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Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983)
"Copy, Gold leader - I'm already on my way out."
Honestly, fantastic from start to finish. "Return of the Jedi" will ALWAYS be my favourite Star Wars movie. It never, ever gets old.
The sixth episode chronologically picks up a year after the bleak "The Empire Strikes Back" with a rescue mission to rescue Han Solo from carbon freezing at Jabba the Hutt's palace and takes us through the climactic events of the Battle of Endor, where the Empire's second Death Star is destroyed.
The last forty-five or so minutes are the best of any Star Wars film, from when the Rebel commando unit arrives on the forest moon of Endor through to the credit roll that closes the original trilogy.
The action is spectacular (the space battle over Endor might be the best of all Star Wars sequences), all the storylines are neatly tied together - Vader's redemption, the destruction of the second Death Star to vanquish the Empire etc. - and the movie ends with a joyous celebration for the Rebel Alliance, which is directly at odds with how "The Empire Strikes Back" concluded.
Tremendous entertainment. How can you not love this?
Star Wars: Episode V - The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
"Do, or do not - there is no try"
Most famous for THAT scene during the Cloud City finale, "The Empire Strikes Back" is the darkest and bleakest film in the original Star Wars trilogy, with the Rebel Alliance at their lowest ebb and on the run, pursued across the galaxy by an Imperial war machine headed by the merciless, hulking Darth Vader. From the wintry wastelands of Hoth to the murky jungle of Dagobah - where Luke meets Yoda - and on to Cloud City where, following the carbon freezing of Han Solo, a few revealing words from Vader to Luke change everything, the middle installment in the trilogy that took the world by storm has so much that's important to Star Wars lore, including our first glimpse of Emperor Palpatine and the Imperial Star Destroyer fleet. Sometimes overlooked between "A New Hope" and the triumphant "Return of the Jedi", "The Empire Strikes Back" is a beauty.
Alien³ (1992)
Not as good as the first two
It was always going to be tough sledding trying to live up to the science fiction horror excellence of "Alien" and "Aliens" and although Sigourney Weaver does her best, Alien 3 just isn't comparable. Lieutenant Ripley is marooned on a maximum security prison colony planet where there is little communication with the outside world. Unfortunately for her, the aliens have made it there as well. She has to team up with some of the prisoners, sans weapons, and attempt to kill the creature before the Weyland-Yutani Corporation can get their hands on it. Some good action sequences, it must be said. And the Alien is still an epic adversary.
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.15 (1994)
"Episode #1.15"
After the depressing heaviness of last episode, what better way to lighten the mood than with an episode centered on the Hartley High dance, which Yola and Mr Southgate - his usual pleasant, calm self - are chaperoning. The former thinks it will be fun. The latter is worried about weapons, groping and drinking. The contrast between the two was very well done. We had our dance and called it a disco in the afternoon but the Hartley dance takes place at night, which definitely means more possibilities. There's match-making, ill-advised drinking, and even a little vulnerability shown by Mr Southgate. Glad to know he does have a heart in there somewhere.
Other takeaways from the episode: Rivers is still a first-class moron when he isn't around Chaka and Con should never be allowed to run any scheme, no matter what it is.
Features a musical appearance by Aussie r&b band Kulcha, who were pretty big at the time.
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.14 (1994)
"Episode #1.14"
By far and away the best episode of "Heartbreak High" yet and one of the best episodes of any television show I've ever watched.
The story focuses on the persecution of homosexual Mr Brown after he is accused - by a religious zealot no less - of inappropriately touching a male student. What follows is horrific and uncomfortable, but brilliantly acted and written.
Hugh Baldwin plays Mr Brown expertly. You can't help but feel sorry for what he is being put through so unfairly by kids and parents alike. The abuse escalates until it becomes physical.
It was hard to watch at times, and I'm sure the writers intended it to be. It's a damned shame that this episode of "Heartbreak High" was so close to reality. A triumph of Australian television, no doubt about it.
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.13 (1994)
"Episode #1.13"
"The world is full of sleazebags with pleasant faces," Yola says to Christina in the aftermath of the latter's relationship with Peters Phelps' Phil North crashing and burning, Christina finding out, courtesy of a vengeful Rose, that her boyfriend had had an inappropriate relationship with a student at one of his last schools.
The whole semi-stalking thing with Rose is the first storyline that I think hasn't been dead on realistic, speaking as a Sydney high school kid from the 90's. As if a teacher doesn't report all these situations, and I guarantee you one hundred percent that if a teacher saw a student across the street from their home watching them, there would be very official hell to pay. We're talking counselling, suspension...the works.
Only six stars for this episode - a break from the pattern that Heartbreak High has established of gritty, true-to-life stories.
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.12 (1994)
"Episode #1.12"
Things go very pear-shaped for Yola after she tries to offer some words of wisdom to Danielle's pregnant 15-year-old sister, for a time earning her the undeserved enmity of the year eleven group. This episode, revolving around teen pregnancy and the decision about whether to keep the baby or not and the issue with breaking that uncomfortable news to one's parents is very well-handled: well written, and very well-acted. All involved deserve kudos for their roles in what is a hot-button issue back then, just as it is now. There are lots of very good scenes in this episode about safe sex and the consequences of it not being safe. Best way to teach kids, if you ask me. Speaking as a mid-90's high school kid, I guarantee you we related more to the kids on these shows and learnt more from them as a result than we did in the classroom.
Battle of the Bulge (1965)
"Nuts"
An old school war film where men mostly die quickly and with little displayed blood. Watching these war films in the post-"Saving Private Ryan" world of battle epics makes them fall a little flat.
Still, a decent (but long) film that covers the basics of the last great Nazi offensive of World War II, including the response from the encircled American commander to his German counterpart at Bastogne, and the German troops operating behind the lines in American uniforms. There's no shortage of extras: men or tanks.
Henry Fonda, Robert Ryan, Charles Bronson, Telly Savalas and Robert Shaw headline the cast.
Dirty Dancing (1987)
The time of my life
It might be predictable and cliched but dang if it also isn't iconic.
The Patrick Swayze (RIP)/Jennifer Grey coming of age saga *with a summer dance camp for families in New York's Catskill Mountains as the backdrop, no less - a unique setting, if ever there's been one!) has been often imitated but never bettered.
There's something about Johnny Castle and Frances 'Baby' Houseman that will stand the test of time. The chemistry between Swayze and Grey is off the charts, right from the beginning, which is interesting considering they apparently didn't exactly like each other on the set of "Red Dawn". Their dance scenes just about set the film alight. It feels genuine. Not sure anyone could have done it better.
Featuring a supporting cast that includes Jerry Orbach and Wayne Knight, a pumping soundtrack with more shout-them-out-loud anthems than should be allowed to be included in a single hundred-minute movie, plus the undeniable chemistry of Swayze and Grey, "Dirty Dancing" will go down in Hollywood history. The final sequence is euphoric stuff.
Nobody puts Baby in a corner.
A Costa Rican Wedding (2024)
Hallmark goes to Costa Rica
I thought this would be a good one, and I wasn't disappointed.
The combination of an on-location shoot - I mean, those images of Costa Rica are self-explanatory; the scenery is almost the real star of the show - two very good leads in Hallmark veteran Christopher Russell and Australia's Rhiannon Fish (herself nearing Hallmark veteran status now with a string of titles under her belt), and you have all the makings.
That said, Hallmark have managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory before...but thankfully not on this occasion. "A Costa Rican Wedding" is great. Russell and Fish have great chemistry, the acting is, for the most part, good from all concerned, despite the occasional cringey moment, and the ending, as always, is satisfying. It's Hallmark, after all.
More of this couple, please, Crown Media.
Enemy at the Gates (2001)
Brilliant but bleak
From the outset - with a prelude featuring Russian soldiers attacking German positions after surviving a nightmarish boatride across the Volga that rivals the Omaha Beach sequence in "Saving Private Ryan" - bleakness is the order of the day in "Stalingrad."
But then, the movie is true to form, for Stalingrad was a bitter, bleak and hellish battle. "Enemy at the Gates" depicts all that horror and then some, as Russian sniper hero Vassili Zaitsev (Jude Law) matches wits with German ace König (Ed Harris) as the city crumbles around them.
The cinematography is grimly spectacular: Jean-Jacques Annaud doesn't shy away from graphic illustration of war. The city falls into ruin. German kills Russian. Russian kills German. It isn't until the final scenes that the sun shines.
Law and Harris are fantastic. The late, great Bob Hoskins as Kruschev stole every scene he was in. Joseph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz and Ron Perlman were also good.
A war movie right up with the best of them.
Phantoms (1998)
A decent horror movie.
Based on the Dean Koontz novel of the same name.
Two sisters (Rose McGowan and Joanna Going) drive into the picturesque town of Snowfield, Colorado...and find it completely empty. Someone - or, rather, something - has wiped out the entire population. Well, aside from FBI agent turned sheriff Ben Affleck and his deputy, Liev Schreiber. They must band together to find out what has happened.
Peter O'Toole pops up, with a theory about something that periodically wipes out civilisations. That's not good news.
There is lots of blood and guts, and some actually quite scary scenes but it's ultimately one of those movies you watch to pass ninety minutes on a Friday night and forget about it.
Hellbound (1994)
One hell of a Chuck Norris movie!
Pun intended. Actually, this isn't really one of Chuck's better showings and wouldn't be at all notable or worth a watch were his character, Chicago PD cop Frank Shatter, going up against a demonic force. Yep, that's right - Satan's envoy really picked the wrong guy to go up against.
There is plenty of action, a prelude featuring King Richard the Lionheart, a little religion and plenty of the supernatural.
The thing that really dragged the film down is that the showdown you knew was coming from the very beginning was just...meh. You expected something epic, and got the opposite. Far too easy, too rudimentary, too boring, to unenthusiastic. Chuck seemed to be mailing this one in. Too bad, because it could have been good.
(Also: Shatter's partner, Calvin Jackson (played by Calvin Levels) was all kinds of annoying. There's no need to yell, sir. Talk about over-acting.)
Two Scoops of Italy (2024)
Ciao, Hallmark
Hallmark with some Italian flavour.
As the title might suggest, gelato is on the menu. Hunter King and Michele Rosiello star in another strong Passport to Love on-location romance that showcases some beautiful Italian scenery as well as telling the story of American Danielle, who travels to Italy and meets Giancarlo, who shows her everything that Italy has to offer.
So, not an original plot, but an enjoyable story nonetheless. The two leads were good. I think this is the first Hallmark movie I've seen that Hunter King stars in, and she does a good job. Ditto her opposite number, Michele Rosiello.
You know exactly what you're going to get from a movie like this, and it doesn't disappoint.
Vampires (1998)
A pretty good vampire movie
The opening scene was pretty spectacular, but unfortunately the remainder of "Vampires" wasn't at that same high standard. That's not to say it wasn't entertaining, though.
James Woods is pretty good as hard-eyed vampire killer Jack Crow, who has the unofficial backing of the Vatican. He bites off a little more than he can chew the first time he goes up against Thomas Ian Griffith's Jan Valek - the Dracula of this movie, if you will - which sets the scene for the rest of the John Carpenter-directed movie.
Ultimately, "Vampires" comes down to Crow vs. Valek, with lots of blood and gore, some priests behaving badly and a showdown worth the wait.
Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths - Part Three (2024)
The final act...thankfully.
I said in my review of part two that I wasn't going to bother with the third and final instalment of "Justice League: Crisis on Infinite Earths" but I went against my word, and figured I'd finish out the saga. It's largely more of the same to be honest...however the addition of dinosaurs and Nazi foot soldiers on various versions of Earth in an unstable pocket universe preyed upon by the Anti-Monitor.
There are a couple of Batmen, a couple of Robins, and plenty of other DC characters that you know and love: Aquaman, Green Lantern, Wonder Woman, Super Girl, The Joker (voiced by Luke Skywalker himself, Mark Hamill), Lex Luthor and Two-Face - maybe too many characters, actually.
At least there is a resolution, tied to Barry Allen's The Flash. I'm glad I got to the end, but it was a slog for a lot of the time. The entire concept could have been a lot better.
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.11 (1994)
"Episode #1.11"
Considering we have just about run the entire gamut of realistic high school scenarios so far in "Heartbreak High", I guess it was only a matter of time before we got to a storyline involving that most forbidden of high school fruit: a relationship between a student (in this case, Rose) and a teacher (Mr North, who seems to be popular with everyone!) and it's well handed, more real than you see in a lot of high school dramas. Nothing salacious, but actually a well-constructed plot. Peter Phelps and Katherine Halliday bring the story together convincingly. Not sure if this is the end...something tells me there's more to play out.
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.10 (1994)
"Episode #1.10"
Jodie is back from Melbourne and it isn't all smooth sailing between her and Nick. When her boyfriend from Melbourne turns up in Sydney en route to a gig in Brisbane, Nick slaps her. Add domestic violence to the list of topics that Heartbreak High isn't shying away from depicting - a very well-executed story. Great acting from Abi Tucker and - not for the first time - Alex Dimitriades. It wasn't a good episode for people in love. The relationship between Miss Milano and Marco is on the rocks thanks to Marco's promotion to Perth. He doesn't understand why she won't follow him there with no questions asked. I won't miss the character. Episode #1.10 is notable for Australian veteran Peter Phelps joining the cast as a new teacher, Phil North.
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.9 (1994)
"Episode #1.9"
It's been pretty heavy going at Hartley High for the last few episodes, so it was nice to see a more lighthearted episode this time around. Thanks to a deal brokered by Con - what could go wrong there? - Hartley High have new soccer jerseys with a permanent reminder of Mrs Poulous and, to the disgust of Mr Southgate, Steve, who likes the camaraderie he sees with the soccer team, jumps ship from rugby league to the round ball game, completing the roster for the team coached once again by Mr Poulous, with support from Miss Milano. The ending was somewhat predictable - a little Hollywood! - but it was a much-needed good news story. Even Southgate, who manages to be the dark cloud everywhere he goes, was excited by the end of the soccer game. What is the world coming to?
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.8 (1994)
"Episode #1.8"
A depressing episode but a very well executed one.
"Heartbreak High" certainly isn't shying away from any of the tough issues. We've had racism and gender-based discrimination and now death, with Nick's mum tragically passing away after being involved in a heavy car accident.
Alex Dimitriades does a wonderful job as the grieving, angry, disillusioned Nick, who is looking for an outlet for his grief, no matter what that outlet might be, which lands him in a world of trouble on top of everything else when he finds an outlet at a police station. However it is Nico Lathouris as Mr Poulos who steals the show in the acting department. He plays the grieving husband perfectly. The hospital scenes when they learn than Mrs Poulous has lost her fight are incredibly realistic and watching them made me feel quite voyeuristic.
Brilliant acting from all involved. Bravo!
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.7 (1994)
"Episode #1.7"
Lots going on in this episode! Principal Deloraine, in an effort to get extra funding for Hartley High by getting it labelled as a disadvantaged school, ends up giving information to a journalist that is then twisted and turned into a dramatic expose that has Deloraine basically calling the Hartley students dumb. At the same time, Riverdale High School challenge Hartley High to a debate about the merits of a republic or monarchy in Australia and although it is very unorthodox, Con delivers a speech that is equal parts true and hilarious, with his inimitable style - definitely Salvatore Coco's best moment on the show to this point. Also, the struggling soccer team gets a new coach.
(Former 'Home and Away' star and current star of music theatre in Australia, Tim Campbell, stars as one of the Riverdale High students.)
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.6 (1994)
"Episode #1.6"
Another really strong episode, this one focuses on Chaka who turns up at school late and is generally behind the eight-ball. Her friends realise something is happening, and rally around her. It turns out that Chaka and her troublesome brother (who is a reprobate, in trouble with the cops by the end of the episode) are on their own whilst their mother is in El Salvador looking for their father, who has fallen foul of the current regime in that country. Another story ripped from the headlines of the time. I distinctly remember kids in my high school who were missing family members. Good to see Rivers not acting like a total tool in this episode. There are some really heart-wrenching scenes in this episode, but ultimately good to see all the Hartley High kids - and teachers! - rally around Chaka.
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.5 (1994)
"Episode #1.5"
One thing is clear in the fifth episode of Heartbreak High: the course of true love doesn't run smoothly. Alex Dimitriades' Nick is in trouble at school because his grades are slipping and he is missing out on soccer practice (more realism from HH. I mean, who didn't let their grades lag a little in high school when they fell in love for the first time?). This leads to a disagreement between Nick and his dad, causing Nick to leave home and move in with Abi Tucker's Jodie. Then there's a shouting match between Con and Nick. Things aren't that great for Miss Milano, with her boyfriend hogging the shower at Yola's apartment. When Jodie is given a great opportunity to make it in the music Industry. She is off to Melbourne, and doesn't want Nick to come...for good reasons, but it's heartbreaking nonetheless. A well-acted and well-written episode. Dimitriades and Tucker are especially great.
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.4 (1994)
"Episode #1.4"
Another great episode. Notable for, aside from big moments and decisions made about life for both teachers and students at Hartley High - Miss Milano decides to move out and away from her very traditional parents; Nick and Jodie spend the night together - finally getting to glimpse a little bit of humanity from Mr Southgate. Still a misogynist and a bit of a d-bag, but he stood up for Rivers when the police came to the school and tried to get him to come down to the station. Maybe Tony Martin's character isn't all bad. The developing relationship between Rivers and Chaka is an interesting one. She definitely smooths out his rough edges, which is just as well, because the bully act was becoming insufferable.
Heartbreak High: Episode #1.3 (1994)
"Episode #1.3"
Heartbreak High never shied away from the big issues. That was the main thing I remembered from watching it the first time as a teenager around the same age as the kids on screen. Three episodes into me watching it in my late 30's on Netflix, that fact is abundantly obvious. Last episode it was freedom of speech via a rap song and a shuttered school newspaper, this episode is about sexism and inclusion through the lens of a soccer team that Emma Roche's Danielle wants to join. Tony Martin's Southgate - a character who is yet to display any redeeming qualities, for mine - is dead against it. He doesn't think girls should play, nor that Miss Milano should coach. Kids like Rivers think soccer is a girls game and that it's only for whimps, another unfortunately-real nod to 90's Australia. The entire episode is brilliantly done. It's like watching my high school days on the screen in front of me.