Michael-Bay Movie Reviews

A social teen outcast (played by Winona Ryder look-a-like Rainbow Harvest) discovers a mirror in her room that gives her special powers, which she proceeds to use violently on her taunting classmates. This supernatural horror/thriller takes way too long to really get going, but is pretty entertaining for the last forty or so minutes. Despite a few very silly moments and a baffling ending, there's enough blood, suspense, and nudity to satisfy horror fans looking for a quick fix.
** 1/2 out of *****

you will enjoy this movie. A true "B" movie of the 80's but it's fun watching Rainbow Harvest's payback to the "Big Shots" of those infamous high school days. Like I said just a fun little flick to watch. So buy it and enjoy!!!!

If you really want to be scared, and your not afraid of the dark, you must see this movie. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. Director Sargenti did a fabulous job. I thought the acting was great. You will hope this movie never ends.

I did not like this movie. I know that times have changed and it would be revisionist to hold this movie to millennium standards of sexual conduct and infidelity. Nonetheless, I found it very disturbing: his lack of concern for his wife and children, how the wife was unsympathetic and one dimensional, and how absolutely de rigueur it was in the sixties for married men to have "a bit on the side." And what about her kids? apart from the first scene we never see them again; she instead seems to spend all her time cooking and keeping house for a married man. I'm not a prude, really, but this film left a bad taste in my mouth.

I saw this movie when it first came out in the 70's and have seen it many times on and off for years.

The movie is funny, but what makes it work is the two stars. George Segal (who never looked better) is in fine comedic form, and he and Glenda Jackson complement each other perfectly. She was especially singled out for critical acclaim -- some people compared her to Katharine Hepburn in Hepburn's comedic roles.

The movie also affords a look at London in the early 70's.

Because the actors work so well together, I would've liked a different (happier) ending for the movie. Still, after thirty years, "A Touch of Class" remains very watchable and poignant -- largely because of the two stars.

...and I'm not easy to please. It's strange when you realize just how sexy George Segal was. But the movie is wonderfully written, sharp, smart and incredibly funny. I saw another reviewer liked The Goodbye Girl better. I prefered this...Sharper, more biting, less sentimental. That doesn't mean it's heartless or even cynical, just that it's lacking in syrup. George Segal and Glenda Jackson have the all the chemistry and the comedic chops (and then some) needed to make this movie work. This movie made me laugh a lot, was sexy enough to warm any cold night and smart enough to make me feel like the people who made it figured I had at least a high school education. How come comedic movies this smart don't get made by the major studios anymore?

This movie was wonderful! I watched it several times during the weekend. Duncan Regehr is a great Zorro and the supporting actors play their parts well. Watch it. You'll love it!

This is the second Zorro episode from the 1990 series that I've seen (the first is "The Legend Begins". This is almost as good an episode as "The Legend Begins", thanks to the performances of the actors, especially James Horan as Gilberto Resendo and -- again -- Duncan Regehr as Diego/Zorro. Horan is an appropriately menacing villain with a psychological twist -- he is a villain because he was stolen from his true parents and twisted by the woman who stole him. This brings complexity to his role, and some sympathy -- but not much.

Regehr once again does wonders with Diego/Zorro. While there is less emphasis on the scientific aspects and on his sense of humor, there's plenty of action and a good scene of Diego dancing with Victoria. Also, his swordfighting scenes with Resendo are terrific!

Though there isn't as much humor surrounding Zorro this time, there are a couple of funny scenes involving Sergeant Mendoza. The first one is a scene where he has to go into a cave -- with a bear in it! The second one is where he is trying to bring a bucket of hay to a captured Toronado -- and the horse dumps the bucket on his head! Those are really funny scenes! James Victor does a good job of making him funny but likeable.

The only thing that keeps me from giving a higher mark is the fact that the video makes several errors in the chronology of the series. The most notable is the fact that the video says that the events of much of the story take place in 1824, but it had to have taken place before 1822, when California became part of Mexico! Still, that doesn't take away much from my enjoyment of this worthy Zorro story!

Belle Book

This video is full of slapstick hilarity that will keep you laughing from start to finish. John Hertzler makes it a great pic with terrific sword fighting a la Shakespear's finest.

Considering the high pitched voice of Kathy Ireland and a B-class plot line, this movie ranks amoung the top in my cheesey B-class movie collection. In another time, another place this was a great movie.

If you like B-Movies, like Kathy Ireland or both then you will like this movie. Except for Wanda's (Kathy Ireland) high pitched voice, I thought it was kind of cute. It is a funny, science fiction adventure with a little romance thrown in.

I really like Alien From L.A. Maybe It's because I like Kathy Ireland's sweet little voice? They used to show this often on HBO/Cinemax & Showtime in the early 1990's. It was a fun way to waste 90 minutes on a summer afternoon.

Sure, Alien From L.A. is a complete fantasy and way over the top but it has a certain charm to it that I really love. It often has that Roger Corman B-Movie "cult atmosphere" going for it. Personally I wouldn't change a thing about this movie. It is so much better than similar types of films released in the last few years.

Most people probably don't like this film because it seems so unrealistic and cheesy. I think that it was really meant to be satirical comedy, and only a limited percentage of viewers will actually "get" it. You don't have to really believe the things happening in the story could really happen...after all, it is only a fantasy movie!

As for the new DVD from MGM...They've done yet another admirable job on this release. It is in full-screen format, but that may possibly be it's original format. This is actually the way many movies are shot, some are later "matted" for theaters. The Picture quality and Dolby 2.0 Surround track are just about as good as could be hoped for on the DVD format. It is vastly superior to the old VHS video I used to have of Alien From L.A. THANK YOU MGM!!!!!!

Thankfully, I got this DVD pretty cheap, cos I wouldn't have liked to buy it at full price. I got it as one of four - along with 'Along For The Ride', 'Across The Tracks' and 'Deadfall'. I never knew Brotherhood of Justice was a TV 'movie' until the credits started - you know how a TV movie always has those horrible credits? No wonder I couldn't find anything about it in cinema stuff.

It's your basic storyline: a few guys think they can rid their school of all the lowlifes and drug dealers and what not. They think they're the police. They take it upon themselves to do this, and it all goes horribly wrong.

Keanu Reeves is the main focus of the film, playing Derek. He has a girlfriend, and he seems to me, to be totally possessive of her. Having to see her during school, meet her for lunch, meet her after school, meet her after work . . . And then acts all jealous when she starts working with Kiefer Sutherland's character, who wouldn't be that much of a [danger], until Derek started acting [silly]. You could tell that relationship would go into meltdown pretty quickly.

Most of this film's actors were unknowns, though some of them went on to become big in the movie world. Billy Zane (who becomes the big head during Brotherhood of Justice) went on to star in the 'Back To The Future' trilogy, that film with Nicole Kidman 'Dead Calm', and played the snooty Cal Hockley in 'Titanic'. Kiefer Sutherland has made a name for himself recently, starring in the TV series '24'. And Keanu Reeves . . . Well; I could go on forever with him, couldn't I? He has starred in a few turkeys in his time, and has made a name for himself from movies such as 'Speed', 'Johnny Mnemonic', 'Matrix', 'A Walk In The Clouds', and the 'Bill & Ted' movies. You decide which ones were the turkeys!

Contrary to what SOME people say, Keanu Reeves is not "wooden" in all his films. Although, I'm sorry, to say, he is in this film. In his defence, it was one of his early films. He acts wooden, and his lines are just spoken without any emotion. And with that bad 80s haircut, and clothes . . .

This film isn't really worth watching, unless you're a big fan of Keanu Reeves. It won't be easy to find either, considering it's a TV movie, and is not well known.

Keanu gives a good early performance as the rich boy vigilante Derek, who never puts a foot wrong.

He's the high school joke, has a great girlfriend and life is sweet.

But for him and his gang of 'do gooders' that isn't enough. They want to rule the world and won't let anything stand in their way.

The end doesn't justify the means and they get caught in the end...

My favourite line is 'I don't mean to burst your bubble' when Derek's younger idealistic brother asks him if he's in 'The Brotherhood'. How the young look up to their elders

Kellye Joy is right in saying that youngsters should see this lesson is morals. It will give them a sense of right from wrong.

If you have children, this would be a very good movie to teach them a lesson with.

Talented Keanu Reeves convincingly plays Derek, a quarterback and natural born leader of a group who later call themselves "The Brotherhood of Justice." They form after a senior high school meeting led by the Principal, discusses vandalism and thefts going on at their school. He doesn't realize he is doing it, but he's really what started this "mess" in the first place.

The "revenge" begins controlled. It actually makes sense at first; but violence just grows like a brush fire. Each "punishment" by the brotherhood gets more violent. Derek, played by Keanu, calls it stops and not a second too late.

The ending is very good; parents will be proud to see justice done. I recommend you sit down and watch this entire movie with your children, explaining and answering questions as the movie progresses. There are some excellent role models to watch; not only Keanu Reeves, but Lori Loughlin and Kiefer Sutherland as well.

"The Brotherhood of Justice" is rated M for mature audiences. Whether you're an adolescent, teen or adult (single or married); everyone can relate to and get something out of this movie. I highly recommend buying this one.

I didn't like this movie at all. No movie made of any books of Danielle Steel is good, well it's rare that a movie is as good as the book is, the book is always better. I had like reading the book but the movie who was made out of it was so bad and boring!

I saw this movie twice on TV and loved it both times; I've been looking for it to buy so I can add it to my "Classic" collection, along with Dr. Zhivago. Very worth seeing, buying. Robert Urich's performance is fantastic; as usual he pulls the audience in and allows it to feel what he is feeling whether it's laughing or crying. His eyes are so incredible, his look so deep; he easily enters your heart. He did mine... and will remain there.

This is a rich drams with some nice twists and turns. Best of all is the opportunity to see Robert Urich in a role that allows him to express the sensitivity and caring that he had in real life. The story is sweet -- definitely captivating -- but it's especially dear to me now that Robert Urich is no longer with us. A special man and fine actor, he is superb in this film. Many of us will miss him and recall his courage and good humor as he dealt with his illness. As good as this film is, Robert Urich's performance is worth the price of admission! It's also safe to say that any Danielle Steel fan will *love* this movie!

I purchased this set primarily as a fan of the actor Dominic Monaghan...while he does not play a large role in the first two episodes, he gives a powerhouse performance in the last. His confession to Monsignor Renard, prior to his death, is heart- breaking. While the actions of his character are reprehensible, you can understand the reasons for them, while not approving the acts.
The ending of the film was a bit abrupt, and I was hopeful for a more tidy conclusion...I wanted to know more about what happened to Alene, as well as what happened with the mother of the young boy killed in the battle of france.
All in all, I recommend this film highly, particularly to fellow fans of Dominic Monaghan.

John Thaw ("Inspector Morse") does a creditable job of portraying "Msgr. Renard," recently assigned as the parish priest of his tiny home village in the north of France. The Germans have just won the Battle of France, and German occupation troops are everywhere. The conquerors are arrogant and condescending, the defeated are resentful and angry. Adding difficulty to Renard's mission to uphold Christian values and somehow keep the peace between the villagers and the Germans is his own past. It seems he left the village years ago to accept a political posting for the Vatican. Did he abandon his family and neighbors? Is he back now because he failed as a diplomat? Everyone has an opinion, but Renard wisely realizes that the only way he can redeem himself to his parish is to act.

The script is very good, and all of the characters are well drawn. No cartoon Nazis here, no sniveling cowardly sympathizers. Renard's pastoral concerns are realistic, and his relationship with the Germans is tense and frightening.

I was a little put off by the story's abrupt ending, but otherwise I recommend "Monsignor Renard" whole-heartedly.

This production was excellent. I cannot count how many times i have re-watched it! The storyline is excellent and the acting is superb. The memorable John Thaw plays the part excellently and the German actors play the part in a production which could have turned out alot worse, but this was a perfect balance of what i was looking for. I loved this production and am annoyed that they are not going to make another series.

Gavin Maxwell's wonderful book can be tough going for children, though my 10-year-old enjoyed having it read aloud to him, with some paraphrasing of the gnarlier bits of prose. The film, only loosely based on the book, is a good alternative, with lots of footage of otter frolicking in a beautiful setting, and just enough plot to keep things interesting. Warning, children will find the death of Mij unsettling, and may not be completely soothed by the upbeat conclusion of the film.

Ring of bright water is a British film full of the images and sounds of the late 60's. It is a wonderful story about a writer (Graham) who acquires an orphaned and much out of place young otter named Mij (pronounced Midge). Graham decides to move and take Mij from the heart of London to a more natural setting, the coast of northwest Scotland. This story works on so many levels there is the relationship between Graham and Mij as each learns from the other about being friends. There is also the relationship between the two newcomers (Graham and Mij) and the locals. The film takes you through a whole roller coaster of emotions. This movie will make you laugh, smile and cry. The end of the movie almost verges on letting you decide how the film really ended. Hope and belief is a wondrous thing.

This film is a highly fictionalized version of what was actually a true story in the book of the same name by Gavin Maxwell. As fiction, the screenplay takes dramatic license in ways both entertaining and trivializing. But what the film does most compellingly depict is the beauty of the Scottish shore, the uniqueness and remarkability of otters, and the life-changing relationship between a man and his otter. I was one of the children who grew up watching the movie, "Born Free." Those not of this generation may not be able to relate to the effect the movie ("Born Free") had on our culture and our awareness of animals as conscious beings (probably had a big part in giving rise to the enthusiasm for animal rights and the animal liberation movement that occurred some years later). I found "Ring of Bright Water" equally moving, albeit not for the same reasons, but for that same way of depicting animals with dignity and humor. In the more than ten years since I've seen this movie, I never forgot it and eventually bought a copy of my own [....])

Both reviews on this page mention the poor sound of the CD. I saw the film on one of the movie channels (Turner or AMC) a few years ago and was astounded by the incredible sound quality- it was marvelous, clear, warm, full-bodied. It deserved its Oscar nom in this category (also nommed for Art Direction and deserved winner for Scoring). It's hard to understand how the creators of this CD could produce a poor sound quality disc when there are original sound sources out there in prints that are quite superior. If my television sound box which is not state of the art could make this movie sound so good the wizards in the art of digitally cleaning up and restoring analog sound sources for CDs should have been able to come up with a superior product. It may be that this is a "quickie" - done without much care or concern for the public. Certainly the US Army is not to blame if their sound source originals were in bad shape with so many other sound sources of prints available, including seven VHS releases available from Amazon alone. Those looking for good audio transfer may do well by buying a copy of the VHS product and taping it themselves.

On the 4th of July in 1942, "This Is the Army" opened on Broadway with book, lyrics and music by Irving Berlin, who persuaded the War Department to let him have 300 service men to do the musical and raise $10 million for Army Relief. The 1943 movie version, directed by Michael Curtiz for Warner Brothers, starred a pair of future California politicians, George Murphy and Ronald Reagan, as the father and son of Jerry and Johnny Jones. Reagan had just entered the military and was assigned to making "This Is the Army" and then military training films. Scenarists Casey Robinson and Claude Binjoy came up with a story lined that worked in material from Berlin's 1917 soldier show "Yip, Yip, Yiphank." Set during World War I, Murphy plays a Broadway song and dance man who is drafted and put in charge of an army show. After the final performance the cast marches off to war, where Jerry Jones receives a leg wound. Then we jump to the start of World War II, Jerry is now a Broadway producer and son Johnny is his assistant. History repeats itself, this time with Johnny enlisting and taking time to marry his sweetheart, Eileen Dibble (Joan Leslie), before marching off. The film offers Kate Smith singing "God Bless America" and Berlin himself singing "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning." This show also includes "This is the Army, Mr. Jones," which is probably the only other song contemporary audiences might still recognize, if you are old enough. "This Is the Army" is dated, but if you remember the time and place it does its duty well as a patriotic film.

I recall screening this movie to packed audiences in 1944, so much so that the police had to control the box office. Every performance (3 times daily) played to capacity audiences, so I know all the songs especially MY BRITISH BUDDY, which no doubt U.S. Viewers have never even heard off.
In 1943, BRITISH versions included an Irving Berlin song, sung by Irving called MY BRITISH BUDDY, (We are as different as can be, he thinks he's winning the war and I think its ME! But we are in this to the finish, and on one thing we agree, when the war is won, and the job is done, we'll be joining hands across the sea)
I have yet to see this section on American TV versions, and wonder if it is included in American VHS versions. (which I doubt) It does demonstrate however just how close the Bros; Warner worked with the State Department, and orther Government agencies. perhaps they had a special version for France as well?

Will we ever know?
Ah Well
JD. July 2002

Love the movie, I wish it was on DVD.

Very, very funny send up of the daytime hospital soap operas. Lots of jokes. Some don't work....most do!! I don't want to repeat any here but pay attention, because they come thick and fast....'Airplane' style. Dabney Coleman and Harry Dean Stanton really crack me up, and it's hard to look at a young Michael McKean and not think of "Spinal Tap." The main thing I want to draw your attention to is something that worried me when I first ordered this tape. At such a reasonable price, I thought it might be recorded in the dreaded EP mode. IT ISN'T!! It is a fine print from Anchor Bay in SP mode, great price, funny as H*LL, do yourself a favor and check it out. I'm glad I did.

Jammed full of soon-to-be-stars(or at least well-known performers) had tough job to better other hospital satires, and succeeds. Gags are just as good or better than most send-ups of this type, and story has beginning, middle and ending. Loved Dr. Prang's (Dabney Coleman's)role. Michael McKeon delightful obsessive-compulsive. Strictly for those who can enjoy this type of comedy.