Collection ID 448
Director: Valerie Breiman
Starring: Burt Young, Adam Sandler, Scott LaRose, Lisa Collins, Tom Hodges
Genre: Comedy
Studio: L.A. Dreams Productions   Release date: 1989   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: A struggling young comedian takes a menial job on a cruise ship where he hopes for his big chance to make it in the world of cruise ship comedy.
My Rating:
My Review: Screenplay (some additional material by Adam Sandler) and direction by Valerie Breiman (five credits, highest rated directed movie was 'Love & Sex' at 6.2 on IMDB). Starring Adam Sandler, Scott LaRose, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Zane and others. I'm not sure how this movie came to be in my collection. I believe I purchased a VHS copy at a garage sale. I like many of Adam Sandler's later movies, but this one isn't something anyone likes. Apparently it rates in the bottom 20 worst movies by IMDB users. In this movie, Adam Sandler plays Schecky Moskowitz. As part of the cruise ship staff, Schecky works menial jobs while he fantasizes about being a stand-up comedian and oggles the 'Hotty' guests (contestants in the Miss Universe contest). The onboard entertainment is Dickie Diamond (played by Scott LaRose), he's Schecky's nemesis. A lady's man and a 'big-time' Rocker with a group of hot fawning followers. For some reason a boat full of terrorists (two?) and General Noriega (played by Burt Young) hijack the ship, in order to kill Ms. Australia who insulted him. The terrorists run around the ship, chasing Schecky, other crew members and the hot young contestants. Honestly there's not much more to the movie, aside from Adam Sandler trying out bad lines on the contestants and finally getting his big break to appear on stage when Dickie Diamond becomes Ill/is locked in a bathroom. The writing and direction were horrible. The camera work was terrible, the sound track abysmal and the jokes - Not Funny. The only bright spot in the whole movie was the pacing and editing. Whenever I'm feeling particularly low, I watch this movie as a reminder that everyone starts out as an amateur, and everyone can have a bad day. One of the worst parts of the movie is the way it's 'narrated' by Adam Sandler. He's constantly looking at the camera and talking to us, the audience. Thankfully he's the only one who can see us. It's really annoying, and doesn't really serve to help the plot, unless of course you assume that we (the audience) are so stupid that we can't figure out the incredibly shallow plot without this ridiculous narration. For some reason, this movie is rated R. I thought, maybe there's some nudity. The movie is full of beautiful women (the Miss Universe contestants), so maybe some of them will get naked or topless? Not - Aside from some profanity and mock drug use, the movie is actually prettey tame. Definitely not worthy of an R-Rating. This movie disappoints on many levels. I give it a 1 out of 5.

Collection ID 1159
Director: Valerie Breiman
Starring: Burt Young, Adam Sandler, Scott LaRose, Lisa Collins, Tom Hodges
Genre: Comedy
Studio: L.A. Dreams Productions   Release date: 1989   Rated: R   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: A struggling young comedian takes a menial job on a cruise ship where he hopes for his big chance to make it in the world of cruise ship comedy.
My Rating:
My Review: Screenplay (some additional material by Adam Sandler) and direction by Valerie Breiman (five credits, highest rated directed movie was 'Love & Sex' at 6.2 on IMDB). Starring Adam Sandler, Scott LaRose, Billy Bob Thornton, Billy Zane and others. I'm not sure how this movie came to be in my collection. I believe I purchased a VHS copy at a garage sale. I like many of Adam Sandler's later movies, but this one isn't something anyone likes. Apparently it rates in the bottom 20 worst movies by IMDB users. In this movie, Adam Sandler plays Schecky Moskowitz. As part of the cruise ship staff, Schecky works menial jobs while he fantasizes about being a stand-up comedian and oggles the 'Hotty' guests (contestants in the Miss Universe contest). The onboard entertainment is Dickie Diamond (played by Scott LaRose), he's Schecky's nemesis. A lady's man and a 'big-time' Rocker with a group of hot fawning followers. For some reason a boat full of terrorists (two?) and General Noriega (played by Burt Young) hijack the ship, in order to kill Ms. Australia who insulted him. The terrorists run around the ship, chasing Schecky, other crew members and the hot young contestants. Honestly there's not much more to the movie, aside from Adam Sandler trying out bad lines on the contestants and finally getting his big break to appear on stage when Dickie Diamond becomes Ill/is locked in a bathroom. The writing and direction were horrible. The camera work was terrible, the sound track abysmal and the jokes - Not Funny. The only bright spot in the whole movie was the pacing and editing. Whenever I'm feeling particularly low, I watch this movie as a reminder that everyone starts out as an amateur, and everyone can have a bad day. One of the worst parts of the movie is the way it's 'narrated' by Adam Sandler. He's constantly looking at the camera and talking to us, the audience. Thankfully he's the only one who can see us. It's really annoying, and doesn't really serve to help the plot, unless of course you assume that we (the audience) are so stupid that we can't figure out the incredibly shallow plot without this ridiculous narration. For some reason, this movie is rated R. I thought, maybe there's some nudity. The movie is full of beautiful women (the Miss Universe contestants), so maybe some of them will get naked or topless? Not - Aside from some profanity and mock drug use, the movie is actually prettey tame. Definitely not worthy of an R-Rating. This movie disappoints on many levels. I give it a 1 out of 5.

Collection ID 57
Director: Michael Ritchie
Starring: J.L. Reate, Eddie Murphy, Charles Dance, Charlotte Lewis, Victor Wong
Genre: Action
Studio: Paramount Pictures   Release date: 1986   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): German, English (USA)
Summary: A private detective specializing in missing children is charged with the task of finding a special child that dark forces want to eliminate.
My Rating:
My Review: Eddie Murphy (near the top of his game) plays the 'Chosen One'. An L.A. private detective who specializes in missing children. Murphy's character is chosen to rescue the 'Golden Child' from a band of odd-ball characters led by a demonic agent. The movie has a preposterous, but entertaining plot. Feeling very much like a smaller budget version of Indiana Jones. This movie is a action packed adventure, a typical hollywood plot, made funny by the casting of one funny man - Eddie Murphy. This movie had an odd feel to it. It's as if it were cast as a hollywood action adventure movie, hijacked in casting of the lead role. Eddie Murphy hams it up to great effect in this movie. If it hadn't been for him the movie would have been unwatchable. While Charlotte Lewis was easy on the eyes, her acting, and the rest of the casting was painful to endure. The music was some poorly construed 80's tracks, the special effects cheesy in the 80's way, and the plot preposterous. Did I happen to mention that Eddie Murphy was the only reason to watch this movie? His lines, improvisations, and light hearted nature get him a 4 out of 5 in this mystic, Tibetan, adventure. Unfortunately, the film only rates 3 out of 5 for an overall rating.

Collection ID 859
Director: Michael Ritchie
Starring: J.L. Reate, Eddie Murphy, Charles Dance, Charlotte Lewis, Victor Wong
Genre: Action
Studio: Paramount Pictures   Release date: 1986   Rated: PG-13   
Language (Country): German, English (USA)
Summary: A private detective specializing in missing children is charged with the task of finding a special child that dark forces want to eliminate.
My Rating:
My Review: Eddie Murphy (near the top of his game) plays the 'Chosen One'. An L.A. private detective who specializes in missing children. Murphy's character is chosen to rescue the 'Golden Child' from a band of odd-ball characters led by a demonic agent. The movie has a preposterous, but entertaining plot. Feeling very much like a smaller budget version of Indiana Jones. This movie is a action packed adventure, a typical hollywood plot, made funny by the casting of one funny man - Eddie Murphy. This movie had an odd feel to it. It's as if it were cast as a hollywood action adventure movie, hijacked in casting of the lead role. Eddie Murphy hams it up to great effect in this movie. If it hadn't been for him the movie would have been unwatchable. While Charlotte Lewis was easy on the eyes, her acting, and the rest of the casting was painful to endure. The music was some poorly construed 80's tracks, the special effects cheesy in the 80's way, and the plot preposterous. Did I happen to mention that Eddie Murphy was the only reason to watch this movie? His lines, improvisations, and light hearted nature get him a 4 out of 5 in this mystic, Tibetan, adventure. Unfortunately, the film only rates 3 out of 5 for an overall rating.

Collection ID 746
Director: Paul Wendkos
Starring: Dack Rambo, Elyssa Davalos, Richard Lynch, Dan O'Herlihy, John Harkins
Genre: Horror
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television   Release date:   Rated:   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: ABC-TV pilot about a writer, Andy Stuart, teaming up with an exorcist, Father Kemschler, to battle Satan, and a group of Devil worshipers led by Mr. Rimmin.
My Rating:
My Review: Another 70s horror movie that lacks the horror, lacks tension, lacks a cohesive plot, lacks editing, lacks an ending and looks like crap. Thankfully, this is just on of fifteen movies on a 'horror' compilation that I bought at Wal-Mart. The story - A group of Satanists is convinced that Jessica Gordon (played by Elyssa Davalos) is defined to be Satan's bride. They work to protect her and make sure that her life choices go according to their plan. Andy Stuart (playing Dack Rambo) stars as Linday's prospective husband. When a suspicious priest tries to convince Dack to postpone the marriage, he ends up questioning their relationship and the odd goings on surrounding his chosen one. Eventually he's spurned by Jessica and she's abducted and whisked away to parts unknown by the cultists. Suddenly the movie takes an abrupt turn into a completely unrelated subplot involving a demon fighting priest and a possessed demon child. How Dack got sidetracked by this subplot is beyond me... The movie is a wacky, disjointed, Omen meets Exorcist made for TV disaster. The production work was absolutely horrible. The acting lacked conviction, the editing was atrocious and the ending made absolutely no sense whatsoever. I give this movie a 1 out of 5.

Collection ID 1432
Director: Paul Wendkos
Starring: Dack Rambo, Elyssa Davalos, Richard Lynch, Dan O'Herlihy, John Harkins
Genre: Horror
Studio: 20th Century Fox Television   Release date:   Rated:   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: ABC-TV pilot about a writer, Andy Stuart, teaming up with an exorcist, Father Kemschler, to battle Satan, and a group of Devil worshipers led by Mr. Rimmin.
My Rating:
My Review: Another 70s horror movie that lacks the horror, lacks tension, lacks a cohesive plot, lacks editing, lacks an ending and looks like crap. Thankfully, this is just on of fifteen movies on a 'horror' compilation that I bought at Wal-Mart. The story - A group of Satanists is convinced that Jessica Gordon (played by Elyssa Davalos) is defined to be Satan's bride. They work to protect her and make sure that her life choices go according to their plan. Andy Stuart (playing Dack Rambo) stars as Linday's prospective husband. When a suspicious priest tries to convince Dack to postpone the marriage, he ends up questioning their relationship and the odd goings on surrounding his chosen one. Eventually he's spurned by Jessica and she's abducted and whisked away to parts unknown by the cultists. Suddenly the movie takes an abrupt turn into a completely unrelated subplot involving a demon fighting priest and a possessed demon child. How Dack got sidetracked by this subplot is beyond me... The movie is a wacky, disjointed, Omen meets Exorcist made for TV disaster. The production work was absolutely horrible. The acting lacked conviction, the editing was atrocious and the ending made absolutely no sense whatsoever. I give this movie a 1 out of 5.

Collection ID 718
Director: Wolfgang Becker (II)
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Katrin Saß, Chulpan Khamatova, Maria Simon, Florian Lukas
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Sony Pictures   Release date: 2002   Rated: R   
Language (Country): German (Germany)
Summary: Contemporary comedies rarely stretch themselves beyond a bickering romantic couple or a bickering couple and a bucket of bodily fluids, which makes the ambition and intelligence of "Good bye, Lenin!" not simply entertaining but downright refreshing. The movie starts in East Germany before the fall of communism; our hero, Alex (Daniel Bruhl), describes how his mother (Katrin Sass), a true believer in the communist cause, has a heart attack when she sees him being clubbed by police at a protest. She falls into a coma for eight months--during which the Berlin Wall comes down. When she awakens, her fragile health must avoid any shocks, so Alex creates an illusive reality around his bedridden mother to convince her that communism is still alive. "Good bye, Lenin!" delicately balances wry satire with its rich investment in the lives of Alex, his mother, and other characters around them. Funny, moving, and highly recommended. "--Bret Fetzer"
My Rating:
My Review: Directed by Wolfgang Becker. Starring a cast of relatively unknown German actors. This is a great movie. The story - Before the reunification of East and West Germany, a staunch socialist suffers a heart attack and falls into a coma. While she's in the hospital, events outside unravel. The Berlin wall falls, the communist empire crumbles and her children grow up. She comes out of the coma eight months later and her son constructs an elaborate charade in order to shelter her from the shock of reality. Character based drama at it's best. The acting and directing were great, the casting, locations and sets terrific. Don't pass it up.

Collection ID 1408
Director: Wolfgang Becker (II)
Starring: Daniel Brühl, Katrin Saß, Chulpan Khamatova, Maria Simon, Florian Lukas
Genre: Art House & International
Studio: Sony Pictures   Release date: 2002   Rated: R   
Language (Country): German (Germany)
Summary: Contemporary comedies rarely stretch themselves beyond a bickering romantic couple or a bickering couple and a bucket of bodily fluids, which makes the ambition and intelligence of "Good bye, Lenin!" not simply entertaining but downright refreshing. The movie starts in East Germany before the fall of communism; our hero, Alex (Daniel Bruhl), describes how his mother (Katrin Sass), a true believer in the communist cause, has a heart attack when she sees him being clubbed by police at a protest. She falls into a coma for eight months--during which the Berlin Wall comes down. When she awakens, her fragile health must avoid any shocks, so Alex creates an illusive reality around his bedridden mother to convince her that communism is still alive. "Good bye, Lenin!" delicately balances wry satire with its rich investment in the lives of Alex, his mother, and other characters around them. Funny, moving, and highly recommended. "--Bret Fetzer"
My Rating:
My Review: Directed by Wolfgang Becker. Starring a cast of relatively unknown German actors. This is a great movie. The story - Before the reunification of East and West Germany, a staunch socialist suffers a heart attack and falls into a coma. While she's in the hospital, events outside unravel. The Berlin wall falls, the communist empire crumbles and her children grow up. She comes out of the coma eight months later and her son constructs an elaborate charade in order to shelter her from the shock of reality. Character based drama at it's best. The acting and directing were great, the casting, locations and sets terrific. Don't pass it up.

Collection ID 1538
Director: Ted Post
Starring: Chuck Norris, Anne Archer, James Franciscus, Lloyd Haynes, Dana Andrews
Genre: Action
Studio: Action 1 Film Partners   Release date: 1979   Rated: PG   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: An ex-US Army commando must find the reason why his comrades from his unit are being systematically murdered before he is next.
My Rating:
My Review: Wow - I thought I had seen the worst Chuck Norris movie ever when I watched 'Silent Rage'. If that's true, then why did I buy a copy of 'Good Guys Wear Black'? Amazingly bad acting. Chuck Norris is actually one of the best actors in this bomb. The other actors do their best to 'recite' their lines, but they can't even get those right. In this movie, Chuck Norris plays John T. Booker (best part of the movie is his character's name), former commander of an elite special forces team (working as CIA operatives - of course!) sent into Vietnam towards the end of the war in order to rescue American POWs. Unfortunately for Booker and his crew, it's a set-up. They're marked for death. After miraculously escaping, we flash forward to present day (1978?). Apparently someone didn't get the message and the Vietnam war is still on. Someone is out to kill all of Booker's former squad members. While Booker teams up with some bimbo reporter, the bad guys are methodically picking off the former commandos one at a time. Until the get down to Booker. That's when he teaches them to mess with Chuck! … I mean John T. Booker. The special effects were poor, the editing terrible, the writing abysmal, and the acting… I give this a 1 out of 5.

Collection ID 23
Director: Ted Post
Starring: Chuck Norris, Anne Archer, James Franciscus, Lloyd Haynes, Dana Andrews
Genre: Action
Studio: Action 1 Film Partners   Release date: 1979   Rated: PG   
Language (Country): English (USA)
Summary: An ex-US Army commando must find the reason why his comrades from his unit are being systematically murdered before he is next.
My Rating:
My Review: Wow - I thought I had seen the worst Chuck Norris movie ever when I watched 'Silent Rage'. If that's true, then why did I buy a copy of 'Good Guys Wear Black'? Amazingly bad acting. Chuck Norris is actually one of the best actors in this bomb. The other actors do their best to 'recite' their lines, but they can't even get those right. In this movie, Chuck Norris plays John T. Booker (best part of the movie is his character's name), former commander of an elite special forces team (working as CIA operatives - of course!) sent into Vietnam towards the end of the war in order to rescue American POWs. Unfortunately for Booker and his crew, it's a set-up. They're marked for death. After miraculously escaping, we flash forward to present day (1978?). Apparently someone didn't get the message and the Vietnam war is still on. Someone is out to kill all of Booker's former squad members. While Booker teams up with some bimbo reporter, the bad guys are methodically picking off the former commandos one at a time. Until the get down to Booker. That's when he teaches them to mess with Chuck! … I mean John T. Booker. The special effects were poor, the editing terrible, the writing abysmal, and the acting… I give this a 1 out of 5.