John-405
Joined Jul 1999
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Reviews28
John-405's rating
Michael Hordern's masterful understanding of the part, his sandpaper voice, his shaggy but noble head made him the perfect Lear--"every *inch* a king". I first saw this production as a college freshman in 1985, and I've seen none since that has equaled it. It should be noted that Frank Middlemass who plays a more sympathetic and tender-hearted Fool is no less indispensable to the success of this production. Unforgettable.
By the way, the BBC series of the complete Shakespeare plays (produced in the late 1970s to mid-80s), which is prohibitively expensive at ca. US$3700, is frequently available in American public libraries. Everyone who is able should make a point of availing themselves of the opportunity of seeing this wonderful series at least once before they die.
By the way, the BBC series of the complete Shakespeare plays (produced in the late 1970s to mid-80s), which is prohibitively expensive at ca. US$3700, is frequently available in American public libraries. Everyone who is able should make a point of availing themselves of the opportunity of seeing this wonderful series at least once before they die.
If you believe, as I do, that the geek will inherit the earth, you will find some of the implicit mockery in this film annoying. I found most of the fans to be charming people, from the 14 year old kid who designs studio-quality computer animations in his spare time to the Klingon who blows 1400 bucks on a forehead prosthetic.
A few moments were rather scary, however, such as the fellow who admits he'd like to have surgically altered spock ears but "it's too expensive". Now think about that for a moment. Okay, he made the right decision not to give himself spock ears, but the very fact that he knows it's too expensive means he actually called up a plastic surgeon and asked how much it would cost!
And then there's the seemingly nice, intelligent mother who has dubbed herself a "Spinerfem" and who keeps hundreds and hundreds of near-duplicate photos of Brent Spiner and owns a house overlooking his, on the balcony of which she periodically takes "Spiner breaks" to daydream and gaze at his backyard. Now, if I were Brent Spiner I would be a little disturbed. Hell, I'm *not* Brent Spiner and I'm a little disturbed.
My favorite, and the winner of the Don Quixote award, is Barbara Adams, the former Whitewater juror who conducts herself always as a Starfleet officer and insisted on wearing her starfleet uniform to trial, complete with phaser, communicator badge and tricorder, just as she does every day at work. Her serious-minded, innocent devotion to the world of Star Trek was utterly charming. I hope she's still doing the same.
To a milder ST fan, who hasn't been to a convention since he was 9 years old or so, this was a fascinating peek into the world of ST that still thrives (or at least did ca. 1996). Many of the characters you see on screen remind me of the friends and acquaintances I made in ST fandom when I was but a wee lad, as Scotty would say. Some things never die. I hope Trekkies keep treking, because this is surely one of the more harmless expressions of fandom. Think football fans and their sometimes violent misbehavior or rock fans and their drug abuse and then Trekkies will not seem quite so demented and sad as perhaps they did before! What a world! What a galaxy! Live long and prosper!
A few moments were rather scary, however, such as the fellow who admits he'd like to have surgically altered spock ears but "it's too expensive". Now think about that for a moment. Okay, he made the right decision not to give himself spock ears, but the very fact that he knows it's too expensive means he actually called up a plastic surgeon and asked how much it would cost!
And then there's the seemingly nice, intelligent mother who has dubbed herself a "Spinerfem" and who keeps hundreds and hundreds of near-duplicate photos of Brent Spiner and owns a house overlooking his, on the balcony of which she periodically takes "Spiner breaks" to daydream and gaze at his backyard. Now, if I were Brent Spiner I would be a little disturbed. Hell, I'm *not* Brent Spiner and I'm a little disturbed.
My favorite, and the winner of the Don Quixote award, is Barbara Adams, the former Whitewater juror who conducts herself always as a Starfleet officer and insisted on wearing her starfleet uniform to trial, complete with phaser, communicator badge and tricorder, just as she does every day at work. Her serious-minded, innocent devotion to the world of Star Trek was utterly charming. I hope she's still doing the same.
To a milder ST fan, who hasn't been to a convention since he was 9 years old or so, this was a fascinating peek into the world of ST that still thrives (or at least did ca. 1996). Many of the characters you see on screen remind me of the friends and acquaintances I made in ST fandom when I was but a wee lad, as Scotty would say. Some things never die. I hope Trekkies keep treking, because this is surely one of the more harmless expressions of fandom. Think football fans and their sometimes violent misbehavior or rock fans and their drug abuse and then Trekkies will not seem quite so demented and sad as perhaps they did before! What a world! What a galaxy! Live long and prosper!
An odd mixture of excellence and nearly incredible incompetence. The plot holes have been adequately covered by other reviewers. I will add that the dialog is often wooden and awkward, a problem which is only exacerbated by Eliot Gould's phoned-in performance as the reporter. Gould sounds like he's on the verge of screaming "what happened to my career???!" Well, perhaps if he hadn't turned in so many lackluster performances like he does here, he would not have fizzled out as a rising star of the 70s.
On the other hand, Sam Waterson steals the show as the wise-cracking Lt Willis. The scene where he is forced to climb a vertical cliff face is one of the most brilliant and memorable moments in any action/adventure film ever. And the stunk work and editing in the aerial chase sequences are among the best of the genre, too. Telly Savalis is surprisingly funny as a kind of crop-duster with a Don Rickles schtick. Many many good things about this film make it an entertaining, if flawed flick. I recommend you give it a chance.
On the other hand, Sam Waterson steals the show as the wise-cracking Lt Willis. The scene where he is forced to climb a vertical cliff face is one of the most brilliant and memorable moments in any action/adventure film ever. And the stunk work and editing in the aerial chase sequences are among the best of the genre, too. Telly Savalis is surprisingly funny as a kind of crop-duster with a Don Rickles schtick. Many many good things about this film make it an entertaining, if flawed flick. I recommend you give it a chance.