moonchildiva

IMDb member since October 2001
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    IMDb Member
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Reviews

Next Stop Murder
(2010)

Patricia Highsmith wrote this story....
I didn't even bother finishing this movie!! I feel that credit should have been given to Patricia Highsmith who already WROTE this premise a long time ago in Strangers on a Train!! Very poor, sorry to say. Nothing else was on TV so I tried this one but I didn't even give it 40 minutes. Are you trying to tell me that ANYONE would charge up thousands and then dump it in a trash pail? Even if they were crazy, this would not happen, I really believe THAT, not what happened in the film. I really hate to see Lifetime waste our time with such c r a p. There's little talent involved in the making of this horrible movie. Sorry to say, but true.

Cade's County: Crisscross
(1971)
Episode 4, Season 1

Good Story
Racist/Drunken/Criminal Richard Rust as Coley Baker begins this episode harassing Mexicans in a bar. That's all he gets to do before he's stabbed to death in the back hallway. DARN. But then, the story actually does get good. After recovering from my initial disappointment in Rust's FAST appearance on screen, I found myself immersed in the story that concerned a business owner, the people who work for him and the owner's secrets. Still, I wish Rust had been in it a little longer. Part of the story is about who killed him, because a young Mexican worker whose wife is about to deliver their first child is the main suspect. Anything with Glenn Ford in it is OK by me! I slightly recall this show but at the moment I only have two episodes, and Crisscross is the only one I've watched.

Angels Over Broadway
(1940)

I'm glad I saw this movie last night
We were intrigued by this movie last night when it showed on TCM. I've always been a Ben Hecht fan so it was good to see something I'd never seen before - in the old days, Bill Kennedy out of Windsor/Detroit showed many old films on his TV show at 1 pm but I don't remember ever seeing this one. Rita Hayworth was just glorious! As usual. I wonder if Marilyn Monroe saw this movie and used Rita's slight speech impediment. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. is always wonderful. I'm a fan of such actors as John Qualen and Thomas Mitchell. They are good in everything. I also liked finding two new actors to look for in old films, Jack Roper, the boxer who played Eddie, and Eddie Foster who played Louie Artino. The black & white was almost delicious, the rain put the movie into a certain mood and the sets were perfection. Wardrobe was easy, no one changed, except for taking off their rain coats. I liked it and I want to see it again soon, which shouldn't be a problem with TCM, they have started showing the same movies over & over anyway. I recommend Angels Over Broadway!

Christmas Holiday
(1944)

This is NOT a nice film, not typical of the season...
...but fabulous! Deanna's a torch singer, and she looks all grown up and gorgeous, she doesn't sing opera in this. Gene's a murdering gambler with a Mother Complex. How can you miss with a Maugham story? You can't. And Gene's mother is played by the great actor Gale Sondergaard. This movie is underrated and ignored, but should be seen by more people. I have it on tape and watch it every year around the holidays, it's one of my favorites, but it has little to do with Christmas. If you're a Gene Kelly fan, you'll particularly enjoy watching him act, but not dance! One lovely scene concerns a soldier going to Midnight Mass with Deanna where she gets hysterical, crying. It's very memorable. I recommend.

The Alfred Hitchcock Hour: The Sign of Satan
(1964)
Episode 27, Season 2

One of the most memorable episodes
I remember this episode clearly even though I haven't seen it since 1964. First of all, it scared me and most of all, Christopher Lee has always been one of my favorites. That night, in Detroit, the wind was blowing very hard, we made fudge that came out SO GOOD and our whole family watched Alfred Hitchcock because Lee was in it. This was the era of one TV in the family, so they were nice to comply. I have to find a copy of this SOON. Every once in awhile, someone in our family will say, remember that night...... and it's this one. I agree with the people here who said this was one of the best of all. It was interesting to see Lee on television, a rare occurrence.

Bourbon Street Beat: Torch Song for Trumpet
(1959)
Episode 3, Season 1

Guest Starring Richard Rust as Kip Kiley, Trumpet Player
I've watched this episode about 3 times since I found it on VHS. I'm a Richard Rust fan, so of course, I think it's well done, but it really is. It starts with a close up of Rust answering a ringing phone in a bar, and we can hear that it's a woman who wants to speak to him but he won't. So the woman, Cindy played by Suzanne Leigh (she is Tracey Bregman's mother, who plays Lauren on Young and The Restless, by the way) goes to Andrew Duggan for help in bringing Kiley around again. Turns out that he went to jail even though he wasn't guilty. She married someone who could get him out in 3 years instead of the 5 he was sentenced, so she does it. But he won't listen to her explain WHY she did it. He's working as a bartender in a dive by the water, it's owned by an older man who is being harassed into sale by a mobster, who has a secret reason for wanting to own it. One night the old man turns up dead and suspicion turns on Kiley because he just got out of jail. The rest of the episode is about everyone trying to prove Kiley either guilty or innocent. It's good television, well written, well acted, and has a really nice ending which I will not divulge here, natch. Bourbon Street Beat is a forgotten TV show that should not be. I recommend it!

The Littlest Hobo: Come Next Fall Session
(1963)
Episode 4, Season 1

"Dreamer...Am I Only a Dreamer?" from I'm Moody by Fulton/Samuels
Kevin, wonderfully played by a young and handsome Richard Rust, is a medical student who has not been able to go back to school because he feels he needs more money. He tried working and going at the same time, but he just couldn't handle it. He is, however, trying hard to hit a strike in a mine. The townspeople think he's a little crazy and never miss a chance to razz him. The Littlest Hobo doesn't have much of a part in this film, he really doesn't even solve any of the problems. Two men come to town to photograph birds and they run into Kevin who explains what he's doing there. The men go into the woods and run into trouble with a bird that attacks one of them. The worst of Kevin's detractors is amazed to see Kevin save the man's life. He's never believed that Kevin had any talent or inclination to become a doctor. Even Kevin's fiancée had gotten tired of waiting and they'd argued, broken up. The saving of a life shakes everyone up, especially Kevin, who decides to return to med school and finally realize his dream through the hard work he thought he could not handle.

When in Rome
(1952)

Inspirational!
What a sweet film! I had never seen it before yesterday on TCM, May 10 2006. I am a fan of both actors and actually it was interesting to see them in such roles - Douglas as an "evil" person and Johnson as a priest! The whole story had the Clarence Brown quality that movie fans have come to love so much. I felt like some of the locations were the same ones used in Godfather III. The black and white is very rich, it is a pleasure to watch. The real shots of the Vatican celebrations are breathtaking. The comic relief of the detective is charming. I must admit I got choked up twice. I was brought up Catholic and though I do not practice etc. I still at least have nostalgic feelings for films such as When in Rome. I recommend!

Caught in the Act
(2004)

good for a few hours of Saturday resting
I disagree completely with the other commenter, Holly's accent is just as good as those considered such great acting by Meryl Streep (which I do not, by the way.) I did not find it annoying NOR distracting (and yet I DO find Streep's awful accents BOTH) -- I've seen this movie twice and enjoyed it both times. It's a good story, the acting is well done and MAN that music by Marty Stuart and Wynonna is superb... that music should be on a CD for purchase. I recommend this movie for AFTER you've done some Saturday chores and just want to relax on the couch. I mean, what fun!! A woman who is "wronged" ha-ha finds her way into not only solving a murder but into new employment. It's rather encouraging, if you think about it. I'm not saying this is a classic film or anything but I am saying that if there's going to be a new kinda classic, such as LIFETIME classic, then this one qualifies!

The Engagement Ring
(2005)

Better than most feature films!
I am so glad I accidentally found this on TV as I was dozing off for a nap on Saturday. It kept me awake and completely charmed me. Not only were the actors very good, the settings were gorgeous (how could they NOT BE in Napa Valley?) and the music was a perfect match. I want to watch this movie again, seriously. Because of her character on Raymond, I've never been a Heaton fan, but she won me over in this movie! I base my opinion for many films on whether or not they made a rainy or cold Saturday or Sunday BETTER. This one DID IT! We could not remember the name of the actor who played the uncle, but we knew him, so when the credits actually named the actors at the end, this movie received a few more PLUSES from us! I recommend heartily!

Layover
(2001)

It IS what it IS
This is a rainy weekend film, the kind when you're alone and just relaxing and eating all the snacks in the house while you lie on the couch... I've seen much worse, movies that pass themselves off as ART, not just pure entertainment. And we need MORE entertainment, not less! The thing is, this movie wasn't even violent, because the shootings were somehow light! I guess because everyone was a criminal. I LIKED the ending very much! Adult fairy tale ending. Money, money, money, he's rich now... Hasselhoff looked terrific, he should do more films! Looks like he's one of those guys you either love or hate. Most people. I LIKE HIM.

The Lusty Men
(1952)

Perfect but don't like the title
I see they had a choice of some other titles here - anything's better than the one they used on TCM on Saturday (10/29/05.) But I loved this movie! Arthur Kennedy has always been one of my favorites and Susan Hayward, who was born on my birthday, is amazing, always. Whew, in this movie, she beats up another chick TWICE! With good reason, of course. I am really glad I never saw this movie before because although Leonard Maltin called the ending "hokey" in his video guide, I liked it so much that it made me cry. Maybe it's a 'girl thing.' Robert Mitchum was incredibly handsome and sexy - if I owned the movie, I just might watch it again TO SEE HIM WALK, whew. I bet he had the girls heated up in the 50s. Sorry I didn't tape it for my own use, then. I feel that this film is an example of why Nicholas Ray has a following. It's a beautiful work of art, and I thank him for it.

Comanche Station
(1960)

A Fine Film
Starts immediately, ACTION! I never saw this movie before unless I saw it when I was a kid, going to the movies every Sunday, because it's 1959 and I was 8 then but I was never that interested in westerns, until I saw Liberty Valance a few years later. Lately I've become interested in the actor Richard Rust so I started collecting all of his performances - Comanche Station is one of them. I thought that he and Claude Akins did most of the acting - I really enjoyed their performances. Randolph Scott, though he has a great face and presence, did not seem to be really acting much, though I imagine his fans would say that it's his style; in fact, maybe the perfect cowboy! Anyway, it's a short film, but full, and I was not disappointed by Rust in his second film, at the age of 20. He had his character down pat and at one point, he made me get tears in my eyes. I would recommend this film to anyone - there are fine characterizations by the actors, good scenery, action and an honesty that cannot be explained. It's a Western, maybe that's all you need to know.

Da Vinci's City Hall
(2005)

My Favorite TV Show
This is my favorite show period not just ON Canadian Broadcasting. I have long been a Nicholas Campbell fan. Remember Diamonds? I thought the change from coroner to mayor was a great idea and the first episode did not disappoint. I could feel the great story lines waiting in the wings! My only problem: no Donnelly Rhodes! I am really going to miss him, and hope he returns, after all. Ian Tracey was really good as a cop, I hope he has some good things going on as the new coroner. So far, it seemed like he mostly agreed with people. I didn't like that! I recommend this show to everyone who is tired of the American conveyor belt of TV shows... it's like I can't believe the WB canceled Just Legal, the new Don Johnson show!! It was just too fresh for American viewers, I guess, TOO BAD for us.

First Degree
(1995)

I thought this movie was pretty good, actually!
Of course, it's true that story lines are being re-hashed on a constant basis, many films are guilty of this, but really, what can they do? How many endings are unique these days? Seems as if all the story lines are taken! So then it's up to the actors to make it fresh for us and I feel that this film succeeded in doing so! I would recommend it to anyone who needed a new film to watch, that has not been in the theatres, who is interested in maybe seeing all the work of more obscure actors because I have to admit that I hate to see a fine actor such as Tom McCamus WASTED in a movie like this, but even he probably could use a chance to make money now & then for his art. I just want to see everything he's done (and enjoyed his appearance in Stratford in Threepenny Opera, too.)

The Student Nurses
(1970)

Good to leave on while cooking dinner
As usual, I only bought this film off ebay because Richard Rust is in it...as Les, the motorcycle vegan drug dealer, which makes not much sense, but one of the characters asked him how he can be a drug dealer AND a vegan and he had a pretty good answer. I was not disappointed, once again AS USUAL because he was not only HANDSOME but interesting in this movie, which although not an excellent film, is mildly amusing. I'm pretty sure I DID see it in the drive in, and was not surprised to see it called a Drive In Movie here and there on the internet. I have to admit I laughed out loud a few times. That's worth something! And truthfully, since there were a lot of movies like this one at that time, it has to be considered a genre! I would actually recommend this movie to some people.

Living with the Dead
(2002)

Simply put, IT WAS GOOD
I watch TV and don't care how much of it ends. If I fall asleep, it doesn't disturb me that I don't know what happened. When "Living with the Dead" was on one Sunday with Part Two the next Sunday, I couldn't wait to see it, I even waited until 11 pm to drive about 4 hours (there & back) to take some children in the family home to their mother! (they didn't have to watch the movie, too young) And I had to get up for work at 7 am at the latest!! I thought the story and acting were compelling, I felt the story line could be possibly true, I was never sure who was doing the murders until nearly the very end. Of course, such subject matter isn't for everyone, but in the 21st century, it's on more people's minds than ever. The very best part of the film is when Diane Ladd says "Not Everyone" when Ted Danson asks her if death is peaceful for everyone...whew! This film is underrated. It really held my interest and I was recommending it, even to people who missed Part One.

The Female of the Species
(1912)

My Favorite Griffith Film
Claire McDowell is my favorite character in this film, an amazing presence. I've been watching this film all my life, I bought an 8mm from Blackhawk Films in the 70s, to view it, using my Dad's projector and screen without music. We were all interested in Mary Pickford's performance, very much unlike her later roles, of course. She's such a trouble maker in this movie! And Dorothy Bernard is so lovely, she really makes you feel for her, unjustly accused of flirting with Mary Pickford's older sister (Claire McDowell)'s husband! I enjoy the title cards, especially the use of the word "vagaries" - an archaic word that I've recently used in a song, with all credit to DW Griffith. When the baby cries, I always felt that I could HEAR it in this silent film. I get that involved in it. In fact, we started wearing our hair like they do, when we first saw this movie in the 70s on public television! Now I have it on DVD, that Griffith collection of short films. I think I'll watch it today!

Sam Benedict
(1962)

Very good show
I don't remember this show at all from 1963 but I do have a few episodes now, trying to get more, and I enjoy it very much, especially as a Richard Rust fan. He plays Sam's assistant. When you have two great actors on one show, Edmond O'Brien and Rust, and it's intelligently written yet entertaining, how can you miss? Since it was canceled after one year, I feel that it was ahead of its time, and could actually enjoy success now, if properly promoted. It has a Nelson Riddle theme, nice sets (apartments, restaurants, the office and courtroom), Richard Rust looks perfect in his suits and you can actually understand everything they say...elocution! Interesting guest stars, such as Diana Hyland, Gloria Grahame, Claude Rains, Joseph Schildkraut (he was nominated for an Emmy for his role as a Rabbi) and one episode was directed by Ida Lupino. If I owned a TV channel, this would be on!

Honey West
(1965)

Still Holds Up for Me!
I recently got my hands on a few episodes of this show and I still don't understand why it only lasted one season, just as I wondered in 1965...! Not only good looking people, but interesting story lines, good guest stars, great clothes & cars, hip apartments, delicious banter and a very unique camera/editing style! Who's cuter than Anne Francis?? and wow, John Ericson is gorgeous! I also enjoy the comic relief of Jack Jones' mother, Irene Hervey as Aunt Meg. I plan to find more episodes of this show, maybe ALL of them! I recommend this show to anyone who enjoys private eye fare, good looking blonds, 60s hunks and good 60s TV!

Taras Bulba
(1962)

Good for Saturday Afternoon
I saw this movie in the theatre when I was a kid and even then I was slightly angered by the slams on Poles in it... but in some ways, I guess I could understand too, and anyway, I remember liking it, I never forgot it. This movie's lost in a time warp though - it seems like it was made in 1942 not 1962. I enjoyed it even with all the horses running in it, over & over. And over. The highlight for me was the close up of Richard Rust as Captain Alex - as far as I'm concerned, he outswaggered the other Moonchild in the movie, Yul. I watched this on a Saturday afternoon, I own it, and I recommend it for lazy Saturday viewing. Who's prettier than Tony Curtis?? Well, I'd say Richard Rust, but actually, nobody (maybe Tyrone Power.) Taras Bulba's a film for many people for many reasons!

The Last Movie
(1971)

Egads, why not call it The Worst Movie?
I'm not going to pretend that this was a good movie just cos it's a Dennis Hopper film. Surely even HE is wincing every time someone even mentions it to HIM. Come on. I bought it cos I wanted to find Richard Rust in it, and I BELIEVE he's the guy who kills the man and woman, quick left, right, after he finds his brother dead. How can I be sure?!?! I feel that I would know those hands anywhere after HE is shot dead. Anyway, I left the tape right there in case I want to see Richard Rust again, but that's about all I might want to do... I cannot recommend this film to anyone for any other reason BUT trying to find your actor of interest after seeing the credits here on the IMDb or something. Sorry. It just seems like a bunch of people who like to be together somewhere threw this film together for the hell of it. Maybe not such a bad idea after all. Wish I'd been there... www.moonchildiva.com

Underworld U.S.A.
(1961)

Richard Rust's Shades
So here we have a characterization comparable to Richard Widmark's in Kiss of Death... and yet, obviously, Richard Rust did not receive the promotion one needs to be noticed! But I noticed. And when someone said to me, "Check out Cliff Robertson's white suit", I said, "I didn't even notice him, I was looking at Richard Rust..." Not that everyone else in this film wasn't good, but from the putting on of shades to the turning a zippo in his hand, from his coldness in killing a child to his creepiness in saying he likes lifeguarding for children, from his great profile to his screen presence...here's an ACTOR! As Sadakichi Hartmann said about himself, Richard Rust must have been too great to be noticed. But I saw him. Thank goodness!!

Walk on the Wild Side
(1962)

Richard Rust Rules
Richard Rust is the only one I noticed in this film... I have to watch it again though cos I don't recall seeing Lee Marvin play a bit role when he was already a star in 1961, and M-Squad had already been on TV. Unless he did it for fun. Does Richard Rust even have a line in this film? And yet, his presence is so strong that I find myself looking for him on screen when he's not. Maybe he was a silent film star in a past life. It was all in the eyes and the facial expressions. I have read the books of Nelson Algren but this movie's all about something else entirely - it's a FILM and it's fun. And I love the theme song! Not to mention who doesn't want to see every movie that Barbara Stanwyck ever made... hey, she was born on 7/16 and rust was born on 7/14. www.moonchildiva.com

Naked Angels
(1969)

Richard Rust
OK, so for ME, just Richard Rust as Fingers, the 3rd star of this film, was enough to buy it. I've seen it priced at $150 but somehow I found a cheaper copy on ebay where it seems to be always available. Seriously, I enjoyed the film, it really did have its moments, and since 1969's the year I graduated, it kind of had some meaning... haha. The plot summary on IMDb is perfect, the writer hits it succinctly. He should have mentioned Richard Rust though since no matter what, he's the STAR of this movie. Somewhere in the middle, Rust gives the speech which sends Mother out into the desert alone, and that's the best part of the movie. I watched him twice and thought, Why wasn't HE in The Godfather?? I recommend this film for this reason especially. www.moonchildiva.com

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