jh92647 Reviews

Last Rites (1988)

Ring on Father Michael's finger

[4 June 2008]

I recently saw this movie for a second time, and noticed that the ring was on his finger at the very beginning. I'm not Catholic, but doesn't this mean that he's married to the church, as are nuns? Could someone clarify? I think the reason he took off the ring was that he realized he had betrayed the vows he took to the Church.

I loved Tom in this movie, but I pretty much love him in everything. It was interesting to see what a cathedral looks like "behind the scenes". I also enjoyed the scenes in Mexico, especially the celebrations. The plot was implausible, but not as offensive as some would have you believe.

Hard to believe that Tom did this movie one year before Major League. It obviously shows what range he has as an actor.

Beyond the Door (1982)

Frustrating at times to watch

[4/10 · 12 March 2008]

I too am a huge Berenger fan, and am interested in his earlier works, some of which I've never heard of, including this one. While he looked positively gorgeous here, and while I enjoyed hearing him speak French, it did detract from the flow, since there were actors (i.e., the maid) who would speak English at times, but then switch to French at others. Fortunately, the French teacher at our school was able to translate, which helped me understand things better, although she too had some difficulty with the sound (esp. in the beginning, when Matthew picks up the priest). Does anybody have a good translation of that conversation?

I have to agree that the DVD was cheaply made, and some things didn't make sense, i.e., why didn't they just get blood tests to determine who was Nina's father. But then, we wouldn't have a movie, would we?

The Big Chill (1983)

Loved the music, LOVED Tom Berenger

[8/10 · 17 February 2008]

I have mixed feelings about this movie. I did live through the 60's(just turned 60), but pretty much stayed on the sidelines. However, hoped to make an impact through teaching.

I finally decided to tape the movie last night, primarily because of two ings -- the great 60's music and Tom Berenger. I've recently seen a lot of his late 70's/early 80's movies, and can't get over how handsome he was. When you see him no on October Road, it's hard to believe it's the same person. It's interesting to see how he's evolved as an actor. To echo some other sentiments, you wonder why his career didn't take off, especially after Platoon.

Just one question, can it be assumed that after Sam and Karen made love, that that's all they wanted and now she's going back to Richard? Did she realize that Richard is more real than Sam?