Disco Worms
Disco Worms is animated film featuring Jane Lynch of Glee. When I first saw the title of this film, I was rather skeptical about another animated movie singing old hits all over again. I was surprised to see that it was actually very well done. The animation is fairly enjoyable. I especially liked the brilliantly-designed body language of the worms whose tail-gestures make up for the lack of arms.
The plot is very predictable. The movie reminds us that we should never give up on dreams, follow our heart, believe in ourselves, and be able to express ourselves. A message we all should be reminded of from time to time.
Disco Worms is suitable for people of all ages. Children will follow the simple plot, teenagers will laugh at the characters, and adults will pick up the satire on relations between generations and the dull life of working people.
I recommend it to families with children.
Wishful Drinking
“If my life wasn’t funny, it would be true… and that is just completely unacceptable.”
-Carrie Fisher
Wishful Drinking is an autobiographical book by actress and author Carrie Fisher that was published in 2008. The book has been turned into a play in which Fisher performs as a one-woman show. This is the film version of the stage adaptation of Fisher’s 2008 autobiography from HBO Documentary Films.
She spends much of the first half of the performance talking about her childhood, born in Burbank “to simple folk… people of the land”: Debbie Reynolds and Eddie Fisher, who would later leave his family for the newly-widowed Liz Taylor. I especially enjoyed her blackboard-and-pointer class in “Hollywood Inbreeding 101,” with glossies and chalk lines to clarify her extended family’s intricate series of marriages, affairs, and off-springs. The second half delves into her adult life. There is plenty of juicy material on her “stunning, layered, moving performance” in the original Star Wars, including priceless material about the endless marketing of her likeness. Then she moves into the tough stuff: her problematic relationships, her stints in rehab, her mental illness, writing, motherhood, and so forth.
Wishful Drinking is mildly entertaining. It deals with some tough issues without getting too serious.
Vidal Sassoon The Movie – How One Man Changed the World With Scissors
Vidal Sassoon is more than just a hairdresser – he’s a rock star, an artist, a craftsman who “changed the world with a pair of scissors.”
Honestly, prior to watching this DVD, I knew who Vidal Sassoon was from his hair product commercials. However, I knew very little about the man behind the “If you don’t look good, we don’t look good” slogan. This documentary traces with visual gusto the life of a self-made man whose passion and perseverance took him from a Jewish orphanage in London to the absolute pinnacle of his craft.
A must-see for every hairdresser. And, if you are not a hairdresser (like me) it’s still a well-documented and entertaining insight into a man who really changed his craft. It, also, is a visually enjoyable film, full of interesting interviews. Vidal Sassoon is inspiring and so enjoyable to watch. He really has a great personality, and it’s not surprising he has been so successful in his career.
The Greening of Southie
In the traditionally Irish-American working-class neighborhood of South Boston, MA, a new kind of building has taken shape. From wheat board cabinetry to recycled steel, bamboo flooring to dual-flush toilets, the Macallen building is something different: a leader in the emerging field of environmentally friendly design.
But Boston’s steel-toed union workers aren’t sure they like it. And, frankly, neither did I. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for recycling and doing my part for keeping the planet green and livable for many more generations. I wanted to like this film. At first, I was a little disappointed with the film. It was a little technical and seemed too erratic making it hard to follow. However, just like the gritty men and women who worked on this project, I gave it a chance and changed mind.
Funny and poignant, The Greening of Southie is a story of bold ideas, unlikely environmentalists, and the future of urban America. Anyone who wants to save our planet, needs to see this film. It’s inspirational!!
