Change Your Image
dougprinz
Reviews
Neverland (2003)
I'm Hooked!
An ambitious and smart modernization of the oft-told Peter Pan tale. I'm convinced this is almost what Baz Luhrmann would do if he got his hands on the material. (Of course he would have 1000 times the budget!)
Some standout performances and a great soundtrack make up for the choppy and at times migraine-inducing editing.
Overall, highly watchable and addictive. I'm hoping someone at the WB or HBO sees it and requests a pilot for a series! Looking forward to more magic from the talents involved.
Red Dirt (2000)
Tom & Huck Revisited
RED DIRT had lots of potential. The scenery and photography are gorgeous at times and some of the acting (particularly the characters of Lee and Emily) were right on key.
I think a lack of clear direction and editing is where RED DIRT failed miserably.
While I love Karen Black, (and it great to see her in something other than a horror film) her performance here was a bit all over the place...it almost seemed if she was playing several different characters. She needs a good director to reign her in...and she hasn't had that since....er, Robert Altman.
Dan Montgomery is more eye candy than substance, but I feel if given better direction his performance could have been slightly better.
The plot twists are obvious from minute one, but I still stuck with it because there was the hope that things would improve...they didn't much.
Something about this felt like a pilot for series (The Sexually Repressed Adventures of Tom & Huck?), which might have made more sense, since some of the plotlines had "soapy" elements.
Not a total disaster, I'd give it a 5 out of 10.
The Apple (1980)
hey, hey, hey...BIM's on the way
In this age of putrid merchandised crap like Britney, boybands and AMERICAN IDOL, it's refreshing to see what America would have looked and sounded like in 1994 if a truly fabulous madman like Boogalow was in charge.
The look of this film is shiny and bright, it's loud and disturbing, it's sometimes hard to watch...but I'd also hard to look away. All the holographic triangles...the multi-colored hair...the "futuristic" baby strollers, drinking glasses, automobiles...this is the America that we were promised in 1980 and somehow we were sadly deprived of.
My favorite sequences are Bibi & Alphie's "rain" duet; Pandi's big "sex" number, Bibi & Pandi's "morning after" duet and of course, Mr. Topps' arrival...I just love how "god" basically tells Boogalow and the audience that the hippies were right...that peace, love and living in caves (without television) is the true road to salvation.
I like to describe this movie as LOGAN'S RUN meets HAIR, but it's more like everything good and bad about the 70s all in one big sloppy package. Speaking of packages, could George Gilmour's Alphie have any tighter pants?
I'll cast my vote for "Speed" as our new American anthem, screw "Gold Bless the USA"...
"Do the BIM!"
Edge of Seventeen (1998)
HONEST, SMART & SEXY
Anyone who grew up gay in the 70s and came out in the 80s can relate to some aspect of this wonderful film. The music, the clothes, and the look are perfectly recreated. The performances are honest, tender and intimate. The awkward conversations and situations only add to the realism. The complexity of Eric and Maggie's relationship is truthful and very emotional. Eric's internalized homophobia is something most of us go through...especially when we are not ready to "come out" to our parents and ourselves. I can recall dressing outrageously and experimenting with my hair to make a statement just as Eric does and then denying that I was gay.
Yes, some men are portrayed as "queenish" and "promiscuous", but that's because some real men are. QUEER AS FOLK should be this good.
Chris Stafford shines, Tina Holmes is incredible, Andersen Gabrych is seductive and Stephanie McVay is the mom we all wish we had. The fabulous Lea Delaria belting out "Blue Skies" is an added bonus. Looking forward to more greatness from the talents involved here.
A great gay companion piece to THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN.