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Kleines Arschloch, a review by Tom

Kleines Arschloch (1997/Germany) IMDb | Wikipedia BMG Video (Germany) Director: Michael Schaack, Veit Vollmer Writing: Walter Moers (Screenwriter) Length: 76 min. Video: Widescreen 1.85 Audio: German: Dolby Digital 5.1 Subtitles:

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Stars:Extras:

• Music Videos
• Scene Access

Based on a famous German comic book character "Das kleine Arschloch"/"The Little Asshole" by Walter Moers. This movie is politically incorrect to the extreme. I like it. I enjoy this one a lot more than its sequel. Mainly because "Das kleine Arschloch" is the main character in this one and "Der alte Sack" voice by Helge Schneider has only a minor role. A lot of the enjoyment I also get from the music. Ilona Schulz did a great job as the voice of "Das kleine Arschloch". She really makes the character work.

Rating:

(From Tom's Random Reviews on March 13th, 2011)

The Apartment, a review by Jon

1960
The Apartment
5 out of 5



C. C. Baxter (Jack Lemmon) has an apartment, but he rarely gets chance to use it in the evenings. His colleagues use it regularly for affairs, while promising him promotions. His boss (Fred MacMurray) gets to hear of it and joins in, taking his current “ring a ding ding” Fran Kubelik (Shirley Maclaine). Unfortunately Baxter is very fond of Fran himself…

This is a very good film indeed from Billy Wilder. I adore Some Like It Hot, but this is more ambitious. That said, I do struggle a little with Jack Lemmon’s character and the premise; he’s such a wimp! No-one can possibly be that gullible.

However, that premise allows for a wonderfully performed and subtle screenplay that just can’t be ignored. It could so easily fall one way into farce or the other way into mawkish sentimentality, but it keeps the balance perfect throughout, especially in a late sequence where comedy is abandoned entirely for a hard-hitting dramatic twist that will leave unprepared viewers reeling. That it can go so dark and come back, all the time feeling absolutely authentic, is a testament to the first rate cast and writing.

Jack Lemmon is great, somehow making his utter wimp of a character funny and moving. Shirley Maclaine is less showy, but she’s incredible at being sparky and vunerable at the same time. By the way, the picture on the cover is the moment one of the best lines is delivered...

Calling this a romantic comedy seems to sell it short and under false pretences.


(From Jon's Best Picture Oscar Marathon on February 13th, 2009)

Tom's TV Pilots marathon, a review by Tom

Everybody Loves Raymond: Season One (1996/United States) IMDb | Wikipedia HBO Home Video (United States) Length: 506 min. Video: Anamorphic Widescreen 1.33, Full Frame 1.33:1 Audio: English: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Spanish: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, French: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround, Commentary: Dolby Digital 2.0 Surround Subtitles: English, French, Spanish

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Plot:
Standup comedian Ray Romano stars as Ray Barone, a successful sportswriter and devoted husband to Debra (Patricia Heaton, Beethoven) who must deal with his brother and parents, who happen to live across the street. Frank (Peter Boyle, While You Were Sleeping) and Marie(Doris Roberts, Remington Steele) love to meddle in his life, while older brother Robert (Brad Garrett, Suicide Kings) sometimes resents his success. Nevertheless, Ray manages to keep a bight outlook and a sense of humor as he balances his family and work lives.


Everybody Loves Raymond
1.01 Pilot
Writer: Philip Rosenthal (Writer)
Director: Michael Lembeck
Cast: Ray Romano (Ray), Patricia Heaton (Debra), Brad Garrett (Robert), Madylin Sweeten (Ally), Doris Roberts (Marie), Peter Boyle (Frank), Stephen Lee (Leo), Amber Ferreira (Matthew & Gregory), Drew Ferreira (Matthew & Gregory), Justin Ferreira (Matthew & Gregory)

This is a series, where I usually enjoy an episode when I watch it, but I never rush out to watch them. I still have the last three seasons in my unwatched pile.

Rating:

(From Tom's TV Pilots marathon on April 10th, 2011)