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The Kite Runner, a review by Jon

The Kite Runner
4 out of 5



Khaled Hosseini's stunning debut novel is now an acclaimed motion picture. As young boys, Amir and Hassan were inseparable friends, until one fateful act tore them apart. Years later, Amir will embark on a dangerous quest to right the wrongs of the past - and redeem himself in ways he never expected - by displaying the ultimate in courage and devotion to his friend.

After half an hour or so, I thought I had The Kite Runner pegged and it was exactly what I suspected; a kind of, Stand By Me Finding NeverlandAtonement

(From Jon's Alphabet Marathon 2010 on July 8th, 2010)

Giant, a review by Hal

Giant: Special Edition (1956/United States) Warner Home Video (United States) Director: George Stevens Writing: Edna Ferber (Original Material By), Fred Guiol (Original Material By), Ivan Moffat (Original Material By) Length: 201 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.66:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital: Dolby Surround, French: Dolby Digital: Mono, Commentary: Dolby Digital: 2-Channel Stereo Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Stars:
Elizabeth Taylor as Leslie Lynnton Benedict
Rock Hudson as Jordan 'Bick' Benedict
James Dean as Jett Rink
Carroll Baker as Luz Benedict
Jane Withers as Vashti Snythe

Plot:Extras:

• Scene Access
• Audio Commentary
• Feature Trailers
• Featurettes
• Gallery
• Production Notes
• Closed Captioned
• NY Premiere, Newsreels, Stills, Interviews

I had actually never seen this movie before, mainly because I had picked up the impression somewhere along the way that it was a long, single episode soap opera.  It turns out, that's exactly what it is.  I have a feeling that this film benefits from the "James Dean" effect, as it is the last film he starred in before his tragic death in a car accident in 1955.  Somehow, Hollywood actors who die young seem to acquire a certain mystical aura which seems to work retroactively, and perhaps sometimes affording a film a greater stature than it would have otherwise enjoyed had the tragedy not occurred.

Hudson, Taylor and Dean were excellent in their roles, but I have to believe that Texans of the day were not overjoyed with this movie as it is not a very flattering portrayal of its residents, showing them as steeped in tradition and clearly full of prejudice not just of Mexicans, but of women as well.  The stark contrast between rich and poor and educated and ignorant was strikingly painted.  Given that this was released in 1956, some of these themes were pretty daring, even if they seem tame today.  Rock Hudson's reversal in the end did not strike me as particularly realistic, since in my experience, people who harbor these type of prejudices rarely change.

If I have any complaint it is that it was too long with several scenes that could easily have been shortened or eliminated without losing anything from the story.  Secondly, even as an American, and one who has lived in the South for 35 years, I had a hard time with the dialog at several points, especially Mercedes McCambridge and James Dean.  Once again, Hollywood was trying a little too hard for that "authentic" Texas drawl, I guess!

Although nominated for 10 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, it only took home the Oscar for George Stevens as Director; well deserved in my opinion.

Rating: 3.5

(From The Movies From Within My Lifetime on April 11th, 2011)

Pete's Pilots, a review by addicted2dvd

The Brady Bunch


The Honeymoon
Mike Brady (Robert Reed), a widower with three boys, marries Carol Ann Tyler Martin (Florence Henderson), a widow with three girls. But just as the knot is tied, chaos breaks loose as the family pets wreak havoc on the ceremony. Mike and Carol admonish their children for the chaos - and then spend a fretful wedding night feeling guilty about their overreaction.

My Thoughts:
While The Brady Bunch was never a favorite sitcom of mine... it is a big part of my childhood (there was no way not seeing this back then) so it does hold some nostalgic value... even to me. The kids are definitely too goody goody for my taste... and everything was almost always (other then 2 part episodes) solved within the half hour episode. But it is kinda fun sitting back and watching it again now... just for kicks and to make fun of. Like in the pilot episode here... during the wedding the dog gets out of the car by stepping on the automatic window control. Only problem... right above his paw is the window crank where the car didn't have automatic windows. And that is just a minor blunder. I am not even going to go into the problems with the storyline. But as I said... it is fun to watch just for laughs when I am in the mood for something silly and nostalgic.

My Rating:

(From Pete's Pilots on November 9th, 2009)