chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Zonker T. Chuqui) (10/09/84)
And now, the first in a probably endless series of reviews of things that
are available on your friendly neighborhood tape machine. Since I seem to
rarely get out to movies in the theater anymore, I'm constantly scrounging
around for titles I've missed the first time through or things I've never
heard of that look interesting. Between my machine and HBO, we should see a
wide range of interesting reviews here. Other owners of tape machines, feel
free to comment on your favorite tapes!
Barbarella - ** (well, maybe)
Anyone who accuses Jane Fonda of riding her fathers coattails to
stardom hasn't seen this flick. She has certainly paid her dues, with
interest. The HIGH point of this film is the opening sequence as Jane
does a full striptease (still PG, tho-- sigh) from a spacesuit, ending
up with an interesting set of camera angles that don't quite show
anything. It's all downhill from there, but amusing in it's absurdity.
The Big Chill - ****
I've commented upon this one rather endlessly in the past. See it. Now.
Great movie if you are interested in watching people be people instead
of actors being characters. The soundtrack makes a statement all its
own. Not for the Indiana Jones type.
Dark Star - ***
The print I had wasn't the best, from the looks of it they used a bad
master to create the tapes (projector scratches and a muddy soundtrack,
no less!). Despite that, Dark Star is STILL one of the best SF
comedy/parodies available in ANY galaxy. After watching Dark Star,
you'll have everyone wondering why you insist on giggling through
Alien (They were produced by the same folks, and there are similarities
and in-jokes in Alien galore....).
Fade To Black - ** (***+ for film buffs)
Dennis Cristopher plays a film buff who goes insane and starts
murdering people who have done nasty things to him. ho, hum, so what
else is new? Christopher does a GREAT job upstaging a rather average
storyline and turning this into a rather decent film. For film buffs,
the recreation of some great classic scenes is done very well and
should bring about some fond memories. the costuming is wonderful, as
is the shower scene (ala psycho, of course) with the marilyn monroe
clone. Here's to obligatory nudity!
Private School - *yawn*
Speaking of obligatory nudity, this sleeper on HBO is a real sleeper.
About half an hour in you go to sleep. Even the redhead running around
with no clothes on couldn't keep my interest, and that says a lot.
Get a good nights sleep.
Time Bandits - ***
Works well on a small screen, I had real trouble understanding this in
a theater because of the accents. Now that I've seen it at home, the
movie is even funnier. Print is good quality, and the story even makes
sense when you can hear what they are saying... Great for a fun evening
in.
Tommy - **
The Who's great rock opera simply doesn't translate well to a 19"
screen and a 3" speaker. The power, the moods, and the music are all
there, they simply don't make you feel as much. this is a midnight
movie forever, I guess.
I think that's about it for now-- the next tape tracks will include such
wonderful classics as 'Attack of the Killer Tomatoes'. Until then, save me
the beanbag chair...
--
From the Department of Bistromatics: Chuq Von Rospach
{amd,decwrl,fortune,hplabs,ihnp4}!nsc!chuqui nsc!chuqui@decwrl.ARPA
How about 'reason for living?'boyajian@akov68.DEC (Jerry Boyajian) (10/11/84)
> From: nsc!chuqui (Chuq Von Rospach) > Dark Star - *** > After watching Dark Star, > you'll have everyone wondering why you insist on giggling through > Alien (They were produced by the same folks, and there are similarities > and in-jokes in Alien galore....). I don't mean to be picky, but DARK STAR and ALIEN *weren't* made by the same folks. the only thing they have in common is that Dan O'Bannon, who wrote the original draft of the screenplay for ALIEN (the re-writers got no screen credit, even though they made substantial chnges), also co-wrote the screen- play for DS, as well as playing Sgt. Pinback. Incidentally, the other DS co-writer and director was John Carpenter, of HALLOWEEN (and others) fame. > Fade To Black - ** (***+ for film buffs) This film had one of my favorite movie quotes (in context): "Happy Birthday, Suckah!!" --- jayembee (Jerry Boyajian, DEC, Maynard, MA) UUCP: {decvax|ihnp4|allegra|ucbvax|...}!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-akov68!boyajian ARPA: boyajian%akov68.DEC@DECWRL.ARPA
chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Zonker T. Chuqui) (10/17/84)
More movie reviews of things I should have seen long before they showed up
on my television...
Hooper - ** (good ole boys and Joe Bob fans, ***)
Burt Reynolds plays, suprise!, Burt Reynolds. This time Burt is a stunt
man, growing old, but never up. Some good stunts, a relatively bizarre (but
uninspired) acting job by Robert Klein as the director. I didn't KNOW 4x4
trucks could go backwards at 55, ma! Honest! A good, clean, simple, fun
film.
Cat People - *+ (nastassia Kinski ***tilt***)
What can I say? I knew what I was getting when I rented it. Kinski's
shoulder blades can make an entire issue of Playboy slink away in
embarassment. Her acting in this was wooden enough that she could have done
better without reading the script, but really, who cares? I think there was
a plot, somewhere, but it didn't really bother to intrude on things too
much. Warning: rather graphic gore-- especially during the autopsy scene
(not recommended for watching over a pepperoni pizza, which I did...)
The Dresser - ***** (A first-- a perfect score)
I swore it would never happen, and it rarely does. Out of a possible 5
starts, I give the dresser all five. Superb performannces by Finney and
Courtney as an aged Shakespearean actor and his dresser (read slave,
servant, companion, faithful follower, and greatest fan). One of the most
unbelievable fascinating portrayals of theater life I have EVER seen. The
script is lucious, the filming is perfect, the lighting is amazing, and the
acting is unbelievable. In the small excerpts they gave us, Finney went a
long way towards redefining King Lear for me. Little of the movie IS the
play-- it is all about the dresser (who is the person in charge of getting
the star out there when he is supposed to be there) and how he beats,
cajoles, whines, yells, and, finally, loves the old man out to a
performance. Finney, as the old and very tired actor, is superb in his
portrayal of a man with a sense of duty and an addiction to the theater who
at the same time has an edge of senility, frenzied paranoia, failing
health, exhaustion, and a general wish to sit down and relax. Electric. See
it. As someone who firmly believed that the Big Chill was THE movie, I have
to tell you that this film makes it look bush league. It does the Bard and
the theater very proud.
Bill Cosby. Himself! -- ***
Actually a concert style film of his standup routine, Bill is as funny as
ever. If you like him, you'll love this film-- lots of kid and wife jokes,
always poking fun but never breaking the skin.
Richard Pryor, here and now -- **
Another concert comedy film. If you like Richards drug and raunch oriented
humor it's worth it. I found it rather flat and uneven at times, definitely
not showing his material to all of its potential.
More later, including the long threatened 'Attack of the Killer tomatoes'
chuq
--
From the Department of Bistromatics: Chuq Von Rospach
{cbosgd,decwrl,fortune,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo}!nsc!chuqui nsc!chuqui@decwrl.ARPA
(Editors note: Bistromatics is NOT a typo. Bistromathics is the study of
math on an italian waiters checkpad. Bistromatics is the study of Italian
cooking on females of the human species. Please quit sending me mail)
I'd know those eyes from a million years away....strock@fortune.UUCP (Gregory Strockbine) (10/17/84)
In article <1613@nsc.UUCP> chuqui@nsc.UUCP (Zonker T. Chuqui) writes: >More movie reviews of things I should have seen long before they showed up >on my television... > >Hooper - ** (good ole boys and Joe Bob fans, ***) >Burt Reynolds plays, suprise!, Burt Reynolds. This time Burt is a stunt >man, growing old, but never up. Some good stunts, a relatively bizarre (but >uninspired) acting job by Robert Klein as the director. I didn't KNOW 4x4 >trucks could go backwards at 55, ma! Honest! A good, clean, simple, fun >film. I caught Hooper on the tube also. Now anytime I see a movie with stunts in it I wonder if the stunt people had to take percs afterwards.