HarleanHayworth Reviews

Escape the Field (2022)

Waste Of Time

[1/10 · 21 October 2022]

I recently got a free trial for peacock and this was one of the movies it recommended when I searched for horror. What a waste of time! This movie is not scary at all and not even that interesting, The worst part is the characters are so unlikable. You get a few vague back stories but you don't really care who lives or dies. This is a low budget move so the dialogue and the acting is really bad. The worst performance comes from Tahirah Sharif who needs to go back to acting school to learn how to cry and scream. Also her character is such an awful person you actually root for her to get killed. Don't waste your time on this awful movie - watch something else.

The Wendell Baker Story (2005)

Why Wasn't This A Hit

[10/10 · 15 August 2021]

I recently found this movie online and I'm so glad I watched it. The Wendell Baker Story was not a hit when it was released but it should have been. This is a heartwarming love story with interesting characters and it's really funny. There were several scenes that made me laugh out loud.

Wendell (Luke Wilson) is a con man who gets sent to jail and loses his true love. When he's released he goes to work at a nursing home run by an evil guy (Owen Wilson). Wendell bonds with the older patients and they help him try to win his girlfriend back.

The movie was written and directed by Luke Wilson. He gives a wonderful performance as Wendell and it's always fun to see him work with Owen. There are also great performances from Seymour Cassell, Harry Dean Stanton, Will Ferrell, and Eva Mendes. Also look out for "Brother Wilson" - Luke's adorable real life dog.

I highly recommend watching The Wendell Baker Story. It's a very enjoyable film (and the soundtrack is great too).

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)

Give Chadwick The Oscar

[10/10 · 29 December 2020]

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom was a very entertaining movie although it was completely different from what I was expecting. I thought I'd be watching a biography of Ma Rainey, the fabulous lesbian mother of jazz. Instead this movie is really all about Chadwick Boseman's trumpet player character. He's a frustrated trumpet player who wants to start his own band and had a lot of anger he needs to deal with. His performance is amazing and raw. There is no question he will be getting a lot of posthumous awards for his performance. It was based on a play and takes place all in one afternoon. We do see Ma Rainey and her young (untrustworthy) girlfriend. Overall this is a great movie with award worthy performances and a little bit of jazz.

Death Clique (2014 TV Movie)

Those Crazy Teenagers!

[10/10 · 2 November 2020]

Death Clique is a soapy, trashy Lifetime movie about three teenage girls and a murder. It is loosely based on the death of Skylar Neese.

Ashley is the new girl in the school (with an alcoholic mom, an absent dad, and no discipline) She become obsessed with being best friends with Jade but Jade already has a best friend - Sarah. Not only does Ashley want to steal Sarah's best friend but she also wants her dead. They never really explain why Sarah must die - I'm assuming it's because Ashley is CRAZY!

Ashley does murder Sarah while Jade watches (and does nothing to help). Then they try to cover it up and lie to the police but of course it all backfires on them and they get caught.

The cast is great (considering this is a love budget Lifetime movie) and the story kept my interest. This is the perfect movie to watch when your stuck home for a night.

Lovelace (2013)

Very Boring Film

[4/10 · 30 October 2020]

I was really looking forward to seeing this because I was always fascinated about how Linda Lovelace became an adult star. However this movie just gives you a very basic, boring look at her life (you will actually learn more on her wikipedia page. The main problem is the film is divided into two parts - the first is the happy version of her life and the second is the unhappy version where she is an abused wife. I don't understand why they decided to make the movie this way but it's not very entertaining. They leave out all the other porn movies she did and for a movie about a porn star there is actually very little sex. Also Amanda Seyfried is cute but she's not a very good actress. Skip this movie!

Knives Out (2019)

Very Overrated

[2/10 · 27 June 2020]

I can't believe Knives Out was such a big hit. It was so boring and just dragged on too long. There is not one likeable character in the entire movie. Daniel Craig has a laughable southern accent and Anna de Armas is pretty but she's a terrible actress. Meanwhile the very talented Jamie Lee Curtis seems wasted in a her small role. By the time they got to the big reveal at the end I didn't even care. Skip this movie.

The Lunkhead (1929)

Thelma Hill In The Lunkhead

[10/10 · 20 June 2020]

The Lunkhead is a 1929 Mack Sennett "all talking" comedy short. The plot involves a love story with a lunkhead farmer (Harry Gribbon), a beautiful girl who loves someone else (Thelma Hill), and her father (Andy Clyde). It got good reviews with The Film Daily saying "Gribbon and Clyde are a fine team and in this they have plenty to work with." Sadly it seems this movie is now lost.

Thelma Hill was one of Sennett's bathing beauties and she became a popular comedic actress. Tragically she became an alcoholic and died very young in 1938.

Judy (II) (2019)

Could Have Been Better

[6/10 · 17 June 2020]

This is an OK biography of Judy Garland but it has some problems. First of all there is way too much singing. Renee isn't a bad singer but she is no Judy Garland. Also the movie doesn't even mention the fact that her husband Mickey Deans was gay! Renee Zelwegger does give a good performance and you can see how unhappy and sick Judy was at the end. If you're a huge Judy fan you'll probably enjoy this move but it's not one I'd want to watch again.

Into the Dark: Delivered (2020) Season 2, Episode 8

Excellent Low Budget Horror

[10/10 · 31 May 2020]

Delivered is a very entertaining low-budget thriller. The plot is familiar - a woman wants to steal a pregnant woman's baby. However the performances of the two lead actresses make it really worth watching. Tina Majorino is wonderful as the crazy, baby obsessed captor. The movie is very reminiscent of Misery. There are some good scares and I liked the ending.

Perry Mason: The Case of Constant Doyle (1963) Season 6, Episode 16

Bette Deserved A Spin Off

[10/10 · 4 May 2020]

It was such a treat to tune into Perry Mason and see one of my favorite actresses - Bette Davis - in the lead role. Perry only shows up briefly in this episode (Raymond Burr was having surgery). Bette plays a widowed lawyer who defends a young client with the help of Paul Drake. It's a typical Perry Mason case with a big courtroom scene and some shocking reveals. Bette gives a wonderful Emmy worthy performance! There were so few female lawyers on TV in the 60s. I just wish someone had given her a spin off series.

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: You'll Be the Death of Me (1963) Season 2, Episode 4

Excellent Episode

[10/10 · 29 March 2020]

This was an excellent episode of The Alfred Hitchcock hour with some great performances. Robert Loggia is Driver, a mountain man with a brand new wife and a jealous ex-girlfriend. When his ex (played by the stunning Carmen Phillips) keeps trying to seduce him he goes into a rage and strangles her. After he returns home to his wife Mickey (Pilar Seurat) she finds a gold button in his jacket. She becomes suspicious especially after a visit from a policeman. Eventually she confronts Driver and he ends up strangling her too. It seems like he is going to get away with both murders until the towns death mute notices the dog leash Driver could only have had if he was with his wife when she died.

Bob's Burgers: The Ring (But Not Scary) (2019) Season 10, Episode 1

One Of The Best Season Premiere's

[10/10 · 9 March 2020]

The Ring (But Not Scary) is my new favorite episode of Bob's Burgers. One of the reasons I love this show is because it really has heart. In this episode Bob finally buys Linda a (very tiny) engagement ring but the kids end up losing it at the water park. Then they convince limo driver Nat - one of shows best supporting players - to help them find it. Meanwhile Linda has to help poor Gail put eye drops in because she's too afraid. When Linda find out the family is at the water park she confronts them. SPOILER ALERT .....

They never actually find the ring but Linda doesn't care because she knows Bob loves her. The entire family ends up spending a fun night at at the water park. Then in the last scene we see that a tiny bird picked up the ring from the park and brought it to his bird wife. Their nest just happens to be in the Bob's Burgers restaurant sign. What a perfect ending!

Fig Leaves (1926)

Olive Borden Is Wonderful

[10/10 · 14 December 2019]

Fig Leaves is a delightful silent comedy directed by Howard Hawks. The movie stars the Olive Borden and George O'Brien as a married couple named Adam and Eve and Phyllis Haver as their neighbor. In the opening sequence we meet the original Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. This scene will probably remind you of an episode The Flintstones. Then we move into modern day (the 1920s) where Eve is a bored housewife married to Adam the plumber. Her main complaint is she never has anything to wear. Although she knows Adam will be mad she gets a job as a model. Meanwhile her sexy neighbor takes the opportunity to try to seduce Adam.

Olive Borden gives a wonderful performance as Eve - it's one of the best of her career. She and George O'Brien were a real-life couple (they met making the Western 3 Bad Men) and they have amazing onscreen chemistry. Olive was one of the most beautiful and promising actresses of the silent era. Sadly her film career didn't survive the talkies and she died penniless in 1947. Another "star" of Fig Leaves are the amazing gowns designed by Gilbert Adrian. They reportedly cost more than $50,000 to make. The movie originally had a color fashion show sequence but this scene is now considered lost.

Overall this is a fabulous silent comedy with great fashions. Ten Stars **********

The Crescent Moon Clown (2018)

Love ALL The Bad Ben Movies

[10/10 · 5 November 2019]

This is another great movie in the Bad Ben series. We are back at Ben's house for another scary adeventure. This time we have a young woman named Renee staying at the house having to deal with a murderous crazy clown. There are some good scares and we do get see our favorite ghosthunter Tom Riley once again.

Nigel Bach is a great writer and director and he always finds new ways to scare us. I can't wait until the next Bad Ben movie in the series.

Badder Ben: The Final Chapter (2017)

Bad Ben Is A WINNER

[10/10 · 4 November 2019]

I am a true BENITE - I have seen all the Bad Ben movies and I love them all. Nigel Bach is a horror movie genius!!! With a very low budget and one very nice house in New Jersey he manages to make very entertaining films. My top three favorites are the first Bad Ben, The Way In, and Badder Ben. If you're a horror fan you must give the Bad Ben series a try.

Bad Ben (2016 TV Movie)

A Horror Classic!

[1/10 · 31 October 2019]

Bad Ben is a true horror movie classic. Yes it's very low budget and that's part of what makes it so good. Tom Riley (played by director Nigel Bach) is the only character in this film and by the end of the movie you really like him and feel sorry for him. The way it's filmed with security camera footage makes you feel like you're part of the story too. Every time the furniture moved or something scary happens you want to yell at the screen and warn Tom. Of course the other character is the mysterious Bad Ben. What is it? A demon? I won't put any spoilers in this review but I will say the ending was scary and satisfying. If you're a horror movie fan you must watch Bad Ben.

Bad Ben: The Way In (2019)

Just As Good As The First Bad Ben

[10/10 · 31 October 2019]

I've been a fan of the Bad Ben series since the first movie came out - it was a true low-budget horror classic. I honestly didn't think Nigel Bach could keep making these movies interesting AND scary but he has done it again. Bad Ben: The Way In is one of the best in the series. I love that Tom Riley is back in the house (because he really needs the money) and is dealing with all our favorite ghosts - the little girl dolls, the vudu dolls, and that darn clown. There were some humorous moments and a couple of times when he really scared me out of my chair. I won't put any spoilers in here but the ending was my favorite of all the Bad Ben movies. Tom Riley/Niegel Bach is the best!!!

Bad Ben: The Way In (2019)

Ben Is Always A Winner

[10/10 · 31 October 2019]

I have been a huge fan of Bad Ben since the very first movie. Nigel is a wonderful writer and director. Somehow he manages to make really scary movies on a very low budget. This is another great film for the Benites!

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: Isabel (1964) Season 2, Episode 31

A Very Odd Anti-Feminist Episode

[4/10 · 20 October 2019]

I'm a big fan of The Alfred Hitchcock hour but this episode was just bad. It starts out with a woman (Isabel) accusing a man of rape. He claims he is innocent but gets convicted. There is a cringe worthy scene where the man says Isabel was too unattractive to rape.

When he is released the plot starts to get really odd. Isabel actually falls in love with the man (the rapist!) and they get married. There are a couple more twists but the ending is a real disappointment. The character of Isabel is written as a pathetic. lonely woman who is so desperate for love she would actually marry her own rapst. This is one episode feminists should avoid.

The Sentence (2018)

She Was Not So Innocent

[1/10 · 12 October 2019]

This is a very one sided documentary about a woman who is sentenced to a 15 year mandatory prison sentence for dealing drugs. The documentary is made by her family and they want you to believe she doesn't deserve her sentence. However if you read the court reports you will see that she was a drug dealer, she lied to the police, and she was found guily after a trial.

The tragic part of this documentary is that the woman left behind a husband and three little girls who will forever be damaged by not having their mother around. Yes you will feel sorry for the children because none of this was their fault. However their drug dealing mom got the sentence she deserved and now she has to spend the rest of her life making it up to these kids.

The big lesson of this documentary is if you committ a crime in the US you will get locked up!

Workin' Moms (2017–2023)

The Actress Is So Distracting

[1/10 · 23 September 2019]

So this show is not that funny or very original but there is a bigger problem. The lead actress Katherine Reitman had gotten the worst plastic surgery on her mouth and it is very distracting. Every time she comes on screen I stop listening and just keep staring at her trying to figure out what she did. I feel like I'm watching an episode of botched ont he E network. If she gets her lips fixed and hires som funny writers many this show has a chance.

Afflicted (2018– )

Amazing FREAK Show

[10/10 · 10 August 2019]

This is one of my favorite Netflix shows. Once I watched the first epiosde I had to binge the whole serier. It's a complete freak show which is why it's so addictive. The people profiled on this show are not sick - they are CRAZY. I mean they are all truly mentally ill. The worst part they all have people around who indulge their delusions and encourage the to try expensive treatments. Whenever someone says they have chronic lyme (not a real disease) or are allergic to everything you know something us wroing with them. Maybe now these poor people will get the mental help they need. I really hope Nextflix does a season 2!

Pose: Love's in Need of Love Today (2019) Season 2, Episode 6

Least Favorite Episode So Far

[2/10 · 24 July 2019]

I have loved Pose since the first episode but "Love's In Need Of Love Today" was the worst epsosde of the series. I think it was just an excuse for Ryan Murphy to let the entire cast (and Patti Lupone) sing. My main problem is that we already did the Aids cabaret episode last season. Also why is the evil land lady singing? The answer is because she is Pati Lupone but in terms of the plot it made no sense. I'm also a little tired of seeing Candy's ghost AGAIN. She has been in more episodes dead or alive. I'm hoping next week's show is better.

Star Dust Trail (1924)

Where Is Star Dust Trail

[10/10 · 2 July 2019]

Star Dust Trail is a 1924 silent film produced by Fox. The movie is about Sylvia Joy (Shirley Mason), a beautiful cabaret dancer. She marries John Warding, a promising young actor, played by Bryant Washburn. John loves Syliva but he is jealous of her relationship with John Benton (Richard Tucker), a wealthy producer. Eventually his jealousy and Benton's lies ruins their marriage. Syliva begins dating John Benton but when John is injured in a car accident she reunites with him. The supporting cast includes Maryon Aye and Shannon Day.

Sadly Star Dust Trail is considered a lost movie.

Blame It on Rio (1984)

Fun (and lots of SEX) In Rio

[10/10 · 3 March 2019]

Blame It On Rio is one of my all-time favorite "bad" movies. The plot is very scandalous - a middle-aged married man (Michel Caine) has an affair with his best friend's teenage daughter. Yes this really is a comedy about statutory rape! It's even more shocking when you realize that the lead actress Michelle Johnson was only seventeen when she made this movie. Despite her young age she has many sex scenes and appears completely nude!! Michelle actually had to go to cout and be declared an adult so the movie could even be filmed. Legnedary director Stanley Donen discovered Michelle and it was rumored they were having an affair (he was 58 and she was 17). Michelle actually gives a delightful performance and she's a beautiful actress so I'm surprised she never became a bigger star. On the other hand Michael Caine's performance is pretty bad - maybe he just needed the money. Jospeh Bologna is terrific as Michelle's overprotective father and Demi Moore is pretty good in a supporting role. You really have to see Blame It On Rio because a movie this controversial would never get made today - it's a lot of bad acting, naked women, and a beautiful location.