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Knives of the Avenger, a review by Jon

Knives of the Avenger (1966)
3 out of 5



Bava proves himself to be a master of all genres by taking on the Western and for the most part, does so very well. As Akira Kurosawa did with Seven Samurai, this is Western at heart even though it's about Vikings. Unfortunately, whereas Kurosawa could claim to have possibly rescued the genre, this is far less important, aping the style of Leone's Fistful of Dollars (1964) a little too close in the newly coined "Spaghetti" Western, and using Shane (1953) as a too obvious template.

It's an interesting mix and the fact it works at all should be applauded and it is very enjoyable, if sadly predictable if you know Shane. The rugged acting and straightforward bare dialogue matches the colourful cinematography, and it really is pure Leone (even the music has a Morricone edge), so if you like those films, you'll know what to expect. To be honest, I always found Shane a bit weak so I didn't mind seeing it filtered through the more passionate Spaghetti style and thank goodness we didn't have the kid whining at the end! No matter how unoriginal his sources, Bava knows how to handle a set-piece or two with good solid knockabout action and a bar brawls to rival John Wayne's. Achim picked up on the colour style as well and it's a very good point as the colours match the mood, as does the style over all. He really is very good at changing the pace and some moments are sinister while others are bright and almost comedic.

It may sound like I'm being too critical of his copycat approach to this film, but it's worth bearing in mind the way the industry worked at the time. Directors didn't always have complete freedom to forge new paths and sometimes were just for hire. Indeed, Bava was apparently drafted into this at the last moment and had to deal with what looked like a complete rip-off of The Vikings (1958), complete with a blonde haired hero (Cameron Mitchell instead of Kirk Douglas). He rewrote it in just a few days, so perhaps was rather shrewd in picking genres and stories that were financially proven. And making the leap from wishy-washy melodramatic Shane to hard-boiled death-ridden Leone was certainly unpredictable!

(From Mario Bava marathon on July 1st, 2009)

The Truth About Jane, a review by Tom

Title: The Truth About Jane
Year: 2000
Director: Lee Rose
Rating: NR
Length: 91 Min.
Video: Full Frame 1.33:1
Audio: English: Dolby Digital Stereo
Subtitles:

Stars:
Stockard Channing
Ellen Muth
Kelly Rowan
Jenny O'Hara
RuPaul Charles

Plot:
Jane's Mom (Stockard Channing, TV's "West Wing," Grease) assumes her popular daughter is just like every other fifteen-year-old girl - a little confused about growing up, but a great kid at heart. Jane figures her mom is just like any other mom - a little too protective, but only because she loves her. Both of them believe they have a good relationship. Then Jane meets Taylor, the new girl at school, and falls madly in love with her.

Suddenly, everyone is trying to figure out how to cope with the realization that Jane is a lesbian. Her classmates are having trouble treating her like a human being, and her mom refuses to have anything to do with Jane's experiment. The trouble is, this is not just a phase. Jane knows she's gay. If her mom can't or won't accept that fact, their relationship could be broken forever.

Through the help of new friends and a lot of soul searching, Jane learns to accept herself and her sexuality. Now the challenge is finding a way to help her mom remember how much she loves her daughter.

Extras:
Production Notes
Scene Access
Trailers

I first saw this TV movie before "Dead Like Me" first aired, so this was the first time that I saw Ellen Muth in anything. I enjoyed this movie. From the ones I have watched until now in this marathon, this one feels to be the most realistic.
Ellen Muth is great here. They used the same storytelling device as in Dead Like Me here. Ellen Muth serves as narrator similar as in Dead Like Me. With often the same kind of dry humor. I wonder, if this movie had anything to do with her being cast in Dead Like Me.
I think Stockard Channing did a good job as the mother, who in general is very liberal and open-minded (even having a gay man (RuPaul) in her close circle of friends) until it is her daughter who is gay.

Rating:

(From Lesbian Movie Marathon on March 15th, 2009)

Tom's Glee Marathon, a review by Tom

Glee
Season 1.16 Home
Writer: Ryan Murphy (Created By), Brad Falchuk (Created By), Ian Brennan (Created By), Brad Falchuk (Writer)
Director: Paris Barclay
Cast: Dianna Agron (Quinn Fabray), Chris Colfer (Kurt Hummel), Jessalyn Gilsig (Terri Schuester), Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester), Jayma Mays (Emma Pillsbury), Kevin McHale (Arty Abrams), Lea Michele (Rachel Berry), Cory Monteith (Finn Hudson), Matthew Morrison (Will Schuester), Amber Riley (Mercedes Jones), Mark Salling (Noah "Puck" Puckerman), Jenna Ushkowitz (Tina Cohen-Chang), Jonathan Groff (Jesse St. James), Kristin Chenoweth (April Rhodes), Mike O'Malley (Burt Hummel), Romy Rosemont (Carole Hudson), Michael Benjamin Washington (Tracy Pendergrass), Naya Rivera (Santana Lopez), Heather Morris (Brittany Pierce), Harry Shum, Jr. (Mike Chang), Dijon Talton (Matt Rutherford), Noel Arthur (Guy), Earnestine Phillips (Nurse), Lauren Potter (Becky Jackson)

In this episode, April returns. And I am already tired of her character. First time around she was fun, now she is just grading.
There is a scene in this episode, where Quinn and Mercedes talk about weight and being home in their bodies. Generally the message they are conveying in this dialogue is great, but I think it is unfortunate, because in my opinion Mercedes should loose some weight to be healthy.

Brittana:
Santana putting her head on Brittany's shoulder during Kurt's song.

Favorite Scenes:
The scenes with Kurt's dad are again the highlight of an episode. The Kurt/Burt/Finn/Carol storyline is the saving grace of the episode.

Notable Songs:
No notable songs. Glee club plays second fiddle to April.

Rating:

(From Tom's Glee Marathon on September 15th, 2012)