t-paulsm Reviews

The Manchurian Candidate (2004)

Normally I'd shun a remake of a masterpiece...

[7/10 · 17 February 2006]

Here is my usual pat statement reserved for any remake attempts:

NO MORE REMAKES OF FLAWLESS MASTERPIECES!!!! Enough already, wouldn't we all agree? The old adage "Why fix it if it ain't broke" rings loud in my ears every time I hear of yet ANOTHER remake, bad or good, being done. The worst of this trend these days are the old TV shows and cartoons being made into summer popcorn flicks. Pap, crap, and phooey! The Hollywood money machine knows that it can run a safe bet when rolling the dice with a remake. Inevitably people will go and see these things, though 99% of the time I do not for the life of me know why. It's guaranteed money in the bank, and the public keeps being suckered (or is stupid enough) to buy into it! There are many brilliant NEW screenplays out there and not enough producers and studios with the stones big enough to take risks. I hate that.

*ABOUT THE "NEW" MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE" - I was duly impressed by the updating of this film, by the change of "Manchurian" now being in reference to a major corporation creating a "dummy" to take the presidency - something which is happening today already! It is as if Demme, with the blessings of Sinatra (and Sinatra's daughter, the film's producer) saw a great film & script and his real conviction of how this story would play out today was an important story which he wished to convey to the audience. This did not read as a film being remade simply for financial gain by any means. This , along with its brilliant cats, its fantastic direction, its remodeled story, made this one of the few remakes I applaud!

T.Paul

Curtis's Charm (1995)

A fantastic example of great Canadian film-making!

[10/10 · 5 December 2005]

Aside from this being a superlative example of Canadian film-making at its best, this is also, in my opinion, one of the finest movies ever made about the lives of the drug addicted.

Shot in grainy black & white in and around Toronto's grittier areas, the film's director creates a gritty backdrop for what is, ultimately, a comedic story about one friend helping another through their crack-induced paranoia, all while facing his own past demons in the process.

One of Canada's greatest actors, Callum Kieth Rennie, plays the mellow, now in recovery junkie character of "Jim" (ultimately portraying Jim Carroll, NYC based poet, most famous for books like "The Basketball Diaries", his role in Andy Wharhols Factory scene, junkie-culture writer, and so on...) off of Maurice Dean Wint's fast-paced, hyper-paranoid, cracked-out "Curtis." The movie uses many voice over tracks of Jim's thoughts wonderfully, none of them intrusive, all in context, and all adding to rather than distracting from the story's content.

Director John L'Ecuyer's film-making style is concise, clear, and real, without being overly-dramatic or heavy (considering the subject matter). His beautiful use of old black & white footage of Santeria/Voudon dance rituals during the opening of the film is fantastic, as is the positive portrayal of voudon charms and their healing powers (whether merely psychologically healing or real - no matter) is a welcomed breath of fresh air in a world filled with films casting inaccurate and negative views on a benevolent, much-misrepresented, belief system.

For anyone who wants a movie that represents drug culture in a non-hyped-up, down to earth way, "Curtis's Charm" is for you!

~T.Paul

Angel Heart (1987)

Almost 20 years later...

[7/10 · 4 December 2005]

After almost 20 years since I caught this move in the theaters, I decided to rent the DVD, and remembered why I enjoyed the visual and atmospheric aspects of it.

This was Rourke's next appearance after the blockbuster "9 1/2 Weeks" and before "A Prayer for the Dying" and "Barfly", which means it was made while he was just leveling off from the peak of his game as an actor. Rourke said so himself regarding "Angel Heart" that it was a movie he did in order to get the money to pay for the house he was about to lose, and was also around the time that he had realized that acting wasn't giving him what he needed anymore. I have to say, I'm glad he did this one rather than passing it up, as it contains some of the best of his more subtle acting.

I must admit that when I saw this in the theater, I turned to my date and said "Gee...Louis Cyphre, huh? A private dick, huh? Lookin' for someone who has gone missing with amnesia, huh? It's going to be him searching for himself - just watch." Well, this truly did annoy my date, who brushed off my observation (which I thought was pretty evident to anyone with a brain) and I simply watched the film, treating what I'd already figured to be true as merely incidental to the film and enjoyed how the story was told.

And told beautifully it was! Alan Parker and his production team of cinematographer Michael Seresin, production designer Brian Morris, & editor Gerry Hambling, create an incredibly atmospheric, rich and lush film worth seeing. For Parker's first venture into making a thriller movie, it was, for it's time, a completely original and welcomed approach to a much-abused genre.

Watching the DVD today truly did please me for a few reasons. The main factor I appreciated about the DVD's special features were the segments devoted to the truths about voudon. The parts, titled "Voodoo...The Truth - Voodoo in the Madia" and "New Orleans Voodoo Connection: History of Voodoo in New Orleans" plus "Dances of Worship: The Meaning of Dance and Music in Voodoo Worship" and so on, showed a great responsibility on the part of the DVD's creators to dispel the much-negatively-portrayed religious belief/way of life of many people around the world, as well as telling the truth about how many lies this movie/the novel contained. Containing interviews and conversations with various practitioners, from Ava Kay Jones a Yoruba priestess, Brandi Kelly, the proprietor of "Voodoo Authentica", John T. Martin, manager of the Voodoo Museum in New Orleans, Ifa Priest Dr. Afolabi Epega, dancer and teacher Ausettua Amor Amenkum, and others, the "special features" is well worth watching, whether it be by an every day joe or joeanne, an initiate, or a practitioner of the faith.

"Angel Heart" was yet another film that was frowned upon by the practitioners of Ifa, Santaria, Candoble, Lukumi, and other Yoruba belief systems, as it was yet another film that hyped the false negativity of this benevolent belief system. When the film was made the term "voodoo" was always associated with darkness, whether referring to "voodoo economics" or via its portrayal in the media at large. The fact that Satan is even personified in this movie is ridiculous when you look at the fact that voudon in any of its forms has no actual heaven & hell system. To tie the Judeo-Christian laws and beliefs in with something that has had to work in, around, alongside, and with the very man-made ideals that have sought to oppress or destroy it is hilarious at its best - destructive at its worst! When I see this happen time and again, I often wonder how many would be outraged if, say, Judaism or Baptist beliefs were portrayed in the same dark and destructive manner?

So, I must say, it pleased me, a practitioner of Ifa tradition, to see that finally someone took the time to fill the general population in on the realities behind the practices that have been all but crapped on by the media!

~T.Paul www.t-paul.com

Spun (2002)

Taken for a serious trip!

[7/10 · 2 December 2005]

Nothing like a flick that can make an ex-user feel all queer in the gut and edgy while watching it! I've been clean for going' on 10 years now, and this movie took me right back to the filth-ridden homes and crash pads of every junkie, crack head, me th head, etc... I've ever known. Nice job, folks!

With outstanding & daringly creative direction on the part of Jonas Åkerlund, who, up until this movie is best known for directing music videos and documentaries, SPUN spins out of control in the way that the pointless, moving-on-to-the-next-score, sad lives of any speed freak's (or any other heavy drug user's) existence truly does.

Thank god for the wicked sense of humor on the part of both Åkerlund & the film's writer's, Will De Los Santos & Creighton Vero, because without it, this would've been a bleak piece of celluloid to endure. Heck - When I look back on my trials and tribulations as a completely screwed addict, I can recall many a funny-as-hell story that accompanied the ridiculous self-inflicted tragedy that was my life. Ya have to laugh at it! It ain't all darkness and depression - just mostly - LOL!

The animated snippets employed each time that our film's anti-hero "Ross" (played by the very talented Jason Schwartzman) slammed another bump 'o crank up his more-than-ample schnoz were fantastic! The style and the motion of the animation in "Spun" brought back memories of Pink Floyd's "The Wall" for me, and were equally as disturbing as Scarfe's work with Floyd, yet were even more graphically sexual and raw than his work if you can believe that!

Some may argue that there was no solid plot line to the movie, and that they felt lost while watching it. I say "Good!" I do believe that the director intended this, as the only real plot line in the life of any addict I've ever known was to score and keep high and that's what this film does - over and over again! It was great seeing Peter Stormare's role as the whacked-out cop, swaggering around in full, proud multitude was hilarious! Accompanied by his big-mustachioed partner played by Alexis Arquette, all of their busts are played out a camera crew for the "COPS" like live broadcast show called "BUST" these two buffoons are the coke-induced Starsky & Hutch stars of.

There is a veritable cornucopia of fun cameos throughout this flick - enough to amuse almost anyone I'd say! From Ron Jeremy as the strip club bar tender, Eric Roberts as the ultra-femme drug queen-pin known as "The man", Debbie Harry as the strong lesbian neighbor, to Judas Priest's Rob Halford as the gay porn clerk, it's a fun little trip down 80's rock 'n roll, porn lane! The movie was set in the mid-to-late 80's, as was reflected by the hair, wardrobe, cars, and general vibe of the film, but wasn't done so in such an in-your-face way as to become too tongue-in-cheek or too much of a spoof of the era, thank goodness.

Brittany Murphy is so laced with the truth of what being spun is all about that my eyeballs kept drying up while watching her on screen perpetual bug-eyedness! She gave the character of Nikki a sweet and tragic subtle sadness as she talked of how everything would be fine once she had her son back in her arms.

I did enjoy this film, and all of its fine performances. It ain't for those who don't want to see just how bleak and insane the lives of speed freaks can get, but for those wanting the ride, prepare to be SPUN!

~T.Paul www.t-Paul.com

The Loveless (1981)

Never was meant to be the next "Wild One"...

[9/10 · 28 November 2005]

Now that this beautifully sculpted, wildly atmospheric, true-to-the-era in which it is set movie is on DVD, I've watched and re-watched it many times. This is more of a review of the DVD than of the whole film, and the spoilers are more DVD commentary-related than plot-related, so read on if you wish.

This is, by far, one of the finest films paying homage to the motorcycle enthusiasts (or outlaws, as it may be), settings, and characters of the 1950's that I've ever seen, and I own many, so any rockabilly guys or gals out there reading this review - this movie is for you! It's moody, sexy, violent, and slick - great eye-candy with an outstanding cast of characters.

The DVD has one of the better commentaries, featuring conversations with the film's co-writer/co-directors Kathryn Bigelow & Monty Montgomery, as well as the film's star, Willem Dafoe. Dafoe credits the movie's directors for starting his career with this movie, a fact which Monty Montgomery humbly shrugs off. They get into the movies they watched that directly influenced how "The Loveless" was shot, trivia notes, like how Robert Gordon, who was paid to score the flick blew all of the budget on on single calypso tune that is featured for a few minutes of the film. It would also seem that Gordon, who is most noted for being a rockabilly musician (and an excellent one at that!) was inadvertently cast while meeting with the film's directors. Gordon created some on-set tension that flickered mainly between himself and Dafoe, as Gordon felt that he was the only one on set who truly understood the whole biker/greaser world.

It is interesting to note that the movie was Bigelow's thesis for film school, as well as her directorial debut, and it must've earned her some high marks, as she's gone on to work with people like David Lynch! Montgomery, too, has worked extensively with Lynch, producing "Wild At Heart", working on "Twin Peaks", and acting in "Mulholland Dr."

For those who expect this to be a biker exploitation flick (like "The Wild One" and all of its followers thereafter), you're in for a surprise. The directors intended for the audience to feel as if that is what they were in for while the initial scenes unfold, but as the story moves forward, we realize that it isn't so much a biker film but more of a kind of a wild-west movie. Monty Montgomery credits Edgar G. Ulmer's short, noir film "Detour" as being the major influence as far as the style, the framing, and the shots of "The Loveless" go. He also credits Kenneth Anger's movie "Scorpio Rising" as the movie that inspired the whole homo-eroticism of the biker world as presented in this, Montgomery's earliest film.

For those interested in some trivia, here ya be - Originally titled "U.S. 17", which used to be a U.S. superhighway up until the 1960's when the I 95 highway replaced it as the major thruway from Georgia to Florida and up to New York, the entire film is shot on location along this now abandoned stretch of blacktop. Monty Montgomery, the movie's co-director, grew up in and around the Georgia area where the film was shot, and at the time of filming, the stretch of road was like a time capsule, with abandoned motels, diners, and gas stations along the way which had not changed since the 40's and the 50's. This made the reality of the movie much easier to capture, and cut down massively on the cost of what would have meant sound stage creations of all of these types of locations. I wonder if any of these places exist now, as the movie was done at the beginning of the 80's? I can only hope...

There is no disguising that this film focuses more on atmosphere than on plot, and there is no pretense to suggest that the directors intended anything else. Montgomery even refers to it as "eye-candy", and why not? Sometimes my eyes crave the cavities offered up by such sweet treats as "The Loveless"! There are many a long, lingering shot of beautiful vintage 'cycles being worked on, close ups on tattoos (one of the actors, Larry Matarese, who plays "La Ville", opted for an actual old-school pinup gal tattoo on his forearm before filming began), tension-creating pauses while characters look on sipping coffee in a diner or lean on a 50's Coke machine clad in leather and denim, and all of this works for the piece that this movie was meant to be.

It is somewhat of homage to "The Wild One", but only in that it deals with motorcycle enthusiast-rebels in the 50's - all other plot comparisons and similarities fall by the wayside.

Though they wished for a score that was more like Sergio Leone's large, sweeping, and melodramatic western film's scores, and they were held back by budgetary constraints, I felt what they did have to work with offered the film the nostalgic atmosphere perfectly. The score as it stands on the DVD (which, unfortunately is not on CD, record, or tape, darn it!) largely done by John Lurie (of "The Lounge Lizards" fame, and also a regular in many Jim Jarmusch films), along with a minimal amount of tracks supplied by Robert Gordon, can be credited for being the cherry on top of this 50's diner served, tasty milkshake of a flick!

~T.Paul www.t-paul.com

Big Fish (2003)

To tell a tale...

[8/10 · 24 November 2005]

Storytelling is a craft that many of us do on a daily basis, whether it is when we're relaying the happenstances of our weekends or telling the time-hazed tales of our childhood. Very few, I find, actually pull off as an art form. One of the most important factors one will see in a real storyteller is their own belief in what they are relaying to the listener/reader/watcher, whether or not the tale is made up of myth or of fact.

This film is one of those magnificent stories told by master modern-yarn-spinner Tim Burton. It being a tale about a man who's largess, personal mythology, and popularity appears to hinge on his whopping fish-tales and fibs, Burton has chosen the loveliest of ways to relay his message to the audience - simplicity with dashes of spicy exaggeration.

Often, when we think of Burton's directing, we picture something stunningly stylized, and, though this film does possess touches of Burton's trademark scenes ans settings and iconic characters, none of this interferes with this moving and heartwarming film as it moves smoothly, like a good bedtime book.

I called my not-in-the-best-of-health father as soon as I exited the theater to tell him that I love him. If a flick can make me do this, then it has a huge place in my heart!

In our day and age, the power of the myth is oft forgotten and neglected. This film will hopefully re-instill in us the joy of the heart of our live's stories, and the importance of looking beyond the smoke screen to what lies beneath in others.

Best, T.Paul

ww.t-paul.com

Barfly (1987)

Drinks for all my friends...

[9/10 · 21 November 2005]

Despite Bukowski's condemnation of Mickey Rourke's portrayal of him/Chinaski in the film (claiming Rourke was too cocky with the role, and didn't stick to the character of Chinaski as Bukowski intended) states Bukowski in the documentary "Bukowski: Born Into This", I still view it as one of the highlights of Rourke's career.

Whether the depiction of a character is exact in the fashion of perfect mimicry is often irrelevant to me in relation to biopics. As a matter of a fact, I often find it the downfall of some biopics, where the physicality may be captured, but the meat and potatoes of the character's are often left by the wayside. Not so in the instance of "Barfly." Rourke nailed Bukowski/Chinaski's crazy, alcoholic, free spiritedness brilliantly, I felt. There was a humor, a tenderness, a coldness, a twisted romanticism, and a bleakness, all wrapped into a greasy, overweight (Rourke pulled a "De Niro", gaining weight and not bathing months before the film's shooting) package you could almost smell from the theater seats.

Faye Dunaway as the aging, sad, beautiful barfly Wanda, gives a performance that yet again reminds us why she is a cinematic legend in her own time! She plays the subtleties and intricacies of Wanda with such aplomb, offering even this - the most pathetic of her roles - a dignity and a sad beauty that not many actresses can pull off.

The casting of this film deserves a round of applause! I've tended bar and worked in the sorts of joints where these all too real people can be found, and I felt as if I was right there again, pouring shots of bourbon, polishing glasses, and making certain that the brawls boiling in the bar get taken to the streets. Frank Stallone's swaggering, bully-of-a-bar tender, macho-man Eddie is hilarious! Gloria LeRoy as "Grandma Moses" the ancient prostitute infamous for her ability to "swallow paste" is priceless. I could go on and on, but I won't! Bukowski's male character counterpart is a macho, beer swilling, bare knuckle fighting, farting kind of man who some may not appreciate, considering that outside of the seedier bars in North America, these types of fellas are a dying breed. With males being force-fed the over-sensitive, turn the other cheek, annoyingly "metro sexual" kinds of roles models and ideals these days, it must be a strange look back over the evolutionary shoulder for some men to see the realities of people like Bukowski! Don't get me wrong - I'm not applauding all of the Chinaski character's behaviors, but I think that some guys could learn a thing or two about themselves from the worst example of the diametric opposite of what they've been told they should be. Sometimes a fight has to be - sometimes it's just plain pathetic, and both examples can be found in Barfly.

Bukowski has always dared to put to page whatever entered his head, and did so with a twisted lovely flourish.

Barbet Schroeder, the man behind such brilliant and critically acclaimed films such as "More" (1969), his work with director as Jean-Luc Godard, his contribution to French "Nouvelle Vague" or New Wave cinema, and his more mainstream flicks such as "Single White Female", places him in a category above many directors working in North America today.

With Barfly, Schroeder captures the gritty realities of lives given over to the excesses of substances and circumstances in a true-to-life way, as he did with his first film "More", a flick about heroin addiction done at a time when the subject was still considered very taboo. The musical score for Barfly supports this film perfectly, too, with the Hammond organ whirling out Booker T. Jones' "Hip Hug Her" as we P.O.V. our way through the film's first scene, past the bar sign, to the bar's door, and into the world of Henry Chinaski. This is all counter-pointed wonderfully by the use of Mozart and Beethoven under Rourke's voice-overs of Chinaski's writing.

To sum it all up - as much as I dig and respect Bukowski, I have to say that even though he wasn't a fan of the flick (long after its release I may add, and he was on set as an adviser and unaccredited cast member - why didn't he say something at the time?), I look at this movie as a wee gem and as a masterpiece daring enough to capture life's underbelly with an acuteness and accuracy many wouldn't dare to put to screen.

~T.Paul

www.t-paul.com

Walk the Line (2005)

Pure and simple fantastic storytelling!

[9/10 · 19 November 2005]

After a long, long wait for this film's theatrical release, I must say, I was NOT disappointed! It was great to see a biopic that isn't just about physical imitation (as Witherspoon & Phoenix don't look like the folks they're playing to start with) that relies more on the actor's innate, intense, and instinctive portrayal of their character's emotional and psychological truths, and in this pic, there were many truths to relay. Our two leads, Joaquin Phoenix & Reese Witherspoon, both deliver incredible performances reflecting Cash and Carter's intensities as well as their subtleties.

(As a side note - I felt the same about Philip Seymour Hoffman's work in "Capote")

Writer/director James Mangold (Girl, Interrupted, Copland) accomplished what he stated he was setting out to do - to create a film that celebrates both the icon and the fallible man that was Johnny Cash.

I must admit that Mangold does juggle the story with what may be seen as too heavy a hand at times, playing up Cash's drug addiction, destructiveness, and self-centeredness more so that on the portions of life that offered him joy, which is where the concert and musical performance scenes come in and offer the film's viewer's a bit of a break from these torments.

The story is told very simply, thank goodness, as it is a film that could have fallen into a stylized trap. It's almost as if Mangold told the story of Cash's life the way Cash himself would write a song - here's the story, raw and hard, with a beginning a middle and an end - all in all the best way to convey any message. Cash didn't trouble himself with metaphors; nor does Mangold.

Reese Witherspoon, an actress whom I've always admired, is amazing as the confident & amusing woman behind the mic when speaking, den-mother to the touring gaggle of unruly young men (Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, & Roy Orbison), June Carter. It was nice to see her in a flick that ain't a comedy for a change! She gets to spread her dramatic wings some.Hey - Whether she's playing a flakey blonde (Legally Blonde) or the not-so-girl-next-door-like 90's gal unwillingly dropped into a 50's TV scenario (Pleasantville), she moves through her characters naturally, with a crackling energy, and with more depth than scripts often offer her.

Phoenix again shows his diversity as an actor deeply dedicated to his craft. I think many may simply perceive him as the "rebel without a cause" sorta actor, and if you find yourself guilty of that inaccurate view of him, catch "WALK THE LINE", as well as his role as Commodus, the spoiled, pretentious, heartless, almost fey emperor in "Gladiator", not to mention his portrayal of the intensely religious, yet contradictory character of the Abbe du Coulmier (next to the brilliant Geoffrey Rush) in "Quills." All in all, the casting was incredible all across the board, from Robert Patrick as Cash's cold father, Shooter Jennings (yes – Waylon's son) as Waylon Jennings, Johnny Holiday as Carl Perkins, to Tyler Hilton as a hopped up young Elvis.

This is the perfect Cash lover's, rockabilly, & country music lover's movie! * For those into vintage 50's clothing - You'll be dyin' for the clothing in this movie, not to mention the cars!

~T.Paul www.t-paul.com

The Hilarious House of Frightenstein (1971– )

My Saturday morning staple!

[5 November 2005]

How to best describe this unique Canadian children's show... hmmm....

Well, it's kind of a children's educational haunted house, horror movie satire show chock full 'o great adult gags. It's all about bein' "groovy", hangin' with the "Pet Vet" and learning about animals, dancing to the Wolfman's groovy wax, laughing at Paul the gorilla's slapstick humor, reciting poems with Vincent, and all that year-'round Hallowe'enie goodness! I imagine mostly Canadians will remember this Saturday morning classic, whether when it originally aired in the 70's or in its ongoing reruns.

This was one of my fave staple Saturday morning shows in the early 70's that I watched right after the really bad animated "Spiderman" cartoon that came on at 9:30 AM! I loved the many characters that the incredibly (and unfortunately largely unrecognized) talented Billy Van created. It was off-beat, bizarre as all heck, and a great parody of horror films.

Well, I hadn't thought of this groovy lil' show in ages, so when I did (near Hallowe'en, naturally) I ventured into a google search, and I found a tribute site dedicated to the show! The site has images, wav files with all the characters being kooky, video and more! This weird and wacky show always began with Vincent Price's on screen intro monologue with the castle in the background and super-low-tech lightning superimposed over the image, then jumped into the castle with the Count, Igor, Paul the Gorilla, the Wolfman (a DJ), Super Hippie, the Oracle, the Librarian (one of my faves!, the Wolfman Jack inspired DJ the Wolfman who played psychedelic music as Igor & the Grammar Slammer dancer before a swirling psychotropic backdrop, and more freaky characters.

Most of the characters were played by Canadian actor Billy Van (also seen on "The Sonny and Cher Show", "The Bobby Vinton Show", "Bizarre" , "The Party Game", "The Hudson Brothers Razzle Dazzle Show" and more!). The show was shot in Hamilton, Ontario at CHCH TV back in 1971. It has since gained cult status as it's been translated into many languages and re-broadcast in different parts of the world.

I truly hope that the series comes to DVD, as I'll be first in line for the release! ~ T.Paul

The Outsiders (1983)

THE OUTSIDERS - THE COMPLETE NOVEL - A must-see for anyone who loved the first film & the novel!

[10/10 · 18 October 2005]

Man, was I happy when I watched this flick again 20 years after seeing it the theatre and wondering what the H.-E.-double-hockey-sticks happened to much of the novel's content when it came to Coppola's film adaptation.

Well, for anyone else who wondered the same thing, or who felt as did I, that the soundtrack was rather wishy-washy and didn't capture the actual early 50's feeling and time setting of the story, this new release is absolutely fantastic!

With a bow to Francis Ford Coppala's pops, Carmine, the man who scored the theatrical release of the movie with its intensity, its melodrama and it offering the film that almost "Rebel Without A Cause" feel, I prefer what Coppala has done for the new DVD release.

The new music has everything from Elvis to (I think, though I could be wrong) Link Wray on it, and it sets the mood and the period of the story much more appropriately than the original release's score.

With 22 minutes of the movie returned to its proper place, the story unfolds in a much more natural way, allowing characters and their relationships to develop in a less contrived, more organic manner.

The 2 DVD set includes all kinds of wee treats, like the video clips shot during rehearsal time (video was new & revolutionary for filmmakers at the time, and Coppola shot the whole picture on video prior to shooting on film), a fun 20 year reunion of many of the cast members commenting on the film, joking with each other, and reminiscing about how young and inexperienced they all were back then. We even get to see the original readings & auditions for the movie's parts, which have some interesting surprise stars who initially read for the film.

I was pleased to see focus put on the teacher and the school kids responsible for bringing the book to Coppola's attention by sending him a petition requesting he be the one to direct the movie, as he'd done such a beautiful job directing "The Black Stallion", another teenage classic. There is a great NBC news clip with Swayze & C. Thomas Howell powowing with the students after the release of the film, and Swayze thanking the school for truly beginning his career via his having been cast in the film as Darryl.

Overall, the movie is now what it was intended to be in my humble opinion.

If ya dug it then, you'll dig it even more now! Hope this helps y'all! ~T.Paul

Junior (1985)

Well... Canadian horror at its very worst!

[1/10 · 12 October 2005]

Heh...I'm surprised this movie still exists in any form, let alone it being available for rent!

This flick is one of the many bad slasher flicks that exist only for the T&A and the cheap laughs. The story line crosses a bit of "Texas Chainsaw massacre" with a screwy mamma-centred back story reminiscent of "Psycho", and a bit of the good old women-in-chains, tough-as-nail-ex-con broads tossed in for good measure - in other words, complete unoriginality wrapped up in half naked women spiced with a dash of utter idiocy! Looking on as the director attempts to make the marsh land of Quebec pass off as Southern U.S. bayou land is sad, I tell ya!

Funny thing for me is, I was actually at the premier of this flick as, at the time, I was pals with Ratchford, the film's "star". It was painful to watch on as Jeremy sank into his seat whilst the flick unfolded its mangled wings.

I'm happy to see that Ratchford, after this sham of a first flick, has grown into one hell of an actor. He can be seen regularly on the Canadian cop drama "Blue Murder", has appeared on "CSI", not to mention his role in the classic Clint Eastwood film "Unforgiven" - we forgive ya, Jeremy! It was a rocky start, but you done good, man!

~T.Paul

Dead Like Me (2003–2004)

Another series that was too smart?

[10 October 2005]

This series was such a joy to discover! Living in Vancouver, BC, the city in which the show is shot, I'm only now receiving it on Canadian television thanks to the SHOWCASE station.

On a personal side note - it's wonderful to watch a show that, although shot in a Canadian city under the guise of being an American city (Seattle, I believe), doesn't hide the street names, the weather, or the skyline and scenery of Vancouver, BC! This is not a series typical of the usual American sitcom fare, thank god! It ain't a tiresome reality show, or a poorly disguised soap opera for the masses.

I would say that it would appeal to all of those who dig the movie "Donnie Darko", enjoy "Six Feet Under" and those who are willing to look at the humor in the blandest of everyday activities, as well as the inevitability of death with a dash of hilarity.

This is an original concept of a show that takes us through the "lives" of the undead few who have been chosen at the point of their deaths to have the responsibility of being "reapers" of souls in there not-quite afterlife.

The great thing is, even those these chosen undead ones, these "Bail bondsmen for the disembodied", are given the power of being reapers of souls, they have no special powers (except appearing not as themselves to those who knew them in life) and must maintain jobs (or commit petty larceny as the character of Mason does) in order to pay the rent, bills, and all of the other unpleasant factors of a real life. This particular gaggle of reapers is run by "Rube" played by Mandy Patinkin, meet at "Der Waffle Haus" each day to receive their post it notes on which are written the first initial, last name, place or address, and E.T.D. (estimated time of death) of their "reaps" for the day, and must find the time to do so despite their interferences of everyday "lives" and jobs.

The main character of Georgia Lass, or "George", the wry-witted, sarcastic and irreverent 18 year old struck down in her prime and chosen to be a reaper is beautifully portrayed by husky-voiced young actress Ellen Muth.

As the series progresses, the audience is taken through often hilarious, sometimes heartwarming lessons of life with a wicked sense of humor. Teaching that life is short, that we all die, that the little moments in life are what count and so on could've made for a very clichéd show, but this series takes such an original and dry approach to its characters and humor that it touches all who can appreciate a good laugh wrapped around a positive message. The majority of the lessons taught throughout this darkly humorous, often irreverent, always entertaining series seems to be "You don't know what you've got till it's gone", a message that cannot be delivered enough times to enough people in this crazy day and age! Having watched the entire series (seasons 1 & 2) on DVD, I was pleased to see the evolution of the show's characters into a solid ensemble piece of fascinating people rather than a single centralized character driven piece with caricatures surrounding her, which I must admit, was a risk that the series could've suffered had it not grown up very quickly from its initial 2 or three episodes.

Yet again I'm saddened by the cancellation of one of the few intelligent and truly funny shows on television these days - "DEAD LIKE ME". Why this happened to a show that is so well written, acted, directed and cast is beyond me, but I've given up on reasoning what is obviously a network decision based on money, ratings and the whathaveyous that control such things.

If you haven't seen the series yet, watch it, or better yet, get the DVDs and watch the whole thing straight on through - you won't be disappointed!

~T.Paul