The Marksman (2021) is Liam Neeson’s latest action film. I thought he said was not going to make these kind of films anymore. If this is his coda on action films, it’s a sour note. Neeson is the new Clint Eastwood, the craggy, soft-talking, hero from left field. This field has been plowed to a … More More Liam Neeson
Where do I start? This intelligent situation-comedy ran for seven years and gathered an armful of awards. This was really a character-comedy because the shows were written around the ensemble cast. Mary Tyler Moore sprang to stardom as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show, which ran for five seasons. Moore had a film … More The Mary Tyler Moore Show (part one)
Deadpan. Dry sense of humor. Obtuse. Passive-aggressive. Sharp-witted. He was all of these things. With Charles Grodin, you never quite knew if he was serious or kidding, or both. His expression and tone were the same, so you were not sure if it was put-on or he was offended about something. He brought this style … More Charles Grodin
One of my favorite film subjects, Tom Hanks is a fascinating actor/filmmaker. Search my site, you will find several entries, including more detailed reviews of the films below. These three films are from Hank’s most recent work. This is the mature Hanks, who slips into character roles, like the finest actors of the past. Bridge … More Tom Hanks: Some Recent Roles
I am going to present you two stacks of DVDs (no Blu-ray disks mixed in). You are going on a trip and these are the only entertainment you will have. No TV, cable or internet. Which one would you choose? No trading between stacks. Stack 1 Roman Holiday (1953) – Reporter Gregory Peck and Princess … More DVDs: Which Stack?
Some actors struggle as they age to find work, even leading men find themselves adapting to age, available roles and changing audience tastes. It happens. Sam Elliott has had a very interesting career arc. A young actor, he was mainly a television actor, making the rounds of series and television movies. He was even a … More Sam Elliott: 4 Recent Films
I admit, I’m generally against armed conflict, unless we are combating aggression or Nazis. As a child of the 1960s, Combat was one of my favorite television shows, not for the violence, but the human stories. Vic Morrow and Rick Jason alternated as episode leads. Both was wonderful in those roles, and both struggled after … More Vic Morrow: After Combat
Tommy Lee Jones has starred in numerous murder mysteries, including some high profile film productions. Some good, some not. He has also been in some smaller films, some not even on the radar, but there are some gems. More money does not ensure quality. The bigger the subject, the greater the expectation and chance for … More Tommy Lee Jones: Murder Mysteries
There is no one like Frank Zappa. After almost 20 years after his death, Alex Winter, with the cooperation of the Zappa Family Trust, released a very good documentary about Zappa. I cannot say that I was a fan of Zappa’s music, it was always a bit theatrical and strange to me. This is the … More Zappa (2020)
In four decades, Tim Allen has appeared in two long-running television series and a slew of films. Allen has a lot of fans, deservedly so. Home Improvement, until the later seasons, and three of his films (not counting the Toy Story films) are the best of his work. When he was trying to be edgy, … More Tim Allen: 3 Films
