George-C.-Scott Movie Reviews

A military school is about to be closed, partly because its longtime headmaster is seen as unstable by some. Many of the cadets/students do not want to lose their school, as it is their home. They take over, and the police try to get them out; the result is a standoff. One of the cadets kills one of the police, and the stakes are raised.

George C. Scott plays the probably unstable headmaster (think of a postwar Patton about to lose his last job); he is both admirable and scary. Timothy Hutton, who some feel did not handle this role well, plays one of the lead cadets. I think he did the role justice, as his character is torn between honor, being faithful to his school and headmaster, dealing with his friends' differing views on how to handle the situation, and finding a sane way out of an insane situation. Tom Cruise plays one of Hutton's friends, and thinks that they should hold the school, no matter what the cost. Sean Penn plays another friend, who seeks a bloodless resolution, no matter what.

Some reviewers criticize the film because the cadets are portrayed as both villains and heroes. I disagree; I see the kids being portrayed as what they are supposed to be: not-yet-adults with strong ideals put in a no-win situation. Are they supposed to surrender their school/home to keep the peace, even if it violates their ideals and sense of justice? Or, do they kill off the police to hold their honor, while becoming murderers? They have no good choice, yet they have to choose. And, they have a charismatic, if somewhat fanatical and unstable role model. They behave as I would expect them to in such an awful situation.

Overall, this is a memorable, good film, although not great or epic. It tackles important issues in a crucible of crisis.

The cast is 100% all star and the movie is excellent about young men with one goal but different values about what they would do to achieve that goal. A great hit movie!

Given the other reviews, plot summary in this one would be superfluous, yet I feel compelled to say "Taps" is a deeply moving tragedy. The characters are very real, the situation is very believable. The film has its share of comic relief, but the story is so sad and the acting so very good (even Cruise, whom I generally loathe, was perfectly cast) that if you are given to tears you may prefer to watch it alone, but whether you are or whether you're not, you definitely should watch it.

I agree, both the book by Stephen King and this movie based on it are so underrated. Firestarter happens to be one of my favorite books by Stephen King and I really liked this movie and thought Drew Barrymore (The Wedding Singer) and David Keith (An Officer and a Gentleman) were perfect as Charlie McGee and her father Andy, and George C. Scott (The Flim-Flam Man) was amazing as the sinister Rainbird, he really creeped me out! Martin Sheen (The West Wing) was also great in his roll and so were Art Carney (The Honeymooners) and Louise Fletcher (One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest). I see that the DVD got a bad rating from widescreen Reviews and it seems it's not being made anymore and I would really like to have this movie on DVD so I hope they rerelease this movie on a new and much improved DVD!

The Book Firestarter is great and so is the movie. Though some of the stuff from the book wasn't in the movie I feel that it was pretty faithful to the book and I can understand why they didn't include the garbage disposal incident, it just would have been too gross! Drew Barrymore was great as Charlie and even at around 8 years old you could tell what a wonderful gifted actress she was, she really inherited the famous Barrymore acting skills! Well, really at around 5 or 6 years old she proved what an amazing actress she was in E.T.! David Keith was very good as her father Andy and I also really liked George C. Scott he was a perfectly creepy Rainbird. I didn't find the book or movie very scary, I found both as more mystery/suspense which is what I like and it also had Drama. I too found it sad what was done to Charlie and her father, especially Charlie she was just a little girl and what The Shop did to her was despicable, and afterall they made her what she was, because of an experiment they did they caused her to be born with the ability to start fires with her mind and she couldn't always control it! I highly recommend this movie!

This is a good movie if you like science fiction supernatural movies then I would reccommend that you buy this movie because this is a good movie and I liked it a lot I remember when I had came on cable t.v when I was a kid. Drew did some great acting and she had took care of anyone who got in her way and anyone who harmed her in any kind of way this is a movie about a kid having a special poower about starting fires to anyone or anything she was posessed with this power and she used it !!!!

There are so many inside-joke demons being exorcised here. Schrader himself is a product of the christian reformed dutch immigrant tradition, with the apex of that life being in Grand Rapids, MI. Schrader attended Calvin College in GR, trying desperately to get thrown out. Having graduated from there myself, i perfectly understand why. ...this film is the most autobiographical religious story I have ever seen. WOnderfully, painfully honest. If only it would come out on DVD.

Excellent concept. This is truly every parent's worst nightmare. Paul Schrader goes straight for the throat here. Some of the acting is a little wooden (though George C. Scott's is nothing less than incredible) and dated, but the overall picture is very good and worth seeing. If you are a fan of Taxi-Driver, 8mm, anything by Schrader, or Andrew Kevin Walker you should enjoy this. Honestly, I'd really like to see this remade.

... As I had a pre-existing interest in the darker aspect of human sexuality, I was intrigued by the content of this film. George C. Scott's character gradually descends into a realm of the human experience which he finds disturbing & shocking. It's a realm where sexual deviancy exists. It's a realm which is diametrically opposed to his conservative religious beliefs. One scene which remains imprinted upon my mind involves Scott's character entering a sadomasochistic establishment to track down one of the pornographers who knows the whereabouts of his lost daughter. During this sequence of scenes, Scott's character is enraged as he rampages through various chambers within the establishment; each chamber contains different bondage paraphernalia and is bathed in a different colored light. This is an eerie but surreal sequence of scenes. It's quite effective; it conveys the twisted & warped atmosphere of the dark region of the human experience Scott's character has finally infiltrated in a desperate attempt to locate his missing daughter.
One of the most frightening aspects of the film is the allusion to snuff pornography. ...

Star studded cast includes Bill Pullman, Nicole Kidman, Alec Baldwin, Anne Bancroft, and Gwyneth Paltrow all gave a Great performance. Excellent Storyline and beautiful scenery. A must-see on your next available weekend!

Previous reviewers have already provided synopsis of the plot so no need for repetition here. I will say that this is one great flick with twists and turns galore. The all-star cast includes Bill Pullman, Nicole Kidman, Alec Baldwin, BeBe Newirth (who played Lilith on "Cheers"), Anne Bancroft, and a young Gwyneth Paltrow in a short lived role as a college student. All deliver stunning performances. Nicole Kidman is absolutely diabolical as Tracy, a young wife whose wholesome, caring demeanor belies a truly evil spirit. Bancroft maximizes a small but meaty role as Tracy's hard luck, alcoholic mother who provides valuable insight into her daughter's past. Alec Baldwin is chilling as Dr. Jed Hill, the thoracic surgeon with a monstrous ego. His doctor/god-syndrome soliloquy alone is worth the price of admission. Reminiscent of the Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas) greed speech in the movie Wall Street. Bill Pullman is convincing as the charmingly acquiescent college dean who when crossed, proves to be a cunning adversary. I agree with one reviewer who urges several viewings to get the full impact of the storyline and the performances. I've watched this three times and each time I pick up some little tidbit of plot or dialogue that I missed before. A dark, mysterious thriller with quite a few surprises along the way. If you like Hitchcock films, you'll love this.

Malice VHS~ Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman and Bill Pullman is one of those pictures that do not get the credit that they so rightly deserve, i.e., it has well developed plot, actors that play their part to perfection and not a hokey ending. The story is fascinating; a doctor and a twisted wife, i.e., Kidman, decide to get rich on medical malpractice. This is a poke in the eye against all the frivolous lawsuits that are being filed everyday in this country; people whom make up injuries or hurt themselves on purpose only to collect money from the insurance companies, and by doing so raising the cost of insurance for everyone else. The performance of the actors is very believable and they all show that this job done by professionals, i.e., one never stops to think that they are acting. I especially like the scene when Kidman's character realizes that she has attacked a dummy; talk about primeval rage.

Star studded cast includes Bill Pullman, Nicole Kidman, Alec Baldwin, Anne Bancroft, and Gwyneth Paltrow all gave a Great performance. Excellent Storyline and beautiful scenery. A must-see on your next available weekend!

Previous reviewers have already provided synopsis of the plot so no need for repetition here. I will say that this is one great flick with twists and turns galore. The all-star cast includes Bill Pullman, Nicole Kidman, Alec Baldwin, BeBe Newirth (who played Lilith on "Cheers"), Anne Bancroft, and a young Gwyneth Paltrow in a short lived role as a college student. All deliver stunning performances. Nicole Kidman is absolutely diabolical as Tracy, a young wife whose wholesome, caring demeanor belies a truly evil spirit. Bancroft maximizes a small but meaty role as Tracy's hard luck, alcoholic mother who provides valuable insight into her daughter's past. Alec Baldwin is chilling as Dr. Jed Hill, the thoracic surgeon with a monstrous ego. His doctor/god-syndrome soliloquy alone is worth the price of admission. Reminiscent of the Gordon Gecko (Michael Douglas) greed speech in the movie Wall Street. Bill Pullman is convincing as the charmingly acquiescent college dean who when crossed, proves to be a cunning adversary. I agree with one reviewer who urges several viewings to get the full impact of the storyline and the performances. I've watched this three times and each time I pick up some little tidbit of plot or dialogue that I missed before. A dark, mysterious thriller with quite a few surprises along the way. If you like Hitchcock films, you'll love this.

Malice VHS~ Alec Baldwin, Nicole Kidman and Bill Pullman is one of those pictures that do not get the credit that they so rightly deserve, i.e., it has well developed plot, actors that play their part to perfection and not a hokey ending. The story is fascinating; a doctor and a twisted wife, i.e., Kidman, decide to get rich on medical malpractice. This is a poke in the eye against all the frivolous lawsuits that are being filed everyday in this country; people whom make up injuries or hurt themselves on purpose only to collect money from the insurance companies, and by doing so raising the cost of insurance for everyone else. The performance of the actors is very believable and they all show that this job done by professionals, i.e., one never stops to think that they are acting. I especially like the scene when Kidman's character realizes that she has attacked a dummy; talk about primeval rage.

Paddy Chayefsky, the screenwriter of "The Hospital," introduces many of the themes here that he will perfect and revisit in 1976's essential film "Network" and his spiritual/psychedelic experiment "Altered States" (1980). "The Hospital," more or less, is about spiritual malaise -- when work can no longer replace sex as a primal drive (to loosely paraphrase one of Freud's maxims) ; when technology and scientific knowledge work to conspire against those it is supposed to help ; when generation gaps form as a result of all these changes. George C. Scott plays Bock, a middle-aged, "male menopausal" suicidal doctor who is trying to figure out where his lust for life is as well as who is killing off his doctors in a Manhattan hospital one by one. Like another classic George C. Scott film, Kubrick's "Dr. Strangelove," this is unusually dark terrain even for dark comedy. The cure for Bock's lack of passion comes in the person of Diana Rigg, a mid-twenties spiritual eclectic and acid-head. Ironically, she is presented as a complete space-case, but is the only object that can bring Bock to his central realization -- that he is "middle class" and that for him, love does not conquer all, but, rather, responsibility. Chayefsky shows himself off here to be a master technician, deploying language that would later sound at home in the TV show "ER," as he weaves a skewed realism with his particular brand of post-Marxist social commentary. An odd film, for sure, but definitely worth checking out.

This is the 2nd of the three great movies Paddy Chayefsky wrote in the 60's and 70's, starting with The Americanization of Emily and ending with Network, that examined, among other things, personal responsibility and the dilemma of the individual within the demands and lunacy of institutions. They are all very funny films, and very complex, and deal with much more, of course.

Here Chayefsky takes on the bureaucratization and depersonalization of American medical care (pre the HMO era) and as always his insights and anger are pungent and on-target. Like Network, the satire and exaggeration was uncomfortably closer to the truth than any of us knew. Unfortunately, much of what Chayefsky saw and raved against, in both cases, has come to pass.

The film deals with much more: activism, the nature of love, commitment (to a profession and work as much as to an individual), urbanization and the desire to escape it all...just to name a few.

Centering the film is a simply brilliant performance by George C. Scott as a burned-out Chief of Medicine in an urban hospital: depressed, suicidal, facing the ruins of a marriage, estrangement from his family, and the loss of faith in his professional calling. He's an exhausted, defeated, angry man when we first meet him, who's life will be changed by unlikely events and people.

Scott is riveting and unforgettable. He nails this man, and knows his guilt and rage that has risen from the ruins of what must have once been love and idealism and dedication. As other reviewers have noted, his suicidal rant to Diana Rigg in the middle of the picture is not to be missed, and that alone is worth the price of the video.

The movie is savagely funny and Chayefsky's language, as always, is complex and beautiful. His respect for the competence and courage of professionals battling every sort of odds is evident. No one mined this territory like Chayefski, and this is a terrific script. The production and direction are competent. The supporting cast is fine. But it is Chayefsky's writing and Scott's performance that make it a must see.

Hope for a DVD edition soon.

If you ever were scared of hospitals.. DONT SEE THIS MOVIE.. it will only reinforce those fears.. Paddy Chayefsky outdoes himself in this awesome story of bungling, machination and hospital ineptitude. George C. Scott is his confused, overworked and missunderstood best, Diana Rigg as a fast thinking daughter of a wacked out old man convinced he is the "Paracleet of Kaborka (just what is that anyway?), the Wrath of the Lamb, the Angel of the Bottomless Pit.. etc. etc."
Kudos to the performances of: Barnard Hughes, Nancy Marchand(Lou Grant)and Richard Dysart (St. Elsewhere, LA Law).

And special kudos to Frances Sternhagen.. "Dr Spezio..Dr. Spezio..his chart is not filled out..."

And the best line in the whole film.. "...where do your nurses get their training..Dachau!!!?"

See it, buy it, live it, but don't get sick..who know's what name bracelet you could end up with..

DF

Hold the phone. It's a remake that's almost as good as the original.

Much of the brilliance of the new version of Inherit the Wind comes from finding two old fogeys who have the same love/hate chamistry brought to life in the original by Frederic March and Spencer Tracy; in this case, the friendly adversaries are George C. Scott, in his last performance before his death, and Jack Lemmon. Toss in Beau Bridges as the wisecracking journalist and a surprisingly downbeat performance by Thom Evertt Scott as the teacher who ends up a guinea pig in one of the biggest trials of the century, and you got yourself a fine film. The comic timing is impeccable on all counts, the lines from the film that have become cliche are delivered with the same freshness that ignited them decades ago, and one can almost believe that Scott and Lemmon actually are Bryan and Darrow haggling it out in a Tennessee courtroom.

If you've never seen _Inherit the Wind_, start with the classic Spencer Tracy/Frederic March version from 1960. If you're a fan of the film already, and have been avoiding this remake because nothing can do the original justics, well, you're right... but it comes as close as possible.

As a high school science teacher I deal with common myths and misconceptions involving evolution on a daily basis. This movie does a nice job of helping kids understand the passion of the issue. Evolution is the cornerstone of modern day biology and it is important kids understand why it needs to be taught. The amazing thing about science is that if evidence comes along to disprove a current school of thought, the discipline may change. When religion is questioned the only response is to lash out with hostility and anger. Why can't we question the way Man believes in God?

A truly excellent remake of an American classic. Once you get past any inital reservations you may (understandably) have about the film's made-for-cable origins, you will find a work that is, in my opinion, just as engaging as the 1960 version. Two gripes: 1.As mentioned by another reviewer, the direction and camera work is a bit static and elementary. 2. As also mentioned by another reviewer, Beau Bridges at times is too obnixious and over the top. On the other hand, Jack Lemmon and George C. Scott (in his final performace) are absolutely riveting. Piper Laurie is also very compelling as Scott's sympathetic and diplomatic wife. This incarnation of the film is extremely faithful to its predecessor, virtually a frame by frame re-shoot. Yet the dialouge, performaces and subject matter are just as fresh and stirring as they were 40 years ago. Fans of the 1960 release should certainly enjoy, or at least appreciate this latest adaption.

Amazon.com often asks reviewers to talk about the DVD, itself, rather than about story-line or acting. Ok. I have had experience in the studio system supervising the transfer of films to tape. Some studios have established a good reputation for their quality transfers, while others simply "dump" product on the market, a practice well known in the VHS format. Universal (THE HINDENBURG) is one of the "guality" studios. That's why I was surprised, and deeply disappointed in this DVD. The opening title sequence is a lovely shot of the Hindenburg flying through the clouds. The film element is loaded with huge scratches and much negative dirt; hardly a "quality" picture element. Throughout, the picture is often grainy, and negative scratches abound. The soundtrack is also very thin, presenting a tin-like quality; again, hardly the rich soundtracks that Universal is known for. I belong to NETFLIX and use the service to preview those films I might want to own later. Unfortunately, due to the poor quality of the transfer, this is one DVD I will pass on owning.

This fictionalized account of the real life disaster takes a while to get going, but does deliver some good scenes in the final third of the film. George C. Scott is a Nazi colonel sent aboard the Hindenburg due to threats made about its voyage. He is joined by a cast of familiar actors, including Anne Bancroft as a bitter German countess. As was typical with disaster films of the Seventies, there are several small stories involving the various passengers, but none of them are particularly interesting. I found the set up scenes for the bombing plotline confusing to follow. The film's strength is the terrific set pieces for the Hindenburg and its final thirty minutes. The actual explosion doesn't feature the level of special effects we're used to seeing, but since it combines real footage of the disaster, it made a strong impact on me. By no means a great film, The Hindenburg is salvaged by its final moments and by the audience's knowledge that it really did happen, although perhaps not for the reasons presented in the movie.

Robert Wise gave us a very thrilling/detective story in this movie that puts fourth the theory that the 1937 Hindenburg disaster was caused by a bomb. Although the screenplay does suffer a bit, the strength of this movie rests on the performances of the actors led by George C. Scott, the attention to detail on how the big German airship really looked, the special effects being used rather effectively when the airship is destroyed, and the musicial score by David Shire. That makes this a good movie to own.

You've heard about southern prejudice where humans are hunted for sport. Ernest Dickerson does a good job of balancing his cast where he establishes that this story is not about white on black crime. Ice T is a transvient who becomes convinced by Charles Dutton to accept an offer to go hunting. After being flown to a remote cabin in the woods, T finds out that he is the one being hunted the next morning. Ice T is convincing but works little on dialogue to make his character likeable and Dutton is so likeable that he fools everybody. The setup is too confusing. Not until Gary Buseys dinner speech do we feel something is about to happen. Ice T could've been less hardened at first making his heroic chracter more likeable. The scenery is beautiful and editing well done. Good performances by some great actors like Gary Busey and F Murray Abraham. This adventure into the dark side of the human mind is very predictable with some minor surprises. Not executed well enough to be for everybody. If you like psychologcal thrillers, you'll accept the movies shortcomings. Ice T as well as many actors from hip hop need to work on they're three dimensions of character. To Ice T's credit though he's good at geting the bad guys!

Rocket science it's not, but it is a good action flick. Ice-T plays a homeless man who is tricked into going on a hunt where he becomes the hunted. What it lacks in dialouge and character buildup, it makes up for in pure adrenaline. Gary Busey does a great job playing a demented hunter. This is a good movie for DVD because of the explosions and superior sound. If you want to watch a movie that will get your heart pumping and your mind flatlining, buy it. It's worth it.

This is a good, modern adaptation of the short story the Most Dangerous Game. It is all in all not a bad film and at under 10 bucks, it is a good addition to any DVD collection. I highly recommend it.

This movie is excellent!! From the beginning to the end it is very rich in content. I have never seen a biblical film that spent so much time on the 'beginning' as this one did. The Noah story was REALLY great to see, being an animal lover and seeing Noah's love for the animals was really nice to see. The Soddom and Gamorrah scene was just as I had always pictured. Strange thing is, I think I may have seen this movie when I was a child...some imgages were very familiar to me.

The shame on FOX thing was due to the actual DVD being POORLY made as far as sound and picture. The sound is beyond horrible in the first Adam/Eve story and mostly through out. I had to blast my speakers just to hear loud music but faint dialogue. The picture was very dark as well...FOX cheaply converting this to DVD is the reason im told. I had to keep the subtitles on just to understand and catch all the words.

I would still say if you are interested in this picture, DO NOT pass it up just due to the sound issue, I am still very glad I have this DVD and would not consider selling it. I just wish FOX would have took the time they should have with it. Just puts a bad name on FOX video that ive experienced before as well with other classics, like The Robe.

There have been former reviews of this film, which have weighed in on the pro or con, but aside from all that hoopla, this is the DEFINITIVE movie by John Huston.

As not only the director, but the one who portrays "Noah," my family and I found this to be very close to the first 22 chapters of Genesis, which the film is adapted from. Huston is a phenomenal Noah, and you can actually believe that the period before, during, and after the Flood occurred in this fashion. He is remarkable as the Patriarch who's in love with the animals which the Lord God brings his way and preserves - two-by-two - in order to replenish the Earth after the Flood.

Aside from Noah, probably the most engrossing of them all is Abraham's depiction by George C. Scott, and at times, Scott played Abraham with a heavy hand, and the scene before he is asked to sacrifice Isaac was a bit much, with Scott carrying on very melodramatically. But overall, it was still worth the price for the film.

Do yourself a favor and get this film. Don't take this reviewer's word for it, although I think my word is pretty good, but be the judge for yourself, and while you're watching the film, crack open the Bible and follow along. You'll find it not only instructional, but enjoyable as well. And it may give you a new passion for what's taking place before your eyes.

Highly recommended!!!

John Huston's 1966 offering "The Bible....In the Beginning" is a film which definately grows on you with each viewing. Often criticised for being slow moving, lacking in any real action or purpose, I feel it is a very beautiful production that honours greatly the first 22 chapters of the book of Genesis from the world's creation through to the story of Abraham and Issac. It is greatly anticipated Easter viewing each year for me and I find there are always new points of interest to appreciate in this ambitious effort.

Obviously tackling the "most famous book in the world" would be a daunting task for anyone however within a three hour running time John Huston has managed to create a piece of work on a human level that while very reverant to the material being handled, also never shies away from the harshness and brutality in some of the chapters. Each of these chapters from Genesis has a distinct character of its own and this lavish production does each in turn proud. My personal favourite is the Adam and Eve sequence with a recreation of the famed garden of Eden which is just as I had always envisioned it. Michael Parks and Ulla Bergryd make the perfect Adam and Eve with their youthful goodlooks and innocense. The use of a male figure as the serpent in the mysterious Tree of Knowledge, often criticised, is a vivid and original image to use here and is a great choice. Each of the chapters unfolds with new wonders for the viewer as we pass through the story of Adam and Eve's sons Cain and Able which contains a marvellous performance by Richard Harris as Cain to the story of Noah and the great flood which includes some of the most spectacular special effects of the film in its depiction of the building of the ark and then the forty days and forty nights of rainfall resulting in the extinction of all living things on earth except those saved in the arch. In this sequence John Huston who also narrates as the voice of God makes an appearance as Noah and his refreshing and semi comical depiction of the ark builder is a joy to behold and somehow for me is how I always imagined Noah to actually be, a little eccentric and highly likeable. Later sequences take us through the building of the Tower of Babel with Stephen Boyd as the selfish ruler Nimrod who is reponsible for God mixing up the languages of all mankind so that such a project can never be attempted again, to the saga of Sodom and Gomorrah and God's retribution on those cities who have lost sight of God's teachings. The transformation of Lot's wife into a pillar of Salt is one memorable image in this section of the story. The acting throughout by the leads is memorable and the final lengthy chapter dealing with Abraham and Sarah although drawn out, offers superb performances by legends George C. Scott and Ava Gardner in a beautifully understated performance as Sarah who gives birth to Issac as an old woman.

Perhaps the most breathtaking aspect of "The Bible....In the Beginning", is the sensational use of location photography using the landscapes of Africa and the Middle East to their best advantage. Filmed also in Rome the film boasts lush cinematography by Giuseppe Rotunno in all the chapters and of course as mentioned previously the special effects for scenes such as the expelling of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden , the scenes of the great flood and the decadence and eventual destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah are sensational.

"The Bible....In the Beginning" should never be passed off as just another religious film to be viewed at Easter etc. It is vivid storytelling at its best. The use of a narrator instead of a great deal of dialogue between the actors is an original way of presenting the stories and indeed would not be to everyones taste however John Huston's clear narration adds a special element to the unfolding action. Each of the stories of Genesis hold their own pieces of interest and despite the films long running time it is an engrossing visualisation of the stories from the Bible that I grew up with. I always get particular worth out of this movie during the Easter period when my thoughts often go back to those far off times at the start of my religion's history. "The Bible..In the Beginning" is worth looking at as a good piece of cinema but also as one of the best visualisations of these famous stories that you are likely to see. Enjoy!