By Dawn's Early Light
starring: Powers Boothe, Rebecca De Mornay, James Earl Jones, Martin Landau, Darren McGavin
directed by: Jack Sholder
directed by: Jack Sholder
Price: $5.98
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Product Description:
Movie DVD
Movie DVD
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Customer Reviews
Average Rating:
Rating: - Good Stuff.
Hmm. I have to start by saying that it's been a long time since I saw this film, but would really love to see it again. As other reviewers have mentioned, it may be low budget made for TV fare, but the cast is pretty impressive and although some of the dialog is rather stilted, it is well acted and the overall effect is tense and they get a good mix of "action" and tension build. This is a good film.
The film wastes little time in getting down to the action which is good, the main weak ... Read More
Rating: - Cut the Head Off of the Communist Chicken!
First, I am not qualified to evaluate how realistic this scenario was at the time this film was made.I do not have the necessary political and military background.
Overall, the film is very grim (as it should be).The scenario is that a limited nuclear exchange takes place very early on in the film due to a series of mistakes/miscommunications/misperceptions on both sides.Most of the film is centered around avoiding a full nuclear exchange.Even if successful, the damage and death ... Read More
Rating: 
- Know and respect the filmmakers
I worked with Charlie Mullen (DP for Lucasfilm and Boeing) and I've been in lust -- er, love -- with the delicious Rebecca De Mornay forEVER, and visually speaking this was a spectacular bit of work. It's not as deep as "Fail-Safe" nor quite as action-packed (or silly) as "Dr. Strangelove" but having worked with Charlie (see "Cocoon", "*batteries not included", etc.) and knowing how seriously he takes his work, I know that this was a GREAT film, for technical artists and others to appreciate, for the work ... Read More
Rating: - 3 stars out of 4
The Bottom Line:
The low budget nature of the TV film By Dawn's Early Light is sometimes painfully evident, but it has a number of masterful scenes (everything involving James Earl Jones and Jeffrey DeMunn) and is consistently interesting in its take on World War III: if you're into this kind of film it's well worth seeking out.
Rating: - Not at all bad for a TV movie.
This movie is much like the cult 1964 movie "Fail Safe" (which I highly recommend). I found this movie enjoyable and fast-moving. The acting wasn't excellent, nor was the production, but for a made-for-TV movie, it's not bad. Not bad at all.
This by no means implies the plot, acting or directing are faulty. They're just not Oscar-class. All of the principals did excellent jobs. I found only one 'hole' in the script, but I'll leave this up to you to find. For you eye-candy folks, this movie is ... Read More
- Good Stuff.Hmm. I have to start by saying that it's been a long time since I saw this film, but would really love to see it again. As other reviewers have mentioned, it may be low budget made for TV fare, but the cast is pretty impressive and although some of the dialog is rather stilted, it is well acted and the overall effect is tense and they get a good mix of "action" and tension build. This is a good film.
The film wastes little time in getting down to the action which is good, the main weak ... Read More
- Cut the Head Off of the Communist Chicken!First, I am not qualified to evaluate how realistic this scenario was at the time this film was made.I do not have the necessary political and military background.
Overall, the film is very grim (as it should be).The scenario is that a limited nuclear exchange takes place very early on in the film due to a series of mistakes/miscommunications/misperceptions on both sides.Most of the film is centered around avoiding a full nuclear exchange.Even if successful, the damage and death ... Read More
- Know and respect the filmmakersI worked with Charlie Mullen (DP for Lucasfilm and Boeing) and I've been in lust -- er, love -- with the delicious Rebecca De Mornay forEVER, and visually speaking this was a spectacular bit of work. It's not as deep as "Fail-Safe" nor quite as action-packed (or silly) as "Dr. Strangelove" but having worked with Charlie (see "Cocoon", "*batteries not included", etc.) and knowing how seriously he takes his work, I know that this was a GREAT film, for technical artists and others to appreciate, for the work ... Read More
- 3 stars out of 4The Bottom Line:
The low budget nature of the TV film By Dawn's Early Light is sometimes painfully evident, but it has a number of masterful scenes (everything involving James Earl Jones and Jeffrey DeMunn) and is consistently interesting in its take on World War III: if you're into this kind of film it's well worth seeking out.
- Not at all bad for a TV movie.This movie is much like the cult 1964 movie "Fail Safe" (which I highly recommend). I found this movie enjoyable and fast-moving. The acting wasn't excellent, nor was the production, but for a made-for-TV movie, it's not bad. Not bad at all.
This by no means implies the plot, acting or directing are faulty. They're just not Oscar-class. All of the principals did excellent jobs. I found only one 'hole' in the script, but I'll leave this up to you to find. For you eye-candy folks, this movie is ... Read More
