gizathecat-1 Reviews

The Thrill of Brazil (1946)

Fun Bit Of Cinematic Fluff

[5/10 · 12 April 2010]

Okay, I enjoy these old, obscure 1940s movies. "The Thrill Of Brazil" is a hokey, corny, and just plain fun musical that just happens to feature the father of a friend of mine in a major supporting role. That's how I came to be familiar with this old, obscure flick. This is a fun bit of cinematic fluff with lots of clever writing and musical numbers.

I'm not sure if I would have sat through it were it not for Sid Tomack's major supporting role as the cab driver "Irkie Bower". Sid's elastic face and big beaming smile made his performance as the goofy cab driver quite entertaining. But what was more surprising was the quality of the writing of the entire film! As one reviewer mentioned, there are an abundance of puns.

The theme of this film can best be stated as: "Their marriage didn't work out, but there is hope, neither did the divorce." And it's set to music!

Beach Fever (1987)

Kato's Greatest Hit....No Miss

[1/10 · 5 December 2008]

Okay, disclaimer time. I was an extra in this turkey. I can be seen in the opening scene wearing the hot pink shorts and top. This is not only one of the worst movies ever escaping the cutting room floor, it was an awful experience for those of us unfortunate enough to be involved in the shoot.

The editing was awful. Entire important scenes never made it to the final cut because the crew walked out at one point! The story jerks around gaping holes in the story because the footage shot was so horrible and was never re shot.

The budget was less than minimal.

But hey, I got a photo of Kato Kaelin picking his nose.

The Falling (I) (2006)

Nick"s THX1138

[8/10 · 22 December 2006]

First off, I am an actor in this movie, so I am a bit biased. Disclaimers out of the way, here comes my review.

Nick is a very young filmmaker, only twenty one years old. He grew up on movies, and for his high school senior project, produced a movie. This past spring and summer while at home in the Seattle area, he produced his first feature.

It opens with a scene reminiscent of Ma and Pa Kent witnessing the falling to earth of the baby Kal El in the 1978 Superman classic. A middle aged couple, lost on a back road is the first to encounter an injured arch angel who warns them that Lucifer is loose on the earth.

"The Falling" has elements of "The Exorcist" - Lucifer does a Linda Blair-like head twist, "Da Vinci Code" - a lost book of the Bible with the Proclamation Of Michael tucked away in the binding of an ordinary copy of the Bible, and a touch of "Highlander" with well done swordplay and talk of wars between the immortal angels and demons.

Shot under the radar in and around Seattle and Whidbey Island, some of the scenes suffered from inconsistent lighting, but those inconsistencies are understandable when you're shooting under the radar of municipal bureaucracies that insist on producers buying permits before shooting.

The story is well told, but could be improved with tighter editing, as parts ran a bit long. Nick's use of color was interesting, with blues and purples punched up in the background, giving an eerie look to much of the film.

The film's music was composed by Adrian Van Meter, another "wunderkind" – a high school classmate of the film's director. Both Adrian and Nick are to be watched. When someone as young a Nick can create a well told and well acted film with a cast and crew of mostly beginners and turn out a film like "The Falling", Hollywood should take notice.

Nick's "The Falling" reminds me of how there came to be TWO "THX1138" movies. The first one was produced by a film school student named George Lucas. Ever hear of him? The producers with money to invest were so impressed with the student film, they gave money to young George Lucas to produce a version with a bigger budget. That movie is now a science fiction classic.

One can only hope Nick is given the opportunity to follow in those hallowed footsteps. He's got the talent.

LGB

The Delivery (I) (2006)

No spoken Lines In This Excellent Short

[10/10 · 31 July 2006]

Natasha Sims and Shawn Telford carried this charming little movie without speaking a word. Natasha has a very expressive face without being "muggy". Her expressions beautifully made up for the lack of spoken words. Shawn was perfect as a nerdy writer, so serious his face throughout the film. When a movie is shot without dialog, other aspects of film-making have to take over. Dramatic camera angles were utilized well. An example of the dramatic camera angles include one where the camera was on the floor, shooting up a door where Shawn is fiddling with the keyhole. Music also played an important role in this film. The whimsical sweet music illustrated the innocence of the two lead characters. A mouse is a "featured extra" in several scenes.

Maura's War (2006)

Gut Wrenching, Well Done Film

[10/10 · 31 July 2006]

Gut wrenchingly good. Sandra Ahola's story takes you on a wild emotional ride and leaves you thinking at the end. So many issue driven stories are so heavy handed and manipulative I am turned off and won't really pay attention. Even if the story presents the issue from my world view, I will still turn off if it is too manipulative. Her story was so well told I couldn't figure out where she stood on the issue until I e-mailed her and asked.

"Maura's War" is a surprising accidental companion to AWOL:The Unexcused Absence of America's Upper Classes from Military Service and How It Hurts Our Country. This book by former filmmaker Frank Schaeffer and Kathy Roth-Douquet.

Both "Maura's War" and the Schaeffer/Roth Douquet book explore an important issue that goes beyond the current conflict in Iraq.

If you can find the movie, watch it. Check the Seattle International Film Festival site. "AWOL", the book is easier to find. I recommend both.