Change Your Image
mschafer
Reviews
Une vie de chat (2010)
What a disappointment
For an Oscar nominee (!), this is pretty weak stuff. Yes, the hand-drawn animation is nicely done but -- at least in the English-language version -- the writing is just awful; over-explanatory and on-the-nose. I was constantly annoyed by it.
In addition, the characters all have either American accents or *SPOILERS* British accents if they're bad guys. And the voice work is nothing special. I *would* be interested in seeing a French-with-subtitles version if one exists. Also, there's almost nothing particularly "Parisian" about the film, despite the title, except for the climax which takes place atop Notre Dame. And it's barely over an hour long! Glad I caught it via On-Demand rather than paying 12 bucks in a theater.
Scrooge's Rock 'N' Roll Christmas (1984)
OMG -- Worst Xmas Special EVER
I just caught this abomination on a local public TV station (which obviously got it very cheap). It looks like someone's community college senior video project -- the video quality is poor, the lighting is bad, etc. The great Jack Elam (I'm sad to say) and the blond girl are awful, acting-wise. The musical artists (all of whom were, to be blunt, quite washed up in 1984; I mean, the Association? 3 Dog Night?) all lip-sync VERY badly, and Bobby Goldsboro appears to be wearing Tony Orlando's old hair! I have no recollection of even being aware of this thing in '84, and I'd be astounded if this actually aired on a network, or even in syndication. Some camp value, to be sure, but utterly horrendous!