Michael-Douglas Movie Reviews

"Aftermath" follows up from the cliffhanger ending to "Star One." Dayna is introduced as one of the new regular cast members. This episode is critical for understanding the state of the Federation in future episodes. The plotline focusing on Dayna is interesting, but the most value from this episode comes from finding out what has happened to the crew of the Liberator and Servalan. "Powerplay" is a superior story to "Aftermath" and lays the foundation for the new crew. These episodes start the show in a new direction and are critical for any serious fan of "Blake's 7."

The next vol of Blake's 7 enetitled AFTERMATH and POWERPLAY

In the epsidoe entitled AFTERMATH
Star one has been destroyed and an unknown alien armada has come to wage war on Federation space. The Liberator escapes but not without taking heavy damage. Blake and the others escape from the Liberator and are hurled into the cosmos. Avon along with Orac land on the planet Sarran. A primative planet with war like people. They regard Avon as target and begin to hunt him down. Avon is soon befreinded by a young woman named Dayna. She is not from the planet Sarran she came from Earth along with here father a famous engineer and weapons maker to this planet to get away from the control of the Federation. What Avon doesn't know is that Servalan has also come to the planet Sarran as well but not by choice. Servalan taking the chance of Star One destuction has made herself president of the Federation but before she could take office the Federation fleet was attacked by the alien armada and her own ship shoot down. Now Avon must find a way back to the Liberator find the rest of the crew and take advantage of the Federation dissaray. This signals the end of Blake role as a rebel leader and the beginning of Avon time as a much darker and far more dangerous leader then Blake ever was.
In the next episode entitled POWERPLAY
Avon along with Dayna have gotten back to the Liberator but not without finding some new passengers Federation soliders lead by Captain Del Tarrant. Avon and Dayna are taken captive. Zen has found where Villa is and is homing in on his signal. None of the Federation soldiers can take control of the ship. Captain Tarrant thinks Avon might be the key. Before any of that could be done federation soldiers begin to die off one by one. Avon thinks something else maybe on board, Dayna thinks its one of the people on baord. Captain Tarrant thinks its them loose on the ship and the section leader under Captain Tarrant thinks its him. Will Avon figure out what is killing them? Will the Liberator get to Villa before the Federation takes total control of Zen? This marks the next thrilling episode in which a new player in the Blake's 7 universe is shown

Volume 14 of the "Blake's 7" video series contains two more episodes of this classic British science fiction television series. These episodes, "Aftermath" and "Powerplay," constitute the first two episodes of the 3rd season, and continue the story of an interplanetary band of rebels who wage a campaign against the tyrannical Federation.

"Aftermath" is the conclusion to the cliffhanger episode "Star One," in which humanity faces an invasion of an armada from another galaxy. The crew of the rebel ship Liberator flees in escape pods when the ship takes on heavy damage. Most of this episode follows the adventures of Avon after he is stranded on a primitive planet. This episode also introduces a new regular character: weapons expert Dayna Mellanby, who has lived in exile from the Federation with her father. The tough, but somewhat innocent Dayna is a compelling character who has some great chemistry with Avon in this episode.

"Powerplay" is essentially the third part of a three-part episode that began with "Star One." This episode is the substantial introduction of Tarrant (briefly seen in "Aftermath"), who will also become a regular character in the series. This is a violent and suspenseful episode in which Avon struggles to regain control of the Liberator while Cally and Vila remain separated from the ship. Vila has some fun comic sequences that complement the dark elements of the story. Great line: "It sounds big and bad-tempered. I just hope it's vegetarian" (Vila, stranded on a planet, upon hearing growls coming from the woods).

These episodes exemplify some of the best characteristics of B7: memorable characters, sharp dialogue, and suspenseful plotting. If you're a fan of other sci-fi sagas like "Babylon 5" and "Farscape" but have not yet discovered "Blake's 7," check out this video series.

"Bounty" is classic first-year Blake. Blake spends the episode trying to convice a planet's leader to return to lead his people, but finds that the leader has basically given up on life, on himself and on leading. A trap is set for the rest of the crew and we are reminded that the members of Blake's crew are people who may or may not be loyal nor trustworthy. "Deliverance" is part one of a two-part tale leading up to the search for a supercomputer called Orac. Once again there are two storylines and the part with Avon and others on the planet's surface is intriguing. The other storyline is interesting, but features some of the most extreme over-acting I've ever seen by the actor who portrays the young Ensor.

The next thrilling volume of Blake 7 with titles Bounty and Deliverance
In the epsidoe called Bounty. Blake got a tip that the federation is holding a well known president until the right moment happens on his home world for the federation to use him as a tool for the federation in its ever gorwing conquest of other planets. Only a small detail of guards watch the grounds of the presidents home. Blake has high hopes to free him. Once they got him free they have to deal with a new threat. One that has found its way inside the Liberator and none of the crew can be found at all.
In Deliverance the Liberator watches a ship crash land on a planet that was torn apart by nuclear war. Blake decides to go down and see if thier are any suriviors. They only find two people one is the pilot badly hurt so they send him upto the Liberator to get medical help. The other was a doctor but the strange thing is he has a classified acess code and some strange battries in his medical kit. The pilot awakens to find himself on the Liberator he holds Blake and Cally hostage and force them to send him to a planet with the battries they find on the dead doctor. Meanwhile Avon, Gan, Villa and Jenna are stranded on this planet. Jenna captured by what reamins of the people on the planet after the war. Avon, Gan and Villa find a strange door once opened Avon is considered the chosen one by a woman who thinks he has come to save her people.

Volume 6 of the "Blake's 7" videos contains 2 more episodes of this classic British sci-fi TV series. In the first episode, "Bounty," Blake and Cally engage in a mission to rescue the exiled president of a non-Federation planet, while the rest of the crew of the "Liberator" investigates a suspicious distress call. In the second episode, "Deliverance," Blake and his crew get entangled in Supreme Commander Servalan's plot to acquire Orac, the valuable invention of a brilliant scientist.

"Bounty" offers a fascinating glimpse into the politics of the B7 universe--we learn more about the ruthlessness of the totalitarian Federation, and about the difficulties faced by those worlds that resist it. "Bounty" also features a memorable guest performance by the actor playing the exiled leader. "Deliverance" is an intriguing tale of greed and conspiracy. In this episode, Servalan emerges as a forceful character in her own right--she is clearly more than just the icy master holding Travis' leash. These are definitely two memorable episodes in this engrossing sci-fi saga.

The next vol. of Blake's 7 entitled GAMES and SAND

In the epsidoe entitled GAMES
The planet Mecron holds the most powerful energy source in the universe Feldon crystals. There a twisted man called Belkov supervises the mining for the Federation. He is also known as the Master Gameplayer. There on Mecron he forces the natives to mine while he enjoys his games with his computer. Avon thinks he can out wit the master gameplayer. But can even Avon win at the games that Belkov knows and changes the rules to suit his needs?
In the next epsidoe entitled SAND
The planet Virn is a desert planet. Only one Federation scouting ship was ever sent to that planet. Part of that team was a former lover of Servalan. She goes to down to the planet to finally figure out what happen to that team. Avon gets word that Servalan is going there and intends to find out why. Soon Servalan ships lands but all to soon begins to develope faults and sand seems to be seeping in. Avon sends Tarrant and Dayna down to search but Scorpio has become trapped in the atmospshere of the planet. Dayna gets back to Scorpio but Tarrant is still trapped, worse Servalan is trapped with him. Now the two must work side by side if they intend to live and Avon must make a choice get free of the planet atmosphere or try and save Tarrant.

Volume 24 of the "Blake's 7" video series contains 2 more episodes of this great British sci-fi television series. These episodes, "Games" and "Sand," continue the adventures of Avon and his crew of interplanetary rebels aboard the starship Scorpio.

In "Games," the ruthless Federation is investigating the potential of Feldon crystals as an energy source. Both the Scorpius crew and their nemesis Servalan tangle with Belkov, a corrupt and eccentric official on a planet where the crystals are mined. Stratford Johns turns in a terrific guest performance as Belkov, who is obsessed with playing games. This episode is full of scheming, greed, and betrayal. Great line: "You steal for your reasons, I'll steal for mine!" (Vila).

"Sand" is an excellent episode in which both Servalan and Avon's crew are investigating the fate of a doomed mission to Virn, a mysterious planet that may be the home to a unique and valuable element. This episode is rich in haunting, surreal images. And the deadly secret of Virn is an excellent sci-fi twist. As a bonus, there is a bizarre flirtation between Servalan and Tarrant. Great line: "Power became my lover. Power is like a drug" (Servalan). Overall, "Games" and "Sand" are rich in many of the elements that make "Blake's 7" a great series: great dialogue, compelling characterizations, and an intriguingly dark vision of the destiny of humanity.

Raving gamesmasters on one -- each vying for a valuable commodity; and a plague(?) of vampyric sand, swilring 'round a dangerous and torrd afair, in the other. Quite a mix.

this movie has all the witty remarks and good scripting that made all of us love hart to hart. not to mention the ability to look at rj!! and lesley-anne plays this to a t. I fell in love with this movie when it was released and now I own a copy. I am very pleased and have watched it over, and over, and over.

Lesley-Anne Down and Robert Wagner do a great job stepping in for Ingrid Bergman and Cary Grant. Robert Wagner is a latter day Cary Grant, when we so desperately need one. When he stands at the foot of the staircase looking up at Lesley-Anne Down, we're reminded of Clark Gable as Rhett Butler. This is a well made TV movie with great stars. Wonderfully shot on location in England,it's a great remake of the Bergman/Grant film. Kudos to all.

I really enjoyed this movie. I'm a big fan of Lesley-Anne Down's and this may well be one of my favorite movie's that she's done. She and Robert Wagner work well together. The scene of a seething Lesley-Anne marching into the house after falling into the lake is not to be missed by any fan!

Although this production was wonderfully done, the people who play Romeo and Juliet are too old for the part. According to the text in act 1 scene 3, Juliett will be fourteen in "a forghtnight and odd days." Romeo, is also a teenager. The fact that they are so young hightens the tradigity because they are little more than children who kill themselves over what is in essence an adolecent crush. Seriously, How many relationships between a 13 and 15 year old last forever.

Actually, this is not the popular recent "post-modern" version of the classic tale. This is the version aired on television in 1994. It features Geraldine Somerville as Juliet and Jonathan Firth as Romeo. It was directed by Alan Horrox. END

Who would have thought that a "no name" cast and director could produce the best film version of Shakespeare's classic love story? With no Franco Zeffirelli, Baz Luhrman (or George Cukor) at the helm, and no Olivia Hussey, Leonard Whiting, Claire Danes, Leonardo diCaprio (or Norma Shearer and Leslie Howard) in the cast, this version is straightforward, swift and devastating in its impact. Directed by Alan Horrox, and featuring Geraldine Somerville and Jonathan Firth as the star-cross'd lovers, this film is revelatory in its simplicity, pays attention to the words as the principal vehicle of the tragedy, and relies on acting rather than starpower. Just terrific!

I found myself more sympathetic to the lovers than I had even when reading the book. However, by the end Anna is not the "pitiable" figure which Tolstoy had wished to create, but seems obsessive and half mad with paranoia to the point where the viewer wishes the resolution would come even more quickly. Helen McCurry does an admirable job, but I found it difficult to find the depth of feeling in her Anna that is so apparent in the text. The irritation her portrayal creates is exacerbated by the attention given to Vronsky's character, which unlike the 1997 version with Sean Bean, is shown as being attentive, loving, and completely devoted to Anna. Kevin McKidd's performance more than makes up for the deficiency in Helen McCurry's.

The story of Levin and Kitty is handled well, but it is set up mostly as a direct parallel of Vronsky and Anna, and very little is said about Levin's internal struggle. Still, the film is about as faithful to the book as possible, and furthermore is constructed in such a way that it may be independent of it without an excessive number of plot holes.

I read the book many years ago, so I was very much looking forward to the PBS version. I was not at all disappointed. The cast was outstanding, especially, in my opinion that of Vronsky. Kevin McKidd played him with such touching depth and sensitivity, it left me breathless. Helen McCrory is also excellent as Anna, as was the character of Karenin. I am glad this version chose to give Karenin much more complexity and create him as a more sympathetic character than some of the other versions. This movie did an outstanding job of weaving the plot all together and coming to the final tragic conclusion. It left me spell-bound the whole way through. I can't imagine anyone coming away from viewing it and not be affected somehow for a long time. It is so relevant to today- just one of the greatest stories of all time. Simply wonderful.

This is a stunning, not-stuffy-at-all adaptation of Tolstoy's seminal work. The casting is excellent and the script is true to the story line. Anna is particularly well-cast. She's passionate, loved by men and women alike, smart and compelling to watch. The two men in Anna's life are well cast, as well. Anna's husband's character is portrayed with all of the depth that he has in the book, which is an impressive feat. The man who plays Vronsky was a perfect choice even if he is blond and in the book he is dark.

The Kitty/Konstantin parallel plot is very well done, and both characters are also very well cast. In the book, Kitty has more depth than is portrayed, but she is beautiful and charming here nonetheless.

They don't rush the plot. It is presented thoughtfully which does Tolstoy's masterpiece the due it deserves. Watch this over several nights if you want. You'll think about it all day, every day until you're done watching the whole thing.

The next vol of Blake's 7 entitled Trial and Killer

In the epsidoe entitled Trial
The time has come Travis has failed Servalan time and time again. So this time he is put on trial for his cirminal activites. Many people want to see Travis in prison while others want to use this as an chance to get rid of Servalan for good. The judge is a fleet adimiral called Star Killer two of the Federation Senate are watching and waiting for the chance to give Traivs a chance to get back at Servalan. Servalan is watching in secret waiting for the moment to stirke herself. While Blake has beamed down to a planet to questin why he fights the Federation and what the death of Gan means to him. This epsiode sees new twists and turns for all the players in the Blake 7 universe some good,some bad.
The next epsidoe entitled Killer
Blake has gotten word that the Federation has a new code system. Blake heads to the planet Fosforon where the code is being developed, along the way he spots an ancinet space ship. Zen detects nothing but Cally sense a great evil on board. The planet Fosforon collects the ship and finds a man dead for centuries. Avon and Villa sneak into the base while Blake beams down to investiagte the old ship and what evil Cally senses. Can Avon be trusted to get the new code? Can Villa stop being a coward? Will Blake find out what that evil is on board that ship?

"Trial" covers Blake's guilt and self-destructive recriminations following the events in "Pressure Point" and the Liberator's disasterous raid on Earth's Central Control, while arch-enemy Travis is going through a trial of his own. In "Killer" we meet an old friend of Avon's..."I knew you had to have a friend somewhere!"-Vila

Volume 10 of the "Blake's 7" videos contains 2 more episodes of this marvelous British sci-fi TV series. These installments continue the saga of rebel leader Blake, who, with his crew, wages an interplanetary war against the tyrannical Federation.

The first episode, "Trial," contains two engrossing, interconnected storylines. One involves Blake: guilt-ridden over the death of a crewman (in the previous episode), he goes on a private quest. The other story finds Blake's arch-enemy Travis being put on trial for allegedly directing a savage massacre. "Trial" offers more tantalizing glimpses into the tortured tangle of Federation plots and politics. And as a bonus, we learn more about the Mutoids. This is a suspenseful episode that delivers some memorable action.

In "Killer," Avon and Vila seek to obtain a piece of Federation technology from a base, while Blake gets involved in a deadly mystery. Great line: "When Avon holds out the hand of friendship, watch the other hand. That's the one with the hammer" (Vila). It's particularly fun to see Vila and Avon on a mission together in this one.

"Killer" is a good enough episode, but the superb "Trial" is certainly one of the best, and most pivotal, episodes of the series' first two seasons. Essential viewing for B7 fans.

The next enstallment of the series Blake's 7 with the titles HOSTAGE and COUNTDOWN
The epsidoe entitled Hostage
Orac picks up a strange message sent to Blake by of all people Travis. Travis is holding his cousin and is willing to kill her if he does not meet with him. Blake seeing now course but to meet with travis and see what he has to say. The Federation gets wind of the message sent by Travis to Blake they speed off to capture not only Travis but Blake as well. Can Blake save his cousin? Will he figure out if Travis is on his side? Will the Federation capture them both? Will this mean Travis and Blake will have to be cell mates on a penal planet? Who knows?
In the next epsidoe entitled COUNTDOWN
Blake has finally found where control has been moved to. Only one Federation officer named Provine knows where and he is on the planet Albion. What Blake doesn't know is that Provine and his forces have been fighting off rebel attacks and has put into motion the most deadly weapon at hand. Blake and the others try to help the rebels while finding Provine but to Avon discuss he meets up with a man who said he would kill him if he saw him again. This particualr epsidoe shows a bit more into the past of Avon and what is yet to come from him.

Both stories add dimension to lead characters.

"Hostage" is a Blake story and "Countdown" is an Avon story.

"Hostage" is seemingly a typical story, but uses parts of Blake's family to make the story into something special.

"Countdown" itself is about a revolt on an outer world, complete with some cool ideas as to how the destruction of the rebels would be accomplished. Having a nemesis of Avon adds to the tension, and the ending is astounding.

As with "Hostage", the charcaters in "Countdown" make the stories more than what they are. And it's characters that make us watch and want more. Definitely worth buying.

Volume 11 of the "Blake's 7" videos contains 2 more episodes of this classic British sci-fi series. These episodes--"Hostage" and "Countdown"--continue the saga of rebel leader Blake and his interplanetary crusade against the oppressive Federation.

In "Hostage," Blake's enemy Travis seeks to lure him to a planet with a hostage: an important person from Blake's past. This episode begins with a memorable space combat sequence, and contains some great Vila one-liners. A tense and violent episode, "Hostage" also offers a glimpse into another aspect of Blake's character.

"Countdown" opens with a gritty ground combat sequence on the planet Albian, which is attempting to break free of Federation domination. Blake and his crew arrive to help their fellow rebels evade a deadly Federation countermeasure. This episode is important because it reveals more about Avon's past. Great line: "I'm really looking forward to this: danger, excitement, sudden death. I can't wait" (Vila). This is a suspenseful episode with good guest performances.

These episodes exemplify the strengths of this series: compelling plotlines, memorable characters, and great dialogue. Highly recommended for fans of great sci-fi sagas.

The plot of this 1994 HBO movie is fairly simple with a sprinkling of more complex sub-plots, but essentially this movie is about a blind man (played by Armand Assante) on a quest. This western works very well with the exception of one mediocre performance in the female role, but very few [if any] of us watch westerns for the love interest. The strength of this movie is in Assante's excellent performance, as well as the universal appeal this movie will have across the board for fans of traditional American westerns and European [spaghetti] westerns alike. The director seems to borrow heavily from earlier ideas of Corbucci, Garrone and Colizzi, with a healthy measure of John Ford and Howard Hawks influence combined, to create a unique film in the western genre. I have no idea what HBO intended when they funded this film, but in a 2003 era of Dungeons and Dragons and a post-democratic society a little grit, guns and gore goes a long way! Highly recommend.

Although derivative of many Oriental films, this short little western still packs a punch.

Assante is a nearly blind gunfighter traveling with a baby. He is looking for the baby's mother, asking everyone he finds about the town she is supposed to be in. He stops in one town where a group of soldiers is guarding a shipment of silver, which is being eyed by the local banditos. The soldiers, trapped, send Assante out for help. All hell breaks loose.

Assante is very good as the embittered gunfighter (and often very funny). His blindness never becomes gimmicky, although one has to wonder how he can ride a horse. He uses his hearing and sense of smell to shoot, how does he know in which direction the horse is going? Adam Baldwin, as the soldier's sergeant, is great, as he distances himself even further from the Baldwin brothers (no, he is not one of them, he can act). Robert Davi has his best role since "Licence to Kill" as the main villain. The one cast liability here is Oscar nominee Elisabeth Shue.

Shue delivers all of her lines in a flat monotonal vaguely-Valley Girl accent. She should be banned from doing any period films ever again. She has one embarassing nude scene, if you can call it that. At one point, she is sitting on a bed in her corset, and you can see part of her nipple mashed up out of her undergarment. It does not look erotic, it looks painful. Assante and Shue's forced romance is also the weakest part of the script.

One scene to watch for is in the climax as a major character is blown through the doors of a building. I rewound that three times just to bask in an action shot I had never seen before.

This feels like the first film of a proposed series that never came to fruition, and with an 85 minute running time, you have to wonder what they cut out. However, I do recommend "Blind Justice."

This is rated (R) for physical violence, strong gun violence, some sexual violence, some gore, profanity, very brief female nudity, and some adult situations.

BLIND JUSTICE is, without a doubt, the greatest movie ever made. More color sequences than CITIZEN KANE, fewer Italian thugs than THE GODFATHER, and by far more horses than CHINATOWN. Above all, it is superbly written. Knauf is a genius.

Daniel Knauf, Writer, BLIND JUSTICE

The plot of this 1994 HBO movie is fairly simple with a sprinkling of more complex sub-plots, but essentially this movie is about a blind man (played by Armand Assante) on a quest. This western works very well with the exception of one mediocre performance in the female role, but very few [if any] of us watch westerns for the love interest. The strength of this movie is in Assante's excellent performance, as well as the universal appeal this movie will have across the board for fans of traditional American westerns and European [spaghetti] westerns alike. The director seems to borrow heavily from earlier ideas of Corbucci, Garrone and Colizzi, with a healthy measure of John Ford and Howard Hawks influence combined, to create a unique film in the western genre. I have no idea what HBO intended when they funded this film, but in a 2003 era of Dungeons and Dragons and a post-democratic society a little grit, guns and gore goes a long way! Highly recommend.

Although derivative of many Oriental films, this short little western still packs a punch.

Assante is a nearly blind gunfighter traveling with a baby. He is looking for the baby's mother, asking everyone he finds about the town she is supposed to be in. He stops in one town where a group of soldiers is guarding a shipment of silver, which is being eyed by the local banditos. The soldiers, trapped, send Assante out for help. All hell breaks loose.

Assante is very good as the embittered gunfighter (and often very funny). His blindness never becomes gimmicky, although one has to wonder how he can ride a horse. He uses his hearing and sense of smell to shoot, how does he know in which direction the horse is going? Adam Baldwin, as the soldier's sergeant, is great, as he distances himself even further from the Baldwin brothers (no, he is not one of them, he can act). Robert Davi has his best role since "Licence to Kill" as the main villain. The one cast liability here is Oscar nominee Elisabeth Shue.

Shue delivers all of her lines in a flat monotonal vaguely-Valley Girl accent. She should be banned from doing any period films ever again. She has one embarassing nude scene, if you can call it that. At one point, she is sitting on a bed in her corset, and you can see part of her nipple mashed up out of her undergarment. It does not look erotic, it looks painful. Assante and Shue's forced romance is also the weakest part of the script.

One scene to watch for is in the climax as a major character is blown through the doors of a building. I rewound that three times just to bask in an action shot I had never seen before.

This feels like the first film of a proposed series that never came to fruition, and with an 85 minute running time, you have to wonder what they cut out. However, I do recommend "Blind Justice."

This is rated (R) for physical violence, strong gun violence, some sexual violence, some gore, profanity, very brief female nudity, and some adult situations.

BLIND JUSTICE is, without a doubt, the greatest movie ever made. More color sequences than CITIZEN KANE, fewer Italian thugs than THE GODFATHER, and by far more horses than CHINATOWN. Above all, it is superbly written. Knauf is a genius.

Daniel Knauf, Writer, BLIND JUSTICE