dtburr Reviews

Gimme Shelter (1970)

Get the DVD

[8/10 · 1 August 2006]

This sort of "artistic documentary" marks a milestone in our culture and it's really a must-see for people interested in history. The DVD version contains important additional features such as excerpts from a long KSAN call-in show the next day. Some of the callers were principals in this event and their commentary is valuable. In addition, there are some incredible still photo collections on the DVD that go even further to capture the climate at this event.

There is a lot of talk about "Hells Angels" this and that in the reviews here. The Hells Angels were not the primary problem - it was a terrible combination of sloppy organization, third parties who reneged on deals and contributed to the problem, and the concert-goers themselves. As some callers to the KSAN show commented, "I was at Woodstock, and Altamont was completely different. Nobody came together. We had no spirit of community. The whole thing was hurried and stayed tense throughout." So imagine 300,000 people working hard to get their groove on quickly - since the concert was only confirmed a day or two prior - using whatever they could roll up in a paper, stir into their cheap wine, or drop on a sugar cube. Then their heroes come up onto the 20'x20'x3'-high stage and viola, you have a massive problem on your hands whether security was Superman, Sgt. Joe Friday and his partner Bill Gannon, Acme Security out of Walla Walla, or the Hells Angels. There was going to be violence. It certainly didn't help that the organizers told the HA to park their bikes right next to the stage. With the crowd as it was, that was guaranteed disaster for a few people.

What a way to end the '60s flower power era.

Rounders (1998)

What is GOING ON?????

[9/10 · 27 July 2005]

This is tribute to how good this movie is. I am not necessarily a Matt Damon fan, and I know beans about poker. For all I know, the scenes in the movie have no technical merit from a poker standpoint.

Who cares? This move is absolutely loaded! The characters and the acting are incredible, from Damon (Mike) to Norton (Worm) to Malkovich ("Teddy KGB") to Landau (Prof. Abe Petrovsky) , and yes, even Rispoli (Gramma). I can't miss a scene, even though I have seen the thing 25 times. The story is good, the screenplay better. But the directing in this film is exceptional. It is what made the movie. Almost all characters are believable and totally engaging. Shot selection is top notch. Just watch it! This is no low-budget movie with the typical low-budget concessions. It has it all. In fact, from a directing standpoint, only the "fraternity boys" in the early card game were ridiculous caricatures. OTOH, they were making an attempt to segment the various types of "opponents", and some viewers are potentially pretty dumb, so I can cut them slack here.

The only other flaw I saw in the movie - my opinion - is that the part of Jo (Gretchen Mol), Mike's girlfriend, was miscast. I thought that Mol was too "cute". I think it would have been okay to have a more believable "lawyer-in-training". You could still have someone good-looking - just don't make me want to touch her cute little nose and then cup my hands on her ears, all the time smiling really wide, and give her a sweet little kiss. That's Gretchen Mol. Lawyers aren't like that.

I also thought that there was a "hole" in the film because Mike and Jo had a pretty deep relationship, but they broke up rather abruptly and there was no resolution. Granted that this was a side-story, but it was part of who Mike was, so it was important to do something with it, especially at the end where they had their last exchange. It didn't seem believable for people who felt about each other the way they should have.

I read reviews from poker experts who say that the filmmakers went the extra mile and stayed true to the game, and that just reaffirms my thoughts about this movie. It's a real work of art and one of the best of its era.

Mask (1985)

A Real Classic

[8/10 · 24 July 2005]

Casablanca. Gone With the Wind.

Mask?

Well, Peter Bogdonavich isn't exactly a no-name director. Give him a great screenplay and you might just be surprised. I am no big Cher fan, as applies to her acting, but in my opinion it was her best performance ever. Same with Eric Stoltz (Rocky). Stoltz has been doing his thing for 30 years and I have never seen one of his characters that wasn't believable. The guy is "uber-talented" and a true professional. This was tough role. He didn't act from *behind* the mask - he had to act *through* the mask. That requires acting at another level of complexity.

Sam Elliot (Gar) was believable for me as Cher's (Florence's)love interest and a biker leader. Some may say that all that biker stuff was over the top. I found it convincing. Bikers can seize on a cause with the jaws of a pit bull and be relentless in their support. This was, to me, a really believable situation.

The Diana character (Laura Dern) was very welcome and sweet, but I do have a hard time believing that she had not been exposed to some of the concepts that Rocky worked on with her (colors and shapes). She came across as too smart for this stuff to have been a new concept, especially after seeing her parents, who did not seem to be idiots. At the same time, the parents were TOTALLY unbelievable characters. Their daughter, who they obviously love, has a disability, but they are totally repulsed by Rocky and his. It rarely works this way in real life.

I do have to sum up with this: If at the end of the movie you did not cry - with real, liquid tears that you could feel with your hand, then you need to call the police right now and turn yourself in as at least a potential (if not actual) serial killer. Just sit on the steps of the front porch and wait for them to get there. Unless you're a certified something-or-other, is simply NOT POSSIBLE to watch the whole movie, and see the ending scene where Cher comes into Rocky's room after finding out he wasn't at school, and not get swept up into that emotion.

Swingers (1996)

Party with these guys!

[8/10 · 23 July 2005]

Wow. What a fun movie. I keep it on top of my "stack" and whenever I feel totally light-hearted, I pop it in.

I had never even heard of this until a few years ago, when my brother turned me on to it. I am sure their marketing budget was as borderline as the one for production, so that might be the reason. No matter. Now that I know about this gem, I'm set.

All the main characters were believable and totally understandable, in spite of the somewhat quirky world in which they lived. I could certainly identify with most of the main bits in this movie as I am sure a lot of guys do, and of course that is what makes you bust a gut.

"There's nothing wrong with letting the girls know that you're money, and you want to party."

Or being either awkwardly stuck with "the other one", or getting (or giving) "the tour".

Jon Favreau and Vince Vaughn were fantastic. Favreau played the part of Mike, a sad sack who's really only being kept alive by his friends, and he did it to a tee. Of course, the truth is that these friends all needed support, and their brotherly love was pretty cool.

They weren't comfortable in places where there was so much going on that you practically needed to bring your own oxygen. "This place is dead, man", Charles (Alex Desert) uttered more than once. They needed calmer places like The Dresden or even The Derby, that they could navigate. That was another aspect that rang true to me.

Trent (Vaughn) was basically the leader, although despite the slightly better handle he had on the situation, he was still as vulnerable as the rest.

I was almost embarrassed that I was smiling so much when Mike and Lorraine (Heather Graham) got together. The scene where he first met Lorraine, while Trent and Sue (Patrick Van Horn) sat blubbering in the booth, was an absolute classic! "God bless that kid!"

I thought that Lorraine's character was a perfect match for Mike and that made the ending all the more satisfying.

You also can't beat Mike's phone messages to Nikki earlier in the film. If something similar hasn't happened to you at least once, you haven't lived.

This flick is "money". Run out and get it and lighten up your life.

Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)

A Pop Icon

[9/10 · 21 July 2005]

In my world, I would almost characterize this film as a "sleeper". I am always surprised at how few people I know have seen this movie, given how incredible it is and the fact that there are take-offs of GGR moments and characters found in so many TV shows. Those in the know usually put this film in their top 25.

Obviously, this is no "action movie" that drags in the unwashed masses. Instead, the popularity is due to the characters and the acting. This, in spite of the solid story that provides a framework. This dark tale is sort of depressing if you're in sales! The performance of Jack Lemmon in this movie literally brings a tear to my eye. He was so incredible that I immediately started digging up and watching (or re-watching) every movie with him in it. What a genius he was.

As for the others, there is no debate that this star-studded cast gave performances that would be expected of actors with their significant credentials. That said, I do part company with many of my fellow reviewers. Kevin Spacey and Ed Harris (and of course Jack Lemmon) were convincing in their roles, and their characters made sense. I did not feel the same about the others.

One of my all-time favorites, Al Pacino, undoubtedly brought his own flavor to the Ricky Roma character, and it didn't work for me. He was simply too, well, "weird" in sort of a "Scent of a Woman" way, and his bizarre vocal inflections and body movements were an unwelcome distraction.

Alan Arkin's character, George, (as opposed to his portrayal of it) was not believable. He came across as so dependent and mentally challenged that success in sales, or any field, would be unlikely and he would have starved to death long ago.

Alec Baldwin is in the same boat, in that while he powerfully played a character that was already established in the writing and the play, his character was not believable. I don't see how "Mitch and Murray" would have let their operation get to the point it was and then send this pit bull in there. Or maybe, they were just bad enough managers to have done that, which I guess WOULD make sense. In any case, it is over the top. That said, it was very important to establish early in the story that one COULD be wildly successful in that business, so you would have a context for the other characters.

Some have commented about the film's geographical setting, and it is ambiguous enough that it is almost distracting. People seem to believe that the setting was New York. After all, it was filmed there. I was certain that it was set in Chicago and that the outside shot with NYPD-colored police cars was an uncharacteristic affront to a viewer's intelligence. Not only does every city mentioned exist around the Chicago area (as well as NYC - with the exception of "Batavia" which is a suburb of Chicago but hundreds of miles from NYC), but I have a hard time believing that when people in NYC need to get away, they "go to Wisconsin", as Dave Moss said he was going to. I think that debate is settled right there. They were just too lazy to truck a few Chicago Police units to Brooklyn.

The Jerky Boys (1995)

Quite a "niche" movie

[5/10 · 15 July 2005]

Simply stated, if you are a fan of the Jerky Boys from their CDs, and then perhaps watch this movie "just to see who these guys are", you will be entertained by some of the movie. If you are not a fan of the Jerky Boys -- or worse yet, have never heard their stuff -- you will be completely puzzled about why this thing was ever made or even what it is supposed to be. There is lame story buried under all the random bits, but that can't hold it together. Although it is nice to see Brett Weir finally get his, I would rather Sparky the Clown just stay in my imagination. (especially since on the album, the Sparky routine was hilarious)

I am a huge Jerky Boys fan and I still can't muster anything above a "5". In fact even if you are a Jerky Boys aficionado, it wouldn't hurt to have a few beers before watching this flick.

Windy City Heat (2003 TV Movie)

Just RELAX, and see it for what it is.

[7/10 · 13 July 2005]

Nobody in their right mind will believe that this is a "documentary of a real prank", because there are too many nonsensical events. Instead, just enjoy the craziness and unadulterated (and often unsophisticated) comedy in this film.

I think Perry Caravello completely steals this show. To put it another way, I would go so far as to say that everyone *but* Caravello absolutely stank in this movie. But that isn't a fatal flaw - because all the funny moments are HIS moments and the rest of the people are just there converting oxygen into CO2.

The biggest knock I have on this movie is that it isn't, well, "tight". I really wonder about the evolution from story to screenplay to shooting to production and where the heck the focus was lost. As soon as about halfway through the movie, everything starts falling apart into a series of seemingly random events, as if they either 1) got tired of making it, or 2) butchered the thing in editing to make a time limit.

A bit of an annoyance is Tony Barbieri's insistence that he bring his "Niles Standish" voice (as J.Q. Adams) into the movie, as if that is some sort of gold standard that will add credibility to the movie. For him to have to leave the room each time Niles (er, "Adams") came on the line was basically a silly ego trip on his part. Who cares who does that voice? Keep it over at Crank Yankers.

Lastly, several reviewers seem to think that Perry Caravello is not a "real" person. Perry is real, and interestingly enough, if you check out his web site at http://www.scaryperryproductions.com and spend time there, you'll see that there seems to be a big similarity between the real Perry and the movie character. The real Caravello is slogging his way through the business, trying to make it in the same manner. Once you spend time on his site, you'll probably want to watch the movie again because the insight will offer a new dimension. You start rooting for the guy in real life, too!

Boyz n the Hood (1991)

Gee, I STILL Don't Get It!

[8/10 · 20 January 2005]

Just kidding - John Singleton's message relating to senseless violence and lack of male role models in the black community is hammered home with the force of a locomotive and, frankly, is a little over the top. I would be tempted to say that he is underestimating his audience, but the truth is that when this movie came out, there were shootings outside movie theaters, so he may be right and I may be wrong.

No matter, you watch this movie for the characters. I have seen the movie 40 times and will watch it 40 more. Acting SEEMED to be a little spotty, in that it was also overdone, but in some cases it might be that the writing and directing caused that. The police officer character (grade=F) was too much of a caricature. Same thing with Tre's teacher (grade D-minus) early in the movie. Come on, John Singleton, the reality of their prejudices, cluelessness, and bad attitudes is sufficient. Just make it real and it would be shocking enough.

Angela Basset (Tre's mother) wasn't very believable in her few scenes either. She gets a C grade. The coffee shop scene with Furious was an example.

Lawrence Fishburne gets an A+++. This is the same guy that just a few years earlier was Cowboy Curtis on Pee-Wee's Playhouse? He was great, and totally believable as a strong father figure. (He even forced Tre to rake a lawn that was absolutely filled with leaves even though there were zero trees in the area other than palms. That is power, my friends! And while Tre was raking, they were still falling so furiously that Tre had them in his hair and everything. Of course there was no wind, either, but they probably fell from the force of Furious' will.)

Ice Cube (Doughboy) gets an A+. He can act, and I would love to see him in better movies, especially with "urban" flavors. Since Boyz, he has been stuck in "B" movies, and that is a shame. I want to see more Doughboy and less of him tromping around the desert in crappy action movies. Morris Chestnut (Ricky, a grade A in this film) has had more minor roles but in better movies. I really liked these characters. Both did great acting jobs, and Doughboy is humorous, troubled, and lovable throughout the movie.

Cuba Gooding Jr (Tre), grade B. Is it just me or does Gooding, Jr. always take the character one step too far? Or is he just hopped up on Red Bull anytime he's on set? He is a talented guy but he takes his characters in this and other movies beyond the realm of believability. That said, I believe he was perfect for the role because he has a "disciplined" look and manner about him.

Nia Long (Brandi, Tre's girlfriend), and Tyra Ferrell (Brenda Baker, Ricky and Doughboy's mom) do not have huge roles in this movie but they are great characters and also did a great acting job.

I was touched by the simple, but very "human" ending in this film. Not only was the dialogue believable, but it really brought out emotion. Singleton could not have come up with a better summation.

I left out many details that point to Singleton's incredible talent, at least as applies to this film, but the fact that he received so many accolades from the trade is a more powerful statement.