paulefortini Reviews

Ringmaster (1998)

Jerry's Best or Worst

[1/10 · 30 December 2008]

I will admit that I have seen maybe five minutes of "Jerry Springer". I don't consider myself a snob, but I really think that I am above watching what's on his show. You should try to elevate yourself above that too.

I saw this movie as part of a social studies event I was conducting. I was told that this movie really had little to do with Springer himself, rather it centered on the lives of those who would appear on "Springer." Handled better, this movie might have actually been a fascinating look at how pathetic these people's lives actually are. I will admit, I felt a twinge of empathy for Connie (Molly Hagan). This is all she has in life. How sad that she feels she must go on Jerry's show in order to resolve this.

I really feel sorry for Molly Hagan appearing in this. Have you noticed that after this movie, she has mainly been relegated to "B" roles on TV? I will say this about Hagan. She is an extremely beautiful and intelligent woman. I have no doubt that she is very earnest in her acting and she tries to play her roles with a lot of empathy. The problem is that Hagan can't carry a scene on her own. She just doesn't have what it takes to do a lead role. Her best work will always be Angel on "Herman's Head" (a show that was not great, but its heart was in the right place) and when she guested on "Seinfeld" as Sister Roberta.

Dan in Real Life (I) (2007)

Good, Not Great

[7/10 · 21 November 2007]

The only thing I really didn't like about this movie was that it was good when it could have been great. Enough has been said about the plot, but to sum it up, it involves a widowed dad played by Steve Carrell who is an advice columnist. He has three daughters. While away for a family reunion, he meets a wonderful woman at a bookstore not knowing that she is his brother's (Dane Cook) girlfriend. You can take it from there.

As a previous poster states, this movie goes for intelligence instead of "dumb-guy" humor. It seems to like its characters. Dianne Wiest and John Mahoney are terrific as his somewhat meddlesome parents (particularly Wiest). I don't like Dane Cook much, but even he turns in a decent performance. I also liked how the family, while quirky, does love one another. Another nice touch is how Dan has to sleep in the laundry room.

Unfortunately, I also wanted to slap Dan about half-way through the film. See, in real life, had such an encounter occurred, we would have the awkwardness between the guy and girl (that's a given). But they would have gotten over it, or at least kept it to themselves. Dan is so obsessed with her that it was getting on my nerves at times and he is willing to risk his relationship with his brother (I can't really relate to that as I have two sisters and no brothers. But I still wouldn't do anything to risk my relationship with them). But then again, we wouldn't have a movie if Dan wasn't so obsessed.

Despite the above, it's still a worthwhile to see this movie. It is refreshing to see a movie for adults with this level of maturity.

Income Tax Sappy (1954)

Interesting Late Three Stooges Short

[7/10 · 31 July 2007]

"Income Tax Sappy" is one of the last good Three Stooges Shorts. It is notable for several reasons. It was one of only a few released that year that did not contain stock footage. It was also one of the few "all-new" episodes released after Shemp Howard suffered a minor stroke.

Most notably, however, is that "Income Tax Sappy," much like other "all-new" episodes released late in Shemp's career, had a different look and feel to it. According to author Jeffery Forrester in his 1981 book "The Stooge Chronicles", these episodes were an attempt by Columbia to freshen up things a little bit. Columbia's reasoning was that audiences were getting a little tired of the standard Stooges routines. The viewer will notice that in episodes like "Income Tax Sappy", and "Goof on a Roof", the settings are much more middle-class (at least how TV and the movies showed the middle-class in the 1950s). The apartments in these shorts are actually rather up-to-date and spiffy! The earlier portrayals of the Stooges, as barely-employed low-lifes, would have seemed awfully dated by this time.

Did this attempt by Columbia work? Well, yes and no. "Income Tax Sappy", while okay, does not rank up there with the best of the Shemp episodes like "Brideless Groom" and "Fright Night." Though the Stooges give it their best, it was clear that things were winding down.

Stop Making Sense (1984)

The Benchmark of All Concert Films

[10/10 · 9 March 2007]

It's a good thing that the Talking Heads broke up when they did. I mean, could you imagine them slogging it out today, playing the state fair circuit, or worse, the street fair circuit? No, watch this film. See a band at its creative and energetic peak. Remember them as they were over the two or three days in which it was filmed. Of course, you must watch David Byrne. He would make his entire body a performance art. He would contort, jog, dance, leap, and even make his clothes a prop.

But, watch Tina Weymouth...

Tina is a very visual performer too. She says almost nothing, letting her bass guitar speak for her. And while David goes over the top often, Tina is subtle and sublime. With her body moves as she dances in place. With her facial expressions, her smiles, occasional raised eyebrows, and glances. Then when the action shifts to the Tom Tom Club (in order to give David a break and allow him to change into his big suit), her big moment is for one song only--"Genius of Love" but man does she seize the moment and make it all her own! Rounding out the Talking Heads of course are drummer Chris Frantz (Tina Weymouth's husband for over 30 years now) and guitarist/keyboardist Jerry Harrison. When Chris takes the stage, he bounds up onto the riser, bows, and with a big smile, gets drumming. He is clearly enjoying himself during this and at the end of the show, he jubilantly throws his sticks into the audience. Jerry is a little harder to get a bead on. At times he's clearly enjoying himself, particularly on BURNING DOWN THE HOUSE. Other times he seems a little detached.

Rounding out the touring band are Alex Weir on lead guitar, Bernie Worrel on keyboards, Edna Holt and Lynn Marbry on back-up vocals, and Steve Scales on percussion. None are treated as sidemen, rather as an integral part of the show.

It has been commented that some "sweetening" of the sound was done. But I believe that it was to achieve sound consistency. I have heard several concert films with terrible audio (RUST NEVER SLEEPS comes to mind). Seeing this movie is what made me a Talking Heads fan back in 1985. Finding a copy at the used book store in 2006 is what helped me re-discover them.

It would be easy to dismiss the Talking Heads as all visual as all David Byrne. Such is not the case. The songwriting and musicianship was solid throughout the band's career. The band remained together for several more years, scoring several additional hits including AND SHE WAS, LADY DON'T MIND, & WILD WILD LIFE. They called it quits as a band in 1991, although all four members have remained active in music.

The Last Waltz (1978)

Hit The Fast Forward Button!

[7/10 · 1 November 2006]

By now, the "story" behind THE LAST WALTZ is well known. It is a concert film depicting The Band's "farewell concert" on Thanksgiving, 1976 at the Winterland. Thanks to Netflix, I finally was able to watch THE LAST WALTZ. Among such other concert films as CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH and STOP MAKING SENSE, it is a wonderful period piece, capturing its era. The musical performances in this film are very solid. The Staple Singers join in for part of THE WEIGHT, Van Morrison makes a curious stage exit before his song is even done, and Neil Diamond reminds us of the gifted songwriter he could be.

BUT....

I really wish the film had just stayed with the musical performances. Unfortunately, we also get numerous "backstage interviews." These mar and slow down the pacing of the film and as such, these segments have not aged well. Most of The Band, speak in monotones and (no disrespect intended) but Rick Danko and Richard Manuel seem so drugged-out in these segments, it's no wonder they have since died.

I could give this movie a 10 were it not for the interview segments. Still, don't let that detract you. Hit the fast-forward button and enjoy some wonderful music performances.

As for what happened to the performers since then: Levon Helm did get into some acting, most notably in COAL MINER'S DAUGHTER. Robbie Robertson had something of a solo comeback in the late 1980s. Neil Young, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison have continued to write compelling new music. And Eric Clapton of course has had the most successful career since then.

The Razor's Edge (1984)

Early Dramatic Turn For Bill Murray

[7/10 · 28 April 2006]

I was twenty one when this film was first released. I'd been a Bill Murray fan already and I wanted to see this film. However, it was the summer of GHOSTBUSTERS and that's what caused this movie to disappear from the theatres without a trace. The problem was that at the time, no one wanted to see a serious Bill Murray (Something similar happened for Steve Martin's PENNIES FROM HEAVEN). THE RAZOR'S EDGE was extremely difficult to find on VHS.

Finally, thanks to the advent of DVD and NETFLIX, I was able to see this film 22 years after it was released. This film would presage the dramatic roles that Murray would take a dozen or so years after its release. It is true that we see traces of the circa 1984 Murray hamming it up (and the film could do without those). But we also see an actor who had carefully studied his role and is totally believable as Larry, the man who goes on a journey of self-discovery after witnessing terrible things in war.

I remember the radio ads, featuring Murray, that were aired at the time of this film's release. Murray advised us "If you want comedy, go see Ghostbusters!" As a sidenote, this may be the only film which featured brothers Bill Murray and Brian-doyle Murray.

Curious George (2006)

May I Never Get So Old....

[8/10 · 15 March 2006]

...that I could never enjoy this sort of movie! I'm 42 years old and I grew up on the Curious George books. To be fair, the movie deviates a little from the book. In the film, The Man In The Yellow Hat has a name, Ted (in the books he does not). The adults are given bigger roles. But the film stands out on its own merits. And this is one magical movie! It is the type of film that a five year old will like, but an adult will LOVE!.

The plot involves Ted (Will Ferrell), who works at a museum as a docent. Maggie Dunlop, a schoolteacher (Drew Barrymore) brings her class there every week. Not for educational reasons--Maggie is secretly in love with Ted. But her children are bored at the museum and the curator, Mr. Bloomsberry (Dick Van Dyke) is aware of this. What's more, the museum is losing money, and unless a HUGE spectacular exhibit is brought in, the place will close. That's fine with his son Junior Bloomsberry (Michael Cross, best known for playing Tobias on "Arrested Development."). Junior wants to build a profit making parking deck on the site of the museum. Ted is sent by Bloomsberry Sr. to Africa to retrieve an idol, which will fill the bill. There he meets George, the monkey.

As other posters have said, there is no crass humor in this. There is simply the scrapes that Curious George gets Ted into and out of. The interplay between Curious George and the bumbling Ted (the type of character Ferrell excels at playing) is what makes the movie work. This is also old-school 2-D animation with a wonderful palate of colors. And the songs by Jack Johnson actually propel the story along.

Please don't ever lose your sense of whimsy! Enjoy a simple treasure like this movie. Even if you don't have kids.