Reviews

This documentary, an excellent look into one of the most paramount Supreme Court decisions in American history, explores the events leading up to Brown vs. Board of Education, especially highlighting the work of Charles H. Houston. Houston pulled together a team of competent lawyers, mostly black, and began to challenge segregation in the area that he thought would most ripple out to effect all the other areas of segregation, of which there were a multitude: education. The film highlights Houston's brilliance particularly well. His case is so well crafted, and his research and work so thorough, that it's hard to think of any judges actually disagreeing with him (there were a few, though). With the help of the NAACP, Houston essentially attacked current educational practices where it would hurt the most: educational funding. He fought for the equalization between black and white salaries, of textbooks, and of school buildings. Houston's point all along had been that any school that was separate and segregated according to color was by no means equal. In summary, then, this documentary is particularly helpful in aiding one's understanding of the Brown vs. Board of Education case, the events leading up to Brown, Brown's aftermath, and all the hard work and dedication put in by black and white alike to end what is one of America's darkest periods. It is well put together with a montage of stock video footage from the period, interviews with some of the individuals who helped shape the Brown case, music, and powerful images. If you are looking for a good documentary highlighting the decision to end segregation, then this is definitely the one you should see.

9 stars out of 10.

To be honest, you don't really see many films specifically about writing very often. When you do find them, though, you hope they are as good as this film. Finding Forrester is an entertaining and intelligent film that strives to knock down cultural barriers and even personal barriers. It has several strong points including performances, story, and direction. First of all, Sean Connery's performance is wonderfully truthful and inspiring. It's entertaining to watch him, especially when he's given lines that only he could possibly get away with. New-comer, Rob Brown, is also very good, perhaps not as good as Connery, but considering this is his first film, he does an excellent job. There were certainly some interesting camera angles as well, which made the film more interesting; props to director Gus Van Sant on that.

A weaker point in the film was the music which, although it worked in this particular film, was not terribly interesting to listen to, nor did it really heighten the film for me.

On the whole, Finding Forrester is a strong film with good messages about overcoming obstacles, racial issues, and our own personal fears. Highly recommended.

8 out of 10 stars.

Don Bluth's masterpiece, The Land Before Time, is a wonderful children's feature with beautiful animation, a great story, adorable characters, and good direction.

As a director, Bluth's use of color and texture in this film is absolutely brilliant. He has this wonderful soft blending of mainly the background colors (usually most notable in the sky), which suggests use of chalk pastels to create this effect. In every film of his that I've seen, he always has great (what I like to call) atmospherics. In this film, you notice it in the blowing of dust/fog, some of the fire effects with the volcanoes (mainly the falling fire sparks), the falling black ash before the characters reach the "mountains that burn," as well as certain water effects.

The vocal cast was really well suited to all their roles. There were a few instances where some of the lines were a bit muffled and hard to understand, but for the most part, the cast did really well with their lines, made them sound natural, and child-like, and managed not to be overly cute and obnoxious as some characters made for children's films inherently are.

The score by James Horner is a wonderful addition to the film's atmosphere and really does a great job setting the mood. Horner always has a way of infusing his scores with a sense of romanticism that is often lacking in today's film composers, and this film is no exception. He makes really good use of his strings section, especially in this period of his work.

To be sure, this film is a masterpiece! All of its excellent qualities are apparent while watching the film, most notably the animation (which is excellent for a late 80s film), the voice cast, the score, the story, and the art direction. Without a doubt, it would be well-deserving of a spot in any animated feature hall of fame.

9 Stars out of 10!

The Muppet Show is, by far, one of the best constructed variety shows out there. Plus, it has all our favorite Muppet characters, and seriously, who can go wrong with the Muppets? This show is a perfect blend of song and dance, Muppet and guest star interaction, and just plain fun for the whole family.

The humor in the show offers the perfect mix of adult jokes and gags that fly right over the heads of children, and laughs that both child and adult can enjoy. Jim Henson truly created a masterpiece with this show, not to mention his popular films and other spin-off shows. The Muppet Show also offers a wonderful glimpse of many of the stars of yesteryear (the mid- to late-1970s), many of whom still survive today.

This show definitely needs to be picked up by one of the networks for syndication because, although it seems somewhat dated at times (not much, though, really) it's genuine entertainment value could boost any network's ratings.

Deservedly so, I've given The Muppet Show a rating of 10 stars out of 10!

Family Guy is, without a doubt, one of the funniest shows ever to grace the small screen. The show itself is an animated masterpiece that doesn't often rely on the old gimmicks of situation comedy. It is as irreverent to as many subjects as possible. Another element that truly aids in the show's hilarity are the many obscure references to movies like Tron and show's like "The Facts of Life."

The ensemble cast is stellar and all are perfect for the characters they are voicing. The creator, Seth Macfarlaine, does many of the character voices including Stewie, the tyrannical baby with plans for world dominion; Brian, the sarcastic and alcoholic family dog; and the family guy himself, Peter Griffin, who gets into more trouble than any man should. Alex Borstein does a fine job voicing the family mother, Lois Griffin. She also voices many of the female stock characters such as news anchor Diane Simmons, Asian reporter Tricia Takanawa, as well as many others. Seth Green's rendition of Chris Griffin, son of Peter and Lois, is hilarious and perfectly suited to him. Mila Kunis did the voice of ultra-reject daughter and sister, Meg Griffin.

The show also featured a fabulous group of guest stars which includes Adam West, all of Kiss, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Bob Barker, Candice Bergen, Ed McMahon, Kelly Ripa, and Wallace Shawn.

Overall, the show was a comic masterpiece and was cancelled far too soon.

Cold Comfort Farm has been and remains one of my favorite movies of all time. Why? Simple: it is hilarious, has a star-studded and perfect ensemble cast, and is a beautiful adaptation of an equally, if not more hilarious, book. When one thinks about this movie, one always returns to the cast and how well-suited they were for their roles. Kate Beckinsale fits perfectly in the role of London débutante Flora Poste who, like Jane Austen, "could not endure a mess." Ian McKellen plays his role to fire and brimstone perfection. Rufus Sewell is remarkably well suited as the smoldering Seth with his brooding eyes and husky, outdoors-y sentiments. Eileen Atkins plays the extremely depressed, reverse-Oedipal mother of Seth in all her exceptional oddness. This is but naming a few of the fabulous cast members that fills this film. The film itself is beautifully filmed and beautifully acted. I would highly recommend it to anyone who 1)enjoys subtle British humor and 2)just enjoys an all-around excellent film.