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Tomorrow Never Dies, a review by Rich

Tomorrow Never Dies



The British super spy goes after a ruthless media baron (an amalgam of Ted Turner, Rupert Murdoch, and Bill Gates, played with feisty aplomb by Pryce) whose diabolical plans include instigating World War III so that his empire can obtain an exclusive (a la CNN during the Gulf War). This time, 007 discovers sorrow in a love lost and a worthwhile partner in a female Chinese counterpart (Hong Kong action diva Yeoh). Noteworthy for its unabashed commercial product placement, Sheryl Crow's title song was nominated for a Golden Globe (Best Original Song - Motion Picture).

Average spy film, the start and first hour or so heralded great things, with excellent chemistry between Brosnan and Hatcher, but for me it rather fizzled out through a pedestrian and uninspiring storyline when the settings went to Asia. The villain (Pryce) was pathetic and an unbelieving media mogul, and a limp somewhat camp baddie in relative unknown Gotz Otto.
This what a stretch too far from reality for my taste, and a flimsy plot which did not deliver the goods. A missed opportunity after a great beginning.
 




(From Riches Random Reviews on June 16th, 2009)

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, a review by Antares

Gunfight at the O.K. Corral





Year: 1957
Film Studio: Paramount Pictures
Genre: Western
Length: 122 Min.

Director
John Sturges (1910)

Writing
Leon Uris (1924)...Writer
George Scullin...Article "The Killer"

Producer
Joseph H. Hazen (1898)
Paul Nathan (1912)
Hal B. Wallis (1899)

Cinematographer
Charles Lang (1902)

Music
Dimitri Tiomkin (1894)...Composer

Stars
Burt Lancaster (1913) as Marshal Wyatt Earp
Kirk Douglas (1916) as Dr. John 'Doc' Holliday
Rhonda Fleming (1923) as Laura Denbow
Jo Van Fleet (1914) as Kate Fisher
John Ireland (1914) as Johnny Ringo
Lyle Bettger (1915) as Ike Clanton
Frank Faylen (1905) as Sheriff Cotton Wilson
Earl Holliman (1928) as Deputy Sheriff Charles 'Charlie' Bassett

Review
OK Corral... OK Corral
there the outlaw band make their final stand
OK Corral

You know you're in for a western treat when the opening song of the film is sung by Frankie Laine. For this second film about the Earp boys and Doc Holliday, the director is John Sturges, a director best known for his seminal western The Magnificent Seven and his epic WWII prison drama, The Great Escape. Sturges' films were known for having a fairly decent amount of action in them, and less of the psychological insights into his characters. This film is no exception. In terms of star power, this version goes for broke by having two of the biggest stars of the time play the pivotal roles of Earp & Holliday. Burt Lancaster plays Wyatt Earp with his usual bombastic flair and Kirk Douglas delivers his lines with the strained seriousness which he had become known for. Unfortunately, you never quite can see past the fact that it's Burt & Kirk acting, yet never becoming the characters. Another weakness in the film probably stems from the fact that a good portion of the budget went to pay their salaries, and not much is left over for the supporting cast of male actors. Lyle Bettger, known only to hardcore western junkies of the time as a bit character actor who played villains, is pretty unremarkable as Ike Clanton. You do have John Ireland playing Johnny Ringo, but just as with Lancaster & Douglas, you never can see beyond the fact it's Ireland acting his usual tough guy persona.

For the first time, we get a look at Big Nose Kate, the prostitute who was Doc Holliday's companion. But Hollywood was still being dictated to by the Breen office, and Jo Van Fleet is saddle with playing her as a desperate drunk, clinging on to Holliday as he self destructs. Rhonda Fleming is given a throw away role as a beautiful gambling lady whom Wyatt falls in love with. I guess this was suppose to be based on Josie Marcus, the dancer who would one day become Mrs. Earp, but she was never a big stakes gambler.

When time came for the famous shootout, Sturges decided that a quick shootout in a cramped opening abutting the stable wasn't exciting enough, so the altercation is spread out on the outskirts of town. Doc Holliday uses a six gun instead of a shotgun, which for some unexplained reason, is used by Wyatt Earp, instead of his famed Buntline revolver, which we see him play around with in an earlier scene. Now the historical inaccuracies comes fast and furious, as the action on screen plays out. I can understand taking a little poetic license with a story to spruce up the action, but they play so fast and loose, that this whole segment could have been supplanted into Sturges' next western Last Train from Gun Hill, and you wouldn't have never known the difference.

It's a fun ride, but when all is said and done, it never rises above a B movie western from the same era.

Boot hill Boot hill
so cold so still
There they lay side by side
the killers that died
in the gunfight at ok corral
ok corral
GUNFIGHT AT OK CORRAL

But damn if it ain't worth it just to listen to Frankie Laine croon that song.

Review Criterion

(From Gunfight at the OK Corral (1957) on September 16th, 2011)

Psych: The Complete Second Season, a review by addicted2dvd

Psych: The Complete Second Season (2007/United States)

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Stars:Extras:

• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Outtakes/Bloopers
• Lil' Shawn and Gus webisodes

I been enjoying this show so much that I just couldn't be bothered writing a review for each disc. So I waited until I watched the complete season. And I am still completely hooked on this series. I have now watched 2 of the 4 seasons that I got for Christmas... and just can't wait to start season 3. Why am I so hooked on this series?... I really don't know... just know that I am enjoying every moment of this fun series. Favorite episode of the season? So many good episodes it really isn't easy to say... but I guess I would have to go with Shawn (and Gus) of the Dead... which happens to be the season finale. And I think they ended the season with a nice little cliffhanger. Nothing detrimental to the storyline... but something to keep your interest for the next season.




(From Addicted2dvd's Random TV Series Watched on December 31st, 2011)