Elf

"Why are you smiling like that?"
"I just like to smile, smiling's my favorite"

When a baby is discovered in Santa's bag of toys, the elves of the North Pole decide to keep and raise him as one of their own. Years later, Buddy (Ferrell) believes he is an elf... despite being significantly taller and not good at making toys. The elf that raised him, Papa Elf (Newhart), tells Buddy the truth: he is human. Buddy decides to travel to New York to meet his father, even after learning from Santa (Asner) that his father is on the naughty list!

His father, Walter (Caan), is a book publisher... and not very nice. When Buddy arrives at Walter's office, in full elf attire, they think he is a Christmas Gram or some kind of practical joke... and then he is thrown out. Then Buddy discovers Gimbels... where the manager (Love) thinks Buddy is one of the employees, who are preparing the store for Santa's arrival. A giddy Buddy spends the entire evening decorating the area for Santa. He is crushed when a fake Santa appears, "You sit on a throne of lies!"

But Buddy has an even bigger problem: the people around him don't have Christmas Spirit.  Walter is planning to work on Christmas Eve, and barely spends time with his sons.  Buddy's stepmom, Emily (Steenburgen), and brother, Michael (Tay) don't believe in Santa.  And the woman of his dreams, Jovie (Deschanel), has a beautiful voice but won't sing in front of people.  Will Buddy help these scrooges get the Christmas spirit?


So quotable!  In case you didn't notice on my Top Christmas Films list, I love this film!  Will Ferrell films are either brilliant or crash-and-burn.  Thankfully, this film falls into the first camp... Ferrell makes Buddy sweet and child-like, you just fall in love with the character,

"I thought maybe we could make ginger bread houses, and eat cookie dough, and go ice skating, and maybe even hold hands"

He carries the film well, and makes it a new Christmas MUST film.

The film is funny and fit for the family.  Kids with laugh with Buddy and adults will be surprised how sweet and earnest the film is.  Love it and all the lines I can quote with other friends who have seen this film too many times (like me).

Elf (2003) 97 minutes
Rating: PG for some mild rude humor and language.
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Will Ferrell as Buddy
James Caan as Walter
Bob Newhart as Papa Elf
Ed Asner as Santa
Mary Steenburgen as Emily
Zooey Deschanel as Jovie
Daniel Tay as Michael
Faizon Love as Gimbel's Manager

Christmas Vacation

"Can I refill your eggnog for you? Get you something to eat? Drive you out to the middle of nowhere and leave you for dead?"
"Naw, I'm doing just fine, Clark."

Clark Griswold (Chase) dreams of the perfect family-centric Christmas, complete with the perfect tree. He takes his long-suffering family: wife Ellen (D'Angelo), daughter Audrey (Lewis), and son Rusty (Galecki), to the middle of nowhere to get the perfect tree, which they will cut down. But it isn't that easy... they trudge through the snow, shake with the cold, and then realize the saw is still in the car. Thus begins the Griswold Christmas.

Soon the feuding grandparents arrive... Clark's parents Clark Sr. (Randolph) and Nora (Ladd), who only survive the holidays by drinking; and Ellen's parents Art (Marshall) and Frances (Roberts) who don't approve of Clark or anything he does. Clark is optimistically awaiting his yearly Christmas bonus so he can purchase a family pool. This optimism is the only way he survives the unexpected arrival of Cousin Eddie (Quaid) and his clan, who park their "home" in the driveway and impose on Clark's hospitality. Will they survive the holidays... better question, will the neighbors (Nicholas Guest and Julia Louis-Dreyfus) survive?


Over the years, I have seen parts of the film... but until recently had never seen the entire film. In fact, I have yet to see any of the "Vacation" films in entirety. I have seen portions of the first film, but that is it. I know many people who consider this film a holiday tradition, and I can see the appeal, but I don't think it would make my Top Christmas Films.

The writing is good... Memorable for the sight gags and quotes, I love the one at the beginning of the post. The cast is littered with veteran comics, all underused. The grandparents, Uncle Louis (William Hickey), and Aunt Bethany (Mae Questel),

"Is your house on fire, Clark?"
"No, Aunt Bethany, those are the Christmas lights."

get a few laughs, but don't really get to do much. They play interesting characters, but aren't around enough. But it's hard to stand out when you have Chevy Chase and Randy Quaid on screen... Quaid's inappropriate character has some classic moments, such as his Christmas gift to Clark. The children, Rusty and Audrey, are portrayed by different actors than the other "Vacation" films (Rusty and Audrey are different in each film), and both have done well since making this film (Galecki is one of the stars of the TV show "Big Bang Theory" and Lewis is still appearing in films).

This film, even on TV, is not appropriate for children... It's a good Christmas film, but not a family film. Watch with discretion.

National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) 97 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Director: Jeremiah Chechik
Starring: Chevy Chase as Clark Griswold
Beverly D'Angelo as Ellen Griswold
Juliette Lewis as Audrey Griswold
Johnny Galecki as Rusty Griswold
John Randolph as Clark Griswold Sr.
Diane Ladd as Nora Griswold
E.G. Marshall as Art Smith
Doris Roberts as Frances Smith
Randy Quaid as Cousin Eddie Johnson
Miriam Flynn as Cousin Catherine Johnson

Up

"This is crazy. I finally meet my childhood hero and he's trying to kill us. What a joke."
"Hey, I know a joke! A squirrel walks up to a tree and says, "I forgot to store acorns for the winter and now I am dead." Ha! It is funny because the squirrel gets dead."

Carl (Asner) has always longed for adventure. As a child, he followed the career of Charles Muntz (Plummer), a world renown adventurer. When authorities question Muntz's latest discovery, he goes to clear his name... and Carl meets the woman of his dreams, Ellie, over a mutual admiration of Muntz. Both long for adventure and plan to follow in their heroes path.

Fast forward a few years, Carl and Ellie are married, but never get around to starting their adventure. When Ellie dies unexpectedly, Carl is heartbroken. The only thing that matters to him is keeping the house the way it was when Ellie was still around, but a contractor wants to remove his home and send him to an assisted living facility.

But before that can happen, Carl rigs hundreds of balloons to his house, making the entire house take flight. He wants to take the house to Ellie's dream location, at the top of a secluded waterfall in South America. Along the way, Carl discovers he picked up Wilderness Explorer Russell (Nagai), who just wants to help an elderly person so he can get the last required badge and move to the next level of exploring. Together they locate the falls and a pack of talking dogs... including the lovable outcast Dug (Peterson), and a strange chocolate-loving bird that Russell names Kevin.


Once again Pixar has yet to steer me wrong. The story was complicated enough for an adult to be interested (and relevant), but fun enough for kids to be completely hooked. The story, animation, music, everything was spot on!

The film opens strong as Carl's life is unfolded through a series of snapshots and minimal dialog. You care about him, and are moved by Ellie's death (this isn't a spoiler as this fact was covered by any trailers and basic plot synopsis for the film). Even as a crotchety old man, you still cheer for Carl. The relationship between Russell and Carl was also well done.

Other reviewers complained about the talking dogs, but they were my favorite characters. Dug is adorable and endearing (the quote above is a discussion between Carl and Dug),

"Won't you please be my prisoner, please please please!"

The other dogs are a bit on the rough side, but still make you laugh with their interesting speech patterns and names for things: the cone of shame, calling Russell a "small mailman." Of the pack, the leader Alpha was my favorite (the voice gets me every time).

I can't see small children liking this film... some of the action sequences are a bit intense (to a little kid). Otherwise, this is a great family film. Thank you Pixar for once again making a quality family film, that is well made and entertaining. Keep up the good work!

Up (2009) 96 minutes
Rating: PG for some peril and action.
Director: Pete Docter and Bob Peterson
Starring: Ed Asner as Carl Fredricksen
Christopher Plummer as Charles Muntz
Jordan Nagai as Russell
Bob Peterson as Dug / Alpha
Delroy Lindo as Beta
Jerome Ranft as Gamma

White Christmas

"I think it's ridiculous, impossible, and insane!"
"Anything else?"
"Yes, I wish I'd thought of it first."

While in the army, entertainer Bob Wallace (Crosby) is almost crushed by falling rubble, but is pushed aside by Phil Davis (Kaye) who gets injured in the process. After the war, Bob and Phil join forces to become a successful song-and-dance team. They are constantly working and planning for the next show, and Phil longs for Bob to settle down so they can have some down time,

"I want you to get married. I want you to have nine children. And if you only spend five minutes a day with each kid, that's forty-five minutes, and I'd at least have time to go out and get a massage or something."

As a favor to an old army buddy, they take time to view the sister act of Betty (Clooney), the singer, and Judy (Ellen), the dancer, Haynes. The men are smitten and end up accompanying the girls to their next job, at an inn in Vermont. The inn is run by their former commanding officer, General Waverly (Jagger), who has invested everything into the inn. The inn is in trouble because of the lack of customers and snow. To help business, Bob and Phil arrange to have their entire company come to the inn, and have the Haynes sisters join the act. With romance in the air, they strive to drum up some business for "the old man."


A great holiday classic (even though it didn't make my Top 10 List)... This film was the third film (of 3) to star Bing Crosby and include the song "White Christmas" ("Holiday Inn" in 1942 and "Blue Skies" in 1946 starred Crosby and Fred Astaire). Many critics find this film to be a poor follow-up to "Holiday Inn," but I enjoy both films... I haven't seen "Blue Skies" yet.

Bing Crosby makes this movie... whether by singing the title song, or by matching wits with Danny Kaye, or wooing Rosemary Clooney, he shines. Danny Kaye manages to keep up with Crosby, but I wonder what Fred Astaire would do with the part... I think Kaye is wonderful in general (see "The Court Jester" or "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" to see his best), but at one dance number seemed more fit for someone like Astaire (or Donald O'Connor who was originally hired, but pulled out due to illness). The women are good as well... Rosemary Clooney gets her own ballad "Love, You Didn't Do Right By Me" and killer dress (Edith Head was the costume designer... she is amazing, true story. To see other costumes she designed go here for her IMDb page), and Vera-Ellen gets a few dance numbers (you can't take your eyes away!). Besides the leads, the other stand-out player is Mary Wickes as the General's busybody housekeeper. She was often cast in this kind of roles, and she gets some great lines.

"I got along just fine without you in the Army."
"Yeah. It only took 15,000 men to take my place."

White Christmas is a beautiful song, when Bing Crosby is the singer, and this film is the perfect showcase for it.

White Christmas (1954) 120 minutes
Director: Michael Curtiz
Starring: Bing Crosby as Bob Wallace
Danny Kaye as Phil Davis
Rosemary Clooney as Betty Haynes
Vera-Ellen as Judy Haynes
Dean Jagger as Major General Thomas F. Waverly
Mary Wickes as Emma Allen

The Mouse That Roared

"Remember, men. There is nothing wrong with surrendering to overwhelming powers, as long as it is done in a military manner."

The smallest country in the world, The Duchy of Grand Fenwick, is in trouble financially. Located on the France - Switzerland border, the country only has one export: wine (made the old fashioned way... by stomping on grapes). The United States is the main consumer of the wine, until a company in California creates a cheap version of the wine and gives it a similar name. With sales down, the country is looking towards bankruptcy. The Grand Duchess Gloriana XII (Sellers) gathers her advisors to figure out how to solve the crisis. The Prime Minister, Count Rupert Mountjoy (Sellers), and the Leader of the Loyal Opposition, Benter (McKern), convince the rest of the council to declare war on the U.S. They plan to lose, and then the US will come in and fix everything for them.

The Field Marshall, Tully Bascombe (Sellers again), is sent to America with a group of 20 men, including a soldier from WWII, Will Buckley (Hartnell). They arrive in New York, prepared to surrender to the first person they spot (see the quote above)... but the streets are bare. The people are underground for an air raid, in preparation for the new bomb being prepared in their midst. The bomb is the Q Bomb, which is much stronger than the H Bomb, and operates on a hair trigger. The bomb maker is Professor Kokintz (Kossoff), and is aided by his feisty daughter Helen (Seberg). They are captured by the Fenwick army, along with the bomb, a few military men, and a General (Parke), and taken to Grand Fenwick...


A political satire about the Cold War, this film is funny without being obnoxious or overly focused on politics. Still funny after all these years. The script is adapted from a novel ("The Mouse that Roared by Leonard Wibberley), and relies on the humor in the situations and in the stars instead of slapstick, like many films.

Peter Sellers steals the show with his multiple characters: 3 very distinct personalities. He gets the pleasure of being the hero, the villain, and the endearing monarch. As Tully he is the reluctant hero, awkwardly trying to fullfill his mission so he can get home to his fields. As Prime Minister Mountjoy he is the scheming villain, although you don't realize he's the villain at first. And as the Grand Duchess, he is the second coming of Queen Victoria, just slightly detached from reality, but keen enough to still make decisions. It is interesting to see Sellers at this point in his career, and how he presents the careers prior to his memorable roles in The Pink Panther and Dr. Strangelove: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. The rest of the cast works, but Sellers is the reason to watch.

The second novel in Wibberley's series about Grand Fenwick was also adapted to film: The Mouse on the Moon (there are 3 other novels in the series).

The Mouse That Roared (1959) 83 minutes
Director: Jack Arnold
Starring: Peter Sellers as Grand Duchess Gloriana XII / Prime Minister Count Rupert Mountjoy / Tully Bascombe
Jean Seberg as Helen Kokintz
William Hartnell as Will Buckley
David Kossoff as Professor Alfred Kokintz
Leo McKern as Benter
MacDonald Parke as General Snippet

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog

"The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it."

Dr. Horrible (Harris) wants to be a famous super villain and join the Evil League of Evil. He narrates a video blog chronicling his journey to evil. During one blog entry he receives a letter from the League regarding his latest application,

"No response, BTW, from the League. But my application is strong this year. A letter of condemnation from the deputy mayor - that's got to have some weight. So... fingers crossed!"

and learns that the League is impressed and watching for his next evil move: to complete a Freeze Ray.

On his way to steal the last component for the Freeze Ray, Dr. Horrible runs into the woman he loves, Penny (Day), who is campaigning for better care for the poor... then his arch nemesis, local hero Captain Hammer (Fillion), arrives to thwart the robbery and win the girl.

AWESOME! Initially I was interested in this short film because of Joss Whedon (!!) and the fact that it was a musical. I'm a Whedon fan (I love his shows: Firefly, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Dollhouse) and was impressed with his musical episode of Buffy, so I had faith that it would be awesome. Also, Nathan Fillion and Neil Patrick Harris are in two of my favorite shows (Firefly, which is in my Top 10 Fave Shows, and How I Met Your Mother respectively)... Once again Whedon delivers!

Not only is the story funny, (written by Joss, his brothers: Jed & Zach Whedon, and Jed's wife Maurissa Tancharoen), but the songs are great as well. After watching all three Acts (Act I is summarized above), I proceeded to download the entire soundtrack. Interesting note, this short film was created during the Writer's Strike and released, by Act, online for free for awhile.

Harris is great as the star of the show, and has a background in musicals (he was even on Broadway), and makes Dr. Horrible sympathetic. Fillion succeeds at making you simultaneously love and hate Captain Hammer: he's cocky and over the top... and tries to steal the show. The rest of the cast delivers solid performances and good musical numbers. The best of the supporting cast are Captain Hammer's groupies who get some great lines in one of the songs.

Although I don't normally talk about the DVDs, I definitely suggest renting or buying the DVD. There is a hysterical musical commentary (Commentary: the Musical), sung by the cast and crew of the film. Sometimes they are in character, and other times they are parodies of themselves... I was crying by the end of it (from laughter). There are also funny videos of submissions to the Evil League of Evil (some of which are songs). Completely worthwhile! Now we just need to wait for the sequel...

Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2008) 42 minutes
Director: Joss Whedon
Starring: Neil Patrick Harris as Dr. Horrible
Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer
Felicia Day as Penny
Simon Helberg as Moist
Maurissa Tancharoen as Groupie #1
Stacy Shirk as Groupie #2
Steve Berg as Groupie #3

Sunshine Cleaning

"How'd she die?"
"It was sorta a do-it-yourself thing?"

Life hasn't turned out the way Rose Lorkowski (Adams) expected. To make ends meet and support her young son, Oscar (Spevack), she cleans the homes of wealthy former classmates and has secret rendezvouses with her high school sweetheart and Oscar's father, Mac (Zahn), who married someone else. When Oscar gets kicked out of another school for his behavior, Rose wants to send him to a private school to give him a challenge... but she can't afford the school. Mac, who is a police detective, suggests transitioning to crime scene cleanup to make a little more money.

Rose recruits her unreliable and unemployed sister, Norah (Blunt) and they dive into the world of cleaning and disposing of blood. But this new career awakens old memories about the first dead bodies the girls saw, and cleaned up after. With a little help from the owner of the local clean-up/bio-hazard store, Winston (Collins), the sisters learn the rules and tricks of the trade. And their father, Joe (Arkin), teaches Oscar life lessons.


I had very high expectations for this film... It was made by the producers of "Little Miss Sunshine" (which I love), the cast is great (love Amy Adams), and the premise is interesting. It was good, but it wasn't great.

Things that work: the cast. Amy Adams gives Rose the right amount of optimism and desperation. And Emily Blunt is convincing as her sister, and an American... you definitely cheer for both women. Returning to the type of role that won him an Oscar for LMS (Little Miss Sunshine), Alan Arkin delivers as the eccentric grandpa with a plan that no one besides his grandchild understands / appreciates. The character that stands out the most is Clifton Collins Jr's Winston, the one-armed store owner who helps the sisters. He isn't on screen much, but his character is memorably sweet and helpful.

Things that don't work: the subplots. One has Norah trying to locate the daughter of the first home they clean, to return old school photos. But instead of telling the woman, Lynn (Rajskub), they end of forming this awkward friendship that drags on too long. The other subplot involves the underlying family tension (which I won't discuss because it gives away too much plot)... it is presented abruptly and never really resolved.

It is an interesting and enjoyable film, but don't go expecting to see the next LMS... the laughs are few and far between. There is so much potential here, but it just never pans out. Good, but not awesome.

Sunshine Cleaning (2008) 91 minutes
Rating: R for language, disturbing images, some sexuality and drug use.
Director: Christine Jeffs
Starring: Amy Adams as Rose Lorkowski
Emily Blunt as Norah Lorkowski
Alan Arkin as Joe Lorkowski
Jason Spevack as Oscar Lorkowski
Steve Zahn as Mac
Mary Lynn Rajskub as Lynn
Clifton Collins Jr. as Winston

High School Musical 3: Senior Year

"Danforth! Bolton! You get out there and you get on stage!"
"Never thought I'd hear my dad say that."

It is finally senior year for the East Side Wildcats. As they make plans for the future, it becomes clear to Troy (Efron) and Gabriella (Hudgens) that their time together is getting shorter and they wish for time to slow down. At school, it is time to get the spring musical ready. To keep Sharpay (Tisdale) from turning the musical into a one woman show, the senior class agrees to participate, leading drama teacher Ms. Darbus (Alyson Reed) to change the show to showcase the senior year and the seniors.

The stakes are raised when 4 of the seniors: Sharpay, her brother Ryan (Grabeel), composer Kelsi (Rulin), and Troy, are being considered for a single scholarship to Julliard. Sharpay convinces her brother to do whatever it takes to make sure they get good songs, instead of Troy and Gabriella, so they have a better shot at the scholarship. Troy is more concerned with finding the place for him, even if that means disappointing his father (Bart Johnson) and Chad (Bleu) who expect Troy to play basketball at University of Albuquerque... but all the pressure makes Troy want to scream, especially when he learns Gabriella has the opportunity to start college early.


I spent most of a Saturday evening watching the 3 High School Musical films back to back (at times it was painful)... and after seeing them in succession, I was a little disappointed in this film. Yes, the franchise survived the trip to the big screen (the first two were shown on the Disney channel, while this was released in theatres and is feature length), but I have a few issues with what they did with it... My main problem is the supporting characters. In the second film the supporting characters: Zeke (Warren), Jason (Sanborn), Martha (Stroh), and Kelsi, got to interact with the main characters and even get solos in the group numbers. They added a nice dynamic to the cast. However, they are barely involved in this film, except for Kelsi, who gets to be pretty involved, and I was disappointed.

In place of these characters, 3 new characters were introduced... The new characters are sophomores to keep the franchise alive now that the main characters have graduated. I can understand the rationale (people love these films... they are clean, the songs are catchy, and the choreography is excellent!), but I wasn't impressed by any of them. There is Jimmy "Rocket Man" (Matt Prokop) who makes the winning basket in the big game, Tiara (Jemma McKenzie-Brown) the Brit who becomes Sharpay's assistant, and Donny (Justin Martin) who is on the basketball team and involved in the backstage for the musical. Jimmy and Tiara get to understudy the leads for the show... and each get to perform with Ashley Tisdale, but I'm not sure if they can carry this franchise.

The majority of the film is devoted to the typical events of a senior: prom, picking a college, remembering the past, and graduation. The cast goes through the motions on stage, but in some cases, we never see the actual event (i.e. prom). It works on some levels, allowing all of the characters to participate in all of the songs, instead of just appearing in a few. I didn't love all the songs, but several were show stoppers. If you already like the High School Musical films, you will like this one... but it probably won't bring in new fans (it helps to already know the relationships and history of the characters). Good, but not great.

Click here to see my review of "High School Musical" and "High School Musical 2"

High School Musical 3: Senior Year (2008) 112 minutes
Director: Kenny Ortega
Starring: Zac Efron as Troy Bolton
Vanessa Hudgens as Gabriella Montez
Ashley Tisdale as Sharpay Evans
Lucas Grabeel as Ryan Evans
Corbin Bleu as Chad Danforth
Monique Coleman as Taylor McKessie
Olesya Rulin as Kelsi Nielsen
Chris Warren Jr. as Zeke Baylor
Ryne Sanborn as Jason Cross
KayCee Stroh as Martha Cox

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

"You can't trust vampires. Trust me."

After a bloody birthday celebration leaves Bella (Stewart) injured, Edward (Pattinson) and his family leave without a trace. Bella's world is shattered. Every trace of the Cullen family is gone, but Bella cannot let them go. She shuts down and shuts out everyone, including her friends and father, Charlie (Burke).

To appease her father, Bella begins spending time with her old friend Jacob (Lautner). After learning that dangerous situations conjure the image of Edward, Bella purchases motorcycles and convinces Jacob to make them run. Spending time with Jacob makes Bella happy and brings her out of the funk, but Jacob is not what he seems.


A vast improvement on the first film, although the book was still better. I'm sure by this point most people know the basic plot points (whether they want to or not)... such as some members of Jacob's tribe gaining the ability to change into a wolf. But of course, the wolves and vampires can't get along (as was hinted in the first film)... but all want to protect Bella.

The effects and the budget for this film are much greater than the previous film. And director, Chris Weitz, uses actual film techniques to convey points... it is refreshing. My biggest issue with the film is the size of the wolves. I understand that they need to be impressive and capable of attacking and injuring vampires, but do they really need to be huge? They are larger than some of the characters! Why? Closer to the actual size would be appreciated, now they are just laughable.

When I reviewed the first film (Twilight), I was concerned with some casting decisions, such as Taylor Lautner as Jacob, but my fears were for naught. After some time in the gym, and a haircut, Lautner is convincing... when he removes his shirt during the film, the teenage girls in the audience gasp and are completely in love (well, the ones that aren't completely in love with Robert Pattison's Edward).

The Twilight Saga: New Moon (2009) 130 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some violence and action.
Director: Chris Weitz
Starring: Kristen Stewart as Bella Swan
Taylor Lautner as Jacob Black
Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen
Billy Burke as Charlie Swan
Ashley Greene as Alice Cullen

The Blind Side

"You threaten my son, you threaten me."

Relying on the kindness of a friend, Michael (Aaron) gets a football scholarship to the local Christian high school. His parents are essentially non-existent and he survives by sleeping in the gym and washing his clothes in the sink at the local laundromat. He is considered a burden to his teachers and his classmates ignore his presence. All of that changes when the Tuohy family sees Michael walking home on a cold night. Matriarch Leigh Anne (Bullock) insists Michael spend the night at their house. Her husband, Sean (McGraw), agrees "It's just for one night....right?" and son S.J. (Head) is thrilled.

What begins as providing a warm place to sleep turns into something more as Michael becomes one of the family, and even appears in the family Christmas card. Michael is a man of few words, but protective of those he cares about... which proves invaluable at football and in protecting his family.


So many films take a good story with an uplifting message and throw in unnecessary crap that takes away from that message... or they litter the story with cursing and sex. I understand that those qualities draw audiences (and can be acceptable in some genre films, like action, but not this kind), it is refreshing to see a story without it. It's the kind of film you can recommend to friends or see with your mother (which I did) and not feel ashamed of. In addition, I am impressed with the way the filmmakers treat the Tuohy family. Typically, when a Christian family is portrayed in a film they are either preachy hypocrites (unless it is a film produced specifically for Christian families, then the themes are very apparent throughout the film) or mocked mercilessly... however, in this film the family is seen as loving and caring.

As I have mentioned in previous posts, I love Sandra Bullock and tend to see films she is involved in. And once again (see "The Proposal") she did not let me down. She is not the main focus of the film, but she is definitely one of the highlights. Quinton Aaron makes Michael a gentle soul who can convey as much through his face as he can with his few words. You definitely root for him throughout, and it helps to know that he will prevail (as Michael Oher plays football professionally for the Baltimore Ravens). Some of his best / funniest moments occur when Michael interacts with his little brother S.J. They have a cute sing along to the song "Bust a Move." And Tim McGraw shaved his moustache to play Leigh Anne's husband Sean. I didn't recognize him in the previews.... but read somewhere that he wanted people to see the story and characters instead of pulling out and going "oh, it's Tim McGraw!"

Overally I don't have anything negative to say about the film. I don't know anything about Michael Oher, nor have I read the book this film is based on... so I can't speak for the facts, but the filmmakers deliver a heart-felt story without being overly sappy or overly focused on the football aspects. Good job Hollywood.

The Blinde Side (2009) 128 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for one scene involving brief violence, drug and sexual references.
Director: John Lee Hancock
Starring: Sandra Bullock as Leigh Anne Tuohy
Tim McGraw as Sean Tuohy
Quinton Aaron as Michael Oher
Jae Head as S. J. Tuohy
Lilly Collins as Collins Tuohy
Ray McKinnon as Coach Cotton
Kathy Bates as Miss Sue

Erik the Viking

"Maybe none of us will return."
"Oh, well that's much more sensible than just Thorfinn getting killed. Shall we all go and pack now"

The life of a viking is rough: there's the looting, the pillaging, the killing, etc. During one raid, Erik (Robbins) encounters a woman, Helga (Bond), who questions his occupation. After she is killed by other vikings, Erik begins questioning his purpose and the rationale for all the death and destruction his cohorts cause.

After talking to the wise woman, Freya (Eartha Kitt), Erik assembles a group of brave vikings to travel across the ocean to the country of Hy-Brasil to find the "Horn Resounding" to wake the gods and end the age of violence (Ragnarok). But not everyone wants the violence to end... Keitel Blacksmith (Cady) needs war to continue his trade, so his scheming apprentice Loki (Anthony Sher) suggests going along to sabotage the trip... and to further guarantee the violence will not end, but his master will, Loki goes to Halfdan the Black (Cleese) to make sure none of the vikings return.

With Halfdan and his "dog-soldiers" giving chase, the vikings battle the sea and each other...until they reach Hy-Brasil. But the vikings are confounded by the inhabitants:

"You mean... you can't kill ANYBODY?"
"Right! Isn't it wonderful?"
"What? Not being able to kill anybody?"
"Well, of course."
"How?"
"Well... for a start... er... there's no killing..."
"Well, OBVIOUSLY there's no killing."
"Well..."
"But how d'you take revenge?"
"How do you punish people?"
"How do you DEFEND yourselves?"
"We don't have to. We're all terribly nice to each other."

With the clueless King Arnulf (Jones) more interested in "singing" with his people, and his cunning daughter Princess Aud (Stubbs), will the vikings get the horn and reach their destiny?


This was my first non-Python Terry Jones film... and I'm not entirely impressed. Yes, this film had funny moments and lines, but they aren't enough to save the film. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't great.

One of the funniest gags is the seating arrangements on the viking ship. There is a single row of seats on either side of the ship so the occupant can row, but picking seats isn't easy. At first they pick their own seats, but people aren't happy, so Erik moves them around... then all the bigger men are on one side, so Erik moves them again....

"Now you've got all the ones with beards on one side and all the moustaches on the other"
"It doesn't matter"

John Cleese steals the few scenes he is in (his part should have been bigger) as Halfan the Black. And his ship has another funny scene involving an invisibility cloak and viking battle. But the funniest lines of the scene go to Slave Master, played by Tsutomu Sekine, who yells at the viking slaves in Japanese (he is Japanses, they are not and don't understand anything he is saying). All of his lines are gold!

Most of the well known actors in the film, only appear in a few scenes... and overall their purpose is questionable (such as Mickey Rooney, who is billed second, but only appears in a few scenes and doesn't do much). Their presence takes away from the film, as you pull back to recognize the actor and miss whatever information the character is supposed to pass on. Also, the ending is a major letdown... I haven't lost faith in Jones (after all, he did co-direct the Python films), but I doubt I will watch this film again.

Erik the Viking (1989) 107 minutes
Director: Terry Jones
Starring: Tim Robbins as Erik
Imogen Stubbs as Princess Aud
Gary Cady as Keitel Blacksmith
Charles McKeown as Ulf the Maddeningly Calm
Tim McInnerny as Sven the Berserk
John Gordon Sinclair as Ivar the Boneless
Richard Ridings as Thorfinn Skullsplitter
Freddie Jones as Harald the Missionary
John Cleese as Halfdan the Black
Samantha Bond as Helga
Terry Jones as King Arnulf

The Great Race

"Bury the hatchet."
"And you know who has the hatchet."
"He doesn't have a hatchet, he doesn't even have a whole mustache"

At the turn of the 20th century, automobile races are considered passe and women are demanding equality. "The Great Leslie" (Curtis), a highly successful daredevil, proposes a way to change the first: a race from New York to Paris. The second is pushed forward by reporter, Maggie Dubois (Wood), who forces her editor to enter a car in the race (after she forces him to hire her). They are joined in the race by Leslie's arch rival, Professor Fate (Lemmon) and his assistant Max (Falk), who sabotage the other cars in the race,

"What's next?"
"Car number five, the engine falls out!"
"Car number five! Ha ha ha ha! [pause] Max... we're number five"

With everyone else out of the race, Leslie and Fate battle to stay out front, which is further complicated by Maggie, who vows to finish the race even though her car died along the way. The competitors cross paths several times: at the midwest town of Boracho to get gas and engage in a saloon hall brawl, trying to stay warm and away from the polar bears in the Alaskan wild, and trying to survive the journey across the ocean on a block of ice. As Paris draws nearer how far will they go to be named the winner?


I have loved this movie since the first time I saw it (I was 7)... While the entire film is funny and quotable, there are two standout scenes. The first occurs early in the race, in the town of Boracho. The party scene is stolen by singer Lily Olay (Provine),

"Are you a native of Boracho?"
"I ain't no native, I was born here!"

and outlaw Texas Jack (Storch), "NOWWWWW will you gimme some FIGHTIN room?!?", who turn the party into a fist fight that literally tears the room apart.

The second standout scene occurs in the fictious country of Pottsdorf. I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but Pottsdorf gives Jack Lemmon a second role as the happily intoxicated Prince Hapnik (think the polar opposite of the perpetually angry Professor Fate). This section of the film also includes the great pie fight... which involves all the main characters, and is the largest pie fight on film. You can't help but laugh at the crazy antics of the characters,

[gets hit with a pie] "Mmmm... brandy! Throw more brandy! More brandy! [gets hit with a second pie] Ugh, rum! I never mix my pies"

The actors look like they are having a blast, and by the end of the scene all are covered in pie filling. Love it!

Jack Lemmon is phenomenal in both roles, giving each character a distinct laugh and mannerisms, and easily becomes a highlight. While Tony Curtis and Natalie Wood are good as well, they don't to play characters as interesting as Lemmon. Curtis is convincing as the charming and clean "Leslie" who always wears white (and doesn't get dirty) and frequently gets kissed by random women. Wood has some funny lines and moments as feminist Maggie. Peter Falk is a great as Max, and plays well off of Lemmon's Professor Fate. I can't think of anything that I don't enjoy about the film... although I do wish the scenes at the newspaper in New York were shorter (it gives the audience a chance to see how far the cars have gone). Some parts are funny, but overall you keep waiting for the action to return to the race.

Dude, it's quotable!: There are great conversations, especially anything said by Jack Lemmon's characters.
Rent it: It might not be the most popular of famous film to feature these actors/actresses (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon starred in "Some Like It Hot" six years prior to making this film), but it is a gem!

The Great Race (1965) 160 minutes
Director: Blake Edwards
Starring: Jack Lemmon as Professor Fate / Prince Hapnik
Tony Curtis as The Great Leslie
Natalie Wood as Maggie Dubois
Peter Falk as Max
Keenan Wynn as Hezekiah
Arthur O'Connell as Henry Goodbody
Vivian Vance as Hester Goodbody
Dorothy Provine as Lily Olay
Larry Storch as Texas Jack
Ross Martin as Rolfe Von Stuppe
George Macready as General Kuhster
Marvin Kaplan as Frisbee

The Pirates of Penzance

"I can explain in two words: we propose to marry your daughters"

After serving as the apprentice to the notorious Pirates of Penzance, Frederic (Smith) is turning 21. While his pirate comrades expect Frederic to join their band as a full fledged pirate, he has other plans. His apprenticeship was a mistake: he was to be the apprentice of a ship's pilot, but his nurse, Ruth (Lansbury), heard "pirate" so they joined the Pirate King (Kline) and his crew. Now that he is no longer bound to the pirates, he feels duty bound to destroy them.

The pirates convince Frederic to take Ruth ashore and marry her,

"What a terrible thing it would be if I were to marry this innocent person and find out that she is, on the whole, *plain*"
"Plain? Ruth? Ruth is very......well..."
"Well?"
"Yes. Very well"

But once they get to land, Frederic discovers the truth when he sees the young, beautiful Stanley sisters. He leaves Ruth, and falls for the prettiest of the sisters, Mabel (Ronstadt), who returns his affections. But the pirates are still around, and they seize the opportunity to find women of their own. However, the girl's father is a Major General (Rose). He keeps the pirates from marrying his daughters... but lies to keep his family safe. Soon it is up to cowardly policemen

"They come in force with stealthy stride. Our obvious course is now to hide!"

I have loved this show since I was in elementary school, when the local high school performed it. I discovered this film in middle school, and fell in love.

I don't know much about Gilbert and Sullivan and their other shows... From what I've read, this film is not a pure version of the show: there are elements of other G&S shows involved. This is a fun film... some of the lyrics, especially the Major General's song ("I am the very model of a modern Major General"), are ridiculous. The filmmakers capitalize on this feeling and let the characters charge over the top and embark on zany adventures.

The cast seem very comfortable with their roles, which makes sense since everyone but Angela Lansbury originated their role in the Broadway revival of P.o.P. Speaking of Lansbury, she is the weakest link in the film. I love her, and I know she's talented, but I'm not sure if she works with this film. Kevin Kline steals the show as the Pirate King. He is over the top, but you can't help but watch him in every scene. The other standout in the film is Tony Azito as the Sergeant. Despite being in the least amount of the film, he is the character you remember. His Sergeant glides across the screen in his two numbers, leading the policemen in their dance... I didn't know people could move like that. I look forward to his entrance. The young lovers, Linda Ronstadt and Rex Smith, do o.k. but don't really stand out. And George Rose is memorable as everyone's favorite character: the Major General.

You'll be singing and dancing along!!

pictures from http://www.ronstadt-linda.com/pirates.htm

The Pirates of Penzance (1983) 112 minutes
Director: Wilford Leach
Starring: Kevin Kline as The Pirate King
Angela Lansbury as Ruth
Linda Ronstadt as Mabel
George Rose as Major General Stanley
Rex Smith as Frederic
Tony Azito as Sergeant

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

"It is not what things are; it is what they seem to be."

Apprentice witch Eglantine Price (Lansbury), spends her time alone working on mastering her spells. But on a trip to town, she is forced to take in three children from London: Charlie (Weighill), Carrie (O'Callaghan), and Paul (Snart). That evening, when they attempt to run away, they see Miss Price trying to ride her broomstick and figure out her secret.

To keep them from telling, Miss Price enchants the knob from the bed the children sleep in with a traveling spell. When the knob is on the bed, it will take the inhabitants anywhere. They use the knob to travel to London to get Professor Emelius Browne (Tomlinson), Miss Price's correspondence class of witchcraft instructor. And they travel the globe searching for a special spell to end the war.

Growing up I watched this film a lot... the Isle of Naboombu sequence was / is so cool, and I loved some of the songs. Plus it was a Disney movie, and as a child I thought Disney could do no wrong. Watching it for the first time in years, I was struck with how slow some sequences move. Not that they don't work... but it's not as cool now (sadly).

The Isle of Naboombu is still cool. Like it's predecessor Mary Poppins, this film has live action characters interact with cartoon characters in a drawn world. The background is stunning and the characters are funny. It would have been great to have this section a little longer. The cast is great... Angela Lansbury is great in the lead, and has the best songs in the film, such as "The Age of Not Believing." The rest of the cast is good as well, but not as well known. Overall, I enjoyed my trip down memory lane with this film!

Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971) 139 minutes
Director: Robert Stevenson
Starring: Angela Lansbury as Miss Eglantine Price
David Tomlinson as Professor Emelius Browne
Roddy McDowall as Mr. Jelk
Cindy O'Callaghan as Carrie
Roy Snart as Paul
Ian Weighill as Charlie

Ghostbusters 2

"It's late, I really ought to put him down."
"May I?"
"Yeah, if you want to."
"You're short, your bellybutton sticks out too far, and you're a terrible burden on your poor mother"

Five years after saving the world, the ghostbusters are forced to find alternate jobs to support themselves. Dr. Venkman (Murray) is the host of a paranormal talk show, which no refutable psychic wants involvment. Dr. Stantz (Aykroyd) opened a paranormal bookstore, and Dr. Spengler (Ramis) studies human behavior. But all that changes when strange things begin happening to Dana Barrett's (Weaver) baby.

They investigate further, and discover a river of pink slime underneath the city. The slime feeds on negative energy and, when provoked, causes ghosts to appear. The surge in ghost activities puts the Ghostbusters back in business. They discover more abnormal activity at the museum where Dana works... in the form of an old painting being restored, and the sketchy musuem curator Janosz Poha (MacNicol). Who or what wants the baby, and can the Ghostbusters stop them?


The cast from the original film return to save the world a second time. And at times, that is what the film feels like.... a repeat of everything that happened (better) in the original. There are good moments, and it is entertaining, but it pales in comparison its predecessor.

It is nice to see the minor characters get more to do... such as Rick Moranis' Louis, who was underused in the original. He gets a romance, and gets to defend the ghostbusters in court (the quote below)...

"I think you guys are making a big mistake. I do mostly tax law and probate stuff occasionally. I got my law degree at night school."
"Well, that's fine, Louis. We got arrested at night."

4th Ghostbuster, Ernie Hudson gets to do a little more, but still isn't as involved as the non-Ghostbusters. While Bill Murray still gets the majority of funny lines, the parts of writers Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis were expanded. They get funny moments, and even get their own funny lines.

Doing a sequel gave the filmmakers a chance to use gags that didn't make it into the original film, such as the fur coat that comes alive and attacks it's owner. But the slime theme... no. First of all it's pink slime, and second of all, couldn't you have a cooler paranormal substance?

Overall, when this film is on TV I watch (even though I own it), but I don't love it as much as I love the original (which I also own).

Ghostbusters 2 (1989) 108 minutes
Director: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman
Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Raymond Stantz
Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett
Harold Ramis as Dr. Egon Spengler
Rick Moranis as Louis Tully
Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddemore
Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz
Peter MacNicol as Dr. Janosz Poha
Wilhelm von Homburg as Vigo
William & Henry Deutschendorf as Baby Oscar

Ghostbusters

"Do you believe in UFOs, astral projections, mental telepathy, ESP, clairvoyance, spirit photography, telekinetic movement, full trance mediums, the Loch Ness monster and the theory of Atlantis?"

"Ah, if there's a steady paycheck in it, I'll believe anything you say."

The Paranormal department of Columbia University is inhabited by 3 scientists: Drs. Peter Venkman (Murray), Ray Stantz (Aykroyd), and Egon Spengler (Ramis). Stantz and Spengler spend their time researching the paranormal and meeting anyone with a rare experience, while Venkman spends his time mocking thei endeavors. Everything changes when they witness an actual ghost, and are fired from Columbia.

With faith renewed in his colleagues, Venkman suggests starting their own ghost catching business. Their first paying customer, Dana Barrett (Weaver) has another dimension inside her refrigerator and eggs that fry themselves on the table... and her neighbor, Louis Tully (Moranis) is attacked by a demon hound. Meanwhile, business picks up and the trio hire a receptionist, Janine (Potts), and an additional ghost buster, Winston (Hudson), to keep up with the demand.


Who ya gonna call? With a catchy title song (written by Ray Parker Jr.), memorable one liners, and a well-known comedic cast, this film is anything but forgettable! I grew up watching the 1980s Ghostbusters cartoon, and grew to love the film. Bill Murray delivers a slew of sarcastic and funny lines, and has the best exchanges of the film

"Egon, this reminds me of the time you tried to drill a hole through your head. Remember that?"
"That would have worked if you hadn't stopped me."

While Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis (who doubled as the writers of the film) get some funny lines, they mostly function as the catalyst for Venkman. The fourth member of the team, Ernie Hudson, has the least screen time and only a few memorable moments on screen... his character is introduced last, but after he is a part of the team, he still doesn't fit in. I'm not sure if the fault is the actor, who I can't remember seeing outside the Ghostbusters franchise, or the script. Perhaps the problem is the other big players... Murray and Aykroyd were SNL giants, and Ramis holds his own... but adding another comedian could be too much.

The effects seem dated now, but work with the film. The actors are the focus, with the effects adding to the story. Unlike today, when a film like this would be more about the ghosts and all the cool things that could happen with all the technology we have, with the actors serving as props for the effects. I prefer seeing the actors and the story at the focus. An excellent film that you keep coming back to....

Ghostbusters (1984) 105 minutes
Director: Ivan Reitman
Starring: Bill Murray as Dr. Peter Venkman
Dan Aykroyd as Dr. Raymond Stantz
Sigourney Weaver as Dana Barrett
Harold Ramis as Dr. Egon Spengler
Rick Moranis as Louis Tully
Annie Potts as Janine Melnitz
William Atherton as Walter Peck
Ernie Hudson as Winston Zeddmore

Knocked Up

"I'm pregnant."
"Pregnant... with emotion?"
"Pregnant with a baby."

It's one night... what could happen? That is the question successful TV correspondence, Alison (Heigl), asks after receiving a promotion at work. She celebrates by an evening of drinking, and hooks up with slacker Ben (Rogen). Realizing, the next morning, they have nothing in common, the relationship ends.

But Alison learns she is pregnant. When she tells Ben, they have the conversation above. Neither knows what to do, so they turn to the people in their lives for advice. Ben turns to the stoners in his life: his father (Harold Ramis), who encourages fatherhood, and his roommates: Jonah (Hill), Jason (Segel), Jay (Baruchel), and Martin (Starr) who give conflicting advice. Alison turns to her family: her mother (Joanna Kerns) encourages abortion, while her sister Debbie (Mann) embraces the idea of a niece.

With the minimal opposition, they decide to move forward with the pregnancy and attempt a relationship. Debbie's family make an effort to bond with Ben. He plays with her daughters Charlotte (Iris Apatow) and Sadie (Maude Apatow), and finds a kindred spirit in Debbie's husband Pete (Rudd). Meanwhile, Alison tries to hide her condition from her coworkers and friends, while looking for someone to deliver the baby and trying to coexist with Ben.


I should start by saying I watched this on TV, so the language and such was minimal. Much better than I thought it would be. I can understand why many women were offended by the film, and Katherine Heigl comments about the the way the women are portrayed in contrast to the loveable manner of the men. While the film casts a better light on the male characters, you don't dislike the female characters...
The characters are entertaining and abrubt / awkward, but still have heart. I'm still not an Apatow fan, but I can respect the heart he is willing to show in the midst of the raunch... and hopeful / positive outcomes.

Knocked Up (2007) 129 minutes
Rating: R for sexual content, drug use and language.
Director: Judd Apatow
Starring: Seth Rogen as Ben Stone
Katherine Heigl as Alison Scott
Paul Rudd as Pete
Leslie Mann as Debbie
Jason Segel as Jason
Jay Baruchel as Jay
Jonah Hill as Jonah
Martin Starr as Martin

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People

"The only thing I'm good at is pissing people off"

Trying to get into the U.K. Academy Awards, journalist Sidney (Pegg) brings a pig, who he claims is "Babe," on a leash. But his true identity is revealed, and he is kicked to the curb. After the show, he leaves the pig in his hotel room and crashes an after party... but things get out of hand, and Sidney ends up becoming a headline (for the wrong reasons).

However, his creativity / stupidity catches the eye of the editor of the American pop culture magazine Sharp, Clayton Harding (Bridges), who offers Sidney a job. But Sidney soon learns the magazine focuses on pleasing the celebs, specifically the clients of powerful publicist Eleanor Johnson (Anderson), which Sidney pisses off after their first meeting. His direct boss, Lawrence Maddox (Huston) isn't impressed with Sidney's attitude or opinions (especially his ability to alienate the celebs)... The celebs don't want to talk to him, including the attractive new actress Sophie Maes (Fox) who Sidney wants to impress. The only person who speaks to Sidney is co-worker Alison (Dunst), who hates him. Will he get the girl? Will he ever get a story?


My soul hurts. I expected much more than this...
I saw previews of this film, and it looked entertaining... plus it has Simon Pegg, how bad could it be? Without any knowledge about the film, or the memoir it is based on, I made the decision to watch this film...mostly because Pegg was in it. Pegg had yet to steer me wrong, from the feature films he co-wrote / starred in ("Shaun of the Dead," "Hot Fuzz," and "Run, Fat Boy, Run") to the TV shows / mini-series that came before the films ("Spaced" and "Asylum"). His collaborations with director Edgar Wright and Nick Frost topped the charts, but overall I was still entertained with his comedies...

I'm not sure what went wrong... The cast is o.k., but none of the characters are particularly likable. Eventually you like Sidney, and you are supposed to like Alison, but the rest of the cast is too far removed or too obnoxious to be entertaining. There are funny moments here and there... like the opening sequence and killing the Chihuahua, and some nice moments, but overall Sidney stretches your patience. I think a different actor could have made the character work, but Pegg wasn't the right choice.

How to Lose Friends & Alienate People (2008) 110 minutes
Rating: R for language, some graphic nudity and brief drug material.
Director: Robert B. Weide
Starring: Simon Pegg as Sidney Young
Kirsten Dunst as Alison Olsen
Jeff Bridges as Clayton Harding
Danny Huston as Lawrence Maddox
Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Johnson
Megan Fox as Sophie Maes

Brazil

"What is this mess? An empty desk is an efficient desk."

Despite his grim and drab surroundings, (gray and depressing), Sam Lowry (Pryce) escapes through his dreams. By day, Sam works for the government in an endless loop of meaningless paperwork. In his dreams, he is a winged hero soaring through the clouds and saving the ethereal woman of his dreams.

His well-connected mother, Ida (Helmond), wants Sam to have an executive job. In between her various plastic surgeries, she gets Sam a promotion. He prefers to stay out of the spotlight, and tries to turn down the job, but an unexpected complication changes his answer...

When a spelling error (caused by a dead fly smeared on the page) causes the wrong man to be imprisoned, Sam sees the woman haunting his dreams, Jill (Greist). To get close to her, he accepts the promotion from his father's friend Mr. Helpman (Vaughn). He gets a tiny new office and many "something for an executive" gifts. He uses his new connections and an old friend, Jack (Palin) to find and rescue Jill. Will his life reflect his dreams: saving the beautiful woman from an unseen force, or will Sam get lost in the paperwork.

"You got the wrong man"
"Information Transit got the wrong man. I got the right man. The wrong one was delivered to me as the right man, and I accepted him on good faith, as the right man. Was I wrong?"

This is one of those films that gets better with time... The first time I watched this film, for a class, I didn't know what happened. After several more viewings, reading blogs / movie reviews, and writing a paper about it, I can finally appreciate the mastery of Terry Gilliam. The man is amazing... but I digress.

The cast, sets, costumes (for the fantasy scenes especially), and script are stellar. The script is relatively basic (with a fantasy / dream sequence interspersed throughout the narrative, basically mirroring the main narrating), while simultaneously exploring deeper themes and making references to George Orwell's 1984. While there are funny moments and situations, the general tone is serious.

The role of Sam was tailored for Jonathan Pryce (the character was initially written as a younger man, but Gilliam wanted Pryce for the part), and he rises to the challenge of being a leading man. But the supporting cast are the real reason to watch. Michael Palin, in his 5th Terry Gilliam film, plays a serious character instead of a caricature that you laugh at/with, and once again delivers a memorable performance. Robert De Niro is the reclusive heating engineer, he works freelance and doesn't complete paperwork, Harry Tuttle. Despite only appearing in a few scenes, his character is mentioned throughout the film, and is also memorable. The entire supporting cast, regardless the size of the part, creates quirky but somewhat believeable characters.

Not for everyone, but a "must-see" for Gilliam fans and film students!

Brazil (1985) 142 minutes
Rating: R for some strong violence
Director: Terry Gilliam
Starring: Jonathan Pryce as Sam Lowry
Robert De Niro as Harry Tuttle
Katherine Helmond as Ida Lowry
Ian Holm as Mr. M. Kurtzmann
Bob Hoskins as Spoor
Michael Palin as Jack Lint
Ian Richardson as Mr. Warrenn
Peter Vaughan as Mr. Helpmann
Kim Greist as Jill Layton

Yes Man

"The era of "yes" has begun."

Carl (Carrey) goes through life saying "no." He turns down all loans at his bank and avoids his friends. An old friend, Nick (Higgins), invites Carl to attend a life changing seminar / workshop. At the seminar, Carl is singled out by the leader, Terrence (Stamp), to say "yes" to everything: don't think, just do it or bad things will happen. Afterwards Carl gives a homeless man a ride, and ends up stranded in the middle of nowhere with no gas, little money, and a dead cell phone. He walks to the gas station and meets impulsive Allison (Deschanel) who gives him a ride back to his car and a renewed faith in saying "yes."

The following evening he spends the whole evening drinking and partying with his best friends (picture above), the newly engaged Peter (Cooper) and awkward Rooney (Masterson), who take full advantage of Carl's position. He strikes up a friendship with his goofy boss Norman (Darby), complete with a special handshake and nicknames

"You called me Norm!"
"Yeah."
"Could that like be my nickname?"
"Yeah, I guess."
"Ah nice, I like your style, Car. That could be yours."
"Yeah, Carl's pretty short already but..."

He learns to speak Korean, play guitar, and fly a plane... and starts an impulsive relationship with Allison after he sees her band perform (picture below) and joins her running photography class (taking pictures while jogging).

Muchausen By Proxy is actually the band Von Iva and Zooey Deschanel (l to r: Bex Kupersmith, Deschanel, Kelly Harris, and Jillian Iva)

This is the first Jim Carrey film I've seen for awhile... while I love his older films (the comedies when he was just starting, like "Dumb and Dumber"), lately his films have turned serious and don't interest me. I wasn't interested in seeing this film, the previews certainly didn't help, but several of my friends saw and loved it. They love to quote this film, especially the Red Bull scene, so I felt obliged to see / understand what they were talking about. I was pleasantly surprised. There are some unnecessary scenes that miss the mark (in theory they are funny, but just don't pan out), but overall the film was funny, proving that Jim Carrey still has his funny bone!

Zooey Deschanel lights up the screen with every appearance and makes me wonder why I never noticed her before. I especially love the scene with her band, the fictious Muchausen By Proxy (the other band members are in a band called Von Iva, I don't know anything else about them), the music gets stuck in your head and the lyrics are funny

"Don't call me past 11pm, it won't happen again. Happened once, it happened twice, it happened three times, maybe four times, maybe five times, maybe, maybe it happened six times, but it won't happen seven times."

In fact, after finishing the film I downloaded two of the songs (the painfully funny "Uh Huh" and the closing credits "Yes Man" which are on a constant cycle with the songs from the TV show "Glee"). In fact, watching the band, I was inspired to try Zooey's real band "She and Him," and have completely fallen in love.

Back to the film... Yes, it is formulaic and has a clear message, but that isn't too annoying. Some moments are unbelievable (like the sequence with Peter's fiance Lucy, played by Sasha Alexander), but it does inspire you to get up and start saying "yes" and trying random new things. Well done filmmakers, and Red Bull for the obvious (and hillarious) marketing scene.

Yes Man (2008) 104 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for crude sexual humor, language and brief nudity.
Director: Peyton Reed
Starring: Jim Carrey as Carl Allen
Zooey Deschanel as Allison
Bradley Cooper as Peter
John Michael Higgins as Nick
Rhys Darby as Norman
Danny Masterson as Rooney
Fionnula Flanagan as Tillie
Terence Stamp as Terrence Bundley

Clue

"He couldn't have been dead."
"He was. At least I thought he was, but what difference does it make now?"
"Makes quite a difference to him."

On a dark and stormy evening, a group of six strangers travel to a secluded mansion. Each have been invited by an anonymous person and given a unique moniker (like in the game).

Colonel Mustard (Mull) is a an retired colonel with a temper.
Mrs. White (Kahn) is a widow with a secret.
Mr. Green (McKean) works for the State Department and is clumsy / awkward.
Mrs. Peacock (Brennan) is the wife of a senator who over-shares and screams a lot.
Professor Plum (Lloyd) is a former psychiatrist who is also a womanizer.
Miss Scarlet (Warren) is a madam and extremely blunt.

After all the guest arrive, Wadsworth (Curry) the butler, explains why they are all present: they are all being blackmailed. They were brought together to expose the blackmailer, Mr. Body (Ving), and send him to jail... which would also expose their secrets. After dinner, Mr. Body gives each guest a deadly weapon (from the game) to kill Wadsworth and keep their secrets. Unfortunately, when the lights go out someone kills Mr. Body... as the evening wears on, it is up to the guests, Wadsworth, and Yvette (Camp), the maid, to identify the murderer before the cops arrive or the death count rises.


The first, as far as I know, film based on a board game, Clue / Cluedo. Like Murder by Death, this film features big names in comedy. The cast looks they are having a blast, especially Lesley Ann Warren as Miss Scarlet and Tim Curry as Wadsworth.

The characters repeatedly run across the screen, making every second count, as they try to find the murderer... the film starts slow, with the staff preparing for the evening and the guests arriving. But after dinner, the story picks up.

To mimic the feel of the game, besides having all the same characters and weapons and rooms, the filmmakers shot three endings. When the film was initially released, one ending was shown at each theatre. To get the full effect, you needed to see the film at multiple theatres (which was a great money making scheme). While I appreciate the three endings (which can all be seen on the DVD), I wish there were 7 endings to have the full range of options. Overall a fun (if that's possible) murder mystery.


*This film is often compared to the 1976 film "Murder by Death." To read a review specifically comparing these films, go to http://www.fernbyfilms.com/2009/07/20/movie-review-murder-by-death-vs-clue/

Clue (1985) 94 minutes
Director: Jonathan Lynn
Starring: Eileen Brennan as Mrs. Peacock
Tim Curry as Wadsworth
Madeline Kahn as Mrs. White
Christopher Lloyd as Professor Plum
Michael McKean as Mr. Green
Martin Mull as Colonel Mustard
Lesley Ann Warren as Miss Scarlet
Colleen Camp as Yvette
Lee Ving as Mr. Body

Murder by Death

"Locked, from the inside. That can only mean one thing. And I don't know what it is."

The five best detectives in the world, and a guest, are invited to "dinner and a murder" at the home at the mysterious Lionel Twain (Capote). The guests are,

-The first arrival is Sidney Wang (Sellers), China's star detective, who speaks in riddles. He brings his adopted Japanese son Willie (Narita). Who get a room with a roaring fire...on one of the beds.
-Next is married couple Dick (Niven) and Dora (Smith) Charleston, the well bred detective (and spouse) who follow the rules of decorum. Their room is decorated with candy cobwebs, powdered sugar dust, and a live "fake" rat.
-Then Belgium detective and lover of food Milo Perrier (Coco) and his driver / assistant, Marcel, (Cromwell). They argue about most things, such as pronunciation (their accents get in the way), and Perrier is offended when people thinks he's French.
-Followed by hardboiled American detective Sam Diamond (Falk) and his long-suffering girlfriend / assistant Tess Skeffington (Brennan). He is suspicious of everyone, including Tess, and knows a lot about everyone else.
-The final arrival is detective Jessica Marbles (Lanchester) and her former nurse (Winwood), who is elderly (93ish) and hard of hearing. Jessie now cares for her in addition to solving crimes.

Twain has called these detectives together to prove that he is the greatest criminologist in the world. He challenges the detectives to solve a murder: he tells them when and where it will occur. He also hints that the murderer and victim are in the room (although he doesn't tell them who it is). Twain is aided by his blind butler, Bensonmum (Guinness), and his deaf mute maid (Walker) who can't read in English (but can't write). Hilarity ensues while the detectives try to outmaneuver each other.


A gathering of the biggest names in comedy (see Its a Mad Mad Mad Mad World and Clue)... how could it be bad? In addition to the comic talents of the cast, the characters are spoofs of classic detectives. Two of the detectives are spoofs of literary characters by mystery author Agatha Christie: Milo Perrier and Jessie Marbles are Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple respectively. The rest of the detectives are spoofs of film detectives: Sidney Wang is Charlie Chan (created by Earl Derr Biggers), the Charleston's are Nick and Nora Charles from the Thin Man films (and the novel by Dashiell Hammett), and Sam Diamond is a combination of all the detectives portrayed by Humphrey Bogart. If you are familiar with any of these characters, it is interesting to see how they are portrayed in the film. The cast is amazing, with the exception of Truman Capote, who was not an actor and is the only low point in the film. He can't really act and is just annoying, thankfully he is only on screen for a few scenes. Nancy Walker, who plays the maid, is great and practically steals the show, but is sadly in less of the film than Capote. However, she has some great moments such as meeting and trying to communicate with the butler and her "scream" a few scenes later. Excellent film, chalked full of laughs. Not the easiest to find, but worth the search (try TCM).

*This film is often compared to the 1985 film "Clue." To read a review specifically comparing these films, go to http://www.fernbyfilms.com/2009/07/20/movie-review-murder-by-death-vs-clue/

Murder by Death (1976) minutes
Director: Robert Moore
Starring: Eileen Brennan as Tess Skeffington
Truman Capote as Lionel Twain
James Coco as Milo Perrier
Peter Falk as Sam Diamond
Alec Guinness as Bensonmum
Elsa Lanchester as Jessica Marbles
David Niven as Dick Charleston
Peter Sellers as Sidney Wang
Maggie Smith as Dora Charleston
Nancy Walker as the Maid
Estelle Winwood as the Nurse
James Cromwell as Marcel
Richard Narita as Willie Wang

Junebug

"God loves you just the way you are, but He loves you too much to let you stay that way."

When a promising new artist emerges in North Carolina, gallery owner Madeleine (Davidtz) is advised to make the trip to the sticks to meet and sign him. As chance would have it, her new husband, George (Nivola), is from the same town, so they decide to kill two birds with one stone and combine the trips.

After meeting eccentric, self-taught artist David Wark (Taylor) and seeing his other worldly paintings, the couple (only married for a few months) go to see the Johnsten family and are met with a chilly reception. His mother, Peg (Weston), takes an immediate dislike to Madeleine, who calls her Pat. His father, Eugene (Wilson), is a man of few words, more content to spned time in the basement with his woodworking tools than to interact with his family. His brother, Johnny (McKenzie), is bitter and detached and has not spoken to George in three years. Johnny's wife, Ashley (Adams), is very pregnant (due any day). She is excited about George's homecoming and the chance to meet her new, big city sister,

"I wonder what she looks like. I bet she's skinny. She probably is. She's skinnier'n me and prettier too. Now I'll hate her. Oh, I can't wait!"

As the rest of the family, including George, remain distant, Ashley and Madeleine become friends. After an incident with Peg's favorite craft and a shared habit, Ashley is glued to Madeleine. But when complications arise, will the bonds of family survive?


Amy Adams continues to amaze me... she has yet to disappoint me. Perhaps I haven't enjoyed all of her films, but she delivers every time. This is no exception, her Ashley is the sweet center of this film and steals every scene she is in. The rest of the family is good (it is an excellent cast), but there is something about Ashley that pulls you in and deserves all of the recognition she received for this part!

The film moves a leisurely pace, focusing on empty spaces in between scenes and occasionally leaving or entering a room while a character is talking (the dialogue remains during these shifts). If you don't like slower films, this probably isn't the film for you. Each character has little arch, and is given the opportunity to react on their own to different situations. Not all backstory is explained, such as why don't the brothers get along. The characters grow, slightly, over the course of the story and you understand them better... they don't fix everything at the end, but some characters are redeemed. A well made film, with a new, realistic take on family.

Junebug (2005) 106 minutes
Rating: R for sexual content and language.
Director: Phil Morrison
Starring: Embeth Davidtz as Madeleine
Amy Adams as Ashley Johnsten
Ben McKenzie as Johnny Johnsten
Alessandro Nivola as George Johnsten
Celia Weston as Peg Johnsten
Scott Wilson as Eugene Johnsten
Frank Hoyt Taylor as David Wark

Get Smart

"I think it's only fair to warn you, this facility is surrounded by a highly trained team of 130 Black Op Snipers."
"I don't believe you."
"Would you believe two dozen Delta Force Commandos?"
"No."
"How about Chuck Norris with a BB gun?"

Maxwell Smart (Carell) is a top CONTROL analyst, spending most of his time painstakingly translating Russian chatter. Despite being the best at his job, Max dreams of becoming a field agent. After seven failed attempts, the Chief (Arkin) finally acknowledges Max would make an excellent agent, but he is needed more in his current job. However, after CONTROL is attacked by Russian agency KAOS (CONTROL's biggest threat) the identities of CONTROL agents have been compromised. The only agents left are Agent 99 (Hathaway), who recently changed her face, and Max as Agent 86.

Agent 99 does not want to be paired with a rookie...but Max is thrilled. They are sent to Russia to find KAOS' nuclear bombs. Their adventure begins when they jump from a plane, Max without a parachute, while being chased by a KAOS assassin. With Agent 99's field expertise, and Max's knowledge of KAOS agents, they infiltrate a party hosted by Krstic (David S. Lee), the arms dealer. After a danceoff, they continue to follow the trail of the bombs, realizing the attack on CONTROL was an inside job. Meanwhile, back at CONTROL top agent 23 (Johnson) tries to adjust to life behind a desk, while terrorizing Agent 91 (Crews) and obnoxious Larabee (Koechner).


I tend to have mixed feelings about TV shows becoming feature films... normally, they just don't translate well. The jokes and feel of 30 - 60 minutes just aren't enough to fill 2 hours. Most bomb, or are painful to watch (I'm thinking "Wild, Wild West" among others)... Thankfully, the writers and filmmakers made "Get Smart" the film work. The cast is terrific. Steve Carell is an excellent Max, with enough of Don Adams and his own spin on the part to make you believe the character. The classic lines and gags are present, including the memorable gadgets...with an update. Anne Hathaway works well as Agent 99... and Dwayne Johnson (a.k.a "The Rock") is well cast as Agent 23. The two techies, Bruce (Masi Oka) and Lloyd (Nate Torrence), are adorable and funny... and apparently were popular enough to have a straight to DVD short. Overall, an excellent homage to the original show and the people who brought it to life. Look for a cameo by the original Siegfried, Bernie Kopell.

Get Smart (2008) 110 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for some rude humor, action violence and language.
Director: Peter Segal
Starring: Steve Carell as Maxwell Smart / Agent 86
Anne Hathaway as Agent 99
Dwayne Johnson as Agent 23
Alan Arkin as The Chief
Terence Stamp as Siegfried
Terry Crews as Agent 91
David Koechner as Larabee
Masi Oka as Bruce
Nate Torrence as Lloyd