mdlee

This season, I am more disappointed than in previous years. With the choreographers out doing themselves as if they were in a secret competition of their own, and the dancers having more ability than ever before, I feel that Katee should have won. On the finale, did she not have more callbacks than the other three? Was not her work more consistent than the other three? As a former competitive ballroom dancer for almost 14 years, and having adjudicated hundreds of ballroom competitions, may I say that it is the job of the man to present his lady and basically show her off.

Except for lifts, the girl always does more work than the man. Joshua was excellent this season and if Katee could not win, then I am satisfied with Joshua as the favorite.

But....no one will ever convince me that she wasn't the best dancer in the final four. And, her humility and lack of "mugging" for the cameras during the phone numbers was refreshing to see.

Lastly, Katee paid for her training with money and the sweat of her body with practice after practice, Joshua and Twitch are virtually untrained. I think that Katee's desire to be a dancer, her commitment and dedication to this point in time, and the fact that she delivered a superior product EVERY time out the entire season....well...this time I think America got it wrong.

I hope that if there are any friends of Katee reading this forum, please let her know there is one viewer who voted for her (lots and lots) and will be looking forward to seeing her future successes in dance.

Sincerely, Morgan Lee

I noticed that the overall IMDb rating for this film was a lowly 3.2. This seems a bit unfair. The story is good, not great, and may at times be bit predictable. But the acting is quite good with a very sympathetic performance by Tom Skerritt. Robert Davi shows a warm side in much contrast to the "heavy" he played in a James Bond Film. Wendy Hughes couldn't have been more cold and calculating in much contrast to the warm and loving character she played opposite Peter Falk in "Happy New Year" or the playful character she played opposite Pierce Brosnan in "The Heist." Lastly, Zalman King as a filmmaker has tried to elevate the adult genre to an art form. If not familiar, try to see his most successful series: "Red Shoes Diaries." Sometimes you can catch an episode on late night Showtime.

It might be said that not every film is meant to be "Gone With the Wind" or "Citizen Kane." There's nothing wrong about a shoot-em-up western where the gunfighters never seem to run out of bullets. And although "The Fast and the Furious" may never make IMDb's top 250 list, it was a good enough film for the producers to make two sequels.

It's all about entertainment and since the world's population is so diverse, we all like different types of movies. One could guess that some viewers who are offended by nudity may have been "turned off" by this film, which also may account for the low 3.2 rating. But the film is worth a watch.

Finally, Nina Siemaszko is excellent in this film. She brings across her vulnerability, frustration, disappointment, etc. Her performance must have been good, because other producers noticed and she had a nice supporting role in "The American President" and a recurring role for 3 or 4 years on "The West Wing." On a personal note, I would urge all of us to respect the IMDb and the lengths they go to provide this forum. Let's give fair comments to all films we view. We may actually affect the careers of some of the industry people.

In 1965, Caine created the role of Harry Palmer in the Ipcress File. It was good enough to spawn two follow-ups: Funeral in Berlin and the Billion Dollar Brain. By 1974, the movie-going public was used to seeing him in the role of a secret agent. Here he gets in trouble, and although you know that by the end of the film he will emerge victorious, or will he? I'm not telling. But the excruciating fun is in trying to figure our what will happen next. Filmed in Europe, Black Windmill" is directed by Don Siegel. Clint Eastwood credits Don for his success as a director, and, of course, Siegel also directed some of Clint's best movies. The pacing is even throughout and builds to a suspenseful climax. Let it not be overlooked that Donald Pleasence in a supporting role is at his usual best. The human chameleon that adapts beautifully to whatever role is given him. John Vernon is especially menacing. To me, seeing old movies a second or third time is like visiting with old friends. Everybody has their own "Casablanca" and "Shawshank Redemption." If you haven't seen this one yet, please do. It will become one of your "old friends" which I'm sure you will visit again and again.