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Reviews
It Happened to Jane (1959)
Great scenery and really annoying kids.
Apparently, this film was shot mostly around Kennibunkport, Maine. It's an interesting view of the arrogance of the rail barons, showing how they took what was left of their passenger franchise and drove the sinking ship (pardon the mixed metaphor) into the ground. From a plot point of view, it takes everyone FOREVER to realize that the the central plot point (no rail service out of town) is easily solved by using the train Doris Day has impounded.
On a more negative note, this has some of the most ANNOYING "cute children" scenes ever filmed. Not only do Ms. Day's children grate, but there is an astoundingly annoying scene where the entire Cape Anne, Maine cub scout troupe "sings". Cicadia sound better.
Flame (1975)
Spinal Tap, but for real
This is a real slice of 70's. (Slade in) Flame tells the story of a semi mythical band that crawls out of the midlands of England and makes it into the myth of Rock and Roll. I found the album back in my salad days, and finally found the movie on DVD in my washed up years. There are pluses and minuses, as with any real slice of life film. On the plus side, the story of a band that makes it and self destructs really summarizes the mythos of the era, and realistically and sympathetically portrays the pressures and glories of fame. On the negative side, the accents are so thick you really wish there were subtitles. Notionally in English, it's in REAL English, and as an American, it might as well be Swahili.
The flick is full of authentic and believable characters. The small time manager, the pirate DJ, and the hippy dippy groupies all make the film seem as real as your own life. If you've seen Spinal Tap, you'll see more than a handful of scenes - a singer trapped in a coffin, high class and moneyed fops dealing with the low class entertainers, and the horrors of ridiculous costumes and friends knifing friends. If you like Uriah Heep, UFO, or any band who played a festival at Wolverhampton, this id worth the accents. If you think rock and roll is too loud, pass. But this is rock at its most basic. Loud, dirty, and important for the most unimportant reasons possible.