These are Resurfaced short or quickie reviews written in 2002 or earlier. For more information, please visit this link: Resurfaced Reviews.

Auntie Mame (1958)

Rating

Director

Morton DaCosta

Screenplay

Betty Comden, Adolph Green (Novel: Patrick Dennis)

Length

2h 23m

Starring

Rosalind Russell, Forrest Tucker, Coral Browne, Fred Clark, Roger Smith, Patric Knowles, Peggy Cass, Jan Handzlik, Joanna Barnes, Pippa Scott, Lee Patrick, Willard Waterman, Robin Hughes, Connie Gilchrist, Yuki Shimoda, Brook Byron, Carol Veazie, Henry Brandon

MPAA Rating

Approved

Basic Plot

When his father passes away, Patrick Dennis must move in with his only living relative, a black sheep. Throwing wild and extravagant parties, Mame Dennis whisks around chipper and always on top of things. She’s a woman of the world who will stop at nothing to make sure that everyone has the best.

Review

Rosalind Russell packs a brilliant punch with her turn as Mame Dennis. Irrepressible and absolutely delightful, Russell moves quicklly, has a sharp tongue and can keep the audience interested even when things get a little slow. With some interesting lighting, Auntie Mame weaves an interesting story and a hilarious film. Not to be confused with the musical version of Mame, this Mame is an all dialogue, comedy.

Review Written

October 12, 2021

A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984)

Rating

Director

Wes Craven

Screenplay

Wes Craven

Length

1h 31m

Starring

John Saxon, Ronee Blakley, Heather Langenkamp, Amanda Wyss, Nick Corri, Johnny Depp, Charles Fleischer, Robert Englund, Ed Call, Sandy Lipton

MPAA Rating

R

Basic Plot

Haunted by her dreams, Nancy must face her worst fears and destroy him before he destroys her and all of her friends.

Review

Probably one of the best horror films ever made, Wes Carven brings to the screen a terrifying film that might give you a few nightmares after watching. Still potent today, Elm Street has been followed by 7 sequels and another coming soon. However original remains one of the truly best of the series and is a great film for all the new horror directors to look back at and take notes.

Review Written

September 5, 2007

Dances with Wolves (1990)

Rating

Director

Kevin Costner

Screenplay

Michael Blake (Novel: Michael Blake)

Length

3h 00m

Starring

Kevin Costner, Mary McDonnell, Graham Greene, Rodney A. Grant, Floyd Red Crow Westerman, Tantoo Cardinal, Robert Pastorelli, Charles Rocket, Maury Chaykin

MPAA Rating

PG-13

Basic Plot

Lt. John Dunbar is dubbed a hero after he accidentally leads Union troops to a victory during the Civil War. He requests a position on the western frontier, but finds it deserted. He soon finds out he is not alone, but meets a wolf he dubs “Two-socks” and a curious Indian tribe. Dunbar quickly makes friends with the tribe, and discovers a white woman who was raised by the Indians. He gradually earns the respect of these native people, and sheds his white-man’s ways.

Review

Kevin Costner takes great pride in making himself the leading man. His directorial debut is sufficient, but often times long in the teeth. How Costner got an Acting nomination no one will ever understand, but the rest of the film is visually pleasing and can make up for trouble directing and acting.

Review Written

January 10, 2007

Cimarron (1931)

Rating

Director

Wesley Ruggles

Screenplay

Howard Estabrook (Novel: Edna Ferber)

Length

2h 11m

Starring

Richard Dix, Irene Dunne, Estelle Taylor, Nance O’Neil, William Collier Jr., Rosco Ates, George E. Stone, Stanley Fields, Robert McWade, Edna May Oliver, Nancy Dover, Eugene Jackson

MPAA Rating

N/A

Basic Plot

Go west young man. This film is about a man’s dream to settle in the new fronteir and make a name for himself. He does so by opening a newspaper office and prints nothing but the best that can be printed.

Review

A surprisingly entertaining film, I’ve never been one for westerns, but this one caught me off guard. It wasn’t your typical western in the fact that some of the scenes were too comedic for a western, while not completely intentional. Sometimes I found myself saying, “please, no one would say/do that.” Well, Cimarron can stand out as a great old film, but not as triumphant as works before or after it, just a good old time.

Review Written

September 29, 2006

Broadway Melody (1929)

Rating

Director

Harry Beaumont

Screenplay

Edmund Goulding, Norman Houston, James Gleason

Length

1h 50m

Starring

Charles King, Anita Page, Bessie Love, Jed Prouty, Kenneth Thomson, Edward Dillon, Mary Doran, Eddie Kane, J. Emmett Beck, Marshall Ruth, Drew Demorest

MPAA Rating

Passed (National Board of Review)

Basic Plot

Harriet and Queenie Mahoney, a vaudeville act, come to Broadway, where their friend Eddie Kerns needs them for his number in one of Francis Zanfield’s shows. Eddie was in love with Harriet, but when he meets Queenie, he falls in love to her, but she is courted by Jock Warriner, a member of the New Yorker high society. It takes a while till Queenie recognizes, that she is for Jock nothing more than a toy, and it also takes a while till Harriet recognizes, that Eddie is in love with Queenie.

Review

There’s not much to say about this film. A shaky start and an interesting finish keep this film from being a trivial waste of time. Bessie Love gives a spirited and marvelous performance, with the other cast members simply stepping aside in contrast. The music is sometimes a bit out of place and the direction is rather shaky as well. If it weren’t for Bessie Love, this film wouldn’t have gotten the review it did.

Review Written

September 28, 2006