Production Company(ies)
Universal Pictures, Amblin Entertainment,
 
Distributor
Criterion Collection, AVCO Embassy Pictures
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Harlington, Bedfordshire, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1981
 

 
Genre(s)
Fantasy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Craig Warnock, Ralph Richardson, Ian Holm, John Cleese, Sean Connery, Shelley Duvall, Katherine Helmond, Michael Palin, directed by Terry Gilliam, written by Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin, fantasy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Bob Thomas, Tasha Robinson, Nell Minow, Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, Ian Freer, Jordan M Smith, Mike Massie, Larry Vitacco, Diego Galán, PG, time travel, history, Supreme Being, dwarfs, map, Napoleon, Robin Hood, King Agamemnon, Criterion Collection, AVCO Embassy Pictures, Dolby, Surround, Flat (1.37:1), 35mm, Flat (1.66:1)
 

Cast & Crew

John Cleese

Sean Connery

Shelley Duvall

Katherine Helmond

Ian Holm

Robin Hood

King Agamemnon

Fireman

Pansy

Mrs. Ogre

John Cleese – Robin Hood
Sean Connery – King Agamemnon, Fireman
Shelley Duvall – Pansy
Katherine Helmond – Mrs. Ogre
Ian Holm – Napoleon
Michael Palin – Vincent

 

Terry Gilliam

Terry Gilliam

Terry Gilliam

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Terry Gilliam
 
Writer(s)
Terry Gilliam, Michael Palin
 
Producer(s)
Terry Gilliam

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 8 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Bob Thomas

Tasha Robinson

Nell Minow

Variety Staff

Dave Kehr

Associated Press

The Dissolve

Common Sense Media

Variety

Chicago Reader

TIME BANDITS
 All Critics (49) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (5)
 The film lacks what Garland, Lahr, Haley, Bolger, et al, had in abundance: humanity and charm.
 
 October 22, 2018
 
 Bob Thomas
 Associated Press
 TOP CRITIC
 Time Bandits is one of Gilliam’s more chaotic films, which is really saying something, but his six time-bandits fill the screen with fractious energy.
 
 December 17, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Tasha Robinson
 The Dissolve
 TOP CRITIC
 Adults will get this movie, but kids won’t.
 
 September 23, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Nell Minow
 Common Sense Media
 TOP CRITIC
 When you can count the laughs in a comedy on the fingers of one hand, it isn’t so funny.
 
 June 5, 2007
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 The film is resolutely, passionately antiadult, yet much of the humor has an adult sophistication and edge to it; this is one kids’ movie that doesn’t condescend.
 
 June 5, 2007
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 For a kids film this is pleasingly dark with Gilliam delivering as much classical fairy tale as knockabout comedy.
 
 August 30, 2006 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Ian Freer
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Time Bandits is rife with visual, physical and thematic exaggerations that stretch the boundaries of cinematic conventions to form a crazed comedic concoction.
 
 October 29, 2020 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Jordan M. Smith
 IONCINEMA.com
 Many of the exploits are lightly engaging, but never full of the tension and excitement of more polished adventure films.
 
 September 8, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 For the most part Time Bandits goes its charming, merry way weaving much hilarity as it does, until the movie careens to its twisted, unorthodox ending.
 
 May 27, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Larry Vitacco
 Philadelphia Gay News
 Terry Gilliam has crafted a story so full of illusions that continuously surprise the audience. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 August 21, 2019
 
 Diego Galán
 El Pais (Spain)
 It’s a strange and weird and wonderful mix of boy’s own adventure, Python-esque humor, and grim irony, all wrapped in tall tales, ancient myths, and historical figures.
 
 March 14, 2015
 
 Sean Axmaker
 Parallax View
 Gilliam opts for an acerbic and often nasty tone that risks offending the very audience at which it purported to be aimed.
 
 December 30, 2014 | Rating: 69/100
 
 Dan Jardine
 Cinemania…

 

Plot
Intrigued by history but neglected by his parents, Kevin, an eleven-year-old schoolboy, gets the chance to make his dream come true when a band of six time-travelling dwarfs appears out of thin air in his bedroom. Having stolen the Supreme Being’s one-of-a-kind map of time and space, the audacious time-bandits whisk Kevin off on an exciting journey to the depths of history, skipping from one era to another. Now, to further complicate matters, the dangerous arch-rival known as the Evil Genius is hot on their trail, bent on getting his hands on the precious map. But, who would have thought that Kevin’s seemingly unexceptional room was the entrance to a mysterious wormhole and the portal to a marvellous world of adventure?
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features a star-studded cast including John Cleese, Sean Connery, and Shelley Duvall.
 

 
Terry-Gilliam.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Newmarket Capital Group Team Todd I Remember Productions,
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Fells Point, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Steve Guttenberg, Mickey Rourke, Kevin Bacon, Tim Daly, Ellen Barkin, Paul Reiser, directed by Barry Levinson, written by Barry Levinson, produced by Jerry Weintraub, comedy, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Robert Osborne, Scott Cain, David Denby, Bob Thomas, Bruce McCabe, Dave Kehr, Chris Ingalls, directed by Barry Levinson, MPAA rating R, 1950s, ensemble cast, Baltimore, childhood friends, wedding, local diner, everyday life, chemistry, spontaneity, adulthood, slice of life, coming of age, male friendship, nostalgia, American Graffiti, Frank Sinatra, practical jokes, eccentricities, cocky grin, debonair, feel-good, character-driven, episodic, significant buildup, innocent time, carefree boys, immaturity, growing up, adulthood, responsibility, French fries, gravy, girls, lady’s man, gambler, betting debt, immaturity, adulthood, everyday goings-on, ensemble cast, Baltimore, childhood friends, wedding, local diner, everyday life, chemistry, spontaneity, adulthood, slice of life, coming of age, male friendship, nostalgia, American Graffiti, Frank Sinatra, practical jokes, eccentricities, cocky grin, debonair, feel-good, character-driven, episodic, significant buildup, innocent time, carefree boys, immaturity, growing up, adulthood, responsibility, French fries, gravy, girls, lady’s man, gambler, betting debt
 

Cast & Crew

Steve Guttenberg

Mickey Rourke

Kevin Bacon

Tim Daly

Ellen Barkin

Edward “Eddie” Simmons

Robert “Boogie” Sheftell

Timothy Fenwick Jr.

William “Billy” Howard

Beth Schreiber

Steve Guttenberg – Edward “Eddie” Simmons
Mickey Rourke – Robert “Boogie” Sheftell
Kevin Bacon – Timothy Fenwick Jr.
Tim Daly – William “Billy” Howard
Ellen Barkin – Beth Schreiber
Paul Reiser – Modell
Barry Levinson – Director/Writer
Jerry Weintraub – Producer

 

Barry Levinson

Barry Levinson

Jerry Weintraub

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Barry Levinson
 
Writer(s)
Barry Levinson
 
Producer(s)
Jerry Weintraub

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
3 wins & 6 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Robert Osborne

Scott Cain

David Denby

Bob Thomas

Bruce McCabe

Hollywood Reporter

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

New York Magazine/Vulture

Associated Press

Boston Globe

DINER
 All Critics (44) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (3)
 All in all, Diner is a worthwhile dish, certainly the best thing Leo the Lion has had to roar about in some time.
 
 April 4, 2022
 
 Robert Osborne
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 A joyous comedy, celebrating a bygone era.
 
 November 9, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Scott Cain
 Atlanta Journal-Constitution
 TOP CRITIC
 In conventional dramatic terms, little happens in Diner, but it offers a completed vision of life, ecstatic in its recovery of forgotten pleasures, melancholy in its knowledge of how small a chance these men ever had of claiming their freedom.
 
 December 31, 2019
 
 David Denby
 New York Magazine/Vulture
 TOP CRITIC
 Diner is an absolute gem of a movie. Evocations of the American 1950 s have been filmed before, but none has provided more fidelity and warm good humor.
 
 November 12, 2018
 
 Bob Thomas
 Associated Press
 TOP CRITIC
 Barry Levinson’s Diner is an extremely clever, slick male fantasy that takes some time to work out its mood and tone but ultimately blossoms into a moving film.
 
 April 27, 2018
 
 Bruce McCabe
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 Levinson’s dialogue feels fresh and improvised, yet it hits its mark every time, and the performances he gets are complex and original.
 
 June 2, 2014
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Diner is filled with wall-to-wall classics.
 
 April 11, 2022
 
 Chris Ingalls
 PopMatters
 The movie perfectly captures that time in our lives in which a group of us could safely sit amongst one another, share boastful lies of prowess, and, more importantly, feel safe to open up about our fears… if only for a moment.
 
 May 11, 2021 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Rob Rector
 Film Threat
 Diner manages to provide quite a bit of entertainment. It should have been so much more, but at least it’s the best picture to come out of Baltimore since Polyester.
 
 May 15, 2020
 
 Steve Warren
 Bay Area Reporter
 Diner is a funny, affectionate film… If you’re over 30, you may be surprised to remember what a drab era it was and hopeful that men will never again be as dense.
 
 August 17, 2019
 
 Judy Wynn
 Sojourner
 The male quintet of friends is amusingly lampooned in Levinson’s clever and cutting script, a refreshingly honest depiction of an era often bathed in sepia-toned nostalgia.
 
 January 10, 2016 | Rating: 76/100
 
 Dan Jardine
 Cinemania
 With so much going for it, then, why doesn’t ‘Diner’ emerge as a major statement? Mostly because of the recurring weakness of its screenplay.
 
 June 2, 2014
 
 David Sterritt
 Christian Science Monitor…

 

Plot
Early twenty-something Baltimoreans Eddie, Shrevie, Boogie, Billy, Fenwick and Modell have been friends since they were kids, and the center of their lives has been and still is the Fells Point Diner. In the last week of 1959, Baltimore Colts fanatic Eddie is scheduled to marry Elyse on New Year’s Eve, but might call it off if she doesn’t pass his Colts quiz on the 29th. Inexperienced Eddie turns to the only other married one of their bunch, electronics salesman and music aficionado Shrevie, for advice, but Shrevie might not be the best marriage advisor since he doesn’t yet realize he probably married his wife Beth for the wrong reasons. Beth has lost her sense of identity, is unhappy in her marriage, and contemplates having an affair with someone who provides what she believes is a sympathetic shoulder. Hairdresser and law school student Boogie is the player of the bunch and has major financial problems because of his quest for the fast buck. Generally strait-laced Billy, Eddie’s best man who has been away getting his MBA, has come back to Baltimore a few days early to clarify his relationship with his girlfriend Barbara. Smart-aleck Fen is a college dropout who lives off his trust fund and doesn’t much like his family
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Mickey Rourke steals the show with his charismatic flair and debonair, nearly grungy, appeal.
 

 
Barry-Levinson.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Mediopolis Film-und Fernsehproduktion Skyline Productions, Westdeutscher Rundfunk
 
Distributor
Universal Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
TV-PG
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Fantasy
 
Keyword(s)
fantasy, Jim Henson, Frank Oz, Gary Kurtz, David Odell, Stephen Garlick, David Buck, Barry Dennen, Percy Edwards, Michael Kilgarriff, PG, box office, budget, reviewed by Richard Corliss, Dave Kehr, Ian Nathan, Tasha Robinson, John Engstrom, Variety Staff, Christopher Lloyd, Diego Galán, Rachel Wagner, Mark Pickavance, Rob Hunter, David Parkinson, puppetry, adventure, Gelflings, Mystics, Skeksis, shard, dark crystal, gem, universe, peace, balance, puppetry, set design, voice acting, audience score, Tomatometer, Treasure Planet, Field of Dreams, Labyrinth, Legend, Ghostbusters, streaming, theaters, rent, buy, subscription, sound mix, Universal Pictures
 

Cast & Crew

John Baddeley

Stephen Garlick

David Buck

Barry Dennen

Percy Edwards

Historian

Jen

Slave Master

Chamberlain

Podling

John Baddeley – Historian (Voice)
Stephen Garlick – Jen (Voice)
David Buck – Slave Master (Voice)
Barry Dennen – Chamberlain, Podling (Voice)
Percy Edwards – Fizzgig (Voice)
Michael Kilgarriff – General (Voice)

 

Jim Henson

David Odell

Gary Kurtz

Jim Henson

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jim Henson, Frank Oz
 
Writer(s)
David Odell, Jim Henson
 
Producer(s)
Gary Kurtz, Jim Henson

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Richard Corliss

Dave Kehr

Ian Nathan

Tasha Robinson

John Engstrom

TIME Magazine

Chicago Reader

Empire Magazine

AV Club

Boston Globe

THE DARK CRYSTAL
 All Critics (47) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (37) | Rotten (10)
 As narrative, the incidents in The Dark Crystal are unremarkable; as the excuse for special effects, fanciful decor and eccentric characters, they do nicely enough.
 
 May 2, 2019
 
 Richard Corliss
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Jim Henson and Frank Oz… designed and directed this 1983 film, in which no human actors appear (except as crude long-shot doubles for the animated figures); it’s a cute gimmick, but the puppets are so stiff and inexpressive that the film drops dead.
 
 May 2, 2019
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 The Dark Crystal has an ethereal alien quality to its startling visions, far removed from the Earth-bound contours of traditional fairy tales.
 
 May 2, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Ian Nathan
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 The story is a standard fairy-tale concoction, but the New Agey philosophy about healing and heroism makes for a classic Henson story, all heart and rapturous wonder at the world’s incredible possibilities.
 
 May 2, 2019 | Rating: B+
 
 Tasha Robinson
 AV Club
 TOP CRITIC
 A children’s fantasy film so enjoyable, imaginative and devoid of cuteness that you want to shake the hand of each individual member of the huge team of collaborators.
 
 April 28, 2018
 
 John Engstrom
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 The Dark Crystal, besides being a dazzling technological and artistic achievement by a band of talented artists and performers… that could teach a lesson in morality to youngsters at the same time it is entertaining their parents.
 
 October 18, 2008
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 Though the puppet technology wasn’t adequate in 1982 for Jim Henson’s imagination, Dark Crystal still possesses an innate, undeniable magic.
 
 September 9, 2019 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Christopher Lloyd
 The Film Yap
 The story is unoriginal, but the images are quite inventive. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
 August 28, 2019
 
 Diego Galán
 El Pais (Spain)
 The puppetry is incredible. Unbelievable how fluid it is with such great attention to detail
 
 May 21, 2019 | Rating: 6.5/10
 
 Rachel Wagner
 Rachel’s Reviews (YouTube)
 In many ways it’s a flawed masterpiece, which shows much more imagination than it’s ultimately able to deliver on.
 
 May 2, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Mark Pickavance
 Den of Geek
 The Dark Crystal remains a wonderfully crafted adventure from a simpler time.
 
 May 2, 2019
 
 Rob Hunter
 Film School Rejects
 Although The Dark Crystal emerged from the darker side of his imagination, it’s still a mesmerising picture that will enchant older children and adults alike.
 
 May 2, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 David Parkinson
 Radio Times…

 

Plot
Jen, the last surviving Gelfling, sets out to find a shard of the Dark Crystal to repair it and restore balance to the universe, which was broken by the evil Skeksis who now rule with sinister means.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for The Dark Crystal.
 

 
Jim-Henson.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Power Pictures, 2002 Ltd., Bórd Scannán na hÉireann Nederlandse Programma Stichting
 
Distributor
NA
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Morningside Hospital – 8711 S. Harvard Blvd., Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
R
 
Year of Release
1981
 

 
Genre(s)
Holiday/Horror
 
Keyword(s)
Halloween II, R-rated, directed by Rick Rosenthal, written by John Carpenter and Debra Hill, produced by Debra Hill and John Carpenter, starring Jamie Lee Curtis as Laurie Strode, Donald Pleasence as Dr Sam Loomis, Charles Cyphers as Sheriff Leigh Brackett, Jeffrey Kramer as Graham, Lance Guest as Jimmy, Pamela Susan Shoop as Karen, horror, holiday, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Aja Romano, Dave Kehr, Mike Emery, Variety Staff, Derek Adams, Roger Ebert, Scott Sublett, Brian Eggert, Peter Sobczynski, Eddie Harrison, Sean Collier, Halloween franchise, sequel, slasher, Michael Myers, Haddonfield Memorial Hospital, serial killer, suspense, thriller, horror classic, iconic characters, nerve-wracking, satisfying conclusion, dead end, franchise struggles
 

Cast & Crew

Jamie Lee Curtis

Donald Pleasence

Charles Cyphers

Jeffrey Kramer

Lance Guest

Laurie Strode

Dr. Sam Loomis

Sheriff Leigh Brackett

Graham

Jimmy

Jamie Lee Curtis – Laurie Strode
Donald Pleasence – Dr. Sam Loomis
Charles Cyphers – Sheriff Leigh Brackett
Jeffrey Kramer – Graham
Lance Guest – Jimmy
Pamela Susan Shoop – Karen

 

Rick Rosenthal

John Carpenter

Debra Hill

John Carpenter

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Rick Rosenthal
 
Writer(s)
John Carpenter, Debra Hill
 
Producer(s)
Debra Hill, John Carpenter

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 3 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Aja Romano

Dave Kehr

Mike Emery

Variety Staff

Derek Adams

Vox

Chicago Reader

Austin Chronicle

Variety

Time Out

HALLOWEEN II
 All Critics (45) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (13) | Rotten (32)
 As films go, however, Halloween 2 isn’t very good.
 
 October 19, 2018
 
 Aja Romano
 Vox
 TOP CRITIC
 Rick Rosenthal, who directed this 1981 sequel, doesn’t have Carpenter’s expansive, affectionate way with stereotypical characters, and without it they’re empty shells — bodies waiting for the slaughter.
 
 August 27, 2007
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 A bad sequel to a good movie.
 
 August 27, 2007
 
 Mike Emery
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 This uninspired version amounts to lukewarm sloppy seconds in comparison to the original film that made director John Carpenter a hot property.
 
 August 27, 2007
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 The result won’t make any converts, but Jamie Lee Curtis is as good as ever.
 
 February 9, 2006
 
 Derek Adams
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a little sad to witness a fall from greatness, and that’s what we get in Halloween II.
 
 October 23, 2004 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Roger Ebert
 Chicago Sun-Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Hollow and pointless.
 
 May 20, 2022 | Rating: 1/4
 
 Scott Sublett
 Washington Blade
 Despite Carpenter’s claim that they sought to give audiences what they expected after the first one, they instead supplied a cheap and gristly horror show far removed from the original’s restraint.
 
 March 8, 2022 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Brian Eggert
 Deep Focus Review
 If Halloween II has a slightly better reputation than most subsequent franchise entries, that says more about their lousiness than II’s intrinsic worth.
 
 November 28, 2021
 
 Peter Sobczynski
 The Spool
 …makes a dull job of keeping iconic characters apart…
 
 October 3, 2021 | Rating: 1/5
 
 Eddie Harrison
 film-authority.com
 Most importantly, as the only movie other than the original with all three of Laurie, Loomis and Myers, it has most of the elements that made the classic film so great.
 
 October 16, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Sean Collier
 Box Office Prophets
 The suspense generated by the Carpenter/Hill screenplay, which begins with the end of Halloween, builds nerve wrackingly to a satisfying conclusion.
 
 May 27, 2020 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Larry Vitacco
 Philadelphia Gay News…

 

Plot
After Doctor Samuel Loomis shoots Michael Myers six times, Michael escapes and is now on the loose in Haddonfield. Laurie Strode is taken to the hospital and Doctor Loomis continues to hunt down Michael with the help of the police. Michael continues killing the citizens of Haddonfield and heads to the hospital to kill Laurie. It’s now up to an Injured Laurie and Doctor Loomis to stop Michael and his murderous rampage.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film Halloween II on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Rick-Rosenthal.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)

 
Distributor
Universal Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)

 
MPAA / Certificate
TV-14
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Horror
 
Keyword(s)
The Thing, R rating, horror, John Carpenter, directed by John Carpenter, Kurt Russell, starring Kurt Russell, Richard Dysart, Wilford Brimley, T.K Carter, Richard Masur, Donald Moffat, Bill Lancaster, written by Bill Lancaster, David Foster, produced by David Foster, Lawrence Turman, Universal Pictures, box office performance, Dolby, Stereo, Surround, MPAA rating, reviewed by Scott Cain, Anton Bitel, Adam Smith, Dave Kehr, Edward Porter, Peter Bradshaw, Brian Eggert, Peter Stack, Ginger Varney, David Nusair, Allen Almachar, Howard Gorman, 1982, 1h 48m, Antarctica, research scientists, helicopter, sled dog, shape-shifting, resourceful, gory battle, compelling tension, remarkable make-up effects
 

Cast & Crew

Kurt Russell

Wilford Brimley

T.K. Carter

Richard Dysart

Richard Masur

R.J. MacReady

Dr. Blair

Nauls

Dr. Copper

Clark

Kurt Russell – R.J. MacReady
Wilford Brimley – Dr. Blair
T.K. Carter – Nauls
Richard Dysart – Dr. Copper
Richard Masur – Clark
Donald Moffat – Garry

 

John Carpenter

Bill Lancaster

David Foster

Lawrence Turman

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
John Carpenter
 
Writer(s)
Bill Lancaster
 
Producer(s)
David Foster, Lawrence Turman

 

Film Festivals
Toronto
 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Scott Cain

Anton Bitel

Adam Smith

Dave Kehr

Edward Porter

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Little White Lies

Empire Magazine

Chicago Reader

Times (UK)

THE THING
  All Critics (75) | Top Critics (13) | Fresh (62) | Rotten (13)
  Such a pity. John Carpenter is too gifted a moviemaker to let nauseating special effects take over his biggest, film, but that’s what happened in The Thing.
 
  November 9, 2021 | Rating: 2/5
 
  Scott Cain
  Atlanta Journal-Constitution
  TOP CRITIC
  The Thing is set in an all-male environment, and is as much a study of masculinity in crisis as an update of the sort of siege scenario that Carpenter had already played out in Assault on Precinct 13.
 
  October 23, 2017
 
  Anton Bitel
  Little White Lies
  TOP CRITIC
  The Thing is a peerless masterpiece of relentless suspense, retina-wrecking visual excess and outright, nihilistic terror.
 
  May 25, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Adam Smith
  Empire Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  Carpenter’s direction is slow, dark, and stately; he seems to be aiming for an enveloping, novelistic kind of effect, but all he gets is heaviness.
 
  May 25, 2011
 
  Dave Kehr
  Chicago Reader
  TOP CRITIC
  The special effects can’t hope to be as creepy to our seen-it-all eyes as they were to the film’s first viewers, but we can still enjoy the monster’s unique weirdness, and the story is a rock-solid yarn.
 
  September 18, 2009 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Edward Porter
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  It’s pretty scary and entertaining stuff, though I always get the feeling that nothing in it lives up to the tremendous opening section.
 
  September 18, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
 
  Peter Bradshaw
  Guardian
  TOP CRITIC
  The Thing’s brilliance rests on the equilibrium between implied and visceral horror, often incompatible ideas that Carpenter stirs together in a stylish, engrossing way.
 
  March 21, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Brian Eggert
  Deep Focus Review
  This version is so full of “the thing” that it strangles our imagination and becomes a mere exercise in ugly, mechanical horrorifics. Very dumb, very disappointing.
 
  November 11, 2021 | Rating: 1/4
 
  Peter Stack
  San Francisco Examiner
  The Thing is like The Howling, a showcase for fiber and latex and the products they produce, by and for people who need their nightmares to be completely comprehensible and completely unreal.
 
  November 10, 2021
 
  Ginger Varney
  L.A. Weekly
  …a methodically-paced endeavor that essentially (and effectively) captures the viewer’s interest and attention right from the get-go…
 
  November 1, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
 
  David Nusair
  Reel Film Reviews
  A masterpiece of horror filmmaking.
 
  October 1, 2021
 
  Allen Almachar
  The MacGuffin
  Whether it scares you with its paranoia, claustrophobic setting, Ennio Morricone’s brooding score or Rob Bottin’s bar-raising practical creature effects, The Thing’s sole purpose is to get under your skin…
 
  June 10, 2021
 
  Howard Gorman
  NME…

 

Plot
Based on the 2011 murder of Betsy Faria that resulted in her husband, Russ’ conviction, but he insisted he did not kill her. This brutal crime set off a chain of events that would expose a diabolical scheme deeply involving Pam Hupp.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Kurt Russell stars as the resourceful helicopter pilot in The Thing.
 

 
John-Carpenter.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Svensk Filmindustri
 
Distributor
New Yorker Films
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Chinatown, San Francisco, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Wood Moy, Marc Hayashi, Laureen Chew, directed by Wayne Wang, written by Isaac Cronin, Wayne Wang, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Derek Smith, Gene Siskel, Bill Cosford, Michael Maza, Joe Pollack, Michael Blowen, Tom Sabulis, George Anderson, Robert W Butler, F.X Feeney, Robert A Masullo, MPAA rating, producer Wayne Wang, San Francisco’s Chinatown, amateur investigators, mysterious disappearance, humorous characters, culture clashes, Chinese Americans, ethnic stereotyping, documentary-like approach, meaty conversations, character detail, setting, potential, Wayne Wang’s debut
 

Cast & Crew

Wood Moy

Marc Hayashi

Laureen Chew

Wayne Wang

Isaac Cronin

Jo

Steve

Amy

Director

Producer

Wood Moy – Jo
Marc Hayashi – Steve
Laureen Chew – Amy
Wayne Wang – Director, Producer, Writer
Isaac Cronin – Writer

 

Wayne Wang

Isaac Cronin

Wayne Wang

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Wayne Wang
 
Writer(s)
Isaac Cronin, Wayne Wang
 
Producer(s)
Wayne Wang

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 1 nomination
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Derek Smith

Gene Siskel

Bill Cosford

Michael Maza

Joe Pollack

Slant Magazine

Chicago Tribune

Miami Herald

Arizona Republic

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

CHAN IS MISSING
 All Critics (50) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (2)
 Wayne Wang’s playfully enigmatic debut was a watershed for Asian American filmmakers.
 
 June 21, 2022
 
 Derek Smith
 Slant Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Wood Moy and Marc Hayashi serve notice that they are actors worthy of more films. But the lion’s share of the credit for Chan Is Missing must go to director Wang, who with this one tricky little film serves notice that he is a filmmaker to watch.
 
 May 19, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Gene Siskel
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 It is in black-and-white, it is quite funny, and it is a revelation.
 
 May 19, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Bill Cosford
 Miami Herald
 TOP CRITIC
 Chan Is Missing is craftily iconoclastic; unlike so many big-budgeted Hollywood genre-splicings and sendups, it sledgehammers old forms, not just for the heck of it, but with an eye toward building something new.
 
 May 19, 2021
 
 Michael Maza
 Arizona Republic
 TOP CRITIC
 Chan Is Missing tells a story, and tells it well, and young filmmaker Wayne Wang, who produced, wrote, directed and edited, shows a great deal of talent.
 
 May 19, 2021
 
 Joe Pollack
 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 TOP CRITIC
 Although the film’s inordinately low budget lets us see too many seams in both the cinematography and editing, it also reminds us that technical flaws can be overcome by a story and characters that vibrate with sincerity, warmth, compassion and humor.
 
 May 19, 2021
 
 Michael Blowen
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 Provocative and funny.
 
 May 19, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Tom Sabulis
 Tampa Bay Times
 Chan Is Missing is valuable for its fresh look at a world we’ve never really seen on screen before.
 
 May 19, 2021
 
 George Anderson
 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
 Chan is no masterpiece but those interested in seeing an undeniable talent on his solo flight will be more than satisfied.
 
 May 19, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Robert W. Butler
 Kansas City Star
 Wayne Wang is definitely a young director to watch.
 
 May 19, 2021
 
 F.X. Feeney
 L.A. Weekly
 Chan Is Missing, but fortunately side-splitting humor that pokes not-so-gentle fun at ethnic stereotyping is not.
 
 May 19, 2021
 
 Robert A. Masullo
 Sacramento Bee
 It’s a marvelously humane work that stays in your mind.
 
 May 19, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
 
 John Stark
 San Francisco Examiner…

 

Plot
In Chan Is Missing, a cab driver and his nephew become amateur investigators when the unreliable holder of their savings disappears in San Francisco’s Chinatown.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Chan Is Missing.
 

 
Wayne-Wang.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Channel Four Films, Ci By 2000 Thin Man Films,
 
Distributor
Artisan Entertainment, Universal Pictures
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
Squam Lake, New Hampshire, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Henry Fonda, Katharine Hepburn, Jane Fonda, Doug McKeon, Dabney Coleman, William Lanteau, directed by Mark Rydell, written by Ernest Thompson, comedy, drama, PG rating, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Ian Nathan, Ed Potton, Rex Reed, Bill Cosford, Elston Brooks, Jack Mathews, David Parkinson, Ronald Boyd, Mike Massie, Diego Galán, Henry Fonda’s final performance, Katherine Hepburn’s sparkling charisma, family dysfunction, aging, marriage, New England vacation home, father-daughter relationship, reconciliation, twilight years, wistful drama, Artisan Entertainment, Universal Pictures, Bruce Gilbert produced
 

Cast & Crew

Katharine Hepburn

Henry Fonda

Jane Fonda

Doug McKeon

Dabney Coleman

Ethel Thayer

Norman Thayer Jr.

Chelsea Thayer Wayne

Billy Ray

Bill Ray

Katharine Hepburn – Ethel Thayer
Henry Fonda – Norman Thayer Jr.
Jane Fonda – Chelsea Thayer Wayne
Doug McKeon – Billy Ray
Dabney Coleman – Bill Ray
William Lanteau – Charlie Martin

 

Mark Rydell

Ernest Thompson

Bruce Gilbert

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Mark Rydell
 
Writer(s)
Ernest Thompson
 
Producer(s)
Bruce Gilbert

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 3 Oscars
14 wins & 23 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Ian Nathan

Ed Potton

Rex Reed

Bill Cosford

Elston Brooks

Empire Magazine

Times (UK)

New York Daily News

Miami Herald

Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com

ON GOLDEN POND
  All Critics (43) | Top Critics (20) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (3)
  Definitely soppy in places but also genuinely moving.
 
  August 18, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
  Ian Nathan
  Empire Magazine
  TOP CRITIC
  Adapted by Ernest Thompson from his 1979 play of the same name, Mark Rydell’s classy weepie follows an elderly couple holidaying in their idyllic lakeside house in New England.
 
  August 18, 2021 | Rating: 5/5
 
  Ed Potton
  Times (UK)
  TOP CRITIC
  Every time the movie almost reduces its audience to sobbing, there’s clever laugh to ease the tension and bring everyone back to reality. It’s a marvelous triumph.
 
  August 18, 2021
 
  Rex Reed
  New York Daily News
  TOP CRITIC
  Though On Golden Pond is a shameless bit of manipulation… the movie is relentlessly enjoyable.
 
  August 18, 2021
 
  Bill Cosford
  Miami Herald
  TOP CRITIC
  Here is the almost perfect motion picture.
 
  August 18, 2021 | Rating: 4/4
 
  Elston Brooks
  Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com
  TOP CRITIC
  If you can check your cynicism at the door, here’s a two-hour tonic guaranteed to lift your spirits.
 
  August 18, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
  Jack Mathews
  Detroit Free Press
  TOP CRITIC
  Complementing the subtle shades of performance are cinematographer Billy Williams’s superb images, using to dramatic effect the changing light of the countryside in summer.
 
  August 18, 2021 | Rating: 4/5
 
  David Parkinson
  Radio Times
  If ever there’s been a motion picture collaboration worth waiting for, Fonda and Hepburn in On Golden Pond is it.
 
  August 18, 2021
 
  Ronald Boyd
  Tampa Bay Times
  Despite the amusing lessons on forgiveness, mortality, seeking approval, and compromising, there’s a slowness to the picture that betrays its repetitive misadventures.
 
  September 6, 2020 | Rating: 7/10
 
  Mike Massie
  Gone With The Twins
  Henry Fonda and Katharine Hepburn turn the movie into a recital of their talent. [Full Review in Spanish]
 
  August 22, 2019
 
  Diego Galán
  El Pais (Spain)
  The truth of its characters and emotions carry the film from start to finish.
 
  January 20, 2015 | Rating: 3/4
 
  Dustin Putman
  TheBluFile.com…

 

Plot
The loons are back again on Golden Pond and so are Norman Thayer, a retired professor, and Ethel who have had a summer cottage there since early in their marriage. This summer their daughter Chelsea
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Henry Fonda’s performance in On Golden Pond was his final one before his death.
 

 
Mark-Rydell.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
ARTE Bavaria Film International, Corazón International,
 
Distributor
Warner Home Vídeo, 20th Century Fox
 
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
 
Filming Location(s)
The Oval Sports Centre, Bebington, Merseyside, England, UK
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1982
 

 
Genre(s)
Drama
 
Keyword(s)
starring Ian Charleson, Ben Cross, John Gielgud, Nigel Havers, Nicholas Farrell, Ian Holm, Alice Krige, directed by Hugh Hudson, written by Colin Welland, drama, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Alexander Walker, Bruce McCabe, Gary Arnold, Derek Malcolm, Kate Muir, Dave Calhoun, Kenneth Turan, Mike Massie, Tim Brayton, Larry Vitacco, Lawrence O’Toole, Mark Jackson, PG, United Kingdom, Paris Olympics, Eric Liddell, Harold Abrahams, anti-Semitism, class bias, spiritual, patriotic, Vangelis, soundtrack, sports, character study, social history, David Puttnam, Warner Home Vídeo, 20th Century Fox, Surround Sound
 

Cast & Crew

Ben Cross

Ian Charleson

John Gielgud

Nigel Havers

Nicholas Farrell

Harold M. Abrahams

Eric Liddell

Master of Trinity

Lord Andrew Lindsay

Aubrey Montague

Ben Cross – Harold M. Abrahams
Ian Charleson – Eric Liddell
John Gielgud – Master of Trinity (as Sir John Gielgud)
Nigel Havers – Lord Andrew Lindsay
Nicholas Farrell – Aubrey Montague
Ian Holm – Sam Mussabini

 

Hugh Hudson

Colin Welland

David Puttnam

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Hugh Hudson
 
Writer(s)
Colin Welland
 
Producer(s)
David Puttnam

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Won 4 Oscars
18 wins & 19 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Alexander Walker

Bruce McCabe

Gary Arnold

Derek Malcolm

Kate Muir

London Evening Standard

Boston Globe

Washington Post

Times (UK)

Time Out

CHARIOTS OF FIRE
 All Critics (75) | Top Critics (23) | Fresh (62) | Rotten (13)
 It doesnt matter if you cant hobble a step. This film’s touching, affected, overwhelming triumph is catching you up in the collective experience through the honesty of the individual achievement and intention.
 
 June 17, 2022
 
 Alexander Walker
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 It reminds us of the affirmative aspects of life, of the hope that endures in it as well as the cynicism.
 
 April 26, 2018
 
 Bruce McCabe
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 Despite its bombastic tendencies, Chariots has a healthy glow that’s charming.
 
 August 4, 2015
 
 Gary Arnold
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 The film is not just about the race between Abrahams, the Jewish law student (Ben Cross), and Scottish missionary Eric Liddell (the late Ian Charleson). It’s a character study and a social history too.
 
 February 21, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Derek Malcolm
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 From the opening scene of pale young men racing barefoot along the beach, full of hope and elation, backed by Vangelis’s now famous anthem, the film is utterly compelling.
 
 February 21, 2015 | Rating: 5/5
 
 Kate Muir
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Oddly, for a film about triumph over adversity, there’s nothing as uplifting as the opening and closing jogs along a windswept beach.
 
 February 21, 2015 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Dave Calhoun
 Time Out
 TOP CRITIC
 How is it that the unlikeliest of subjects often make the best of films? Chariots of Fire is the most sweetly satisfying movie, sure to appeal to the widest possible audience, yet it sounds like it wouldn’t interest a soul.
 
 January 21, 2022
 
 Kenneth Turan
 New West/California
 The sequences that could have been unmistakably victorious are flatly documentary-like at best.
 
 August 31, 2020 | Rating: 4/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 Devoid of active conflict or any sort of narrative engine.
 
 August 1, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/5
 
 Tim Brayton
 Alternate Ending
 [Ian Charleson and Ben Cross] bring an unrestrained passion to their roles that is both refreshing and invigorating to watch.
 
 May 27, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Larry Vitacco
 Philadelphia Gay News
 While the audience doesn’t fully experience the spookiness of the sports arena where pain and ecstasy shake hands, it is given more than gratuitous glimpses into the lives of two young men out to better their best.
 
 February 5, 2020
 
 Lawrence O’Toole
 Maclean’s Magazine
 “Chariots of Fire” reveals the origins of the modern Olympic competitive mindset; the doping, lying, and cheating. Lance Armstrong, anyone? This is the true story of two 1924 Olypians; one a man of deep faith, the other wanting to win at all costs.
 
 November 11, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Mark Jackson
 Epoch Times…

 

Plot
It’s the post-World War I era. Britons Harold Abrahams and Eric Liddell are both naturally gifted fast sprinters, but approach running and how it fits into their respective lives differently. The son of a Lithuanian Jew, Harold, who lives a somewhat privileged life as a student at Cambridge, uses being the fastest to overcome what he sees as the obstacles he faces in life as a Jew despite that privilege. In his words to paraphrase an old adage, he is often invited to the trough, but isn’t allowed to drink. His running prowess does earn him the respect of his classmates, especially his running teammates, and to some extent the school administration, if only he maintains what they consider proper gentlemanly decorum, which isn’t always the case in their minds. Born in China, the son of Christian missionaries, Eric, a Scot, is a devout member of the Church of Scotland who eventually wants to return to that missionary work. He sees running as a win-win in that the notoriety of being fast gives him an added outlet to spread the word of God, while he sees his speed as being a gift from God, and he wants to run to honor God and that gift. This view does not sit well with his sister, Jennie Liddell, who sees his running as only taking away time from his work to God. Harold and Eric’s lives do intersect in national races, but it is the one hundred meter track event at the 1924 Paris Olympics which the two men and their supporters most anticipate. Beyond the fact that Americans Charles Paddock and Jackson Scholz are favored in the event, the much anticipated head to head between Harold and Eric may be further shadowed by other issues, especially as it affects Eric’s Christian beliefs.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
No goofy or funny or odd comments were found in the Fresh Kernels database for Chariots of Fire.
 

 
Hugh-Hudson.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
T A T Communications, Company,
 
Distributor
Columbia TriStar Home Video, RCA/Columbia, Columbia Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
James B. Beam Distilling Co. – 149 Happy Hollow Road, Clermont, Kentucky, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for sexuality/nudity, language and some drug use
 
Year of Release
1981
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Warren Oates, P.J Soles, Sean Young, John Candy, Judge Reinhold, John Larroquette, directed by Ivan Reitman, written by Len Blum, Dan Goldberg, Harold Ramis, produced by Dan Goldberg, Ivan Reitman, comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Gene Siskel, Gary Arnold, Variety Staff, Dave Kehr, Roger Ebert, Janet Maslin, R MPAA rating, U.S Army, basic training, military comedy, hijinks, international scandal, ragtag band, misfits, military assault vehicle, enemy lines, irreverent, sardonically exaggerated calm, improvisation, violence, nudity, language, 80s comedy classic, streaming on Netflix
 

Cast & Crew

Bill Murray

Harold Ramis

Warren Oates

P.J. Soles

Sean Young

John Winger

Russell Ziskey

Sgt. Hulka

Stella

Louise

Bill Murray – John Winger
Harold Ramis – Russell Ziskey
Warren Oates – Sgt. Hulka
P.J. Soles – Stella
Sean Young – Louise
John Candy – Dewey “Ox” Oxburger
Director – Ivan Reitman
Producers – Dan Goldberg, Ivan Reitman
Writers – Len Blum, Dan Goldberg, Harold Ramis

 

Ivan Reitman

Len Blum

Dan Goldberg

Ivan Reitman

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Ivan Reitman
 
Writer(s)
Len Blum, Dan Goldberg, Harold Ramis
 
Producer(s)
Dan Goldberg, Ivan Reitman

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
NA
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Gene Siskel

Gary Arnold

Variety Staff

Dave Kehr

Roger Ebert

Chicago Tribune

Washington Post

Variety

Chicago Reader

Chicago Sun-Times

STRIPES
 All Critics (41) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (5)
 Murray is completely democratic in this film: He taunts the strong and the weak alike.
 
 March 14, 2021
 
 Gene Siskel
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 The premise and star remain out of whack until the rambling, diffuse screenplay finally struggles beyond basic training.
 
 December 18, 2015
 
 Gary Arnold
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 There’s little in the way of art or comic subtlety here, but the film really seems to work.
 
 March 26, 2009
 
 Variety Staff
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 The balance of the film consists of time-tested commercial material, most of which is still working fine.
 
 April 1, 2008
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 An anarchic slob movie, a celebration of all that is irreverent, reckless, foolhardy, undisciplined, and occasionally scatological. It’s a lot of fun.
 
 October 23, 2004 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Roger Ebert
 Chicago Sun-Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Mr. Murray hasn’t yet reached the point at which his routines can be sustained for more than 10 minutes at a time. But he has achieved a sardonically exaggerated calm that can be very entertaining.
 
 August 30, 2004 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Janet Maslin
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 Reitman, Murray, and Ramis aren’t even in the prime of their careers for Stripes but you couldn’t tell this from watching the film.
 
 October 28, 2021
 
 Danielle Solzman
 Solzy at the Movies
 The filmmakers take the usual army tropes and find the comedy by creating an atmosphere for the actors to go crazy with improvisation.
 
 March 14, 2021 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Jared Mobarak
 Jaredmobarak.com
 [Murray’s] sleazy charisma helps disguise the formulaic “you’re in the army now” plotting.
 
 March 14, 2021 | Rating: 3/5
 
 John Ferguson
 Radio Times
 Comic ’80s military romp has violence, nudity, language.
 
 April 26, 2016 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Renee Schonfeld
 Common Sense Media
 Benefits immensely from being graded on a curve: it’s no Ghostbusters, but it’s no Police Academy either.
 
 September 29, 2014 | Rating: 7/10
 
 Tim Brayton
 Antagony & Ecstasy
 Murray’s insouciant Sixties clowning survives being parachuted into the Eighties
 
 September 25, 2009
 
 Fernando F. Croce
 CinePassion…

 

Plot
At the end of a very bad day when he realizes his life has gone and is going nowhere, John Winger is able to convince his best friend, Russell Ziskey, whose life is not much better, to enlist in the army, despite they not being obvious soldier material. In basic training, they are only two of a bunch of misfits that comprise their platoon. However, it is still John that is constantly butting heads with their drill sergeant, Sergeant Hulka. Two of their saving graces are Stella and Louise, two MPs who get them out of one scrape after another. Their entire platoon is in jeopardy of not graduating. But what happens during basic leads to their entire platoon being assigned to an overseas mission in Italy, to test a new urban assault vehicle, the EM-50 project. John and Russell decide to take the EM-50 for an unauthorized test drive to visit Stella and Louise who have been reassigned to West Germany. In the process, the rest of the platoon, Hulka, and Hulka’s immediate superior, self-absorbed Captain Stillman, get caught unofficially behind enemy Communist lines in Czechoslovakia. John and Russell, with Stella and Louise’s help, will have to show their true mettle as US army soldiers and in the process test the capabilities of the EM-50 to rescue their platoon without the rest of the US army knowing what’s going on, and thus without any assistance beyond themselves.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels praises Bill Murray’s “irreverent humor and brilliant comedic talent” in Stripes.
 

 
Ivan-Reitman.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
El Deseo Antena 3 Televisión Good Machine
 
Distributor
United Artists
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Agia Triada Monastery, Meteora, Greece
 
MPAA / Certificate
PG
 
Year of Release
1981
 

 
Genre(s)
Action
 
Keyword(s)
For Your Eyes Only, James Bond, Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson, Julian Glover, Jill Bennett, directed by John Glen, produced by Albert R Broccoli, written by Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Michael G Wilson, PG, action, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Bruce McCabe, Vincent Canby, Gary Arnold, Dave Kehr, Ian Nathan, Richard Corliss, Kenneth Turan, Matt Brunson, Jake Tropila, Mike Massie, Kelechi Ehenulo, starring Roger Moore as James Bond, Carole Bouquet as Melina Havelock, Topol as Columbo, Lynn-Holly Johnson as Bibi Dahl, Julian Glover as Aristotle Kristatos, Jill Bennett as Jacoba Brink
 

Cast & Crew

Roger Moore

Carole Bouquet

Topol

Lynn-Holly Johnson

Julian Glover

James Bond

Melina Havelock

Columbo

Bibi Dahl

Aristotle Kristatos

Roger Moore – James Bond
Carole Bouquet – Melina Havelock
Topol – Columbo
Lynn-Holly Johnson – Bibi Dahl
Julian Glover – Aristotle Kristatos
Jill Bennett – Jacoba Brink

 

John Glen

Ian Fleming

Albert R. Broccoli

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
John Glen
 
Writer(s)
Ian Fleming, Richard Maibaum, Michael G. Wilson
 
Producer(s)
Albert R. Broccoli

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
2 wins & 5 nominations total
 
Academy Awards
Oscar Nominees
 

Top Reviews

Bruce McCabe

Vincent Canby

Gary Arnold

Dave Kehr

Ian Nathan

Boston Globe

New York Times

Washington Post

Chicago Reader

Empire Magazine

FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
 All Critics (53) | Top Critics (11) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (15)
 For Your Eyes Only, however, looks like the work of people too smug in the belief they’ve got a good thing going to bother to make it interesting. It oozes unwarranted condescension.
 
 April 27, 2018
 
 Bruce McCabe
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 Most of the time, though, For Your Eyes Only is a slick entertainment.
 
 October 30, 2015
 
 Vincent Canby
 New York Times
 TOP CRITIC
 No. 12 in the phenomenally durable James Bond series. For Your Eyes Only is undeniably easy on the eyes. Maybe too easy to prevent the mind from wandering and the lids from drooping.
 
 October 30, 2015
 
 Gary Arnold
 Washington Post
 TOP CRITIC
 Roger Moore has crumpled his comic-strip good looks into something approaching world-weariness, and the newfound maturity in his expression is reflected in director John Glen’s style, which goes for the measured and elegant over the flashy and excessive.
 
 October 13, 2008
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 Moore just looks confused.
 
 October 13, 2008 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Ian Nathan
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Moore is merely the best-oiled cog in this perpetual motion machine.
 
 October 13, 2008
 
 Richard Corliss
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 For Your Eyes Only is the twelfth Bond picture, the fifth with Roger Moore in the title role, and no series has been more homogenous.
 
 November 3, 2021
 
 Kenneth Turan
 New West/California
 The scripting is strong in this woefully underrated entry.
 
 September 25, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Film Frenzy
 For Your Eyes Only is still the most thrilling entry in Roger Moore’s tenure. A great song, a charming ally, a creepy henchman, a terrific Bond Girl, and a genuine espionage mission – what’s not to love?
 
 October 8, 2020
 
 Jake Tropila
 Film Inquiry
 One of the more unspectacular entries in the series.
 
 September 6, 2020 | Rating: 5/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 This is definitely one of Roger Moore’s best outings as Bond. Whilst Moore is naturally a charmer, in For Your Eyes Only, he presents Bond with a tougher edge.
 
 July 16, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Kelechi Ehenulo
 Confessions From A Geek Mind
 The picture can’t quite shake off the increasingly silly legacy which had mired the franchise in the Roger Moore era.
 
 October 29, 2019 | Rating: 2/5
 
 PJ Nabarro
 Patrick Nabarro…

 

Plot
After disposing of a familiar looking face, Bond is sent to recover a communication device, known as an A.T.A.C., which went down with a British spy ship as it sunk. Bond must hurry though, as the Russians are also out for this device. On his travels, he also meets Melina Havelock, whose parents were brutally murdered. Bond also encounters Aristotle Kristatos and Milos Colombo. Each of them are accusing the other of having links with with the Russians. Bond must team up with Melina, solve who the true ally is, and find the A.T.A.C. before it’s too late.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny or odd comment about the film For Your Eyes Only on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
John-Glen.jpg