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Reviews
L'heureuse mort (1925)
Fantastic film! Do not miss if you get a chance to see it!
I happened to catch this on the closing night of the San Francisco Silent Film Festival this year, and was completely blown away. This is a delightful comedy focuses on a writer who cannot produce a successful play. Upon the misinformed news of his death, he becomes a cultural hero and suddenly everyone wants to see his plays.
Through a series of comedic assumptions, fate keeps piling up success upon the couple, and all they have to do is keep silent about the truth. The film makes light fun of the scenario while commenting on the absurdity of what makes an artist famous.
It is a most unusual film, and even has an animated sequence telling yet another chapter of the story. This was 70 years before Quentin Tarantino did it in Kill Bill. Of course the scenarios are not quite the same, but it just shows how devices used today were utilized back in the early days of cinema.
Do not miss if you get a chance to see this film!
Toys (1992)
Misunderstood film is absolutely beautiful
Toys was a far better film than critics and most fans seem to realize. They seem to hate its message, or just resent that it's such a simple message that is thrown at you in your face throughout the film. However, the cinematography, and the music are phenomenal. The sets, beautiful. The cast throws everything they got into this. Joan Cusack is especially delightful as Alsatia.
The beginning of the movie, Donald O'Connor describes exactly what it is you are going to see. Something Whimsical. It's a fairytale for the modern age. Like all fairy tales, it has a strong but simple moral, that is the theme.
Just let it tell its story, and sit back and enjoy. So much emphasis is put into "realism" in film, and perhaps that's why Toys did not fare well. It certainly is a departure, but if you are willing to let it take you on a journey, and stop fighting it every step of the way, it's a fantastic journey.
Drive (2007)
A great concept carried out in the worst way I have ever seen on TV
I was looking forward to this show when it first aired. I loved the illegal cross country race aspect with a bunch of people all having different reasons for being in the race. The premise had me salivating for an interesting show.
Then I saw the pilot. The effects were minimal, the car chases were contrived and idiotic, the characters were some of the most stupid and obnoxioius people I have ever seen on TV, and their motives were poorly written and executed with no passion whatsoever.
Its obvious that too many people had ideas of how this show should be and in the end it was all watered down so that no one element had any interesting creativity left.
What a shame.
Speed Racer (2008)
Amazingly unique film - Do NOT miss this in theaters!
Its sad to hear people saying bad things about this film. Its a true work of art. The colors, the racing sequences and the over all fun all worked together. You see people complaining about the CGI. Well I am not a CGI fan because its over used and often takes so much life out of an action sequence.
Speed Racer utilizes it as a backdrop for a fantasy world that exists only in our imaginations. The Brothers have actually managed to bring that world to life. The CGI though dominating, is used as a background canvas and does not hinder the adventure and the thrill that you get when watching.
I suspect people will come back to this movie later and realize just what a feat it is.
It is just an homage to the TV series. It isn't rocket science. but what a loving homage it is.
The Life of Reilly (2006)
This movie is amazing - It needs to be seen by more people!
This is a unique movie as it is the last performance Charles Nelson Reilly ever did of his one man show. To watch him tell his stories is to see a master weave his craft into words that keep you consistently engrossed by what he has to tell.
CNR's life is fascinating. There is much more to him than most people will ever know. For years you just knew him as the guy on match game, and that funny guy on the Lucy episode, or wasn't he on ghost and Mrs Muir? Something about him in all of those things stuck out enough for people to remember him. The man is an amazing performer, and his words are rich in with the history of Broadway, Hollywood and his personal life.
This film needs to be released on DVD or somehow the gameshow network needs to make a deal with the film maker and show it on the gameshow network, or release it with one of the DVD sets! People need to see it!
Man of La Mancha (1972)
A very misunderstood movie that is better than expected!
This film version of Man of La Mancha has a stronger following than most people would think. It often gets trashed in review books, and almost seems that it has earned a reputation for being bad, when in fact it is actually not that bad at all.
Casting Peter O'Toole and Sophia Loren is far more entertaining that most musical fans would like to admit. They are actors and act their way through the songs and bring an edge that I think is often missed in the stage production. I remember someone awhile back turned me onto this movie because they had the soundtrack. Only Sophia Loren's voice added the torment to her character that they loved so much. It wasn't "bad" it was in "synch" with the character.
The transitions back and forth between the prison and the location scenes are nicely done. James Coco is a joy! And most of the original songs are in the movie. How often does that happen in a film version of a musical? If you decide to watch this film, open your mind and give it a chance. It is good; a great interpretation to a great story.