston, Debbie Reynolds, James Stewart, Eli Wallach, John Wayne, and Richard Widmark. The film is narrated by Spencer Tracy. The movie consists of five segments, three directed by Henry Hathaway (“The Rivers”, “The Plains” and “The Outlaws”), and one each by John Ford (“The Civil War”) and George Marshall (“The Railroad”), with transitional sequences by the uncredited Richard Thorpe. The screenplay was written by John Gay (uncredited) and James R. Webb. Popular western author Louis L’Amour wrote a novelization of the screenplay.[6] In 1997, How the West Was Won was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”. The score was listed at #25 on AFI’s 100 Years of Film Scores. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – A family led by Zebulon Prescott (Karl Malden) sets out for the frontier west via the Erie Canal, the “west” at this time being the Illinois country. On the journey, they meet mountain man Linus Rawlings (James Stewart) who is traveling east to Pittsburgh to trade his furs. He and Zebulon’s daughter Eve (Carroll Baker) are attracted to each other, but Linus is not ready to settle down. Linus stops at an isolated trading post run by a murderous clan of river pirates headed by “Colonel” Hawkins (Walter Brennan). Linus is betrayed when he accompanies pretty Dora Hawkins (Brigid Bazlen) into a cave to see a “varmint”. She stabs him in the back and pushes him into a deep hole. Fortunately, he is not seriously wounded, and is able to rescue the Prescott party from a similar fate. The bushwhacking thieves (Lee Van Cleef plays one), including Dora, are dispatched with rough frontier justice. The settlers continue down the river, but their raft is caught in rapids and Zebulon and his wife Rebecca (Agnes Moorehead) drown. Linus, finding that he cannot live without Eve, reappears and marries her, even though she insists on homesteading at the spot where her parents died. The Plains (1850s) The wagon train is attacked by Cheyenne Indians.
Surviving an attack by Cheyenne Indians, Lily and Cleve arrive at the mine, only to find that it is now worthless. Cleve leaves. Lily returns to work in a dance hall in a literal “Camp Town,” living out of a covered wagon. Morgan finds her and again proposes marriage in a rather unromantic way. She tells him, “No, not ever.” Later, Lily is singing in the music salon of a riverboat. By chance, Cleve is a passenger. When he hears Lily’s voice, he leaves the poker table (and a winning hand) to propose to her, telling her of the opportunities waiting in the rapidly growing city of San Francisco. She accepts. The Civil War (1861–1865)
However, by chance, they overhear a private conversation between Generals Ulysses S. Grant (Harry Morgan) and William Tecumseh Sherman (John Wayne). The rebel realizes he has the opportunity to rid the South of two of its greatest enemies and tries to shoot them, leaving Zeb no choice but to stab and kill him. Afterwards, Zeb rejoins the army. When the war finally ends, he returns home, only to find his mother has died. She had lost the will to live after learning that Linus had been killed. Zeb gives his share of the family farm to his brother, who is more tied to the land, and leaves in search of a more interesting life. The Railroad (1868) The construction of railroad.
Zeb becomes a lieutenant in the U.S. cavalry, trying to maintain peace with the Indians with the help of grizzled buffalo hunter Jethro Stuart (Henry Fonda), an old friend of Linus. When ruthless railroad man Mike King (Richard Widmark) violates a treaty by building on Indian territory, the Arapaho Indians retaliate by stampeding buffalo through his camp, killing many, including women and children. Disgusted, Zeb resigns and heads to Arizona. The Outlaws (1880s)
Zeb (now a marshal), his wife Julie (Carolyn Jones) and their children meet Lily at Gold City’s train station. However, Zeb also runs into an old enemy there, outlaw Charlie Gant (Eli Wallach). It is revealed that Zeb killed Gant’s brother in a gunfight. When Gant makes veiled threats against Zeb and his family, Zeb turns to his friend and Gold City’s marshal, Lou Ramsey (Lee J. Cobb), but Gant is not wanted for anything in that territory, so there is little Ramsey can do. Zeb decides he has to act rather than wait for Gant to make good his threat to show up someday. Suspecting Gant of planning to rob an unusually large gold shipment being transported by train, he prepares an ambush with Ramsey’s reluctant help. Gant and his entire gang (one member played by Harry Dean Stanton) are killed in the shootout. In the end, Lily and the Rawlingses travel to their new home. A short epilogue shows Los Angeles and San Francisco in the early 1960s, including the famous four-level downtown freeway interchange and Golden Gate Bridge, indicating the growth of the West in 80 years. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … A rambling tale with a super cast that fails to connect the dots for movie goers. From Karl Malden to the George Peppard and Debbie Reynolds ending – the story of a wild west adventure bound family has far to many gaps to engage the audience – you get to know a character and then their written out … Watchable but nothing that grabs me … EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 4.0/10 … ________________________________________
“Lilies of the Fields”: Movie Links: Please Report any broken LINKS – E-Mail – blogcomment@bigpond.com
Summary: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Lilies of the Field, a 1963 film adapted from the 1962 novel with the same name by William Edmund Barrett, starring Sidney Poitier, Lilia Skala, Stanley Adams, and Dan Frazer, was adapted by James Poe from the novel. It was produced and directed by Ralph Nelson. The title comes from Matthew 6:27-33 a portion of the Sermon on the Mount in the New Testament and its parallel scripture from Luke 12:27-30. It also features an early film score by prolific composer Jerry Goldsmith. It tells the story of an African American itinerant worker who encounters a group of East German nuns who believe he has been sent to them by God to build them a new chapel. Plot: [Pasted from Wikipedia] – Homer Smith (Sidney Poitier) is an itinerant handyman/jack-of-all-trades who stops at a farm in the Arizona desert to obtain some water for his car. There he sees several women working on a fence, very ineptly. The women, who speak very little English, introduce themselves as German, Austrian and Hungarian nuns. The mother superior, the leader of the nuns, persuades him to do a small roofing repair. He stays overnight, assuming that he will be paid in the morning. Next day, Smith tries to persuade the mother superior to pay him by quoting Luke 10:7, “The laborer is worthy of his hire.” Mother Maria Marthe (Lilia Skala, called “Mother Maria”), responds by asking him to read another Bible verse from the Sermon on the Mount: “Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.” Mother Maria likes things done her way. The nuns have essentially no money and subsist by living off the land, on what vegetables the arid climate provides, and some milk and eggs. Even after being stonewalled when asking for payment, and after being persuaded to stay for a meal, and against his better judgment, Smith agrees to stay another day to help them with other small jobs, always with the faint hope that Mother Maria will pay him for his work. As Smith’s skills and strengths become apparent to the nuns, they come to believe that he has been sent by God to fulfill their dream of building a chapel for the townsfolk–who are Hispanic and impoverished–as the nearest church is miles away. When Sunday comes, Mother Maria informs Smith that he will be driving the sisters to Mass in his station wagon. (The nuns have no vehicle and thus ordinarily would walk the long distance to church.) Smith is invited to attend the Catholic Mass, but he declines because he is a Baptist. Instead, he takes the opportunity to a get proper breakfast from the trading post next door. In talking to the proprietor, Juan (Stanley Adams), Smith learns about the hardships that the nuns, led by the unyielding Mother Maria, overcame to emigrate from Eastern Europe — over the Berlin Wall — only to barely scratch out a meager living on the farm that was willed to their order. Though he has come to realize how unlikely it is that he will be paid, and partly out of respect for all the women have overcome, Smith stays longer and finds himself driven to work on at least clearing the construction site for the chapel. He rationalizes that it would be too hard for the sisters to move the heavy beams. After losing another duel of Bible quotes with Mother Maria, Smith acknowledges that he has always wanted to be an architect, but couldn’t afford the schooling. His unfulfilled dream impels him to agree to undertake the (unpaid) job of building the sisters a chapel. To earn money to buy some “real food” to supplement the spartan diet the nuns are able to provide him, Smith gets a part-time job with the nearby construction contractor, Ashton (director Ralph Nelson, uncredited), who is impressed that Smith can handle nearly every piece of heavy equipment he owns. Smith supplements the nuns’ diet as well, shopping for groceries to stock up their kitchen and delighting them with treats such as lollipops. To pass the evenings, Smith (whom the nuns call “Schmidt”) helps the sisters improve their rudimentary English (only Mother Maria speaks the language well enough to converse with him) and joins them in singing. They share their different musical traditions with one another: their Catholic chants and his Baptist hymns. He teaches them to join him in the call-and-response song “Amen” by Jester Hairston (dubbed by Hairston in the film). Smith, determined that the building will be constructed to the highest standards, insists that the work be done by him and only him. Meanwhile, the nuns write letters to various philanthropic organizations and charities asking for money for supplies, but all their requests are denied. As word spreads about the endeavor, locals begin to show up to contribute materials and to help in construction, but Smith rebuffs all offers of assistance in the labor. As he gains a larger and larger audience for his efforts, the locals, impressed with his determination, but no less dogged than he, will content themselves no longer with just watching. They find ways to lend a hand that Smith cannot easily turn down— the lifting of a bucket or brick, for example. Once the process is in motion, they end up doing as they intended, assisting in every aspect of the construction, as well as contributing materials. This greatly accelerates the progress, much to the delight of everyone but Smith. Even Ashton, who has long ignored Mother Maria’s pleas, finds an excuse to deliver some more materials. Almost overnight, Smith finds that he’s become a building foreman and contractor. Enduring the hassles of coordinating the work of so many, the constant disputes with Mother Maria, and the trial of getting enough materials for the building, Smith brings the chapel to completion, placing the cross on the spire himself and signing his work where only he and God will know. It is the evening before the Sunday when the chapel is to be dedicated. All the work has been done and Smith is exhausted. Now that there is nothing more to keep Smith among them, Mother Maria, too proud to ask him outright to stay, insists that he attend the opening Mass next day to receive proper recognition from the congregation. She speaks enthusiastically of all that “Schmidt” still can do to aid the town, such as building a school. Making no reply to any of this, Smith tricks Mother Maria, as part of the night’s English lesson, into saying “thank you” to him. Until then, she stubbornly had thanked only God for the work, assistance, and gifts that Smith had provided to the nuns. It is a touching moment between two strong personalities. Later that evening, as he leads the nuns in singing “Amen” once again, Smith slips out the door and, still singing the lead, the nuns’ voices chiming softly behind him, he takes one last look at the chapel he built. Mother Maria hears him start up his station wagon, but sits stoically, singing along with the rest of the sisters, as Smith drives quietly off into the night. EYE-BALL MovieZone Review … Poitier won Best Actor for his role in this movie. An intriguing and engaging tale – Nuns always make a movie interesting and the good-natured European ‘penguins’ in this movie give Poitier a lot of scope to contrast with. The uneasy silences and limited music score make the movie real and different in so many ways – very enjoyable even today – how “Tom Jones” won Best Picture Oscar defies all movie goers senses … both this movie and “America America” were compelling tales at opposite ends of the divide. This movie makes the heart glow and teaches how easy it ts to give – it makes a statement we could all learn from in this selfish day and age. This was a weak year for movies is all I can say. EYE-BALL MovieZone Rating [scale 0-10]: 5.5/10 … ________________________________________ [Just a small note – this is a free website – and the information posted hereto is the product of genuine research which has taken considerable time and effort. If you have enjoyed the product of these efforts a small donation would be appreciated. There is a gratuity/donation link provided to the right of this text – please if you have the time and are so inclined to want to make a donation – please use the link provided. 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