ctoprefect Reviews

Smothered: The Censorship Struggles of the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour (2002 TV Movie)

Good Doc about a great American TV Show

[26 March 2004]

All I have to say is that it was great finally hearing what really happened in the case of The Smothers Brothers. Seeing the Bros and their controversial guests talking about what happened was a treat.

As for the DVD, it would have been a good idea (as an extra feature) to include all the controversial sketches in their entirety. I understand using clips in the documentary so that the pace will not be hampered, but extra footage of the full sketches as a bonus would have been good.

Watch for Dick's reaction when Tommy talks about lighting up a joint.

With Orson Welles: Stories of A Life in Film (1990 TV Movie)

The wonder and joy that is Orson Welles

[10/10 · 16 October 2003]

This is one of the finest, if not the finest, documentary on Welles' career. What makes this stand out from the rest is the huge amount of interview footage that shows Welles to be good-natured, open, and incredibly funny. He has lots of great stories about his career (one which involves him attending a party for L.B. Mayer with a rabbit in his pocket - absolutely hilarious) and each one is a joy.

The documentary skips around his career a bit, breaking his career up not chronologically but more by sections of films he directed and films he appeared in. It will make you want to go out and see them all again, and even hunt up the rare ones like "The Immortal Story".

Also included are good interviews with Charleton Heston, Anthony Perkins, Jeanne Moreau & John Huston. By the way, did you know that Welles turned down a role in "Caligula"? There are more juicy tidbits to be heard.

I don't believe that this title is available on video in this country (I may be wrong), but it does play from time to time on television. Seek it out!

Concert for George (2003 Video)

The friends of George Harrison meet on the first anniversary of his death to give a concert celebrating his life and music.

[8/10 · 5 October 2003]

The Concert For George feels like an update to The Concert For Bangla Desh. The two could be watched back-to-back for interesting evening of rock. Unlike many tribute concerts where they get anyone who happens to be on the charts at the time to come and do a song (ie. John Lennon and Bob Dylan), The Concert For George is limited almost exclusively to George's friends and colleagues, most of whom have been putting out great records since the sixties. Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison lead the assembled band through Harrison's best known songs and they are joined by Billy Preston, Tom Petty, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney & Ravi Shankar (who wrote a beautiful indian piece for George). Even the gang from Monty Python, George's favorite comedy troupe, turn up to do a couple of sketches. The performances are mostly good and there are a few magical moments (The long coda to "Isn't It A Pity", Clapton's solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", McCartney's rendition of "All Things Must Pass" and the moment when McCartney's ukelele rendition of "Something" suddenly turns into a full band rendition). Every flower petal in England falls from the ceiling during the finale. It's also a little strange seeing Dhani Harrison on stage, as he resembles his father greatly.

My only complaint is that they sometimes interrupted a good song (like "Handle With Care") to go to an interview. All in all, great for George's fans or fans of good music in general.

May (2002)

A lonely girl goes to extreme lengths to find the perfect friend.

[10/10 · 20 July 2003]

"May" is an extraordinary film. Terrific acting, a great script and wonderful pacing provide the backdrop to this suspensful and sad trip through the life of May Canady.

This is picture is NOT a horror for the first hour. It is a thoughtful and provoking drama about a girl who tries to find love. The wonderful thing about this picture is that there are no obvious bad guys. May is not an automatic turn-off, despite to her strangeness (which is attractive in an odd way) and the people who reject her are not heartless and cruel. She just doesn't fit in and scares off nearly everyone she comes in contact with. Yet, you stick with her because you feel for her efforts to try and make a connection and find someone to love her. Mostly, it is the performance of Angela Bettis that keeps us watching May. We feel her pain, we can see how she is about to mess up, but we can't turn away from her, no matter how badly she fails or how crazy she gets. We like May and we like those who reject her (mostly because we know we would reject her too if she came too close to us).

This film is best experienced without any previous knowledge. Do not watch the trailer on the DVD. Let the picture come to you without any notions. There is lots of suspense and some blood, but if you're in the mood for it, see this picture. You won't regret it.