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Buzzaki
Reviews
Out of the Clouds (1955)
What a hoot!
I stumbled across this gem of a period piece recently, and the airline enthusiast in me couldn't pass it up. I wasn't disappointed. Heathrow (pardon me.... London Airport) is bustling with efficient airline personnel, sharply dressed and not at all worked up over the 12-hour delay caused by a thick London fog. Passengers all receive individualized attention, and are guided through their layover by attendants who address them each by name. These are innocent times for air travel. The airport restaurant divides those who have been through customs from those who haven't by simply hanging a red cordon across the middle of the room. No metal detectors or baggage scanners here. My favorite scene is the final one, an over-the-top display of the many different ethnicities in the terminal lobby, all in pairs, all wearing native dress. It's a contrived and forced attempt to create an environment which is natural today. Oh yes.... the love story? Of course it's there, along with all of the expected trappings of a 1955 B&W drama. But don't watch this film for the love story. Watch it for a loving recollection of the early days of air travel in all its naive glamour.
The Rules of Attraction (2002)
Hey kids, get over yourselves.
I wonder exactly which of these self-destructive, maudlin characters I am supposed to sympathize with. The film lacks one essential role: the guy who goes from pathetic individual to pathetic individual, slapping their faces and shouting 'SNAP OUT OF IT ALREADY'. The fact that I didn't care what happened to anybody (that, along with the fast-forward button) made it possible for me to get to the end of this film. How much angst will fit on one piece of celluloid? This is quite possibly the biggest mistake I have ever committed in video rental. All I can do is to warn those who come after me, and hope they will benefit from my experience.