Change Your Image
Bernice
Reviews
Muppets from Space (1999)
Some clever bits, but not quite enough
The plot of this echoes Close Encounters of the Third Kind, as Gonzo get messages from "his people" in outer space, who are searching for him and will be coming to get him. There's a very funny sequence early in the film that shows the daily life of all the Muppet characters, who happen to live together in one big house--sharing a bathroom, etc. But the villains turn out to be the government (what kind of message is being given to the sizeable toddler segment of the audience?) and the younger members of the audience were bored. Not the best choice for preschoolers. We adults were a bit disappointed because we had been led to believe that the action would take place in space, but it does not.
I Like to Play Games (1995)
A lot better than most of the "erotic" movies on the shelf
The video box looks like just another one of those "erotic" movies but this one actually has a plot, moderately interesting characters, and some humor. It's the story of a guy who gets involved with a woman at work who likes "games." Of course he thinks he's going to be in control, but she's a smart one who gets the best of him time after time. It does get a little too dramatic near the end but on the whole manages to be sexy, fairly entertaining, and not demeaning to women. Worth a second look. What "9 and 1/2 Weeks" should have been.
The Mummy (1999)
Not Raiders of the Lost Ark, but fun anyway
A pretty young Egyptologist and her ne'er-do-well brother are guided by young adventurer Brendan Fraser to the legendary City of the Dead, where she hopes to find an ancient book and her brother hopes to find treasure. When she reads a passage from the book, a cursed Mummy awakes and set out to recover his bodily fluids and his long-lost love and to take power over the world. How Fraser and friends foil his attempt makes for plenty of good comic-book action.
This film had a lot more laughs than I expected. Even some of the action scenes included comic bits. The performances were good, and the special effects were pretty impressive, too. It's not an all-time classic, but it was much better than some newspaper reviews have said. We left the theatre smiling.
Note: We saw this at a matinee attended by some pretty small children, but I would not recommend it for anyone under about 12. (That PG-13 rating is not arbitrary.)
Kama Sutra: A Tale of Love (1996)
An erotic movie that's different from the rest
Set several hundred years ago in India, this movie is the story of two girls who are inseparable childhood friends. One is a princess and the other is the daughter of a servant. The servant girl, Maya, is more beautiful and a talented dancer. When Maya's beauty attracts the notice of the princess's royal bridegroom, Maya is driven from her home. But their paths cross again and this time Maya holds the power. Unfortunately, she also becomes involved in a love affair with a handsome sculptor who has ties to the princess's powerful husband. Most of the characters come to unfortunate (in some cases, grisly) endings.
Full of beautiful pictures and sensuous music, this is a wonderful movie that gives a picture of very different way of life. There are a few scenes of nudity that are both erotic and important to the plot. With strong female characters, it appeals to women but has enough action and good-looking women to keep men interested too. Watch it with your "significant other" and pick up a few tips.
Le hasard et la violence (1974)
Strange, not much happens
I've only seen this in a dubbed (and possibly cut) version on a second-rate UHF station, so maybe I missed the good stuff. I watched it because I'm an Yves Montand fan and he's hard to find on TV. My teenage son watched it with me and we wound up calling it "The Beach Chair Movie" because it's set at the beach (maybe some rundown part of the Riviera in the off season?) and there are 3 or 4 scenes in which various people are kicking or throwing beach chairs around. I don't know what they had against those chairs. Not much else happened. I don't know what Katharine Ross was doing there. It was fun to get another look at Yves, though.