Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on May 18th, 2006
Carla (Yuliya Myarchuk) is a Venetian in London, looking for a flat in which she and her boyfriend Matteo can live once he actually arrives there. In the meantime, she has been in London for a month, and he is in Rome, pining for her. Both of them are getting a bit sexually frustrated, but Carla works that issue out with a series of affairs, and for some reason, Matteo seems to have a problem with this.We are once again in the of Tinto Brass' ass-worship and cheerful infedelity. The tone is established by Carla's opening credit stroll through Hyde Park (a walk which Matteo will recreate later to transformative effect), which is depicted as a carnal wonderland. It seems that the Italians see the English as sexually uninhibited. Anyway the sexcapades dance up to the border of, but do not quite cross into, hardcore, and the tone is cheery. It ain't art, exactly, but it is one of Brass' more engaging films.
Audio
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on May 11th, 2006
From reading the back of the box, one would think that this film was one of the true Disney animated classics. Phrases like “digitally remastered for the first time on DVD†and “the original Disney classic†would certainly lead one to believe such a thing. The fact of the matter is, however, that this “classic Disney film†was just originally released in 1997. Sure, it's remastered, but we're talking about remastering a print that is less than a decade old. Improvements were undoubtedly made, but this re...ease is not the towering accomplishment that one might be led to believe.
The plot revolves around Pooh and the gang setting out on a cross-country trip to find Christopher Robin, who has mysteriously gone missing. As the gang travels on their search, they find opportunities to conquer their fears and accomplish great things. The viewers, however, know that Christopher was just at school the whole time.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 9th, 2006
Long before Marlon Brando was making us an offer we couldn’t refuse, he was making his bones in James Dean-like portrayals of the young troubled spirit. It isn’t hard to see why Sidney Lumet chose him for the role of Val Xavier in The Fugitive Kind. Ultimately Brando is miscast in the part. He is obviously struggling to get a feel for the character. Instead of a classic Brando performance we are tortured, having instead to watch him try to make the job more than it is.The film is based on the Tennessee Williams pl...y Orpheus Descending. Williams himself co-wrote the screenplay, which likely explains the terribly contrived dialogue and moody atmosphere. The southern town is nothing more than a 1950’s stereotype. The awkward pacing makes this film quite difficult to watch.
The film, like the play, is basically a character study. Brando plays a troubled 30 year old man trying to grow out of his rebellious youth. His arrival in a sleepy southern town stirs up a nest of discontentment. His presence seems to bring out the worst in those around him. Pain both past and present, real or imagined, is rocketed to the surface. It doesn’t take long for us to figure out that this one can’t end pretty. Brando carries around an apparently valuable guitar. More a symbol of his sordid past, it doesn’t seem to be damaged by pouring rain and a little slapping around. One of the women affected by Val’s influence is Carol Cutrere, played quite abrasively by a young Joanne Woodward, very annoying to watch. She plays like an overdriven 1920’s flapper. It’s no wonder no one in town seems to care much for her.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on January 25th, 2006
Broken Lizard’s Puddle Cruiser follows Felix Bean, a smitten young college student, whose entire life changes when he sees pretty Suzanne at a party. He immediately tries to impress her, but only ends up incurring the wrath of Traci Shannon, her rather large rugby-playing boyfriend from a rival school. He does manage to wiggle some of her affections away, enough so that she halts her go-nowhere relationship. Together, the two embark on a passionate love affair, but Suzanne still has difficulties letting go of ...er old connection. Felix knows the attraction is purely physical, and that Suzanne finds himself a more suitable companion, but he still has his pride, as he so defiantly states, “No guy wants to hear another guy can kick his ass.” Especially from the woman he loves. So begins Felix’s completely out-of-character attempts at machismo. He even goes so far as to join the rugby team and refuse Suzanne’s pleading for him to pull out as the big match against her ex-boyfriend’s school draws near.
As romantic comedies go, Puddle Cruiser sounds just as formulaic as anything else in the same vain. But looks are certainly deceptive with this one. The laughs are more intense and come with greater frequency than Wedding Crashers and The 40-Year Old Virgin. (However, the latter does have the one exception with its tear-inducing chest-wax scene.) No hilarity to that extent here, but what Broken Lizard gives its viewers is still very funny. What sets Puddle Cruiser apart is how authentic each character is, and how down-to-earth the situations are. I could have sworn I knew each and every one of these people personally in my own college experiences, and any time a film can capture that quality and connect with its viewers, it’s a winner. Another particularly noticeable difference is how Puddle Cruiser manages all of its accomplishments without resorting to set-pieces (as in the chest-wax scene from 40-YOV). While I like a good set-piece as much as anyone, I feel Puddle Cruiser prolongs its “funny” lifespan by not giving in to the temptation. Since all humor falls within the confines of story, there are probably some overlooked laughs, and I welcome the opportunity for a repeat viewing to confirm. In the realm of comedy, I can’t think of a better compliment a film can be paid than that.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on December 1st, 2005
Synopsis
Peter Sellers turns in a performance that opens at high do and never looks back as a lunatic psychiatrist. He is treating Peter O’Toole, a man who wants to be faithful to his girlfriend (Romy Schneider) but cannot say no to the innumerable women who throw themselves at him. Into the mix comes Woody Allen, who, unsurprisingly, plays a sexual loser.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 23rd, 2005
Burn! stars Marlon Brando as a British warmonger named William Walker, who’s a master manipulator and politician, as well as an excellent military strategist. While not one of the master’s best films, his presence really elevates the material and carries the other performers. Funny thing about Brando… he could play a Brit, an Irishman, and a mafia godfather and make you believe he was the nationality he was portraying.
Through the controversies of Brando’s later career (in which he also made ...imself scarce in the eyes of the public), it might be easy to forget about him, but all you need to do is revisit a fine performance such as the one in this film, and you’ll quickly remember why he’s one of the greats.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on November 14th, 2005
Synopsis
And Now for Something Completely Different (1971) was Monty Python’s first theatrical release, and consists of remounted, often more elaborately staged versions of many of their most beloved TV skits. You want your Dead Parrot, it’s here. So is the Lumberjack Song, How Not to Be Seen, and so on. As a one-stop intro to Python, it’s hard to beat.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on September 24th, 2005
Synopsis
Rebel Without a Cause (1955) is the landmark, because of its star, and because of its subject matter. This intense, rich portrayal of juvenile delinquency triggered a flood of largely exploitive imitators, but it remains a powerful film, not least for the sympathy with which it treats its characters, and for its understanding. It shows why the Dean, Natalie Wood and company behave the way they do, and does not demonize. This was Dean’s second film, but the first to be released, and hi... performance here remains his most iconic role.
Posted in: Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on July 27th, 2005
The Naked Truth is a 1958 British farce that benefits most from an excellent performance by Peter Sellers. Sellers plays Sonny Boy MacGregor as a comedic Lon Chaney. Each of Sonny’s characters is a complete package from the makeup to the accents. Moments of the inspired genius that would be better displayed in The Pink Panther films make this average production something more. The comedy is decidedly European in flavor and probably not for everyone. Most of the film slows when Sellers is not on the scene
Synopsis
Posted in: Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 22nd, 2005
Synopsis
In 1927, young Charlotte Hollis’ married lover (a young Bruce Dern) is hacked apart with a meat cleaver, and Charlotte’s blood-stained dress points to her as the murderer. There is never sufficient evidence, however, and she is never charged, but lives on as the subject of endless gossip, slowly going mad. In 1964, Charlotte (Bette Davis) is decaying as much as her house, which is about to be torn down to make way for a highway. She refuses to give up the house or her past, and, convinced th...t her lover’s widow is trying to driver her out of home and mind, calls cousin Miriam (Olivia de Havilland) to her aid, much to the displeasure of eccentric housekeeper Agnes Moorehead (in the role Una O’Connor would have played had the film been made in the 30s). Soon after Miriam arrives, all sorts of mysterious and terrifying events take place.
