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Reviews
Fu fu de zheng (2024)
Story telling at it's best!
Why has this movie been overlooked(so far) here in America? Is it a gamble to see this movie? The plot summary alone should bring in the movie going public. Land of Broken Hearts conveys the lunacy of life and love. It is in fact one of the most unusual romance stories you will see! Besides the love interest, there's comedy and sci-fi too! For martial arts fans there are some surprises. If it's a gamble to see this then the gamble will pay dividends! You might be surprised to hear a few English words, so listen closely. There's a brief animated sequence and don't leave early as the end credit song is superb.
Johnny Mathis Live: Wonderful, Wonderful! (2006)
The legend in top form!
This PBS TV special 1st aired in 2006, then was repeated in 2017 and 2024(as of this writing). Wonderful, Wonderful is a Johnny Mathis concert filmed at the Tropicana Resort in Atlantic City, NJ. More than a concert, though, as there are current(2006) interviews with the star about his early years and archive footage with additional songs. The concert is not complete but never fear, the DVD is. New and old songs including hits from the movies West Side Story + Willy Wonka. This was his 50th anniversary in the music business! Find out what JM's top 3 songs are and what non English language song he sings! The camera work is exceptional as little of the audience is shown and we have mostly medium close-ups of the performer. The large orchestra performs well with Gil Reigers as the lead guitarist.
Fantasticherie di un passeggiatore solitario (2014)
Offbeat and mesmerizing
Reveries of a Solitary Walker is the name of this Italian movie(although the DVD box has "stroller" instead of "walker") and also the name of a book by Jean Jacques Rousseau. The 18th century French author and philosopher is, as well, one of the 3 main characters in the film. The other 2 are a young man and his girlfriend who live in the present as opposed to Rousseau. Despite the presence of stop motion(a la Gumby) sequences, this is not a story for children. The rating might be R, due to profanity(mostly in the 1st half) and the macabre story line. The 3 main characters in parallel narratives are continually fighting their own personal demons. The animates scenes enhance the story. A "dangerous book" motif threads it's way through the plot. Technically very well done, with the animation a big draw! Acting is superb and the characters are well defined. An offbeat tale for sure and one which could be used in a film study class. Would make a good double feature with Bartleby(1970)! A quote from the character Jean is a good summation, "As if all together was mixed up." Influenced, no doubt, by the works of Poe and the novel, Alice in Wonderland. Introspection is key. Family comes into play, and there is a demon animated character. A good DVD to watch multiple times. Look closely for the many mini horror film posters on the walls! The subtitles are below frame in such a manner that was is forced to watch it in ?2.75:1.
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King (2021)
Past or Present?
Not just the story we are familiar with from books, movies and the ballet. We are getting the prequel and the sequel, along with the main story we are all familiar with. How can the story continue on to the present? You'll have to wait till the final chapter to find out. This production is done in 3 parts with intervals. The award winning music conductor, John Mauceri, hosts the separate sequences in fine fashion. Special note: you will see Edgar Bergen's famous dummy, Charlie McCarthy, in the background. Alan Cumming is the on screen narrator. The Nutcracker and the Mouse King is perhaps the oldest(1816) children's Christmas story. It predates, The Night before Christmas; The Little Match Girl; and the Cricket on the Hearth. It may be known to you by way of the Nutcracker Suite music(also featured in Disney's motion picture, Fantasia). Rest assured that all of the music heard in this Nutcracker expanded addition is Tchaikovsky. You may have seen one of the many previous TV productions, watched an animated or live action feature movie version or read the story itself. But here you get the deluxe version. Alan Cumming does a superb job with the narration, playing all the parts and injecting his own style of humor throughout. The camera work is excellent, focusing on the orchestra and performer, and leaving the audience till later on. The sound effects created by the orchestra is a real treat, as is of course the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. As the running time is long (2.5 hours) it might be a good idea to stream it and take snack breaks. Some PBS stations rebroadcast this in 2023 on the day after Christmas, which was a good idea as there wasn't any other festive competition!
Winter Star (2022)
Colors and light.
Winter Star tells the story of a woman reflecting upon her life and how she has had all along a guiding light of "love and peace". Upon further pondering, she feels the deeper meaning for herself and the world at large. How the "winter star"(aka star of wonder/star of Bethlehem) had led the three kings to baby Jesus, and the transformation of the world to come. This music video uses the symbolism of light, a positive force in nature, in scenes throughout to superb effect. Besides the Holy family, Christmas is visually represented by snow and (briefly) Christmas trees. The editing and transient scenes move Winter Star along at a rapid pace which belies the song, being itself calming and gentle. Another-words, a mix that works! Giada's performance conveys to us a sense of serenity. The ending is worked out to perfection by the director and chanteuse. Last but not least, the wardrobe department out did themselves!
Wayne and Shuster Take an Affectionate Look At...: W.C. Fields (1964)
Much more than just clips!
Wayne and Shuster do more than just introduce and comment on film clips of W. C. Fields movies. They give biographical sketches, do pretty good imitations, roll off some trivia and even play a brief radio clip of Fields and Charlie McCarthy. Many stills of the main subject as well as others are included. A big surprise is a recreation of the actual Ziegfield girls! Some of the stills of Fields as a bearded young man you may not have seen before. Find out about the comical portrait of William Claude that hung in the famous Hollywood restaurant, Chasen's. The only complaint one may have is that the selection of clips could have been wider, with shorter clips substituted for the long ones. As this episode was released on DVD as an extra with box sets, it's best to watch last.
Rick Steves' Art of Europe: The Renaissance (2022)
You learn a lot in an hour!
In this episode, the Rennaisance, Rick Stevens does an excellent job hosting and narrating. Mostly interior shots. Painting and sculpture are the main topics with some architecture thrown in for good measure. An amazing amount of info is covered in the limited run time. A bonus is the little details included, such as the fact that Leonardo Da Vinci played the flute! The camera work is top notch. Artists touched upon include, Giotto, Masaccio, Fra Angelico, Michaelangelo(Sistine Chapel, etc.), Davinci(The Last Supper, etc.), Botticello(Birth of Venus, etc.), Raphael, Titian, El Greco, Albrecht Dürer(self portrait painting, Adam and Eve engraving, etc.), Van Eyck(Arnolfini Wedding), Bruegel the Elder, Van der Weyden, Bosch. Just before the Bosch segment a painting is shown with no credits. It is Hans Memling's St John Altarpiece. The Dürer segment stands out as we are actually shown the engraving process!
Fright Night (1975)
Fright Night confusion!
There certainly should be some confusion in regards to the horror film showcase, Fright Night. There already is (as of this writing) an entry on IMDb for Fright Night with host Robert Forster. This is the 2nd entry, so it should be for the NYC, WOR-TV, Fright Night, which ran from 1973 to 1987. There is also another Fright Night, that ran on WBBM CBS tv. Anyways, the channel 9, WOR-TV FN, was host-less and had at least 2 different images at the opening. One was of a skull and the other, lightning. It was on Saturdays at various time slots. Some of the movies shown: So Sad about Gloria; Terror from Under the House; The Thirsty Dead; The Touch of Satan; Witches Mountain; The Witchmaker; Mad Doctor of Blood Island, and others.
Saturday Night Dead (1984)
An important Horror Film Showcase!
Stella was a very good horror hostess and a much needed addition to the many host-less horror showcases in the NYC-Philly area in the 1980's. She and her gang would parody the movie being shown and more often than not provide many laughs for the viewers. The selection of movies was admirable as well. They included: Spririts of the Dead; Terror from Under the House; Women of the Prehistoric Planet; and Dr. Orloff's Invisible Horror, among many others. By the early 1980's many of the horror showcases on TV were coming to an end. One of the earliest was Chiller Theatre, then Creatures Features, then Revenge of Creature Features. Later came Fright Night. By 1983, Fright Night, in a 1am time slot was the last one left. So the addition of Saturday Night Dead, which of course followed Saturday Night Live, was very welcome! Fright Night came to an end in 1987. Once in a while on ABC late night Friday you might be surprised and see Haunted Hollywood, but that soon ended as well. So when Saturday Night Dead was done it was a sad day for Horror fans. It was a while before Svengoolie and Horror Hotel were shown in the NYC area.
Bill Anderson & Dolly Parton: Someday It'll All Make Sense (2022)
A duet made in Heaven!
The music video, Someday it'll All make Sense, well directed by a veteran in the field, Trey Fanjoy, has a good visual parallel with the song by using transportation and destination as well as creating a murky atmosphere to represent uncertainty. The plot concerns religious faith, along with hope. Sometimes we feel our path is uncertain and frustrating and yet we must perservere to arrive at our true destination. The music video through the use of fog and darkness along with the depiction of a car traveling on a lonely road is reminiscent of movies from long ago where we felt safer. The 2 leads in the film are without question THE legendary ambassadors of Country music. We feel secure with them. Perhaps there is an underlying theme that Country music with it's long history, makes us feel comfortable in a way. Once one connects to Country music it is difficult to leave it for very long. When we come back, it's like coming home. Bill Anderson, deservedly so, got a nomination from the music industry's highest award, for Someday...
The Hound That Thought He Was a Raccoon (1960)
Animal adventure done to perfection!
The Hound that thought he was a Raccoon(1960): a Disney nature film. When you take away the color, sound and length of a film and it's still fun to watch- that certainly passes the test! The version viewed was just that as well as being in the Super 8mm format with intertitles and clocking in at 11 minutes. Poster with credit re-arrangement on film box cover. Rutherfor G. Montgomery, who wrote the story, had written many animal adventure stories such as The Golden Stallion and the Wolf Dog, + Carcajou the Wolverine. The simple story here of 2 unlikely animal friends and their adventures and loyalty to each other could have been abridged to 5 minutes and still been fine and make sense. The raccoon, Weecha comes off here as the smarter of the 2 with the hound, Nubbin as the bodyguard type. All of the action takes place outdoors and there is plenty of action. The filming locations are ideal. The human character, Farmer Jeff, shown briefly, is friend to Nubbin but not to Weecha. So Nubbin has a loyalty problem. The original film has a running time of 47 minutes which is very consistent with other Disney nature films. Shown on TV in a 60 minute time slot with commercials and it could be considered a feature, otherwise as a featurette. This film was also available in a 16mm format as late as 1987. Rental cost in 1974 was $20 and 13 years later, $35! Also seen on television as an episode of The Magical World of Disney in 1964. No doubt the Disney short films get much less attention in current times. The repeatable factor for this nature flick is excellent.
Shakira: Live and Off the Record (2004)
Shakira knows how to dance!
Much credit goes to the director for keeping the focus on Shakira. We get to see the audience for a second or two, some of the band members, but most of the time the cameras stay on Shakira, both when she's dancing and when she's singing. Not many extreme close-ups, which is good. Excellent sound quality and nice editing. Shakira goes through many costume changes but we don't have to wait as these parts are edited out and yet the transitions are smooth. The Columbian singer gives a high energy performance and it's enjoyable to see her many expressions throughout. She gets on the floor a few times which may remind the viewer of Gloria Trevi! Excluding the documentary, the actual concert time is 90 minutes. The only short coming is that we only see the guitarists, for the most part, among the band members, and for some odd reason never see the backup singers.
Eiga Entotsumachi no Puperu (2020)
Better than you would think.
When considering to watch this movie, many may dismiss it as a one layered kids movie. It has in fact many layers and is suited for all ages although the very young might not as appreciate it as much as others. The colors, setting, characters, Japanese voice cast and soundtrack are all superb. The story, while seemingly simple, gets deeper as the film progresses. There could be some confusion in a minor detail or two which would make 2 viewings preferable. The garbage man should go down as one of the great cartoon characters of the century! The only criticism is that the storm troopers look-a-likes should have had their own look! Poupelle of Chimney Town is about family, following a dream, team work, and the rulers and those that are ruled. Make sure you listen to the end credit song sung by the beautiful voice of Lozareena.
A Holiday Chance (2021)
Take a chance and see it!
This well written Christmas movie will take you on an emotional ride. The squabbling family theme is not new but the leading women cast takes it in the right direction. Interesting characters in a storyline that spans a year. Some of the fashion design will make you take note. Don't miss the "not part of the story" pre credit sequence! And to top it off, a very nice soundtrack. Listen for Sister Sledge, Mary J Blige, Cece Peniston, among others. Holiday movies should be required viewing in times like these.
Fever: The Music of Peggy Lee (2004)
Required viewing!
Fever: The music of Peggy Lee, almost doesn't require a review. How could you go wrong with a PBS show about this music legend? As long as there. are plenty of songs, you can't! This is more of an appreciation than a biography. Mostly all is 100% positive. Ms Lee did want an escape from her childhood, and there were the failed marriages, but that's not dwelled upon. At first there are a few song excerpts, but soon we get them in their entirety. And what a selection, many of which she wrote herself. We get some behind the scenes footage, some home videos, interviews and duets. Yom may hear some songs you've never come across before. Have you ever heard Andy Williams sing jazz? He + PL sing a jazz duet. Ever here the doodle song? She & Bing sing it! A Judy Garland duet too! There's something for everyone.
If you didn't know what a great singer this Norwegian-Swedish woman was, you will after watching this. There is also a 2020 edition of Fever, but it isn't expanded that much.
Hei ren wu (1973)
Cars, cars and more cars!
This review is based on an abridged version. The opening scene shows a young boy bouncing a ball on the ground. The ball gets loose and rolls away. A kidnapping takes place. The setting in the present. The gangsters want the father's help in exchange for the boy. The parents are in their mid twenties. In this mini movie cars are involved quite a bit. The gang tries to run down the mother. The Dad fights with Bolo Yeung (aka Yang Sze). The fight sequences are good and not overly prolonged. Many medium close-ups, intermittent music. Based on the poster, drugs are involved. The U.S. poster is on line, showing the rating R. There are nice scenic backdrops in the film and mostly hand to hand combat, although guns are shown. This martial arts movie must have been fairly popular as it was one of 4 kung fu flicks that Ken Films decided to release on Super 8mm in the mid 1970's. There is a little confusion however as another movie with the same title, sans "The" was made that is similar. The tagline on the Super 8 box is, "It starts where the other 'Connections' left off. The Hong Kong Connection was a Cannon release in America.
Greeting Card (2013)
Thank you Disney Japan!
Oswald the Lucky Rabbit aka Oswald the Rabbit aka Oswald Rabbit has a hair raising adventure in the great Wintry outdoors on his way to see his sweetheart at home at Christmas time. Very brisk pace as you would think with a 34 second(the end title accounts for about 3) video! Nice perky music and a good choice of colors. Some think that Oswald has been out of the public eye for a long time, but in reality he hasn't. There have been at least 2 pre-1950 hard cover books, a comic strip(an example in on the internet), the Woody Woodpecker Show TV series in 1964 and prior to the VHS video's and DVD's, 16mm and 8mm films. Then of course you have the comic books which seem to have continued(and may still do so) in countries outside of the United States. There probably have been over 1000 issues as by 1956 the total already numbered 700! Not to be too confusing , the Disney made Oswald films are Disney owned but the Universal made Oswald are still Universal. Since there are close to 200 animated cartoons(as of this writing), there's enough to go around.
Wax Works (1934)
Oswald and the Monsters Hall of Fame
For horror fans, this cartoon is monumental. Influenced of course from the 1931 films Dracula, and, Frankenstein, and the 1933, Mystery of the Wax Museum. House of Frankenstein(1944) and House of Dracula(1945) were a ways off yet! The reason this toon stands out- in Oswald's wax works we meet Frankenstein's monster, Dracula, Hunchback of Norte Dame, the Invisible Man and Mr. Hyde to name a few. How could a self respecting horror fan not watch this? It's interesting to see the evolving look of Oswald the rabbit as well. Here he is at his midpoint look. He would change much more drastically later, most notably in the comic books, then with Disney change back to his original form. Some of the early Oswald films were re-released with his modern look in the opening sequence. This one, thank goodness, has the original opening, plus a song to boot! The voice characterizations are all very good, as well as the plot construction, animation, and fast pace. Too bad Oswald's part wasn't bigger, though. Walter Lantz had horror themes in other toons, such as Witch Crafty(1955) and Frankenstymied(1961).
Creation (1931)
Not that rare!
This 8.5 minute extract of a movie was available in the Super 8mm film format and then of course DVD. According to the books, A Pictorial History of Horror Movies(1973); and Movie Magic(1974), a date of 1929 would be more accurate then the speculated 1931 date for the creation of Creation. This film also would have made obvious to the makers of King Kong that more live action animals is not a good thing! The birds however fit in so well that they were kept. The print viewed had only fair picture quality and at the height of 8mm film collecting was not a title easily acquired.
Bolek i Lolek na Dzikim Zachodzie (1986)
Song a treat, dialogue a mistake.
Sometimes it's confusing when a cartoon series strings together a number of episodes and releases it as a feature, or makes a feature from scratch. While there were Bolek I Lolek Old West episodes, this is actually an original movie. There were episodes that featured the bad guy and sheriff, however. The plot focuses on the previous mentioned 2 characters and the boys. Lots of fun, action and visual gags. Pretty good music too. Most of the cartoon episodes didn't have dialogue. This movie did. Maybe not a good idea. Previous to this feature was, Bolek and Lolek Around the World(1977), and Bolek and Lolek at the Olympics(1983)...with a running time of 97 minutes. There was a dollar DVD of B + L released in the USA, but many of the Polish DVD's were región 0 and could be played in the United States.
Yesterday Lives Again (1938)
A lot to see in a short time!
A popular film in super 8/standard 8mm times(pre video). The time period covered is 1890's to 1920's. Companion piece to Gay Nineties Live Again. Deals mostly with historic footage but opens with an Edison film, then a dancing Fatima film, has a fair number of show business people and some more dancing. If you want to see early movie comp films, look up Movie Milestones(short), Golden Age of Comedy(feature), etcetera. Highlights of YLA are: early fashion, the Buffalo Bill handshake, the San Francisco natural disasters and ,the sinking of the Szent Istvan from WW1.
Orlok the Vampire in 3D (2009)
3D fans rejoice!
Any more exposure that Nosferatu can get is a good thing. If someone watches this and then goes back to the original version, having never seen it, then silent film fans will be happy. Maybe you just watched this for the very good 3D. The sound and voice effects are well done too. You have the option of watching this in 2D. The only bad thing is an intro which you can't by pass. There are after all many versions of the original Nosferatu. Shorter and longer, one in fact with a faster speed that clocks in at 60 minutes. Many different music scores, plus b&w or color tinted. Try watching it in 8mm. The big question is, when does an alternate version get it's own entry. Some may have easily put this in the alternate category.
My Music: '60s Pop, Rock & Soul (2011)
Good exposure for touring groups.
Thanks to PBS for giving great singers an outlet on TV that they might not have otherwise. This special is of course an abridgment of the DVD collection. What a difficult job in selecting! It really leaves you wanting more. Everyone will have their own favorite group or performer. The lead singer for Jefferson Starship gives a very interesting performance. The Herman's Hermits lead singer is favorited with 3 songs and come's off very well. He mention's in the pledge break interview that he had an uncredited cameo in the Beatles movie, A Hard Day's Night. The pledge break interviews are always a nice bonus. Also heard from was Paul Revere, Mason Williams and Davy Jones. Sometimes the performers have a surplus of back-up singers. The My Music Orchestra is first rate. There are audience sing-a-longs, good camera work, close-ups and audience shots. What a nice looking Pittsburgh theatre! And did you know that some of the groups got together just for this special? The doo wop My Music special might have been better because it focused on one type of music. And it seems that the hosts parts were filmed independently of the concert and they only really introduced just a few of the acts. It no doubt was repeated many times, including 2019, and hopefully will still be shown in the future.
The Quiet Collector: Andrew Mellon Remembered (1982)
What a find!
Just viewed this on broadcast TV as a fill in after a feature movie. It's short, about a half hour. Very well done in recreating a bygone era and storyline. Begins in the later portion of Mr. Mellon's life as he is appointed head of the United States Treasury Department. Then it focuses on how he established the National Gallery of Art. The lead role is acted well, although despite the make-up the actor chosen should have been older. Narration by a veteran radio actor helps. This movie really supplies info that we all should know, and certainly a must for those interested in art! Surprisingly not much data, at this time, on the internet about this gem!
Amor es Amor (2019)
La Patrona wins again!
Even though she did take some time off, Ambar has been performing since she was a child and has what it takes. Perhaps a little too subdued in this music video that makes a simple statement about everyone's number one topic, love. The multi-talented Alcover adds a nice touch that complements this short piece nicely. The major asset however is the cinematography which attains it's goal. The song and music jell plus good pacing. Different from Ambar's previous recent releases, but in a good way. Versatility is important! Can't wait for the next round!