Larry-Miller Movie Reviews

Captain Newman M.D fluctuates between scenes of strong deeply etched drama and somewhat contrived and misfiring comedy ,the latter scenes strive to be heartfelt and touching but succeed only in being mawkish and sentimental .
Thus a potentially provocative and edgy drama is vitiated by the interpolation of scenes which drag proceedings down to the level of a routine feel good movie.
The title character -played by Gregory Peck -is chief of a neuro -psychiatric ward on a US military hospital site in the States in 1944.He is at odds with the brass who dislike his strongly patient centred approach as it means he is often reluctant to return patients to active duty at the rate his superiors would like.
The movie centres on a trio of cases .One involves a decorated corporal(Bobby Darin-overacting wildly)who erroneously feels a coward for having deserted a comrade in a burning plane ;another is a colonel (Eddie Albert--in a compelling performance )who has gone berserk with guilt for having sent men on missions from which they never returned ),and an upper crust officer (Robert Duvall )catatonic with guilt for haaving hidden away in a cellar in ...occupied Europe rather thaan try to escape.The cases are resolved with varying degrees of success .
In between these cases Newman dallies with an attractive nurse -the always enticing Angie Dickinson -and observes the wheeling and dealing of his scheming but good hearted orderly ,played by Tony Curtis.
Peck is admirable and his peformance is shrewdly underplayed -his acting is quiet but expressive and he is well supported by Curtis in what is essentially a secondary role as the comic relief.
Often moving ,this is in some respects an early version of MASH as a service drama with comedic undertones .
Marked own a point for not concentrating more on drama and interpolating crowd pleasing comedy elements that for me just do not jell.

This is a fantatic movie which couples great acting, writing and direction.The movie is one of the reasons that my uncle is a psycologist and the fact that it is not on DVD is a total suprise to me. Please find a way to get this on DVD where it belongs.

While its true that "To Kill a Mockingbird" overshadows "Captain Newman, M.D." in the popular consciousness of Gregory Peck's work, I believe the latter ranks among his best work. A psychologist in charge of a stateside U.S. Army Air Corps mental hospital, Captain Newman and his staff struggle to treat aviators shattered by their combat experiences in the European Theater of Operations. The supporting cast is excellent, and while there's plenty of humor in "Captain Newman", the script doesn't shy away from the wrenching impact of war upon the human psyche. Look for young Robert Duvall as a speechless veteran in a small part that, ironically, reprises the role he had in "To Kill a Mockingbird". This classic oughta be available on DVD!

A lot of people keep saying how one sided this video portrays Elvis, of course it is one side, it is Precilla's side, and a very good one at that, Precilla keeps this one grounded, and I can tell from her book and from the movie, that she kept very much of it real, we forget that Elvis after all was just a man, with a wonderful god given and very blessed talent. Precilla does a very good job with both in ensuring that this is not forgotten, many recent interviews with Lisa have introduced that things around Elvis werent so keen, and many of Elvis's so called "friends" really didn't care about Precilla or Lisa at all and that Elvis would rather spend time on the road with his women rather than spend time at home with the most precious gift of all, a beautiful smart intelligent wife and gorgeous child. Precilla helps us remember this with the truth, even bashing herself for doing many stupid things as well, she hid nothing with this book and video, and Dale Midkiff really does pull off a wonderful job as Elvis, its no wonder He was Precillas personal choice for the role.

I absolutely fell in love with this movie! I can not find the video anywhere, due to the fact the movie company has not released it! Every chance I get, I try to find out when it's on t.v. This movie captures the esscense of Elvis and Priscilla's life together. The best tell all movie I have seen. If anyone knows where I might be able to see it or buy it, please let me know!!

i love this movie...i have only seeen it once since i was very young. recently i just got back from my first time at Graceland. I am so curious about the lives of Elvis and Pricilla. I read the book but I want more.. I can't even find it at video stores...if anyone knows where i can find it let me know...

It's a curious thing that Hollywood often tackled subject matter that it was forbidden to show on the screen. The net result - a good many stage plays often had more than a bit of doctoring going on before making it to the big screen. "Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" is no exception. The original story concerns itself with Brick's homosexuality and his resulting inability to find his lovely wife even remotely attractive - at least enough to impregnate her with an heir to his father's plantation fortune. However, homosexuality was a big NO, NO in the movies. So instead we get Brick (Paul Newman) as a sexually frigid prig who thinks that his wife Maggie (Elizabeth Taylor) has been having an affair with his best friend, Skipper (whom we never see). Thus the balance of power and the resulting confusions which are straightened out in the end don't seem to make much sense. Nevertheless, "Cat" is a compelling piece of 50's kitsch. Richard Brooks ably directs what's left of the plot and the relationship that he fleshes out between Big Daddy (Burl Ives) and Brick is genuinely touching. Dame Judith Anderson gives a poignant and heartbreaking performance as Big Daddy's dopey wife.
TRANSFER: YUCK! Colors are weak and not well balanced. Flesh tones are often jaundice. There's a decidedly green tint to most indoor scenes and an overly blue tint to outdoor scenes. Age related artifacts are everywhere! Contrast and black levels are fairly accurate, though a few darker scenes appear to be suffering from less than 'black' blacks. Edge enhancement rears its ugly head now and then and is somewhat distracting. The audio is MONO but nicely balanced.
EXTRAS: FORGET IT! Not a one!
BOTTOM LINE: The story already distilled - the transfer, pretty much a mess - this really isn't the way I want to remember Tennessee Williams.

"Cat on a hot tin roof" is a play that was filmed in an effort to customize it to the silver screen. The result is average at best; most of the cast seem like they are reciting their lines and not really living their part in the play. The only actor that gives a decent and solid performance is Burl Ives, as Harvey 'Big Daddy' Pollitt, especially when he makes his final confessions near the end and exposes his reality for what it is. That's when the viewers come to realize the true extent of the lies in the lives of the characters.

The story as a whole is a harsh examination of human nature and a study in the hypocrisy and falsehood in the society of the fifties. The picture illustrated is quite grim; people are living unsatisfying lives, married to spouses they don't love anymore, get drunk to escape reality, see no way out of their miserable existence, when money serves as the number one motivator for their actions. Have things really changes ever since? I guess it depends on the person that you are and on the choices you make as you go by.

I've seen this wonderfully layered movie many times, beginning with the first theater release in 1958. Though it's been at least 15 or 20 years since I saw it without interruption, I was able to see character traits within Maggie and Brick that I'd never noticed before. All the actors in this Tennessee Williams play give outstanding performances with the gut-wrenching dialogue and superb direction of Richard Brooks. The bottom line is that we all want to be loved and cared for, regardless of material possessions. I don't think I ever fully understood the Brick character so well as I did today. Maggie becomes his hero in a taut, satisfying movie ending...and Big Daddy's character is the one person on whom the play surrounds. I would have loved to see the original Broadway play, directed by Elia Kazan.

Tennesee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" is a powerful play and here has been made into a powerful film. Family ties, lies, power, money, death, sexual troubles and even sibling rivalry coalesce as the troubled Pollitt family deals with the terminal illness of its patriarch. Although the gay subtext has been muted to fit 1950's sensitibilities, it's still there, adding resonance to the film. There's a bit of the mannered approach common to movies of the period, which gives the film a more theatrical feel than many movie adaptations of plays. In some ways, "Cat" comes across as an early, Southern version of "Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf."

The acting in this film is superb, if a little over-the-top at times. "Maggie the Cat" is a plum dramatic role, and Elizabeth Taylor more than does it justice. In her hands, Maggie's basic humanity alternates with her greed to eventually define her. Paul Newman likewise turns in an excellent performance as the troubled Brick. Burl Ives steals the show as Big Daddy, the larger-than-life dying patriarch. Jack Carson and Madelaine Sherwood play the elder, less-favored son and his fecund wife, Mae. Mae and her brood are played as wonderfully grotesque charicatures, greatly enhancing the oppressive atmosphere of the film. If you think of Diane Arbus shooting a movie, you'll get an excellent idea of what Mae and her little "no-neck monsters" are like.

Playwright Tennessee Williams' genius and sympathy for the human condition is again evident in this brilliant, though censored, adaptation of the equally brilliant play. Incredibly, the censorship does not hurt the plot, and the acting is so spectacular one hardly notices. The characterization of Maggie, played to perfection by the incredibly beautiful Elizabeth Taylor, as a "cat on a hot tin roof" shows Williams' sympathy for the character, who is much, much more than a "money-grubbing sexpot" as one reviewer put it. She is "Unfulfilled Woman" personified, denied the love she hungers for from her husband, also played brilliantly by Paul Newman, who has turned alcoholic and cold toward her because of his own self-hate and disgust with "mendacity." Her need for love, security, and a future are contrasted with Brother-man and Sister-woman's out-and-out greed and desire for more than they need, like the brood of "no-neck monsters" they put on display "like animals at county fair" to try to win the favor of irascible, dying, and in-denial millionaire Big Daddy (Burl Ives). Big Mama (Judith Anderson) gives a superlative performance as the faithful wife who, like Maggie, is ever trying to coax warmth from her husband. (What's wrong with these men?) And Madeleine Sherwood as Sister-woman is the true perfect cat of this movie and played to feline ferocity. I actually like the ending of the movie better than the play's--and, judging by the palpable chemistry between Newman (who, unlike his play's character, comes off as very heterosexual) and Taylor in the movie, well...judge for yourself whether he preferred it too.

This adaptation of a Tennessee Williams play was nominated for six academy awards in 1959. It stars Elizabeth Taylor as Maggie, rejected over and over by her alcoholic husband, Brick, played by Paul Newman. His father, Big Daddy, played by Burl Ives, has just returned to his Mississippi mansion after exploratory surgery. There's bitter rivalry in the family as they speculate about his death. Jack Carson plays the older son, who, with his pregnant wife, played by Madeline Sherwood and their five obnoxious children are determined to inherit Big Daddy's fortune. But Big Daddy despises him, as he does his own wife of 40 years, Big Mama, played by Judith Anderson.

As this film was originally a play, most of it is sharp and cutting dialogue, every line filled with tension and double meanings. Close-ups reveal the artistry of the actors, all of whom are excellent. I especially liked Burl Ives, whose performance called for a wide range of emotions, showing his vulnerability as well as his strength. And as the characters battled with each other, the story, which I understand was rewritten to fall within the guidelines of 1950s censors, slowly revealed itself. Some critics say this ruined this movie adaptation. I can't comment on that because I though the story was great. Most of the film takes place inside a house and there's almost no physical action. Not necessary. The dialog does it all. And it does it well. Recommended.

This is a very good one to see from the Blondie series. If you like Spooky Comedies as I do then you should enjoy this one. It's not the quality of Ghost Breakers (another great spooky comedy) but still a fun night complete with Daisy the family dog who gets scared and shakes, Dagwood getting the flashlight stuck in his mouth, the funny man who has to spend the night in the Haunted house as part of an initiation, and of course the Servants who turn out to be trouble...ha ha Enjoy!

Daisy can't get the newspaper because a black cat went across her path. Baby Dumpling knows his parents all too well and Alvin (Danny Mummert) comes in to offer his Good Morning advice. One thing I would like to point out here is Fay Helm played Mrs. Fuddle. She played Alvin's mother in four Blondie films this being her last Blondie film. Fay Helm passed away on September 27, 2003 at the age of 89. This film, the sixth in the series, is real cute, however some scenes might be too much for young children to watch. The Bumsteads stay in a haunted house with secret doors and secret passages. Watch the fun begin. The next film in the series is BLONDIE PLAYS CUPID.

Radioland Murders is one of the best movies I've ever seen! I bought it, so I can watch it whenever I want, and that is at least once a month. I'm hooked, 'cause the movie is total fun and games and the lines are so witty and fast. The interaction between Benben and Masterson and perfect and their witty arguing keeps the movie going forward. The bodylanguage of Benben is another story, that makes me laught one minute and being totally charmed the next. So the cast and crew can really pat their backs for making sutch a wonderful movie. So go and see it, the irony and complications of the cast will make you laugh

This movie is very dynamic. There is no pausing or reflecting juts good drop-dead comedy. Many things ar not anticipated.

The actors have been seen before and will be again except Anita Morris (Date of death 3 March 1994) as Claudette. She was really superb in Ruthless People (1986) ASIN: 6300276570 as Carol the girlfriend that knew she was next to die.

There were a lot of great sounds in this movie including:

"Love is on the Air Tonight"

"That Old Feeling"

"What'll I Do" Written by Irving Berlin. Hear it again The Butcher's Wife (1991) ASIN: 6302289025

"Crazy People"

"Big Noise From Winnetka"

"Don't Let Your Love Go Wrong"

"I'll Be Glad When You're Dead (You Rascal You)"

"The Green Hornet Theme"

"In the Mood"

"I Miss You So"

"I Love a Mystery 'Valse Triste'"

"Java Jive"

"Back in the Saddle Again" Hear it again in Sleepless in Seattle (Special Edition) (1993) ASIN: B00003Q42R

"Tico Tico"

"Let's Face the Music and Dance"

"A Guy What Takes His Time"

"And the Angels Sing"

"That Old Black Magic"

"Sabre Dance"

"Flight of the Bumblebee"

This is a manic, crazy and fun film, largely due to the Keaton-like performance of Brian Benben. Mary Stuart Masterson is known for great dramatic talent, but this is the first comedy I've seen her in, and she's a natural. This was directed by Mel Smith; is it the same Mel Smith that had a small but hysterical part in "The Princess Bride"? I wonder if this film was given a bad rap because it came out the same year as Woody Allen's brilliant "Bullets Over Broadway" (1994). There are comparisons to be made, if only for period and music. Otherwise, this film takes on its very own character. A wonderful ensemble cast , including Ned Beatty, Michael Lerner, Jeffrey Tambor & Christopher Lloyd, must be commended. Cameo appearances from George Burns and Rosemary Clooney are wonderful. Whatever this film lacks in plot, is made up for with energetic performances, quick editing, and loads of great one-liners. There's also a lot of great period music to entertain. I DO enjoy this film a lot, and at the reasonable price and a great 2.35:1 Widescreen, the DVD is a bargain. If you like "silly", you'll love this. And Brian Benben is marvelous. Too bad the stuck-up critics didn't like it. We, the audience, know better.

I know you Love the Pink Panther, But Do Not Buy This Tape or any Pink Panther tape from Amazon!!! Somebody at MGM thought it would be cute to glue a toy Pink Panther action figure to the VHS tape case. But the MOLTEN GLUE SMEARS ALL OVER THE TAPE! What you get is SYRUP-LIKE GLUE all over the cassette!!!DO NOT BUY THIS TAPE!!!

The female Pink Panther figure included as a bonus is glued to the OUTSIDE of the clamshell CASE. There was just a very small bit of glue involved which cleaned up with the wipe of a paper towel. So theres no need to be worried about any glue being on the actual VHS cassette.

This and, most other pink panther tapes cases are sticky (they put glue to hold the figures, and the ones without figures are sticky too for some reason, very strange). But even though the cases are sticky, all the tapes play just fine, and the tapes themselves aren't sticky at all! And the stickiness on the tape cases can easily be washed off with soap and water. The figure they give with this tape is a female pink panther and it is SO adorable! And the tape itself is very funny! Even though it's case is sticky it is still a 5 star tape!

If you ever thought you had a reason to suspect your significant other isn't all they claim to be, then this movie will definitely make you jumpy to find out more. The gorgeous Madchen Amick works her way into the heart of James Spader and starts him down a path of being everything he's ever wanted in a woman, yet there's things that she seems to be hiding from him. The paranoia keep growing throughout the movie as more and more clues are accidentally left for James Spader to find. It's disturbing how Madchen Amick's character is able to play Spader like a sap and trick him time and time again. Even when he catches onto her schemes, he's still not able to do anything about it because she has exit plans for everything she does. She gets away with all kinds of stuff and somehow gets people to blame James Spader's character for being unwarranted with his paranoia. It's not really an original story, but the movie is pretty disturbing. While I prefer different types of mysteries like The Courtyard more (another Madchen Amick movie), this movie provides a pretty good story with plenty of plot twists.

I saw this movie last night just out of nowhere because I like James Spader as an actor. Of course he did a phenomenal performance in this movie, but the actual movie was pretty played out. We've seen this plot line before! Guy meets girls, guy falls in love with girl, girl turns out to have a shady past and turns out to be a psychopath! Yada yada yada! The ending did sort of surprise me though...but Amick was amazing in this movie! This was my first time seeing her and she plays one of the best cold-hearted (actresses) I have ever seen on the screen! I would only recommend this movie if you like James Spader as an actor. Other than that...just let it sit on the shelves.

Here is a quietly intriguing obscurity starring James Spader as lonely divorcee Ray Reardon, an architect looking to build a relationship. ............... A little too conveniently, Ray meets Lena Mathers, played by a convincingly mysterious Maedchen Amick (more recently seen in "The List"). Lena not so accidently bumps into Ray at a party, where he's been set up with a desperately shrill loser he is trying to politely ditch. After a hostile first meet due to a spilled drink, Ray sees Lena again at the local market, and there begins the end of a uneventful lonely life for Ray Reardon. .............. After a few dates, and some artful and acrobatic lovemaking scenes worthy of a "Kamma Sutra" addendum, the couple marries in a passionate whirlwind. (Incidently, I read that James Spader worked out heavily for the explicit nude scenes, and I must say, it was worth it to watch the film for that alone). After Ray makes Lena Mrs. Reardon, she soon has his baby, after which, some suspicions arise. It seems that the "Dream Lover" of the title, is not the same inside, as the "petite dark and beautiful" facade Ray assumed to be genuine through and through. Things aren't adding up, and soon Spader's Ray becomes insecure, anxious and riddled with jealousy. He sets out on a mission to clarify the facts, and alleviate the doubts. Does Ray accomplish this daunting task? You'll have to see for yourself. ............. As always, the softly handsome Spader, a personal favorite, makes a terrific victim for the stronger, more devious personality, much like in Curtis Hansons "Bad Influence"(see my review), or against rival John Cusack in "True Colors". We find ourselves rooting for Ray, even when he does things he shouldn't, because we are sympathetic to how he's been duped. Maedchen Amick is worthy of Hitchcockian ice-princess status as Lena Mathers, (although Hitchcocks were invariably blondes). She is darkly forboding, and deliciously sexy in her ingenious seduction of Ray. She hooks him with seemingly well practiced expertise, only to turn into an evil witch, thus ruining any "Ray" of hope for the fairy tale meeting and marriage. .............. As far as the subject of endings go, this one left me a bit puzzled. I'm not sure I buy it, but that's only my opinion. Let's face it, the story plot is not terribly original, yet somehow, it comes off that way regardless. ............. One thing is certain, "Dream Lover" is a very interesting character study, and a quietly sexy noir thriller that will not disappoint, particularly for those who enjoy the sympathetic character performances of James Spader.

If you ever thought you had a reason to suspect your significant other isn't all they claim to be, then this movie will definitely make you jumpy to find out more. The gorgeous Madchen Amick works her way into the heart of James Spader and starts him down a path of being everything he's ever wanted in a woman, yet there's things that she seems to be hiding from him. The paranoia keep growing throughout the movie as more and more clues are accidentally left for James Spader to find. It's disturbing how Madchen Amick's character is able to play Spader like a sap and trick him time and time again. Even when he catches onto her schemes, he's still not able to do anything about it because she has exit plans for everything she does. She gets away with all kinds of stuff and somehow gets people to blame James Spader's character for being unwarranted with his paranoia. It's not really an original story, but the movie is pretty disturbing. While I prefer different types of mysteries like The Courtyard more (another Madchen Amick movie), this movie provides a pretty good story with plenty of plot twists.

I saw this movie last night just out of nowhere because I like James Spader as an actor. Of course he did a phenomenal performance in this movie, but the actual movie was pretty played out. We've seen this plot line before! Guy meets girls, guy falls in love with girl, girl turns out to have a shady past and turns out to be a psychopath! Yada yada yada! The ending did sort of surprise me though...but Amick was amazing in this movie! This was my first time seeing her and she plays one of the best cold-hearted (actresses) I have ever seen on the screen! I would only recommend this movie if you like James Spader as an actor. Other than that...just let it sit on the shelves.

Here is a quietly intriguing obscurity starring James Spader as lonely divorcee Ray Reardon, an architect looking to build a relationship. ............... A little too conveniently, Ray meets Lena Mathers, played by a convincingly mysterious Maedchen Amick (more recently seen in "The List"). Lena not so accidently bumps into Ray at a party, where he's been set up with a desperately shrill loser he is trying to politely ditch. After a hostile first meet due to a spilled drink, Ray sees Lena again at the local market, and there begins the end of a uneventful lonely life for Ray Reardon. .............. After a few dates, and some artful and acrobatic lovemaking scenes worthy of a "Kamma Sutra" addendum, the couple marries in a passionate whirlwind. (Incidently, I read that James Spader worked out heavily for the explicit nude scenes, and I must say, it was worth it to watch the film for that alone). After Ray makes Lena Mrs. Reardon, she soon has his baby, after which, some suspicions arise. It seems that the "Dream Lover" of the title, is not the same inside, as the "petite dark and beautiful" facade Ray assumed to be genuine through and through. Things aren't adding up, and soon Spader's Ray becomes insecure, anxious and riddled with jealousy. He sets out on a mission to clarify the facts, and alleviate the doubts. Does Ray accomplish this daunting task? You'll have to see for yourself. ............. As always, the softly handsome Spader, a personal favorite, makes a terrific victim for the stronger, more devious personality, much like in Curtis Hansons "Bad Influence"(see my review), or against rival John Cusack in "True Colors". We find ourselves rooting for Ray, even when he does things he shouldn't, because we are sympathetic to how he's been duped. Maedchen Amick is worthy of Hitchcockian ice-princess status as Lena Mathers, (although Hitchcocks were invariably blondes). She is darkly forboding, and deliciously sexy in her ingenious seduction of Ray. She hooks him with seemingly well practiced expertise, only to turn into an evil witch, thus ruining any "Ray" of hope for the fairy tale meeting and marriage. .............. As far as the subject of endings go, this one left me a bit puzzled. I'm not sure I buy it, but that's only my opinion. Let's face it, the story plot is not terribly original, yet somehow, it comes off that way regardless. ............. One thing is certain, "Dream Lover" is a very interesting character study, and a quietly sexy noir thriller that will not disappoint, particularly for those who enjoy the sympathetic character performances of James Spader.

This movie was "adorable". After seeing this movie and loving it, I had to take it to the rest of my family and watch thier reactions. It's a keeper. The plot is yes, a little corny and yes, a little silly. But, the cast was well positioned in thier characters. The thing that most amazed me was how sweet the artist character in this film was. Previous to my awareness of Brad Pitt, I thought he was wonderful. And after I realized it was him I had seen in this movie...I had to see it again and yes....again.

I found this movie to be one of the best romantic comedies of all time. It has an outrageously funny storyline coupled with fine performances by sexy Bill Pullman and sultry Elizabeth McGovern. A must see for any Pullman fans!

Let me start by suggesting that you buy, not rent, this movie, because you might well find it too silly at first, then you'll surprise yourself with the urge to watch it over and over again. Yes, with a plot that's nothing better than a good episode of "Three's Company", the cast and crew deserved all the credits to make "The Favor" one of the most entertaining comedies reflecting various facets of love and marriage. Except for Elizabeth McGovern (who shines in almost every role given to her, especially in "Men & Women, Stories of Seduction"), other actors seemed to deliver their best performances here: Harley Jane Kozak, Bill Pullman, Larry Miller, the Orti sisters... I give this film 5 stars, one of which goes to the screenplay that's full of hilarious one-liners, so wisely interwoven with simple but thought provoking dialogues (the conversation between Bill Pullman, Harley Jane Kozak and Leigh Ann Orti in the "kitchen scene" being my favorite one).