Reviews (3)

not too true
Even though I like Jeff Goldblum he is not Ernie Kovacs. I think they could have found a different and better actor to play him.

I guess it is ok but I've seen much better true story movies.

I'd like to say "Close, but NO cigar"...
...but sadly, it's not even close enough for that.

This interesting attempt to illustrate a dramatic chapter in the life of a much-loved comedian is a failure on many counts, and unfortunately is the only filmed(dramatised)biography of Ernie Kovacs we're likely to get for some time.
To start with, it's badly miscast: Jeff Goldblum is a unique actor-perhaps too unique-and well-known as himself-to be acceptable as Kovacs, with whom he shares only overaverage height in common(Kovacs 6'2", Goldblum about 6' 4").
Kovacs was a large man-quite beefy, and his bulk at a young age(he's in his 30s as portrayed in this film)contributed to his imposing appearance and carriage. Goldblum wears his hair in the correct hairstyle, has the ubiquitous pinkie ring on...and looks about as Kovacs-hungarian as Chico Marx did italian. An exceptionally talented unknown in the part would have been much easier to accept.

Apart from that huge flaw, there's the weird choice of story: Ernie Kovacs did have two young daughters who were kidnapped by his first wife after a bitter divorce and custody battle where Kovacs received sole custody of his kids-almost unheard of in the early 50s. But it's very odd to focus as this film does on just this ONE short(3 years or so)period in the life of a man best remembered for his unique, brilliant work on television-work SO different, it's what's kept him remembered at all more than 40 years after his sudden death at age 42 in a car crash. He lived high, fast and quite literally burned himself out at both ends-but remarkably, considering the sort of milieu he was part of, seemed to never lose his basic sweet charm, warm good-fellowship, and cockeyed view of his inner world-a world that gave us "the Nairobi Trio"(3 "apes" acting out to a weird soundtrack), assorted setpieces involving german versions of "Mack the Knife", Esquivel(talk about ahead of his time!), and god knows what else. There are several good video biographies out now(one from the A&E series)that at least give a better context and overview of his life...
And why on earth Edie Adams, Ernie's second wife, partner on TV and apparent "consultant" on this project would cast herself as Mae West is beyond surmise...it's more than a little unsettling to watch her acting as "Mae", sidling up to an actor impersonating her deceased, onetime real-life husband. You don't whether to laugh or cry.

Your best bet is to avoid this and just rent or buy one of Ernie's REAL shows. Then you'll want to know more about the sort of genius who could dream this stuff up.

A good True story film
Jeff golblum does an excellent job playing the title in the film.the films about a hollywood legend whos wife kidnaps his children and he must do whatever it takes to find them. Well acting job by everybody. Cloris Leachman in an emmy winning performance.Also, Soleil Moon Frye who is in the last ten minutes of the film is charming and probably will make you cry. I thin she was only 7 or so, around that young age. Just a great film. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Hardly stellar...
"Groundstar" is a top-secret government space project, whose security has been breached, by Welles, one of its employees (Michael Sarrazin). Escaping the facility with secret information, the man is severely injured, and when captured has no memory of who he is. George Peppard is Tuxan, a hardened, single minded, government investigator in search of answers. Nicole (Christine Belford) is a bystander drawn into the situation, as Tuxan attempts to unlock the secrets within Welles's mind.

The film has a made for TV look and feel, with a plot that is not really original, or particularly credible. The script doesn't contain much action, or well-written dialog. The atmosphere of big brother government is pervasive. Tuxan, who routinely travels in a helicopter, is full of bluster, and attempts to orchestrate much of the action, yet doesn't actually do much that is impressive. The resolution to the story is rather unsatisfying, and implausible. Unless you enjoy heavy-handed government tactics, you can skip this drama.

Groundstar was released while Peppard was doing the TV show Banacek. Fans of that program, should be prepared for quite different type of character. The same applies to Christine Belford, who also had a reoccurring role on Banacek. There are no warm scenes with witty conversation between them. Michael Sarrazin has the most challenging role, and his performance while serviceable, is hampered by having to deliver some very bad lines.

This one has TV movie stink all over it....
George Peppard plays a character named Tuxan, who is responsible for uncovering the break in and theft of highly classified information at a government facility called Groundstar. He uses any and all means necessary to do this, including hidden cameras, hidden microphones, and 24 hour surveillance. He has complete control most of the time, and absolute authority to find the information he needs in order to protect the United States against foreign interests that may try to undermine the government by stealing precious secrets.

That being said, this movie plays out like a cheesy 70's TV melodrama. I tried hard to like this movie, but it was a hard sell. The movie starts out with multiple explosions at some facility, and one character managing to make it out before the whole place goes up. We see this character running down a corridor, being chased by other individuals, and then the picture freezes at a dramatic moment to allow for a credit to be displayed on the screen. This happens about four or five more times, and becomes quite tiresome, but if I recall, this was a device used quite a bit in the 70's, on movie but more so on TV. This movie really has a 'TV' feel to it, so I am wondering if the director was primarily a TV director...well, I was right. The director is Lamont Johnson, and he has an extensive career directing TV, and it shows here. Anyway, one character escapes before the whole place goes blammo, and it's Michael Sarrazin playing Welles. This is one of those actors who you may not recognize the name, but you'd probably recognize his face. He was fairly popular in the late 60's through the 70's. This slender, dark haired actor seemed to be on the verge of becoming a major star, but has since been relegated to mostly TV roles.

Well, he escapes, and we find out later that he was the only survivor of the explosion. His face badly damaged from the explosions, he manages to make it to the house of Nicole, played by Christine Belford, and actress with a solid television background and a few parts in some features films. The role I remember her from was the over protective mother to Arnie Cunningham in John Carpenter/Stephen King's killer car classic 'Christine' from 1983.

Well, we soon find out that that Welles, the soul survivor of the explosions, was also the one who caused the explosions. Apparently he used false credentials to get his position within the ultra top secret facility, then stole vital information, and caused the destruction of the facility to cover his escape. He remembers none of this, as he has lost his memory along with his face in the incident. We learn all this information from Tuxan, who is now investigating the situation.

There is a conspiracy, and it does follow though. The rest of the movie has Welles trying to put the pieces back together, recall what happened, if he could have killed those people and done the things Tuxan says he did. Nicole provides a haven for Welles, and seems sympathetic to his plight.

The most memorable line comes from Tuxan (what kind of name is that?) and is in response to Nicole berating him for invading her privacy by having hidden cameras and microphones in her house. He says something like 'murders are planned in private, assassinations are planned in private' etc. I don't remember the exact line, but it showed a great deal of the motivation behind the character.

The movie plays out, the conspiracy unfolds, and we are treated to a shocking ending. Well, not so shocking, really, but whatever. It was kind of hard to swallow, though. My main problem with this movie is I never really felt the tension that should have been there and the acting seemed kind of wooden. I enjoy a good conspiracy theory, but I had a hard time buying off on this one. The thing to keep in mind before you buy this movie is that it looks like a TV show. This was made in 1972, and prior to that, George Peppard had a somewhat promising movie career with Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), How the West Was Won (1962), and The Blue Max (1966) to name a few. Then around 1971, the movie roles seemed to dry up and he went into TV. He did make a number of movie after 1971, Damnation Alley (1977), Battle Beyond the Stars (1977), but none seemed to really have the prestige of previous movie roles. The same could be said for Michael Sarrazin. And the other main character, played by Christine Belford was primarily a TV actress. Given the director's history in TV, this all adds up to making this look like a high budget TV movie. I think once some directors immerses themselves in a particular medium, it's difficult to expand beyond the boundaries proscribed by that medium, and it shows here. I felt like the director was trying to exceed his grasp, and couldn't quite do it. Not a bad movie, for TV, but not a great movie for the big screen. I'd say 3 stars for a TV movie, 2½ stars for a theatrical release.

Cookieman108

Now there's something you don't see everyday
A good film, Peppard as Tuxan in a role that would resemble 2 of his roles on TV (Thomas Banacek that year, and Hannibal Smith of The A Team, 10 years later). The ending is that of a classic suspense film. The DVD version by the way is cheaper than most stores are offering the VHS copy (if you can find it) so get it while you can. Note Christine Belford, the woman down the road who falls for Sarazin also starred in Banacek, coincidence?

Well-paced counter espionage thriller.
George Peppard plays a ruthless, national security agent named Tucson. You would not want to run into him...unfortunately (maybe) Michael Sarrazin does as the brutalized betayer of the high level space project: GROUNDSTAR. The movie's pace is excellent as the law-unto-himself agent persues corruption into the highest levels of the government (Shades of China-gate!!!). Peppard is fascinating to watch as the thoroughly unlikeable hero who brings down the "conspirators" in an ironic but belevable climax. "He should have run faster," Tucson observes to a sympathetic medic regarding an explosion-mangled-into-unrecognizability victim. See the film, but stay out of the way of TUCSON... ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Hardly stellar...
"Groundstar" is a top-secret government space project, whose security has been breached, by Welles, one of its employees (Michael Sarrazin). Escaping the facility with secret information, the man is severely injured, and when captured has no memory of who he is. George Peppard is Tuxan, a hardened, single minded, government investigator in search of answers. Nicole (Christine Belford) is a bystander drawn into the situation, as Tuxan attempts to unlock the secrets within Welles's mind.

The film has a made for TV look and feel, with a plot that is not really original, or particularly credible. The script doesn't contain much action, or well-written dialog. The atmosphere of big brother government is pervasive. Tuxan, who routinely travels in a helicopter, is full of bluster, and attempts to orchestrate much of the action, yet doesn't actually do much that is impressive. The resolution to the story is rather unsatisfying, and implausible. Unless you enjoy heavy-handed government tactics, you can skip this drama.

Groundstar was released while Peppard was doing the TV show Banacek. Fans of that program, should be prepared for quite different type of character. The same applies to Christine Belford, who also had a reoccurring role on Banacek. There are no warm scenes with witty conversation between them. Michael Sarrazin has the most challenging role, and his performance while serviceable, is hampered by having to deliver some very bad lines.

This one has TV movie stink all over it....
George Peppard plays a character named Tuxan, who is responsible for uncovering the break in and theft of highly classified information at a government facility called Groundstar. He uses any and all means necessary to do this, including hidden cameras, hidden microphones, and 24 hour surveillance. He has complete control most of the time, and absolute authority to find the information he needs in order to protect the United States against foreign interests that may try to undermine the government by stealing precious secrets.

That being said, this movie plays out like a cheesy 70's TV melodrama. I tried hard to like this movie, but it was a hard sell. The movie starts out with multiple explosions at some facility, and one character managing to make it out before the whole place goes up. We see this character running down a corridor, being chased by other individuals, and then the picture freezes at a dramatic moment to allow for a credit to be displayed on the screen. This happens about four or five more times, and becomes quite tiresome, but if I recall, this was a device used quite a bit in the 70's, on movie but more so on TV. This movie really has a 'TV' feel to it, so I am wondering if the director was primarily a TV director...well, I was right. The director is Lamont Johnson, and he has an extensive career directing TV, and it shows here. Anyway, one character escapes before the whole place goes blammo, and it's Michael Sarrazin playing Welles. This is one of those actors who you may not recognize the name, but you'd probably recognize his face. He was fairly popular in the late 60's through the 70's. This slender, dark haired actor seemed to be on the verge of becoming a major star, but has since been relegated to mostly TV roles.

Well, he escapes, and we find out later that he was the only survivor of the explosion. His face badly damaged from the explosions, he manages to make it to the house of Nicole, played by Christine Belford, and actress with a solid television background and a few parts in some features films. The role I remember her from was the over protective mother to Arnie Cunningham in John Carpenter/Stephen King's killer car classic 'Christine' from 1983.

Well, we soon find out that that Welles, the soul survivor of the explosions, was also the one who caused the explosions. Apparently he used false credentials to get his position within the ultra top secret facility, then stole vital information, and caused the destruction of the facility to cover his escape. He remembers none of this, as he has lost his memory along with his face in the incident. We learn all this information from Tuxan, who is now investigating the situation.

There is a conspiracy, and it does follow though. The rest of the movie has Welles trying to put the pieces back together, recall what happened, if he could have killed those people and done the things Tuxan says he did. Nicole provides a haven for Welles, and seems sympathetic to his plight.

The most memorable line comes from Tuxan (what kind of name is that?) and is in response to Nicole berating him for invading her privacy by having hidden cameras and microphones in her house. He says something like 'murders are planned in private, assassinations are planned in private' etc. I don't remember the exact line, but it showed a great deal of the motivation behind the character.

The movie plays out, the conspiracy unfolds, and we are treated to a shocking ending. Well, not so shocking, really, but whatever. It was kind of hard to swallow, though. My main problem with this movie is I never really felt the tension that should have been there and the acting seemed kind of wooden. I enjoy a good conspiracy theory, but I had a hard time buying off on this one. The thing to keep in mind before you buy this movie is that it looks like a TV show. This was made in 1972, and prior to that, George Peppard had a somewhat promising movie career with Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961), How the West Was Won (1962), and The Blue Max (1966) to name a few. Then around 1971, the movie roles seemed to dry up and he went into TV. He did make a number of movie after 1971, Damnation Alley (1977), Battle Beyond the Stars (1977), but none seemed to really have the prestige of previous movie roles. The same could be said for Michael Sarrazin. And the other main character, played by Christine Belford was primarily a TV actress. Given the director's history in TV, this all adds up to making this look like a high budget TV movie. I think once some directors immerses themselves in a particular medium, it's difficult to expand beyond the boundaries proscribed by that medium, and it shows here. I felt like the director was trying to exceed his grasp, and couldn't quite do it. Not a bad movie, for TV, but not a great movie for the big screen. I'd say 3 stars for a TV movie, 2½ stars for a theatrical release.

Cookieman108

Now there's something you don't see everyday
A good film, Peppard as Tuxan in a role that would resemble 2 of his roles on TV (Thomas Banacek that year, and Hannibal Smith of The A Team, 10 years later). The ending is that of a classic suspense film. The DVD version by the way is cheaper than most stores are offering the VHS copy (if you can find it) so get it while you can. Note Christine Belford, the woman down the road who falls for Sarazin also starred in Banacek, coincidence?

Well-paced counter espionage thriller.
George Peppard plays a ruthless, national security agent named Tucson. You would not want to run into him...unfortunately (maybe) Michael Sarrazin does as the brutalized betayer of the high level space project: GROUNDSTAR. The movie's pace is excellent as the law-unto-himself agent persues corruption into the highest levels of the government (Shades of China-gate!!!). Peppard is fascinating to watch as the thoroughly unlikeable hero who brings down the "conspirators" in an ironic but belevable climax. "He should have run faster," Tucson observes to a sympathetic medic regarding an explosion-mangled-into-unrecognizability victim. See the film, but stay out of the way of TUCSON... ... Read more

Reviews (1)

one of the coolest detective series ever made.
If I had to compare Craig Stevens' suave demeanor as Peter Gunn with any contemporary actor of today that actor would be Pierce Brosnan. Peter Gunn had a style all it's own from the clothes that the character wore to the incidental music and lighting of the show itself. I remember as a young child watching this show and thinking how cool this guy really was. They just don't make shows like that anymore. What a shame!!! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

A Shining Lincoln Shows Tarnish, Too
Though made drearily for television, this film has a number of elements that is ahead of its time. Sam Waterston's savvy, almost hippie-like Lincoln is not at all the "great ape" that many of Lincoln's detractors claimed. He is like the true Abraham Lincoln. With the high-pitched Kentucky squeak in his voice (like Lincoln), Waterston is simply riveting- as Lincoln himself must have been. His terrible screech of pain during the height of the Civil War is something I had always imagined he did several times. Waterston hypnotizes with this Emmy-worthy portrayal. The facts in the film are blurry at times, the direction is plodding, the lighting is too dark- and Mary Tyler Moore as Mary Todd Lincoln must be the casting blunder of the 20th century. Yet all involved give terrific performances. Too bad there wasn't more LINCOLN to this "Lincoln". But all in all, it is the must-see for any interested viewer.

Bland Mini-Series, Very Low Quality DVD
I was surprised to find this DVD so cheap, then found out why as soon as I put it in my player. Like other DVDs from the "Platinum Disc Corporation," it looks like someone took a VHS copy of this film and just recorded it to DVD. The picture is not sharp, and the colors are washed out. Some scenes are so grainy and low-quality they look like they were recorded straight from the 1988 TV broadcast. This DVD also does something I've never seen before - it initially shows a running time of just 1:33, which made me think I only had the first episode of this mini-series. When Chapter 8 concludes, the disc resets itself back to 1:33 for the second episode. Total time is a little over 3 hours. The disc contains no special features.

The film itself is, unfortunately, nothing special. Having been made after the heyday of the TV mini-series, its cinematography and less-than-stellar cast are almost as bland as the film's colors. Sam Waterston makes a good effort as Lincoln. Mary Tyler Moore is just adequate as Mary Todd Lincoln, although she does go over the top on a few occasions. Most of the other actors are stilted and unbelieveable, not to mention the atrocious accents some of them try to pass off. The battle scenes are short, bare-bones and poorly arranged; it looks as if they filmed all of the battles in one location and just used the same footage over and over, hoping no one would notice.

If you're looking for a really good Civil War mini-series, don't waste your time here. Wait for Warner to release all 3 North & South mini-series on DVD later this year (2004), and watch those instead.

Waterston is the Definitive Modern Lincoln
Sam Waterston is a very different Lincoln than the stately, orthodox one of Raymond Massey or even Henry Fonda. This Lincoln is clever, scheming, cynically funny and nakedly ambitious--one who might have a thing or two in common with some well known politicians of the 20th century. You could even call Waterston the first urban Lincoln, under the rail-splitting pretentions. But Waterston never loses sight of Lincoln's tortured, proud but guilt-ridden greatness, and that is the secret of his fine portrayal.

Strong portrait of a different Lincoln
The TV movie, perhaps predictably, doesn't have all the sardonic bite of Vidal's original novel. But it goes a long way toward breaking out of the Raymond Massey talking-waxwork mold and giving us a Lincoln believable as politician and man, as well as a strong portrait of the intensely political milieu in which he operated. Waterston is excellent-- completely unbound by past portrayals of Lincoln, and even fairly good at making us believe that he's anywhere near Lincoln's height-- and though I think there's a little too much of Mary Todd's personal life and not enough of the Civil War in this miniseries, there's no quibbling with Moore's splendid performance, which beautifully captures the pathos of this sad, unliked woman.

Good enough to watch again and again!
This is the best fictional movie about Lincoln that I have ever seen. It is intelligent and accurate, and beautifully directed. Sam Waterston is brilliant in the title role and Mary Tyler Moore is a fantastic Mrs. Lincoln. Believe me, I have watched this movie at least 25 times. It's terrific. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

What price friendship
Hey Boy, the porter at the Carlton Hotel where Paladin livesdiscovers that his younger brother has been murdered by a thieving railroad foreman. He sets out to get revenge on the killer while Paladin is "gone on business"... Pernell Williams (Trapper John, MD and Bonanza) plays the villianous railroad man ... END ... Read more