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Nothing But Trouble, a review by Rich

Nothing But Trouble



A businessman finds he and his friends the prisoners of a sadistic judge and his equally odd family in the backwoods of a bizarre mansion.

With such a superb cast, I approached this film with an expectation of content. What a surprise I had, one of the weirdest most unpredictable comedies I've seen.
Some parts are rather unpleasant (Fat foundry twins), some were hilariously funny (penis nose at the dinner table), and others bizarre (imagine Jon Candy in drag for example). Written by Dan Ackroyd, who stars as the hideous judge, it is supported by the likes of Candy, Demi Moore, Chevy Chase, and in one set Tupac!
It is an incredibly difficult film to judge, although on hindsight it was pretty poor, I was compelled to watch all the way through, even suffering the spontaneous pop video in the courtroom.
 

(From Riches Random Reviews on January 25th, 2009)

The Brave Little Toaster, a review by Danae Cassandra

The Brave Little Toaster
Year of Release: 1987
Directed By: Jerry Rees
Starring: Jon Lovitz, Tim Stack, Timothy E. Day, Thurl Ravenscroft, Deanna Oliver
Genre: Adventure, Animation

Overview:
Celebrate the 15th anniversary of the classic animated tale of friendship, loyalty and courage with the award-winning family favorite, The Brave Little Toaster.

Five electrical appliances suddenly feel "dumped" when their young master mysteriously disappears. The dejected toaster rounds up the vacuum cleaner, electric blanket, bedside lamp and radio, and together they set off for the big city in search of their beloved owner.

Featuring a host of catchy songs and the voices of Saturday Night Live alumni Phil Hartman and Jon Lovitz, The Brave Little Toaster is a humorous and heartwarming tale you'll never forget.

My Thoughts:
This is a lovely little film.  Full of heart and charm, loyalty and friendship.  It's a bit darker than most films aimed at children, with the scenes in the junkyard and what happens with the old cars, but everything turns out alright in the end.

One great message that comes through clearly is that newer isn't always better, and buying something new can't always replace something old.  Fixing things, caring for things, remembering that everything has a story and a history, creates a richer life.  Everything has a spirit, and deserves to be cared for. 

The animation is very simple, especially as compared to newer films, but that's just part of the charm here.  Recommended for anyone like 5 and up.  This isn't a film for the really little ones, but there is plenty to enjoy even after you're well grown up.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 3.5/5

(From Within My (Mom's) Lifetime Marathon on February 2nd, 2015)

My PILOT Marathon, a review by Rich

Waking the Dead - Series One

Pilot - Waking The Dead
A new team of detectives, the Cold Case Squad, is put together to re-examine evidence of unsolved murders using advanced technology. In their first investigation DCI Peter Boyd has a second go at nailing the murderer of Alice Miller, a young girl who disappeared five years ago. Trouble is, the perpetrator is as keen as Boyd to act again, and abducts another girl...



Led by Detective Superintendent Peter Boyd (Trevor Eve) the Cold Case Squad investigates serious crimes which have gone unsolved. Armed with the latest technological advances and old fashioned hard work, Psychological Profiler Grace Foley (Sue Johnston), Forensic Pathologist Frankie Wharton (Holly Aird), Detective Constable Mel Silver (Claire Goose) and Detective Sergeant Spencer Jordan (Wil Johnson) wake the dead for clues and answers.

Brutishly long 2 part pilot special, the near 2 hour marathon was quite a slog and the epsiodes felt padded out. This very popular UK series did not hook me with this first episode, I did not warm to either of the 2 leads, Eve and Johnston, and felt they were too old and past it for the roles intended. The actual storyline was ok but surprisingly unoriginal, and there was very little suspense built up over the kidnapping drama.
Altogether not very inspiring.
 

(From My PILOT Marathon on September 17th, 2009)