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RGMike
Reviews
Red Hook Summer (2012)
Critics are really missing the boat here
Saw the new Spike Lee, "Red Hook Summer", in an empty theater. Not surprising, as it's gotten some bad reviews, but I kinda liked it. Yes, it's a bit of a mess and the child actors really are awful (seriously, Spike, you couldn't find talented black kids in BROOKLYN??) but I think the critics missed the boat. It struck me as Spike's response to Tyler Perry-ism and a rather pointed comment on poor black people's love of church, even tho' Jeezus ain't done nothing' for them lately -- nobody seems to have noticed, much less mentioned that in any review I've read. The great Clarke Peters (of "The Wire" and "Treme") is wonderful. Loved the super-saturated color cinematography. A few things make no sense (tho' explaining would mean spoilers) but overall, worth a look.
Cabriola (1965)
Lost Relic of my childhood
I saw this movie in a US theater (yes indeed it was dubbed, not sub-titled) when I was a kid -- 11 or 12 years old, in 1966 -- it was for some odd reason the bottom half of a double-bill with another Columbia release, "Born Free". It ran barely 60 minutes, so clearly it was quite different from what Europeans saw. I know I enjoyed it (even though I'd never heard of Marisol, and would never come across her again) and have never forgotten it. I guess maybe I was fascinated by the fact that this movie no one had heard of was playing at my local neighborhood theater with a big Hollywood co-feature. Don't know why it popped into my head tonight. Must've been the music, or maybe the European locations. I was unaware, until I found it described here, that it was directed by Mel Ferrer, of all people. Another comment mentions that he got the film a "wide US release" but I'd be astounded to find out it played outside of big cities (I grew up in New York). I suspect Mr Ferrer had friends in high places. I would love to come across it on DVD or cable -- a remote possibility, I'm guessing. Oh well... another lost relic of childhood, gone forever. I wonder if anyone in the US remembers ever seeing this film? Maybe it's on YouTube? Oh. Guess not.