mdeasy Reviews

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Bizarre but witty look at the desperation of our times...

[17 June 2000]

The brilliance of this movie was its insight into human nature; the pain of this movie was its insight into human nature. The basic concept of stepping out of our lives and into someone else's alone is just wonderful. Women or men get to enjoy the feeling of experiencing an alternate sexuality, feeling thin if you are large, feeling important if you are dull. The portal that takes people there is the key to the movie. The film really also serves as an exploration of what we do as people surfing the web, interacting as whoever we want to be. The fact that the author chose John Malkovich is also interesting. A brilliant actor, but a surly and intense man, JM is not a pretty boy actor, not a vacuous Treat Williams type, but a character actor - one who will play a killer, a psycho or whatever challenging role comes along. The reality is that even for the gristly Malkovich ordering towels over the phone is fun and games for some one looking through his eyes. The sexual chemistry of having sex as someone else with someone else also gets a little weird and interesting. It made the sexual partners straight, gay, there and yet voyeur all at once. The twists and turns are really endless.

The 13th Warrior (1999)

Banderas best work, a look at Viking culture and battle

[18 March 2000]

This has to be Antonio Banderas's best work. The contrast between the Muslim culture and the Viking culture is wonderful. Banderas is constantly faced with the rowdy Viking attitude. They spit and growl and drink and cuss and fight and kill. Banderas plays an Arab who can't abide much of their behavior, but they grow on him and he becomes `little brother' to them.

Banderas starts to earn his Viking stripes by figuring out their language, then he shows what a brilliant horseman he is, and then ultimately (of course) he is a marvelous swordsman and a brave fighter.

The Eaters of the Dead are even more repugnant to him than his funky brother Vikings, and so he fights them with gusto. It is easy to fall in love with the Viking culture, they laugh constantly, and live fiercely. It would not have been an easy life, but seeing the wolf capes and beautifully carved and crafted boats are just wonderful. This movie is a visual delight. It was just my cup of tea.

From the Earth to the Moon (1998)

Perfect in every way...the comprehensive study of the American Space Program

[28 February 2000]

From the earth to the Moon tells the whole story of America's space program. If a person combined the first couple episodes of Earth to the Moon with Tom Wolfe's The Right Stuff, you would have a brilliant beginning. Next replace the Apollo 13 episode of ETTM with the Hank's movie Apollo 13 and then let the rest speak for itself. That would be the perfect mix.

Several of the episodes of ETTM I have watched over and over again. A particular favorite is Spider, which tells the story of the creation of the LEM vehicle by the Grumman Corporation. Matt Craven who was brilliant played the head of that project. This was a magnificent piece of film, showing every aspect of the engineering process, but having made it accessible and even loveable. The team effort and building as a team comes out clearly.

Also the episode called `Is that all there is', about the moon flight of little known astronaut Al Bean was also fantastic. The interplay between Dave Foley (Al Bean), and Paul McCrane (Pete Conrad) is just great on screen magic. There is chemistry between these two teammates that goes beyond normal.

Finally the geology and rock-collecting episode is brilliant. This episode truly captured the final flights of the Apollo program and the direction that the space program might have taken had the funding continued. There is a real magic here with Brett Cullen (Dave Scott) and Tom Amandes (Jack Schmitt) and their taking the lead in truly training the astronauts to also be scientists.

Tom Hanks made the world a masterpiece…it should be required watching in every US History class in America. This is brilliant work from the first episode to the last.

End of Days (1999)

Arnold's darkest and most challenging role

[27 February 2000]

I watched End of Days last night with my son, and it left me conflicted and yet satisfied. Having survived the millennium intact, probably eliminated a little of the mystery of this film. There was a lot of madness leading up to that event, and this movie was certainly taking advantage of that mentality. But nothing really happened on that night, and so all the movies about the possible tragedies of the millennium seem almost silly.

This was by far Arnold's darkest movie. The scenes in the home of the crazy priest who was trying to kill the Satan character were right out of Seven, or even Summer of Sam. Dark, dank and very ugly places that you wouldn't wish on a heroin addict, let alone a priest portrayed as the hand of God. There was a relentless darkness to this part of the movie.

The chase scenes seemed to wear me out. Maybe I prefer watching chases in San Francisco. They are always very exciting.

This was by far Arnold's most challenging role. He took on the role of anti-hero, an area usually ruled by Bruce Willis. Arnold was an alcoholic, bitter man, who tried to turn it all around throughout the movie. Arnold pulled it off for my dollar. The ending was uplifting, even agonizing.

This was a difficult movie to put my finger on. I got all of the action that I normally expect from Arnold, but just a little too dark for my taste.

Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)

John Cusack's finest and funniest, a magical comedy

[27 February 2000]

Grosse Pointe Blank is one of the funniest movies I have ever seen. This was by far John Cusack's finest work. The writing was hysterical, lightning quick and very intellectual. The chemistry between Cusack and Akroyd was magical.

Cusack plays a hit man, who is professionally competitive with Akroyd. At one point in the movie Akroyd proposes that they form a union, and Cusack ignores his request, but at the same time in awe at the fact that their direction as hit men could be solidarity. There were also a couple of very funny dialogs between them over coffee, discussing drugs, killing and health food.

Also there is a magic that happens between Cusack and Minnie Driver as a former couple. Cusack left town after high school, leaving Driver without an explanation. He returns for his high school 10th reunion, and to do a hit. He manages to make contact with his old friends and family (his mother is now insane). He also finds that his former home has been replaced by a Stop-n-rob mini mart. This mini mart of course is blown up during the course of the film. Cusack and Driver meet up and begin to reestablish the freightengly powerful relationship that they had, after she makes him pay for his lack of communication.

Cusack has some hilarious moments with his therapist (Alan Arkin), who helps him work through feeling conflicted about killing. He starts to wonder if it is all-okay, but Arkin doesn't want to continue with their relationship, but Cusack won't let him out of it. Their dialog is funny and insightful. This was before the Sopranos or Analyze This came out.

Finally Joan Cusack steals yet another movie with her beauty, and humor as Cusack's secretary. She can order ordinance, whip up a mean Chicken Soup, or help John with inside information about the latest terrorist killer competing with him for a hit.

This is an absolute must see, you will laugh and laugh.

Moonlighting: Moonlighting (Pilot) (1985) Season 1, Episode 1

The best television show of all time, seminal Bruce Willis

[27 February 2000]

During the course of the series Moonlighting, Bruce Willis came of age as an actor. Since the series has been replayed on Bravo, I have re-watched and recorded 30 or so episodes. This series had some really good acting, but some of the best writing that has ever been done on network television. The show won Emmy awards several times over.

The funniest episode was Atomic Shakespeare. This was a parody of The Taming of The Shrew, with Dave and Mattie as Kate and Petruchio. This episode has a cooking musical number with Dave singing Good Love at their wedding. They put ninjas in for a fight scene and sunglasses on the horses to make them look cool. It had it all.

Maybe one of the great moments in TV was the episode Big Man on Mulberry Street. David flies home to NY when it comes out that he was married at one time. This is shocking news to Mattie, who did not know or suspect. The highlight is a musical number to Billy Joel's Big Man on Mulberry Street, with Dave and Mattie both dancing and an amazing dance from a Broadway dancer. There is a lot of compassion here as we see way into Dave's soul, and Mattie for flying out to NY to chase and watch over Dave. In the final scene she lays her head on his shoulder, and he invites her to leave it there for the next 20 or 30 years. It is touching and reveals the romantic intentions of the shows future.

The show took a strange turn when Cybil Sheppard got pregnant during the fourth season. She was out of the show for almost ten episodes. Bruce Willis carried it off wonderfully, with the continuation of good mysteries, occasional musical numbers, and even some wild Claymation dream scenes. But the fire between them was unattainable as there was too much physical separation between them. This also coincided with their characters sleeping together. Some thought that was the end of the good writing. Actually by the end of the fourth season and the fifth season, they had survived a writer's strike, and many slow production dates, because of the quality of the writing and film of the shows. Many of the writers were in high demand by then, with their Emmy awards and some of them began to jump ship. The show never recovered.

There has never been this kind of original quality since. This was Television at its very finest moments. There will never be another like it.

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (1994)

Drag queens bopping their way through the Australian Outback

[25 February 2000]

For my buck, Priscilla Queen of the Desert was just going to be another gay movie. There was a real trend in the mid nineties with films like The Birdcage, Too Wong Foo, Its my Party, and Love! Valor! Compassion! exploding onto the screen as America began to feel more at ease with its gay brothers and sisters. And as we watched these movies, a whole `Gay Comic Genre' was really born. Also we can't forget about the popularity of gay stand up at that same time.

Priscilla did indeed avail itself of this trend, and every gay humor trick in the book. It also managed to slip us some really amazing visual, comic and compassionate moments. The relationship between Mitzi and his son is both intimidating and soulful. As a gay man and a cross dressing performer, he was very unsure as to the receptivity of his son and really what sort of dad he could be.

Mitzi (Hugo Weaving) and his two buddies (Guy Pearce and Terence Stamp) head for the deep outback to perform at a holiday spa doing their drag routines. They buy a bus for the trip (from three Swedes named Lars, Lars and Lars), and they christen it `Priscilla Queen of the Desert'.

The trip to the outback is fraught with delays, mean hearted blokes, and desert creatures (not to mention some very musical Aborigine). They shtick their way to the club, dancing to Abba, and dressing divinely all at the same time. This is a very funny movie and you will not be disappointed.

The Birdcage (1996)

Touching and hilarious love story with a gay vs. conservative Romeo and Juliet twist at the end

[24 February 2000]

The Bird Cage is one of my favorite movies of all time. The truth about this movie, underneath the drag queens, beyond the endless gay humor, is an extremely touching love story.

Robin Williams is brilliant as the club owner and aggressive partner in the relationship that he has with Nathan Lane (the less aggressive partner). I started to call Robin Williams the dominant partner, but that is not necessarily the case here (or in any relationship, homo or hetro). That is, in fact, a good deal of the humor of this movie. At one point, Robin Williams describes Nathan Lane's character by saying that `Albert is practically a breast'. This is describing his nurturing characteristics and extreme sensitivity to his female side…He loves the strong Turkish coffee that their hilarious house-man (played by Hank Azaria) makes, he does the shopping, he is a chocoholic, he faints, he delightfully swishes his way through scene stealing scene after scene. And way deep at the heart of it all he is a wonderful husband/wife and mother/father to Robin Williams and his son.

What makes the movie so outrageous is not the wonderful caring relationships, but that they take place in the midst of a notorious drag club. In fact that is just sort of the way that the couple makes a living, a very comfortable living. The son (Dan Futterman) comes home from College announcing that he is going to get married, ironically to the daughter of an archconservative Senator played by Gene Hackman. In one of his funniest roles, Hackman is surrounded by conservative humor delivering lines about the Pope and Billy Graham as both too controversial and liberal.

Well obviously with that attitude trouble was brewing for these love struck kids. The movie climaxes with a visit from the Senator and his wife to the home of Robin Williams and Nathan Lane, and the movie ends with the same sort of manic humor we saw with movies like `The Party', ending with a surprising and funny twist.

This one is for lovers only.

And the Band Played On (1993 TV Movie)

Docu-Drama about the early research and causes of the Aids Virus in the early 80s

[23 February 2000]

And the band played is really the history of how the Aids Virus managed to spread throughout the world like few illnesses have. The medical history, governmental ignorance and emotion surrounding this sickness all conspired against any rational approach to an early cure or intervention.

Matthew Modine carries off his role with fire and brimstone, he is the consummate voice of positive cooperation and healing, and Alan Alda plays his evil counterpart. Alda plays the egotistical, self-serving Dr. Robert Gallo, who made questionable progress fighting the disease. There are those who believe that his research was all stolen from the French doctors who were also working tirelessly to defeat this sickness. The movie explores that controversy, in the light of how much it may have slowed down the search for a cure.

The cast of this movie is a virtual who's-who of cause fighting Hollywood. Richard Gere plays a particularly touching role as a choreographer who knows he is at risk, and sort of sneaks around helping financially and having himself evaluated. He dies from the disease, but you get a real sense of his tragedy and it is easy to love this character.

Lilly Tomlin, B.D. Wong, Glenne Headley and Steve Martin all play smaller roles and it always seems interesting to me that certain actors and actresses seem to appear together time and again. B.D. has his best moments as the confused and weary boy friend of the tireless Bill Krauss, who was a continuous crusader against the inhuman attitude towards homosexuals. Glenne is a fierce researcher who actually seems to track down the zero case in the Americas, a French Canadian flight attendant named Dugas.

The frustrations of the medical researchers at the CDC in Atlanta become more and more extreme as the Reagan administration chokes down on their research budget. As there was a strange stigma attached to AIDS as a Gay disease, the ultra-conservative Reagan administration wouldn't widely support the necessary research. Also, there were incredible problems with the Red Cross and their blood banks being infected with tainted blood.

This movie is moving, touching, historically accurate and full of inspirational acting and dialog. Don't miss the opportunity as it comes on the various HBO channels periodically.

Man on the Moon (1999)

Brilliant depiction of the often misunderstood comic genius Andy Kaufman

[21 February 2000]

Man on the Moon is the life story of Andy Kaufman. There is no question that Kaufman was brilliant, and that when he chose to do so, he could charm and mystify his audience. The problems that he faced were almost all self-inflicted damage. At times Kaufman did humor that was acidic and grating. Any in the audience that took him seriously or did not count themselves in on the joke, turned against him in a rage.

The wrestling against women issue was the funniest example. If you looked at it as pure humor and didn't allow yourself to believe that he really felt that way about women, it was very funny. If you took him seriously, it was as offensive as any thing could be. Andy was very like Lenny Bruce in that way. He chose to attack societal norms to inflict shock on his audience. They were two of a kind in that regard.

And Jim Carrey was just brilliant. It was possible to believe that you were just watching Andy and those around his life. They also mixed in enough people playing themselves to further that illusion. They also had a lot of fun hiring actors and others in his life, to play different characters in his life, DeVito playing Shapiro, and Shapiro playing a club owner for example.

The biggest disappointment for me in the entire film was not getting to see the song `I go mad when I hear a yodel'. On one of Andy's Saturday Night Live appearances he did that song over the music of a Choir of Conga players. It was absolutely remarkable. The yodeling over the top of the extremely funky groove was strange and just hilarious. I was so hoping to see it included…

And of course the continuous running gag with the Tony Clifton character was another amazing piece of acting by Carrey. JC was playing Kaufman, playing Clifton. It was almost eerie how he could drop in and out of characters. The Clifton character was the ultimate obnoxious lounge singer, taken to the greatest extreme possible.

Kaufman was the consummate prankster or practical joker, and his favorite victim was his audience. The Tony Clifton character was playing a concert, and Kaufman came out on stage just to try and trick on the audience. He had his buddy play Clifton to add to the controversy. He worked together with the pro wrestler in Memphis to create tremendous controversy. I didn't know until I saw the movie that this was an agreement between those two. I thought it was real. Andy had put one over on me for nearly 20 years. The only problem with this joking was its failure as a marketable commodity.

Then as he was dying, he went to the Philippines to find a miracle cure for his Cancer, and instead he found a showman and grifter. It was just the kind of show that Andy himself might have done at some point. When he realized it was fake and how, the joke was on him, that realization was just one of the things that made me cry during this film. The irony of that moment was impossible to miss. Also what a horrible time he had convincing every one that he really had cancer. He had `cried wolf' in a comic sense once too often to be believed.

The funeral scene was another that brought on tears. Watching everyone who had been in his life singing together and holding hands was the ultimate Kaufman fantasy. Andy lived to see people just getting happy, and he made his final act and remembrance just such an event. This movie will move you, twist you and wring you out. It is a must see.

The Tuskegee Airmen (1995 TV Movie)

Powerful Historical drama about the first squadron of negro air pilots during WW2.

[21 February 2000]

Tuskegee Airmen is a timeless movie. Lawrence Fishburn plays the role of grudging hero to its maximum potential. The bad guys are racist and ignorant, but they are consistently confronted with the truth of their stupidity. This movie tells the tale, without an overtly biased point of view. There are certainly black men who failed to qualify as pilots during WW2, just as there were white. The racial struggle is brought to light without alienating anyone. The acting is extraordinary, the air fight scenes are power packed and the story is life itself. You must see this film.

Dune (1984)

A truly magnificent Science Fiction classic

[21 February 2000]

Dune is the truly complete package, and one of the great Science Fiction yarns of all time. Frank Herbert's story is perfect, and its adaptation to the screen not far behind. Sting is truly and deeply evil as Feyd-Rautha. There is no point at which I don't believe in the evil of the entire Harkonnen people. The concept of folding space is explored along with its relation to the Spice. The music by Toto makes the movie truly dramatic and powerful.

The melting hand scene is another of the powerfully directed. You get a real sense of Paul's pain, as he believes that the flesh is melting from him. And then he is faced with the truth of the pain that is was simple nerve induction, and that the real test isn't pain resistance, but crisis. How would he handle the crisis? Paul's response was that he `saw the truth of it'.

Linda Hunt plays a small but powerful roll as the Shadout Mapes, and her response to Paul saving her life at one point in the movie. She says to him, `We Fremmin pay our debts!!' and then gives him information that some one is going to betray them from within.

Probably the best scene of the whole movie is the conversation between Paul and his father the Baron, played by the ever enigmatic Jurgen Prochnow, that takes place shortly before their move to the Spice planet, Dune. He tells Paul that without change something sleeps within us, `and seldom awakens'. It is time for the sleeper to awaken. That truly becomes the theme of the entire movie, as Paul continues to seek the change that is necessary for him to become the savior of the Universe.

I also loved the fighting armor that looks like glass cubes on the fighters. The brilliant Patrick Stewart best demonstrates this, as he trains Paul to fight. The effects may seem a little cheesy now, but in 1984, they seemed really fine.

If ever there were a cult classic, this movie is it!!!

The Matrix (1999)

Science Fiction Thriller blurring the lines of reality between computers and the physical world

[7 February 2000]

This movie has moved into my list of top Science Fiction favorites along with such films as `Blade Runner', `Dune', `Star Wars', `Soldier' and perhaps even `The Fifth Element'. The whole name game was interesting, from the religious perspective. Neo (which means New) was indeed a new breed of hacker and so did turn out to be the 'savior' of all, with his side kick Trinity - her name gave me a whole Catholic vibe. Lawrence Fishburn's character was, of course, a type of John the Baptist. He was a voice crying out in the wilderness, and was very much on the verge of dying the same inauspicious death as John. Zion was the main frame, heaven itself. The Oracle or prophet was interesting, and gave us the only non-Christian twist with her Dali Lama like search for 'the one' among the psychically gifted kiddos in her lime green apartment. That whole scenario was right out of Little Buddha, which, ironically, Keanu also starred in. Thank goodness one of the Lamas offered the wisdom of the spoon to our Jesus (neo). We are even given a Judas, who betrays our savior for the mere thought of some steak and wine, quick and happy to take his bag of Silver.

How about the writers poking some fun at Bill Gates with the window cleaners making their loud squeaking cleaning noises. That is right off of a Windows screen saver. Also fun with them picking on Oracle as the prophet, that name couldn't be accidental with Oracle as the leading data base vendor in the world right now. This didn't escape the writer's attention.

We of course followed a bit of Alice in Wonderland with the White Rabbit leading him to the Disco, and then to Trinity. Lawrence Fishburn then offers him a red or blue pill, and then the scumbag Judas character gives our savior a sip of his home brewed liquor, at the moment that he reveals to him his displeasure in their current surroundings. This is almost a last supper reversal, where Jesus let Judas sip from his cup before the betrayal…interesting. Then of course the Oracle herself gives Neo a cookie, so that he will feel better. Cakes and Cups prevail throughout. They are even given what could pass for 'Manna' to eat. The Hebrew for Manna literally means, "what is it?" This surely fits the gruel that they ate in their bowls.

What else, the scene in the elevator is right out of Speed, one of Keanu's best.

The submarine scene with them all sitting quiet, like 'Run Silent, Run Deep'. It is a sub marine classic to park the sub, go quiet, and then wait out the depth charges with sweat running down your faces.

The scene where Keanu loses his mouth was taken directly from the science fiction classic "I have no mouth, yet I must scream" by Harlan Ellison. It also reminded me of the cover of an old HP Lovecraft book I once owned.

The device that they used to suck the bug out of Keanu's stomach was this giant intricate machine, yet powered by plugging in to the cigarette lighter hole in the dash of the car. The car that they chose were these Kennedy-presidency-era limo Lincolns (with tops), always black.

Finally, for now, the fact that the only escape were these forgotten hard copper phone lines by Bell or whichever phone company. The last vestige of the escape was actually low tech and hundreds of years old by then...no cell phone could save them.

Real Genius (1985)

Slapstick "Rite De Passage" about techno nerds at High Tech College

[7 February 2000]

Val Kilmer at his very best. The Chris Knight character is actually a legend among techy types. We see Val doing his patented rolling of coins between his fingers...ala Tombstone. The writing is lightning quick laughs and highly technical high jinks. Great music throughout, the party scene with Bryan Adams "One Night Love Affair" playing throughout is just perfect, along with Tears for Fears "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" as the perfect time piece for this great 80s comedy.

The Right Stuff (1983)

The birth of the fledgling American space program

[10/10 · 21 December 1999]

This is my all time favorite movie. I am never disappointed in the acting, the writing (from the brilliant Tom Wolfe novel), or technology. The film is basically historically accurate, with some interesting interpretive film making involving John Glenn and his first flight and other tidbits. If I happen across this film on a movie channel, from whatever point it is at, I watch it until the end.