Jane Pauley
- 2007
Filmmaker Greg Whiteley presents two sides of the current state of high-school debating in this documentary. Matt Andrews and Sam Iola are two students from Highland Park High in Texas who are stars of the school's debating team. Highly rated in nationwide competition, Andrews and Iola are gifted practitioners of a debate style known as "the Flow" -- rather than focusing on a few salient points and supporting them with strong oratory, "the Flow" depends on students amassing a huge amount of factual material and delivering it as quickly as possible, with the sheer bulk of data telling the tale. However, Andrews and Iola also come from a wealthy and well-funded school where they're given the time and resources to collect the information necessary to make "the Flow" work. Meanwhile, Louis Blackwell and Richard Funches represent Long Beach, California's Jordan High, where, with their coach Dave Wiltz, they've turned their back on "the Flow," a system they believe rewards time, money, and rote memorization over genuine talent in presenting an argument. Coming from a primarily African-American high school in a low-income neighborhood, Blackwell and Funches show great linguistic skill and a knack for logical argument, but can their gifts for the fundamentals of debate pay off in a competitive atmosphere that's been dominated by "the Flow" in recent decades? Resolved was screened as part of the 2007 Los Angeles Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- 2003
Taped approximately six weeks before the 100th birthday of comedy legend Bob Hope, this elaborate (and highly-rated) TV "love letter" to "Old Ski Nose" is hosted by former Today Show anchor Jane Pauley. The special covers the familiar biographical ground, tracing British-born Leslie Townes Hope from his first paying gig as a Charlie Chaplin imitator at age 12, then on to nearly two decades of singing, dancing, and adlibbing in vaudeville before achieving stardom on the Broadway stage in the 1933 musical Roberta. Achieving even greater success in films and on radio, Hope still remained just another entertainer until he began his celebrated, indefatigable tours of far-flung military camps in WWII, thereby kicking off a humanitarian "second career" that would extend well past the Vietnam era. Finally, the program covers in detail Hope's years on television, specifically the 285 specials which he headlined on NBC from 1950 to 1996. Many of the film clips will be familiar to even the most casual Hope fans, with one noteworthy exception: A clip from a mid-'80s Mike Douglas Show, in which Hope engages in a putting match with a two-and-a-half-year-old Tiger Woods. Dozens of Hope's contemporaries and fans from all walks of life show up to offer their own special tributes, though sadly many of his co-star's from his classic films -- notably Bing Crosby and Dorothy Lamour -- are no longer around to put in their two cents' worth. Nor does Bob Hope himself make a "live" appearance on 100 Years of Hope & Humor, though it is the understatement of the century to say he is certainly there in spirit. And need we add that the theme of the show (in more ways than one) is "Thanks for the Memory"? ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Bob Hope, Jane Pauley, (more)
- 1996
Stone Phillips of NBC's [#Dateline} series narrates a series of survivor stories. Using interviews, high-tech graphics and reenacted scenes, these segments feature events from the lives of ordinary people who suddenly found themselves in the midst of extraordinary circumstances. The rescuers demonstrate a deep degree of courage while displaying a selfless attitude toward others. There's a man who saved others after nearly being killed by an IRA bomb and a reenactment of an autistic boy trapped on a high-tension tower. Discover how two paratroopers respond after colliding in midair. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Viewers ready to feel their adrenaline start pumping or their blood pressure rise a bit might enjoy watching these rather harrowing true-life stories. Re-enacted segments show a young teen being attacked by an angry bear in Montana and how rescuers managed to reach and save him. Also, a near tragedy involving a fishing boat is recreated, trapping individuals in the water as sharks circled. Find out how a railway worker, who was trapped under a huge pile of rubble after a train wreck, was skillfully saved from perishing. All of these stories are narrated by Stone Phillips and were first seen on the TV news show Dateline. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
- 1996
Watch harrowing tales of victims struggling against the elements in Dateline Survivor Stories: Nature's Wrath, an adventure documentary based on four segments from NBC's award-winning Dateline Survivor Stories. You'll see a father and son lost in a winter no-man's land in "Snowbound," and a window-washer hanging on for dear life in "High-Rise Horror." "Raging Water" depicts a desperate trucker trapped in a turbulent river, and "Buried Alive" is the frantic story of two construction workers buried beneath the rubble at an accident site. The 50-minute film contains live footage of the events, reenactments, and interviews with those involved. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide
- 1996
With his nerves at the breaking point, Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) is in no mood for the rude behavior he encounters at every turn at the Café Nervosa. When one customer becomes particularly abusive, Frasier uncharacteristically administers an "etiquette lesson" with physical force. Word quickly spreads concerning this outburst turning Frasier into a local hero -- whereupon his radio listeners follow his example by settling their problems with their fists. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
