alan_truelove Reviews

The Crimson Mask (2009)

gripping action and Faustian legend

[7/10 · 25 April 2010]

Saw this at Buffalo/Niagara Film Fest 2010, with discussion with auteur etc--it only becomes clear at the end that this is some kind of test for Thomas, to become the head of a Company, but this isn't elaborated-you are left to draw your own conclusions ... It was admitted that two (?) separate films were amalgamated, which was enterprising. Perhaps melding the content of these two films dictated the (brief) Faustian motif. There are some references to Film great moments -- and the early clips from old films need careful attention ... This creative team say they are set to make 2 more movies, and one would have high hopes. After a full week of indies, a well-paced film like this is a relief.

Stuck Like Chuck (2009)

better than some mainstream

[5/10 · 20 April 2010]

Saw at Buffalo Niagara Film Fest 2010 The female lead is definitely appealing... Not much action.. Sequel Stuck on Chuck II is promised.. This auteur bears watching.. The contemporary attitudes etc expressed are not particularly original, but are presented in good taste.. the alternative endings are interesting.. One would hope that this auteur will be able to extend his creative talent to the Real World .. we need watchable intelligent films .. Very poor support (Mon night, Sabres Game) for this Buffalo festival.. perhaps will improve later in week. The Film Professor actor is a dead ringer for Chris Elliot; homage to Tina Fey is funny, but not particularly believable. Congratulations to the auteur on this effort. A pre-movie appeal offers CD's etc if you support him.

The Glittering Prizes (1976)

Two episodes dated and boring - the rest, great

[8/10 · 30 July 2009]

Don't bother to check epinions-they haven't heard of it. The Enoch Powell episode is dated, and as it turns out, fatuous (declaration of interest: some of us are erecting a statue with the epitaph: He was right); same goes for the Rebrick University episode. I recommend FF or eject on both (I haven't checked whether these episodes have any other plot in them..)

Adam seems overly concerned w. religion (maybe this follows Fred's life)-I was at Cambridge at that time & don't recall the slightest mention of the subject, other than mild criticism of the Billy Graham campaign.

Angela Down is so endearing in her 2 episodes that she really deserved star billing. The idea of a racing sculling boat at the Orchard is unthinkable. I don;'t remember seeing many Undergrad gowns (compulsory after dark) - maybe I missed them, or possibly they thought it would confuse American viewers..

Stranger Than Fiction (2006)

Give L Ron Hubbard Credit

[4/10 · 26 November 2006]

Almost identical premise to (a)-- Typewriter in the Sky, L Ron Hubbard, 'Unknown' mag, 1942 (Hard cover copy avail from Amazon.com from $2) This is possibly one of the best known stories from Unknown.. Possibly the movie script writer -unconciously read, or heard of, this story line

Differences: The author in (a) was a 10 cents a word (male) pulp fiction writer trying to meet deadline; the sound of his typewriter was audible to the hero Absence of 'death' threat. As I remember, there was more interaction-- the hero could change the 'story line' causing the author grief...

The Truth About Love (2005)

Jennifer Love Hewitt unreleased, but DVD avail.

[10/10 · 16 July 2005]

JLH has a massive fan base consisting of all Males 12-80, and females 12-18 and up - and a large segment in Korea. As the IMDb bio. shows, she is making hay .. with NBC series starting Sept. '05. These 2 2004 unreleased-(or quickly passed)-in-the-US movies ("If Only" being the other) movies, plus the large number in 2005, show: That JLH as Producer, Exec. Consultant or whatever) has grabbed the initiative and is off and running. Snide comments on her acting ability are irrelevant. Even if we have seen her iconic close-up - goofy grin and crinkled-up eyes - for 6 years now, it is still endearing. These two are therefore an absolute must for even mild JLH fans.(available from Korea; you need a $99 Global DVD; experiment with the White plug in a different hole on the DVD player, to get the spoken Soundtrack - in English of course; go from Menu to Setup, the setup option is the third one down, if labeled in Korean; select subtitles: "English" -this is the best I have been able to do- and hit the Select button - the middle of the directional circle of 4 - on your remote. Hit "Resume")

JLH is English(!) and married to an English lawyer(Dougray Scott) who neglects her, in what looks like Bristol. She suspects he is having an affair (in fact, true) but enters into a bet with her best girlfriend that she can demonstrate his faithfulness by coming on to him as "Anonymous" via cell-phone, blind-fold etc. She loses big time, and kicks him out. The couple's best friend, who has always loved her, offers to fill in, but "she doesn't want to lose her best friend" .. then changes her mind, chases his departing train .. happy ending.

Confessions of a Sociopathic Social Climber (2005 TV Movie)

Jennifer Love Hewitt movie with a US DVD ?

[10/10 · 16 July 2005]

Well, let us at least be thankful for: (a) JLH's very attractive haircut - long, fringed across the brow. (As compared to "If Only", and "The Truth above Love", q.v.) (b) Having been shown on Cable TV, (I don't remember if this one was released or not), one presumes a DVD will be available in a few weeks. This is an old plot, bad scheming professional girl in NYC repents, makes a public confession and regains boyfriend. I'm not sure a script like Pretty Woman, Runaway Bride or Notting Hill would do any good for JLH. (Like Julianne Nicholson, JLH is - at least for another decade - irretrievably the All-American girl next door, cheerful, healthy, etc - for both, incursions into any exotic sexual area don't quite come off). It's possible that JLH (or advisers) have chosen the best possible route for her; the next big test will be the NBC series in Sept. '05. But even if that fails, JLH has a clear niche based on a world-wide fan-base, and low-cost (one presumes) or foreign production romantic movies (not perhaps Comedy like the Tuxedo) which she can now demonstrably sustain alone without any other star. Can Sara Michelle Geller do that? JLH is in the same category as Julianne -- foreigners (Eur. and Oriental) rave about them, cannot understand why they are not big stars.

If Only (2004)

Jennifer Love Hewitt unreleased - but DVD avail.

[10/10 · 16 July 2005]

JLH has a massive fan base consisting of all Males 12-80, and females 12-18 and up - and a large segment in Korea. As the IMDb bio. shows, she is making hay .. with NBC series starting Sept. '05. These 2 2004 unreleased-(or quickly passed)-in-the-US movies (The Truth above Love being the other) movies, plus the large number in 2005, show: That JLH as Producer, Exec. Consultant or whatever) has grabbed the initiative and is off and running. Snide comments on her acting ability are irrelevant. Even if we have seen her iconic close-up - goofy grin and crinkled-up eyes - for 6 years now, it is still endearing. These two DVDs are therefore an absolute must for even mild JLH fans.(available from Korea; you need a $99 Global DVD; experiment with the White plug in a different hole on the DVD player, to get the spoken Soundtrack; go from Menu to Setup, the setup option is the third one down, if labeled in Korean; select subtitles: "English" -this is the best I have been able to do- and hit the Select button - the middle of the directional circle of 4 - on your remote. Hit "Resume")

JLH - a violinist but closet Song-writer and singer - lives with Brit boyfriend (Paul Nichols) in London, but he doesn't "open up" to her sufficiently. A crucial day in their lives ends badly with her leaving to go back to Ohio. In "Groundhog Day" mode, Paul gets one chance to repeat the day, advised by a mysterious cab-driver. The ending could have been a happier one, but presumably JLH thought otherwise.