HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: webb+@CS.CMU.EDU (Jon Webb)
Subject: REVIEW: LEAP OF FAITH
Reply-To: webb+@CS.CMU.EDU (Jon Webb)
Organization: School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 14:50:44 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Summary: r.a.m.r. #01645
Keywords: author=Webb

			     LEAP OF FAITH
		       A film review by Jon Webb
			Copyright 1992 Jon Webb

     Steve Martin plays a con man revival preacher who goes through a
life-changing experience.  Part of the film is a look into technically
sophisticated cons -- identifying people in the audience with particular
problems so the preacher can call on them as if God told him they needed
his help, using wireless microphones to control the show with the aid of
a computer -- and part is a story about a man's relationship with, well,
God.  It's an interesting film in that it doesn't back down an make
acceptable to this Godless world its central dramatic moment, which
hinges on the difference between real and fake miracles.

     This is Steve Martin's first major non-comic role.  He does fairly
well, especially during the shows, when the moves he developed as part
of his comic routines come in handy.  But I found him less believable
off-stage.  He seems too young and hip to be an evangelist.  I suppose
this contrast is intentional, and maybe even based on studies of the
private lives of evangelists.  But either the writing or the acting
didn't convey what it was supposed to convey, to me.

     Another problem with Steve Martin's role is that it is undeveloped.
He was supposed to have an affair with the Lolita Davidovich role, but
that part was almost completely cut.  (She is left with a few scenes,
and almost a superfluous presence in the film.)  So we're left with an
incomplete person.

     By contrast, Debra Winger's character is well-developed in much
fewer scenes.  The only thing left out was parts of the relationship
between her and Martin's character.  I found her role and acting to be
completely credible.

     Lukas Haas is good as the crippled brother of Davidovich, and Liam
Neeson is good (though his role is depressingly familiar from other
movies) as the sheriff.

     The direction is great, particularly during the shows.  Martin's
sermons and the gospel singing move us even though we know they are a
con.

     I liked this film.  But it's a lot more shallow presentation than its
subject matter demands.  A little more soul-searching by Martin's
character, which might have been provided had the relationship with
Davidovich been more developed, would have made it much stronger.

-- J

Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews
From: michaili@blondie.cs.wisc.edu (Afroditi Michailidi)
Subject: REVIEW: CHAPLIN
Reply-To: michaili@blondie.cs.wisc.edu (Afroditi Michailidi)
Organization: University of Wisconsin, Madison -- Computer Sciences Dept.
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 17:36:26 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Summary: r.a.m.r. #01642
Keywords: author=Michailidi

				    CHAPLIN
		       A film review by Afroditi Michailidi
			Copyright 1992 Afroditi Michailidi

     CHAPLIN is the long awaited film about the life of Charlie Chaplin.
Directed by Richard Attenborough and with a host of stars including
Robert Downey, Jr., Kevin Kline, Anthony Hopkins and Geraldine Chaplin
(Chaplin's real life daughter who, in a twist, plays his mother), this
film sets out to be the very definition of epic biography, pure and
simple.  It almost succeeds.

     The problem is, it tries too hard.  I found some of the scenes too
loaded for my tastes.  At times I was almost glad the director was
constricted by real life events and could not use all of the plot
devices he otherwise might have.  And, my feeling is, some of the
material was not epic to begin with -- that might well be my serious
gripe with this film.

     The movie is of epic length too, being over two hours and twenty
minutes long.  I found it slow in developing.  On the other hand, I do
not think that cutting any of the introduction would improve it; the
film carries you along little by little until you are engulfed and
immersed in its tale; only by detailing as many events as possible can
it achieve that effect.

     Don't get me wrong.  It is a good film and one of the best I have
seen lately.  Based loosely on Chaplin's autobiography, the film works
on two levels: one is following Chaplin from his early years throughout
his career, while the second one shows Chaplin as an old man conferring
with his biographer (the only fictional character in the movie, existing
purely as a narrative device).  This dichotomy was at first jarring,
since you get pulled in and out of the timeline -- but in the end, it
works too; Attenborough is no novice.

     Robert Downey, Jr., does a wonderful job as Chaplin.  I even began
to think of him as Chaplin midway through the film.  The supporting cast
is excellent too, particularly Kevin Kline as Douglas Fairbanks.

     Bonus points for the ending -- it is really the stuff that cinema
is made of.

     In conclusion, I found this to be a very good and entertaining
film, although dragging in some places.  A masterpiece it is not, which
is rather disappointing considering the cast, director and script
material.  However, the film makes up for it, if only for its ending.
I'd rate it a 9- on my personal scale, i.e., recommended with some
reservations.

[quick reference chart
[recent movies: THE BODYGUARD 5-, ALADDIN 8.5, ZENTROPA 10-
[all time faves: ZOO & THE ELEMENT OF CRIME 10-
[rock bottom: LIQUID SKY 0

                           Afroditi

--
michaili@cs.wisc.edu

Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews
From: frankm@microsoft.com (Frank R.A.J. Maloney)
Subject: REVIEW: HERMAN
Reply-To: frankm@microsoft.com (Frank R.A.J. Maloney)
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond WA
Date: Sat, 26 Dec 1992 14:23:10 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Summary: r.a.m.r. #01650
Keywords: author=Maloney

				  HERMAN
		       A film review by Frank Maloney
			Copyright 1992 Frank Maloney

     HERMAN is a Norwegian film directed by Erik Gustavson, written by
Lars Saabye Christensen from his own novel.  It stars Anders Danielson
Lie, Frank Robert, Elisabeth Sand.  Unrated.  In Norwegian, with English
subtitles.

     HERMAN is that unlikeliest of films, a fresh coming-of-age story.
It is about an 11-year-old Oslo schoolboy, Herman (Anders Danielson
Lie), who is a rather withdrawn, runty kid, bullied at school and
misunderstood at home.  He lives in a vivid fantasy world that includes
a Norwegian-speaking Zorro and walking into traffic whilst pretending to
be blind.  His only friends are his ailing grandfather and a beer-soaked
neighbor who was once a gardener to the king and who has pretty vivid
fantasy life himself until it turns into a first-class case of the DTs.
Herman's already fragile world really unravels when his barber discovers
a bald patch on the child's head, the first symptoms of alopecia areata,
an incurable cosmetic disorder that will cause him to lose all his hair
in time.

     It is Herman's progressive reactions to his malady and his growing
baldness that mark his growth and maturity.  His alopecia is, on one
level, merely a symbol of the agonies and changes that we all go through
moving from childhood to adulthood.  But like all good symbols, this one
is vividly specific, as Herman moves through anger (at his fate and at
his parents who are at something of a loss to know how to handle
things), onto various strategies, disguises, and other forms of denial
and withdrawal, and ultimately landing on his feet in a charming act of
acceptance.

     Herman as played by Lie believably, ingratiatingly, and often
comically.  His performance is likable, light-hearted, and completely
natural.  He manages to make the unusual point that even a child in a
stable, functional, loving family can still have a childhood marked by
pain and insecurity, that growing up is hellish for all of us.  Herman
performs the more accustomed role, too, of deflating adult pretenses and
evasions, of finding the truth amidst the lies.

     This is a totally charming film and I recommend it highly.  It's
current run in Seattle (Metro Cinemas) is its U.S. premiere.  It's
being distributed by RKO Pictures.  If it comes to your area, do
yourself the favor of going.

-- 
Frank Richard Aloysius Jude Maloney
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews
From: good@pixar.com (Craig Good)
Subject: REVIEWS: A FEW GOOD MEN/HOFFA
Reply-To: good@pixar.com (Craig Good)
Organization: Pixar
Date: Mon, 28 Dec 1992 16:40:32 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Summary: r.a.m.r. #01653
Keywords: author=Good

			    A Few Good Hoffas
		       Film reviews by Craig Good
			Copyright 1992 Craig Good

     This weekend turned into a Jack Nicholson/J. T. Walsh Film Festival
for me.  I saw HOFFA on Christmas night, and I just got back from seeing
A FEW GOOD MEN.  If all you want is a horse race, then it's A FEW GOOD
MEN by a length.

     I'm ambivalent about HOFFA.  I'm still impressed with DeVito the
director, and all the performances are good.  It's obvious that Jaaaack
relished his role.  The production is well mounted, and the scope is
broad.  Mamet's dialogue is his usual combination of genius and
expletives.  But HOFFA faces the same challenge as films such as THE
GODFATHER and GOODFELLAS: to make us care about people who are
criminals and creeps.  The Godfather films all succeeded.  For me,
GOODFELLAS failed.  I put HOFFA somewhere in the middle.  I came away
with the feeling that I was now fairly knowledgeable about someone who is
still somewhat of an enigma.

     The film is told in flashbacks and has a mostly chronological
structure.  The mere chronicling of Jimmy Hoffa's career is almost
enough enough structure for a story.  Almost.  HOFFA isn't so much a
story as it is a biography.  And while the film didn't try to whitewash
the man, I sensed some sort of misplaced admiration for him.  Perhaps
that was simply the primary symptom of its failure.  But it is a good
movie, and people who liked BUGSY and GOODFELLAS will probably enjoy
it.

     I'm happy to report after seeing his latest that Rob Reiner's
stunning track record as a director is unsullied.  Everybody connected
with A FEW GOOD MEN delivers, and nobody disappoints.  The performances
by Cruise, Moore, and Nicholson reminded me just why they are big name
stars.  Cruise's disarming performance allows us to watch an
intelligent, if at first slothful, character in the process of thinking,
and Moore proves that she's not just the pretty girl who can cry on cue.
Jack's part in A FEW GOOD MEN is smaller in screen time than in HOFFA,
but he practically *is* the third act.  This is a solid *story*, and
Cruise's character walks away a much different man than the one at the
start of the film.  

     If you still haven't figured out the J. T. Walsh reference, it's
because he has supporting roles in both films.

     To sum up: If you've a mind to see both films, see them both.  If
you need to narrow your choices, see A FEW GOOD MEN.

		--Craig

Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews
From: blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu (Brian L. Johnson)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews
Subject: REVIEW: A WOMAN'S TALE
Summary: r.a.m.r. #01660
Keywords: author=K.Johnson
Date: 3 Jan 93 17:14:17 GMT
Reply-To: blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu (Brian L. Johnson)
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Organization: ?


                              A WOMAN'S TALE
                       A film review by Ken Johnson
                        Copyright 1992 Ken Johnson

100 min., PG-13, Drama/Comedy, 1991
Director: Paul Cox
Cast: Sheila Florance, Gosia Dobrowolskia, Chris Haywood, Norman Kaye,
      Ernest Gray, Myrtle Woods

     This film is a segment in the life of an old woman, Sheila
Florance.  She embraces life with great hopes, and in ways that would
shock other people her age.

     I was surprised at how good A WOMAN'S TALE was.  It didn't look
very interesting to me, but it was part of a double feature and I wanted
to see the other film (THE DOUBLE LIFE OF VERONIQUE).  I enjoyed A
WOMAN'S TALE and suggest that you go to see it, whether you are a young
adult, a senior citizen, or in between.  On a scale of zero to five, I
give A WOMAN'S TALE a four.  A WOMAN'S TALE is rated PG-13 for adult
situations and female nudity.

     The cast in this film is great, especially Sheila Florance.  
Sheila Florance, I think, holds this film together.  Her character is
unlike what most people perceive old people to be like and Sheila
Florance seems to jump into the role.  With a different actress in the
role that Sheila Florance had, I think that this film would not have
been as good as it turned out to be.  Unfortunately, I have heard,
Sheila died shortly after the film's original release.  Gosia
Dobrowolskia is the woman who watches over Sheila Florance.  She did a
very good job, but doesn't hold the film together the way Sheila
Florance does.  The man who plays Sheila Florance's next door neighbor
(I don't remember who played him) also did a great job.  He also helps
hold the film together.  I think that the actor who was chosen to
portray him was perfectly picked.

     The film successfully combines comedy with a bleak, at least to
some people, subject.  The end result is an interesting film that makes
the viewer think while watching the film.  The film is very well
written, and provides interesting characters.  The scenes in the film
flow together smoothly and the film doesn't get too dark about the
subject of death, which otherwise could have bogged this film down.

--------
Ken Johnson
blj@mithrandir.cs.unh.edu
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies.reviews
From: moriarty@tc.fluke.com (Jeff Meyer)
Subject: REVIEW: PETER'S FRIENDS
Reply-To: moriarty@tc.fluke.com
Organization: John Fluke Mfg. Co., Inc., Everett, WA
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 17:36:52 GMT
Followup-To: rec.arts.movies
Summary: r.a.m.r. #01643
Keywords: author=Meyer

			       PETER'S FRIENDS
				  [Spoilers]
			 A film review by Jeff Meyer
			  Copyright 1992 Jeff Meyer

Not wanting to get into a full-blown review of the new British film
starring Hugh Laurie, Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson and Peter Fry (I
hope I have these names right), I have only a few notes:

Oblique spoilers follow:


 *  About halfway through the film, I thought, "I hate those films that
    center around a group of friends with all sorts of problems, who
    resolve their problems neatly and tidely by the end of the film."
    At the end of the film, I thought, "Gee, I wish all their problems
    had been resolved neatly and tidely at the end of the film."  My
    god, I *am* an American film-goer.  (However, there are some
    problems with this ending.)

 *  As one of those "where are we now" films, it is as witty as to meet
    (and pass by a bit) the minimum requirements for such a film.  The
    characters, with the exception of the American wife of Branagh's
    character, are pretty fully fleshed out -- it is variable. (It's
    odd to see Laurie in a film where he doesn't say "Whoops!" in a
    very loud voice.  Not to mention having Fry around him and not
    doing Jeeves.)  Branagh is competent, but not wonderful.

 *  One exception to the above statement:  Emma Thompson is *brilliant*.
    While other actors wait for their dialogue to fill in their
    character, Thompson manages to completely and totally describe the
    woman she's playing through body language.  Now there's your Best
    Actress nominee, kids -- forget Michelle Pfieffer.

 *  I find it interesting that scenes of social embarrassment make me
    want to crawl underneath my theater seat; but Ahnold turning a camp
    of [fill in your generic force of nasties here] doesn't even slow
    my hand for popcorn.  PETER'S FRIENDS is not very real to me in
    some aspects, and very real to me in others.

Uhhh ... you want to know whether to see it or not?  I got in free.
Well, let's just say that if you haven't seen HOWARD'S END yet this
year, go see that instead.  However, if it's this or THE DISTINGUISHED
GENTLEMAN (Our Motto: You Don't Need To Be A Psychic To Know Where This
Film Goes!), either go see PETER'S FRIENDS, or go to a rendition of
Handel's "Messiah."

---
                                        Moriarty, aka Jeff Meyer
INTERNET:     moriarty@tc.fluke.COM
Manual UUCP:  {uunet, uw-beaver, sun, microsoft}!fluke!moriarty

Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
From: markf@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Mark Foster)
Subject: A little quiz for All.
Organization: University of Sussex
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 15:41:53 GMT


Here is a little poser for all you peoples in netland. I posed this quiz
for some xmas fun amongst staff here. Nobody, did it.

Below is a list of Actors names. Pair them off 1 with 2, 3 with 4 etc so
that you have eight pairs. Now find the eight common films.
Now pair off the films 1 with 2 etc, you get the idea....
Now find the common Actors to each pair etc...

Keep doing this until you have just ONE name left at the end.

Warning: This is not as straight forward as it looks because some pairs
have more than one possible answer. There is however, only 1 correct
solution. (I think... don't flame me if I am wrong.)
Each name/film appears only ONCE.

Mark

---------------------------------------------------------------

 1. Sean Connery
 2. Patrick McGoohan
 3. Charlton Heston
 4. Sidney Poitier
 5. Marlon Brando
 6. Trevor Howard
 7. Nigel Green
 8. Michael Caine
 9. Richard Boone
10. John Wayne
11. Jack Lemmon
12. Christopher Lee
13. David Niven
14. Peter Ustinov
15. Paul Newman
16. Dennis Hopper


No cheating Now !!!!!!!

Don't bother to E-Mail or Post answers, its for fun only.
I will post the answer In the new year...

Merry Christmas and a happy New Year to one and All!!!
-- 
Mark Foster, Computing Service, University of Sussex, Falmer, England. BN1 9QJ
JANET: markf@uk.ac.sussex.central - OTHER NETWORKS: markf@central.sussex.ac.uk
                      VOICE: +44 273 606755 x8096
"There are no such useless words as 'I didn't have a chance'"... Driving, HMSO
From: jaym@hplsla.hp.com (Jay Miazga)
Date: Fri, 18 Dec 1992 19:37:28 GMT
Subject: Re: Review: A Few Good Men.
Organization: HP Lake Stevens, WA
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
                              A Few Good Men
                          A Review by Raul Cairo


        .... much deleted......


But if there is anything that can be said about this film it is 
that it is by far one of the greatest movies ever made, and is certainly going 
to be remembered as a classic, years from now. This is what Hollywood is made 
of, and A Few Good Men , will definitly be remembered as one of the greatest 
movies ever made. Cheers to Director Rob Riener for making  A Few Good Men, it 
will always be cherished and enjoyed for generations to come.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.



You liked it, then?
From: ccoprdj@prism.gatech.EDU (Jorge Diaz)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
Subject: Re: Most Overrated Actor/Actress
Date: 23 Dec 92 10:59:01 GMT
Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology

In article <1992Dec22.195633.4208@CERIS.Purdue.EDU> tfisher@CERIS.Purdue.EDU (Tom Fisher) writes:

>> Someone else please raise your hand if you couldn't care less whether
>> someone has adopted the correct fake accent for a particular role.

>   (hand raised)
>   I agree.  G'day myte!

Definitely.  I much prefer that the actor admit he can't do the accent and
get on with the performance, than he try it and flop.  Bad accents distract.
A lack of one is not distracting, and it might not even be missed.

-- 
Jorge Diaz                       | "I want you to remember, Clark... in all
Georgia Institute of Technology  |  the years to come, in your most private
Office of Information Technology |  moments...my hand at your throat.  I want
ccoprdj@prism.gatech.edu         |  you to remember the one man who beat you."
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
From: dsy@psych.toronto.edu (Desiree Sy)
Subject: Re: HELP with "Summer of My German Soldier"
Organization: Department of Psychology, University of Toronto
Distribution: usa
Date: Tue, 22 Dec 1992 13:36:10 GMT

In article <1992Dec22.003938.18094@cs.wayne.edu> faa@athena.cs.wayne.edu (Felicitas A. Atabong) writes:
>I saw a movie a few years back, called "Summer of my German Soldier,"
>with Kristy McNichol (I think). It was about a young abused Jewish girl
>in the south who met a German soldier on the run, and kept him hidded.

I didn't realize this was made into a movie.  It's based on a
very good novel by Bette Greene by the same title.  She also
wrote a sequel called MORNING IS A LONG TIME COMING.

-desiree
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
From: jon@MITRE.org (J. E. Shum)
Subject: Re: Coppola's DRACULA
Originator: jon@cyclone
Organization: The MITRE Corp
Distribution: na
Date: Thu, 24 Dec 1992 23:41:08 GMT


In article <1992Dec24.225326.6478@Princeton.EDU>, egnilges@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Edward G. Nilges) writes:
>
...... A WHOLE LOT of deconstructionist drivel about FFC's Dracula .....
>

You know I almost started to rebut the previous posting until the aroma
of PC crap reached my nostrils and I knew that rebuttal was neither
necessary or useful.  Mere burial will do.

Happy Winter Solstice all!

-- 
<jon@mitre.org>|--24HR Libertarian Party News (900)454-2378 [$1.95 a minute]--
----------------------------------| Libertarian Party            (800)272-1776 
          DON'T BLAME ME!         | 1528 Pennsylvania Avenue SE  (202)543-1988
       I voted Libertarian.       | Washington, DC 20003         (800)682-1776
From: pck@dde.dk (Peter Roboz Kristensen)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
Subject: Re: anybody else remember this film?
Date: 28 Dec 92 15:42:06 GMT
Organization: Dansk Data Elektronik A/S

dannyb@panix.com (Daniel Burstein) writes:

>I've been scratching my brain over this one, can't find a listing in the
>usual sources, and no one else seems to remember it.
>  
>Back in about 1965 I saw a movie whose premise was the Israeli war of
>indepnednce against the British and Arabs.  The key point was it followed
>some illegal immigrants arriving hidden in shipping cartons.

Films covering the subject is "Exodus", but

>I'm -pretty sure- one actress was Sophia Loren, but none of the references

I don't think Sophia Loren was in it.

>Sorry I can't recall much more....  ANy hints greatly appreciated.
>  
Me neither at the moment.

-- 
Peter Roboz Kristensen                         Telephone:  Int +45 42 84 50 11
Application Program Development                Fax:        Int +45 42 84 52 20
Dansk Data Elektronik A/S, Herlev, Denmark     E-mail:     pck@dde.dk
Newsgroups: rec.arts.movies
From: sdo@lossage (Sean D. O'Neil)
Subject: Re: New Zucker Brothers movie(rental)  "Brain Donors"..anyone see it?
Organization: Research Computer Facility, The MITRE Corporation, Bedford MA
Distribution: usa
Date: Wed, 23 Dec 1992 21:53:53 GMT

In article <1h4ja8INNbdg@eagle.natinst.com> darrenl@natinst.com (Darren Lilie) writes:
>While renting another video this weekend I saw a preview for "Brain Donors"
>which is now available on video.  It is a Zucker Bros. film(the Airplane! guys)
>and was wondering if it was any good.  The preview looked like it would be 
>a dumb movie but I have liked about every other movie they've produced. 

_Brain_Donors_ was overlooked when it was released, for some reason.  I saw
it by accident while wasting a night in Florida, and it was pretty damn
funny.  It's essentially a remake of the Marx Brothers movie
_A_Night_At_The_Opera_, with John Turturro playing the Groucho role, some
English fellow playing the Chico role, and someone else playing the Harpo
role (with dialog, interestingly enough).  It all works pretty well.
Why it didn't do better at the theater is beyond me.  It seems like an
ideally-suited movie for video.

Sean