Tom_Powers30 Reviews

The Sopranos: Stage 5 (2007) Season 6, Episode 14

One of the best episodes---ever

[9/10 · 21 April 2007]

I thought that this was such a fantastic episode! It had everything: parody, horror, surprises, artful whackings...

Comedy, too. Soprano's is at its best when it is both funny and just plain scary.

James Gandolfini keeps getting better and better and John Sacrimoni, the actor that plays him, should get an emmy nod for his portrayal of the dying John Sacrimoni.

I loved Cleaver and Tony's reaction to it.

And the final scenes set to one of the best pieces of music the series has ever used was both a great nod to The Godfather and stood on its own. What a show and season so far!

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Buffy vs. Dracula (2000) Season 5, Episode 1

I vant Buffy!

[7/10 · 16 January 2007]

Well, true the actor is no Bela Lugosi or Christopher Lee. I would've enjoyed an actor of some depth to give Drac some real weight. That said, though the actor they chose isn't awful and still has some fun with the role. I rather enjoyed this take on the myth and I like when Buffy opens up the Buffyverse to classic creature feature characters. I enjoyed Xander turning into Drac's lackey, too always a lot of fun.

Nicholas Brendan is a good enough actor that I got his "giggly" nods toward the incredible Dwight Frye's laughter in the original unless this was just a brilliant mistake. Either way I very much enjoyed this episode and season V as a whole. Just like most Buffy episodes and seasons it was one of the most entertaining shows on TV ever.

TCM Underground (2006– )

Great hosting job and great show when's it coming back?

[9/10 · 13 January 2007]

Rob Zombie is one of my favorite entertainers...and he's hosted some of my favorite and unknown films on TCM Underground. So far, my favorite episode was the one with Freaks, but I enjoy the trivia and background info. that Zombie states both before and after the films. Keep doing it TCM! Zombie is a great addition to your crew and with a DVR it doesn't matter that it's on so late on Friday nights/Saturday mornings. I'd like to see more Lon Chaney films, odd cult films that either aren't yet out on DVD or have been OOP from a while. What about some Herchell Gordon Lewis flicks or Lon Chaney Jr. episodes of Inner Sanctum, I think that he clue is to keep it different!

Christmas Evil (1980)

Sick Santa & split personality with this movie

[8/10 · 19 November 2006]

Well, this movie sure has grown on me. I saw this for the first time back in 2004(?) When Troma first released it on an "official" DVD release. Anyway, from the cover art work alone used for that release***Santa hunched near a Christmas tree holding a bloody Ax and toys are spilling out of his sack*** I thought this looked like a cool alternative to the usual holiday film. Let me say, that I love most Christmas movies and in no way do I endorse any ridiculing of Christmas although I do enjoy horror films and since horror and the Christmas holiday are two of my favorite things I was naturally drawn to this. Besides, I actually do not believe that this film makes fun of the holiday or anything. Sure, it's sick and not as much of a social commentary as maybe one would lead you to believe, but I do think that it has more on it's twisted, demented mind than simply the thrill of seeing a Santa Stalker. Now, exactly what that is I'm not sure.

However, I believe the director is a big fan of Martin Scorsese because it does have a lot in common with Taxi Driver and the Travis Bickle character. I won't do a plot synopsis because they're boring and you'll all ready read that much before this point.

I think the highlight is near the ending when he finally goes over the edge ***literally it seems, however if the spoiler is that he dies at the end then that's news to me and apparently the director too because listening to the commentary on the older DVD version ***Troma's he says that it is open to discussion whether he actually flies off or dies. I guess the cynic in me would believe that he does die and quite frankly I do not want to believe he's the real Santa cause he isn't! Still a fascinating portrayal and I did enjoy all the vintage holiday stuff. Santa may be an advertising icon from Coca-Cola with his red suit, but he is based on St. Nicholas so anybody saying otherwise should get their facts straight.

Dorm Daze 2 (2006 Video)

Vida, you're the best.......butt

[2/10 · 19 September 2006]

I rented this movie for one, well two reasons: Vida Guerra. She is absolutely hot, however this movie isn't. And, disappointingly, no she doesn't remove any clothing. She does wear some nice, revealing clothes, but come on you can see more on the Internet. And the movie is pretty lame to boot. It is like a low-tier American Pie, but those films are way better and have better looking women. Trust me, check out Vida on the 'net and not in this loser.

Some of the performances are OK, like the red-haired dude from various other movies like this, but this doesn't even rate as an Animal House rip-off in any way. A few of the performers redeem themselves, I laughed a few (few) times.

And poor Larry Drake. You used to be a cool, character actor. What happened?

The Sopranos: Kaisha (2006) Season 6, Episode 12

You're not really Soprnaos fans

[6/10 · 14 June 2006]

True, this last episode was just OK, but it wasn't a season finale---in a sense it's a beginning, a set-up, a preview of the episodes in January '07. And as far as this season being weak...say what? This was a GREAT season----exploring several of the character's in-depth in a way that didn't happen in some past seasons. Also, the Vito storyline was compelling and had it's pay-off in "Cold Stones." I think that the final 8 episodes will be great. Sopranos will go out in a hail of blood, bullets, & glory and you will all see. This is a classic show and David Chase will not disappoint. If you're "not" going to watch the final eight episodes than your opinion should be "jointed" and placed in several different garbage stops along the NJ turnpike.

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (2004 Video)

A computer animated Mickey,...I was skeptical

[14 November 2004]

Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas came out on DVD last week and I was a skeptic. Sure, Pixar and Disney have had (mostly) homeruns with their computer animated films. Sure, their are currently two computer animated films dominating the US domestic box-office,.....a death knell for traditional animation unfortunately. Still, I've enjoyed most of these films. Why not a computer animated Mickey, Donald, & Goofy? Well, why not indeed.

Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas, is a good holiday family film. It isn't too cloyingly sweet, it's probably got more in common with recent Mickey/Donald/Goofy films than with Mickey's Christmas Carol (my personal fave), but, it certainly tries and actually has good stories (it's an anthology of mostly, fluffy yule-tide tales). I liked the Pluto/ Reindeer storyline in particular. Anyway, how does a CGI Mickey look? Surprisingly good. A few years ago a company released another ,...ahem,...homage to a classic Christmas special about a certain reindeer with a red nose. It stunk and it was CGI. Not so with this movie. Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas uses computer animation well and it looks good, has a good storyline, and is overall successful and worthy to add to your collection of Disney DVD's. I certainly hope we don't just get CGI animation from Disney or other companies anymore, although, it really looks like we may,...*sigh* But, if the quality is like Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas it'll definitely soften the blow. So, warm up some Cocoa and pop this one into your DVD player over the holidays.

Shock Waves (1977)

creepy, atmospheric underwater 'Shock--er'

[8/10 · 18 October 2004]

I had heard about this one for the first time on a radio call-in show specializing in discussing movies about two years ago, then I started seeing the movie posters online. The image of rotted corpses with dark goggles uplifting a ship and rising from the ocean was quite intriguing. Once I heard it was coming to DVD courtesy of Blue Underground I knew that I had to seek it out--it wasn't easy! I finally found my converted copy and brought popped it in my DVD player with high hopes......needless to say I, thankfully, was not disappointed and 'Shock Waves' has become one of my favorite so-called guilty pleasures.

Things that work for this movie: the creepy score is eerie and smacks of late 70's horror. The cast: Cushing and Carradine in cameos, the lovely Brooke Adams in a yellow bikini, eerie underwater footage of Nazi zombies walking across the ocean floor (mirrored, recently in a big budget, effects-laden Disney movie about Pirates!), and the understated make-up, while not quite living up to the fantastic cover art, does work here! I really, really love this movie and have watched it rather frequently since it's come to DVD. It is a perfect late night scary show and it's leisurely paced in a good way as to let the creepiness wear on you. I noticed that I've used the adjectives creepy and eerie quite a bit, well, rent or buy a copy of this film and you'll be creeped out for Halloween or any time that you feel like a late night monster movie zombie!

Song of the South (1946)

Wow, what a shame. One of Disney's BEST films. Period.

[10/10 · 20 August 2004]

I recently viewed 'Song of the South' after not having seen it for at least 15 years if not longer. The last time that I had seen this wonderful family film was when I was around nine years old during one of its several theatrical re-issues in the early 1980's.

OK, some say that this film is politically incorrect. No, it isn't. Let me explain and let's look at the positive messages before jumping to conclusions please: This film is not ABOUT SLAVERY. It is a film that has slavery in it, yes, but it is not the subject of the film. The subject of the film is the friendship between an elderly kind man (he's a African-American!!!!) and a nice little boy (he's Caucasian!) This little boy looks up to Uncle Remus as if Remus is god-like. For a 1946 film to treat a subject in this way is commendable. Tell you what if you want to get angry at a film try a myriad of other 1940's films and see the negative portrayals of black actors in them; you'll find none of that here. At all. My opinion and quite frankly a truthful one. Now, enough with the 2004 cynical comments and on with the show.

I will say this right now: It is deplorable that Disney has not released this film when movies like 'Gone With The Wind' and 'The Charlie Chan Collection' are being released by major studios with disclaimers, etc. dealing with the views of some political groups who get their shorts in an uproar over the most benign issues and should focus their powers elsewhere and leave a beloved family film with a great message alone.

This film has several genuinely touching moments that culminate in the innovative technique of combing animation (the amazing 'Brer Rabbit sequences) with live-action actors. Disney was the George Lucas of his day and he has managed to do what some have thought lacking in the recent Star Wars films; connect to an audience with animated characters! There's heart and soul in this film.

Bottom line--Disney, a good company, is depriving itself of a goldmine because people are still paying to get copies of this film from outside resources and would gladly plunk down hard-earned ca$h for an anniversary edition, with as many disclaimers as Disney would like to stamp on it, make it a net-exclusive or something...it's depressing to think that this will never be released on video here in the United States. Really, what is the worse that would happen? There'd be a minor stink and then guess what? I'd have 'Song of The South' on my DVD shelf along with other lovers of great films and we'd all move on to the next thing and have a zip-a-dee-doo-dah Day!

Freaks (1932)

"Living, Breathing Monstrosities.."

[10/10 · 9 August 2004]

Those that have seen either 1930's gangster film, "The Public Enemy" or "Little Caesar" will be familiar with the opening scrawl of the amazing film, "Freaks." In the 1930's it seemed as though the filmmakers had to set up the audience or apologize, in a way, for what they were about to see. The opening, before the title card, explains how "freaks" or human oddities have been treated by society. It tells how such deformed people were shunned from society, but, how they have normal thoughts and feelings just like the rest of us. This truly is the power of this truly moving, funny, very strange, and ultimately frightening film from the "Dark Carnival" mind of director Tod Browning...

No reason to do a summary here, that ruins the experience for new audiences to discover on their own and the rest of the reviewers have all ready done a stellar job, I'm sure, of giving plot synopsis.

Let's say that the average viewer will be stunned at first by the fact that real deformed dwarfs, midgets,siamese twins, and other "oddities" were the actors in this film. And that, in itself, lends the film its mysterious power and casts its spell on the viewer as much now in 2004 as I'm sure it did in the 30's and upon its rediscovery in the 1960's.

The tone of this film varies throughout. At it's center really are several relationships: Hans and his fiancée; Hans and the "Big" Lady, Cleopatra; Frozo the Clown and Venus; Hercules the strong man and Cleopatra, and of course the "Freaks" vs. Hercules and Cleopatra and the special code of the Freaks.

There are several lame 1930's jokes an example: "I thinks she likes you, b-b-b-but h-he don't!" stutters a clown in the circus when the half male/female character walks by Hercules and stops to take a gander. It's a strange, perverse joke and an example of what you're in for with this movie.

The power of the film is within the freaks themselves. We are invited to gawk, stare, but, ultimately sympathize with them. We want to see anyone who threatens them get their comeuppance and boy do they ever get that!

The freak that will freak you out the most: The Living Torso, Radian.

You'll love Frozo and Venus and pull for them throughout.

You'll root for Hans and Frida.

You'll enjoy Rosco the clown's humorous performance.

You'll be truly disturbed by the classic; uber-horror scene of the freaks crawling with knives in the mud in the rain-storm revenge sequence toward the end. Some of the most classic images in all of film not just horror.

I love it when Hans calls other "big" people in the circus who make him angry : "Swine!" He rules.

When the title card: THE WEDDING FEAST comes up you too will be truly FREAKED out! I love this movie and it has quickly become one of my favorites of all time right along-side 1930's classics like Dracula, Frankenstein, etc.

Squirm (1976)

Fun creature feature from the 1970's

[7/10 · 31 July 2004]

The director of this film has stated in his commentary on the DVD that this movie was meant to be a parody of movies that he grew up with, i.e., "The Birds." What the person above obviously did not realize is that movies at one time could be both entertaining, fun, and parody without being as in-your-face as, say, the 'Scary Movie' series--and still be enjoyed on its own terms like "Squirm" should be and is by this reviewer.

This movie is one of my favorite Drive-In "creature features." Its pleasures are simple and fun. The movie is not boring in any parts as you begin to sympathize with the various characters, etc.

Plot summaries are boring and let's face it if you're renting or purchasing 'Squirm' you're doing it for earth-worms attacking and eating people not for a cozy story. Does the film deliver on the DVD cover of a man buried up to his jaw-line in squirming, wriggling blood-worms? Oh, yea and in spades.

From the moody opening with an eerie song sung by a child played over scenes of a violent thunder-storm, to the squishy close-ups of (real) blood-worms (screaming!) the director says the "screaming" is actually culled from the slaughter of the pigs scene in the movie 'Carrie'!?

Bottom line: If you want a fun and entertaining creature flick to watch get this one immediately. If you're some cynical film-goer who can't get into stuff like this then I feel for you. Go watch Fellini or something and leave the pop-corn flicks for us!