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Reviews
Paradise in Harlem (1939)
I quite liked the movie--especially when compared with others in the 50-film pack
Paradise in Harlem was one of 50 films in one of those big packs of older movies. Perhaps it's not a good idea to sit down and watch the whole pack, without watching something completely different just to clear the palate. I had watched 4 or so of the films in the pack, and most were excruciatingly awful. Then I hit Paradise in Harlem, and it was like a breath of fresh air. Real people doing real things. Yes, there were stereotypes. On the other hand, John Candy could have been considered a stereotype. The characters were varied and had ups and downs. They didn't just stumble into good luck through deus ex machina. I just really liked this film. I could watch it and enjoy it and appreciate it. One little thing that I really liked--the filmmakers did not put us through Lem's no doubt silly, embarrassing vaudeville act; you saw only his makeup, which told you all you needed to know about his act.
Apartment Zero (1988)
DVD--commentary track
I thought the movie was wonderfully done and that the acting was disturbingly excellent. But I wanted to write more about the writer/director's commentary than about the film. The writer/director's commentary was charming: he loved the actors--not superficially or automatically, but sincerely; he loved the film, even the parts that he indicated he would improve upon if he could. It was one of the best commentaries I have ever heard; the affection and wry humor of the director were so apparent throughout it. I did like the other commentary track, but that one was more about general experiences of writing and directing, although very amusing and natural--a conversation between two people in the same line of work. And I think the film deserves 10 stars. I cannot imagine other actors performing the leads. The suspense is similar to that in Night of the Hunter for me--that unreachable evil--but it goes beyond the Night of the Hunter, because there is no completely good person. Each person has his/her flaws and issues, but each person has to have flaws so that Jack can prey on them. The film is therefore less allegorical than Night of the Hunter, which I have always considered the most disturbing film I have ever seen--until Apartment Zero, that is.
The Guy from Harlem (1977)
movie was awful but the clothing was fantastic
This is such a terrible movie--as someone wrote before, it's much worse than Ed Wood ever dreamed of. Obviously, no retakes, no editing except in those cases in which all of sudden we switch back to a scene and stuff has happened, so the whole thing looks choppy. Having written that, I have to say that the clothes were so psychedelic and absolutely mod and very polyester with collars out to there (and anyway, how does Al wear blue underwear without its showing through his white pants) that I would watch it again (with the sound off to mask the horrible dialogue and pathetic performances) just for that. I'm not sure how one could write a spoiler on this film--a spoiler would imply some sort of plot. I swear I think they changed Al's office halfway through the film, but I couldn't pay very close attention because I didn't want to make myself sick--like eating too much artificially buttered popcorn. I loved how the receptionist gives out Al's address to "someone from the CIA", but that little tidbit never goes anywhere. Still love the clothes, though.