Reviews

Anybody in search of sophisticated comedy should avoid this movie like the plague. However, if you're a fan of blue comedy and belly laughs,"Strangers with Candy" is the one for you. The film like the short lived Comedy Central series is filled with cynical takes on adolescence, high school, family life and sex.If you're a fan of the show, the first glimpse of Jerri's hideous face will give you a serious case of the giggles immediately. She's the ultimate outsider, a real troll who says what the rest of us were afraid to say to the A-list kids in high school. The scene of Jerri's revenge on a student attempting to leave a "gift" in her locker will elicit laughter and some vicarious pleasure from all those who ever suffered the torments of bullies. Even when people try to victimize Jerri, they take a chance of being dragged down to her level of depravity, an irony not lost on fans. "Strangers with Candy" is a wacky look at a time in life that most of us would prefer to forget but the humor ranging from the elliptical to the scatological will make high school a lot more fun this time around. I haven't been in a theater with that much laughter since I saw "Animal House" in 1978. The ninety minute length of the film keeps the gags from getting stale.

"A Man for All Seasons" is film worthy of the often over worked descriptive title, timeless classic. Paul Scofield's understated performance makes much of the legal debate that takes place riveting. The overall themes of the movie, like the rule of law will resonate with any audience dealing with contemporary issues of the limits of power. In an age where truth is all too often relative and the law is seen as some malleable tool for the powerful, this story from five centuries ago and the film which is now forty years old remains compelling. "A Man for All Seasons" is truly a great movie for all time.

As usual, Merchant and Ivory give us a cinematic gem with "The Remains of the Day." The film actually goes back and forth in time between the eve of the Second World War and the late 1950s. The overriding theme of the film seems to be the perils of moral apathy. Stevens can't seem to open up to reality, and reshapes it to suit his own notions of conformity. This becomes apparent with his denial of his own father's illness, his refusal to accept love and admiration from Emma Thompson's character, and his complete indifference to his master's accommodating view to the looming threat posed by Nazi Germany. The mark of a great film lies not in any amount of action , but of deliberate plot and character development and "The Remains of the Day" has this quality in spades. Hopkins and Thompson give great performances just as the did in "Howard's End" a year earlier. This film will leave a lasting impression.

HBO has unfortunately canceled this brilliant series. Carnivale is one of the most beautifully shot and directed series on television. The first season, available on DVD, starts out slowly but quickly accelerates. The plot is complex, with several tiers of characters, conflict and confrontation, but it's well worth the wait. Standout performances include Clancy Brown as Brother Justin and Adriene Barbeau as Ruthy, a carnival snake handler. There are few good shows with a supernatural premise. Carnivale is one of them. The overriding themes of good vs. evil, the faithful portrayal of 1930's fashion and speech and even the opening credits will draw the viewer in. In a TV era of stupid reality programs and inane sitcoms, Carnivale stands out just for being different.

These cartoons are great despite the primitive animation. I'm old enough to remember them in their first run but I really didn't get the political and social satire until I saw them in re-runs while I was in college. The extras like Dudley Doright and Fractured Fairy Tales are also terrific. Adults will probably get the humor of these cartoons more than children. There are hidden jokes in Rocky and Bullwinkle concerning a wide range of topics, running the gamut from the Cold War and Walt Disney to hernia exams at the draft board office. Fans of Warner Brothers cartoons will recognize June Fooray as not only the voice of Rocky and Natasha but also that of Granny and Witch Hazel.

This was one of the lamest and most predictable movies I've seen in a long time. Long on style, short on substance, "Taking Lives" amounts to little more than a chance for Ethan Hawke and Angelina Jolie to pose for an hour and forty-five minutes. Given the short time length, this movie still drags on forever. I pity anyone who actually shelled out $10.00 at the local multiplex to see this film. I would recommend against renting the video or DVD and don't watch it unless there's absolutely nothing else on television. The camera-work is occasionally interesting and is the only redeeming quality of this mess. The film's premise, the story of a serial killer who assumes the identity of each of his victims requires some typical Hollywood artistic license, but "Taking Lives" goes beyond the most outlandish limits of plausibility.

I would give this movie high marks for the cinema-photography and performances. I just read a user comment concerning the performance of the actress who plays a conniving courtesan who fleeces Sinuoeh, the lead character. I remember a mini-biography of this actress following the movie the last time I saw it. Apparently, she was a Holocaust refugee, discovered by a French husband and wife in the movie industry who were taken with her extraordinary beauty. She died very young and under tragic circumstances. Gene Tierney is also outstanding in this film. Like other neo-Biblical films of the 1940's and 50s, "The Egyptian" reflects the morals and values of that time, but is still great entertainment because the performances are terrific and the story so well told.