DVD Collectors Online
DVD Reviews => Movie Reviews => Topic started by: Danae Cassandra on March 24, 2011, 03:33:40 AM
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So, thought I'd post reviews here now, so I'll have something to post over here. ;D
(Often I'm a lurker, because I'm not sure what to say. So doing the reviews here will be good for me.)
I thought I should add my schema:
5/5 = a masterpiece
4.5/5 = just short of a masterpiece
4/5 = an excellent film that has something valuable to say
3.5/5 = a great film, solidly entertaining, no glaring flaws
3/5 = a good movie, entertaining, worth watching
2.5/5 = a tolerable film that's an entertaining waste of time
2/5 = a poor film that's an entertaining waste of time
1.5/5 = a bad movie you can put up with because your friend likes it
1/5 = a really bad movie that's not worth your money or time
0.5/5 = a movie so god-awful bad you want those 2 hours of your life back
0/5 = a movie so bad you want those 2 hours back to get a root canal instead
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I'm really looking forward to your reviews. You have lots of movies that I'm not familiar with and can't wait for you to talk about them.
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Mahiha ashegh mishavand (The Fish Fall in Love)
2005, Iran
Aziz returns to his hometown after 22 years away. He finds that the house he owns has been turned into a restaurant by his former fiance, Atieh. She and her friends believe he has returned to sell the house. To convince him to stay, she prepares his favorite dishes and serves them to him each day. However, their inability to communicate may stand in the way of the love they are rediscovering in each other.
This is the third Iranian film I've seen, the others being Baran and Tam'e guilass (Taste of Cherry), and all of them have had a few things in common: a slow pace, character driven story, ambiguous ending. Oh, and all the people look like real people, not like they've all had plastic surgery and the latest Photoshop tricks.
They're also all ... I guess you'd say "clean" .... they lack the gratuitous sex and violence of Hollywood films. Yes, I know a lot of people would cry censorship, because I know Iran has codes about what can and can't be made, but I miss the kinds of films where you had a real love story, not just a story about unnaturally pretty people in lust with each other. Sex and violence have their place in things, but sometimes I want a story without them too.
In case you couldn't tell, I enjoyed this film quite a bit. It's very low budget, it's slow paced, there's no quick cut camera work or anything fancy. It's just a nice little slice-of-life story about two middle aged people reconnecting with each other and finding love in their hearts again. Not for everyone though - the ending is one that you decide for yourself. I have a friend I could never show this to, because the ending (or lack thereof) would upset her too much.
Oh, and finally ... Atieh's food looks absolutely delicious. I would eat at her restaurant any time.
Overall: 3/5
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This is the third Iranian film I've seen, the others being Baran and Tam'e guilass (Taste of Cherry), ...
Thanks for the review. So far, the only Iranian films I've seen are Kiarostami's Copie conforme and Shirin, although the former doesn't really count because it was made in Europe and the latter is more of an experimental exercise.
... they lack the gratuitous sex and violence of Hollywood films. Yes, I know a lot of people would cry censorship, because I know Iran has codes about what can and can't be made, ...
Even if severity and consequences are very different, censorship happens in the US all the time. The latest prominent examples were Polanski's The Ghost Writer, Hooper's The King's Speech and Schnabel's Miral, all of them international films getting a censored US release different from the rest of the world.
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Thanks guys. I'm glad you find my random movie thoughts somewhat interesting. :)
Even if severity and consequences are very different, censorship happens in the US all the time. The latest prominent examples were Polanski's The Ghost Writer, Hooper's The King's Speech and Schnabel's Miral, all of them international films getting a censored US release different from the rest of the world.
After watching This Film is Not Yet Rated, I knew censorship happened in the US all the time to get the "correct" rating, but you're absolutely right, nobody talks about it. Its very rare that I go to the theatre any more, but looking at the info for my copy of Ghost Writer it's rated, so it's got to be the censored version. Looks like The King's Speech will be coming out as the R version. Maybe it is seriously time to consider a second player for region 2 blu...
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Really nice review, Danae. Glad you no longer lurk! :thumbup:
I hadn't heard The Ghost (as it is known here) was censored. How ridiculous. It is such a sharply written screenplay that any fruity dialogue is well-placed. ???
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Sometimes they just want to open up the market, reaching more people with the film (and make more money along the way). That seems at least they with King's Speech, not sure what happened to Ghost Writer...
A recent example in the UK was Made in Dagenham. The director pointed out, that his target audience included young teenage girls, yet the fiulm got a 15 rating for a high count of the f-word. The director tried to change the BBFC's mind, whcih he couldn't, but Kermode simply said "should seen that coming"... It's obviously only an indirect example; the movie didn't reach all the audience it should have due to a higher rating.
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Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes
2010, USA
A series of diamond heists, a beautiful singer framed as the crook, a dastardly villain on a black horse ... oh, heck, why do you need an overview of the plot? It's a film titled Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes, that tells you everything you need to know.
We had been planning to watch Jiang cheng xia ri (aka Luxury Car) this evening, but events brought us home later than we planned, so there wasn't enough time for that film before bedtime. So, instead, we watched this.
Now, I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan - and I love cartoons. So, naturally, these two things came together and thus I have this on blu-ray. It's a cute cartoon, and at just under an hour, exactly what was needed this evening. There's a lot of laughs in the slapstick style of Tom and Jerry, and obviously this is set in a world where talking, anthropomorphic animals are not unusual, even if Tom and Jerry don't talk. There were a lot of in-jokes, both for fans of Warner Bros. & Hanna Barbara cartoons, and for fans of Holmes. It was fun catching them, and at some point I'll go back and watch it again and see if I spotted them all.
This isn't great cinema, but if you're expecting that in a Tom & Jerry cartoon there is something wrong with you. It's cute, it's funny, there's plenty of action and fun for everyone. A very entertaining film and easily as good as the other Holmes cartoon I've seen (The Great Mouse Detective).
Overall: 2.75/5
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I have this movie too. I picked it up last year and I really enjoyed it. Like you said, it is cute and fun. I'm really glad I decided to pick it up when I saw it.
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A recent example in the UK was Made in Dagenham. The director pointed out, that his target audience included young teenage girls, yet the fiulm got a 15 rating for a high count of the f-word. The director tried to change the BBFC's mind, whcih he couldn't, but Kermode simply said "should seen that coming"... It's obviously only an indirect example; the movie didn't reach all the audience it should have due to a higher rating.
Another point about Made in Dagenham is that the director could have made it truer to the times and possibly then have reached his target audience as the amount of bad language used was not reflective of the women involved nor the period that the film was set in.
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Letters to Juliet
2010, USA
Sophie, an aspiring writer, goes on vacation in Verona with her fiancee, an obsessed chef. He's more interested in his job than he is her, heading off to dig for truffles and bid on wine. Sightseeing alone, she finds the courtyard where heartbroken lovers leave letters to Juliet. Finding one from fifty years ago, she answers it and is soon scouring the countryside with Claire, the letter writer, and her grandson Brian, looking for the man Claire lost so many years ago.
I love movies; my friend Katrina loves movies ... you'd think this would be good, but getting us to agree on a film to watch is like pulling teeth from a radish. We find a place to meet at romantic comedies, which seems to be the middle ground between my love of movies that have something to say and her love of movies where things blow up.
I'm happy to have added this to my collection; I enjoyed it quite a bit. First, the movie itself is simply beautiful. Both the countryside and the charming old buildings make you want to head to Italy, like yesterday. The characters were all decent, honorable people, which I liked, and well-developed enough for the story. You could see Claire's growth in self-confidence through the film in her wardrobe, as each successive choice looked more sophisticated and put-together on her, whereas Charlie's growth was shown in his expressions and body language. It was a sweet, romantic film, and like Mahiha ashegh mishavand, showed that you can tell a story, a romantic story, and make it about the romance, about the characters, about the relationship - and it will be sexy instead of raunchy. You can sit down with your grandmother, or your daughter, and watch this movie and not worry about a thing. It's just an enjoyable, romantic little film.
Overall: 2.75/5
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Due Date
2010, USA
Problems at the airport trap expectant father Peter into riding cross-country with aspiring actor Ethan, whom he doesn't know ... and who he is the exact opposite of.
I'm not completely opposed to comedy, but I'm picky about it, so normally I wouldn't have looked twice at this film. The entire reason I picked this up is Robert Downey Jr. Because he's awesome. This has been compared a lot to Planes, Trains and Automobiles, which I haven't seen and never had any intrest in, and the big advert on the front is that it's from the director of Old School and The Hangover, which again, haven't seen, have no interest in. But Downey is awesome, so I'll watch anything he's in.
Perhaps surprisingly, I enjoyed this movie. There was some crude humor, though not as much as I feared. There was one moment that really didn't work for me, when Ethan laughs after Peter has told him about his father leaving him. The whole bit with the guy in the wheelchair also seemed way overdone and unrealistic to me - not that a guy in a wheelchair could do what he did, but just that the situation seemed unrealistic.
Tossing that aside, both of those moments are early in the film. The movie got better as it progressed, and I got involved with it, with the characters, with their journey. I was pleased that it wasn't just crude humor, that there were some genuinely touching moments, that you came to understand and care about these two people - despite Peter being a stuck-up rude prick and Ethan being a clueless ditzy stoner.
So, despite some stuff at the start of the film that felt rather forced, Due Date turned out to be a better movie than I thought it would be and I enjoyed it.
Overall: 2.75/5
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Jiang cheng xia ri (Luxury Car)
2006, China
A old schoolteacher leaves his rural village to travel to Wuhan, looking for his missing son whom his dying wife wishes to see one last time. While he searches Wuhan he stays with his daughter, who works as an escort and is dating a mobster.
This film is part of The Global Lens Collection, which also released Mahiha ashegh mishavand which we watched earlier. Their stated purpose is to "promote cross-cultural understanding through cinema" and I've come to see, in the films I watched from their collection, that perhaps it is through a slice of life in the culture.
Here we see parents estranged from their children, a father searching for his son, speaking of his son, a mother asking to see her son before she dies ... all while ignoring their daughter Yan Hong, a beautiful young woman who so obviously yearns for a connection to her parents, for their love and their approval. She tries very hard to hide the seamier side of her job from her father, and to hide her lover's true identity.
Like the other films I've watched from this collection, this is a low budget film. This film is not about special effects or grand production values. It's about people, about characters and their relationships and the story that develops around them. They are very realistic people too. The mobster is short, balding and paunchy, not some hot ultra-fit dude. He's doing his mobster thing, but it's also obvious he truly cares about Yan Hong and tries to please her, as well as protect her. Qi Ming, the father, also comes off as a real person, someone who doesn't know how to communicate with his daughter yet you get the feeling that he wants to, that he wants a relationship but that there's a gap he can't seem to bridge. Yan Hong can't seem to bridge it either, can't talk to her father about what she wants, even when it's obvious she wants him to love her the way he loves her brother. Her role is played by Tian Yuan, a Chinese pop star who is simply gorgeous and seems to me a pretty good actress - she says a lot in silence, in her expressions and body language, in the way she has Yan Hong look at her father, look at her lover, look at herself.
A good little film, an interesting look at China in a way you don't see in the Chinese films that hit mainstream US. There's no martial arts, no cinematic tricks, no mythology, and not a lot of action. It's a family story, a character story, a look at life in modern China.
Overall: 3/5
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Fantastic Mr. Fox
2009, USA
Mr. Fox, an newspaper columnist and reformed thief, plans one last heist ... and puts himself, his family, and friends in danger he hadn't planned on.
A clever, imaginative piece of animation. One of the most original I've seen in a very long time. Certainly the choice of stop-motion, which is rarely used, helps with this, as do the ingenious character designs, but it's also - and most importantly - the story that makes it so very clever and original. I haven't read the Roald Dahl book this is based on, so I have no idea how close, or how far, it hews from the story. What I do know is this was good, very very good.
There's so many layers to this film, to its story and its struggle. On one level it's about a fox's (man's) relationship with his vixen and cub (wife and son), and his understanding of who he is and what his place is in the world. On another level it's about the struggle of the little man against the big man, the individual versus the corporation, and the survival of individuals in the face of rampant corporate greed and power. It touches on the choices one can make in the face of bullying, both individually and communally. It touches on the choice of going along with the flow, doing nothing to disturb or anger outside events - or of living life, of being who you are and doing what you believe you were meant to do. I expect when I watch it again I'll get something different out of it.
All in all, a great film. See it if you like stop-motion, or animation in general, or see it if you want something to think about later. Awesome little flick.
Overall: 4/5
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Mamma Mia!
2008, USA
Sophie is getting married and wants her father to walk her down the isle. Except he could be one of three different men. Undeterred, she secretly invites all three to her wedding certain she will know which he is. What happens when they arrive, when her mother sees them, and when her fiancee finds out? Based on a Broadway musical filled with the songs of ABBA.
I am the anti-Pete. I love musicals! Generally they're sweet, frothy fun - and this one is no exception. Certainly this one is a bit campier and goofier than usual, but it makes it work. Amanda Seyfried's general lack of acting skill is masked by the ensemble cast. Christine Baranski plays a character I've seen her play somewhere before. Some of the singing is not great - but you're going to do no worse with quite a few other musicals I can think of. The setting is gorgeous and the film moves quickly from one musical number to another. It seemed much faster than the nearly two hours it's timed at. I watched this with five other women and we all had a great time. I think even the one guy who watched it with us enjoyed it - but he might have stayed because his relationship to his girl is boyfriend, and we were abandoned by the fiancee and the husband of two of the others.
Not great cinema by any stretch of those words, but if you're a chick who likes musicals it was a lot of fun.
Overall: 2.75/5
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Max and Mona
2004, South Africa
Max, bright-eyed and hopeful, leaves his home village for Johannesburg, to attend university and become a doctor. Things go wrong from the beginning, when he is sent off with the sacred village goat instead of the goat he is supposed to deliver. Max names the goat Mona, and with her in tow, ends up staying with his uncle Norman, a shady fellow who just happens to be in debt to a local gangster. Once Norman learns Max is a gifted mourner, he comes up with the perfect plan for getting himself out of debt and making them some money...
This is a bright, funny comedy from South Africa. Max, correctly referred to throughout the film as a country bumpkin, arrives a naive innocent, wide-eyed at the big city. He knows nothing of the city or its dangers - or his uncle Norman and his dangers. This leads Max into increasingly humorous, and increasingly dangerous, situations. His innate good heart puts him at odds with his shady uncle, who nonetheless he stands by as family and tries to help.
This is another release that is part of The Global Lens Collection, and like the rest it is obviously a low-budget film. Like the other South African film I've seen, Bunny Chow (also Global Lens), it demonstrates South Africa's multicultural society both visually and aurally, since the characters speak a combination of English, Afrikaans and Zulu, sometimes switching from one to another and back in mid-sentence. This was a fun movie, though it had its serious side when Max worries about upsetting his ancestors with what Norman gets him involved in, and ends on an upbeat and hopeful note.
Definitely worth watching, unless you absolutely can't stand subtitles.
Overall: 3/5
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Evil Roy Slade
1972, USA
Orphaned as an infant, Evil Roy Slade grew up alone (save for some vultures) to become the meanest villain in the West. A notorious outlaw, his robberies have made him a life-long enemy in Nelson Stool, a railroad tycoon. Yet Evil Roy is perplexed as to what he should do when he falls for a pretty schoolteacher. She, however, sets out to reform him after declaring her love.
We actually watched this a while ago, I just hadn't written anything yet. Evil Roy Slade was made for TV, and with the cast you just know it's going to be hilarious (John Astin, Mickey Rooney, Milton Berle, Dom DeLuise). It's a spoof on the western genre - how often have we seen the story where the no-good outlaw is made right by the love of a beautiful woman? Yet here Evil Roy gets her involved in his outlaw shenanigans after trying things her way and failing at reforming. Ultimately Evil Roy stays true to himself. There are some really great lines in the film; I especially love the one about the dead neighbor and all six apples.
If you like westerns you should enjoy this, since it's hilarious and you'll get all the jokes. I think it would be funny even for someone who hadn't seen a lot of westerns, but not being that person I can't be sure.
Overall: 3/5
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Du levande (You, The Living)
Sweden, 2007
This plotless film is made up of 50 or so vignettes, illustrating moments, dreams, fantasies, nightmares in the lives of a group of people, some named, many not, that appear and reappear in the different sketches. As the overview states they "illustrate the truth, humor, poetry and drama of human existence."
I got this DVD free (along with two others) for ordering the film 9 Songs on blu-ray from Palisades Tartan. They all sounded interesting, and it was such a good deal at 3 DVD & 1 blu for $15. Having now watched the first of the group, I'm pleased to say it was worth it.
Disclaimer first - this is an art film. Capital A-R-T art film. This is not for everyone. In fact, there's no one among my RL friends I could recommend this to. However, Moira and I enjoyed it a lot. It's very thematic and has a unique visual style. Everything is washed-out, pallid and illuminated. Shadow is something you won't find. Things are laid bare. Many of the vignettes are very funny, in a dark comedy vein. Others illustrate the issues developed through loneliness, a lack of connection with others, and a lack of comfort and compassion. Yet the ultimate message of the film is that "tomorrow is another day" and life is what you make of it. Not simply persevering through the bleak moments in your life, but doing something for your own happiness (even if most of the characters don't).
A great film, if you don't mind getting out of the box that most film is created in. Absolutely see this if you enjoy art films, and can eliminate any expectation that film should have certain elements (like plot or main characters) and can simply sit back and enjoy it for what it is.
Overall: 4/5
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so, after a long hiatus of not posting (and much not watching, darn this year)...
Schatten: Eine nächtliche Halluzination (Warning Shadows: A Nocturnal Hallucination)
Germany, 1923
A baron and his wife welcome four men into their home for a dinner party. The four pay their amorous admiration and attention to the flirtatious lady, sparking fierce jealousy in her husband. A travelling entertainer joins the party later and weaves a shadow drama for them eerily mirroring their own lives...
As if you can't tell by the year, this is a silent film. In fact, this is an extra-silent silent film, because there are no intertitles. Arthur Robinson, the director, wanted to make a purely visual film. I'd say he succeeded. The plot is both simple enough to follow without dialog yet with enough complexity to hold attention. The actors are all marvelous at creating their characters and drawing them out as people. I was especially impressed with Fritz Kortner, the actor who played the baron. He was incredibly expressive and talented (though he wouldn't make it as a leading man in Hollywood today, for he was not particuarly good looking).
The real star of the show, however, are the visuals. The camera work is very inventive and the use of shadows, reflections, silhouettes and lighting are striking and creative. One should expect this, however, as Schatten is part of the German Expressionism movement. This is the second film in that movement I have seen (the other being Das Kabinett des Doktor Caligari) and I have quickly become a fan. Both films are dark, moody and very artistic. Schatten is also tinted in shades of yellow and purple, further adding to its artistic quality.
The release is from Kino on Video, and the film is reconstructed from two surviving prints. The quality is pretty good for a film of this age, but print is not pristine, and especially at the beginning of the film I noticed the damage in the print. However my notice of it quickly faded away as I watched the film (whether because there was less damage or I simply didn't notice it anymore I'm not sure).
I would recommend the film if you like art films or silent films. I would not recommend it for anyone whose film culture is simply modern Hollywood.
Overall: 3.5/5
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Good to see you back, Danae! Nice review too. I'll look out for that one.
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Good to know someone else thinks they'll enjoy it!
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Absolutely. I'd encourage anyone who thinks they dislike silent cinema to at least give certain ones a try, because much of Hollywood came from the same roots. Watch M, Sunrise or a Chaplin film like City Lights and you've already seen half of the conventions still being used today.
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El Orfanato (The Orphanage)
Spain, 2007
Laura returns to her childhood home, a large orphanage long since abandoned, with her husband Carlos and son Simón. Laura and Carlos plan to turn the old orphanage into a home for disabled children. After they move in, Simón acquires several new friends that only he can see. After finding out he is adopted and arguing with his mother, Simón disappears one day. Laura searches endlessly for him, becoming ever more convinced that his disappearance is connected to the supernatural...
I tend to avoid most modern horror, because I'm not into slashers or torture porn. However, I picked it up for two reasons: 1) it's executive produced by Guillermo Del Toro, whose Pan's Labyrinth I greatly admired, and 2) the reviews were really good and praised it for its lack of cheap thrills. Those two things made it sound like a film I would enjoy, and I'm glad I picked it up. It's a wonderful film.
I was very impressed with Belén Rueda, the actress who plays Laura. She really had to carry most of the heavy load of the film and she doesn't disappoint. She gives a very powerful and intense performance. Geraldine Chaplin, who plays the medium, is also very good, and Montserrat Carulla is appropriately creepy in her role.
El Orfanato is all about atmosphere and mood, really making you feel like you're in this huge old house and that something is just outside your vision. There were several moments that made me jolt sitting on the couch, as far as the scares go. There's almost no gore, so if that's your cup of tea, avoid. If you like old-fashioned horror films then you're sure to enjoy this one.
Overall: 4/5
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M
Germany, 1931
Several children have been murdered. The public is in a state of hysteria. The police are baffled. The criminals are searching for the man who makes their business hard. And the murderer struggles with himself as he tries not to kill again, knowing that he will.
A perfect film. An absolute gem. Peter Lorre gives a fabulous performance as the killer, a man struggling with mental illness. Lang's direction is spot on, with nary a wasted shot and certainly no wasted moments. Everything is perfectly in place. Watching the mobsters and the police with their different, yet similar, approaches toward catching the murderer was delightful. The strongest moments are at the end, as the criminals struggle with what to do with the man, and we also symbolically struggle with it. Beckert is obviously mentally ill, yet our imperfect system may let him out to kill again, and what is the right answer? Lang doesn't give it to us, only the arguments, and both sides compel. He leaves it to the viewer to decide.
Aside from Peter Lorre's powerful performance, one of the finest of his career, the cinematography and lighting are also perfect, as is Lang's usage of visual metaphor (the rolling ball, the rising balloon) that keeps the violence off-screen makes it all the more menacing. Everything comes together in a single, perfect package.
M is full of suspense and atmosphere, and challenges the viewer to think. Criterion's blu-ray release is also beautiful and packed with supplements. I look forward to going back to enjoy those. Recommended for anyone and everyone who enjoys a good film.
Overall: 5/5
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The Invisible Man
1933, United States
A brilliant scientist invents a mysterious serum that makes him invisible. But the chemical forumla also drives him insane. Can he find the way to come back before madness takes over?
Watching The Invisible Man it's amazing to think it was made in 1933. The effects are so ingenious and so well done it seems like a much more modern film. Claude Rains performance is a classic, amazing to listen to what he is able to do and embody the character he creates with his voice. The film is very dark, but also very funny at a number of points. Of course that dark comedy is a trademark of director James Whale. Rains is not the only good actor, the supporting cast are also excellent, though I quickly got annoyed with Gloria Stuart's hysterical and weepy Flora. However, that's a minor complaint to an otherwise great film.
Not only an influential film, but one that still holds up very well and is very fun to watch. Recommended for anyone who enjoys classic horror or classic films in general.
Overall: 3.5/5
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Spooky Buddies
2011, United States
A mansion haunted with a puppy's ghost, an evil warlock bent on world domination, and a quintet of talking puppies and their kids to stop him ...
Do you really need an overview? It's a Buddies Halloween film. It's a light and silly Halloween themed fantasy starring adorable talking puppies!
This is the sixth Buddies film, which of course are spinoffs of the five Air Bud films. None of them are going to win any sort of award as a great film. They're silly, cheesy and rather campy. Have you seen any of the others? Do you like talking puppies? Do you want to turn your brain off for 88 minutes and laugh at an incredibly silly villain? If so, this film is for you.
Recommended if you have young kids who like dogs, like cute puppies yourself, have any of the other Buddies movies, or enjoyed Beverly Hills Chihuahua. Skip it if you take yourself too seriously.
Overall: 2.5/5
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Murders in the Rue Morgue
1932, United States
Dr. Mirakle and his ape Erik travel with a sideshow. Mirakle believes in the kinship between ape and man, and is obsessed with proving it - by mixing ape and human blood, and finding a human bride for Erik. In Paris they meet medical student Pierre and his fiancee Camille, who may be the perfect choice...
This is a very loose adaptation of the famous Poe story. Poe focused on the investigation into the murders, director Florey focuses on the reasons behind them. This makes Murders a horror film rather than a detective story, and (despite a few problems) it's a rather effective horror film.
The highlight of the film is Bela Lugosi's Dr. Mirakle. Lugosi owns every scene he's in, drawing the viewer in and commanding attention. His brilliant and demented scientist is quite believable, cultured, charming and menacing at the same time. The cinematography by Karl Freund, who also did cinematography for Dracula and Metropolis, is also great. Light and shadow really work toward creating the horror atmosphere here.
The biggest drawback I had is the choice of what to do with the ape. Erik is billed by Mirakle as a gorilla, and played by two different actors - for long shots we see a man in a suit, while close-up shots of Erik's face are portrayed by a chimpanzee. It's painfully obvious it's a chimp and not a gorilla and that really jarred me out of the atmosphere of the movie. It would have been better to simply have the man in the suit the whole time. Secondarily, the supporting cast is nowhere near as good as Lugosi. Sidney Fox's Camille and D'Arcy Corrigan's mortician are pretty good but Leon Waycoff (later Leon Ames) is rather hopeless as the hero Pierre. The rest fall somewhere between.
It also reminds one of King Kong when Erik takes Camille across rooftops, immediately making Moira and I comment about Fay Wray - and only to realize later this was made a year before that famous film.
Recommended if you enjoy Bela Lugosi (his performance is marvelous) or classic horror films. This is pre-code so it's a little more dicey - the scene where Dr. Mirakle kills a prostitute comes to mind - but there's no gore.
Overall: 2.75/5
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She Done Him Wrong
1933, United States
Lady Lou enjoys her men and her diamonds, not necessarily in that order. She enjoys the gifts and protection of saloon keeper Gus Jordan, unaware of the illicit activities (prostitution, counterfeiting) that makes him rich. Another suitor is busy ratting Jordan out to the police so he can have Lou to himself. Her ex is in prison, doing time for stealing diamonds for her - and every man in the prison knows her too. But Lou herself is more interested in the straight-laced man who runs the mission next door...
What a great film! Sure, it's short on plot but plot isn't what this film is about. It's a vehicle for Mae West, and as such it works like a charm. The dialogue is witty and bawdy, and West's delivery oozes sex appeal. Of course, the sex appeal isn't the only thing about her. In many ways She Done Him Wrong is a film about female empowerment. Lou is a strong woman. She's confident, smart, and in control - a liberated woman who always comes out on top. The rest of the cast play their parts well, but this is Mae West's film.
If you're a woman you should watch this one at least once. If you're male, well, you should enjoy watching Mae West anyway.
Overall: 3.5/5
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Megamind
2010, United States
It's a dream come true for super villain Megamind. He has finally defeated his nemesis, Metro Man, and gained control of Metro City. Is this his destiny? And what comes after that?
I was in the mood for something fun, and I knew this would fit the bill nicely. For a comic geek this is a great spoof of Superman. Megamind plays a Luthor-esque character, all brains and gadgets and over-the-top nefarious plans. Think Superfriends or early Bronze Age Luthor, rather than the more modern takes on that character. I really loved the bit where Megamind is doing the Space Dad part, where his voice kinda sounds like the Godfather, who of course was Marlon Brando, who was also Jor-El in Superman. Several little gags like that were a lot of fun.
This came out the same summer as Despicable Me, another villain-centered cartoon, so you can't help but compare. Despicable Me is ultimately the better film, but that doesn't mean Megamind isn't good. It's great fun, has a cool soundtrack and really good animation. A comic book geek will probably appreciate it more, but just about anyone should have a good time watching it.
Overall: 3.25/5