Reviews

Although just as engaging and entertaining as the rest of the series, this plot has far too many holes to meet the standard set in the first season. Holmes' conclusions are too fantastic; his methods are highly questionable; his assumptions often factually incorrect; and his last source of information is pure magic. I hope this isn't a sign of things to come... But since this episode appears to merely set up future intrigue with the introduction of new old characters and an open-ended investigation regarding a larger conspiracy, the weak plot is almost forgivable, provided these implied story lines are developed further. I give the writers an "E" for effort, but a "D" for creativity and quality.

Where have I seen this plot before, and why is Carell mimicking Lugosi? Oh, yeah... Flip the scared dog character to a vicious dog character, and replace him with a million yellow marshmallows, change Boris to Bela, add some competition (instead of a beloved holiday) to raise the drama, and VOILA! You've got a whole new original movie! (NOT) I don't mind a new take on an old story, but I really felt let-down after watching the trailers that seemed to suggest this was a new & unique story. And the bonus features also seem to break their arms patting themselves on the back for originality. The film IS entertaining & amusing, but you don't need me or anyone else to tell you what happens - you've seen it at least once a year for your whole life. Either the cartoon version with Karloff's voice, or the live-action version with Jim Carey. Both of which I found more entertaining that this one.

Is this comment a spoiler? Well, I'm not going to reveal the real killer, but then again: neither does this movie. Just like Pearl Harbor & Titanic, this movie has nothing to do with the famous historical event in its title - it only piggy-backs onto that fame to pawn off another mediocre love story to unsuspecting male moviegoers who are looking for a date-movie with a little entertainment value. Unfortunately, this one is too convoluted & unsatisfying to qualify for any value, and it's too gory to be a good date-movie. If you want a satisfying movie in this vein, try Lonely Hearts - it's not only historically-accurate; it's actually ABOUT a relationship, and has a real link to the true story, but I don't want to spoil it for you!

Although this disk contains fifteen videos for several popular songs, the videos are NOT necessarily the popular versions seen on early MTV. Most notably: I Ran (Flock of Seagulls) doesn't contain a single frame showing Mike Score's famous hairdo. In a Big Country (Big Country) & Barbie Girl (Aqua) appear to be original, but Cars (Gary Numan) isn't. Other titles include All Night Long (Lionel Ritchie), Shout (Tears for Fears), Tubthumping (Chumbawumba), All Around the World (Lisa Stnasfield), Walking on the Sun (Smash Mouth), Promises Promises (Naked Eyes), One Thing Leads to Another (The Fixx), Everyday I Write the Book (Elvis Costello), Hold Me Now (The Thompson Twins), All My Life (K-ci & JoJo), and Closing Time (Semisonic). A montage of trademark early-MTV clips introduces the videos, and each is preceded by a brief excerpt from an interview, usually with the original band members.

Don't let the premise fool you into thinking this is a rehash of Bill Murray's movie - this is a GREAT little story unto itself. It's closer to Office Space & Back to the Future than to Groundhog Day.

With a well-constructed plot & engaging characters, you can ignore the obvious writing & cinematography constraints of working on a TV budget. Watch for the pearls: Jeremy Piven & Marin Landau will sneak through with their organic performances if you're not paying attention. But everyone from the office dominatrix to the wiry assassin are well-developed; I even felt like "Mom" was part of the cast! So what IS the story about? A hard-working downtrodden everyday guy with a little tardiness problem. On the day that he FINALLY works up enough nerve to talk to the office cutie that he's had a crush on for longer than his mother can stand, she gets killed. And he has to watch it happen. ...again. And if he doesn't figure out what to say & do, he'll have to keep watching it. But the key is to figure out who ELSE is watching her, and why his interest in her has caused our hero to wake up Tuesday after Tuesday after Tuesday...

12:01 is definitely worth watching again, and again, and again, and...

Volume 1 covers his life before he became president. Volume 2 covers all his terms as president, the time between, and his life from presidency to death. The story is engaging, well-written, and seems to be very thorough. The narratives by Richard Dreyfuss are distracting, though, because his voice is so recognizable. Anyone not familiar with Dreyfuss won't suffer from that distraction. I was surprised to learn the background of the Panama Canal that had not been covered by other documentaries, as well as by the relationships to the tycoons of the era, the changes in law, politics, & society all due directly to Teddy's unique style of administration. It was also interesting to learn how he singlehandedly cleaned up corruption in the NYPD.

The analysis is over - enjoy the movie, and stop trying to read too much into it! Not only is this the first movie to combine live action with animation, AND the first with a black star who's actually played by a black person; he plays ALLLLL the leading roles: live & animated. Sings ALLLLL the songs, too. And it's great! It's disgusting that Disney itself is banning one of the best movies it ever released. Walt would NOT be happy.

Slavery? There are no slaves shown. The only "bad" people shown are 2 white boys, and they're not important characters. Are there poor people & well-off people shown? Yes, as in any movie. Is there racial diversity? Yes, at least one white sharecropper family is shown along with the black sharecroppers. Is it historically accurate? Certainly not close to 100%, but certainly moreso than Pearl Harbor or Titanic. But it's not supposed to be - it's an animated fantasy with some live action.

Get over the BS that Disney is using to justify denying us access to this classic, and don't let them sleep until they re-release it!

No one will ever say this was a "great film", but it's still got plenty of redeeming qualities that place it far above most of the tripe Hollywierd is pumping out these days. An endless stream of subtle but hilarious one-liners ("Man, I was just on the toilet thinking' about you. Ain't life a bitch?" and "I guess he shoulda froze." "Well, it's not like we didn't tell him."), scene setups that have been copied to death for their comic potential (like the drying-out scene), and the cliché but still fresh presentation of a classic buddy-movie. Even the annoying characters (like Mom) are somehow entertaining in their own way. It doesn't surprise me that this title is conspicuously absent from rental shelves, but I, for one, will be glad when it's finally available on DVD.

PS I still find myself quoting this movie at least once a week: "No, thanks. I'm on a low-mucous diet." :-D

The surprisingly rich character development is only one of the aspects of this film that make it one of my favorites. I feel I know not only the main characters, but also the supporting cast and even the era in which it's set.

All of them are fully fleshed-out and important to the story.

True to Conan-Doyle's style, and contrary to some other comments here, there are no extra elements - everything shown is a clue, especially the opening sequence apparently showing a shotgun suicide, but with a hungry corpse... Even the background dialogue adds to the reality of the plot and hints at what's really happening.

Despite being a long movie with stylistic still sequences and deliberately slow action & dialogue, Electra Glide in Blue is nevertheless a classic whodunit as proven by its steadfast popularity.

Too bad the original DVDs are so rare & expensive...

With a story as confusing as the situation described by it, Mr. Buddwing ranks among the few movies made the way the lead character is really experiencing the story. Characters shift from confused recollections to reality and back as an amnesiac tries to piece together his few memories, his location, and an obscure scrap of paper with a phone number on it. As bits of memory resurface, "Mr. Buddwing" (as he has arbitrarily named himself) wonders if he could be the killer described in the news, but also feels a compulsion to rescue the women he encounters: a lonely socialite, a suicidal divorcée, and a captivating student.

Although not the best performances by any of the actors, the engaging story and rare style make this movie a must-see for any fans of the genre or the performers. Anyone who appreciates the song "D.O.A." by Bloodrock will appreciate the style of this story.