Betty-Thomas Movie Reviews

I honestly don't remember the details, because I only saw it once a few years ago, but I do remember that I loved it and I cried. It was truly amazing and touching. Something about an Elf and a father that didn't understand him and a happy ending. I've been looking for it and waiting for it to be on TV for two years and am so happy I've finally found the correct title so I can purchase it, which I'm going to do right away. I highly recommend this film.

I honestly don't remember the details, because I only saw it once a few years ago, but I do remember that I loved it and I cried. It was truly amazing and touching. Something about an Elf and a father that didn't understand him and a happy ending. I've been looking for it and waiting for it to be on TV for two years and am so happy I've finally found the correct title so I can purchase it, which I'm going to do right away. I highly recommend this film.

Another Richard Dreyfuss tour-de-force performance. He portrays a man in his prime suddenly paralysed from the neck down, who pleads with doctors and ultimately the courts to allow him to die rather than spend a long life in misery. Hospital staff and loved ones try to show him that life is worth living, but soon all are convinced that it's "his" life, and because of the extreme circumstance he should have the right NOT to live it out. -- I appreciated that "both sides" of the issue of eutenasia were heard, and that ultimately the viewer could make his decision. This is a moving film of timely relevance!

This highly underrated film expertly examines the right of any person to control the destiny of their own life. As a quadrepelegic who used to be a sculptor, Richard Drefuss plays a character who decides his life is not worth living. Everything he loved in life has been taken away from him. Directed brilliantly with a stellar cast.

I actually studied the play Whose Life is it Anyway? for a drama assignment at school. The movie really did justice to the original story by Brian Clark. Even though I was encouraged to do a different play, as this one is so hard to find information on, I stuck with this one because I loved it so much. The story really moved me, and I found myself crying at more than one point during the movie. This story brings up so many issues that are relevant to all humans... I would recommend it to anyone who loves a good story!

This film was originally designed for Alice Faye, but she got appendicitis as the last minute, and Grable was substituted to avoid financial losses. While the film is very good and everything, it is obvious that it was more designed for Faye, the singer, than Grable, the dancer. While Betty has some good dance scenes, they seem to be rather thrown in haphazardly.

The plot centers around super-rich Grable, who is buying horses, and falling in love with Don Ameche, the owner of said horses. There are the usual romantic entaglements and problems, but eventually they wind up together. Charlotte Greenwood is excellent as Grable's aunt and provides most of the comic effect in the movie. Watch for her phrases with double meanings (no, not sexual ones) They're wonderful!

Also, watch for Carmen Miranda's film debut. Fox was a little uncertain about their new south-of-the-border commodity, and they didn't give her the LAVISH screen treatment and dance numbers they did in later films, but she does well as a nightclub singer. She also doesn't have any speaking parts, and her song is in Portuguese, but it features the debut of "Mama Yo Queiro" and "South American Way."

Basically, this film is enjoyable if you are a Grable or Miranda fan, but otherwise, there is little to hold it together. I rather think it would have been better with Faye, even if it did jump-start Grable's remarkable career.

I thought this movie would have a few fun Carmen Miranda numbers and not much else. It actually has very little of Carmen (but what's there is good), LOTS of goregous scenery, and even more gorgeous horses. Betty Grable is fine, Don Ameche does a Spanish accent surprisingly well, and Charlotte Greenwood adds class, energy, and pizazz as she always does. The plot is predictable but fun, and not entirely typical. Unlike some musicals, where you sit through most of it just waiting for the big production number at the end, this movie is packed with one interesting sight and sound after another, making it fly by in no time. Also watch for the amazing tap dancing by the Nicholas brothers.

This film could win just for the costumes alone. It's so colorful and beautiful. The story line is very good, and Bette Grable is more beautiful then ever. The tunes are catchy, and Don Ameche makes a very handsome leading man. It's a film well worth seeing.

Although Top Hat usually is given the title of the best musical starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, Swing Time is hands down, the best of all ten of the Rogers/Astaire musicals. Pick Yourself Up is the best dance number the couple ever did together, with Never Gonna Dance as a close second.

In this musical, the 6th in the series, Fred is a gambler who goes to New York to get 25,000 so he can marry his girlfriend. While in New York, he meets a dance teacher, Ginger Rogers, and falls for her. This is classic.

The stories behind Never Gonna Dance are great. Did you know that it took over 48 takes to shoot, and one take was going perfectly fine until Fred's toupee flew of his head. Also note, that while dancing, Ginger Rogers feet became so raw that they started to bleed. So as you watch her happy expression, realize that under those beautiful shoes she is wearing, blood is actually pouring out!

Lucky and Penny(!) What happens to Astaire and Rogers on the dance floor is what happened to Gable and Colbert on that bus ride: each opens up to the virtues of the other. I love the close-up of Roger's smile of wonderment at seeing Astaire's tap riff. It's then that she realises that on the dance floor, Lucky isn't a bum masquerading as a gentlemen - he's a professional - like her - and in the same profession! That professionalism dazzles Rogers' Penny (it's also what the REAL Astaire and Rogers had in common). The melodies drifting through the movie's soundtrack underscore its ideals of high style and high romance: the actual instances of singing and dancing seem to have spilled over from these melodies. What's most impressive about this movie isn't the relation between the mood music and the numbers but how the director pays attention to the MEANING of the music. The team's last number, the great NEVER GONNA DANCE, which Astaire and Rogers perform in the empty nightclub is the most breathtaking dance in the picture - and probably the most emotionally daring dance ever devised for an Astaire and Rogers film! The last part of SWING TIME is awash with music and dancing - Jerome Kern's THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT won an AA for the best song of 1936; here we see Fred singing to Ginger while her head is covered with the white foam of shampoo!

I had seen this movie on television before but I was able yesterday to see this movie in a theater run by the AFI and I'm glad I took advantage of the opportunity. It is said that a thing of beauty is a joy forever and that is what this film is. I had a smile on my face for an hour and half and after every musical and dancing performance people applauded as if it was a live performance. I especially liked the "A Fine Romance" sequence which had to be shot on one of the most beautiful sets in the history of motion pictures and of course the "Bojangles in Harlem" sequence among many including the "Waltz in Swing Time" and "Pick Yourself Up" are magnificent. a tremendous movie, one that surely will fill you with joy.

Although Top Hat usually is given the title of the best musical starring Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire, Swing Time is hands down, the best of all ten of the Rogers/Astaire musicals. Pick Yourself Up is the best dance number the couple ever did together, with Never Gonna Dance as a close second.

In this musical, the 6th in the series, Fred is a gambler who goes to New York to get 25,000 so he can marry his girlfriend. While in New York, he meets a dance teacher, Ginger Rogers, and falls for her. This is classic.

The stories behind Never Gonna Dance are great. Did you know that it took over 48 takes to shoot, and one take was going perfectly fine until Fred's toupee flew of his head. Also note, that while dancing, Ginger Rogers feet became so raw that they started to bleed. So as you watch her happy expression, realize that under those beautiful shoes she is wearing, blood is actually pouring out!

Lucky and Penny(!) What happens to Astaire and Rogers on the dance floor is what happened to Gable and Colbert on that bus ride: each opens up to the virtues of the other. I love the close-up of Roger's smile of wonderment at seeing Astaire's tap riff. It's then that she realises that on the dance floor, Lucky isn't a bum masquerading as a gentlemen - he's a professional - like her - and in the same profession! That professionalism dazzles Rogers' Penny (it's also what the REAL Astaire and Rogers had in common). The melodies drifting through the movie's soundtrack underscore its ideals of high style and high romance: the actual instances of singing and dancing seem to have spilled over from these melodies. What's most impressive about this movie isn't the relation between the mood music and the numbers but how the director pays attention to the MEANING of the music. The team's last number, the great NEVER GONNA DANCE, which Astaire and Rogers perform in the empty nightclub is the most breathtaking dance in the picture - and probably the most emotionally daring dance ever devised for an Astaire and Rogers film! The last part of SWING TIME is awash with music and dancing - Jerome Kern's THE WAY YOU LOOK TONIGHT won an AA for the best song of 1936; here we see Fred singing to Ginger while her head is covered with the white foam of shampoo!

I had seen this movie on television before but I was able yesterday to see this movie in a theater run by the AFI and I'm glad I took advantage of the opportunity. It is said that a thing of beauty is a joy forever and that is what this film is. I had a smile on my face for an hour and half and after every musical and dancing performance people applauded as if it was a live performance. I especially liked the "A Fine Romance" sequence which had to be shot on one of the most beautiful sets in the history of motion pictures and of course the "Bojangles in Harlem" sequence among many including the "Waltz in Swing Time" and "Pick Yourself Up" are magnificent. a tremendous movie, one that surely will fill you with joy.

"Troop Beverly Hills" was another one of the childhood favorites. I would imagine what it would be like to not only live in Beverly Hills, but also imagine what it would be like to be in their Wilderness Girl Troop.

"Troop Beverly Hills" is about a woman (Shelley Long), who is about to be divorced and wants to do something that will bring her and a her daughter closer. She decides to be the troop leader of the Beverly Hills chapter of the Wilderness Girls, a ficticious version of the Girl Scouts. It is hilarious to watch the Beverly Hill troop do things that the other troops never thought these girls could accomplish due to their money and upbringing.

This is a very feel-good type of movie that will warm your heart. I would definitely suggest it to children and adults alike. It's a movie that you can watch with your entire family! You will not be disappointed!!!

I love Shelley Long sooooo much and look forward to every one of her films being transferred to DVD.

Troop Beverly Hills is one of the greatest "'80s" movies there ever was. I saw this for the first time when I was ten (I'm 19 now) and I have loved it ever since. You just have to love this dyfunctional bunch of spoiled little rich girls because they try so hard to accomplish their task of becoming Wilderness Girls when everyone is against them. Will they succeed, or give in to what everyone else believes? Only time will tell. For those of you who are true children of the "'80s" check out the cast for such stars as Kellie Martin, Tori Spelling, and Jenny Lewis. I love this movie because it makes me feel ten years old again. Grab the sleeping bags and Barbies out of the closet and make a night of it with Troop Beverly Hills! You won't be disappointed!

This is a good movie made great by the Oscar nominated performance of Geraldine Page. Miss Page is in the movie about 10 minutes and simply steals the show. The scene with the Interal Affairs detectives is extraordinary! You can't take your eyes off her!

"Chimes, Charlie, chimes..." The Pope of Greenwich Village was one of the great films of 1984 and offers a visually and thematically telling portrait of two small-time hustlers in Little Italy. Charlie, portrayed brilliantly by Mickey Rourke in his finest performance, is wed, in a brotherly sense, to his second cousin, Paulie, played with equal bravado by Eric Roberts. It is an Italian/NYC version of Of Mice and Men and proves that blood is thicker than water, and even a little thicker than a nice hot cup of laced espresso. Pay particular attention to the wonderful work of Burt Young as Bedbug Eddy -- a local boss that causes Charile and Paulie (not to mention Paulie's "thummmmb") a great deal of grief. Certain lines by Eric Roberts are unforgettable, Rourke's swagger is unparalleled, and great tracks ranging from Frank Sinatra to Mink deVille offer the wonderful back drop of the Village and equal dose of acoustic power. It is a New York movie, it is an Italian-American morality tale -- it's tough and gritty and damn good. Leave the gun, take the canolis...and the movie. -- Mr. Zelig

"The Pope of Greenwich Village" is, in its own way, a classic. It features a terrific cast including Mickey Rourke, Eric Roberts, Daryl Hannah, Burt Young, and M. Emmett Walsh, among others. It's another chapter in the seemingly endless variety of New York neighborhood dramas--"On the Waterfront," "Mean Streets," etc.. Like these, P G V contrasts two characters: a basically decent guy (in this case Charlie, played by Rourke) and a no good grifter (in this case Paulie, played by Roberts). And as these things usually work out, the no good one manages to rope the decent one into some sort of no good. The no good in "Pope" is a robbery. There are lots of examples, both good and bad, of this genre. Rather than being plot driven , movies of this sort are made or broken by how successful they are as character studies, and how well they capture life in the neighborhoods (Little Italy, in this case). To this film's credit, it's remarkably successful in both.

Eric Roberts never equaled the performance he gives here in any other movie. It's also arguably Rourke ' s best work as well (some might argue for "Diner").

Why do they insist on making a mockery of television shows we all loved? Brady Bunch, Scooby Do... there have been others. They make a movie that serves SOLELY to make the characters and premise look dumb. It's irritating and stupid.

I remember watching this movie in the theatres. The audience was packed and I LOVED every minute of it. Shelly Long made an outstanding Carol Brady, loving wife and doting mother to six (count 'em six) children. The movie captured the classic camp of the television show perfectly down to trademark episode storylines inter-woven into a bigger story. The real stand out actors though has to be Christine Taylor as Marcia and Jennifer Elise Cox as Jan. The dynamic duo really set the stage with not only their remarkable resemblance to the characters but the way they captured even the inflections of the blonde Brady girls. It was almost like being taken back to the series. And speaking of which, several original series cast members make cameo appearances in the film, such as Florence Henderson as Grandma Brady, Barry Williams as a music producer, Ann B. Davis as Shultzy (named as an homage to her character on the Bob Cummings Show), and Christopher Knight as the school coach. And you can't miss the ever talented Jean Smart or RuPaul as the drunk next door neighbor and school guidence counselor. The drawbacks of the DVD release though is that Paramount skimped on any bonus material. We are benefited with seeing the movie in crystal clear widescreen and in Dolby sound, but there are no behind-the-scenes clips added though such material was shown on television when the movie was just released. There are no character/actor bios. There are no photo stills. There are no Brady song montages. There isn't even a movie trailer of the movie itself. There is just simply nothing added to make this DVD as special as it could have been than just the movie standing alone. In my mind, the purpose of releasing a movie on DVD at all is to provide the audience with a higher level of product than you would recieve on a standard videotape. Because the movie wasn't released with any of these I have to grudgingly give the DVD a three out of five stars. Not because the movie isn't good, because it is. It's one of my favorites. No, I gave it three stars because companies such as Paramount and others like them really should know better. The word 'cheated' comes to mind.

If you are looking for a hilarious comedy that will have you rolling on the floor for hours and hours that isn't too bad for the little children? Well if the answer is yes, then this movie is the perfect movie for you. Then after this movie won 6 Emmy's they came out with another sequal that earned 4 Emmy's, and then, the final and the best sequal(The Third) is the most funny, it is where Greg Brady becomes President.

My 4 year old daughter loves this movie. She asks to watch it every day. I of course sit and watch it with her but it is so funny and entertaining that I enjoy it as well.

The Brady Bunch Movie and A Very Brady Sequel are both very funny movies, and it could be argued for hours about which one is funnier, but I like both.

My review is just a simple wish to Paramount Home Entertainment, about what I would like to be done to The Brady Bunch Movie and its sequel. I would like to see both of them on DVD, that would be very nice. Having them in anamorphic 1:85:1 widescreen formats would be a delight, too, and some special features would be nice. It doesn't need to be loaded, but maybe a documentary or two, some trailers and TV spots, and possibly a commentary by the cast would be VERY nice.

However, none of these are required, but something I really want to see on the DVD of the first movie is the extra scenes featured in the Network Television Version of the film. These include Mrs. Dittmeyer (Jean Smart) trying to seduce Peter (Paul Sutera) while he mows the lawn, Greg (Christopher Daniel Barnes) playing that horrible beanstalk song with Eric Dittmeyer in his garage (he gets thrown out), and the completely eliminated sub-plot about the termites in the Dittmeyer's bathroom (this explains the neck brace he wears in one scene).

Please, please, please, Paramount! We all know you're not a company known for making good DVDs, but The Brady Bunch Movie and its sequel both deserve special editions so that everyone can enjoy the films in the best possible quality and with the Network scenes intact.

Thank you.

These movies are very funny ! if u like the Brady Bunch. you have to buy this. its great for the Music acts. the 1st one has " its a sunshine day " and " keep on " the 2nd movie has that song when peter's voice changes. and good time music. BUY OR RENT THIS MOVIE. you will love it.