So I got a free pass to see a preview of the new film Forgetting Sarah Marshall and I went mostly because of my long-standing policy never to refuse a free movie, but partly because of my fandom of co-star Mila Kunis, the only reason I ever tuned in to That 70’s Show. What […]
Carry on Nurse is the first entry in the “Carry On” series that really establishes what the future installment would be like. Although Carry On Sergeant laid done several of the ground rules (group of disparate characters thrown together, etc.), the cheekiness and generally bawdy air that permeates the series begins here.
The story is […]
Hold that Co-ed must have seemed at the time to be an innocuous little comedy about a Governor, Gabby Harrigan (John Barrymore), and his attempts to win a seat in the U.S. Senate. He does this, in typical 1930’s style, by buying the electorate. In this case, he uses the power of his […]
Having watched all the Superman films, I decided to follow that up with a review of the “90s” Batman films. * This encapsulates Batman, Batman Returns, Batman Forever and Batman & Robin.
To kick things off, here’s my famous quick and dirty guide to the Batman films:
Batman: directed by the artsy Tim Burton, produced by […]
Having watched the previous Superman cinematic outings one at a time, I decided to watch the entirety of Christopher Reeve’s output in the character in one go. Including both versions of the second film, this runs to five: Superman, Superman II, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest […]
For Ratatouille, I present my first (and possibly last) one of those “podcasts” the kids are always talking about these days. Apologies for the sometime wonky audio and the fact that I had a sore throat the day we recorded.
Idiocracy is Mike Judge’s long-awaited followup to his cult hit film Office Space. And while, expectedly, it does not live up to the level of quality of that earlier film and there are many problems with the film as found, there are still some nice touches that make it worth watching at least once. […]
Run Ronnie Run is a film spun-off from the HBO comedy series Mr. Showstarring David Cross and Bob Odenkirk. On that show, there was a sketch about one Ronnie Dobbs, a redneck loser who became famous for being captured on COPS-like television shows. Run Ronnie Run is essentially an expanded version of that […]
Brenda Starr carries a 1989 release date, but it was really produced a couple of years earlier. Legal troubles kept it from release, otherwise it might have been seen as a precursor to the “comic book” revival begun in ‘89 by Batman, instead of as just another attempt to cash in on a fad. […]
National Lampoon’s Van Wilder attempts to recapture some of National Lampoon’s past glory by returning to college and trying to define an era in much the same way Animal House did. While it never reaches the inspired levels of that earlier film (and all to often goes into that unfortunate land we call “gross-out […]
I am probably unduly fond of Graffiti Bridge, Prince’s 1990 sequel to his groundbreaking Purple Rain. On almost every level (except the music - mor on that later), Bridge is inferior to Rain. The story is more convoluted, the dialogue more stilted, the sets look more fake. But there’s something deep inside […]
The original, 1968 version of Mel Brook’s The Producers and its 2005 remake naturally have a lot in common. But there are almost as many differences. As I mentioned in my original review, the biggest change is the expansion of the storyline to include a love story for Leo.
These changes alter the dynamic […]
Robin Hood is considered by many to be a weak point in the Disney Animated Feature canon, but I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for it. Watching it again after all these years I can agree that it doesn’t measure up, but not, perhaps, for the same reasons others feel that […]
Spite Marriage is Buster Keaton’s second film for MGM and his final silent feature. He had, in fact, wanted to make this film as a talkie (he was very enthusiastic about sound), but was overridden by studio honchos. This film marks the true transition for Keaton, as the studio began taking full control […]
I’ve said about all I needed to say about Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon in my original review. There’s little to add, really.
But I would like to point out that like a lot of the films that have become personal favorites, there’s always something that I notice each time I watch it. This time, […]
What’s to be said about Johnny Dangerously? Made in the wake of Michael Keaton’s success in Night Shift and Mr. Mom, it is a big, showy comedy about 1940s gangsters. It tries, soemwhat, to emulate the Airplane!-style of over-the-top comedy, but only partially succeeds. It is resuced by spirited performances from its […]
Ah, The Killer Shrews. One of my favorite episodes of Mystery Science Theater 3000 used this film and it stands up pretty well on its own.
The films tells of a young shipping boat captain, Thorne Sherman (James Best) who lands on an island with his mate, “Rook” Griswold (Judge Henry Dupree) to make a […]
A Fish Called Wanda is very much a 1980s film. The plot, characters and tone all speak to that very specific time. Luckily, it holds up pretty well, if not shining as brightly as it did years ago.
The film is, at its heart, a caper story. It follows a diamond theft that […]
Carry on Sergeant is the first in the series of “Carry On” films, but has very little in common with the series as it would come to be known.
Much has been made of the fact that one of the bawdiest series in film history began with this very straight army comedy. Starring William […]
Okay, I’ll get this out of the way right now. Cabin Boy is one of the worst “comedies” I have ever endured.
You know, I am terribly forgiving when it comes to material from people I like. And I like Chris Elliot. In the glory days of the old Late Night with David […]
Flash Gordon adapts the classic Alex Raymond character with a style that is taken right out of the original comic strip. It was started as an answer to the successful Buck Rogers strip that had jump-started the sci-fi comic scene and their fates had always been entwined. Their respective movie serials had even […]
National Lampoon’s Loaded Weapon 1* was released at a time when these kinds of Airplane-inspired comedies were a dime a dozen. The difference here is that, unlike the contemporary Hot Shots! series, Loaded Weapon doesn’t have any of the Airplane crew on board. It tries to mimic that style, but ultimately comes up […]
I have mentioned The Cameraman many times in the past, usually referring to it as the “last great Buster Keaton film”. I have since come to feel that his next film, Spite Marriage is a classic in its own right, but The Cameraman, the first film Keaton made for MGM, remains the last feature […]
The suits over at Disney must have been feeling pretty good about themselves when they released Aladdin. They had just come off the enormously successful Beauty and the Beast (the only animated film ever nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture) and seemed to be on a roll. With much of the […]
The Lion King is the perfect culmination of all that had been ocurring at Disney Animation since the renaissance begun with The Little Mermaid. With each project, the visuals had become more lush and the stories had become more universal and more widely appealing. But it took the masterstroke (conceived by lyricist Tim […]
Alright, I know ther are some people who hate Ishtar with a burning passion. I am convinced, however, that these are people who’ve never actually seen the movie. Sure, it is an aggressively silly movie. Sure, it cost wa-a-a-a-ay too much money to make. But if taken as it is (a […]
The Little Mermaid is another film that I could go on about for days if given the opportunity. The main thing that sets it apart from the Disney animated films that preceded it was the focus on music. This is not surprising, as lyricist Howard Ashman also served as a producer on the […]
Spaceballs is considered by many to be Mel Brooks’ last great film (or next-to-last, depending). Sure, there’s solid material in Robin Hood: Men in Tights and I personally think that Dracula: Dead and Loving It is underrated, but you find someone who will defend Life Stinks. Go on. I’ll wait…
…
…
Nothing, huh? The […]
Carry on Doctor finds the “Carry On” series in full swing. All of the major performers were in place and practically all of them are in this film. The only major omission is Kenneth Connor. In his place is a star turn by Frankie Howerd.
The plot revolves around a hospital (not suprisingly) […]
Willow was George Lucas’ first “epic” creation since the Star Wars saga and, I feel, suffered undeserved negativity because of the comparison. That, and th accusation that it is just warmed-over Tolkien meant that it was not highly thought of for many years after its creation (a situation that has somewhat reversed itself in […]
Just Friends, like Waiting, is a film I bought primarily on the strength of its star, Ryan Reynolds. Thankfully, this one turned out a lot better.
It’s a romantic comedy with a twist, as they say. Reynolds plays Chris Brander, who as a young man was overweight and carried a torch for his best […]
The Great Lover is a pretty good outing for Bob Hope. It never really rises to the level of what I’d call a classic, but its a good time, with plenty to offer.
The first thing that struck me when I watched this film was the opening scene: a quiet, little parlor-room scene of two […]
I really like Dirty Work. Your ability to enjoy the film is directly linked to your tolerance level and enjoyment of Norm MacDonald’s comedy, as he pretty much shoehorns in every running gag he’s ever done (except, for some reason, the Germans). Just about everything else is here in abundance: “note to self”, […]
Under the Cherry Moon
*singing*
How can i stand 2 sit through this stuff?
Must be a big fan, to watch all this fluff
Why does it fail in so many ways?
Prince could have made any film he could choose,
So why did he make Under the Cherry Moon?
It’s not like he can’t write with style or flair
He could’ve done […]
Okay…Beer League. It was originally marketed as Artie Lange’s Beer League, so that should give you some idea where this film is coming from. It’s pretty much what you’d expect; a standard underdog team trying to beat the big shots with a bunch of dirty jokes thrown in. Still, it’s really not […]
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is quirky. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is odd. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is probably the strangest mainstream science fiction movie I’ve ever seen. I love it. But I can certainly understand why […]
The Lemon Drop Kid is, for the most part, a typical Bob Hope comedy of the era. What gives it a bit of a zing is the fact that it is based on the works of Damon Runyon (like Guys and Dolls and Little Miss Marker). So we have Bob making his way […]
What made the classic Muppet films stand out is that, like the Muppet Show before them, they didn’t treat them as a puppet show. These were regular, normal comedies that just happened to have puppets in many of the major roles. This is never better represented than in the best of all Muppet […]
I’m not going to say much about Bewitched, as most of my thoughts are covered in my original review.
Basically, re-watching it now has strengthened the negatives in my mind, while the positives come off a bit weaker. I still like the premise a lot. In fact, much of what sells me on Bewitched […]
Joe Versus the Volcano is a massively underappreciated film. I know, I know, When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You’ve Got Mail are supposedly the Nora Ephron/Meg Ryan trilogy. But I’d rather focus on the Tom Hanks/Meg Ryan trilogy and I’ll take Joe over any of them, anyway.
The big difference between […]
Flushed Away shows that just because it says Dreamworks, that doesn’t mean it’s crap. Of course, Dreamworks and producer Aardman Studios (also of Chicken Run and Wallace and Grommit) parted ways with Dreamworks shortly after this film was released, so maybe Aardman realized that Dreamworks was not the place for them. I, myself, […]
Really, I don’t know what I was thinking. I had been seeing Andy Kaufman on SNL and had watched Man on the Moon, so I guess I wanted to see a bit more of him. Or maybe I was curious as to whether it was really as bad a film as I remembered. […]
Fantasia and Fantasia 2000 are two of Disney’s more interesting releases. Originally envisioned by Walt Disney as an “event” (one that you would dress up for, as if going to a real concert), Fantasia was a financial disaster for the company, almost bringing them to ruin.
And it wasn’t all that warmly received critically, either. […]
Now, I’ve been a big fan of Bob Hope since the days of my youth, when the local independant station used to show his movies every saturday or Sunday morning. (This is also the cause of my love for Godzilla and Blondie movies.) But ever since then, my favorite has been Son of […]
I love Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy. It does something that I always admire in a film: it builds its own take on reality and blindly holds onto it no matter what. The world of Anchorman is a specific take on the 1970s: male chauvanist, environmentally unfriendly, yet harmlessly naive (despite the […]
I hadn’t seen Cinderella, Disney’s 12th Animated Feature, in several years, but was inspired to watch it because of the impending release of Cinderella III: A Twist in Time, which was getting strong reviews. I’ve still yet to see Cinderella III (I’ll apend my thoughts here when I do), but after watching the original […]
The Princess Bride is one of those rare cases where I had read a not-terribly-popular book before seeing the movie. Of course, I was suckered into reading it by the exciting copy on the back. (At that time, I was reading *a lot* and it took something extra for a book by an […]
Heaven Can Wait has always been one of my favorite films and it’s the one that made me an unabashed fan of the great Charles Grodin.
But there’s so much more to this film than just that. Heaven Can Wait (for those of you who don’t know) is a re-make of a popular (and excellent, […]
Film #001 - Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Film #002 - Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones (2002)
Film #003 - Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)
Film #004 - Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope (1977)
Film #005 - Star Wars: Episode V - The […]
Viewed December 31, 2006
When I started this project, part of the goal was to watch movies I had always intended to see, but had somehow missed. I kicked off the proceeding with what I called “the great unwatched”: Unbreakable. The other movie that qualified for that title is one of my mother’s favorite […]
Viewed December 29, 2006
Hellboy is a film adaptation of Mike Mignola’s cult comic book series. It tells of a demon brought forth by Nazis to be the key to a worldwide apocalypse, but is instead captured by American military forces and raised as a force for good.
When we meet up again with Hellboy (Ron […]
Viewed December 28, 2006
The Road Home begins with a young man named Changyu (Hao Zheng) learning of the recent death of his father. When he returns to his village, he finds that his mother wishes to have his father’s body carried home by the men of the village (an old custom), despite the difficulties […]
Viewed December 27, 2006
Three Ages is an ambitious comedy from Buster Keaton, where he strives to show how love has changed (but mostly stayed the same) throughout the ages. He does this by illustrating three cases of love: a caveman, a Roman citizen and a modern day man (well, modern for 1923, anyway).
All three […]
Viewed December 20, 2006
Naughty Marietta marked the beginning of one of the most successful film pairings in history, that of Jeanette MacDonald and Nelson Eddy. MacDonald was already a popular film star when seh was paired with Eddy, who was a well-known (but not super-famous) singer. All that changed after this film and […]
Viewed December 18, 2006
Herbie Fully Loaded picks up the story of the Volkswagen Beetle with a mind of its own last seen on the big screen in 1980’s Herbie Goes Bananas. (There was also a 1997 TV remake/sequel of the original film, The Love Bug, that is not necessarily in continuity.)
Fully Loaded […]
Viewed December 15, 2006
Village of Daughters is one of what seems like an infinite number of farces that British studios like Ealing were cranking out in the 1960s. It revolves around a salesman, Herbert Harris (Eric Sykes) who travels to Sicily and finds himself caught up in a scheme by the local priest, Don […]
Viewed December 12, 2006
The Road to El Dorado is another one of those films I have no excuse for not having seen. After all, I’ve owned the soundtrack since it came out, since the songs are performed by Elton John with lyrics by Tim Rice (of whom I’m a big fan). In fact, […]
Viewed December 1, 2006
Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas is an anthology film that tells three Christmas-themed stories in Disney style.
The first is a story featuring Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. It has some similarities to the classic film Groundhog Day as the nephews wish that every day was Christmas and […]
Viewed November 30, 2006
Like many, the first notice I gave Gumnaam was when I saw it’s opening dance number included in the film Ghost World. But far from the wacky 60’s romp that the number seems to indicate, Gumnaam turns out to be a somewhat altered re-telling of Agatha Christie’s Ten Little Indians (uncredited, […]
Viewed November 27, 2006
The African Queen is an unquestioned Hollywood classic. The pairing of Humphrey Bogart as riverboat captain Charlie Allnut and Katherine Hepburn as missionary Rose Sayer trying to make their way down river to attack a German boat during WWI is as famous for its own merits as it is for the […]
Viewed November 26, 2006
Fatty’s Spooning Day aka Mabel, Fatty and the Law is a relatively early entry from Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle that displays all his typical character traits. He womanizes. He gets in trouble with the law. Just about the only thing he doesn’t do is the acrobatics that he was […]
Viewed November 25, 2006
The Cheetah Girls 2 is the second Disney Channel Original Movie in a series based on books by Deborah Gregory that chronicle the trials and tribulations of a girl singing group in-the-making. Having faced difficulties finding their common voice in the first film, in CG2, they travel to Barcelona, Spain to […]
Viewed November 23, 2006
Tina and Frank is a short film made by Oakland filmmaker Erin Gleeson. It follows a young woman named Tina who has befriended an older divorced man named Frank. They have bonded over the odd habit of punching people in the face and much of their time is spent setting […]
Viewed November 20, 2006
One way to judge the quality of a film is to judge the quality of its remakes. For The Shop Around the Corner, its progeny couldn’t be of higher quality. Its story of two disparate people who fall in love through the mail was first remade in 1949 as In […]
Viewed November 19, 2006
The Parent Trap is the remake of the 1961 Haylie Mills film of the same name. It introduced the world to the talented and not-yet-troubled Lindsay Lohan and helped usher in Disney’s recent live-action family comedy successes.
The setup follows the same basic outline at the original film: twin girls are separated […]