toddeverett Reviews

Law & Order: Criminal Intent: Palimpsest (2010) Season 9, Episode 14

A very special episode...

[7/10 · 8 November 2022]

Unusual for any episode of the Law & Order franchise, this is a parody of Agatha Christie-style mysteries, set in the dusty mansion of an antiquarian book collector, and climaxing when Nichols has the butler gather all the suspects for a revelation of the...well, of what happened.

Among the red herrings are the executor of the collector's estate, various shifty-looking relatives, and the victim's daughter, who and her father have a connection with Nichols.

Other than the principals, the actors ham it up like a vintage melodrama which I found rather off-putting until I figured that it was all intentional. With luck, you'll catch on earlier than I did.

77 Sunset Strip: Attic (1960) Season 3, Episode 1

Shades of "Perils of Pauline"

[8/10 · 8 April 2017]

This must have been a lot of fun to write and produce. Bound and gagged in a remote house, Jeff hasn't much to do but struggle silently as various opportunities for death or salvation stop by (this remote location turns out to be very busy) -- all are varying degrees of implausible.

Will Jeff escape, of is this the end of his participation in a series that will run several seasons longer? Were they kidding? One of the bad guys is named "Hammett."

How Murray Saved Christmas (2014 TV Special)

Simpsons Sensibility

[8/10 · 6 December 2014]

The second (after "Olive, the other reindeer) from somewhere inside the greater Simpsons universe, this adaptation of a book is a bit toned- down from the Simpsons, but you'll recognize the sensibility -- and, to a degree, the artists -- behind it.

Well into adulthood, admittedly, I found the story, sometimes reaching but clever rhymes and songs to be great fun. Probably aimed more at older kids and their parents, many of the gags will sail by the kids with no harm done.

There is no religious significance attached the Christmas here; in fact, Santa's Jewish surrogate winds up delivering gifts to children of several faiths. To me, that's a good thing; families who wish to celebrate Christmas as a religious (and in that, exclusionary) holiday can do that in their own homes and churches.

Lucy (I) (2014)

Anybody looking for anything but great fun, this may not be for you

[8/10 · 26 July 2014]

IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes show a bunch of reviews for this picture from people who were disappointed by (among other things) the science behind it. C'mon, people: this is Sacrlett Jhannson kicking serious butt. And you want logic? I'm a major Luc Besson fan, and wasn't disappointed here at all. The film is action-packed, races like a rabbit, and is frequently intentionally quite funny. Like many of his films, it features a strong female protagonist, another plus.

My one reservation comes from an apparent continuity laps. As one point, something is happening to Lucy in the restroom of an airborne commercial jet; then, suddenly, she's on the ground surrounded by people in a room far away from the plane (I'm trying to keep this vague). What happened when the rest room door opened? How did she wind up where she did? It's almost like a reel (well, a short reel) of film was missing in the film I saw. More puzzling than crucial, but very sloppy.

Also: I'm a fan of "2001," which may help.

Chef (2014)

Terrific, with one technical reservation

[9/10 · 2 June 2014]

One the whole, I really enjoyed "Chefs": story, casting, direction, locations, and the music. One problem, which probably won't bother most casual viewers of the film: the action begins when a powerful reviewer/blogger tears the chef's cooking apart. Fair enough: foodies are a fickle lot, and it's possible that a negative review could hurt business; it would certainly hurt the subject's feelings.

But this isn't how legitimate food reviewers (or restaurants) work: while they may be familiar faces (some real restaurants post photos of reviewers for staff to see), they don't announce their visits long enough in advance to pack the restaurant with the staff's friends.

Also, unless the menu is table d'hôte, not everybody in the restaurant is eating the same meal, and the reviewer would order any damned thing he or she chooses to.

This would have been easy enough to work around with the same end effect, but it's nothing to get really worked up about. And that food -- even stuff I wouldn't eat in real life -- sure looks delicious.

Pulling Strings (2013)

If Elvis Presley were a mariachi?

[8/10 · 20 October 2013]

Looking to kill some time, I took a chance on this title. I'd heard nothing about it (and I follow movies more than most people do), but was drawn by -- of all things -- the presence of Tom Arnold in the cast. And I think Tom Arnold has a very likable screen presence.

Well, Tom Arnold is there, and his character possesses the qualities I enjoy; but he is not the reason to see "Pulling Strings." Rather enjoy it as a romantic comedy with a thriller element, filled with interesting characters and set in what is for most Americans an exotic, if relatable, setting. The leads and supporting characters are all attractive, amusing, or both. (To Yanks, the other familiar actor is Stockard Channing). It goes where you'd expect it to, but with some unexpected side trips.

The lead character's job as a mariachi is played up; he performs several songs throughout the picture, all part of the story-telling. I kept thinking of this as what a really nice Elvis Presley movie might have looked like.

If any of this or the other reviews sounds even remotely interesting, please give "Pulling Strings" a shot (or a stream). It's not going to change cinema, but I preferred to any number of other recent comedies. Now, I'm off to see if I can find any background on the producers

Over Her Dead Body (2008)

If it were a TV movie, I'd rate it higher

[6/10 · 27 March 2009]

Cary Grant, Jimmy Stewart Katharine Hepburn, Caludette Colbert, etc. have nothing to worry about (let alone Howard Hawks or George Cukor), but the screwball genre they worked so well in definitely inspires "Over Her Dead Body."\

Beware Eva Langoria Parker's top billing -- Lake Bell is at least as important (and, in my mind, more appealing) in the film. That said, it's 90 minutes of harmless fun, with a nice little cameo by Stephen Root (from NewsRadio and Office Space, among other credits). The whole supporting cast, mostly unfamiliar to me, is quite good.

My favorite scene is between the Bell character's assistant and another guy toward the end of the film, with repercussions that carry on.

Farce of the Penguins (2006)

Couldn't disagree more

[9/10 · 23 March 2008]

I'm watching this on Showtime, and really sorry I got a chance to catch up on it -- even though my memories of "March of the Penguins," of which this is of course a parody, are lost in the snows of yesteryear.

Bob Saget and his friends crack wise over a nicely-edited batch of (mostly) penguin footage. Those not used to Saget's raunchier side ("adolescent, scatological bathroom humor," as one character puts it)may be taken aback here, but I'm laughing all the way through.

Maybe the other guy saw a different print than the one Showtime's showing, but the sound here is just fine.

If more people had seen the picture, it might have put an end to anthropomorphizing animals on the screen...oh, probably not. But I recommend "Farce of the Penguins" highly to those who won't be offended by the language.