hayden-8 Reviews

Series 7: The Contenders (2001)

OK indie film

[6 June 2002]

Any film that has Joy Division's "Love will tear us apart" as its love theme can't be all bad. The only problem is that is about the best that one can say about this indie film; it's not that bad.

The film is structured as a reality TV show. The difference is that the characters have to go one step further and kill their rivals. While no mention is made of time one can only assume that this is the America of some terrible future where television companies have acquired the power to force randomly selected individuals to compete on the show.

The film is well made and therein lies the rub; it is EXACTLY like a reality TV show and I personally have never managed to sit through more than ten minutes of shows like "Survivor" or "Boot camp".

Ringmaster (1998)

Dreadful

[20 May 2002]

Jerry Springer stars as more or less himself in this abysmal comedy about the guests appearing on a talk show.

The real show, with its tacky themes, insensitive and uncouth guests, and constantly cheering studio audience is bad enough. But there is only one word for this mess: dreadful.

A sad commentary on the American public's obsession with their 15 minutes.

The Last Supper (1995)

Well worth a gander

[20 May 2002]

This is a film that can be viewed on two levels.

The first level is that of a straightforward black comedy. Five liberal students, who think they have the answers to all the world's ills, have their comfortable world invaded by a redneck racist who is invited in for supper after coming to the aid of one of the students when he has car trouble. Naturally there is a clash of politics and, after a violent argument, the racist is accidentally killed. They decide to bury him in their garden instead of reporting the killing. What follows is a continuation of an earlier debate they had been having; would people be justified in murdering someone if they knew he was evil? Their answer is yes, and soon they are inviting other rightwingers for an evening of dinner, debate and death. On the first level the film is okay.

It is on the second, more cerebral level, that the film really succeeds. The great irony is that the liberals become intolerant, revealing the dangers of political correctness and the very real possibility of a left-wing police state in which alternative views are crushed in the name liberal values.

A good soundtrack, some sparkling cameos by the dinner guests, and a knockout performance by Ron Perlman as the conservative commentator make this largely overlooked comedy well worth a gander.

Hair (1979)

Flawed but enjoyable

[20 May 2002]

It was never going to be easy adapting a stage production with such a colourful history to the screen, and the great director Milos Forman received his fair share of criticism when "Hair" was released in 1979. On reflection the criticism may have been somewhat unfair. It must be remembered that the film version was released a decade after the era in which Rado and Ragni's story was set. In the post-Vietnam era Hair's message was probably no longer that relevant. And, while, the free availability of sex and drugs of the 60's was no doubt fondly remembered by many film patrons, the innocence of that decade had given way to a certain cynicism and, certainly, a greater decadence. It is often said that what people thought happend in the 60's really happened in the 70's. It should also be borne in mind that attending a stage production of Hair was an experience, in which cast members interacted with theatregoers (often sharing some weed and acid with them).

In truth, it is not a great film. And, ironically, the best thing about it hails from the original stage production; the songs. But, having said that, it is still hugely enjoyable and special mention must be made of the choreography of Twyla Tharpe. Good viewing as a period piece.

The Pest (1997)

Really, really bad

[18 May 2002]

Jon Leguizamo is the title character, a Miami con artist who agrees to be the human prey for a Nazi hunter. If he survives he'll collect $50,000.

I wish he had been shot in the first 15 minutes so that I could have been spared this disaster. It is really, really bad. The humour is on a comic book level. Awful.

The Famous Teddy Z (1989–1990)

Fairly amusing

[18 May 2002]

Jon Cryer of "Pretty in pink" fame starred in this shortlived sitcom about a 20-something Greek-American working in the mailroom of a Hollywood agency, who accidentally becomes the agent of an eccentric Brando-esque star, much to the annoyance of Al Floss (Alex Rocco), the agency's No1 agent.

I found "The famous Teddy Z" fairly amusing. It was certainly no worse than many other sitcoms which enjoyed longer runs. Rocco was particularly good.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Red hot action thriller

[17 May 2002]

"T2" is a red hot action thriller which,in my opinion, is one of those rare occurences where a sequel is superior to the original.

Even ten years later the special effects are amazing. The film also features a memorable villain in the T-1000 terminator.

The only weaknesses are overlength and the fact that we are supposed to believe that the Edward Furlong character, young John Connor, a motor cycle riding, code deciphering delinquent, is just 10 years old (Furlong was 14 years old at the time).

What a Country (1986–1987)

Juvenile comedy

[6 May 2002]

An Americanisation of the British sitcom "Mind your language", this juvenile comedy was set in a class for newly arrived immigrants. The star of the show was Yakov Smirnoff, who gained a modicum of fame during the eighties.

Much of the humour was derived from the cultural peculiarities of the various students. In these more politically correct times it is doubtful that the show would have received any airtime. In any case, it was not particularly funny and barely lasted a full season.

Rising Damp (1974–1978)

Classic Seventies comedy

[6 May 2002]

There is an annoying tendency among certain people, especially in my country, to gain some sort of smug satisfaction from being able to say "Oh, I love British humour" as if this somehow gives them an air of intelligence and satisfaction. Now, while I have yet to see an American sitcom that matches the subtlety and sly humour of "Yes, Minister", or the sheer inventiveness of "The fast show", in the same breath brilliant American comedies like "MASH" and "Seinfeld" could simply not have been made in England.

The aforegoing paragraph could easily have served as an introduction to a review of a truly abysmal British comedy like "Absolutely fabulous" as a means of illustrating my point, or even for a review of a silly comedy like "The Goodies" to lend credence to my contention that not all British humour is sophisticated. However, I have instead decided on a classic comedy of the Seventies, "Rising damp".

The shows two stars, Leonard Rossiter and Richard Beckinsale are both deceased, the latter at a tragically young age. Rossiter is Rupert Rigsby (as far as I know his first name was only mentioned in the disappointing 1980 film version), the tightfisted and mean spirited owner of a lodging house. Beckinsale is Alan, a student boarder. The other cast members were Don Warrington and Frances de la Tour. de la Tour is Ruth Jones, an unhappy spinster with whom Rigsby is in lust, and Warrington is Philip, an African student lusted after in turn by Miss Jones.

Most of the show's humour was derived by the witty and often biting dialogue, and kudos must go to the series' scriptwriters.

Sadly, in keeping with British tradition only 27 episodes were ever made, despite the show running for years. Those 27 episodes, however, must be savoured.

My Fair Lady (1964)

My favourite musical

[6 May 2002]

Misogynistic and classist, 1964's Best Film winner should be taken in context. While it is a fine musical, it is also a bright and witty comedy with some wonderful performances. Although it was Rex Harrison who picked up the film's sole acting Oscar, neither Stanley Holloway nor the impossibly beautiful Audrey Hepburn would have been undeserved winners.

Hepburn shines as the flower seller who, under Harrison's strict tutorage blossoms into an elegant and lovely young lady. Holloway, as ne'er-do-well, Alfred P. Doolittle steals every scene he is in.

In keeping with many musicals of the time, the film is shot entirely in a studio, and, in truth, this does detract from the film's look. However, it remains a great musical, with many memorable songs. A fine score and Audrey Hepburn; who can ask for more?

A Fistful of Dollars (1964)

Cosmopolitan, stylish western

[30 April 2002]

Filmed in Spain with an American actor, an Italian director, and based on a Japanese film, "A fistful of dollars" was the first of Sergio Leone's so-called "Dollar" trilogy.

Clint Eastwood is Joe (contrary to what many think, his character does have a name), a dangerous drifter who finds himself in the middle of a war between two gangs in a small town. He manipulates all and sundry, loyal only to himself.

It goes without saying that the true stars of the film are Leone and Eastwood. For me the operative word is sparse. And yet it is always stylish. Leone, in fact, turned the western genre on its head, reaching his apex with the monumental "The good, the bad and the ugly". Eastwood is the perfect anti-hero. It must have been a dilemma for filmgoers of the time, with the main protagonist a cold-blooded killer. He does have some redeeming features, however, coming to the rescue of the tragic Marisol. Interestingly, the scene in which Joe says farewell to Marisol was originally one page of dialogue. Eastwood had it trimmed to a single line. Sparse.

A fine western with an original and terrific music score, "A fistful of dollars" remains highly watchable after nearly thirty years.

Shakespeare in Love (1998)

Disappointing

[28 April 2002]

As a rule I prefer to comment on films that I have enjoyed. But when a film is really bad, and when it wins a clutch of Oscars to boot, I feel compelled to voice my disapproval.

Perhaps my expectations were too high. I expected a witty and sophisticated British period comedy and instead got an uninvolving drama with a poor lead character. There is not much good about this film. Only the final scene with Gwyneth Paltrow moved me. The magnificent "Life is beautiful" should have got the Best Film Oscar that year.

Heatseeker (1995)

Z grade movie had potential

[28 April 2002]

In the future scientifically enhanced fighters do battle at a tournament arranged by the Corporations who developed the technology.

With a bigger budget, a better cast and a more capable director, Heatseeker actually had some potential. Unfortunately, it is poorly acted, badly photographed, and there is a dreadful music score. The sets could also have been much better. The only thing going for it is some halfway decent fight sequences. But this isn't enough to warrant even one star.

Goodfellas (1990)

Sensational

[28 April 2002]

The true story of Henry Hill (Ray Liotta), a gangster working his way up the mob hierarchy, this is a sensational, brilliantly acted film, which, I suspect, presents a more realistic picture of the mafia than "The Godfather", and that is in no way a criticism of that film.

Director Martin Scorsese peoples his films with some of the most fascinating and repellent characters you never want to meet. "Goodfellas" is no exception. It has just about everything going for it, including a terrific soundtrack (catch Sid Vicious' manic "My way" at the end of the film). Perhaps most importantly, at a time when most films seem to be suffering from overlength, there is not a wasted or boring moment in the film's two and a half hour running time.

My only question is: when is Scorsese ever going to win the Oscar?

Terms of Endearment (1983)

Undeserving Oscar winner

[28 April 2002]

Winning the Best Film of 1983 Oscar in a year where there was not much competition, Terms is not a bad film, it just failed to keep my attention. I found the mother and daughter characters irritating, and the film overlong. The only saving grace was the always watchable Jack Nicholson.

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Gritty urban tale

[28 April 2002]

1977 was the year in which iconoclastic punk and hedonistic disco dominated the music scene. How ironic then that the final number one single in the U.S. of that year was Debbie Boone's "You light up my life". While I think that the punk movement has never been well documented in film fiction, the more popular and mainstream disco culture had several major films dedicated to it. The best of these was Saturday Night Fever (SNF).

The snag is that SNF was NOT a disco movie. Yes, it had dazzling dance sequences, yes, it had a pulsating soundtrack, and, yes, many of the scenes were shot in a disocteque, but I have always felt that the disco theme was peripheral to the real story; the alienation of youth and the acceptance and sanctuary they find in each other and their chosen surroundings. In fact, Nik Cohn's article on which the film was based (and which he later admitted was faked), "Tribal rites of the new Saturday night" would have been a more apposite title. John Travolta perfectly captures this. As Tony Manero he almost ritually prepares himself for his night out, preening himself in front of the mirror, donning his warrior's uniform, and then escaping the drudgery of his existence to his battleground, the local disco where he is the tribal chief.

Gritty, foulmouthed and somewhat downbeat, SNF starkly presented the darker underbelly of the disco subculture.

Road Trip (2000)

Let's get serious

[27 April 2002]

The last comment I submitted for this film was rejected by the editors of IMDb, so I'll try and be a little kinder this time. I won't focus on the poor acting, the silly storyline,or the fact that it is supremely unfunny. I'll instead focus on its more positive aspects. Um, well there was a brief nude scene which wasn't bad.

But let's get serious. Without trying to enter into any debate what is the message that this film is sending? That it's okay to cheat on your partner, that it's okay to lie to and deceive people, that being stupid is cool, that adults are always wrong?

Even if one accepts film as purely an entertainment, and that it mirrors rather than influences our society, this film still fails miserably in that, as a comedy, it simply does not register on the laugh-o-meter. It's a trip to avoid at all costs.

Time Chasers (1994)

Brilliant and realistic

[27 April 2002]

A bicycle riding university professor converts his two seater aeroplane into a time machine. In an attempt to gain media coverage he fakes a story about an eighty year old granny about to skydive for the first time (yes, he lives in a very small town). His plaid wearing high school sweetheart turned major reporter, ok,ok,she does local news is sent to cover the story. He impresses her by taking her on a trip to the future. A future which bears a startling similarity to the eighties. And the most unfashionable part of the eighties at that.

He also invites a pink suited executive from an Evil Corporation (is there any other?)which has its headquarters in what looks very much like a shopping mall. Thanks to our inventor's inability to read a contract, he is, after all only a professor, he signs over his invention to the Corporation who, obviously, have Evil intentions.

Featuring the most unconvincing hero in screen history, this nonetheless remains a brilliant and realistic study of the future, and says more about man's greed and disregard for his fellow man than most films with much higher budgets. The sheer depth of the script more than compansates for the flawed acting and costume design. It had me thinking for days after I saw it. Thinking about the filmmaker's greed and sheer disregard for the people who endured this.

Law & Order (1990– )

Top notch

[27 April 2002]

One of the best television series ever made, Law and Order has made numerous cast changes over the years. In fact, the entire cast from the first series has been replaced over time. Although, I do not believe this has weakened the series, I was disappointed when Steven Hill as Adam Schiff left the show. For my money, I think his was one of the most memorable character parts in television, and Hill played him perfectly. His wryness and cynicism were brilliant.

Law and Order has much going for it. It has a high budget look about it, there are always interesting and well scripted stories, and the acting has been of a high calibre. But its real strength lies in its concept of dividing the show into two parts: the police investigation and the subsequent trial. It thus skilfully avoids the pitfalls encountered by many other one hour shows, namely overlength and a need to fill up the time.

Briskly paced and well executed, it may be the best crime drama in television history.

Saturday Night Fever (1977)

Gritty urban tale

[27 April 2002]

1977 was the year in which iconoclastic punk and hedonistic disco dominated the music charts. How ironic then that Debbie Boone's "You light up my life" should end the year off at the top of the US single's charts. While I don't think the punk movement has ever been suitably documented in movie fiction, the more commercial and mainstream disco culture has had several major films dedicated to it. The best of these was undoubtedly Saturday Night Fever.

The snag is, SNF is NOT a disco movie. Yes, it has some dazzling dance sequences, yes, it has a pulsating soundtrack, and, yes, many of the scenes are shot in the local discoteque. But I have always felt that the disco setting is peripheral to the real story; the alienation of youth and the sanctuary and acceptance they find in each other and their chosen surroundings. In fact, even the film's title is somewhat misleading. Nik Cohn's magazine article on which the film is based (and which he later claimed was a fake), "Tribal rites of the new Saturday Night" would have been more apposite. As Tony Manero, John Travolta perfectly captures these rites, preening himself religiously in front of the mirror, donning his warrior's uniform, and escaping the drudgery of his job and homelife to the battleground, the dancefloor where he is the tribal chief.

Gritty, foulmouthed and downbeat, SNF starkly captures the darker underbelly of the disco subculture.

Love and Death (1975)

The little master meets the little dictator

[27 April 2002]

There are some critics who believe that in order to truly appreciate this film you need to have a good understanding of Russian literature. Nyet. I don't know my Dostoevski from my Tolstoy, and for years I thought the Brothers Karamazov were a family of Soviet trapeze artists, but that did not stop Love and Death from leaping straight to the top of my list of alltime favourite films.

Made in 1975 (I've always thought Allen's best work was done in the Seventies), it is the story of a cowardly Russian who (very) accidentally becomes a war hero.

It is the early 1800's and Russia is at war with Napoleonic France. Allen is Boris Grushenko, the youngest of three brothers in a rural family. Madly in love with Sonia, his cousin twice removed, played by a luminous Diane Keaton, he would rather philosophise and write poetry, but is instead drafted into the army. During the height of battle he hides in a cannon. The cannon is fired and he becomes a human cannonball who happens to land on a tent killing several French generals. He becomes the toast of Moscow, desired by beautiful women and reviled by their jealous lovers. But always in the back of his mind is his cousin Sonia. He even keeps a lock of her husband's hair to remind him of her. She is trapped in a loveless marriage to a herring obsessed businessman, and she has many affairs. They eventually find each other but just when life seems perfect she hatches a plan to assasinate Napoleon.

If truth be told, any review of this comic gem would only do it scant justice. One has to see it to really appreciate the humour. It has sight gags aplenty, but also some marvellous dialogue. I also loved the incongruity of Allen's New York accent juxtapositioned against the perfect Russian accents of the supporting cast. There are many memorable scenes, highlights for me being the Black Russian drill sergeant, the verbal exchanges between Allen and Harold Gould, and the meeting between the real and the fake Napoleons.

Prior to the success of Annie Hall, Allen's films were generally made with a limited budget, but this was no hindrance in this film. There was good costume design and lovely cinematography. I also enjoyed the use of composer Sergei Prokofiev's music to score the film.

A sheer joy from beginning to end Love and Death is a lively and hilarious comedy to be savoured again and again.

Oz (1997–2003)

Compelling

[13 April 2002]

If "Oz" is not my all time favourite TV show, it is certainly in my Top Three.

Set in Oswald State Penitentiary (Oz), and more specifically in an experiment known as Emerald City, it is often brutal but always compelling. Many of the standard prison themes are trotted out; gang warfare, racial hatred, drug dealing, but the series is lifted out of the ordinary by superb character development, intelligent scripting and fast paced direction.

While the high body count may be unrealistic this in no way detracts from the brilliance of this series. My only complaint is that I have to wait an entire week for my next dose.

M*A*S*H (1972–1983)

Ahead of its time

[13 April 2002]

There's probably not much I can add to what's been written about this television series down the years. What I can say is, having watched most of it again on cable TV, what really strikes me is how ahead of its time it was in terms of its humour and scriptwriting. I'm a big fan of TV and film of the seventies, but none of my other favourite sitcoms of that decade come close to MASH in terms of maturity. I've never thought of it as a laugh out loud kind of comedy, but rather as one that provoked quiet chuckles. And there's nothing wrong with that.

Boogie Nights (1997)

Forget the latex

[10 April 2002]

Sure, the Oscars are subjective, but, how, in the year that Titanic won , Boogie Nights was not even nominated for Best Film is beyond me. It's a modern masterpiece with just one weakness, which I'll get to later. And forget about the latex; that's NOT what this film is about.

The normally dislikeable Mark Wahlberg is a waiter who earns some extra bucks showing his outsized appendage to paying customers. His "talent" is spotted by Jack Horner (Burt Reynolds), a director of pornographic films. The film is set mainly in the Seventies, the decade where pornography nearly became a legitimate art form. He is taken to Horner's house and is quickly seduced by the "glamour" of the porn industry. He adopts the moniker Dirk Diggler and it is not long before he's a porno star. That's only half the story. The film then takes a decidedly dark turn as we enter the eighties. Diggler develops a nasty coke habit which begins to affect his performance. He drops out and has to resort to getting fellated in darkened cinemas by homosexuals. Reynolds, meanwhile has his own problems, as the industry shifts from cinema to video.

The film skillfully balances humour with high drama, often shifting gear from one scene to the next. A good example is the fate of Little Bill's wife. It is also, in essence, a sad film, telling of broken dreams, drug addiction, failed relationships.

It is also one of those films with many great scenes: the camera following the girl as she dives into the swimming pool, Julianne Moore (possible the film's most sympathetic character) and Heather Graham doing coke together, the armed robbery gone wrong, Wahlberg and John C. o' Reilly in the recording studio.

There's also a great soundtrack. The Beach Boys' God only knows represents one of the beat uses of a song in any film I've seen (second, perhaps only to Your song in Breaking the Waves). Hell, the film's so good it nearly made me like Rick Springfield.

And the cast. wahlberg, Reynolds, Graham and Moore are basically the main actors. While there performances are good (particularly Reynolds), in my mind it's the character actors who make the film. John C. o' Reilly, Don Cheadle, Philip Seymour Hoffman, the great Luis Guzman, William H. Macy. All give magnificent performances.

OK. There's brilliant scriptwriting and direction by Paul Thomas Anderson, fine cinematography and music, and terrific acting. So are there any flaws? Yes, the ending. Somehow the picture of Burt Reynolds walking around his house like some mother hen just doesn't ring true. But that's a minor carp and won't stop me watching this movie again and again.

Space Mutiny (1988)

Unbelievably bad

[21 March 2002]

That this film was made in 1988, after the Star Wars trilogy, the Star Trek series and other high budget sci-fi movies had already established benchmarks for subsequent films, is beyond comprehension. It was clearly made on a shoestring budget using a couple of veterans battling to find work.

Apart from some dreadful costumes and hairstyles there are some unintentionally hilarious scenes: the character who gets killed and then miraculously reappears in a later scene, the dancing women from another planet, the "highspeed" chase in cargo loading vehicles (the actors could have run faster).

The only interest for me was seeing South African actor Graham Clark in a supporting role.

Avoid at all costs.