DVD Collectors Online

Home from the Hill, a review by Rick

Home from the Hill
Hollywood Legends:
Robert Mitchum
George Peppard
George Hamilton

Overview:
Wade Hunnicutt is a big man who casts a big shadow, one that looms over the Texas backwoodsmen who work his land...over the beautiful, embittered wife he cheats on...and over the sons -- one from marriage and one illegitimate -- who strive for their father's respect. Robert Mitchum "gives one of his greatest performances" (Michael Barson, 'The Illustrated Who's Who of Hollywood Directors') as Wade, and Vincente Minnelli directs this sprawling emotionally volatile of an epic clash between generations. In early-career roles, George Peppard and George Hamilton co-star as Wade's sons, determined to be their own men, yet in danger of repeating their father's life-crippling legacy of lust and violence.

My Thoughts:
This one took me by surprise. I wasn't sure what to expect going into it but I know didn't expect what I got. I can't think of any Robert Mitchum movies I don't like so I expected to enjoy it. I was not disappointed. There was a while about 2/3rds into the movie where I did begin to loose interest. It didn't take long to grab me right back again though.

It's a drama about a messed up family, their interactions with each other and with the community. He's a mans man, with power, respect, money, basically everything he wants. On the outside he's got it all. It's pretty clear within 10 minutes of the movie that his family life is dysfunctional at best.

Great performances by George Peppard and George Hamilton, who play his sons. One legitimate with all the benefits of growing up in a powerful family. The other, an illegitimate child who wants nothing more than to be called 'son'. The story turns out to be as much (if not more) about the sons as it does about Mitchum. I'm finding it hard to say too much as there are some good story lines I don't want to ruin for anyone who may watch this.

If you like dramas with good story lines and great performances I recommend this movie. Take note, it is 150 minutes long so make sure you have lots of pop corn.

My Rating


(From DCO third annual November Alphabet Marathon - discussion/review/banter thread on November 12th, 2009)

Rebels and Redcoats: How Britain Lost America, a review by Antares

Rebels and Redcoats: How Britain Lost America (2003) 50/100 - When I first endeavored to undertake this mini marathon, this was the documentary that intrigued me the most. Liberty! The American Revolution, The Revolutionary War and The American Revolution all shared one thing in common, they were mostly told from the American perspective, with the latter being the most egregious in its chest thumping. But this documentary was made by the BBC and promised to give the British point of view on it's involvement and loss in the war. Unfortunately, the man who made the documentary, Richard Holmes, a military historian at Cranfield University in England, had some sort of agenda when he undertook this production. From what I understand, he was so incensed at Mel Gibson's film The Patriot, that he felt the need to set the record straight. But instead of making a thought provoking assessment of what it was really like for the British during the struggle, he does exactly the same thing that Gibson did, he bashes his opponent with an almost gleeful passion. He constantly emphasizes the atrocities that the rebels inflicted on what he deems were honorable loyalists, while conveniently glossing over the same kind of acts perpetrated by the British regulars. George Washington is a greedy, slave owning, aristocratic hypocrite whose sole mission was to insure his wealth and status in the colonies. He also spends an inordinate amount of time on the slavery issue, conveniently forgetting or omitting the fact that England accrued most of its wealth through commerce in the slave, rum and molasses triangular trade route in the 17th and early 18th century. The Dutch may have started the slave trade, but England fine tuned it to a money making monster for almost a century. About the only thing he gets right is the omission by most American history books and curriculum's on the crucial involvement and success of the French during the war, whom with out their help, the rebels wouldn't have stood a chance of winning. If you're looking for a jaded, biased, and poorly made documentary on the Revolutionary War, then look no further than this waste of time and film.

What the color coding means...

Teal = Masterpiece
Dark Green = Classic or someday will be
Lime Green = A good, entertaining film
Orange = Average
Red = Cinemuck
Brown = The color of crap, which this film is

(From Antares' Short Summations on December 12th, 2013)

"Due South" marathon, a review by addicted2dvd

One Good Man
This episode is not bad... but there isn't really anything special about it either. This one feels like nothing more then a filler episode to me.

My Rating:

One Good Man

The return of Mackenzie King, the reporter from Episode 2. I think Pete was looking forward to her return. This time though the character is not played by a brunette but by a blonde (sorry Pete  ). Maria Bello actually. (ER; Coyote Ugly).

Pretty good episode. Nothing great though. We do learn a bit more about Ray's background.

Rating:

Yes... I was looking forward to her return... and I don't like that they had to replace the actress playing her. Don't get me wrong... I don't really dislike blondes... I just prefer red heads and brunettes. Though they should have gotten a brunette for continuity sake! 

(From "Due South" marathon on August 24th, 2009)