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ShanerMD
Reviews
Honest Man: The Life of R. Budd Dwyer (2010)
More a response to ShoeBuckle's crap review
Personally, I liked the documentary. It's not hard-hitting. It's mainly a favorable view of Dwyer's life. However, while I certainly don't think he was without his flaws, I think the film makes a compelling case for Dwyer's innocence.
Ultimately, it accomplishes this through one thing: William Smith's admission that he lied under oath about Dwyer's involvement. For some reason, ShoeBuckle tries to claim "the film TRIES to show he lied at Dwyer's trial". Either ShoeBuckle is not very bright or he has a reason to come back at Dwyer, because there is no trying involved. Smith himself admits it on camera. He repeatedly expresses his regret for this. It's an objective matter.
I also don't know why ShoeBuckle feels the need to attack Dwyer's son's character, but he does. The son is a normal guy, understandably somewhat embittered talking about this whole mess.
I highly recommend you watch the documentary, and also recommend you treat ShoeBuckle's review as the trash that it is.
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
Even a towel won't help this one...
Silly me...way back when this was announced I thought the real killer would be Mos Def as Prefect. Once again, let us point out that both the radio and TV versions of Prefect were white, and there was no inclination that Prefect was other than white because, let's face it, this was a cast of white people and aliens. Enough. Quit deluding yourselves and trying to satisfy political correctness. Even in the most extreme possibilities, a hip hop star would NOT have worked. A nobody. Somebody undiscovered. Unfortunately, this is not the only case of celebrity perversion of this movie. But let's just get that horrible Prefect casting decision out of the way...
...to move on to the horrible casting decision of Rockwell. Folks, Mark-Wyn Davies CREATED Zaphod Beeblebrox. Look at him, and go from there. I know he's far too old now. Once again, consult the master of cool and get a NOBODY. Rockwell was a vapid ass with about as much cool as an oven and about as hip as an ankle bone. When are you gonna learn not to infect great cult stories with Hollywood hacks? And Martin Freeman? Scuse me? Why didn't you just pick Hugh Grant? Arthur is not just some clueless dip. He's a clueless dip with a glib tongue and the right way to react to things. Freeman is not. These producers apparently never looked at other portrayals of Arthur. Gag.
And if that's the Heart of Gold, I'm the Queen of Monaco. With all the computer graphics at their hands, they couldn't create something original, rather than making it simply a parody of an American vehicle? Cheap bastards.
Now...there are some non-totally-bile-filled comments to pass on...
Zooey...you are such a cutie. You came so close. However, Trillian wasn't arrogant. You failed to stifle that. I know, the character was never that well developed to begin with, but these kinds of things are not meant for poetic license after 30 years. Sorry babe.
And the thing that could have saved this movie...Alan Rickman. A great actor, one of the best. Almost perfect choice for Marvin. Alas, it just wasn't him. A good effort though, and my kudos.
As for the script, I wiped my backside with more valuable sheets of paper.
Thank you Hollywood. As with Doctor Who in 1996, you have successfully dealt a crippling blow to the image of HHGttG fans. Suck it. Suck it dry.
De-Lovely (2004)
Everything but a story...
Kevin Kline was divine and very appealing and sympathetic. This is quite a triumph when you consider that he is portrayed, along with other gay men, as greatly promiscuous. I'm not debating whether this is the true gay lifestyle or not, but it's rather a politically incorrect approach, which I believe to be more bold in today's Hollywood.
Ashley Judd is wonderful, though I happen to be a big fan of hers. It cannot be argued that she carried off the role of the loving, supportive, and long suffering wife very well. Frankly, I think she was very underexposed. Perhaps this is a necessary touch in order to show where her position truly was in Porter's life.
The direction was almost flawless. This movie sparkles with a true cinematic quality and touch. The sets and camera angles feel very genuine, and you feel transported back into the early 19th century.
That said, the story is a depressing dud. It kills the feeling of the movie. Everything just keeps getting worse, and we get very little emotion from Porter until he has become a bitter old man. It's difficult to comprehend what the situation is with Jonathan Pryce, although I think he's supposed to be reviewing the movie of Porter's life. Horribly written, and it must be said that from the focus on Porter's sexuality in this movie, it seems the writer was concentrating more on his own last name than anything else.
Cyber Seduction: His Secret Life (2005)
Oh sweet lord...
I gave this movie a 2 only because a 1 would not signify the sheer comedy value of this total womynist attack on the evils of naked pictures of women, and women who use their freedoms in this country to voluntarily, and for profit, expose themselves on the internet.
These evils apparently drive this kid insane. Not pictures of naked women, for most of the movie, but pictures of CLOTHED women. May I quote Colonel Kurtz: The horror, the horror.
His mother is the epitome of a Lifetime heroine: Incredibly oversensitive, domineering, hyper-emotional(past the stereotype of the emotional woman), and absolutely traumatized by the presence of pictures of women in her house that aren't to be viewed as examples of feminist leadership. As in all Lifetime movies, the father is a dunce, because men are all pigs, right? The son gets violent after so much porn, or maybe it's the Red Bull. Or dominating mother. Or lack of a father as a positive role model. Or total repressive lifestyle imposed on him by his parents.
Hard to tell. Stick this in for a laugh if you are a normal, well adjusted individual. If not, get a six pack of Red Bull and watch it and then start the path to the destruction of your life through hotboobs.com. Don't say the movie didn't warn you.