JohnnyReb Reviews

Taken (2002)

SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ON *COMMERCIAL CHANNEL*

[5 December 2002]

This is an excellent series. Well done and spell-binding. The same way as Band Of Brothers was on HBO. Why for the life of me Spielberg allowed this series to be *chopped-up* with a commercial every 71/2 minutes is beyond me. (No wonder it is taking 20 hours to screen). This type of story should be told uninterrupted like BOB. It would probably not take 20 hours to show on a non-commercial station, and would be more intriguing than it is. I hope when it goes into reruns, it comes over to HBO where it belongs.

Johny Reb

The Three Stooges (2000 TV Movie)

A LABOR OF LOVE FOR MEL GIBSON

[18 October 2002]

In all the comments I have read before this one, not one mention of the man responsible for the production was Australian actor, Mel Gibson. Gibson, a life-long fan of the Stooges, was the executive Producer of the Film and put up most of the money for the production.(He even did a Stooges routine in the opening scene of Lethal Weapon). And it was filmed entirely in Australia. It is a shame that no American Studio thought enough of them to make the film.

The film was a wonderful tribute to the Stooges and the portrayals were magnificent. Here it is two years later and the movie is still not available on Video. How fortunate I was to tape the movie (less commercials), so that I have enjoyed it time and again since I first saw it. I do hope ABC will repeat it or Cable will pick it up to screen on the TRUE Channel.

JohnnyReb

Special Bulletin (1983 TV Movie)

BROUGHT BACK MEMORIES OF WOTW

[7 October 2002]

I was in the studio of WMAR-TV the night this excellent "disaster" film was shown, due to the fact that the Management heard about our OTR Club and that we had WOTW in our collection. I was invited to watch the show and to compare it with the panic b/cast on the 11 o'clock news that followed.

I told them it was very well done, and was very realistic. Had they not had the disclaimers on the screen it could have well been taken for the real thing. I told them if they would have cast real reporters in the major roles it would have added something to the show. Orson Welles used real names of NY based reporters for the broadcast of WOTW which really gave it that authentic feeling. And with the "Secretary Of State" sounding like Roosevelt was the icing on the cake.

I pointed out that at the time Special Bulletin was aired the American public was not as gullible as they were in 1938.(We even played some clips of WOTW to compare it with Special Bulletin). We were on the brink of War and any program like that, would of course cause concern, which, unfortunately it did.

Al in all this film was very well done and was more or less a tribute to Orson Welles and WOTW.

JohnnyReb

Merry Christmas, George Bailey (1997 TV Movie)

BRINGS BACK MEMORIES OF MY YEARS IN BROADCASTING

[10/10 · 6 October 2002]

If I did not know I was watching a recreation of Lux Radio Theater's 1949 presentation of It's A Wonderful Life, I would swear I was in a radio studio watching the real thing. With Earlhorn making it sound real with his Sound Effects, and the full orchestra to set the mood with music it was just as I remembered during that Golden Age Of Radio. I hope PBS will repeat this broadcast this Christmas for those who missed it, and those who may be discovering Old Time Radio for the very first time.

JohnnyReb

Me and My Pal (1933)

JUST AS GOOD TODAY AS IT WAS IN 1933

[6 October 2002]

We have been so used to viewing the boys on Video, that it was a real pleasure last evening to see it on the big screen at a meeting of the L & H Appreciation Society. This film is a real riot with all the gags centered around Ollie's Wedding present from Stan - a jigsaw puzzle.The gags work after almost 70 years because it could have just as well have been a Nitendo Game in one of the modern-day sitcom. If this film is available on Video, and if you are a L & H Fan, I strongly urge you to either rent or purchase a copy.

The Next Voice You Hear... (1950)

THIS FILM IS SO TIMELY EVEN TODAY

[21 September 2002]

I first saw this movie many years ago, when TV was first showing classic films. It has been away from TV for way too long. This is an inspirational film and should be shown today in the wake of world events.

JohnnyReb