Change Your Image
EllaMalias
Reviews
Along Came Polly (2004)
Could have been a lot worse
I thought this was surprisingly fresh for what it is, a mainstream romantic comedy. The characters really do grow and learn some life lessons about letting go of expectations and letting go of the past. Jennifer Aniston and Ben Stiller were both likable and funny. There was some gross out stuff, I feel like the gross stuff serves a purpose of showing that Ben Stiller's character has to overcome all these uncomfortable and embarrassing situations. It's a relief to me that the movie did not end with a wedding, but with the couple just deciding to "enjoy the ride" and see how it goes. There was also a general lack of obvious sexist stereotyping. The blind ferret was the worst part. His constantly walking into things was distractingly stupid and not funny. I should probably take off a point for the ferret but I'm not bothering.
La lupa mannara (1976)
psychological depth belies apparent and actual badness
I have seen, and sometimes liked, a fair number of bad movies. "Blood Freak," for instance, is a bad movie and not worth seeing. I say that so the reader will know I am capable of some discernment.
Having said that, this movie impressed me. The English dubbing was not nearly as bad as some Japanese movies my smart geek friends have tried to make me watch. Also, it seriously has an intriguing premise, with a feminist twist on the werewolf myth. The heroine fantasizes she is a werewolf as a coping mechanism, to compensate after having been raped. This suggests a sociological theory that any woman feels she must be a monster to protect herself from men. There is an implication that men are inherently violent, and that a safe or non-violent sex act/relationship may be possible. So, there are feminist implications even though the movie seems exploitative in many ways.
The nudity is indeed profuse, and there is also a stereotyped nymphomaniac character, among other clichés. Overall, I thought everything was in the right spirit (i.e. funny/campy rather than offensive/awkward.)
I was disturbed, though, at an on-screen gang rape that almost seemed intended to be erotic. Whatever the intent, it certainly was an upsetting scene, more so than the cheesy killing parts.
What I like most about this movie is that the supernatural aspects of the myth are not emphasized. It's more about the psychology of a woman with issues involving her sexuality...which she needs to work out by prowling around naked and tearing peoples' throats out! Yeah!
It's only too bad the werewolf woman's behavior involves so much neck-biting; this hints at vampire-confusion.
I thought the action moved along OK, considering the number of developments. And there were many plot developments, however thin. The ending seemed abrupt and was certainly corny, but I wasn't watching it for the moral!
Definitely recommended if camp is up your alley.
Mulholland Dr. (2001)
Doesn't need to be "solved" to be enjoyed. Beautiful!
A lot has been said about this movie in other reviews here; perhaps too much.
All I want to add/suggest is that it is possible to love the movie, without feeling the need to analyze it so much or "solve" it. I feel that it is neither "random" and "pointless," nor is it a "puzzle" to "solve." Everything is related and there are certainly themes. I also don't necessarily think one story-line is "real" and the other is a "dream." (They're both "movies.") Personally, I think of this as a movie about symbolism and storytelling. It speaks to me about art and performances and how artificial they are, yet how they can transform our world. Also, it has a wonderful, haunting paranoid sensibility, and a lovely surreal style. Lots of style, mmm-hmm.
I can sympathize with people finding this movie pretentious. But it's also very beautiful and I think it can be enjoyed pretty much at face value.
Theatre Night: Arms and the Man (1989)
lackluster production does not ruin *very* charming material
This could be difficult to for some people to get into, being used to Hollywood production styles. The directing is uninspired, apparently simply a filming of the stage set-up, and the audio quality is bad here and there (the rustling of people's clothes occasionally competes with their voices, etc.).
My friends and I started watching without knowing what to expect, and the first scene almost put us off. It seemed very stagy and cheesy. Then we picked up on the tone of the content, and really started to enjoy ourselves.
It is very funny, despite some corniness. Definitely give it a chance if you appreciate great dialog. Also, Helena Bonham Carter is adorable, of course.
Stepmom (1998)
Cop-out
I found this movie disappointing. The battle between the ex-wife/mom and the new, younger girlfriend could have been a good movie. I don't appreciate that cancer in the family brings people together and functions as a shortcut to resolving conflict. Susan Sarandon ends up passing the torch gracefully to her replacement mom, Julia Roberts. It just seems too morally perfect. I found it sappy. But, of course, how can they resent each other when Susan Sarandon is dying, right?
Hopefully, in reality, people find reasons other than grave illness to treat each other with respect and move on from a conflict.
There's something either very romantic or very cynical about the movie's implication that mortal illness brings out the best in someone.
The Pink Panther Show (1969)
Sublimely absurd and stylish
I didn't enjoy many cartoons as a child, but this one is so clever and stylish. The "stories" (or scenarios) are funny without being too corny. It's hard to think of anything being "clever" without thinking of dialog, but this has no dialog and yet is clever.
Many cartoons, notably the Warner Brothers cartoons, obviously have elements of absurdity and physical impossibility (like objects falling through the air landing on or passing other objects also falling through the air). But in the Pink Panther, the absurd element is more sublime, sometimes almost breathtaking.
Maybe it's partly because, unlike Bugs Bunny and co., whose fast-talking and whirlwind pranks stun and confuse his assailants, the Pink Panther is non-verbal and more subtle. His stunts can range from blunt physical comedy, to smart and suave, to a series of bizarre visual tricks reminiscent of M. C. Escher. Sometimes it is almost the equivalent of a special effect.
This flexibility seems to be tied into the fact that the Pink Panther is not necessarily one fixed character. He lives in different places, and has different habits, interests and projects in the different cartoons. Sometimes there is no story, no explanation for the actions we are seeing. Sometimes it's more "normal" and the Pink Panther seems to be a plausible guy in society.
Also the Henry Mancini soundtrack sets a fabulous mood.
The Blue Gardenia (1953)
Unthrilling
This movie was described on the box as a scathing critique of the media and of the blood-thirsty tastes of the general media consumer. It was a watchable movie, but definitely lacked bite. What's especially weird is that the plot and themes are extremely similar to the older movie "Roxy Hart," but it is less scathing and less clever than that much earlier movie. (It's one thing for the audience to be kept unsure about what really happened, but a heroine with amnesia felt like a narrative cop-out.)
The movie seemed like a drawn-out vehicle for the forgettable Nat King Cole song which was played too many times during the action. The ending seemed childishly happy, and dismissive of any moral questions about guilt and intention that are raised during the movie.
Mr. Deeds Goes to Town (1936)
Heart-warming, socially relevant and righteous!! A Classic... untainted by the remake.
I saw the Adam Sandler re-make first, and the two versions co-exist in harmony for me. Sometimes Adam Sandler impresses me, like in the hilarious "wedding Singer" and in "Deeds." The Capra movie is different enough from Sandler's "Deeds" so I had to wait to see what would happen at the end (although I suspected the good guy would win, and of course get the girl.) Both versions of the movie successfully expose and lampoon the greed of rich people and over-paid professionals, and their sense of entitlement. I have sometimes been accused of cynicism, especially where romance is concerned, but this was totally watchable and lovable. The message is so great, ultimately not cheesy.
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
confusing and boring at the same time!
Another Hitchcock movie heavy-handed with symbolism and dripping with innuendo...but there's no mystery, because it's all, fantastically, exactly as it seemed! Paranoia is glorified. although we get the sense of paranoia and intrigue, the clutter of characters, events and symbolism belie the absence of a real story.
What story there is resembles a Scooby-Doo episode, except they never take off their masks and admit it's a joke. Wooden, unlikeable characters are sickeningly patronized. are we to conveniently forget, for instance, that the heroine starts out as a jaded snob, suddenly accepting her as a cute, spunky sleuth? Or are we supposed recognize the intrigue as the self-aggrandizing fantasy of her contemptibly bored, aristocratic mind? Maybe audience boredom, confusion and skepticism are intentional, but I don't think this movie is intended to be absurdist.
My recommendation is: Read an Agatha Christie mystery and watch a Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers movie, like "Top Hat." these are contemporary with "That Lady Vanishes", and will provide all the intrigue, escapism, and romance of this movie, but with more wit and dancing.