Michael-Duncan Movie Reviews

In this version of Robin Hood the jousting match on the bridge is the best I've ever seen it done. Robin and the stranger get right to the point. They both want to cross the narrow bridge over the deep brook first. They quickly decide to settle it by jousting with staves.
The jousting match is very realistic with, of course, Robin Hood getting tumbled in.
I first saw this movie when I was about 10 years old. I loved the joust so much that a friend and I went to the woods, found a nice deep brook with a bridge and Robin Hood and Little John lived again. I was Robin Hoood, so I took the dunking and loved it.

Many Disney fans born after 1960 aren't aware that Disney wasn't all about cartoons; in the early 1950s his studio released a number of live-action adventure films, which were nowhere near as financially successful as his animated movies. But a few of them were as good as many of his cartoon features, and none was better than "The Story of Robin Hood", which appeared in the summer of 1952. Set in 12th century England at the start of Richard the Lionheart's crusade to the Holy Land, we see England as it was then, rural, mainly poor, solidly Catholic, devoted to the Holy Mother Church, and ruled over by a benevolent king about to set off to holy war while he leaves his evil, scheming younger brother, Prince John, behind to rule in his stead. When the film opens, their mother, Queen Elinor of Aquitaine, is giving her blessing to the enterprise while reminding all within earshot that she needs no looking after ("The woman who bore two sons like you", she informs her oldest son the king, "can take care of herself"). And here is Robin, 18 years old, wishing he could tag along after the king, but without a care in the world except winning the upcoming archery tournament and chasing Maid Marian. But this idyll is about to come crashing down; after winning the tournament and rudely rejecting to serve under the wicked Sheriff of Nottingham, Robin's father is murdered by the sheriff's right-hand man, and is killed by Robin in turn. It's off to Sherwood Forest for life on the run as an outlaw, while Robin gathers around him other outcasts who have been impoverished by the sheriff's rapacious deputies. There's fun galore as we see Robin and his merrie men robbing the rich to aid the poor, rescuing the downtrodden from the sheriff's villainy, kidnapping the sheriff himself and lightening his purse, and helping to pay King Richard's ransom after he is captured in the Crusades by robbing the loot King John and the Sheriff have stolen from the poor.

Ken Annakin keeps the film solidly on target in time and place. The movie's score is exceptional; from Allan A'Dale broadcasting the news as a wandering minstrel, to the Gregorian chant sung by the knights as they set off on Richard's crusade, we are transported 800 years back in time. And Annakin reminds us, in a telling scene where Allan A'Dale is snubbed by some villagers, that not everyone in merrie olde England thought Robin and his men were saviors; to most of the upper class, and many of the small but growing middle class, they were a gang of thieves and worse.

A great cast helps keep the film rolling. Richard Todd was never better than he was as Robin; bold, generous, not to mention full of himself; merciless to the enemies of the underclass, he's a winning hero. Joan Rice is sweet and sassy as Maid Marian; no simpering damsel is this young lady, she gives as good as she gets. And the minor cast is terrific: James Robertson Justice is just right as Little John; Elton Hayes is excellent as Allan A'Dale; Anthony Forwood is sly and cynical as Will Scarlett, and James Hayter almost walks off with the film with his hilarious performance as Friar Tuck. The movie works both as an action/adventure film and a fascinating romp through medieval England. It's one of Disney's best.

This Walt Disney version of an age old legend is unique and, I think, on par with the Eroll Flynn version. This British made Disney version has a great producer/director team (Perce Pearce/Ken Annakin) and it shows. Great cinematography of English countryside, atmospheric stage sets, good casting of most/all characters by actors who can be invisioned as their character (Instead of being protrayed as strong willed and direct, Prince John is portrayed as a subtle and conniving younger brother, as he would have to be if usurping his older brother's crown), and the musical score by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is just downright charming. (To this day, whenever I watch the opening credits where Alan Adale wanders through Sherwood singing the opening theme while playing a lute, I end up whistling and humming the tune for some time afterward. Charming!!)

I believe the reason that so many studios can make their own version of Robin Hood and an audience can watch all of them without becoming bored with the Robin Hood story (or favoring one studio's version over another) is because each studio can emphasize a different aspect of the story; Robin and his relations with Marian, Robin and his relation with his followers, Robin interacting with Sheriff of Nottingham, the exact reason why Robin becomes an outlaw, whether Robin started as a nobleman or became one when Richard returns, and how much the story develops the characters of Prince John and Richard I. This version by Disney includes interaction between Robin and his father which I do not think any other version has. There is also some story line for Eleanor of Aquitaine, the mother of Richard and John as well as the archery contest being at the beginning of the story instead of the middle or end. All these differences keep the story fresh and not just a stale rehash.

I personally would like to see some studio make a version in which the story continues long after the reign of Richard and into the reign of John with King John outlawing Robin a second time ( on some trumped-up charge, of course) For example, the last scene could concern King John signing the Treaty of Runnymede in 1215 with his barons and earls with Robin (now older and maybe middle aged) having a minor/background role in the signing of the Treaty, being the Earl of Huntingdon after all; or at least being present at Runnymede when it was signed. True to the Robin Hood? Maybe not, but the essence of Robin Hood is the struggle of common men against the caprice of great noblemen. So, I think it makes sense and would make for a four or six hour drama instead of the usual two hour.

Anyway, to conclude, this film is in the true, original Disney fashion when old Walt was still around to do quality control( i.e. before the Eisner era) and I consider it picture perfect. no pun intended, and one should purchase a copy before it disappears!!

I had the good fortune to see this film not once, or twice, but three times at the theatre. I saw it first at the Atlanta GLBT Film Festival.

From the director of URINAL, style and visual magic to spare. Plus, the longest sustained note ever held by a human on a soundtrack -- move over Ms. Streisand!

The music is angry, saddening, funny, sexual, and WAY danceable. This is a classic movie musical with a wide variety of musical styles. Think RENT without the whiney artists. Instead you get the unlikely pair of Richard Burton (the man who discovered the source of the Nile, not Mr. Liz Taylor) and Patient Zero (the man purported to be the initial source of HIV in the US).

Beautiful arrangements. Sly lyrics. And there are the singing (...) puppets! How can you miss?

If you love movie musicals, and want to see something every bit as good as Hedwig -- buy the movie AND the CD of Zero Patience. You won't be sorry.

For a film that was made in 1993, it is still is valid today. The double meanings in "Zero Patience" are the intolerance and discrimination that people living with HIV/AIDS must face and the zero patience that Gaëtan has as a ghost and scapegoat in being blamed for literally spreading the disease throughout North America. Greyson has camped it up in this film mocking the physique bodies from the 40s and 50s mail order mags, the musical, the documentary, and the interview. And they say Canadians can't make movies. Be sure to check out Lilies, Urinal, and Uncut. Also check out Greyson's 22 compliation Video Against AIDS, his contribution of the best videos produced from 1986-1988 available from most universities and community AIDS organizations.

For reviewers: when posting reviews please be accurate with your information. John Greyson is a Canadian director from Toronto, not the USA. Normand Fauteaux plays Zero/Gaëtan, not Michel Callen who plays the superb role of Miss HIV.

I don't like the public much so I rarely go to the movies, and until recently the cinemas in my town were smelly and uncomfortable. Yet I went to this film and forgot where I was. It made me laugh like Peter Jackson's "Braindead". And it made me think about anthropology, and the complicity of us all in the reproduction of social exclusion.

As reviewers have noted, "Zero Patience" responds to Randy Shilt's "And the Band Played On" (there is also a film of the same title). While these works reveal the deafening silence of the Regan administration in responding to the growing epidemic, "Zero Patience" marks more explicitly the racialization of the global politics of HIV/AIDS.

Greyson plays together a range of genres, using the pleasure of spectacle to tell a story of the politics of misinformation. The story of the exclusions and silences around HIV?AIDS still require telling: this is a world where the myth of external agents of contagion can no longer be sustained. (I have a question here: what is the correlation between hiv rates of transmission and catholocism in colonial contexts? i am not trying to start trouble it is just a question). Where can people who are allergic to latex get condoms?

Zero Patience has particular resonance when we locate hiv/aids within a contemporary global politics which remains racialised; both within western nations, and across the so-called "developed" and "underdeveloped" worlds. At "home" in America the "right" can imagine a threat "out of Africa" (or as "Zero Patience" plays out, via the French Canadian "patient zero") but this isn't going to keep the kids safe. Talk about it.

"Zero Patience" combines the pleasures of "Can't Stop the Music" with the politics of Haraway, and the humour of the fatboy slim "Praise" video. Very cool.

Further reading: Sander Gilman, Douglas Crimp, Emily Martin, Donna Haraway, Kobena Mercer ....

OK parents for all of you who have patiently waited for espisode 3,4 and 5, the waiting is over. The DVD is the complete movie it contains all 5 episodes plus bonus features. Yeah!!! For anyone still collecting cars, according to Mattel, all the cars should be available by Christmas and the deadline for submission has been extended. Enjoy

My four year old has gone absolutely nuts over this series, having seen #1 and #2. We impatiently wait for the complete series installment, but I know that this one will get alot of mileage (nyuck-nyuck) around here, sharing a rotation with Speed Racer in the vroom-vroom room......

Excellent old fashioned knee slapping hilarious British comedy
I couldnt stop laughing

A FUNNYISH FILM, BUT NOT AS STUPIDLY HILARIOUS AS HOLIDAY ON THE BUSES BUT THEN JACK & STAN ARE THE TWO MOST UNATTRACTIVE MEN IN BRITISH FILM ,SO WATCH IT & SMOKE A LITTLE?

This is a great action packed flick starring the incomparable Brian Bosworth.It's a must see that's very well worth watching!!

This is a great action packed flick starring the incomparable Brian Bosworth.It's a must see that's very well worth watching!!

I was recovering from hip surgery and popped this movie in the VCR at about 1:00 a.m. It looked like a cute drama from the cover, something I could watch and fall asleep to. I couldn't have been more wrong. Before long I was laughing so hard I popped my stitches and woke my entire family up. I mean to tell you this is the funniest movie I have ever seen in my life. So funny I had to bury my face in the pillow to keep from waking the neighbors. Gut busting hilarity....Jill Clayburg is like you've never seen her before! Jeffrey Tambor is fresh, charming, and outrageously funny portraying a slightly bent free spirited jazz musician.
There's a little piece of everyone in these two characters and will keep you in stitches for weeks to come! This movie is for anyone over 30 who has ever vowed "Never Again" to serious relationships. It's upbeat, up to date and an absolute must see, and for me....a must own! It's the funniest movie at the video store....and now at amazon.com! "Never Again" is the most under rated, under advertised, block buster comedy of all time. I just can't say enough! 5 stars in my book!

Sincerely,
Sherry Malone

I was blessed to see this film at the Sarasota Film Festival and I have been waiting for it's release. I need to watch it again to see all the parts that I missed from the laughter in the theater! If you have ever been divorced, this film will ring true in many ways. It brings to light so many aspects that people have to face when once again confronted with being single but in a very humane and funny way. Believe me...I lived more than one part of this film and highly recommend it to anyone that is newly single and has the opportunity to view it.

Serendipity: this is what this movie was like for me. It was "real", in a way that few movies are. It was about real people, in real life, with all their fears, joys, hopes, tragedies and dreams. It was the kind of movie that I want to share with my closest friends, to remind them that courage and love and hope are alive. I recommend it highly to those persons who believe in love, as well as those who have forgotten how, or why, they should. It's not a typical "feel good" story - it has some "hard edges". THey only serve to make it more refreshingly honest. I'm so glad I stumbled across this one.

I first saw this when I was about 10 i think on HBO and I loved it (duh!!)this movie has........Great effects (man into bat), great make-up (Werewolf), great curse quotes as few movies use curse words in such a way that there not so offensive but just neccesary, ("I'm in the Goddamn club, aren't I?"-Rudy,("Hey asshole, you looked[smack]")-Shawn,("Give me the amulet, you BITCH!!!1"-Dracula.......and it was funny to boot,"ooohhhh look at that big scary monster,owwwwwww,listen your are not going to sleep with your mother and me tonight"-eugenes dad , and the plot is great because, though all the boys are in the club, shawn still has to convice them their are real monsters, like in soooo many movies where that parts just a given. Its got great music. I agree this movie is similair to goonies, very adventures but for some reason its a "comedy" its way more a horror but its not like dr giggles kind of horror just kind of lite

The Monster Squad was the best, and I mean the best in terms of successfully portraying the dreams of children on film. As stated in many other reviews, this film (along with the Goonies and E.T.) may be classified as 1 of the greatest films ever made. YES EVER MADE! This is because of the superb performances by the child stars, they were more mature than they looked (something that every child wants)! Also, they had such a passion for their mission along with a strong bond of friendship that tied them together. It made us as children believe that anything is possible! When I was a kid I could only wish to be as cool as these kids were! This is something that many other films that were simililar (Fright Night, Hook, and Explorers) could not live up to! Although it's just a movie and subconsiously the viewer knows that the monsters and the people are fake, THE ADVENTURE IS REAL!!!!!!! And that is the most important thing. I hope that they re-release this as soon as possible, especially on DVD! P.S. - "Rock until you drop", a song in the film, is sung by Michael Sembello!

I first saw this film thanks to my mother who recorded it from television or another tape, but I adored this film as much then as I do now. It's a fantastic mix of comedy and terror as well as some pretty nice monster costumes. The Wolfman really freaked me out to a nice degree. I really hope someone who has the power reads this and gives this the full DVD treatment this film deserves. If you haven't seen this, I suggest you do.

"Wolf Dork?"

I first saw this when I was about 10 i think on HBO and I loved it (duh!!)this movie has........Great effects (man into bat), great make-up (Werewolf), great curse quotes as few movies use curse words in such a way that there not so offensive but just neccesary, ("I'm in the Goddamn club, aren't I?"-Rudy,("Hey asshole, you looked[smack]")-Shawn,("Give me the amulet, you BITCH!!!1"-Dracula.......and it was funny to boot,"ooohhhh look at that big scary monster,owwwwwww,listen your are not going to sleep with your mother and me tonight"-eugenes dad , and the plot is great because, though all the boys are in the club, shawn still has to convice them their are real monsters, like in soooo many movies where that parts just a given. Its got great music. I agree this movie is similair to goonies, very adventures but for some reason its a "comedy" its way more a horror but its not like dr giggles kind of horror just kind of lite

The Monster Squad was the best, and I mean the best in terms of successfully portraying the dreams of children on film. As stated in many other reviews, this film (along with the Goonies and E.T.) may be classified as 1 of the greatest films ever made. YES EVER MADE! This is because of the superb performances by the child stars, they were more mature than they looked (something that every child wants)! Also, they had such a passion for their mission along with a strong bond of friendship that tied them together. It made us as children believe that anything is possible! When I was a kid I could only wish to be as cool as these kids were! This is something that many other films that were simililar (Fright Night, Hook, and Explorers) could not live up to! Although it's just a movie and subconsiously the viewer knows that the monsters and the people are fake, THE ADVENTURE IS REAL!!!!!!! And that is the most important thing. I hope that they re-release this as soon as possible, especially on DVD! P.S. - "Rock until you drop", a song in the film, is sung by Michael Sembello!

I first saw this film thanks to my mother who recorded it from television or another tape, but I adored this film as much then as I do now. It's a fantastic mix of comedy and terror as well as some pretty nice monster costumes. The Wolfman really freaked me out to a nice degree. I really hope someone who has the power reads this and gives this the full DVD treatment this film deserves. If you haven't seen this, I suggest you do.

"Wolf Dork?"

This Film you present here is from 1987. Project X from the 60's is a 1968 film about a spy who brought back from cryogenic suspension after being almost killed in a plane. Please let me know if I am wrong or correct this mistake on your page

Chimps are featured, but only to keep us from defensively noticing that the movie is really talking about our deepest experience as humans-- the transition from mute wonderment, through learning and loss, into competence and self-reliance. The story seems to meander as Matthew Broderick replaces Helen Hunt as the main human character, but by the end you can tell that the script was written with the greatest of care and skill.

Matthew Broderick gives one of his best performances of his career in this funny, touching, sad story about about army recruit been choose to teach and take care of the chimps but the real problem, he find out the army using the chimps for radiactive about if they can survive ,if they are flying the plane without knowning they could die.

Good Cast including Helen Hunt and William Salder. This Is Broderick`s Best With War Games, Ferris Bueller`s Day Off, Glory, The Lion King(Voice Only), Election and his underappreciate films are The Cable Guy and Godzilla. Grade:A.