9/30/2011

Man for All Seasons (1988) Review

Man for All Seasons  (1988)
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I love this story, as a fragment of history (such as we know of it), as a dramatic work by a fine playwright and in both extant film productions. The 1966 film directed by Zinnemann is a wonderful filmic reworking of the play with some noble acting and art direction. It retains the essence of the story whilst changing 'operatically' the angle, rather like Milos Forman has done with Peter Schaffer's "Amadeus". Heston's TV film, on the other hand, sticks rather more closely to the play, in both script and format and succeeds equally well. This isn't a 'remake'; rather, it is a new approach in its own right. Both films are valid additions to the canon. Heston was, indeed, a great actor who was more than equal to this task; all too often he has been the target of 'casting snobs'. Finally, the late Roy Kinnear's contribution as the 'Common Man' (a part not featured as such in the 1966 film, Colin Blakely as More's servant, Matthew being the closest comparable) is a little gem!

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Living Theater: Connection Review

Living Theater: Connection
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This film by maverick filmmaker Shirley Clarke (THE COOL WORLD) gets its power by its sheer simplicity. A group of jazz musicians await their drug "connection" inside a seedy New York City apartment while being filmed for a documentary. Set entirely in one room of the apartment, THE CONNECTION effectively creates a very claustrophobic feel. The viewer feels like someone awkwardly eavesdropping on the lives of people on the fringes of society.
THE CONNECTION features many fine performances. Carl Lee (THE COOL WORLD) plays one of the few aggressive black men seen on screen during the early 1960's. He plays Cowboy, the "Connection" indicated by the title. He also has one of the film's best lines with: "Man, I believe anything that's illegal is illegal because it makes more money for more people that way."
Roscoe Lee Browne (narrator of BABE: PIG IN THE CITY) makes his feature film debut in the role of J. J. Burden, the documentary cinematographer who also provides narration for the film. Warren Finnerty (EASY RIDER) gives a hyper performance as "Leach," the "host" of the gathering. Watching him, you'll swear that current indie favorite, Steve Buscemi (FARGO) is a reincarnation of him. Finnerty won an Obie award for his performance in the play.
In its own way, THE CONNECTION rivals the recent commercial and critical favorite TRAFFIC in how it forces the viewer to examine his or her attitudes about illegal drug use. More importantly, it does this without the latter film's use of visual gimmickry or tricks. As an added bonus, check out Freddie Redd's jazz score. He performs it on camera along with Jackie McLean (sax), Larry Richie (drums) and Michael Mattos (bass). If you're looking for something gritty and raw in sharp contrast to 1960's Hollywood, you need to look no further.

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Stone (2010) Review

Stone  (2010)
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STONE is dubbed a "psychological duel", and it is. Robert Deniro plays Jack, a parole officer who holds all the cards in the life of Stone (Edward Norton) a convicted arsonist who is pleading his case to be released from prison, back into society. Stone will stop at nothing, including using his wife to manipulate Jack.
The movie leads you to believe that you know and understand all the characters involved but they go different directions as the movie goes along. It does a pheonominal job of progressing its characters and revealing more and more about who they were and who they are becoming.
With guys like Robert DeNiro and Edward Norton and a superbly underated and fearless actress Milla Jovovich, STONE is an outstanding character study and may hit home with a lot of people who could be going through life in an unhappy marriage or living life without hope. It is impossible to give too much insight without giving away important elements to the story. The story elements and plots changes are so subtle they don't actually hit you until the afterfact, which is brilliant.
I'm afraid that STONE has a lot of machinery and mechanics going on, only to drive to nowhere. Or maybe that's the whole point. Maybe it is supposed to go to nowhere because that's the whole message that looms over the movie from the opening sequence to the finale. Jack lives a soulless existence and he can't escape. Unfortunately, that message also leaves an empty feeling with the audience and makes STONE just an average movie experience.

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Academy Award winner Robert De Niro and Oscar nominee Edward Norton deliver powerful performances as a seasoned corrections official and a scheming inmate whose lives become dangerously intertwined in this 'gritty and engrossing thriller" (Steve O'Brien, WCBS-FM).Jack Mabry (De Niro), a parole officer days away from retirement, is asked to review the case of Gerald 'Stone" Creeson (Norton), in prison for arson. Now eligible for early release, Stone needs to convince Jack he has reformed, but his attempts to influence the older man's decision with his wife Lucetta (Milla Jovovich) have profound and unexpected effects on them both.This tale of passion, betrayal and corruption skillfully weaves together the parallel journeys of two men grappling with dark impulses, as the line between lawman and lawbreaker becomes precariously thin.

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9/29/2011

Neighbors (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1971) Review

Neighbors (Broadway Theatre Archive)  (1971)
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Many may know the author, Arkady Leokum, as one who writes "Tel Me Why" childrens' books. As a playwright, Leukom has written the humorous short play "Enemies".
"Neighbors" is mostly one-on-one dialogue which doesn't entail any grand or lengthy monologues. The 70s performance is a television cast with veteran actor Andrew Duggan, Jane Wyatt (Father Knows Best), actress Cicely Tyson and Raymond St. Jacques (Roots). The scene takes place in the living room of a nice suburban New York home.
A well-to-do elderly white couple, Chuck and Mary, prepare for a visit to their home from prospective buyers, a young, also well-to-do, black couple, Bill and Vicky, from Harlem. Bill and Vicky's reason for buying into a "lily-white" neighborhood is for the schools, to buy their children an education. That's it!
Owners Chuck and Mary Robinson are stay-at-homes who thrive on community social involvement and indirectly, they lead the black couple to believe that involvement and responsibility to the community is the "thing" to do.
On the other hand, perspective buyer, Bill, a salesman, is a world traveler, and not home much, and he is confident with himself. Vicky is a Soul Sister who does for herself, has a maid, gets her nails and hair done, shops, and is strictly into being a w-o-m-a-n for her man. Bill and Vicky have absolutely no interest in community involvement.

The action begins after looking around the home and chatting about themselves. The sale is made and things get crazy when the black couple assumes that the white couple suggests "they behave like whites and get involved in the community"!
This short play is great! ....Rizzo


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RiffTrax: Swing Parade - from the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (2009) Review

RiffTrax: Swing Parade - from the stars of Mystery Science Theater 3000 (2009)
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did you ever want to get in the heads of the 3 stooges?
well, mike, bill and kevin try:
curly's a shaved ape, moe is dangerously bi-polar and larry is in the middle. but he's also fine.
plot alert: no one gets killed in this film, but i think a mule does go blind.
if you like great musicals with excellent choreography, than this is not your film.and if you want to see the 3 stooges at their best, again this is not your movie.
however, if you enjoyed 'mst3000'(imo, the best tv in the history of tv)
than give this, and all the rest of these rifftrax a look see.
hey, they're funnier than 99% of what's on the 'boob toob.'


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Kung Fu: The Complete Series Collection (1972) Review

Kung Fu: The Complete Series Collection (1972)
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There are lots of reviews which already talk (extensively) about why Kung Fu was such a great show, and worth owning on DVD. Instead I just wanted to make sure people know what they are getting with this set...
I hesitated to buy this set at first because it had all 3 seasons packaged together, but didn't mention anything about special features, etc. I wanted to make sure I had the commentaries & featurettes that the individual seasons boasted. Eventually, I bought this version because the price difference won me over (just before the holidays it was $35 + super saver shipping!) and I was pleased to find out that the set contained all 3 seasons as they appear individually, as well as a nice little slip cover to store them all together. The individual seasons & this package are the same, except that this one costs far less.

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9/28/2011

Lullaby (Broadway Theatre Archive) (1960) Review

Lullaby (Broadway Theatre Archive)  (1960)
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I liked Lullaby but I would loved it in color. But watching Ruth White at 46 years old play the overbearing mother-in-law and mother to Eli Wallach and his real-life wife Anne Jackson is quite entertaining. I work in Ruth's hometown of Perth Amboy, New Jersey and I ordered Lullaby to give away as Christmas presents because even though Ruth died prematurely at 55 years old in 1969. This is one of her best performances! If you like watching a real-life married couple like Eli and Anne. Remember they have been married at least 50 years and in this business, that is quite an accomplishment for this New York acting couple. Sadly, Ruth never married nor had any children. Acting was her life. She postponed her career to care for her aging parents. Ruth was special that way! By her thirties, she returned to acting in New York City and on Broadway but always came home to Perth Amboy, New Jersey. If you like Anne Jackson and Eli Wallach, you will love seeing them together in their younger days. If you like the overbearing mother-in-law in this production, you will love Ruth White's performance.

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The New Sideshow (2002) Review

The New Sideshow (2002)
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If you like sideshow acts then you really should buy this video.
I'm pretty jaded and thought I'd seen pretty much everything but there were acts on this DVD that amazed me.
The extra video of Lucifire was absolutely mind blowing....just wait till you see what she does with fire.

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Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008) Review

Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2  (2008)
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The impression that "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2" gives is that it's a bubbly, bright, and--for all intents and purposes--meaningless sequel to the first film. To my relief, it follows the example set by its predecessor, a surprisingly levelheaded friendship story. Four years after discovering a magically fitting pair of jeans, best friends Tibby Tomko-Rollins (Amber Tamblyn), Carmen Lowell (America Ferrera), Lena Kaligaris (Alexis Bledel), and Bridget Vreeland (Blake Lively) have returned for a second chapter that remains on perfectly equal ground with the first, focusing on coming-of-age issues like maturity, self-discovery, family, and love. Unoriginal ideas? Maybe so, but that doesn't mean they're any less effective. If anything, they make the film's message that much clearer. It helps that many of the girls' problems are based in reality--high school issues, like being pretty and popular, are pushed aside in favor of adult issues, like pregnancy scares and family crises.
If there's anything we learned from the first film, it's that the magic of the titular jeans was symbolic; by in large, the girls worked through their own ups and downs on their own, with no miraculous intervention other than their friendship with one another. We learn pretty much the same thing in this film, which sees each character facing new, more mature challenges. Let's begin with Carmen, who doubles as the film's bookend narrator. She now attends Yale, working as a stagehand for the theatre department. Her mother (Rachel Ticotin) has since remarried and is now pregnant with her second child. When Carmen's hopes of spending the summer with her friends are dashed, she decides to join a Shakespearian theater company in Vermont with a prima donna named Julia (Rachel Nichols). Once there, a British actor named Ian (Tom Wisdom) coaxes Carmen into auditioning for "A Winter's Tale"; to her shock--and to Julia's horror--she's cast as Perdita. As rehearsals continue, she begins to fall in love with Ian.
Next, there's Bridget, who plays Soccer at Brown University. Lately, her interests have shifted to archeology. While on an expedition in Turkey, her instructor, Professor Nasrin Mehani (Shohreh Aghdashloo), opens her eyes to the fact that she's only running away from her past. Bridget, it seems, is still haunted by the suicide of her mother. And her relationship with her father (Ernie Lively) is worse than ever; before leaving for Turkey, she discovered a box full of letters her grandmother had written her, letters her father wanted to keep hidden. Returning to the United States, Bridget takes a bus to Alabama and finally meets her grandmother, Greta (Blythe Danner), an accommodating woman with a matter-of-fact outlook on everything, including her daughter's mental illness.
The next in line is Tibby, who continues to pursue her filmmaking dreams at NYU. Forced to stay in New York for the summer to rewrite her screenplay, she gets a job at a local video store. She's now dating Brian McBrian (Leonardo Nam), who was introduced in the first film as the "Dragon's Lair" champion. When their relationship is threatened (for reasons I won't reveal), Tibby begins to wonder if she was meant for happiness. She does put up a wall every time she gets close to someone, and that's because, deep down, she believes that those you love the most will eventually abandon you. Her attempts to get sympathy from Carmen are flatly rejected; she doesn't appreciate how uncommunicative Tibby has been all summer.
Finally, there's Lena, who attends an art college in Rhode Island on a scholarship. Heartbroken after breaking up with her Greek boyfriend, Kostos (Michael Rady), she reverts to her old timid ways. She then meets Leo (Jesse Williams), the male model hired to pose nude in her art classes. It isn't long before they fall in love, although we suspect it's for all the wrong reasons. All she really knows about Leo is that he's a nice guy, and he's incredibly handsome. But does she know what she wants out of life? Does she even know who she is? How can know she when she's torn between two men?
Naturally, the pants themselves have to play a part in this story, and indeed, they're continually FedEx-ed from friend to friend. The question is: Do any of them need the pants anymore? You'd think that, at this point, a pair of old jeans traveling the world would reveal itself as a big metaphor. They may realize that by the time the film ends. I'm not entirely sure, though.
Moments of this movie are perhaps a little too sentimental, and the general plot may be a little too formulaic. At times, the dialogue is a bit contrived. Consider this conversation: When Tibby says drearily, "I suck at relationships. I should have been a guy," Lena calmly responds, "A guy wouldn't care about sucking at relationships." Only best friends in a coming-of-age story could get away with lines like that. Then again, I never expected a reinvention of the wheel. Movies like "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2"--and its predecessor--are aimed at a very specific audience, namely teenage girls; if they can get something out of it other than the sight of four young women looking pretty, if they can leave the theater understanding the more complex aspects of the story, then the filmmakers can include all the predictable dialogue they want. I think this movie will get the job done, not merely for teenage girls, but for anyone open to the idea.

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9/27/2011

Kung Fu Theater: Shaolin Dolemite and Black Samurai Review

Kung Fu Theater: Shaolin Dolemite and Black Samurai
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SHAOLIN DOLEMITE-This movie is only for a select few. If you are a fan of the Dolemite movies then be prepared to be dissapointed. On the other hand, if you liked Ninja the Final Duel distributed by Crash Cinema, you may like this movie even more. Tai actually directed 12+ hours worth of NInja Final Duel footage! Why? Probably because this is the only project he he actually had a budget for. And instead of making it a top notch production, he used all the money on film. There are 3 or 4 different versions of this, and I heard that Soulblade may put out a box set one day. One of the great things about this movie is that we actually get to see Robert Tai in action as an actor! Tai wasn't a good director(he made a couple of classics), but he was a great choreographer and can pull all of the sweet moves off himself when acting. You can tell Robert Tai's style by the way he super speeds up the film, uses insane wirework(usually bad), and uses every trick shot you could ever think of, most you wouldn't think of though. Just like Donnie Yen used undercranking as an art form in the movies he directed, Robert Tai doesn't even care if his editing looks trashy. He considers it art. While I don't see it like that, it is still a heck of a lot of fun. If you don't know who Tai is then look for the bald monk doing all the sweet animal forms 20 minutes in. He is Lo Rei's teacher in the movie.
If you are a fan of all the old school stars in this movie like Robert Tai, William Yen, Alexander Lo Rei, and Eugene Thomas, this may appeal to you. Fans of the genre may also recognize John Ladaski and Toby Russel playing the 2 Shabazz guys. Toby Russel is now head of Rarescope UK and John Ladaski you will recognize as the bald guy who keeps running into the room during the bone dislocating scene in 'Tom Yum Goong'. I had no idea Toby Russel was such a good kicker, he really gets to show off. And did anyone notice that the Davey Crockett character just kinds of stands around during the group fights? He must have been strictly a television actor.
It is quite obvious why Rudy Ray Moore chose this movie to call his own. Robert Tai was a very odd Taiwanese filmmaker who not only used white guys to fill up spots in the cast, but puts an African-American into a very large role. Some may not understand why Eugene Thomas was cast, but he and Lo Rei always had great chemistry on screen together. The fight between them at the end is the highlight of the movie.
Also, expect more ninja tricks and more fighting than was in the Final Duel. Expect around the same amount of nudity. But, expect ALL new scenes. It is completely different from the Crash Cinema version and it also includes another lady ninja nude fighting scene. Don't grab her there!! I loved this flick, it is just not for everybody. Be sure to check it out if a nude lady ninja sounds interesting to you. This is very hard not to like if you are a bad movie fan.
The movie itself is kind of hard to watch at times. Don't expect it to make sense, just expect pure cheese that is of very good quality. I think I heard the f-word about 100 times in the first 10 minutes and I didn't even crack a smile. Every joke is just completely unbearable. The only thing that Rudy Ray Moore does is show footage of himself saying-"that is a bad mother ******". Fine with me though because this movie has so much cool stuff going on it is easy to block out Moore when he is on screen. Luckily, he only says a line every 10 minutes or so.
The new dub job is amazingly bad. Surprisingly, it ended up being very fun. The dialogue is not only completely racist and unintelligent, but it doesn't even make any sense. Seriously, NOTHING makes sense. Here is an example-"You sorry apple-headed Zulu's, let's get some fried chicken". ???
I have to point out that real kung fu fans will not like this movie, but it is possible that some will. If you didn't like Ninja the Final Duel, it is very doubtful that you will be able to find any enjoyment in this. I give this a very bias rating of 3.5/5 and an even more bias rating of 5/5 for the bonus scenes.
This version from BCI is 110 minutes long. Take out the Rudy Ray Moore parts and you have about 90 minutes of Ninja the Final Duel footage. The BCI version also has an extended scene and deleted scenes. Most are fights but 1 scene is called 'Ninja Ho and Tupac get jiggy', and you can guess what goes down(no pun intended). It all adds up to about 42 or 43 minutes of extra footage(with about 26 minutes of pure action, though half of it is that stupid bell ringing duel and just shows people falling to the ground with their ears bleeding). With BCI's version of Dolemite and the Crash Cinema version of Final Duel, this comes to a total of 3 hours and 40 minutes of the 12 hour TV series that you can easily get on DVD. BLACK SAMURAI-Jim Kelly stars in the super cheesefest that is very hard to watch at times. The problem here is that BCI has the cut version so if you really want to see this movie, this is not the version to get. Black Samurai is a super cheapo flick with action that is so bad it is funny. 1.5/5 for the movie. 0.5/5 for the version in this 2-pack.

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I, Claudius (1977) Review

I, Claudius (1977)
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Many important scenes have been cut (censored?) from the original Masterpiece Theater version including the contest between Claudius' wife and the prostitute, Caligula's horse Incitatus being made senator, and others. These omissions sacrifice the overall continuity and flow. These omissions are unnecessary and unforgivable given the DVD format. A general disappointment for those who remember the original version. Other than the above this is highly enjoyable.

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Roman history comes alive in this magnificent 13-part series. "I, Claudius" (1976, 668 min.) ranks among the most acclaimed productions in BBC history. Tracing the lives of the last of the Roman emperors, it's an epic of ruthless ambition, shocking debauchery and murderous intrigue set in one of history's most fascinating eras. Bearing witness to the saga is Claudius, whose stutter and limp have marked him a fool--yet whom prophesies have foretold will one day rule Rome. This collector's edition set includes a unique documentary feature, "The Epic That Never Was" (1965, 71 min.), a remarkable behind-the-scenes look at Alexander Korda's ill-fated 1937 screen adaptation of "I, Claudius." Starring Merle Oberon and Charles Laughton, the chronicle of this uncompleted masterpieces is an unforgettable coda to one of the greatest stories ever told.

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The Rivals Review

The Rivals
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Although I am hardly an authority on the theater, it does not take a genius to see that this production is something special. The acting is wonderful, the camera work is excellent (especially compared to most recordings of stage events) and the play itself is amazing. The performance was done in period costumes, just as it was when it was in 1775, and the language of the 1775 text is retained just as Sheridan wrote it. I have noticed nothing in this performance that detracts from Sheridan's original vision.
I can guarantee you will have a great time watching this; it is completely worth the money to have this gem.

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9/26/2011

The Politician's Wife (1996) Review

The Politician's Wife (1996)
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The Politician's Wife plays out in three installments, each lasting a little over an hour. This playing time is needed to allow for the intricate plotting of this complex drama. In the first part Flora Matlock, wife of Tory minister and rising star Duncan Matlock, learns that her husband has been unfaithful to her. This infidelity is ironic given that Duncan represents the family in the conservative English government. At first Flora is surprised and angry. We watch as she packs her bags to leave her husband. Before she finishes her packing she gets pressure from all sides to support her husband. She gives in to the manipulations of the men who want to keep Duncan in power. A little later on Flora learns from Duncan's assistant that the affair with an escort girl, Jennifer Cairn, lasted for a year or so. She is given pictures and an audio tape documenting Duncan's infidelity.
In part two Flora, an exceptionally bright and capable woman, plots Duncan's downfall. Whenever she begins to question her motives, she listens to the audio tape to steel her in her resolve. Flora is as clever as Iago in Othello. We marvel at her political astuteness as she makes her plans and lays her traps for her husband, who deserves everything she does to him. In part three we hold our breath as she springs the trap and sets in motion a string of events that should keep all viewers watching closely to see what will happen next.
The Politican's Wife represents the best of television drama. The acting is first-rate by all participants, particularly Juliet Stepenson as Flora, Trevor Eve as Duncan, Ian Bannen, unfortunately now dead, as Sir Donald Frazier, confidant to Flora, and Minnie Driver as the escort girl. A large cast supports these principals superbly.
The story moves quickly and inexorably to the finale. The only mild violence in the plot happens in the bedroom as we watch Flora begin to take control over her wayward husband by playing to his many sexual weaknesses. Duncan is a manipulative villain and Flora is every bit his equal when it comes to scheming. Flora can lie and cheat with the best of the men who surround her.
Is lying ahd cheating what it takes to succeed in government? The Politician's Wife suggests that honesty is for losers and those on the fast track to political power need to learn to manipulate the system to their advantage if they are going to have any chance at success. The Politician's Wife demontrates dramatically that women are not the weaker sex -- quite the contrary. Highly recommended.


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When the tabloids scream the news that Minister of the Family Duncan Matlock has been caught in an affair with an "escort" girl, no one is more stunned than Flora, his wife. As her husband and the Tory establishment behind him expect, Flora maintains her loyal façade. But behind her public smiles, she seethes with mounting fury. Employing strange sexual games and covert political tactics, she plots to exact the ultimate revenge against her husband and the system that created him. This powerful, award-winning PBS drama stars Juliet Stevenson (Truly, Madly, Deeply; Bend It Like Beckham), Trevor Eve (In the Name of the Father), and Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting, Grosse Pointe Blank). DVD SPECIAL FEATURES INCLUDE background essay by writer Paula Milne and cast filmographies. "Splendidly wicked" -The New York Times "Smashing!" -TV Guide "A true PBS ‘Masterpiece'. . . a brilliant, incisive political potboiler"-Los Angeles Times

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Four by Ailey: An evening with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater Review

Four by Ailey: An evening with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
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The four ballets presented on this tape show not just the Ailey company at its best, but serve as a sort of testament to Ailey himself. Two of the works ("Divining" and "The Stack-Up") are works by two choreographers among many Ailey made a "home" for; the former work is by former Ailey dancer and current Artistic Director Judith Jamison, the latter by the late Katherine Dunham protege Talley Beatty. The whole reason I bought the tape though, was for "Cry," Ailey's 1971 tour-de-force orginally created for Judith Jamison. Though the soloist recorded here (Deborah Manning) is more than equal to the task, I will still always wish I had had the opportunity to see Jamison dance it in person.

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Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Angels Revenge Review

Mystery Science Theater 3000 - Angels Revenge
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This is one of the funniest MST3K episodes of all time. I hardly even know where to begin on this one. Here's the background: a teacher is so disgusted with bad guys selling drugs to kids that she decides to blow up the drug lab outside of town (where she seems to think all of the world's drugs are centrally processed). She recruits a supposedly famous singer best known for shining, shining, shining, shining, shining her love, then shining it some more; a stunt woman; a cop; a model; and a female martial arts expert to help her carry out the job. It's a whole lot like Charlie's Angels, only these angels are much less attractive and more annoying.
The most amazing thing about Angels Revenge is the cast. Never have so many familiar names humiliated themselves so thoroughly in the same film. First we have Arthur Godfrey playing himself; watching him engage in excited antics at a Vegas concert is pretty pitiful, really. Then we have Alan Hale (aka Skipper) who plays--once she finally stops shining her love--our singer's manager; the Skipper has just one little scene and luckily escapes without too much damage. The same cannot be said for his fellow castaway Jim Backus. Backus plays the incompetent leader of a ragtag band of right-wing revolutionaries calling themselves the American Right; his performance is truly painful to watch--really; I'm not just saying it for effect. Then we have Pat Buttram, Mr. Haney from Green Acres, selling used cars--his scene can be watched without too much discomfort. Another notable player is Peter Lawford; I didn't like the guy in his prime, and I certainly don't like to see him going around without a shirt on in his later years. Lawford apparently survived this acting ordeal by staying completely drunk throughout shooting, slurring his lines rather obviously. Rounding out the list of notable actors is Jack Palance, who plays the middleman in between the pushers on the streets and Mr. Big; he's actually not half bad, but the movie is so awful it's hard to notice. Perhaps my favorite thing is Crow's impersonation of Palance singing the Mary Tyler Moore Show theme song each time we see Palance driving a car.
Mike and the Bots had me laughing from start to finish on this one. Crow is especially biting in his comments, referring to the film as The T&A Team. When we watch a woman climb a ladder, he complains that the movie is giving away the plot, then he quickly gives in and announces his intention to just look at the breasts--that's really what this movie is about, when you get right down to it. The sexploitation factor here exceeds even the blaxploitation factor to be found in the script for Crow's new film project titled Chocolate Jones and the Temple of Funk.
Thrill to the intense drama of the protagonist searching frantically for the very important map she keeps in a safe place in her pocketbook; she's knows it's in there; oooh; it's very important; ooooooh; she knows she put it in there; oooooooh; there it is. Watch thrusting women kidnap, torture, and kill men without losing their happy-go-lucky demeanors or even breaking a nail. Watch manly men like Jack Palance stand around immobile so that a group of naturally endowed women can easily subdue them. Watch a school teacher share moments of torture treatment with one of her young students while another woman teaches the youngster how to shoot a gun. Yes, Angels Revenge is all of this and more. Oddly, I have to admit that I rather liked the movie itself; sure it's incredibly silly, shallow, degrading, and sometimes downright painful to watch, but at least the story keeps moving along at a good pace from start to finish, unlike many of the awful movies taken from the vaults of Deep Thirteen. This movie actually makes fun of itself; when you add in Mike, Tom, and Crow performing at the top of their game, you get 90 minutes of utter hilarity. You'll laugh; you'll cry; you'll ask why this awful movie was ever made--then you'll look up and remember 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, even 12 reasons..

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9/25/2011

Faerie Tale Theatre: Princess Tales (1982) Review

Faerie Tale Theatre: Princess Tales (1982)
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Collected here are four of the all-time great princess-themed episodes from Faerie Tale Theatre.
CINDERELLA:
Cinderella (Jennifer Beals) leads a life of drudgery and unhappiness at the hands of her wicked stepmother (Eve Arden) and her stepsisters Arlene and Bertha (Jane Alden and Edie McClurg). When the dashing Prince Henry (Matthew Broderick) invites all the eligible maidens in the kingdom to the Autumn Ball, Cinderella naturally wishes to go too. Too bad she's dressed in rags and doesn't have a coach. But she does have a Fairy Godmother (Jean Stapleton) who'll see that Cinderella's every dream comes true...
THE LITTLE MERMAID:
Pearl (Pam Dawber) is a beautiful young mermaid who lives with her father King Neptune (Brian Dennehy) and her sisters Coral and Anemonie (Donna McKechnie and Laraine Newman) in a kingdom at the bottom of the ocean. When Pearl comes of age and is allowed a brief glimpse of the world above the sea, she falls in love with a handsome Prince (Treat Williams) whom she saves from drowning when his ship has a fatal explosion. Pearl makes a bargain with the Sea Witch (Karen Black): her voice in exchange for a pair of legs and hopefully the love of the Prince. Once on land Pearl quickly returns to the Prince, though he only has eyes for the lovely Princess Emilia (Helen Mirren)...
THE DANCING PRINCESSES:
Lesley Ann Warren and Sachi Parker star in an enchanting story about the daughters of a widowed King (Roy Dotrice) who somehow wear out their dance-slippers every night despite being locked in their room until morning. The secret is not discovered until a crafty soldier (Peter Weller) follows them and finds that they go dancing in a fairy-kingdom under the ground.
THE PRINCESS AND THE PEA:
Prince Richard (Tom Conti) leads a boring and eventless life under the thumb of his controlling mother Queen Veronica (Beatrice Straight). Until, one stormy night, in whirls the vivacious Princess Alecia (Liza Minnelli). But is she really a princess? Queen Veronica is skeptical, so employs a method to test her royalty: she places a tiny pea under 20 mattresses and quilts. If Alecia can feel the pea it will prove beyond any doubt her royal blood. Will Alecia pass the test? And if she does, will she choose to marry Richard?
Perfect entertainment for the little princess in your family!

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Flickers (1982) Review

Flickers (1982)
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Produced in 1980 and penned by britcom veteran Roy Clarke (Keeping Up Appearances, Last of the Summer Wine, Open All Hours), Flickers is a light, entertaining six-part comedy-drama (with the emphasis on comedy) set amid the burgeoning film industry in 1920's England.
The series stars Bob Hoskins (Mrs. Henderson Presents, Thick as Thieves) as Arnie Cole, an outspoken Cockney with little dress sense and even less manners; yet despite his faults, he is shrewd, determined and hard-working. Arnie is in the business of showing films, but what he really wants to do is make them. He's a man with a dream--a vision, even; what he lacks, however, is money. The need for a loan or a backer poses a huge obstacle in a time when the more conservative, traditional lenders and investors were very leary of putting money into what was viewed by many as likely being a here-today-gone-tomorrow industry.
Frances de la Tour (Rising Damp) stars as Maud, the well-spoken, well-bred, but very uppity, not to mention plain-looking, daughter of a well-off family. It is Maud's brother, Clive, who himself has a tidy nest-egg, that Arnie hopes to smooth-talk into investing in his dream. Maud, however, sees right through Arnie, and turns him down flat.
As it happens, circumstances conspire to bring Arnie and Maud together. Theirs is an uncomfortable, not to mention unlikely, alliance--at least initially; and it is an uphill battle all the way, with shoe-string finances being only the tip of the problem. From a Shirley-Temple-like little girl who's becoming noticeably not so little anymore to a depressive comic and a grand, self-obsessed theatrical diva, there are a number of temperamental, highly-strung thespians, whose egos must be placated. Then there is Max Legendre, the agent of the big-name comic star whom Arnie hopes to snag. The problem is that Max, who has no people skills whatsoever and is no more than a temperamental bully, has aspirations in the directorial direction; that he gets his way only adds to Arnie and Maud's problems. Circumstances are not assisted by the reappearance of Letty, Arnie's tarty (but certainly not plain) former flame, who kindles a spark of jealousy in Maud.
With 50-minute episodes, romantic tension, a delightful blend of comedy and drama, and an unusual period setting, this series is quite a departure for Roy Clarke (who also displayed a flair for comedy-drama in the feature-length film Hawks). Viewers ought not, therefore, to expect something akin to the above-mentioned character comedies for which Clarke is so well known. Though characters abound, this is not character comedy. It really is in a class all its own--I can think of nothing to which to compare it! Having said that, it is a well-written, superbly-acted series with an engaging storyline, and it is a series our family really enjoyed.


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Bob Hoskins (Mona Lisa, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Enemy at the Gates) stars as Arnie Cole, a lovable Cockney rogue who wants to move up in the fledgling silent-film industry. Prowling for potential investors, Arnie finds haughty, hypercritical Maud (Frances de la Tour, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, Rising Damp)-and gets far more than he bargained for. While keeping creditors at bay, squabbling actors on task, and an egotistical director under budget, Arnie and Maud try to build a business based on make-believe. In the process, they manage to kindle an unorthodox-but very real-romance. Crackling with droll dialogue and punctuated by moments of true poignancy, Emmy®-nominated Flickers takes you behind the cameras for a hilarious look at the eccentric entrepreneurs, ambitious actors, and assorted other oddballs who populated the British movie business in the days before talkies.

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