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Reviews
Elvis: Love Me Tender - The Love Songs (2009)
Miss Judd looking very good while telling about Elvis
I was in college when Elvis Presley first made entertainment headlines. I disliked his original releases intensely and never cared for anything he did afterward, whether on disc or film. Around the time that Teddy Bear was his big hit I happened upon him and his entourage at a Beverly Hills coffee shop. His white Cadillac, complete with stuffed teddy bears, was parked in front. It was early on a Saturday night, and the coffee shop was virtually deserted. It seemed, oddly, that despite his great fame, Mr. Presley had nothing to do. Despite my estimation of his work, I must say that this program kept my attention and improved my opinion of the late Mr. Presley, though not enough to persuade me to attend one his performances, should he miraculously rise from the grave. I think much of the credit for the quality of the program must go to Miss Judd who did a very good job of narration and who looked very fit and appealing in her simple black dress.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
Too long by far
Technologically stunning and often well-acted, the movie was about an hour too long. I make no comment about the novel from which the story was taken, as I have not read it. But the film rarely succeeds in capturing any real attachment to its characters or concern for their fate. Frodo, the hobbit who is the central character, spends altogether too much time staring into space. The backgrounds, which appear to be generated by computer, are often very beautiful and reveal a vivid visual imagination. The battle scenes are likewise very imaginatively "staged." But they are so numerous and so overwhelming, both visually and sonically, that they soon become much of a muchness. I hope that the producers have the good sense to leave more of the sequels on the cutting-room floor.