- Use the Danny Tripp character more or make him more likeable. From what we see of him he is a prat – he sexually harasses Amanda Peet’s character (she asks him to back of and he says no – I know she’s the boss but come on), he is snide to the young doctor who tries to help her, when Harriet Hayes accuses him of arrogant in from of God he does act arrogantly going on about how he deserves everything he got in like (and Harriet Hayes to her shame says to God “he makes some excellent points” – Aaron Sorkin and his Uncle Tom republicans).
- Have something at stake for the characters. In The West Wing this was the lead character’s only shot at the white house. The leads in this are all very well off financially – if they got sacked they’d just get another job. You can tell the difference with the flashback episode where Matt and Harriet are trying to first make it on the show – they have real stakes and the difference is remarkable. I think Sorkin needed to have his characters “lower” – either cast younger actors or have this a real “last shot” for them.
- Sorkin needs to get some perspective. Making a tv show is not as important as running the country. Being called a plagiarist is not as bad as being called a sex offender. Most of the country don’t know or care what writers get up to. TV shows don’t have to make a response to international events.
Sunday, February 22, 2009
TV review – “Big Love” Season 1 ****
On one hand it’s a fantasy to have three hot women who squabble over you – on the other hand it’s a stress. You’ve got to keep them happy, provide for them. Like many HBO series, is at heart a Western. You’ve got a family of people who are struggling in their homestead against hostile forces and terrain. It’s also powered by a gay creative team and at times you can tell: the show’s about a family unit who lead an unconventional lifestyle and who are in constant fear of being exposed; there is a lot of emphasis on the beautiful teenage son who is constantly tormented by his sexual desires, which his society teaches are wrong (cf the teenage daughter character who is sexless) Very well made, acted and written.
Movie review – “Midnight Run” (1988) ****1/2
Remember the days when Robert de Niro going commercial was not only rare, but worth it? This, The Untouchables, Cape Fear... (After Casino he seemed to give up.) This was one of the best of the 80s buddy action films; compared to Tango and Cash and Lethal Weapon it seemed positively restrained. This can be best explained by the decision to cast Charles Grodin as the accountant instead of Robin Williams, who apparently was also considered. Williams would have been hilarious but Grodin gives a performance, not going for the easy laughs, being a very believable accountant (a little smug with his healthy lifestyle, wryly funny, clever).
The relationship between him and de Nito gives this film its emotional glue – they are an odd couple, but the treatment of it seems fresh; they never really become friends, although they learn respect. I like it how you get the sense that for all de Niro’s bluster he’s the one who would like to be Grodin’s friend genuinely whereas it isn’t the other way around (during the talk on the train its de Niro who says we probably would have been friends and Grodin is silent; also at the end you get the sense de Niro would like to get a coffee with Grodon but Grodin takes off). The other great scene is when de Niro visits his wife and daughter; the moment where the daughter offers her babysitting money to him gets me everytime. (And Martin Brest to his credit gives the scene to her.)
A sign of the times – the swearing seems like nothing down, but the amount of smoking is striking. The script is superb, a wonderful example of structure (George Gallo never had another credit like it). It does go on for a bit – maybe could have done with an action scene cut or something.
The relationship between him and de Nito gives this film its emotional glue – they are an odd couple, but the treatment of it seems fresh; they never really become friends, although they learn respect. I like it how you get the sense that for all de Niro’s bluster he’s the one who would like to be Grodin’s friend genuinely whereas it isn’t the other way around (during the talk on the train its de Niro who says we probably would have been friends and Grodin is silent; also at the end you get the sense de Niro would like to get a coffee with Grodon but Grodin takes off). The other great scene is when de Niro visits his wife and daughter; the moment where the daughter offers her babysitting money to him gets me everytime. (And Martin Brest to his credit gives the scene to her.)
A sign of the times – the swearing seems like nothing down, but the amount of smoking is striking. The script is superb, a wonderful example of structure (George Gallo never had another credit like it). It does go on for a bit – maybe could have done with an action scene cut or something.
Movie review – “Billy Elliot” (1998) ***1/2
Enjoyable dance movie that was brilliantly sent up by Urban Tales in “Born to Dance”. Jamie Bell is excellent as the title character; the actors who play his brother and father seem to overact at first but you get used to them after a while. Interesting structure which removes Julie Walters for the last section.
Movie review – “Sister Act” (1993) ***1/2
Great fun, wonderful crowd pleaser. Whoopi Goldberg is perfect – this may not be PC but its funny to see a black woman as a nun, especially Whoopi. Apparently Bette Midler was once considered for this role but turned it down – Midler would have been fine but not as good as Whoopi. It’s a good natured film, which doesn’t make fun of nuns or their calling, and has an excellent support cast. (Though the black police officer seems to waddle around at times as if going “am I supposed to be the love interest or not?”)
TV series review – “Battlestar Galactica" – Season 1 & 2 (2004) *****
So many great ideas. Like the original it rips off other movies: Alien (creature running amok on space ship), 36 Hours (waking up in an enemy hospital where they try to fool you), Vietnam War movies (fragging an officer), The Thing, The West Wing. Sci fi is like the Western – you can cross is with almost any genre.
Season 2 continues the high quality on the whole, although it has the first bad episode – “Final Cut”, which is one of those irritating “characters do a piece to camera” episodes. Lucy Lawless’ Kiwi accent throws you and it’s not remotely believable that a journo would be allowed unrestricted access in a time of war. But it soon recovers with the excellent Pegasus three parter and ends with a terrific whammy.
Season 2 continues the high quality on the whole, although it has the first bad episode – “Final Cut”, which is one of those irritating “characters do a piece to camera” episodes. Lucy Lawless’ Kiwi accent throws you and it’s not remotely believable that a journo would be allowed unrestricted access in a time of war. But it soon recovers with the excellent Pegasus three parter and ends with a terrific whammy.
Movie review – “Planet Terror” (2007) ***1/2
Takes forever to get going and I was about to dismiss it when it started picking up the pace and just got better and better. Again, like Deathproof, would have been really effective as a short feature, not a full length. Rose McGowan is extremely winning as the go-go dancer who wants to be a stand up comic (“people tell me I’m funny”). Short arse Freddy Rodriguez was a little odd as a tough guy but I got used to it and the support cast is excellent. Although these films are supposed to be exploitation and they don’t hold back on the blood and guts, there is quite a prudish attitude when it comes to nudity.
Movie review – “Zac and Miri Make a Porno” (2008) ****
Kevin Smith proves yet again that he’s learned his lessons from Jersey Girl – you can go commercial, but don’t leave your vision behind. So here we have a well-structured script, with sympathetic protagonists, etc, etc. and lots of warmth and romance but also Smith’s trademark swearwords and filthy humour.
I thought it was wonderful, a foul mouthed comedy with a lot of heart. Elizabeth Banks is excellent in what is a growing long line of attractive female leads who can believably pull off the fact they find the dork hero lovable (Katherine Heigl, Catherine Keener, Drew Barrymore).
Seth Rogen is the perfect Smith hero and Justin Long and Brandon Routh are hilarious – one of my only two grips is that these two didn’t reappear in the film. The other gripe was there didn’t really need to be a three month gap or whatever it is at the end. It could have happened a week or so later. But that doesn't explain why this wasn't a massive hit - buggered if I can figure it out, it should have been huge.
Movie review – Nurses #5 - “Candy Stripe Nurses” (1974) **1/2
The fifth last in New World’s student nurses cycle, but the first one I actually saw. It’s bright, breezy fun, albeit with the inherit dodginess of 70s "tits feminism" exploitation filmmaking.
Three candy stripe nurses (hospital waitresses, apparently - do we have such things in Australia?) find themselves having a series of adventures – the sexpot blonde (Candice Rialson) tries to root a famous rock singer (the sexy comic plot), the uptight brunette (Robin Mattson) falls for a college basketball player who is being given speed by his coach (the kinky/medical issues plot), and the ethnic (Maria Rojo) tries to prove the innocence of a supposed robber (the political plot). These are the youngest characters in the series as they are all still in high school (at least I think they were - Rojo's character definitely felt like a high schooler). It doesn't stop them taking off their clothes and having lots of sex.
Rialson was as winning as ever - bright, cheerful and pretty... you only wish she had a better plot. (I was confused by what she was trying to do with the rock singer at the end - what prompted her to take that approach in arousing him?) Mattson also gives good value, and her romance with the jock (she's an uptown girl who wants to be a doctor, he's a sporty moron) is one of the best in the series. Both look terrific naked - and their seduction scenes in the gym are downright hot, because they're both clearly into it, and their characters have great inherent conflict.
However Rojo seemed a bit too uncomfortably young for this sort of thing (though am I right in thinking that her sex scene was a dream sequence?) Even if they are all schoolgirls, it doesn’t seem right when they’re played by actual schoolgirls.
It doesn't help that Rojo has to do her plot on her own whereas Rialson and Mattson get to be friends with one another. There is no sense of camaraderie between the three of them - it's like two movies, one with Rialson and Mattson, and Rojo off in her own movie. Also Rojo is the weakest performer (although her character is strongly defined).
I would count this as third best in the series, after The Student Nurses and Night Call Nurse. It's got an enjoyable theme song, Rialson and Mattson are a lot of fun, plenty of nudity and high spirits, even if it is a bit clunky. Dick Miller has a small role as a heckler at a basketball game.
Three candy stripe nurses (hospital waitresses, apparently - do we have such things in Australia?) find themselves having a series of adventures – the sexpot blonde (Candice Rialson) tries to root a famous rock singer (the sexy comic plot), the uptight brunette (Robin Mattson) falls for a college basketball player who is being given speed by his coach (the kinky/medical issues plot), and the ethnic (Maria Rojo) tries to prove the innocence of a supposed robber (the political plot). These are the youngest characters in the series as they are all still in high school (at least I think they were - Rojo's character definitely felt like a high schooler). It doesn't stop them taking off their clothes and having lots of sex.
Rialson was as winning as ever - bright, cheerful and pretty... you only wish she had a better plot. (I was confused by what she was trying to do with the rock singer at the end - what prompted her to take that approach in arousing him?) Mattson also gives good value, and her romance with the jock (she's an uptown girl who wants to be a doctor, he's a sporty moron) is one of the best in the series. Both look terrific naked - and their seduction scenes in the gym are downright hot, because they're both clearly into it, and their characters have great inherent conflict.
However Rojo seemed a bit too uncomfortably young for this sort of thing (though am I right in thinking that her sex scene was a dream sequence?) Even if they are all schoolgirls, it doesn’t seem right when they’re played by actual schoolgirls.
It doesn't help that Rojo has to do her plot on her own whereas Rialson and Mattson get to be friends with one another. There is no sense of camaraderie between the three of them - it's like two movies, one with Rialson and Mattson, and Rojo off in her own movie. Also Rojo is the weakest performer (although her character is strongly defined).
I would count this as third best in the series, after The Student Nurses and Night Call Nurse. It's got an enjoyable theme song, Rialson and Mattson are a lot of fun, plenty of nudity and high spirits, even if it is a bit clunky. Dick Miller has a small role as a heckler at a basketball game.
Movie review – “Sergeant Deadhead” (1965) *1/2
Normally I love AIP musicals but this one was hard to take. It’s an attempt to graduate their Beach Party stars to more grown up entertainment – so we have Frankie Avalon, Deborah Walley (fitting in for Annette Funicello), John Ashley, Harvey Lembeck, Bobbi Shaw, Donna Loren and Buster Keaton put into military outfits. Service comedies are normally pretty surefire, but this is dreadful.
For one thing, it has a needlessly over-complicated plot – geeky Avalon is accidentally shot into space (fine), comes down a national hero but has a big head (fine), then has to have his position taken over by a lookalike (silly – and introduced way too late to the story). For another the antics of Avalon and co are really irritating, and breaking out into song doesn’t work. Also the freedom inherent in the beach party movies is stifled in the army setting.
There is a funny gag about the girls having to salute while wearing towels and said towels dropping on the ground, and Avalon and Walley work well together. It's weird to see John Ashley playing a nerd type character as opposed to his normal suave sidekick.
For one thing, it has a needlessly over-complicated plot – geeky Avalon is accidentally shot into space (fine), comes down a national hero but has a big head (fine), then has to have his position taken over by a lookalike (silly – and introduced way too late to the story). For another the antics of Avalon and co are really irritating, and breaking out into song doesn’t work. Also the freedom inherent in the beach party movies is stifled in the army setting.
There is a funny gag about the girls having to salute while wearing towels and said towels dropping on the ground, and Avalon and Walley work well together. It's weird to see John Ashley playing a nerd type character as opposed to his normal suave sidekick.
Movie review – “Bride Wars” (2009) **
This has a different sort of idea and two likeable stars, but much of it is lazy. It takes too long to turn Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway from best friends into mortal enemies, and when they do the revenge is mild and bitsy. This needed a spine, something consistent, a Pigeon sisters type plot where one of them plotted decent revenge – I kept waiting for the character of Hudson’s brother to be roped in, but he does hardly anything in the film until the end. (Hudson should have tried to get him to break up Hathaway’s relationship or something.) They didn’t need to be best friends – they could have been cousins or age-old rivals or something. Or even if they still wanted them to be best friends, they could have used the sidekicks (Kirsten Johnson and the secretary) more as Iagos – as it is the treatment is tentative and wimpy. They also have the leads say “we don’t want to get our friends involved” – then why even have the characters of the friends. The actors who play the grooms are seriously undercast – whatever happened to stunt casting? Hathaway is pretty and tries hard but Hudson looks tired.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Movie review – “Milk” (2009) ***1/2
Death gives a biopic an automatic ending, and this one’s is especially tragic and moving (the trial of Dan White would make a movie on its on). Sean Penn is excellent in the lead, as is Josh Brolin in the less showy part as Dan White. Women get a short shrift – there is one female character, but she isn’t personalised in the way the others are. A relatively low budget is artfully disguised.
Mini-series review – “Battlestar Galactica (2004) *****
I resisted the temptation to check out the re-imagining or whatever they call remakes these days because of a lingering affection for the 1970s show but was persuaded to catch it by the enthusiastic recommendation of Kevin Smith in his diary. Serves me right for being a snob – this is an excellent, intelligent, exciting series. To be honest, it’s better than the original which struggled to live up to the excellence of its premise, but it pays due homage. Indeed, this version would prove to be a lot more loyal to the premise, constantly going back to the idea “what would happen if this actually happened” instead of being bogged down with lots of boring stories about people crash landing on to planets and running into guest stars.
Some random thoughts – I don’t think they needed to explain away names like Apollo and Starbuck, and the sex female cylon feels like a sop to the fan boys (but it is a clever sop and she is one sexy cylon). And the scene between the commander and Apollo where they talk about Zac is clunky. But the rest of it is great. So many improvements over the original - Mary McDonnell’s president offers democratic government a decent face, the battle scenes are superb, the sheer tragedy of it incredibly moving.
Some random thoughts – I don’t think they needed to explain away names like Apollo and Starbuck, and the sex female cylon feels like a sop to the fan boys (but it is a clever sop and she is one sexy cylon). And the scene between the commander and Apollo where they talk about Zac is clunky. But the rest of it is great. So many improvements over the original - Mary McDonnell’s president offers democratic government a decent face, the battle scenes are superb, the sheer tragedy of it incredibly moving.
Movie review – “Island of Dr Moreau” (1977) **1/2
Fairly decent version of the famous novel which suffers from some silly make up for the creatures. Those creatures need to terrify or at least look realistic. Michael York isn’t bad as the hero and Burt Lancaster offers an interesting Moreau – he attempts to give a performance, which may disappoint those looking for a more lip smacking part. Barbara Carrera is very beautiful as the girl and Nigel Davenport speaks in a funny sort of weird semi-Aussie accent as a doctor. Lancaster’s old pal Nick Cravat has a small role.
Movie review – “Q: The Winged Serpent” (1982) **1/2
Probably ranks with It’s Alive as Larry Cohen’s best known film as director. It has many of his hallmarks – imagination, wit, a sort of exasperated affection for New York and its inhabitants, a feeling of being sloppily put together.
The central idea is a good one – an Aztec serpent is running amok in NYC – and Michael Moriarty is fun as a piano-playing ex-junkie who stumbles upon the creature’s nest and tries to blackmail the city. After that though the ideas seem to run out and the film does drag. It felt as though it needed another character or subplot or something – maybe more of Cnady Clark, or to find out who the local religos are earlier, something like that. I loved Moriarty in his scenes with David Carradine, two very different actors having a good time together. Moriarty’s singing on the soundtrack is a little irritating.
NB Sam Arkoff produced this in the wake of his departure from AIP – along with teen comedy classic Up the Creek (I’m not being sarcastic, I loved that film growing up). He didn’t make much else, which is a shame. Great pity he sold that studio.
The central idea is a good one – an Aztec serpent is running amok in NYC – and Michael Moriarty is fun as a piano-playing ex-junkie who stumbles upon the creature’s nest and tries to blackmail the city. After that though the ideas seem to run out and the film does drag. It felt as though it needed another character or subplot or something – maybe more of Cnady Clark, or to find out who the local religos are earlier, something like that. I loved Moriarty in his scenes with David Carradine, two very different actors having a good time together. Moriarty’s singing on the soundtrack is a little irritating.
NB Sam Arkoff produced this in the wake of his departure from AIP – along with teen comedy classic Up the Creek (I’m not being sarcastic, I loved that film growing up). He didn’t make much else, which is a shame. Great pity he sold that studio.
Movie review – “Psych Out” (1968) ***
Enjoyable piece of hippy-sploitation from AIP clearly designed to give the audience all the hippie clichés in one bright package: long hair, flowers, love-ins, hash cafes, Haight-Ashbury District, groovy clothes and music, drug freak outs. It also has a fun cast: Susan Strasberg is a deaf girl looking for her brother – she is helped by Jack Nicholson (in a pony tail as the womanising member of a band) and Dean Stockwell, and the brother is Bruce Dern. All it really lacks is Peter Fonda and/or Dennis Hopper. Nicholson is a confident, relaxed leading man, a very believable scallywag; Dern is enjoyably crazy; Stockwell all hippy integrity. The ending is a bit of a downer but I guess that's what happens when you take drugs.
Book review – “Rat Pack Confidential” by Shawn Levy
Entertaining look at the coolest dudes of the late 50s and early 60s, before the 60s got too wild. I expected Frank to be angry and Dean cool and Peter Lawford a mess despite all the good fortune that came his way, but the most touching character was easily Sam Davis Jnr, constantly fighting for approval. Also have a new appreciation for Joey Bishop who seemed to be highly professional and hard working (not that I didn’t expect this about Bishop so much as I didn’t have any opinion of him). It’s perhaps a bit too much to blame them for killing Marilyn Monroe.
Movie review – “She” (1965) ***1/2
I have great affection for this adventure tale, where Hammer tried to depart from their normal horror. They have old faves Peter Cushing and Chris Lee and throw in heartthrobs Ursula Andress and John Richardson. Andress is stunning as She, the beautiful despot who at the end of the day just wants a boyfriend.
I liked the setting of post World War I Palestine, but it was a mistake to introduce She in the first ten minutes – I think they should have held off on her. Also, like the 1935 version for some reason they don’t use the Holly-Leo clash over She – Holly jut sort of hangs around whereas in the novel he’s really important. (And they have Peter Cushing to play him too – why do they never do this in the books?)
On the sunny side, Bernard Cribbins is an excellent Job (who is a bit whimpy in the novel) and Christopher Lee provides menace and a decent subplot as one of She’s guards who is in love with her. It improves on the 1935 version by not having Leo fall in love with the ninny who rescues him (Rosenda Monteros is pretty but is no Ursula Andress). Richardson looks a bit funny with his blonde hair in modern British outfits, but totally suits a toga – maybe this is why he never had that great a career.
I liked the setting of post World War I Palestine, but it was a mistake to introduce She in the first ten minutes – I think they should have held off on her. Also, like the 1935 version for some reason they don’t use the Holly-Leo clash over She – Holly jut sort of hangs around whereas in the novel he’s really important. (And they have Peter Cushing to play him too – why do they never do this in the books?)
On the sunny side, Bernard Cribbins is an excellent Job (who is a bit whimpy in the novel) and Christopher Lee provides menace and a decent subplot as one of She’s guards who is in love with her. It improves on the 1935 version by not having Leo fall in love with the ninny who rescues him (Rosenda Monteros is pretty but is no Ursula Andress). Richardson looks a bit funny with his blonde hair in modern British outfits, but totally suits a toga – maybe this is why he never had that great a career.
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