Thursday, October 25, 2007
Sexy Crazy Cancer (10/25/07)
Sexy Crazy Cancer is a documentary by actress/filmmaker Kris Carr of her experiences with a rare cancer. During her journey we meet ladies with other cancers and how each of them is dealing with their issues. Funny, painful, irreverant and joyful, I highly recommend this film as a counterpoint to Wit (starring Emma Thompson). For a full night of bittersweet and uplifting cancer stories, pair Sexy Crazy Cancer with Julia Sweeney's "God Said Ha!" or the made-for-TV "Why I wore lipstick to my mastectomy" starring Sarah Chalke from Scrubs. Some chocolate and merlot wouldn't hurt either. --FKV
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
August 21, 2007
Driving Lessons (2006)
Lovely little english movie starring Rupert Grint (from Harry Potter) as shy teen Ben who has really uptight preacher parents and who is trying to find his way in the world. He finds a summer job as a companion to a theatre grand dame (Julie Walters, who is amazing!) and off they go on an adventure that will change young Ben's life. Reminescent of "Harold and Maude" but without the gloom. Laura Linney plays mom (who deserves a good comeuppance or slap, maybe both). Recommended.
Lovely little english movie starring Rupert Grint (from Harry Potter) as shy teen Ben who has really uptight preacher parents and who is trying to find his way in the world. He finds a summer job as a companion to a theatre grand dame (Julie Walters, who is amazing!) and off they go on an adventure that will change young Ben's life. Reminescent of "Harold and Maude" but without the gloom. Laura Linney plays mom (who deserves a good comeuppance or slap, maybe both). Recommended.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
Cheap Seats: The Halloween Edition (1997)
FKV's Top 13 Vampire Movies
1. The Hunger (1983)
Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon. hubba. Catherine Deneuve is a vampire whose current lover is dying (David Bowie). On the hunt for a replacement she finds Susan Sarandon and seduces her. Sarandon turns the tables on her would-be master.
2. Near Dark (1987)
Vampire movie with a happy ending for the victim (what's up with that?) Adrian Pasdar, Lance Hendricksen, Bill Paxton, and Jenny Wright help with the havoc. Displays active acts of random violence.
3. Dracula (1979)
Frank Langella. Hubba! Lose adaptation of the Stoker novel. Why bother with the shirt if you're going to leave it open that much?
4. Innocent Blood (1992)
Anne Parillaud (original Le Femme Nikita) plays a vampire with a hunger for "a little Italian" so she chomps mobster Chazz Palminteri and then goes after his boss Robert Loggia but doesn't finish the kill. Loggia, now a ghoul, realizes that he can gain even more power this way and starts transforming his crew. Undercover agent Anthony LaPaglia, along with the vampire, is simultaneously trying to stop and not get killed by Loggia. Fun movie, some nudity. Break out some Chianti and enjoy.
5. The Lost Boys (1987)
A single mom (Diane Wiest) moves with her 2 teenage sons to live with her father in northern California. The seaside promenade is a magnet for all sorts of strange folk and people start disappearing. The eldest son (Jason Patric) falls in with a rough crowd, and the younger son (Corey Haim) and his new pals try to help the older son escape from the group's clutches, and oh yeah, they are vampires and the older son is too. Quote: "You're a creature of the night, Michael. ... You wait 'til Mom finds out!"
6. Fright Night I & II (1985, 1989)
Just when you thought Roddy McDowall's career was dead along came these movies (in which he kind of spoofed himself). In FN1, Chris Sarandon plays the sexy vampire next door. Hubba. In FN2 our hero Charlie from FN1 finds himself being seduced by an exotic performance artist (not knowing its the vampire sister of our FN1 villain out for revenge). Fun stuff.
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
Not as good as the TV show (as Josh Whedon has better creative control which he apparently didn't have in the movie process), but still fun to watch for the campiness of it all. Paul Reubens has THE best death scene ever and Rutger Hauer is chewing the scenery with abandon. (and Kristy Swanson as Buffy & Donald Sutherland as the Watcher). Buffy, a vapid teen, finds out she's the one chosen to fight the vampires of the world. What, and break a nail? I don't think so.
8. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Ah, Winona.Very truthful to the book. Wonderful on the eyes with costumes and lack of said at appropriate times. Could have done without the butt-head on Gary Oldman, and perhaps Keanu Reeves AND Cary Elwes really shouldn't be put together onscreen either as that's just too much of a vacuum, but all in all, I really like this version.
9. Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
Wonderful campy movie, that smacked a little too much as being the vampire version of "Coming to America" but it really does hold its own after you get past that. Plot line: Caribbean vampire goes to New York to find his mate. The cast is great: Eddie Murphy, Angela Bassett, Kadeem Hardison. My fave moment is Mitch Peliggi (from the Xfiles) making an appearance as food. Too funny.
10. Interview with the Vampire (1994)
I think Interview is true to the spirit of Anne Rice even if it doesn't follow the book directly. Ignore the controversy and just enjoy this for what it is. Great costumes, great story, great cast. Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Christian Slater, Antonia Banderas.
11. Horror of Dracula (1958)
Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing battle it out in this adaptation of the Stoker novel. The finale of this one made a big impression on me as a kid. Note to ourselves: if you're a vampire, cloth curtains aren't good enough. Alive for hundreds of years, you'd think he'd clean the place up a little.
12. Salem's Lot (1979, TV)
The book kept me up nights. The movie is cheesy and scary at the same time, also truthful to the original. David Soul, please.
13. Daughter of Darkness (1990, TV)
Mostly awful with flashes of potential. Mia Sara travels to Romania trying to find her father. She's got a medallion which causes everyone who looks at it to flinch. She gets help from a handsome local, and things go weirder from there. I liked it for the European location shots (want castle, want castle...)
Happy Halloween from the Cheap Seats!
1. The Hunger (1983)
Catherine Deneuve and Susan Sarandon. hubba. Catherine Deneuve is a vampire whose current lover is dying (David Bowie). On the hunt for a replacement she finds Susan Sarandon and seduces her. Sarandon turns the tables on her would-be master.
2. Near Dark (1987)
Vampire movie with a happy ending for the victim (what's up with that?) Adrian Pasdar, Lance Hendricksen, Bill Paxton, and Jenny Wright help with the havoc. Displays active acts of random violence.
3. Dracula (1979)
Frank Langella. Hubba! Lose adaptation of the Stoker novel. Why bother with the shirt if you're going to leave it open that much?
4. Innocent Blood (1992)
Anne Parillaud (original Le Femme Nikita) plays a vampire with a hunger for "a little Italian" so she chomps mobster Chazz Palminteri and then goes after his boss Robert Loggia but doesn't finish the kill. Loggia, now a ghoul, realizes that he can gain even more power this way and starts transforming his crew. Undercover agent Anthony LaPaglia, along with the vampire, is simultaneously trying to stop and not get killed by Loggia. Fun movie, some nudity. Break out some Chianti and enjoy.
5. The Lost Boys (1987)
A single mom (Diane Wiest) moves with her 2 teenage sons to live with her father in northern California. The seaside promenade is a magnet for all sorts of strange folk and people start disappearing. The eldest son (Jason Patric) falls in with a rough crowd, and the younger son (Corey Haim) and his new pals try to help the older son escape from the group's clutches, and oh yeah, they are vampires and the older son is too. Quote: "You're a creature of the night, Michael. ... You wait 'til Mom finds out!"
6. Fright Night I & II (1985, 1989)
Just when you thought Roddy McDowall's career was dead along came these movies (in which he kind of spoofed himself). In FN1, Chris Sarandon plays the sexy vampire next door. Hubba. In FN2 our hero Charlie from FN1 finds himself being seduced by an exotic performance artist (not knowing its the vampire sister of our FN1 villain out for revenge). Fun stuff.
7. Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992)
Not as good as the TV show (as Josh Whedon has better creative control which he apparently didn't have in the movie process), but still fun to watch for the campiness of it all. Paul Reubens has THE best death scene ever and Rutger Hauer is chewing the scenery with abandon. (and Kristy Swanson as Buffy & Donald Sutherland as the Watcher). Buffy, a vapid teen, finds out she's the one chosen to fight the vampires of the world. What, and break a nail? I don't think so.
8. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992)
Ah, Winona.
9. Vampire in Brooklyn (1995)
Wonderful campy movie, that smacked a little too much as being the vampire version of "Coming to America" but it really does hold its own after you get past that. Plot line: Caribbean vampire goes to New York to find his mate. The cast is great: Eddie Murphy, Angela Bassett, Kadeem Hardison. My fave moment is Mitch Peliggi (from the Xfiles) making an appearance as food. Too funny.
10. Interview with the Vampire (1994)
I think Interview is true to the spirit of Anne Rice even if it doesn't follow the book directly. Ignore the controversy and just enjoy this for what it is. Great costumes, great story, great cast. Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt, Kirsten Dunst, Christian Slater, Antonia Banderas.
11. Horror of Dracula (1958)
Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing battle it out in this adaptation of the Stoker novel. The finale of this one made a big impression on me as a kid. Note to ourselves: if you're a vampire, cloth curtains aren't good enough. Alive for hundreds of years, you'd think he'd clean the place up a little.
12. Salem's Lot (1979, TV)
The book kept me up nights. The movie is cheesy and scary at the same time, also truthful to the original. David Soul, please.
13. Daughter of Darkness (1990, TV)
Mostly awful with flashes of potential. Mia Sara travels to Romania trying to find her father. She's got a medallion which causes everyone who looks at it to flinch. She gets help from a handsome local, and things go weirder from there. I liked it for the European location shots (want castle, want castle...)
Happy Halloween from the Cheap Seats!
Cheap Seats: The Halloween Edition (1998)
Top 13 Videos List for Halloween
Last year I did vampire movies (which I can't find, but I've recreated at the bottom of the post), this year it's Ghost Movies. Notice that it's not necessarily horror-ghost, but also plain Ghost movies. Criteria for inclusion is that it's [probably] on video and I've actually seen it.
and BTW "hubba"is my shorthand for "my isn't s/he attractive?". Enjoy.
1. Poltergeist (1982)
First movie where I actually screamed in the theatre. A suburban family (Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams) find that their little corner of heaven is populated with spirits from the other direction. Scarier than all git. Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg did a bang-up job along with the special effects team at ILM. I hate clowns (just thot I'd toss that in).
2. Nomads (1986)
This movie really dates me cuz I was agog over Pierce Brosnan at the time (egad). Lesley-Anne Down plays an LA doctor who is attacked by a dying anthropologist (Brosnan). When she wakes up she has his memories and more. Also starring Adam Ant and Jose Cotton (hubba). A movie for the wannabe goth in all of us.
3. Ghost (1990)
Yes, THAT version of Ghost and I don't wanna hear anyone humming Unchained Melody around me. Patrick Swayze is the hunky Wall Street banker who is murdered but doesn't cross over. Comedy and terror ensue when he enlists the help of Whoopi Goldberg (who won best supporting actress for this) to convince his fiancee Demi Moore of impending doom. I really watch this for the loft, and not the screaming shadows from below.
4. Scrooged (1988)
Bill Murray is fab in this wonderful retelling of Dicken's A Christmas Carol. Best Ghost award goes to Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Everyone who's anyone has a part in this film (more cameos than you can shake a stick at). (oh yeah, bad guy gets visited by ghosts who reform him)
5. The Frighteners (1996)
Available on letterbox format, this is the scariest funny/funniest scary movie in recent memory. Michael J. Fox is a down & out architect turned paranormal scam artist. He can't get over the murder of his wife and the killings have started again and all evidence points to him. Great special effects, especially John Astin as The Judge, a ghost who is falling apart, literally. Where did I put my utility knife?
6. The Haunting of Julia (1976)
Mia Farrow can't get over the death of her daughter so she moves to London and is tortured by the ghost of another little girl. Keep away from the monkey toy, lady. Scared the bejeezes out of me when I first saw it.
7. Haunted (1995)
Set in 30s England, Aidan Quinn is a professor of psychology who disproves seances and other phenomenon, and is called to debunk parapsychological happens at a manor house. He finds the charming Kate Beckinsale, and her brothers (Anthony Andrews and Alex Lowe) living at this house with their former nanny who appears to be going quite mad as she keeps hearing things. Quinn is there supposedly to help the nanny, but starts to fall for Beckinsale after seeing the many nude portraits painted of her by Andrews. Things get weirder and weirder when Quinn starts to have experiences. We get to see all of Beckinsale in this movie (hubba), and while the skin parts are pretty tame in their frankness, it's a film for mature audiences. Good special effects, haunting story (I had to do that).
8. The Shining (1980)
Although Stephen King didn't care for this adaptation by Stanley Kubrick, the rest of us loved it. Jack Nicholson drags his family to the wilderness to take care of a resort in the snowy off-season (why doesn't this place have a ski area anyway?) The exterior shots of the resort are Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood (there's your trivia question du jour). This one gets the award for best use of blood in an elevator. Redrum redrum.
9. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
This sappy old thing stars Gene Tierney as a young widow who moves into a seaside house haunted by its original sea captain owner Rex Harrison. A very young Natalie Wood is Tierney's daughter. This is really a love story where one of the people just happens to be dead. Curl up with a blanket and a box of hankies.
10. Heart and Souls (1993)
Robert Downey Jr. plays uptight corporate guy who has 4 ghosts "attached" to him. He's desperately trying to impress his boss and his girlfriend when the ghosts turn his world upside down. Very funny movie which did great special effects innovations (I watch way too much Movie Magic on cable tv). The cast is phenomenal: Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard, Kyra Sedgewick, Tom Sizemore, and Elisabeth Shue.
11. Truly, Madly, Deeply (1992)
Nina's boyfriend Jamie has died and now both Nina (Juliet Stevenson) and their house are falling apart. In comes the ghost of Jamie (Alan Rickman) & life with him seems to make sense again. Then Jamie starts bringing home his ghost pals and life turns weird again. Best quote, Nina: "I can't believe I have a bunch of dead people watching videos in my living room." It's definitely British, but a lot of fun if you like that style.
12. Ghostbusters (1984)
Four academics become paranormal exterminators for hire. Watch it again if you haven't seen it in a while. Now that I'm a cataloger, watching the poltergeist trash the NYPL card catalog has new meaning :-( Great cast: Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts. When someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES!
13. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
This is my first and favorite Bill Pullman movie, and okay, it's kind of a stretch on the ghost genre, but I couldn't resist. Based on the book by pharmaceutical researcher Wade Davis, Pullman plays Davis who goes to Haiti during the Papa Doc regime looking for the secret to zombie-ism. The American researcher gets in over his head when the powers of voodoun start impacting his reality. Not for the squeamish or claustrophobic.
Happy Haunting from the Cheap Seats!
Last year I did vampire movies (which I can't find, but I've recreated at the bottom of the post), this year it's Ghost Movies. Notice that it's not necessarily horror-ghost, but also plain Ghost movies. Criteria for inclusion is that it's [probably] on video and I've actually seen it.
and BTW "hubba"
1. Poltergeist (1982)
First movie where I actually screamed in the theatre. A suburban family (Craig T. Nelson, JoBeth Williams) find that their little corner of heaven is populated with spirits from the other direction. Scarier than all git. Tobe Hooper and Steven Spielberg did a bang-up job along with the special effects team at ILM. I hate clowns (just thot I'd toss that in).
2. Nomads (1986)
This movie really dates me cuz I was agog over Pierce Brosnan at the time (egad). Lesley-Anne Down plays an LA doctor who is attacked by a dying anthropologist (Brosnan). When she wakes up she has his memories and more. Also starring Adam Ant and Jose Cotton (hubba). A movie for the wannabe goth in all of us.
3. Ghost (1990)
Yes, THAT version of Ghost and I don't wanna hear anyone humming Unchained Melody around me. Patrick Swayze is the hunky Wall Street banker who is murdered but doesn't cross over. Comedy and terror ensue when he enlists the help of Whoopi Goldberg (who won best supporting actress for this) to convince his fiancee Demi Moore of impending doom. I really watch this for the loft, and not the screaming shadows from below.
4. Scrooged (1988)
Bill Murray is fab in this wonderful retelling of Dicken's A Christmas Carol. Best Ghost award goes to Carol Kane as the Ghost of Christmas Present. Everyone who's anyone has a part in this film (more cameos than you can shake a stick at). (oh yeah, bad guy gets visited by ghosts who reform him)
5. The Frighteners (1996)
Available on letterbox format, this is the scariest funny/funniest scary movie in recent memory. Michael J. Fox is a down & out architect turned paranormal scam artist. He can't get over the murder of his wife and the killings have started again and all evidence points to him. Great special effects, especially John Astin as The Judge, a ghost who is falling apart, literally. Where did I put my utility knife?
6. The Haunting of Julia (1976)
Mia Farrow can't get over the death of her daughter so she moves to London and is tortured by the ghost of another little girl. Keep away from the monkey toy, lady. Scared the bejeezes out of me when I first saw it.
7. Haunted (1995)
Set in 30s England, Aidan Quinn is a professor of psychology who disproves seances and other phenomenon, and is called to debunk parapsychological happens at a manor house. He finds the charming Kate Beckinsale, and her brothers (Anthony Andrews and Alex Lowe) living at this house with their former nanny who appears to be going quite mad as she keeps hearing things. Quinn is there supposedly to help the nanny, but starts to fall for Beckinsale after seeing the many nude portraits painted of her by Andrews. Things get weirder and weirder when Quinn starts to have experiences. We get to see all of Beckinsale in this movie (hubba), and while the skin parts are pretty tame in their frankness, it's a film for mature audiences. Good special effects, haunting story (I had to do that).
8. The Shining (1980)
Although Stephen King didn't care for this adaptation by Stanley Kubrick, the rest of us loved it. Jack Nicholson drags his family to the wilderness to take care of a resort in the snowy off-season (why doesn't this place have a ski area anyway?) The exterior shots of the resort are Timberline Lodge on Mt. Hood (there's your trivia question du jour). This one gets the award for best use of blood in an elevator. Redrum redrum.
9. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (1947)
This sappy old thing stars Gene Tierney as a young widow who moves into a seaside house haunted by its original sea captain owner Rex Harrison. A very young Natalie Wood is Tierney's daughter. This is really a love story where one of the people just happens to be dead. Curl up with a blanket and a box of hankies.
10. Heart and Souls (1993)
Robert Downey Jr. plays uptight corporate guy who has 4 ghosts "attached" to him. He's desperately trying to impress his boss and his girlfriend when the ghosts turn his world upside down. Very funny movie which did great special effects innovations (I watch way too much Movie Magic on cable tv). The cast is phenomenal: Charles Grodin, Alfre Woodard, Kyra Sedgewick, Tom Sizemore, and Elisabeth Shue.
11. Truly, Madly, Deeply (1992)
Nina's boyfriend Jamie has died and now both Nina (Juliet Stevenson) and their house are falling apart. In comes the ghost of Jamie (Alan Rickman) & life with him seems to make sense again. Then Jamie starts bringing home his ghost pals and life turns weird again. Best quote, Nina: "I can't believe I have a bunch of dead people watching videos in my living room." It's definitely British, but a lot of fun if you like that style.
12. Ghostbusters (1984)
Four academics become paranormal exterminators for hire. Watch it again if you haven't seen it in a while. Now that I'm a cataloger, watching the poltergeist trash the NYPL card catalog has new meaning :-( Great cast: Bill Murray, Dan Akroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Rick Moranis, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts. When someone asks you if you're a god, you say YES!
13. The Serpent and the Rainbow (1988)
This is my first and favorite Bill Pullman movie, and okay, it's kind of a stretch on the ghost genre, but I couldn't resist. Based on the book by pharmaceutical researcher Wade Davis, Pullman plays Davis who goes to Haiti during the Papa Doc regime looking for the secret to zombie-ism. The American researcher gets in over his head when the powers of voodoun start impacting his reality. Not for the squeamish or claustrophobic.
Happy Haunting from the Cheap Seats!
Cheap Seats #5-98 (Aug. 1998)
This weekend's movies were: Love and other catastrophes, The big Lebowski, A league of their own, The gingerbread man, Ridicule
Love and other catastrophes (1996)
This Australian film portrays 2 women trying to find a roommate. In the meantime, other parts of their lives are falling apart. Low key by American standards, pretty funny with moments all folks who've dealt with college administration will appreciate.
The big Lebowski (1998)
The latest venture by the Coen brothers is pretty darn strange. Jeff Bridges is Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski who is mistaken for millionaire Jeff Lebowski by 2 idiot thugs. His pals convince him that he ought to get the millionaire Lebowski to replace his rug that the idiots urinated on, and life gets generally weirder from there. Full of flashback/fantasy/magical realism episodes, my favorite part is when Jeff Bridges tries to put extra security on his front door. Still trying to decide how much I like this movie.
A league of their own (1992)
I hadn't seen this yet and it keeps getting shown on one of the cable channels so I went out and rented it. Genuine 3hankie tear jerker from Penny Marshall, in addition to being a great historical testament to the women of baseball, it's genuinely funny, smart, and sad. I wanted to smack the idiot Western Union messenger who walks into a room full of women at the height of 1943 with a telegram from the War Dept. and doesn't remember who it's addressed to. Both Rosie ODonnell and Madonna were early in their movie careers and did a great job. Geena Davis and Tom Hanks have great platonic chemistry while Lori Petty is the great kid sister. With the great cast, I'm surprised that the ensemble gelled very nicely. Loved it.
The gingerbread man (1998)
The latest Grisham adaptation is even more convoluted than the others. No wonder it went to video so fast, even the cast couldn't save this turkey. Kenneth Branagh is our hero from Savannah whose accent can't decide where it wants to be from. Darryl Hannah should give up acting -- sorry, she already has. Robert Downey Jr played a boozing idiot, quel surprise. I wanted to see who did it and when I found out I didn't care. Robert Altman directed, also starring Robert Duvall, Tom Berenger, and Embeth Davidtz. Don't bother.
Ridicule (1996)
Set in Versailles in the last years of the aristocracy, this period flick is in French with English subtitles, so pay attention. This is not a happy story, but it is a great movie. If you're intrigued by human social interaction, then you'll like Ridicule. "Wit" is the main playing field of the French court, and when a country gentlemen comes to court trying to get the King's permission to drain the swamps so that his peasants will stop dying from malaria, he must use his wit and other body parts to play the game. This is what Dangerous Liasions wanted to be-- sophisticated, in the sense that it means malicious and decadent. Some nudity. Loved it.
That's my View from the Cheap Seats!
Love and other catastrophes (1996)
This Australian film portrays 2 women trying to find a roommate. In the meantime, other parts of their lives are falling apart. Low key by American standards, pretty funny with moments all folks who've dealt with college administration will appreciate.
The big Lebowski (1998)
The latest venture by the Coen brothers is pretty darn strange. Jeff Bridges is Jeffrey "The Dude" Lebowski who is mistaken for millionaire Jeff Lebowski by 2 idiot thugs. His pals convince him that he ought to get the millionaire Lebowski to replace his rug that the idiots urinated on, and life gets generally weirder from there. Full of flashback/fantasy/magical realism episodes, my favorite part is when Jeff Bridges tries to put extra security on his front door. Still trying to decide how much I like this movie.
A league of their own (1992)
I hadn't seen this yet and it keeps getting shown on one of the cable channels so I went out and rented it. Genuine 3hankie tear jerker from Penny Marshall, in addition to being a great historical testament to the women of baseball, it's genuinely funny, smart, and sad. I wanted to smack the idiot Western Union messenger who walks into a room full of women at the height of 1943 with a telegram from the War Dept. and doesn't remember who it's addressed to. Both Rosie ODonnell and Madonna were early in their movie careers and did a great job. Geena Davis and Tom Hanks have great platonic chemistry while Lori Petty is the great kid sister. With the great cast, I'm surprised that the ensemble gelled very nicely. Loved it.
The gingerbread man (1998)
The latest Grisham adaptation is even more convoluted than the others. No wonder it went to video so fast, even the cast couldn't save this turkey. Kenneth Branagh is our hero from Savannah whose accent can't decide where it wants to be from. Darryl Hannah should give up acting -- sorry, she already has. Robert Downey Jr played a boozing idiot, quel surprise. I wanted to see who did it and when I found out I didn't care. Robert Altman directed, also starring Robert Duvall, Tom Berenger, and Embeth Davidtz. Don't bother.
Ridicule (1996)
Set in Versailles in the last years of the aristocracy, this period flick is in French with English subtitles, so pay attention. This is not a happy story, but it is a great movie. If you're intrigued by human social interaction, then you'll like Ridicule. "Wit" is the main playing field of the French court, and when a country gentlemen comes to court trying to get the King's permission to drain the swamps so that his peasants will stop dying from malaria, he must use his wit and other body parts to play the game. This is what Dangerous Liasions wanted to be-- sophisticated, in the sense that it means malicious and decadent. Some nudity. Loved it.
That's my View from the Cheap Seats!
FKV's Top 10 Winter Holdiay Film List (Dec. 1997)
FKV's Top 10 Winter Holdiay Film List
10. Fargo
okay, its not holiday but it sure is winter. bundle up with a warm blanket, cocoa, and a strong stomach for this black comedy murder-in-the-snow extravaganza. "so you had sex with the little fella?" heck, email just can't catch that north dakota accent.
9.Sleepless in Seattle
extra chick flick points for Nora Ephron's wonderful story about a widower and kid who trys to find his dad a new wife for xmas. pass the kleenex please
.
8.White Christmas
This is my favorite older xmas flick even over "its a wonderful life" Please! Rosemary Clooney *and* Danny Kaye, oh and bing and vera... AND they're putting on a play to save the retired general's inn. costumes, lights, sound, and let the extravaganza and old sappy tunes just roll over you.
7.Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
This is my favorite of the animated christmas carols, especially for its wonderful songs which i still remember, thank you very much. this one has the scariest Ghost of xmas future I'd ever seen as a munchkin. I also identified with the poor forlorn kid scrooge at the time, don't ask me why. "so many pairs of hands in the world, why won't my fingers reach /so many grains of sand in the world, why such a lonely beach?" could i have that other box of tissues, please Tiny Tim?...
6.The Bishop's Wife/The Preacher's Wife
I'm putting these together cuz I can't really decide which one I like better. The Preacher's Wife is last years remake of The Bishop's Wife. The basic story in both is clergyman trying to build a church asks god for help and an angel is sent down. The angel unfortunately falls in love with the wife. Havoc and comedy ensue. The original has David Niven, Cary Grant, and Loretta Young. Preacher's wife has Courtney B. Vance, Denzel Washington, and Whitney Houston.
5.Mixed Nuts
This quirky Nora Ephron comedy (can you tell I love her movies?) got lost in the 1994/5 rush to see Jurassic Park (if memory serves...) here's the cast: Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, Robert Klein, Anthony LaPaglia, Juliette Lewis, Rob Reiner, Adam Sandler, Rita Wilson, Garry Shandling... the setting is Venice, CA. Martin is the head of a suicide prevention hotline that's losing its lease, and his assistant is falling in love with him, at the same time a serial killer is on the loose, when Madeline Kahn gets stuck in the elevator, at the same time as very pregnant Juliette Lewis is fighting with boyfriend Tony LaPaglia, at the same time as... it gets worse. very dark slapstick comedy. ho ho ho California style (dude)
4.Blackadder's Christmas Carol
A definite must-see for Blackadder fans, this 90min special combines clips from Blackadder's 1, 2, & 3 into the tradition Christmas Carol format. Kudos to our favorite characters including Rowan Atkinson, Miranda Richardson, and the guys who play Percy & Baldrick. Robbie Coltrane is an amazing Ghost of Christmas. See what happens when scrooge doesn't get reformed...
3.Scrooged
This played the other day on the USA network and even with the slight cuts they did, it was still tremendously funny. Bill Murray plays a network executive who gets taught the meaning of the holidays in this modern Christmas Carol. great commentary on modern work structures, the media, and community. quit before you become Bobcat Goldthwaite. the cast list is amazingly long. personal faves are Carol Kane as the Mean Fairy of Christmas Present, John Forsythe as the mouldering Marley, and Alfre Woodard as Murray's overworked and underappreciated administrative assistant.
2.While you were sleeping
My absolute favorite movie of 96 (or was it 95 already?), Sandra Bullock stars in the romantic comedy about a lonely Chicago EL worker who falls in with large family by being mistaken for comatose son's fiancee. In comes elder son Bill Pullman and sparks fly. This is a great Christmas movie, with just the right amount of nostalgia. Also starring Peter Boyle and Ally Walker.
1.The Lion in Winter
And the hands-down dysfunctional family holiday award goes to the medieval extravaganza The Lion in Winter. Get the restored 25th anniversary edition. Starring Richard Harris as Henry the 2nd and Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Acquitane, these two make Xmas into a geopolitical struggle. Also starring Anthony Hopkins as Richard the Lionhearted, a very young Timothy Dalton as son Geoffrey, and Nigel Terry as son John. drag out your best furs, mulled wine, and candles for this feast of yuletide bickering. extra points to anyone who can find me an english translation for "nous voici dans le ville" which alyse sings in the 2nd act... Best quote: "Do be quiet, dear, Mother's fighting."
Happy holidays everyone!
And that's My View from the Cheap Seats!
10. Fargo
okay, its not holiday but it sure is winter. bundle up with a warm blanket, cocoa, and a strong stomach for this black comedy murder-in-the-snow extravaganza. "so you had sex with the little fella?" heck, email just can't catch that north dakota accent.
9.Sleepless in Seattle
extra chick flick points for Nora Ephron's wonderful story about a widower and kid who trys to find his dad a new wife for xmas. pass the kleenex please
.
8.White Christmas
This is my favorite older xmas flick even over "its a wonderful life" Please! Rosemary Clooney *and* Danny Kaye, oh and bing and vera... AND they're putting on a play to save the retired general's inn. costumes, lights, sound, and let the extravaganza and old sappy tunes just roll over you.
7.Mr. Magoo's Christmas Carol
This is my favorite of the animated christmas carols, especially for its wonderful songs which i still remember, thank you very much. this one has the scariest Ghost of xmas future I'd ever seen as a munchkin. I also identified with the poor forlorn kid scrooge at the time, don't ask me why. "so many pairs of hands in the world, why won't my fingers reach /so many grains of sand in the world, why such a lonely beach?" could i have that other box of tissues, please Tiny Tim?...
6.The Bishop's Wife/The Preacher's Wife
I'm putting these together cuz I can't really decide which one I like better. The Preacher's Wife is last years remake of The Bishop's Wife. The basic story in both is clergyman trying to build a church asks god for help and an angel is sent down. The angel unfortunately falls in love with the wife. Havoc and comedy ensue. The original has David Niven, Cary Grant, and Loretta Young. Preacher's wife has Courtney B. Vance, Denzel Washington, and Whitney Houston.
5.Mixed Nuts
This quirky Nora Ephron comedy (can you tell I love her movies?) got lost in the 1994/5 rush to see Jurassic Park (if memory serves...) here's the cast: Steve Martin, Madeline Kahn, Robert Klein, Anthony LaPaglia, Juliette Lewis, Rob Reiner, Adam Sandler, Rita Wilson, Garry Shandling... the setting is Venice, CA. Martin is the head of a suicide prevention hotline that's losing its lease, and his assistant is falling in love with him, at the same time a serial killer is on the loose, when Madeline Kahn gets stuck in the elevator, at the same time as very pregnant Juliette Lewis is fighting with boyfriend Tony LaPaglia, at the same time as... it gets worse. very dark slapstick comedy. ho ho ho California style (dude)
4.Blackadder's Christmas Carol
A definite must-see for Blackadder fans, this 90min special combines clips from Blackadder's 1, 2, & 3 into the tradition Christmas Carol format. Kudos to our favorite characters including Rowan Atkinson, Miranda Richardson, and the guys who play Percy & Baldrick. Robbie Coltrane is an amazing Ghost of Christmas. See what happens when scrooge doesn't get reformed...
3.Scrooged
This played the other day on the USA network and even with the slight cuts they did, it was still tremendously funny. Bill Murray plays a network executive who gets taught the meaning of the holidays in this modern Christmas Carol. great commentary on modern work structures, the media, and community. quit before you become Bobcat Goldthwaite. the cast list is amazingly long. personal faves are Carol Kane as the Mean Fairy of Christmas Present, John Forsythe as the mouldering Marley, and Alfre Woodard as Murray's overworked and underappreciated administrative assistant.
2.While you were sleeping
My absolute favorite movie of 96 (or was it 95 already?), Sandra Bullock stars in the romantic comedy about a lonely Chicago EL worker who falls in with large family by being mistaken for comatose son's fiancee. In comes elder son Bill Pullman and sparks fly. This is a great Christmas movie, with just the right amount of nostalgia. Also starring Peter Boyle and Ally Walker.
1.The Lion in Winter
And the hands-down dysfunctional family holiday award goes to the medieval extravaganza The Lion in Winter. Get the restored 25th anniversary edition. Starring Richard Harris as Henry the 2nd and Katherine Hepburn as Eleanor of Acquitane, these two make Xmas into a geopolitical struggle. Also starring Anthony Hopkins as Richard the Lionhearted, a very young Timothy Dalton as son Geoffrey, and Nigel Terry as son John. drag out your best furs, mulled wine, and candles for this feast of yuletide bickering. extra points to anyone who can find me an english translation for "nous voici dans le ville" which alyse sings in the 2nd act... Best quote: "Do be quiet, dear, Mother's fighting."
Happy holidays everyone!
And that's My View from the Cheap Seats!
Cheap Seats #4-98 (March 1998)
Cheap Seats #4-98: A Post-Candlemas Binge
This week's video picks: Excess Baggage, Brassed Off, Air Force One, Kull the Conqueror, Prophecy II
_Excess Baggage_Alicia Silverstone plays a poor-little rich girl trying to get her daddy's attention in this supposed romantic comedy which she also produced. Silverstone kidnaps herself and locks herself in her car but before her father and the police can "rescue" her, the car is stolen by Benicio Del Toro. Plagued by perpetual morning hair, our hero Del Toro is a kind thief and as soon as he finds Silverstone he just wants to get rid of her (amen, brother). But no, she kind of doesn't want to go. After she sets fire to the chop shop, the thief's boss's thugs are after them. So is Christopher Walken as the uncle who cleans up Silverstone's messes. The story gets more convoluted as it goes on, and although I think it had some potential, most of the scenes are so forced. Of course, Silverstone is such a wonderful bitchy pest that DelToro must fall in love with her. Great supporting cast by Walken, Harry Connick, Jr., Nicholas Turturro (NYPD Blue), and my personal favorite, "due South"'s Callum Keith Rennie as the not so bright apartment manager. Don't bother renting.
_Brassed Off_The locale is South Yorkshire, England, and the coal mine (called a colliery) in town is going to be closed by the government, but not without a fight from some of the miners and their supporters. Beat down by years of hard work and management disputes, the members of the colliery brass band are about ready to call it quits, but their band leader, Danny (Pete Postlethwaite) believes the band can make it to the national competition. In comes, Tara Fitzgerald (Englishmen who went up a hill...) to this bastion of male brass bands and between her looks and her playing the band accepts her, little knowing she's a management surveyor. Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, The Full Monty) is blown away as the love of his life walks back into his band. There's a nice ensemble feel to this piece and we see how the community is falling apart through the stories of the band members. I don't want to give away too much of the plot. The music is amazing (especially _Danny Boy_), the story well-crafted, and the acting is so very real. It's a comedy, a tragedy, a drama, and a romance all rolled into one. This would have been amazing in a THX cinema, so turn it up loud to hear both the music and the Yorkshire accents. I LOVED THIS MOVIE (buy the soundtrack as well). A must see for you Drums Corps fans in the audience (and you know who you are).
_Air Force One_Harrison Ford plays the bestest President ever in this action drama (he's handsome, he loves football and his family, he's a medal of honor winner, and a helicopter pilot...). The President and his family are heading home from Moscow. Everyone's just getting comfy on Air Force One when smoke is seen and sure enough it's a signal for the terrorists-posing-as-reporters to come get some weapons and take control of the plane. Gary Oldman is Korshunov, our antagonist who wants the release of the general captured in the prologue of the film. He thinks the President has slipped away in the escape hatch, but he's still got the plane, the First Lady, the First Daughter, and a bunch of other cabinet members. He makes good on his promise of shooting hostages as the advisors in Washington scramble to find the President and deal with the hostage situation. Glenn Close is the great as the Vice President. Also good supporting roles from Dean Stockwell and William H. Macy. I'm not a real fan of shoot-'em-up pictures, but this one sucked me in and didn't let go for over 2 hrs. Of course the good guys win, but getting there is full of guns, wind, and Russians. Loved it!
_Kull the Conqueror_I expected this movie to be completely awful as TV's Hercules, Kevin Sorbo, makes his transition from the small to the silver screen. Fortunately this Raffaella DeLaurentiis production is as good as her _Ladyhawke_, _Conan_, _Dune_ and _Dragonheart_ (ifn you like those sort of movies). Sorbo is Kull, a former galley slave and fighter trying to get into the King's elite guard. Okay, so he spends most of his time shirtless and greased, but that's no reason to hold it against him (er, uh...) Kull becomes King by inadvertently killing the former king, but now he has to hold the throne against the scheming Dukes and the court wizard who brings back to life Tia Carrere, the ancient witch queen who wants her throne back. Aided by the card reader, Zareta (Karina Lombard) and her priest-brother (Litefoot), the trio must venture to the Isle of Ice to get the sacred doo-dad to kill the queen (standard stuff). Harvey Fierstein is just brilliant as the pirate loot merchant who has just the boat to get them there. He's full of innuendo that's a scream coming from him ("you know, I don't like fish, Kull") Fighting off bandits, figuring out the riddles, making it back to the capitol in time for the eclipse, killing the queen, living happily ever after with his true love-- it's all in a week's work for the hunky Kull. Definitely worth renting (the special effects might be too much for the under 13s). Add it to your sword and sorcery collection when it becomes available to buy.
_Prophecy II_I have a soft spot in my heart for occult thrillers that don't have demons in them. _The Seventh Sign_ with Demi Moore and _The Serpent and the Rainbow_ with Bill Pullman are two of my favorites of this genre. A couple of years ago, _The Prophecy_ came out with Christopher Walken as the angel Gabriel who is leading a group of renegade angels in their attempt to rid the world of humankind and re-win the love of God. Lucifer releases Gabriel from hell at the beginning of _Prophecy II_ and the hunt is on to stop the next savior of humankind from being born to Jennifer Beals (Flashdance). Unbeknownst to her, Beals has been impregnated by the angel Danyael (Russell Wong [hubba]) and we get to see an awful lot of them during this process, so this movie is definitely not for the under 17s (and then there's the blood and violence as well). Gabriel is hot in pursuit and leaving quite a bloodbath in his wake. He keeps a young suicide victim alive to help him out with things like working a computer or explaining a radio, and Walken makes these moments very funny. The climax leads to Eden (which of course is now a refinery) in which Michael (Eric Roberts) lets Beals fend for herself against Gabriel. If you like this genre, it's worth renting.
And that's My View from the Cheap Seats!
This week's video picks: Excess Baggage, Brassed Off, Air Force One, Kull the Conqueror, Prophecy II
_Excess Baggage_Alicia Silverstone plays a poor-little rich girl trying to get her daddy's attention in this supposed romantic comedy which she also produced. Silverstone kidnaps herself and locks herself in her car but before her father and the police can "rescue" her, the car is stolen by Benicio Del Toro. Plagued by perpetual morning hair, our hero Del Toro is a kind thief and as soon as he finds Silverstone he just wants to get rid of her (amen, brother). But no, she kind of doesn't want to go. After she sets fire to the chop shop, the thief's boss's thugs are after them. So is Christopher Walken as the uncle who cleans up Silverstone's messes. The story gets more convoluted as it goes on, and although I think it had some potential, most of the scenes are so forced. Of course, Silverstone is such a wonderful bitchy pest that DelToro must fall in love with her. Great supporting cast by Walken, Harry Connick, Jr., Nicholas Turturro (NYPD Blue), and my personal favorite, "due South"'s Callum Keith Rennie as the not so bright apartment manager. Don't bother renting.
_Brassed Off_The locale is South Yorkshire, England, and the coal mine (called a colliery) in town is going to be closed by the government, but not without a fight from some of the miners and their supporters. Beat down by years of hard work and management disputes, the members of the colliery brass band are about ready to call it quits, but their band leader, Danny (Pete Postlethwaite) believes the band can make it to the national competition. In comes, Tara Fitzgerald (Englishmen who went up a hill...) to this bastion of male brass bands and between her looks and her playing the band accepts her, little knowing she's a management surveyor. Ewan McGregor (Trainspotting, The Full Monty) is blown away as the love of his life walks back into his band. There's a nice ensemble feel to this piece and we see how the community is falling apart through the stories of the band members. I don't want to give away too much of the plot. The music is amazing (especially _Danny Boy_), the story well-crafted, and the acting is so very real. It's a comedy, a tragedy, a drama, and a romance all rolled into one. This would have been amazing in a THX cinema, so turn it up loud to hear both the music and the Yorkshire accents. I LOVED THIS MOVIE (buy the soundtrack as well). A must see for you Drums Corps fans in the audience (and you know who you are).
_Air Force One_Harrison Ford plays the bestest President ever in this action drama (he's handsome, he loves football and his family, he's a medal of honor winner, and a helicopter pilot...). The President and his family are heading home from Moscow. Everyone's just getting comfy on Air Force One when smoke is seen and sure enough it's a signal for the terrorists-posing-as-reporters to come get some weapons and take control of the plane. Gary Oldman is Korshunov, our antagonist who wants the release of the general captured in the prologue of the film. He thinks the President has slipped away in the escape hatch, but he's still got the plane, the First Lady, the First Daughter, and a bunch of other cabinet members. He makes good on his promise of shooting hostages as the advisors in Washington scramble to find the President and deal with the hostage situation. Glenn Close is the great as the Vice President. Also good supporting roles from Dean Stockwell and William H. Macy. I'm not a real fan of shoot-'em-up pictures, but this one sucked me in and didn't let go for over 2 hrs. Of course the good guys win, but getting there is full of guns, wind, and Russians. Loved it!
_Kull the Conqueror_I expected this movie to be completely awful as TV's Hercules, Kevin Sorbo, makes his transition from the small to the silver screen. Fortunately this Raffaella DeLaurentiis production is as good as her _Ladyhawke_, _Conan_, _Dune_ and _Dragonheart_ (ifn you like those sort of movies). Sorbo is Kull, a former galley slave and fighter trying to get into the King's elite guard. Okay, so he spends most of his time shirtless and greased, but that's no reason to hold it against him (er, uh...) Kull becomes King by inadvertently killing the former king, but now he has to hold the throne against the scheming Dukes and the court wizard who brings back to life Tia Carrere, the ancient witch queen who wants her throne back. Aided by the card reader, Zareta (Karina Lombard) and her priest-brother (Litefoot), the trio must venture to the Isle of Ice to get the sacred doo-dad to kill the queen (standard stuff). Harvey Fierstein is just brilliant as the pirate loot merchant who has just the boat to get them there. He's full of innuendo that's a scream coming from him ("you know, I don't like fish, Kull") Fighting off bandits, figuring out the riddles, making it back to the capitol in time for the eclipse, killing the queen, living happily ever after with his true love-- it's all in a week's work for the hunky Kull. Definitely worth renting (the special effects might be too much for the under 13s). Add it to your sword and sorcery collection when it becomes available to buy.
_Prophecy II_I have a soft spot in my heart for occult thrillers that don't have demons in them. _The Seventh Sign_ with Demi Moore and _The Serpent and the Rainbow_ with Bill Pullman are two of my favorites of this genre. A couple of years ago, _The Prophecy_ came out with Christopher Walken as the angel Gabriel who is leading a group of renegade angels in their attempt to rid the world of humankind and re-win the love of God. Lucifer releases Gabriel from hell at the beginning of _Prophecy II_ and the hunt is on to stop the next savior of humankind from being born to Jennifer Beals (Flashdance). Unbeknownst to her, Beals has been impregnated by the angel Danyael (Russell Wong [hubba]) and we get to see an awful lot of them during this process, so this movie is definitely not for the under 17s (and then there's the blood and violence as well). Gabriel is hot in pursuit and leaving quite a bloodbath in his wake. He keeps a young suicide victim alive to help him out with things like working a computer or explaining a radio, and Walken makes these moments very funny. The climax leads to Eden (which of course is now a refinery) in which Michael (Eric Roberts) lets Beals fend for herself against Gabriel. If you like this genre, it's worth renting.
And that's My View from the Cheap Seats!
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