HENRY O! is in many ways a fascinating documentary. It captures the zest for life of its main character, Enrique "Henry" Oliu, a "color" analyst for WMGG Mega Classica 820 radio, the strongest Hispanic radio station in the local market, for whom he provides game analysis for the Tampa Bay Rays baseball games. There is nothing seemingly remarkable about that. There are a number of sports commentators in the U.S., but no one else whose ability to overcome unbelievable challenges can rival Henry's determination to succeed. The film reveals his spirit and his enthusiasm. Without giving anything away, I would recommend seeing this doc. It's inspirational!
Reviews
3 Reviews
The Million Dollar Hotel
(2000)
Very German, but with lots of Americans!
24 October 2005
This movie took a long time to make - fifteen years, in fact. It was spearheaded by Bono and U2, and still it took forever to make. However - and I'm loathe to say this because I'm not big on U2 - this is a great little arty gem of a movie.
Wim Wenders does his usual bit. If you've never seen a Wim Wenders movie, just imagine what a film by a man who was born in the ruins of postwar Berlin, had five wives between the years 1968 and 1981 (avg. length of marriage a little over two years)and is the Martin Scorcese of Germany looks like. He is himself above all a cinephile, and left studies of medicine and philosophy and a career as an artist to dive into the world of film. He, like the great 70s Generation in the States, came of age in a time of political turbulence and artistic experimentation, and it shows in his work.
He's a director's director, and European to boot, so some audiences are just going to dislike it as a matter of course. For those not turned off by Art House movies, there is a lot here to like.
The huge ensemble cast features a menagerie of the best character actors working, such as Amanda Plummer, Bud Cort, Harris Yulin, and others. Bigger actors also do an art turn, like Milla Jovovich as the femme in a love triangle involving a mental case and a rich kid who may or may not have committed suicide, and Mel Gibson as the Fed who's investigating his plummet from the roof.
It has a dreamlike quality that legitimizes the extreme characters, who are at turns theatrically poetic and comically absurd, but always bizarre.
Basically, this is a love it or hate it flick, I suspect, though many will not be sure if they love it or hate it on the first viewing. I have yet to see it again, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Also highly recommended for the chemically enhanced ;)
Wim Wenders does his usual bit. If you've never seen a Wim Wenders movie, just imagine what a film by a man who was born in the ruins of postwar Berlin, had five wives between the years 1968 and 1981 (avg. length of marriage a little over two years)and is the Martin Scorcese of Germany looks like. He is himself above all a cinephile, and left studies of medicine and philosophy and a career as an artist to dive into the world of film. He, like the great 70s Generation in the States, came of age in a time of political turbulence and artistic experimentation, and it shows in his work.
He's a director's director, and European to boot, so some audiences are just going to dislike it as a matter of course. For those not turned off by Art House movies, there is a lot here to like.
The huge ensemble cast features a menagerie of the best character actors working, such as Amanda Plummer, Bud Cort, Harris Yulin, and others. Bigger actors also do an art turn, like Milla Jovovich as the femme in a love triangle involving a mental case and a rich kid who may or may not have committed suicide, and Mel Gibson as the Fed who's investigating his plummet from the roof.
It has a dreamlike quality that legitimizes the extreme characters, who are at turns theatrically poetic and comically absurd, but always bizarre.
Basically, this is a love it or hate it flick, I suspect, though many will not be sure if they love it or hate it on the first viewing. I have yet to see it again, but I'm willing to give it the benefit of the doubt.
Also highly recommended for the chemically enhanced ;)
Meet Wally Sparks
(1997)
Live-action cartoon, but what's wrong with that?
24 February 2002
"Meet Wally Sparks" is a screwball comedy in the vein of an Adam Sandler vehicle or latter-day "National Lampoon" movie. Sure, it's dumb. Sure, it's cheap. Sure, there's no Palm D'Or award sitting on the director's shelf. But some movies are not destined for accolades or AFI lists or anything above the $8.99-and-under used video rack at Blockbuster.
This movie has a drunken horse, three Southern ladies (one of them Cindy Williams) dancing in their skivvies to "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On", a fight between Sumo wrestlers and WWF stars, and Tony Danza reprising his role as Tony from "Taxi" doing a Rodney Dangerfield impression. Oh, and lest it be overlooked, RODNEY FRIGGIN' DANGERFIELD.
Come on. It's goofy, it's fun, it doesn't cost more than the price of a pack of cigarettes to own. Rodney and Oscar may not mix, but live-action cartoons and Rodney go pretty well together.
This movie has a drunken horse, three Southern ladies (one of them Cindy Williams) dancing in their skivvies to "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On", a fight between Sumo wrestlers and WWF stars, and Tony Danza reprising his role as Tony from "Taxi" doing a Rodney Dangerfield impression. Oh, and lest it be overlooked, RODNEY FRIGGIN' DANGERFIELD.
Come on. It's goofy, it's fun, it doesn't cost more than the price of a pack of cigarettes to own. Rodney and Oscar may not mix, but live-action cartoons and Rodney go pretty well together.
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